This will be a story that is familiar to many. Joaquin has progressed from a very early version of Premiere, through Final Cut Pro 7 and now edits with the current version of FCP. And yes, he does love it.!
Hello, special greeting to the whole FCP family. My name is Joaquin Gonzalez Dájer. My story starts in 1999 (Cuba my country of origin), back then I started studying video techniques, allowing me to learn what I needed to become a cameramen, using my personal camera which was a Sony miniDV during 1999 and 2004. I was filming on my own.
At this time, everything I captured in my camera was edited by others. In 2003 I wasn’t able to complete a project because the editor’s computer was broken. This incident pushed me to buy a PC with a 20 GB hard drive with 512 MB memory ram. I was able to install Adobe Premiere 6.5 and without knowing anything about editing, in less than six months I learned to edit on my own and without a tutorial. I was then able to do take on the editing work as well.
By February 2004 I started working on television (Cuba) obtaining a great TV production grounding and a many professional techniques. This gave me the ability to develop even more as a cameraman and as an editor doing several individual works and obwinning awards. I celebrated the first anniversary of a magazine called “Punto y Seguimos” hosted by Migdalia Morales.
In 2007 I emigrated with my family to the United States. In the first two years, between 2008 and 2010, I could hardly edit anything except a few family videos. I was working since 2010 as a Cameraman and Editor in the first Spanish-speaking channel in the United States (Univision).
In 2011 I was able to buy my first 27-inch iMac and this is where my story with Final Cut Pro begins, installing Version 7 at that time, from the moment I started working it was all very familiar to me, it reminded me of my early editing experiences, I enjoyed it very much. Among many of the editions I made is My First Trip to Europe, Italy in the Vatican in 2014, with the Canonization of two Popes, and other editions made in FCP 7 that won several Emmys, here I leave part of that memory.
In early 2016 I installed Final Cut Pro X, but couple weeks later my iMac stopped working and I was only able to work with the program a few times.
So as one of the virtues that characterizes me (patience) in the next six years all I did was watch Final Cut Pro tutorials from time to time. At the beginning of 2022 and thanks to my Supervisors Samuel Belilty, Carlos Corrales, and Carlos Sagastegui, the opportunity was given to buy, install it, study it and carry out ‘My First Piece’ in Final Cut Pro that I so longed for. By March 24, I had published a summary of the first month of the Attack on Ukraine and this was the material that is placed as the starting point.
I define Final Cut Pro as a paradigm shift that you can have the feeling of the innate cut and master the rhythms of action or dialogue. It's almost like laying down a perfect dance, the movie becomes your partner, when you really get in tune with its rhythms.
The amazing sensation and freedom that it gave me spread to others that appreciate it and enjoy it as well. Two of them, Javier Uria and Edward Esquivel, colleagues that now are fascinated with Final Cut Pro thanks to the knowledge I shared with them. They describe it as FUTURISTIC AND VERSATILE.
Now, Final Cut Pro is like an inspiration that returns, it's as if you've been reborn as a new editor. It might not be the most complete software, but it is very easy and pleasant to work with with. The great optimisation of its platform maximizes creation and minimizes technical problems. It is an extremely stable, fast and reliable editing software, with everything living simply in a Library. The Harmony with which you interact with Final Cut Pro is what makes you make your movie. There is no barrier between thinking and editing, once you start, you establish an intrinsic relationship in your First Project that You Will Always Love.
