Final Cut Express 2 - new user tutorial

Greetings all! I have had Final Cut Express on my computer for over 2 years and have never learned to use it - sad, but true. I am ready to invest in some kind of tutorial and was seeking your ideas for the best one. I don't live near an Apple store, so I can't take advantage of the things they offer in-store. I would prefer a video tutorial, but if someone thinks there is a book that is better I would consider it. Thanks for any input you can provide.

You say you have FCE 2 so probably the best, easily followed book for you is this one:-
http://www.fcpbook.com/FCE2EditingWorkshop.html
Everything is explained clearly and should you have any further questions, the author is here on the forum to answer them.
Ian.

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Final Cut Express new edition solves many issues

FCE now supports AVCHD and imports all iMovie projects. This is it: Apple wants us to move to Final Cut.
I do not mind this move. I regret though that the browser in Final Cut is less intuitive than iMovie 7. For the rest you get all the features you ever wanted.
http://www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/

Will exporting from iMovie 08 to FCE4, then making a DVD from there, solve the problem of poor DVD quality coming from iMovie 08 by itself?
On my Mac Pro, exporting DV video from iMovie '08 ALWAYS reduces the quality of the video, unlike earlier versions of iMovie. This is true whether I export to DV or to some other format. (Some say this doesn't occur exporting with a high-end video card. If that's true, that is really brain-dead of iMovie '08, for every other QuickTime-based application has exported DV just fine for years!)
The video IMPORTED by iMovie '08 is just fine, however. It looks no different than video imported by iMovie 6 or QuickTime Pro.
My FCE order hasn't arrived yet, but my guess is it will import (or directly access) the DV video imported by iMovie '08 without involving iMovie '08 itself. In other words, no EXPORT from iMovie '08 will be required.
If that's true, then the DV video arriving in FCE should be just fine.
It remains to be seen whether FCE will have the same EXPORT flaw as iMovie '08.
Karl

Final Cut Express HD Shutdown Problem!

I duno why when I open up the program, it loads, and after awhile, it was shut down and there is nothing on the finder. Please help! I have assignment to catch up!
Tried reinstalling it but to no avail.

These are the only files you need to delete:
Location and File or Folder to Delete.
HD/Applications
Final Cut Express
HD/Library/Application Support
BorisFX
Boris FX
Final Cut Express Support
HD/Library/Application Support/ProApps
Final Cut Express System ID
HD/Library/Preferences/
com.apple.RegFinalCutExpress.plist
HD/Library/QuickTime/
AppleIntermediateCodec.component
DesktopVideoOut.component
FCP Uncompressed 422.component
HD/Library/Receipts/
AppleIntermediateCodec.pkg
FinalCutExpress.pkg
FinalCutPro.pkg
ProRuntime.pkg
Users(Your name)/Documents/
Final Cut Express Documents
Users(Your name)/Library/Preferences/
com.apple.FinalCutExpress.plist
Final Cut Express User Data

New user of Final Cut Express - recommendation for book, resource, training

I am a new user of Final Cut Express 4. Actually, I'm a new user of Mac too. I mastered Pinnacle on my PC but got fed up with the glitches, freezing etc.
Could use some advice on a good BEGINNER resource.
Anyone???

Hi and welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Since FCE has a relatively steep learning curve, I would recommend getting one of two training books:
1. [Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop|http://www.amazon.com/Final-Cut-Express-Editing-Workshop/dp/0240810775 /ref=sr12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240436986&sr=8-2] by Tom Wolsky. This is how I learned the program and I can assure you that it is a comprehensive guide with everything from basic to more advanced techniques. I highly recommend it. Tom is a frequent contributor to this forum, so if you had any questions about a lesson then he'd be here to help you out.
2. [Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Express 4|http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Pro-Training-Final-Express/dp/0321534670/ref=sr14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240437118&sr=8-4] by Diana Weynand. Though I can't vouch for it personally, I have heard from many people who were pleased with their experience learning from this book, and I'm sure it is quite good also.
There are also several good sites I've visited with free tutorials that you might like to check out:
[Click here for one site.|http://www.izzyvideo.com/learn-final-cut-express>
[Click here for another!|http://www.rippletraining.com/freetutorials_oldies_butgoodies.html?cms=88e1757dd929cacb053b6d1670b3f45e]
Hope that helps,
Sasha

Does final cut express 4.0 work in new macbook bought in Oct 2013

I bought Final Cut Express 4.0 in 2008 and recently I bought a new MacBook Pro 15" around Oct 2013 and updated to Mavericks 10.9. I copied all the contents and apps from the old macbook to the new one and when using the Final Cut Express, it asked me for the serial number and when I tried to add it, it says serial not valid. What can I do to be able to use my Final Cut Express? Please any suggetions?

Three thoughts,
1. It is usually better to re-install pro apps (like FCE) from scratch instead of migrating them from an older Mac. If you migrated FCE from your old Mac, this could be the reason for the hiccup with the serial number.
2. The serial number is very long, and it's very easy to mistype a character. Try entering it again, being very careful typing and check the serial nubmer visually before you hit the enter key.
3. Keep in mind that FCE was discontinued in June 2011, even before Lion was released. It is no longer supported and there is no guarantee it will run, or run properly, on later versions of OS X including Mavericks. Users have had spotty success with it on Lion, Mt. Lion & Mavericks. YMMV.
Final Cut Pro X is the currently released & suported video editing app from Apple. You can download, install & try it out free for 30 days.

TS3528 What to do if Final Cut Express was installed after Aperture, on a new MaBook Pro Retina running OS X 10.7.4?

What to do if Final Cut Express was installed after Aperture, on a new MaBook Pro Retina running OS X 10.7.4?

Bear in mind 10.7 and FCE are not supported working together.
FCP X is the supported application for Lion.
Users find FCE can mostly work to not working at all with Lion.
You can dowmlaod a trial of FCP X from the App Store.
Al

HT2948 Will Final Cut Express 4 work with the new Canon XA10 AVCHD ??

I'm in the process of shopping for new cameras for my students. We edit on Final Cut Express 4 HD. I want to buy the Canon XA10camwras which record to SD cards. I keep reading AVCHD video and am new to the technology. The B&H website says this camera :
Product Highlights
1/3" CMOS Sensor
Native 1920 x 1080
24Mbps AVCHD Recording
60i, PF30, PF24, Native 24p
64GB Internal Flash Drive
Flash Memory
The XA10 Professional Camcorder allows users to record up to 24 hours of clear high definition video to a 64GB internal flash drive or to two SDXC-compatible memory cards. With Relay Recording, the camcorder automatically switches video recording from the internal drive to the SD memory cards when the memory becomes full.
Video can be copied from the XA10's internal drive to removable SD memory cards. That makes it easy to insert the card into your computer or HDTV's card reader and view your recorded footage immediately. Double Slot Recording allows recording to two SD cards simultaneously, providing an automatic backup while shooting.
AVCHD Codec
The XA10 features the AVCHD codec. AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) was announced in 2006 and is quickly becoming the standard for professional camcorders. AVCHD utilizes MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression technology similar to the technology used in Canon's HD DSLRs. In addition to professional grade camcorders, AVCHD is very popular in the consumer market and as a result most nonlinear editing software, both professional and consumer, have full support for the codec; this makes for easy compatibility with the XA10 no matter what system you choose.
Will I be able to take out the SD cards, put them in a card reader, and simply log and transfer into Final Cut Express? Again, I'm a novice and don't know what a lot of this means.
Thanks!!!!

FCE should work with the 60i (interlaced) footage this camera produces.
Also you should be able to load the SD and capture.
I do not have one or used one with FCE, the specs indicate it should.
Maybe a current owner can chip in their experiences.
Al

User Contributed Tips in Final Cut Express and Final Cut Express HD Forum

*The following User Contributed Tips are located in the Pro Applications: Video > Final Cut Express and Final Cut Express HD Forum:*
skalicki` - Working with AVCHD: Log and Transfer FAQs
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2672530
Publish date: December 03, 2010
skalicki` - Final Cut Express: Basic Troubleshooting
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2662419
Publish date: November 26, 2010
*The following related tips are located in other areas of Apple Discussions:*
Please see the User Tips Library

I'm relatively new to FCE myself, so I'll answer with what I know. I'm sure the more experienced folks will either add to or correct what I say.
1) For the Inconvenient Truth thing, I believe this would best be done in LiveType, which does allow you to do animations, and to work on individual letters and characters. Whether or not it could exactly reproduce the effects in the clip, I'm not certain, but I'm sure it could come very close.
2) For the Crowd or the Cross effects, there are two things going on at once: effects on the text, and effects on the video. My gut feeling is that both FCE and LiveType can do these, with lots of work and patience, but I'll defer to other people to answer.
3) The page peel is a transition built into FCE.

Can't install Final Cut Express on my new Powerbook

I bought a 17" Powerbook G4 recently.
I have Final Cut Express 2 installed on my Quicksilver G4 Desktop machine, but when I tried to install the software on my new laptop I got an error message.
The message code reads:
Unknown Error
-5000
This happens right ater the installer asks for my user name information and serial number.
Does anyone know what this error message means, and more importantly, how I can overcome this error and get my software installed on my laptop?
Mac G4 Quicksilver Mac OS X (10.4.7) iMovieHD and Final Cut Express

Hello Ian,
I am inputting my serial number correctly (the Ok button gets activated only after the last triplet of letters). I've made sure of not having a space before the first letter, as per your suggestion. I've also been careful to use my capslock key when entering the letters of my serial number.
I still get the message
Unknown error
-5000
The only option of this feedback dialog box is a Quit button. I tried hitting the esc key while clicking the Quit button, but that didn't help.
What happens next during the install process is that I'm asked again to enter my name and serial number information. The information entered during this second attempt is accepted by the Installer, and the Installer goes on to its following steps (license agreement, etc). But when the Installer gets to show th drives where I can install the software, all the drives are flagged with the dreaded red exclamation mark (i.e., not able to install on any of the drives).

I am new to Final Cut Express and don't understand why I am unable to drag transitions into Canvas? Something wrong in my setup? It's not the overlays they are "on" so can anyone advise me please?

I am new to Final Cut Express and don't understand why I am unable to drag transitions into Canvas? Something wrong in my setup? It's not the overlays they are "on" so can anyone advise me please, by the way the "L" doesn't appear in the bottom left hand corner either? and by the way how can I get rid of that irritating Blue badge saying "AutoFill your contact details" all mine are in "address book" already!

You can't drag a transition into the canvas. If you're dragginmg a transition from the effects tab you drag it between the edit point of two clips in the timeline.
Make sure show edit overlays is turned on in the Canvas view popup.

Final Cut Express not able to run on new MBP

I purchased my 2.4 GHZ 2GB RAM MBP in late March. Today I installed my previously purchased Final Cut Express 2. When I launched the application, the following error message came up and did not allow me to run the program:
Configuration error
The software requires certain hardware or software which is missing.
- AGP graphics card
All of the MBPs in the Apple store had FCE loaded on them and I was pretty clear to the salesman that I would be using this software (FCE) on the MBP. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

How old is the FCE? FCE had to be rewritten to work on the Intel Macs. I had to update versions that ran on G4 macs because they would not run on G5 versions. If this is a newer version of FCE that runs on Intel Macs, then I do not have a suggestion for you.

I had final cut express 4 already installed on my new macbook but can't open it because it is asking for my serial number which is on the disc. I've put it in with and without dashes and dots and it won't accept it. What do I do?

I had final cut express 4 already installed on my new macbook pro at the shop but I'm trying to open it up and it wants my serial number. I've typed in the number on the disc labelled 'product serial number' but it won't accept it. The number has lots of dots and dashes in it and I've tried typing these as well, but to no avail. What can I do?

You do need the dashes.
Also double check that O & 0, I & 1 are not being confused.
The serial no. pretty much follows a three numbers then three letters approach.
Al

Final Cut Express HD transfer from Intel to new Retina MacBook Pro

Final cut express HD will not open on new macbook retina using my intel version serial number. Do I have to purchase it again!!?

RAM may be an issue, if you can upgrade it that may help.
Also, make sure all your Media is on an External Hard drive. It's not a good idea to have your media reading off the same drive as your Application.
You could also try Trashing your Preferences and see if that helps.
~Luke

I do video productions for a small local TV station. I use Final Cut Express to edit. I need a new video camera but am at a loss as to what to buy. I know I will get a digital camera but do not know the difference between just digital and digital HD.

I do video productions for a small local TV station. I use Final Cut Express to edit. I need a new video camera but am at a loss as to what to buy. I know I will get a digital camera but do not know the difference between just digital and digital HD. Also, I can not afford an expensive camera and need some advice on which of the available cameras would be best and also work well with a Mac. One last issue, I currently use a Panasonic #CCD camera that takes a tape. When I load video to Final Cut the audio and video are out of sinc. Go figure. Can anyone help with these questions. Karen

Hello Karen,
If you are using Final Cut Express, then look for camcorders that are AVCHD camcorders. Look especially for the AVCHD logo and specific mention of AVCHD in the specs. Most of the major manufacturers produce good quality camdcorders - Canon, Sony, etc.
Also, be aware that there are a lot of "not quite AVCHD" camcorders on the market (sometimes they say they record video as MPEG4-H.264/AVC) - buyer beware!
Most everything you are going to find on the market today is HD, which stands for "high-def".
Regarding your question about the Panasonic camcorder, it's best if you post that as a separate question, and please identify the specific model camcorder and the Easy Setup you are using in FCE.

I have a copy of Final Cut Express 2. Can I get a current upgrade instead of repurchasing the new Final Cut Pro?

I have a old copy of Final Cut Express 2 that I never installed. Can I get a current upgrade instead of repurchasing the new Final Cut Pro?
The Apple Store does not show does not contain purchase information of the old unused Final Cut Express. What can I do to register Final Cut Express 2 will not operate in the current OS systems on my iMac. It only is compatible with the G3 or G5.

If you have a record/documentation of your FCS full version purchase, you can contact Apple here:
https://ssl.apple.com/support/proapps/serialnumbers/
to obtain your serial number.
MtD
Message was edited by: Meg The Dog to fix typo

Final Cut Express 2 - new user tutorial

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