Final Cut Pro X + Izzy Videos = excellent videos

Until last week, I was using Final Cut Express 4 on my iMac. It took me quite a bit of time to get familiar with the many features of Final Cut Express--I struggled so much to remember how to access the many features that I created a single-spaced four-page cheat sheet. Then, just when I finally got comfortable with Final Cut Express, Apple released a new ground-up version of Final Cut Pro (version X). It has major improvements compared to FCE, including background rendering, re-design of the work areas, ability to tag and categorize clips and much more. The previous version of Final Cut Pro sold for $800, whereas the brand new Final Cut Pro X sells for only $300. I hesitated to buy the new version, despite the many improvements, because I didn't want to spend a lot of time training up on a new video  program (as I did when I ditched Adobe Premier Elements (on my PC) in order to move to Final Cut Express on an iMac). Nonetheless, I took the plunge last week, downloading FCP X from the online Apple Store (the only way to buy it). One factor in upgrading was the recommendation of Izzy Hyman, who offers first-rate video instruction at his membership-based site. In fact, Izzy now offers 25 free lessons on Final Cut Pro X at his site (Note: I've written about Izzy once before.).  His lessons cover each of the following topics, and each lesson includes high-quality screencasts: [More . . . ]

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Music, math and art

Animusic has been creating some incredibly sophisticated music animations for years. The work is difficult to describe, though when you see an Animusic creation you'll know it was by Animusic. At this Animusic page you can get a sampling of eight creations. My favorite is "Pogo Sticks," but they are all mesmerizing.

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Fluid space

Here you'll see and hear a beautiful Hawaiian evening sky to go with beautiful music. Such a spectacular way end a long day! Strongly consider watching this short video in HD: The vivid fluidity of the star-filled sky in this video is something I'd never before viewed. There is an ocean of stars up there, including the vast edge of the Milky Way galaxy itself. Watching the "movement" of those stars allowed me to feel, like never before, that our own orb is moving through space. I've long known, intellectually, that the Earth is spinning and rotating through space, but this time-lapse video really brings that point home. We are moving too, in a dramatic way, every second of every day. We aren't the stable platform from which one can objectively view the rest of existence. This video seemingly pushed me to an Archimedean point. Bravo!

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