VIDEO EDITING
If your video editing needs go beyond home movies and the odd YouTube upload, you need Final Cut Pro
> FinAl Cut pro $299.99 From Apple, apple.com
Features Magnetic timeline + audio roles + multi-camera editing
FinAl Cut pro has come a long way since its redesign and the addition of “X” to its name left many professional users cold. It’s now the go–to video editor for Mac– using video professionals.
Features like Magnetic Timeline, which automatically adjusts clips when you move or remove other clips, and Audio Roles, which displays audio content visually in the timeline and allows you to assign “roles” such as sound effects, voiceover and soundtrack, are great features. The app also supports 360˚ video, multi-camera editing, and closed captions.
You can combine clips in a Compound Clip to reduce clutter, and cycle through different shots, graphics and effects using the Auditions feature. There are lots of other media organization tools, too. You can organize work in libraries, let Final Cut pro create Smart Collections and auto–analyze camera metadata in clips, and create and apply custom keywords.
BUILD AND EDIT
When it comes to adding titles and effects, Final Cut Pro has you covered, whether you want to build animated 3D tiles that look amazing, edit transitions and effects, or add third–party plugins to provide more options.
As well as assigning roles, Final Cut Pro’s audio features enable you to expand and edit multichannel audio files in the timeline, sync DSLR video with separate audio with waveform matching, and repair problems such as hum and unwanted background noise.
Naturally, Final Cut Pro makes great use of the hardware advances in the Mac. It’s 64–bit, makes optimal use of GPUs, and does the grunt work in the background. It also supports a wide range of camera formats such as ProRes and RED, and there are lots of third–party plugins available for it.
The app also features extensive color-grading and export options, with the ability for users to export multiple versions of a video using roles metadata.