2 Before the Edit: Production Tips

“With Final Cut Pro, I appreciate how the “how” of the edit gets out of the way so quickly, so I can explore the creativity in the “what” of the edit. Editing is much less tiring in Final Cut because it is so much more enjoyable.”

— Alex “4D” Gollner, Final Cut Pro plugin maker, (Alex4D.com)

This chapter, unlike the other chapters in this book, isn’t directly about Final Cut Pro (FCP). Instead, it deals with many of the technical and camera-based details that you should know and the basics that you must know — codecs, shot types, data rates, and more. Technical details are important, regardless of whether you’re shooting your own video or you’re working with a separate operator, because you’ll know what to ask for.

Important note

If you’ve been in the industry for a while or you have no plans to ever shoot a video of your own, feel...