Dumb Newbie Question(s)

I can see the eye rolling now..."Here comes a newbie...get out the popcorn!"  

Brand new FCPX user here.  Have been editing with iMovie on an iMac for several years so I'm not *totally* green.  I feel confident enough that I can actually create some basic content.  I create travel videos strictly for personal use (maybe a few family members if they were along for the trip).  I just got a new M1 Mac Mini to work with...this is a sweet piece of hardware.  Runs circles around the old iMac.

But I digress...
The built in stuff just doesn't do it for me.  I've been looking at all of the templates and such available from MotionArray and Envato.  My problem is that I'm retired and on fixed income...I just don't feel comfortable going into a long-term subscription arrangement just to create 4 or 5 videos a year.

Is there anyplace that *free* templates & such can be had that can give me a bit of expansion to what came w/FCPX?  Or...that I can do a "one-time" pay that will allow me to use the product in perpetuity?  I've worn out my kbd Googling for something...but I just don't know what I should be focusing on.

Please have pity and throw me a bone! <grin>

These come to mind:

fcpxtemplates.com
motionvfx.com
fxfactory.com

Others will probably chime in with their favorites.

You don't say specifically what type of templates you desire, but you should look at some of the complete bundle packs offered by LenoFX. You can purchase all of their titles, transitions and effects/generators in one purchase with their ABSOLUTE PACK, and they offer other packs with combinations of those templates. They are VERY reasonably priced, good quality and easy to use - and your one time purchase covers you even with future updates. Other FCP plugin makers also offer bundle packages. This seems like a good way to go.

Hi RCurtis
Welcome to the forums
It would be very helpful if you said what type of templet or what you need FCP to do. Lots of free and low cost add-ons available.
Check out the Free Plug-ins and Templets here in the index. Many contributors here have made many plug-ins available and links provided.
FxFactory has many free add-ons.
Here's another link to resources…  fcpxfree.com
You can often create your own add-ons or alter FCP using Motion. Motion can really open up what you can do in FCP.
There are so many free templets out there, just no universal location for all. If you narrow down what you want to do, then folks can chime in on their favorites or even tutorials on how to create the effect desired.
Hope this Helps, Greg

MANY MANY thanks for the pointers posted!  I'm looking very closely at the Absolute Pack from LenoFX.com...but have not yet pulled the trigger.  Here are some things I'm looking for:More/Better backgroundsAnimated travel mapsFlexible grids (***)Easy line/arrowsTransitionsFonts (can't have too many fonts, eh?)Scrolling credits

Like I said...I'm looking at the LenoFX Absolute Pack.  When I do a Google search for travel map plugins it says that LenoFX has one...but when you bring up that link it shows "Sold Out".  How can a software module be "sold out"?  The Absolute Pack claims to include "Everything we've ever created".   ????

The website allows me to select and checkout with the Absolute Pack so I'm not sure what your issue might be. If you continue to have a problem, try sending a support email to Leno at support@lenoFX.com

Usually, when I set a software download product to Sold Out, it's because it either no longer works (correctly) or it's been replaced with an upgrade. It still is capable of drawing people to my site, though.

A lot of template sellers use the Jackson Pollock approach — throw a whole lot of pretty paint on the canvas and hope you buy the whole thing. It seems like a good deal, but how many of the individual templates will you actually use? on a regular basis?  The usual price tag is somewhere around $49 up. 

$49 is the price of Motion.

Motion is easy to use and there is a ton of free tutorials around to be able to do just about anything you could want for no extra cost.  (And I am a template developer/seller!) If you're willing to invest a little time, the payoff is tremendous! And there's this site and Apple Support Communities with many expert users that are more than willing to help!

My advice, being approximately in the same age group as you (69 this year)... is to carefully evaluate what you will exactly need, and which templates will provide value for the amount you spend.  For example: if you buy a template, say an Effect, for twenty bucks and you use it on almost *every* clip you use, then your cost per use becomes extremely low. If you spend the same twenty bucks on a template you'll only ever use once... you're basically throwing away your money especially if it's the value of the template you bought in a "package" and it's something you'll never use at all.

Consider what you're getting into. Take some time to look around. Consider what you can already do within the default "ecosystem" (you'd be surprised what you can do with a solid color and a simple blend mode.)


[To TerryB — thank you for the reference!! It is very much appreciated!]

Thank you all for the advice, I am new here too and I am so glad I found this post. You saved my day and my job. I appreciate you.