| Apple’s powerful moviemaking package now supports the latest AVCHD cameras, features an open format Timeline, provides iMovie ’08 compatibility, and offers sophisticated effects and filters. Built-in AVCHD
Offering plenty of creative options, Final Cut Express 4 lets you edit footage captured in the most popular formats - including AVCHD.* Simply connect your camcorder to your Mac, preview and select the AVCHD clips you’d like to import, and start editing your video.
* AVCHD video requires a Mac with an Intel processor. Open format Timeline
No need to worry about formats, frame rates, or conversions. Final Cut Express 4 provides an open format Timeline that handily accommodates DV (both NTSC and PAL) and HD footage simultaneously and in real-time. Just drop video into the Timeline and edit away. Import iMovie ’08 projects
With iMovie ’08, putting together a great movie is as quick as drag and drop. When you want to add professional polish to your project, simply export to Final Cut Express 4 and edit like a pro. Sophisticated FxPlug effects and filters
Add cinematic looks to your project with an expansive library of professional-quality transitions and filters and experiment with over 50 brand-new video effects, including Soft Focus, Vignette, Light Rays, and Line Art. Importing Video
With Final Cut Express 4, you can edit footage captured in such popular video formats as DV, HDV, and AVCHD. Or export your iMovie ’08 projects, putting professional polish on them in Final Cut Express.
- Easily capture DV and HDV: Capturing DV and HDV footage is as simple as connecting a camcorder to your Mac and keeping an eye on the Capture window to select what you’d like transferred. Preview it full screen on your primary or secondary display whenever you want. Final Cut Express supports both standard-definition DV and high-definition 1080i and 720p HDV.
- Work with AVCHD: Now you can edit video captured with the most popular AVCHD devices, using the new Log and Transfer tool to access video recorded to disks, memory cards, or DVDs.Select the clips you want, then transfer them to Final Cut Express. It’s never been easier to work with beautiful HD content.
- Import projects from iMovie ’08: In iMovie ’08, you can skim through the clips in your library and quickly create a rough cut of your video project. Exporting it to Final Cut Express for further editing couldn’t be easier - just choose Final Cut XML from the Share menu. Then open your project in Final Cut Express to put the finishing touches on your project using its expanded, professional toolset.
* Support for DVD-based camcorders requires Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard or later. Editing
Edit like a pro with Final Cut Express 4, mixing different video formats in its new open format Timeline and using the same precision editing tools enjoyed by moviemaking pros.
- Drag-and-drop editing: Editing in Final Cut Express 4 provides a world-class experience. Based on the industry-leading editing tools in Final Cut Pro 6, it lets you edit in the Timeline or with the innovative Edit Overlay tool. Choose from a comprehensive set of edit options, including insert, overwrite, fit-to-fill, and more. To add clips, simply drag them into the Timeline. And thanks to a highly flexible interface, you can move seamlessly through your projects, focusing your efforts on creativity and productivity.
- Open format Timeline: No need to worry about formats, frame rates, or conversions. Final Cut Express 4 provides an open format Timeline that accommodates DV (both NTSC and PAL) and HD footage. It even lets you edit clips from multiple formats in real-time simultaneously.
- Trimming: Ready for more advanced editing tools? Working in the Timeline or a dedicated Trim window, fine-tune your edits with ripple, roll, slip, slide, extend, and shorten. These pro-level trimming tools, combined with the principles of three-point editing, let you experiment with complex variations and edits. That includes "L cuts," where the audio and video start at different times.
Compositing and Effects
Captivate your audience with rich, multilayered video featuring spectacular filters and effects. You can create them easily in Final Cut Express and tap a rich repository of FxPlug plug-in effects as well.
- Dynamic RT: Dynamic RT provides real-time playback of multistream effects. Adjusting image quality and frame rate on the fly for optimal playback, it scales performance as processing power increases. That means you can view multilayered high-definition video in real-time - without waiting for previews to render.
- Multiple Layers: WIth compositing - the technique of layering multiple video tracks to create visual effects - you can add a distinctive quality to your video projects. The compositing prowess of Final Cut Express lets you create everything from simple title overlays and sophisticated multiple-stream video montages to dazzling picture-in-picture or side-by-side video effects.
- FxPlug plug-ins: Out of the box, Final Cut Express provides more than 200 transitions, filters, and effects. And since it supports FxPlug - the same plug-in architecture used in Final Cut Studio - you have many more effect plug-ins to choose from.
- Keyframes: Enjoy complete creative control of effects, transitions, and motion parameters with the fully adjustable keyframe markers in Final Cut Express. Use keyframing to modify an effect, and you can save that modification as a favorite for use in other projects.
Audio
Build the perfect mix for your next project using multiple audio tracks, keyframe automation of audio levels, advanced audio filters, and a new Soft Normalize and Gain feature for more audio control.
- Mix audio on multiple tracks: Take advantage of the flexible audio tools built into Final Cut Express to mix up to 99 audio tracks using pans, levels, and the three-band equalizer. Set keyframes on each audio track to adjust level and pan settings over the length of a clip. Import music from GarageBand and combine it with sound effects and voiceover to craft a complete multitrack audio mix.
- Adjust with audio filters: Further enhance your audio with such included Audio Units filters as Reverb, EQ, Echo, and Delay. The new Soft Normalize and Gain feature analyzes sound clips, automatically raising clips to their maximum level without distortion. You can even adjust audio filters in real-time, listening to your work in progress and modifying it as the track plays.
- Add a voiceover: Creating a documentary? You’ll achieve professional results easily by using the Voice Over tool to record your narration. Final Cut Express 4 lets you create quick scratch tracks or add a voiceover track as your video plays. Besides offering a countdown cue, the new Voice Over tool records "before start" and "after stop," providing handles for your recorded audio.
Titling with LiveType
Add dramatic animated text to your next Final Cut Express project using LiveType. It features the exclusive LiveFont animated font technology and provides an extensive library of textures and effects.
- Customizable effects: Hundreds of preset animations and text effects let you create eye-popping animated titles in record time. Use them as is; customize them with fades, zooms, and motion; or develop your own. It’s easy - and fun. Once you achieve the desired result, save your new text effects for use in other projects.
- LiveFonts: LiveType 2 includes a breakthrough font technology: LiveFonts. Available only on the Mac, LiveFonts help you quickly and easily create spectacular text effects. LiveType comes with a wide assortment of LiveFonts, and you can add more professionally animated LiveFonts from third parties.
- Royalty-free content: You receive more than 50 broadcast-quality animated textures and objects with LiveType - all royalty free. Easy to use, they let even nonanimators create sophisticated titles. Your work looks absolutely professional, and you can do it yourself. Without busting your film budget.
- Timing is everything: Powerful timing features let you control every aspect of your animation. By treating each character of a word as a separate layer, LiveType gives you the creative freedom to animate single letters, not just entire blocks of text.
Specifications
- Universal Applications
- Final Cut Express 4 and LiveType 2.1 are Universal applications; they run on both PowerPCand Intel-based Mac computers.
- Input and Capture
- Plug-and-play support for most DV25-format camcorders and decks: MiniDV and DVCAM (NTSC or PAL)
- Plug-and-play support for most HDV-format camcorders and decks: 720p, 1080i
- Plug-and-play support for most AVCHD-format camcorders and decks: 720p, 1080i
- FireWire device control of most FireWire-equipped MiniDV camcorders from such leading manufacturers as Sony, Canon, Panasonic, and JVC
- Capture window for naming, adding comments to, and organizing clips as they are captured
- Log and Transfer window for naming, adding comments to, organizing, and transferring AVCHD clips
- Incremental clip naming during capture when a recording break is discovered
- Still image importing for PSD, BMP, JPEG, PICT, PNG, SGI, TARGA, and TIFF formats
- iMovie ’08 file import with cuts and dissolve transitions
- Bins for project file and sequence organization
- Clip organization in the Browser using extensive search and sort capabilities
- Clip labels for organizing and sorting clips
- Master and affiliate clip relationship for automatic update of certain properties of a clip, such as clip name or reel name, within the current project
- Up to 32 levels of undo
- Editing and Timeline
- Mix DV (NTSC and PAL) and HD formats in the same Timeline
- Nondestructive editing references original video to prevent alteration of source footage
- Editing palette for most-used functions, enabling one-click, pro-style edits
- Drag-and-drop editing
- Editing in the Timeline
- Three-point editing model
- 99 video tracks with support for nesting sequences
- Support for multiple sequences and projects for creating alternative edits or breaking projects into smaller pieces
- Insert and overwrite with or without transitions
- Replace, fit to fill, and superimpose edits
- Blade and Blade All tools for adding edit points to sequences
- Extend and split edits for additional editing options
- Sync detection and correction to compensate for audio and video tracks that slip out of sync
- Active track targeting for specifying individual or multiple tracks to apply edits or protect from editing
- Auto Select controls of specific tracks in the Timeline for track content selection via In and Out points in the Timeline or Canvas
- Keyframe graphs
- Track locking
- Timecode or frames in the Timeline
- Clip, sequence, scoring, chapter, and compression markers
- Clip and sequence marker export to LiveType for titling
- Chapter marker export to iDVD
- Custom, independent track heights
- Autosave Vault for saving projects at specified intervals to prevent accidental loss
- Trimming
- Ripple, roll, slip, and slide
- Asymmetric, multitrack trimming
- Dynamic JKL trimming
- Trim Edit window
- Timeline trimming
- Keyboard and numeric trimming
- Output
- Print to Video command for recording a sequence or clip back to DV or HDV device
- Footage looping for multiple outputs on the same tape
- Sequence, scoring, chapter, and compression markers
- Marker export to DVD Studio Pro for chapter and compression settings
- Project export using any QuickTime file format, including MPEG-4, for distribution via email or the web
- Digital Cinema Desktop for full-screen, real-time preview playback
- Streamlined Workflow
- Full Unicode support
- Dynamic window resizing
- Mode-free interface for workflow efficiency
- Simultaneous opening of multiple sequences and projects
- 99 audio and 99 video tracks with support for nesting tracks together
- System and user preferences
- Easy Setups for quick configuration
- Customizable real-time effects settings
- Customizable render settings
- Customizable window arrangements
- Customizable user interface buttons
- Customizable Browser layouts
- Customizable track layouts
- Custom, independent track heights in the Timeline
- Media Management
- Extensive search and sort capabilities in the Browser
- Clip labels
- Custom comment fields
- Master and affiliate clips
- Move, copy, and transcode capability at sequence or project level
- Autosave Vault
- Transitions, Filters, and Effects
- More than 200 transitions, filters, and effects
- Unlimited effects favorites
- Over 50 new FxPlug filters and effects from Final Cut Pro
- Support for third-party FxPlug filters and effects
- Copy and paste capability for motion and effect attributes
- Bezier curves for motion paths
- Keyframe control of all effects and filters for precise results
- Precision numeric controls for effects and animation
- RT Extreme for scalable, software-based, multistream real-time effects
- Safe and Unlimited RT Extreme modes for customizing performance versus quality tradeoffs
- RT Extreme quality settings: low, medium, high. Low setting for maximum simultaneous real-time streams and effects; high setting for full-resolution output for finishing directly to DV or HDV device
- Dynamic RT for automatic adjustment of image quality and frame rate on the fly, optimizing playback, and scaling performance as processor power increases
- Opacity overlays in the Timeline for adjustable, keyframable opacity
- Direct-to-Timeline drag-and-drop integration of Motion projects
- Auto Render option
- Broadcast-safe filter
- 2D and 3D titles with Boris Calligraphy
- Composite and transfer modes
- Titling
- Standard and scrolling text generators for creating titles that crawl, scroll, or appear in the lower third of the screen
- Option to combine titles with other filters, effects, and compositing for unlimited creative expression
- Boris Calligraphy plug-ins for 2D and 3D titles
- Non-Latin alphabet characters and symbols with full Unicode support
- LiveType 2.1
- Animated title and motion graphics creation
- Unicode system font support
- 500MB of royalty-free animated content, including over 50 background textures and objects
- Sophisticated project templates
- More than 200 customizable text effects
- Keyframe animation
- Real-time wireframe preview
- Canvas RAM preview
- Import capability for a wide variety of formats
- Independent and scalable resolution
- Dynamic individual character control
- Animation for rolls and crawls
- Type on a curve capability
- FontMaker utility for creating custom LiveFonts
- Drag-and-drop integration to Final Cut Express 4 Timeline with auto-updating?
- Compositing
- Nesting for virtually unlimited compositing layers for complex video effects
- Adobe Photoshop file import, complete with layers for effects and motion graphics
- Bezier curves with movable motion paths for animation application and control
- Ease in/Ease out motion paths for smooth compositing animations
- Time effects, including slow motion with frame blending, for smooth, time-altered playback
- Accurate subpixel interpolation rendering for smooth, high-quality effects creation
- Composite modes including multiply and lighten
- Flicker filter for incorporation of still frames from video
- Color Correction
- Secondary (two-way) color corrector
- Image control filters
- Broadcast-safe filter
- Correction for flesh tones and other key elements
- Color mixing for visual style
- Footage matching from different sources for consistency
- Error correction in color balance and exposure
- Audio
- Up to 99 total audio tracks per sequence
- More than 25 audio filters, including three-band and parameter equalizer, compressor/limiter, 60/120Hz hum remover, and noise gate for soundtrack quality control
- New Soft Normalize and Gain filter
- Real-time fader automation
- Real-time audio filters and effects
- Real-time audio filter adjustments during playback
- Subframe audio keyframing to 1/100th of a frame
- Sampling at 8kHz to 48kHz and 8 to 24 bits
- Audio level meters
- Mac OS X Audio Units plug-in support
- Pan controls
- Mute and solo controls
- Audio waveform display in the Timeline
- Logarithmic audio fades
- Scrubbing with or without pitch shifting
- Voice Over tool for adding narration directly to the Timeline
- Audio level overlays viewable in the Timeline
- No re-rendering required when muted tracks are reactivated
- Support
- In the United States and Canada, new registered users of Final Cut Express 4 receive 90 days of complimentary software installation support via telephone. In addition, Apple offers a range of support options, including AppleCare Professional Video Support, which provides one year of direct access to Apple’s Professional Application Support team.
System Requirements
- A Mac computer with a 1.25GHz or faster PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5, Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Duo, or Intel Xeon processor
- For AVCHD: A Mac computer with an Intel processor
- 1GB of RAM or more
- An AGP or PCI Express graphics card compatible with Quartz Extreme; or an Intel GMA integrated graphics processor in a MacBook or Mac mini computer
- Some FxPlug filters are not compatible with integrated Intel graphics processors.
- A display with 1024-by-768 resolution or higher
- A DVD drive for installation
- Mac OS X v10.4.10 or later
- QuickTime 7.2 or later
- 500MB of disk space to install Final Cut Express and LiveType
- Additional 500MB to install LiveType content
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