www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/
Apple’s Official Final Cut Express home page is the place to go for program updates; the latest FCE news; updates on Final Cut Express and QuickTime; and the list of Apple-approved video hardware and software. Check in at the FCE home page on a regular basis.
www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/resources.html
The Final Cut Express Resources directory page contains a variety of resource links that Final Cut Express users will also find helpful: links to discussion groups, a complete list of Final Cut Pro user groups, general DV reference resources, and developers of software and plugins you can use in conjunction with Final Cut Pro.
www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/qualification.html
The Final Cut Express Qualified Devices PDF contains a complete list of DV decks and camcorders qualified to work with FCE, and the correct device control setting to use with each and every one.
Apple’s QuickTime home page.
Apple’s FireWire home page.
www.info.apple.com/usen/finalcutexpress/
Apple’s Final Cut Express Support site has a lot to offer; visit its home page to get an overview of the offerings. Apple changes the names and URLs of its data sites regularly. Try the URLs listed here and on the following pages.
Apple’s Knowledge Base (formerly known as the Tech Info Library, or TIL) is Apple’s library of product information, technical specifications, and troubleshooting information. Search the Knowledge Base with the keywords Final Cut for a complete list of Apple technical documents relating to FCE (and FCP).
To access a specific Knowledge Base article:
This book makes occasional mention of specific Knowledge Base reference articles. You can go directly to a specific article by using the following URL, where XXXXX is the document number: www.info.apple.com/kbnum/nXXXXX.
discussions.info.apple.com/WebX/finalcutexpress
This is Apple’s Final Cut Express Discussion, Apple’s official online support forum. For the time being, this is the most active discussion forum exclusively devoted to FCE. If you think a Final Cut Pro user might be able to assist you, try the 2-pop forums as well.
When Final Cut Pro was released in April 1999, the 2-pop.com site quickly became the central exchange forum for Final Cut Pro users wanting to share information. The 2-pop site is primarily a Final Cut Pro hangout, but its popularity makes it a good place to go for answers, FCP news and gossip, new ideas, and product critiques. A gold mine.
The action at 2-pop centers in the discussion forums. Click the Forums link on 2-pop’s front page to navigate to a complete listing of 2-pop’s discussion forums. Be sure to take advantage of the Search feature located at the top of most discussion boards; you’ll find a wealth of detailed information by searching the archives of the 2-pop message boards.
www.creativecow.net/index.php?forumid=8
Hey! More online forums, more users, more answers for you! The Creative Cow Final Cut Pro forum is populated by a merry band of the usual suspects.
DV Magazine would be my first stop if I were looking for product reviews, industry analysis, and long-view technical evaluations of the current state of the digital video world.
In addition to product-specific information on Photoshop and After Effects, Adobe’s web site is a great source of general information on digital imaging.
Simple to use, the TechEncyclopedia offers more than 20,000 definitions of computer terms and concepts.
If you are seeking alternatives to marketing department hype, these sites offer a bracing dose of opinionated candor and experienced insight, along with valuable reference material and more great links.
Adam Wilt’s Amazing DV FAQ. I’m an Adam Wilt fan. See for yourself.
Ken Stone has been quietly building an impressive online library of illustrated Final Cut Pro tutorials, reviews, and articles by Ken and other FCP scholars. Well worth the visit for FCE users.
www.digitalzoo.com.au/lunchtime/
Simon Kirby’s Lunchtime Cinema is a chatty, pleasantly opinionated, well-organized site that’s devoted to collecting helpful FCP and FCE resources.
Joe’s Filters is a great resource for anyone interested in using filters and transitions in Final Cut Express. Joe offers demo versions of his custom filters, and the illustrated documentation that accompanies each filter description offers a great way to learn more about using filters to create digital effects.
www.dvcentral.org/
Get subscription information at DV & FireWire Central for the excellent DV_L mailing list.
Michael Rubin (and co-editor Ron Diamond) are the keepers of nonlinear4.com, a great reference and resource site for all things digital and video. You should also visit this site to purchase Nonlinear4 (the fourth edition of Michael Rubin’s really good “field guide to digital video and film editing”).
At this time, there are no Final Cut Express–only user groups out there, so you’ll have to crowd in with the FCP folk.
www.apple.com/software/pro/resources/usergroups.html
Apple’s Resources page contains links to all members of the Final Cut Pro User Group Network (20 groups and counting). Check here to see if there’s a user group near you.
2-pop’s User Groups Announcements forum is a good place to check for user group action in your town. If you don’t see any posts from your area, this is a good place to try to round up your neighborhood Final Cut users and start a user group of your own.
The Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group is a triumph of ad-hocracy (and a tribute to the energy of its prime mover, Michael Horton). Founded in June 2000, LAFCPUG now has over 1500 members on its mailing list and holds well-attended monthly meetings. The LAFCPUG web site is updated regularly and is worth a visit for the archive of fine how-to articles contributed by community-minded FCP mavens.
The San Francisco Final Cut Pro User Group web site: These guys started the first FCP user group and gleefully nagged Southern California FCP users until they started the LAFCPUG. The rest is history.