I Movie vs. Final Cut /express

Question

Is it worth it to start doing movie editing in Final cut vs i movie. What are the differences?

Answer 1

FCP does indeed have a steep learning curve, and for most (consumer) needs, iMovie is much better suited. That being said, FC (Pro and Express) have features that make movie-editing much, much easier (once you have overcome the initial learning curve, and taking into account the fact that your requirements are higher). FCP's advanced features come really into play when your movie exceeds 45 minutes of total time.
Final Cut has (for us) one true killer feature: multiple video tracks. This is usually very useful when filming the same sequence with multiple cameras (here you can see why most consumers do not need Final Cut), but it also comes in handy when assembling documentaries, as you can trackone the documentary, and tracktwo your actor.
Another very important feature (one that iMovie HD tries hard to emulate) are the live positioning and non-destructive editing/scrolling. FCP is heads and shoulders above iMovie in this regard.
For consumers also nice is the fact that transitions between clips do not shorten either clip in the time line (unlike iMovie).
There are other features that are less important to consumer-level productions (integration with Soundtrack, color correction), except one feature that I would like to see in iMovie: (nearly) arbitrary screen formats.
One really annoying fact we just found out is that if you have a new G5 (with PCI-Express slot) you need to upgrade to the new version (so be careful when you purchase an old version).
Hope this helps,
-ch
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I work for cf/x, and may profit from posting here.