What made me decide to do this? I’m not fully sure, but stepping into FCP X brought me back to the fall of 1999 and very early 2000, when I was not only learning how to use FCP 1.0, but I was also editing my first feature film Skye Falling. In those wild early days of FCP, there wasn’t much in the way of support, but it was growing. Nowadays, there are many great Final Cut Pro resources, and a lot of great training options (click on that, because it’s extensive), so why not get certified? I consider myself a good editor, and I have a strong feeling folks are coming back to check out FCP X with the great 10.0.3 update, that it’s a great time to be a certified Final Cut Pro X editor.

The Final Cut Pro X Certifications

There are two types of certification that Apple offers, Associate Certification and Pro Applications Certification. The Associate is similar to the Pro Applications level one certification, as you learn the same things and use the recommended FCP 101 and FCP 200 course material. Once you pass the exam — here’s the exam prep guide — you’ll be a Final Cut Pro X Level One Pro Applications certified user, or if you take it at home vs. in an Apple authorized training center, you’ll receive the Associate Certification. From there, you can learn more advanced techniques, use the recommended FCP 300 training material and take the FCP X Level Two exam (prep guide coming soon, according to Apple). For me personally, I am going to do the Pro Applications Certification, Levels One and Two.

Ways to Train

There are several ways to train, either in an Apple authorized training center (see below), or on your own using the Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro Xby the great Diane Weynand (I own the Kindle version,good price and you download the special content), along with the Apple Pro Video Series: Final Cut Pro Xwith Steve Martin (the editor and instructor). There is the new, Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro X Advanced Editingcoming soon, by Michael Wohl and others, along with several other Apple-certified books, like Apple Pro Training Series: Keying and Compositing in Final Cut Pro Xand the Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro X Quick-Reference Guide (Apple Pro Video Series).The books are very important, because that’s how the certification happens. I also recommend using some other training material, including Larry Jordan’s video series on FCP X. There are a ton of great FCP X training options out there!

The other ways to learn FCP X for certification is to visit an Apple authorized training center; you can find a location here on Apple’s site by typing in your zip code or address. These training centers will take you through instruction, working with the software and exams to become a level one and level two certified FCP X user. The ones in Florida that are Apple authorized training centers include Future Media Concepts in Orlando, Go4Cast in Port St. Lucie, InstructUs in Tampa and Florida State College in Jacksonville. Surprisingly, there is nothing in Miami. By the way, I spotlight Florida, because this is where I call home, and I’d like to go to Go4Cast, since it’s closest to me. Future Media Concepts has training centers around the country, which is great! These centers use the Diane Weynand book as part of the curriculum. The only downside is the price, which can push into the thousands of dollars if you’re going for the two levels of certification.

Motion Certification

There is Motion 5 Level One Pro Applications Certification, too, and you can use the Apple Pro Training Series: Motion 5 (here’s the Kindle version, which costs less),the recommended preparation material and study with the exam prep guide, then take the exam at an Apple authorized training center. They also offer training, too, if you wish to go that route.

A brief rundown of the new features found in OS X Mountain Lion: Notes is pretty cool, similar in some aspects to the excellent Notebook from Circus Ponies, which I use almost daily; it’s linked via iCloud to all your iOS devices, too, which is great. The Notification Center alerts you to new emails, appointments, third-party app alerts, etc., like Growl notifications, which I’ve used for 2-3 years now. Share Sheets is part of tech right out of what we use in iPhone and iPad, and it’s easy to share sites you’re on via Twitter, Email, Message, add to your Reading List or just bookmark it. Game Center is coming to OS X! It’s pretty cool, and all about social networed gaming. Messages (download the beta now) is essentially iMessage, iOS 5′s free messaging service, and what’s cool is you can send video, etc., plus pick up on conversations when you go from Mac to your iPhone. Notifications comes to the Mac, though I still love using BusyCal and iCal to set up my appointments, reminders and alerts. AirPlay Mirroring lets you share what’s on your desktop, making it easy to do a Keynote presentation, visit websites, etc., via your Apple TV. Twitter is more tightly integrated withing OS X; I’d like to see Facebook integration, if it’s possible.

Check out the new features video to see everything in action:

The 4K sensor powering the JVC GY-HMQ10.

I’m very excited about this affordable 4K camera, and it’s fitting that JVC is introducing the world’s first sub-$20,000 (or so) 4K cinema camera. While 2003′s JVC HD10 wasn’t the greatest camera (I bought one that summer — here’s a film I directed shot on it, featured in a few film festivals), it launched HDV which contributed many of the HD compression techniques we know and use, such as those for Sony, JVC, Panasonic and Canon HD camcorders, along with HDSLRs like the Nikon D5100 or the legendary Canon 5D Mark II. I have a feeling the quality will be excellent, and I’m looking forward to cutting the 4K footage with Final Cut Pro X, which can handle 4K editing without a problem. It captures via MP4/H.264, and JVC includes a software program for Mac to make it easier to import and convert the footage via a single USB cable. Cool!

JVC compares 4K to 1080p

It’s interesting how the 4K video is captured onto the required four 32GB SDHC cards, which JVC explains (and more) on the GY-HMQ10′s technical page. Essentially, it shoots 144 Mbps (Megabits per second), variable bit rate, and the 4K image is actually split into 4 separate pieces, if you will. Each one goes to a different card, as illustrated below:

How the JVC GY-HMQ10 records 4K video to four 32GB SDHC cards.

JVC’s Archive and Merge Utility software that ships with the HMQ10 4K camera (Mac and Windows) will combine the four video images into one for cutting, though JVC promises near real-time 4K playback from the camera via four HDMI ports and cables. With Mac, it will turn it into a single 4K ProRes video clip, of all your 4K camera footage.

JVC's software will merge the four images together into one 4K image.

It’s making me think also about shooting with the JVC in 24p and converting it in FCP X to 48p, or shooting 50p and converting to 48p. The legendary Douglas Trumbull, James Cameron (for Avatar 2 and 3 at 60p), Peter Jackson (The Hobbit is shooting in 48p) and others see higher frame rates as the next evolution in filmmaking. The higher the frame rate, the more ‘realistic’ the image becomes. Of course, digital projectors will need a special upgrade, but a lot of theaters have gone digital, something I’ve been hoping for since the mid-90s and early 2000s.

So basically, we’re getting a 4K camera for $5000, around the price RED said the original Scarlet was going to run, at 3K resolution, back at NAB 2008. This is in no way any sort of disrespect to RED — the Scarlet has become much better than they originally planned, and the current price is right for those changes. By the way, 4K editing with the RED isn’t hard with their Red Rocket with Thunderbolt and a Sonnet Chassis, a MacBook Air, Windows via Bootcamp (or OX Lion) and Premiere Pro CS5.5, as demonstrated by Dave Helmy via Gizmodo. JVC just makes it easier.

Images courtesy JVC.

This news came down yesterday (V-Day), but I’m more than happy to see it! Canon finally released a plug-in for editors to cut and incorporate MXF files in Apple’s Final Cut Pro X. If you’re shooting on or editing footage from Canon’s latest cameras, including the great C300, the XF100, XF105, etc., you’re set! Download the Canon XF editing plug-in here (choose “Drivers and Software”).

Be sure to check out FCP.co for further details, plus information to get it to work on Snow Leopard. Hat tip: My pal and FCP X trainer/guru Ben Balser.

It’s all free, and you can sign up at Viggle.com, and download the app, also free, from iTunes.

VLC 2.0 New UI, photo thanks to developer Felix Kühne.

Just read on 9 to 5Mac that VLC 2.0 from VideoLAN was announced, and includes some cool new features, including support for Blu-ray (not burning, apparently), fullscreen in OS X Lion and more. Check out the details and see some videos of the new UI on 9to5Mac.com. It’ll be available for Mac, Windows and Linux at their site, in the very near future.

Look who's making a cameo in the new VLC 2.0! Photo from developer Felix Kühne.

I use VLC a little bit, mostly to see raw XDCAM EX files without having to open up the Sony XDCAM clip browser or Final Cut Pro X.

The great filmmaker and writer Philip Bloom recently had seven pro editors talk about their Final Cut Pro X observations and experiences, and I wanted to share them with you here. This is especially timely with the 10.0.3 update, which brings even more important features and functionality to FCP X. Sit back and enjoy!

Final Cut Pro X Adds Multicam Editing

I just got off the phone with Apple’s Richard Townhill, senior director of applications marketing, who took the time to update me on the latest major update to Final Cut Pro X, ver. 10.0.3. Apple is delivering multicam support, broadcast monitoring via third-party cards and boxes (in beta), advanced chroma keying features, XML 1.1, the ability to import layered Photoshop graphics (PSD), and media relinking.

Apple has been listening to us and have introduced their second big FCP X update since the app “shipped” via the Mac App Store in late June 2011. We had the first update in September 2011 (which brought XML, media stems and more), a minor bug fix in November and now another major update for January 2012. I mention this first, because Apple usually released major updates to past versions of FCP every year or so. I believe FCP 7 only got two major updates and a minor one after it shipped in August 2009. So we’ve had just as many in seven months, and everything comes through quickly via the Mac App Store!

The big feature is Multicam, and as usual, Apple doesn’t just add in the feature to FCP X, but they make it better and easier to use. You can mix up to 64 different camera angles and sources, using mixed formats, codecs, frame rates and frame sizes, and also you can mix stills with the video. Syncing has always been tricky with multicamera editing, but FCP X makes it simple with their auto sync feature, which will sync up video and audio based on timecode (all cameras have to have matching timecode) or a time-and-date stamp (again, all cameras must match). You can also sync based on metadata, along with customizing that information. FCP X also goes a step further if you’re using the GoPro, HDSLRs or cameras that don’t match timecode or time-and-date. They use the audio from the cameras and match up the waveform and then sync the footage up that way. That’s pretty incredible! So if you’re shooting a three-camera production of an interview, FCP X will sync according to the audio waveforms of the person talking, or if you’re shooting a live event, like sports, it will find the similar audio waveforms and sync them up!

FCP X Adds In Broadcast Monitoring With Third-Party PCI-e Hardware and Thunderbolt.

In beta right now is Broadcast Monitoring, which uses third-party PCI-e devices and cards, and Thunderbolt, which is still one of my favorite new features on pretty much all new Apple computers. AJA has already updated their drivers, and Matrox and BlackMagic are working on some cool Thunderbolt devices. You can also do on-set, in-the-field monitoring, as well! (By the way, I heard from my sources that Apple was working on 10-bit broadcast monitoring, last July.)

Apple also introduced more robust Chroma Keying controls, so it’s not only easy to do a quick key, you can also tweek it and perfect it, especially if your green- or bluescreen wasn’t lit well. No need to export to Motion or After Effects, plus you can view it in real-time, thanks to FCP X’s 64-bit architecture. Richard also mentioned that Jimmy Fallon and SNL use FCP X’s one-step chroma key feature, which is pretty cool.

Media Relink makes it easy to relink your footage, audio, etc., when you’re exporting or importing items from third-party software, such as color corrected footage, cleaned up audio, etc. It will also find footage that was transcoded, as well, which is great, since many of us prefer to use Apple ProRes and other codecs that are easy to cut with.

Richard told me that they have a tremendous number of third-party developers onboard with FCP X, who are putting out some great stuff for FCP X, including Red Giant Software, Nattress, GenArts’ Sapphire Edge, FxFactory, and many others.

Richard talked a bit about my friend Philip Hodgetts (and his partner Greg’s) 7toX app, which will allow you to bring Final Cut Pro 7 projects into Final Cut Pro X! That’s right, no more using two different FCP NLEs on old and new projects, just use the 7toX app and you’re ready to go. Make sure you read the information on the above link, because things obviously change when going from bins, etc., to FCP X. It’s only $9.99 and is already available on the Mac App Store.

7toX takes advantage of the new XML 1.1 feature, plus the update allows you to export to color correct in DaVinci Resolve and other third-party color correction apps. You can also “import and export audio keyframes and intrinsic effects parameters such as opacity and scale,” according to Apple.

While you could import and work with layered Photoshop graphics in Motion 5, you couldn’t in FCP X. The new 10.0.3 update allows you to do just that, which is a fantastic feature that many of us loved in FCP 7 and earlier.

Full rundown and details of the 10.0.3 update can be found here, plus the 30-day free trial of FCP X includes all the new updates, including those for Motion 5 and Compressor 4.

Final Cut Pro X

I wanted to put an idea out to Apple to get the word out about Final Cut Pro X, and not just from bloggers like me, or websites like Digital Media Net. That’s right, I’m talking about road shows and how-to seminars! And why not? I once went on the road with the great Douglas Spotted Eagle of VASST to talk about HDV in late 2005/early 2006, and we had showed off everything from the proto-HDV JVC HD10 to the newest cameras from Sony, JVC and Canon, including the great Sony Z1u. We helped teach users about the technology and the jump from DV to HDV, plus they got hands on experience and instruction with the gear and software.

I think a road show would be great, because Apple can have the exclusivity, but also bring out their friends from Matrox, AJA and others, including third-party software developers making plug-ins for FCP X. It would be a lot of fun, and as a former film school teacher (and presenter with Spot and VASST), being able to get everyone involved and hands-on experience with top-of-the-line Macs is always better than just reading about it online or in a magazine like Videomaker.

As far as cities go, perhaps the big ones, like L.A., San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Denver, Cleveland, Seattle, Atlanta, Orlando and Miami (or Ft. Lauderdale, since it’s in between Miami and Palm Beach), plus some others. I also suggest hitting the international film and video scene, including Toronto, Vancouver, London, Paris, Sydney and others. Final Cut Pro X is a great NLE, I really love it and use it, and I think this would be a great way for Apple to meet one-on-one with editors, videographers and filmmakers, and really get the word — and instruction — out about FCP X.

I know they care about the pro users, and they’re listening. I feel this is a great way to not only show off and teach FCP X, but to also here positive stories and ideas. FCP X isn’t just a new interface for their famous and wildly popular NLE, but it’s also a new way of organzing and editing. It’s a seismic shift from what we’ve been doing for years, and I have seen my editing become more efficient.

Apple has put out an update for Final Cut Pro X, 10.0.2; while it may not be as big as the terrific, huge update that was in 10.0.1, it’s still important you update it. According to Apple, the update fixes:

- Fixes an issue in which a title may revert to the default font after restarting Final Cut Pro X
- Resolves an issue that could cause files recorded with certain third-party mobile devices to play back incorrectly
- Addresses a stability issue caused by changing the start time on a Compound Clip

This update is recommended for all users of Final Cut Pro X. For more information, visit www.apple.com/finalcutpro.

Get to downloading this free update! Also, it was recently revealed that DaVinci Resolve 8.1 can roundtrip with FCP X, and trade FCP X and FCP 7 projects, as well! Get the details at FCP.co.

So Automatic Duck is now offering their once-pricey software for free, including Pro Export FCP 5.0 and 4.0, Pro Import AE 5.0, FCP X Audio Exporter and others. It’s assumed this happened now that developer Wes Plate left for Adobe. I’m also assuming that there won’t be anymore developments to this software, so as FCP X and After Effects grow, these apps may not be compatible. I’m curious what Wes and Adobe have cooking. Check out the Automatic Duck website for details, plus a big thanks from the developer. Hat tip: FCP.co