FCP X training

Ripple Training's Steve Martin

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Larry Jordan's Larry Jordan Training

I'm in dire need of Final Cut X training. I've managed to edit a quick, experimental piece in the program but to say I tackled the program is a bit of an overstatement... I'm now dealing with Events instead of FCP projects, although the term 'projects' is still used but it's part of an event. In the old days you could have dozen of versions of one sequence but now you can only have one sequence within a project. Why? Also, I cannot save my projects manually because FCP does that. I don't trust that. When I try to move stuff in the timeline it keeps jumping back by itself. It must be the 'magnetic timeline'- turn it off!

Ok, I'm being silly, stubborn and stupid and trying to force FCP 7 habits into FCP X. It will never work. Face it. And you don't want to figure everything out by yourself, you're not good at that. Buy training.

Basically there are two options:  Larry Jordan's FCP X training at $99,- for 11 hours. Or Ripple Training for FCP X at $39 for 5 hours. I am tempted by the much cheaper pricetag from Ripple. Isn't 5 hours of training enough? Ken Stone gave it a good review, too. But Larry Jordan is very good with tutorials and FCP. And he has a hypnotic voice. It's 11 hours of training- you can never get enough training with a new program, right? So I'm undecided...

Sex sells

I just watched the latest episode of this informative series by Larry Jordan & Co on 'sounddesign' ie the importance of adding layers of sound to create an extra dimension -or extra dimensions- to your film. I have a great deal of respect for Larry Jordan and have learned much from his tutorials on FCP and the entire FCS over the last years. But the 2 Reel Guys don't cut it for me.
I have to start out that content-wise I have nothing but praise so that's not the issue. Larry and his partner are knowledgeable and the topics covered are relevant.
But I cannot help feeling that I'm looking at two very nerdy schoolteachers who talk too much and really like to listen to themselves. And they use too little examples to clarify their points. And when they do, it's pretty lame: a cheapish highschool theatre setting with overacted dialogue. (Or is it a joke? I couldn't tell.) Everything screams 'zap me outta here'...
Yes, watching this episode is like being in high school all over again: when can I get outta here? But just as it was in high school, sex saves the day. Larry introduces the biggest set of tits and suddenly I'm all eyes and ears! Tell me, Larry, and look me straight in the eyes, was this girl a lucky break or was this 'n old trick of the trade..?

free Final Cut Pro tutorials

I have been following FCP-guru Larry Jordan for many years. He has a voice that holds somewhere between a therapist, a hypnotist and a grandfather- very easy to listen to. Besides that, he is a knowledgeable guy with who knows how to get a message across. Even though I subscribed to his newsletter, I somehow never knew Larry had his own YouTube channel with lots of mini-tutorials. Do you know the best way to output HD to DVD? Just one example of some very valuable -and very free!- tutorials: