How Long Does it Take to Learn Final Cut Pro?

Like many aspiringVideo Editors, you might want to learn Final Cut Pro but worry that it will take too much time. Final Cut Pro is an accessible tool that is relatively user-friendly. While learning the advanced techniques may take students a pretty long time, they can begin experimenting with the program very quickly. Of course, this depends on several factors. Keep reading to learn about how you can learn Final Cut Pro and some resources to help speed the process along.

What is Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is Apple’s first-party, non-linear video editing software. Final Cut Pro is a tool professional and amateur filmmakers use to edit video clips, cut and combine video files, and otherwise add or remove elements from film. Final Cut Pro is a versatile video editing tool, useful for both elaborate editing projects and personal video productions. New features of Final Cut Pro allow users to import and edit videos taken on iPhone 13s in stunning cinematic detail, making Final Cut Pro an ideal program to learn for amateur artists looking to break into the world of video editing. However, the program retains all of the essential features that make Final Cut Pro comparable to other professional video editing software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro.

Final Cut Pro users can automatically synchronize shots from multiple cameras, chroma key out green screen effects, add animated 3D titles to their work, and insert or import closed captioning directly into a file. These features have contributed to the rise in popularity of Final Cut Pro, making it an ideal program for new video editors, particularly those interested in working on elaborate personal projects to learn. While it has not reached the market saturation of Adobe Premiere Pro, partly due to its macOS exclusivity, students won’t be making a mistake if they opt to learn Final Cut Pro for their video editing needs.

Read more about what Final Cut Pro is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro lets users edit, compile, manipulate, and otherwise cut video files from virtually any macOS device. With Final Cut Pro, users can quickly and efficiently make minor edits to video files, making the program ideal for anyone who wants to shoot their own footage (including on devices like an iPhone 13) and immediately begin working on their edits. Final Cut Pro has advanced editing capabilities for users who want to create more professional video productions, such as multi-camera editing functionality, chroma-key removal tools, and built-in 3D animation modeling capabilities.

Final Cut Pro is also an excellent skill to learn for creatives who want to work on editing their own content. Since it is such an accessible tool, you’ll be able to quickly pick up the basics of Final Cut Pro, letting creatives work on basic editing tasks without needing months of video editing training. As the landscape of digital content creation becomes more and more crowded, creatives looking to have their voices heard know that their output needs to look as professional as possible. No matter what kind of video project you aspire to create, learning how to quickly and effectively edit those projects will be invaluable for online content creators.

Average Time it Takes to Learn Final Cut Pro

The time it takes to learn how to use Final Cut Pro will be determined by how advanced they want their editing skills to become. Students looking to learn the basics of video editing with Final Cut Pro may understand the program in only a few days of dedicated study. Students looking to edit videos professionally at the highest level possible will need months or even years of training.

Other Factors

There are a few other factors that will impact the pace at which students will be able to learn Final Cut Pro. These factors include students' professional aspirations, experience with design tools, and experience with film editing theories.

Professional Aspirations

Students who want to learn how to edit videos for personal projects will need less training than students who want to edit videos professionally. Students looking to learn how to edit videos for Hollywood studios will require significantly more training.

Design Experience

Students with experience using other design tools will find it easier to learn Final Cut Pro skills than those coming to the program without any background. Knowing tools like Premiere Pro will help immensely, but even knowing how to navigate programs like Photoshop will be valuable.

Film Studies

Since video editing is a technical art, knowledge of the principles and techniques of film editing will be helpful for students looking to avoid common mistakes. Knowing the difference between kinds of cuts, the functions of edits, and the importance of things like continuity will help make learning Final Cut Pro quicker.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost 

Final Cut Pro is designed to be an accessible, user-friendly video editing program that amateur video editors can pick up and begin experimenting with quickly. Final Cut Pro is ideal for beginners and experienced video editors since the program accommodates a diverse user base. Even though it is user-friendly, Final Cut Pro is still a deep and complex program, meaning that those looking to become expert video editors will likely need more training and practice time.

There are no technical prerequisite skills to learning Final Cut Pro. However, users will want to be comfortable using computers for complicated tasks, particularly having multiple files, folders, and applications open simultaneously and navigating multiple interfaces. In addition, since Final Cut Pro is exclusive to macOS machines, students will want to ensure that they have access to a computer that meets the system requirements to run Final Cut Pro.

Final Cut Pro has an up-front cost to purchase a license to the program. At the time of writing, a license to Final Cut Pro costs $299.99, though up to six family members can access the application through linked Apple accounts. Apple offers a free trial version of the complete program, but no free version is available for long-term use.

Read about how difficult it is to learn Final Cut Pro.

Watch a Free Final Cut Pro Online Course

Some students may want to learn how to use a program like Final Cut Pro, but they are still hesitant about paying to enroll in a video editing training course. For these students, free online training seminars are a great way to explore the possibilities Final Cut Pro training offers without immediately committing to an expensive training program. These free training resources will give students the freedom to experiment with Final Cut Pro and give them a valuable background in the basics of the program should they choose to continue with their Final Cut Pro training.

Noble Desktop understands that students may hesitate to jump head-first into professional skills training courses. To help ease them into online skills training, they offer a wide range of free video tutorials and seminars to help students begin to understand the kinds of lessons and projects they will work on in a professional learning environment. Students interested in learning the basics of Final Cut Pro should visit Noble’s free seminars page to view their Getting Started in Video Editing seminar. This free course will give students a detailed overview of video editing projects' basic techniques and tools. Once they’ve taken advantage of these seminars, students can visit the Video Editing and Motion Graphics playlist on Noble’s official YouTube page to view more videos covering these tools and techniques.

Students can find additional free tutorials through providers like Udemy and Coursera. Apple also offers free resources, templates, and training videos for new Final Cut Pro users.

Read about more free Final Cut Pro videos and online tutorials.

Learn Final Cut Pro with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Students looking to learn how to edit videos using Final Cut Pro have many options available through Noble Desktop. These courses, offered at Noble’s Manhattan campus or through live online instruction, offer students the opportunity to learn the skills they need to start a career in video editing. Students will receive hands-on experience working with Final Cut Pro in classes taught by experienced professionals with years of video editing experience. Even online, class sizes are kept small, ensuring that students won’t be competing with each other to get the attention of their instructor, who can provide them with real-time feedback and assistance. Plus, all of Noble’s courses come with the option to retake the class within a year of a student’s initial enrollment, giving students even more time to work closely with their instructors and receive direct Final Cut Pro instruction. 

For students looking to learn the ins and outs of Final Cut Pro, Noble offers a Final Cut Pro Bootcamp. This course will teach students how to use the basic and advanced features of Final Cut Pro, ensuring that students leave with a complete understanding of what the program is capable of. Students will learn the fundamental principles of film editing, such as how to clip video files, combine those clips, and how to insert transitions between clips. Then, they will work with Final Cut Pro’s more advanced video editing features and learn skills such as chroma-key replacement, multi-camera editing, color correction, and altering footage speed. These lessons will train students to begin editing their videos or compiling a demo reel for a professional editing portfolio. Students taking this course online must ensure they have access to a copy of Final Cut Pro and a macOS device that can run Final Cut Pro.

Students looking for a more career-focused training program to help them break into the world of video editing should consider Noble’s Video Editing Certificate program. This course is built with student professionalization in mind. Rather than learning basic video editing skills, students will learn all major film editing software applications, including Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. These training courses will ensure that students are comfortable with every aspect of video editing and ready to work on nearly any project. In addition, since these are career-focused courses, students will receive professionalization training, including one-on-one career mentorship sessions, professional demo reel development seminars, and hands-on training with real-world editing projects. This course is an immersive experience designed to take students from amateur to professional video editors.

Key Insights

• Final Cut Pro, Apple’s first-party video editing application, is a user-friendly program that users can pick up relatively quickly. While those aiming to become professional Video Editors will need more training, students can pick up the fundamentals of the program in just a few days of dedicated training.
• Students with background knowledge of other design tools and film editing techniques may find that they learn Final Cut Pro faster, but these skills are not required.
• Another way students can learn Final Cut Pro more quickly is by receiving professional training like the courses offered in-person and live online through Noble Desktop.