iMovie3 or Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Express

Catalina

Catalina

I am needing some advice.
I have made a few amateurish vacation type movies on iMovie and now that I am considering doing something more feature-length (but still on a 10K budget), I was considering upgrading to Final Cut Pro or Express. But I have heard there is a daunting learning curve because it is so much more powerful than iMovie. Should I get Express and hope it's powerful enough that once I learn it I can still do my movie or should I jump in the deep end (both in terms of learning and in terms of money) and get Pro?
Any advice is appreciated.
Catalina
 
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DVX100A footage...

Lefteye said:
I bought FCP 4.5 this summer and I was stoked because the computer store on my campus accidentally posted the wholesale price... I bought it for $300. then the production suite came out a week later. I could have gotten motion and DVD studio pro 3 for an extra 200.

I started sing FCP when I was 15. I love it. If you have an idea, it can be done with FCP.
Click to expand...

I started out using Final Cut Pro myself and eventually upgraded to Final Cut Pro 4 on my old G4 Mac. But I recently converted over to Vegas Video 5.0 and am really loving it...

That's not my point though...

My point is that once you shoot with a DVX100A in 24p (assuming you configure the rest of your options appropriately), your footage already looks a lot like film... Native straight from the capture. Of course you can tweak it some more but I've found that in general, the average person thinks they are watching film. *NOTE: I said average person... Not filmmaker types... LOL.

filmy
 
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Hey Filmy, I noticed you're in Las Cruces. I am too. Cool. I may ask you for some advice when the time to start filming my movie gets closer. Around Christmas time. Oh, good advice about the Panasonic. i've been looking at that and I really like some of its features. a thousand dollars cheaper, too. that's my favorite feature.

Lefteye
 
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FCE will work with most situations from DVX100A, but remember that the DVX has TWO methods of recording and encoding 24p. 24p (standard) and 24pA (advanced).

Without going into the pulldown story (there is a 3rd pulldown, 2:2:2:4 RT that nobody mentioned), if you want your final movie on a VHS tape or DVD, then shoot and edit in 24p (standard). If you want to have a 35mm film out, then shoot and edit in 24pA (advanced). DO NOT use 24p for film out (looks blurry) or 24pA for film (way too choppy). DVD's work either way, since the DVD burner automatically adds the 3:2 pulldown.
 
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I agree with Director, It all really matters how serious you are, and how much $ you can put down. I've worked with Premier,Avid,and Final Cut Pro, I've worked on PC's and Macs. I love them all don't get me wrong. But like Director said if you just want to get some nice looking video shot, go with FCP express. But if your serious go all out and get the G5 with FCP 4. You can't go wrong. And for the learning curve: once you learn one you know them all trust me. Colors change and buttons get put in different locations. SO FCP any version is the way to go.

P.S 24p is a great choice.
 
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