Final Cut Pro Power Skills: Work Faster and Smarter in Final Cut Pro 7,   ISBN:9780321646903

Customer Rating: 

I don't buy many software instruction books, but this book has been genuinely helpful and practical for me.
I do not have time to sit down and read an instruction book cover to cover, neither would I remember it if I did. I like small bite-size and uncomplicated chunks of help that can actually be recalled and put to use quickly in real-life editing projects. This book assumes that the reader has basic knowledge of Final Cut Pro but also assumes - quite rightly - that many users do not tap into most of the potential of the program - or take a long time to do what could be done quickly if only one knew how. That describes my situation very accurately.
I have been editing in Final Cut Pro for about 5 years, but it is a hobby not a career for me, and I tend to forget useful shortcuts, or how to do clever effects because I am not using the program every day.
Hence the format of this book with one or two topics to a page and all tips very concise and self-contained, even if part of a group, is realistic for me as a learning tool that can actually work in my typically busy life, doing spasmodic editing projects.
The index is very good and the scope and choice of topics suggest an author who is himself a true user, well aware of what editors need to know on the run.
I am also a very visual learner, so I like the mix of illustrations and uncluttered concise text.

I am normally skeptical of books that promise to make one 'work faster and smarter' as the cover states, but that is exactly what this book has done - tangibly - for me.

Customer Rating: 

I learned about Larry at the Lynda website, where he has several video-based tutorials. These are great, so I picked this up as a shelf reference. You think you know it all, then a super user like Larry shows you three more ways to do something.

There is a code in the back of the book that allows you to get online access to the text for one month.

I don't have FCP 7 yet, but it's still very valuable to me. I highly recommend it.

Customer Rating: 

This is an excellent book to answer a lot of those questions Final Cut Pro users always have.

Customer Rating: 

Larry communicates the ins and outs of Final Cut Pro 7 in a clear and easy to follow manner. This book will help you edit faster and smarter in FCP!!

Customer Rating: 

I am a doctor who decided to learn video to educate my patients about health care. I have now completed two documentaries and am currently working on two more. Having followed Larry Jordan's online courses on Final Cut Pro for over two years now, I have gone from knowing nothing about video and video editing, to what some have described as semi-pro. FCP Power Skills is an exceptional book which is well-organized and clearly describes both those editing methods that we editors use over and over again, as well as many lesser-known techniques that greatly make video editing more efficient and pleasurable. Anyone using Final Cut Pro, from beginner to "expert", could benefit from purchasing this book. Larry is one of the most experienced professionals in video editing, and has a great way of adding a sense of humor that makes learning a delight. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.