It has been a very busy year in the life of Final Cut Pro X in 2012. Lots of updates, lots of new plugins and of course training courses and books. We thought we would take a look at the best selling FCPX books of 2012.
We are Amazon Affiliates, which is pretty handy as not only does it help contribute to keep the FCP.co website servers humming away, it also provides a very convenient way to rank the sales and thus the popularity of FCPX books.
As always, we will run down the charts, starting with the most popular book. Interesting to note here that although two of the top three books have changed order, the top three are the same from when we did the same exercise back in March.
Up one at number one is Edgar Rothermich's Final Cut Pro- How it Works: A new type of manual - the visual approach.
Edgar has taken a very different method of documenting the functionality of FCPX by using diagrams rather than blocks of text. He calls it a 'GEM' or a graphically enhanced manual. This $17 book has been hugely popular and received many good reviews. Sales are well into the 100's
Down one place to the second spot is Diana Weynand with Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro X. No real surprise here as the Peachpit range of books have always been popular, it's also the official book used in getting certified for FCPX.
The book comes with a DVD-ROM with the media files you will need to follow along with the lessons. Normally priced at $55 you'll find it marked down to $32 at the moment. Kindle version also available.
We are slightly unsure about how current this book is, after all we are now on 10.0.7.
Still at number three is FCP guru Larry Jordan with the $45, down to $26 book Final Cut Pro X Making the transition.
The billing says "Within a weekend, users will learn the best ways to start editing in this groundbreaking program in this must-have guide." Well people have taken heed as it is still selling well.
Kindle version also available.
A new entry at number four is The Craft of the Cut, billed as the Final Cut Pro X Editor's Handbook, this 360 page book by Mark Riley and Marios Chirtou is discounted down from $45 to $27. As this book was only published in October, we can see it moving up the charts in 2013.
The book also comes with footage to follow the tutorials and build your own version of a short film.
Kindle version also available.
Up one at position number five we have Final Cut Pro X: Visual QuickStart Guide
Written by longtime FCP author Lisa Brenneis and one of the original FCP designers Michael Wohl, this $40 book discounted to $24 bills itself as a clear, straightforward guide to FCPX. It also uses tasked-based step by step instructions with visuals and time saving tips.
Kindle version also available.
A good showing at number six from the $20 The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro X. Written by long time FCP guru Rick Young, the book was only published at the end of 2012 so it has made some strong sales.
The book missed the 10.0.6 & 10.0.7 update so Rick has published a free PDF update online.
Another book from the Apple Pro Training Series is at number seven. Final Cut Pro X Advanced Editing is a good follow up to Diana's book. Priced at a rather large $60, it can be found online discounted down to $45. Michael Wohl, Alexis Van Hurkman and Mark Spencer are the authors.
Kindle version also available.
Edgar Rothermich has also got an entry in at number eight. A $29 follow up to the second slot, this book Final Cut Pro X: the Details priced at $29 goes into more, er detail.
We think the fact that two of these 'GEMS' are in the top ten proves their popularity. A great way to learn FCPX using the innovative graphic display method. Well worth checking out if you haven't read one before.
Written by Forum contributor Tom Wolsky, the number nine spot goes to the $30 discounted to $22 book Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users: Making the Creative Leap.
With Tom's experience in the business and backed by the Focal Press pedigree, this book ranked 9 is an ideal start for anybody moving from FCE or iMovie to Final Cut Pro X.
Kindle version also available.
And lastly at number 10 the Apple Pro Video Series: Final Cut Pro X. Author Steve Martin will be familiar to anybody who has watched one of the excellent Macbreak Studio episodes.
Priced at $60 but discounted online down to $44 this book is aimed at beginners who haven't used used FCPX before.
Slightly confusing when you look at the contents on Amazon as it links to a Quick Start guide by Brendan Boykin.
So there you go, the Final Cut Pro X book chart for 2012. We didn't include any Motion books or the rather fabulous 'The Editing of Star Wars: How Cutting Created A Classic' which got many orders too. It will be interesting to revisit this list again at the end of 2013.
I am the Editor-in-Chief of FCP.co and have run the website since its inception ten years ago.
I have also worked as a broadcast and corporate editor for over 30 years, starting on one inch tape, working through many formats, right up to today's NLEs.
Under the name Idustrial Revolution, I have written and sold plugins for Final Cut Pro for 13 years.
I was made a Freeman of Lichfield through The Worshipful Company of Smiths (established 1601). Though I haven't yet tried to herd a flock of sheep through the city centre!
Current Editing
2020 has been busy, the beginning of the year was finishing off a new property series (cut on FCP) for Channel 4 called The Great House Giveaway. I also designed and built the majority of the graphics as Motion templates. It has been a great success and the shows grabbed more viewers in the 4pm weekday slot than any previous strand. It has been recommissioned by C4 for 60 episodes, including prime-time versions and five themed programmes. The shows have also been nominated for a 2021 BAFTA.
Although both were postponed to later in the year, I worked again on ITV's coverage of the Tour de France and La Vuelta. 2020 was my 25th year of editing the TdF and my 20th year as lead editor. The Tour was the first broadcast show to adopt FCPX working for multiple editors on shared storage.
BBC's Snooker has played a big part in my life, I've been editing tournament coverage since 1997. I'm proud to be part of a very creative team that has pioneered many new ideas and workflows that are now industry standard in sports' production. This is currently an Adobe Premiere edit.
Covid cancelled some of the regular corporate events that I edit such as trade shows & events. I was lucky however to edit, from home, on projects for Amazon Kindle, Amazon Black Friday, Mastercard and very proud to have helped local charitable trust Kendall & Wall secure lottery funding.
As for software, my weapon of choice is Final Cut Pro and Motion, but I also have a good knowledge and broadcast credits with Adobe Premiere Pro, MOGRT design and Photoshop.
Plugin Design & Development
I'm the creative force behind Idustrial Revolution, one of the oldest Final Cut Pro plugin developers. It hosts a range of commercial and free plugins on the site. One free plugin was downloaded over a thousand times within 24 hours of release.
I also take on custom work, whether it is adapting an existing plugin for a special use or designing new plugins for clients from scratch. Having a good knowledge of editing allows me to build-in flexibility and more importantly, usability.
FCP.co
Now in its 10th year and 4th redesign, running FCP.co has given me knowledge on how to run a large CMS- you are currently reading my bio from the database! Although it sounds corny, I am pretty well up on social media trends & techniques, especially in the video sector. The recent Covid restrictions has enabled live FCP.co shows online. This involves managing a Zoom Webinar through Restream.io to YouTube and Facebook.
The Future
I'm always open to new ideas and opportunities, so please get in touch at editor (at) fcp.co. I've judged film competitions, presented workflow techniques to international audiences and come up with ideas for TV shows and software programs!
