Appendix 1

The Filmmaker’s Guide to Final Cut Pro Workfl ow
all from the same system. And the cost savings can slash equipment costs by as much as 95 percent.
It is also a system that can evolve with changing demands and new technologies.
Because this book is dedicated to these concepts, there are chapters on such diverse subjects as
improving digital titles on National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) video, conforming
negative, digital intermediates, and even sound design, all with an eye on cost savings.
The question comes up, if these workfl ows are that much cheaper and more fl exible, why doesn’t
the mainstream Hollywood industry use them? The answer is that sometimes they do, but Hollywood
has never done anything they perceive as risky in the name of cost savings. It’s not an industry that
looks to anything new except to sell more tickets.
There was an old adage back in the eighties that said, “Nobody ever got fi red for buying IBM.” When
clones and Macs were fi rst coming out, an executive was not risking criticism for sticking with
mainstream thinking and buying the expensive IBM system. But ask yourself this, when was the last
time you were in a business and they were using an IBM PC? Cost savings and effi ciency have
always won out.
These workfl ows are here to stay, and can perform any task or achieve the end result as well as any
other system. When criticisms come up, they are usually based on lack of information, rarely on
actual limitations in the workfl ow or software. Add to that, the workfl ows and software are changing
and evolving almost daily and it becomes obvious: this is the future.
This book is not intended to be a how-to guide on software. It is assumed that the reader has a good
working knowledge of basic digital video editing using Final Cut Pro and Pro Tools.
Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Studio, and Cinema Tools
Final Cut Pro is a resolution-independent, software-based, nonlinear editing system for the
Macintosh. In many ways, it is no different than a dozen other such systems. What sets it apart is its
ability to interface with almost any hardware or video system. Because it is totally resolution independent,
it can be used to edit any video format from streaming Web video to HD cam. It uses a host
of frame rates and can convert many to 29.97 video for display in real time. And, yet, it requires no
hardware interface at all. It works fi ne on a laptop without any video or audio monitor. It is one software
package that is equally at home in a backpack or running a million-dollar HD online edit suite.
But what really pushes it over the top is Cinema Tools. This software was originally an expensive
add-on package. Now, it comes bundled with Final Cut Pro and many of its features have been integrated
directly into FCP. Cinema Tools allows management of fi lm key code information, audio time
code, edit decision lists (EDLs), cut lists, and even fi lm opticals. It allows telecined fi lm to be reversed
back to the original frames for frame-accurate editing and audio syncing. It can even pull the frame
rate back up to 24 for true 24-frame fi lm editing without pull-up and pull-down issues. When these
applications fi rst came out, they cost $1,000 each, a bargain compared to systems that did less and cost
more than $100,000. Today, you can buy both as a bundle for less than the original cost of just one.
Final Cut Studio includes many software add-ons for advanced color grading, motion graphics and
compositing, sound editing and DVD authoring. When used with second party io devices, these
programs can be used with any digital format including 2 K and 4 K as well as Apple’s new Pro Res
422 and Red Camera’s Redcode.
x