How to Learn Final Cut Pro Online

If you’re just starting to learn a new skill, you can find dozens of tips and resources online; learning Final Cut Pro is no different.Final Cut Pro is used by professional and amateur Video Editors to cut and manipulate video files. Users can make simple edits like cuts and transitions or complex edits like color correction, chroma-key removal, or changes to the pace of the footage. If you’ve always wanted to learn Final Cut Pro, there are plenty of options at your fingertips. From free tutorials to live classes, your options are outlined here so you can decide how to learn in a way that works best for you. 

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.

Live Online Final Cut Pro Training

Students interested in learning Final Cut Pro may be unable to travel to attend the in-person training seminar they desire. These students may wish to explore their options for live online Final Cut Pro training. These classes allow students to receive professional Final Cut Pro instruction from experienced instructors without leaving their homes. Students will still be able to interact directly with their instructors, asking them questions and receiving feedback so that students won’t lose out on one of the more valuable aspects of live instruction. Students will be responsible for acquiring and maintaining their software and hardware, and given that Final Cut Pro has a steep upfront cost, this may be a challenge for some students.

Noble Desktop offers live, online instruction versions of all the seminars it provides to students in person at its Manhattan campus. Even online, these courses boast small class sizes, ensuring that students won’t compete with one another for the attention of their instructors. Instructors can even interact directly with a student’s desktop or Final Cut Pro application remotely with a student's permission. Plus, all of these courses come with Noble’s option for a free retake within one year. Students interested in live online Final Cut Pro training should consult Noble’s Classes Near Me tool to find and compare their options.

On-Demand Final Cut Pro Classes

Some students may find that their obligations make it too difficult to attend a live in-person or online training seminar. Whether they have work or family obligations or just don’t have a set schedule, enrolling in an on-demand Final Cut Pro training course is an ideal alternative to a course with a more fixed schedule. These courses give students flexibility in the structure and pace of their learning regiment, which can be helpful for students who need to pause their instruction or learn specific skills at an accelerated pace. The downside to these classes is that without an instructor to turn to, students won’t have a place to get actionable feedback and will have to try and overcome obstacles they run into without assistance.

Due to the lack of an organizing schedule, on-demand classes will also be the most varied classes students can enroll in. Some of these classes are free, some require students to pay an upfront cost, and others require students to subscribe to a premium training service like SkillShare or LinkedIn. On-demand courses can take the form of individual recorded lectures, or they can be self-sustained modules that students move through at their own pace. Some of these classes are designed for beginners, while others expect students to be familiar with basic video editing techniques. Since a diversity of options is such an advantage of these courses, students will want to carefully review their options before enrolling in a course.

Free Intro Courses & Tutorials

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.

Comparing Online Methods with In-Person Learning 

Once a student has decided that they want to learn Final Cut Pro, they will have to choose the right training program to fit their needs. Given the number of different options available to them, it can seem overwhelming. There is no wrong way to learn Final Cut Pro, but there are advantages and disadvantages to each major training option. Students should consider the pros and cons of each to make an informed decision in line with their needs.

The most immersive training option is in-person instruction at a professional training center. These courses will place students in a classroom with an experienced instructor with years of video editing experience who can teach them the fundamentals of using a program like Final Cut Pro. Students can ask questions and receive immediate feedback on their work. In addition, these classes place students near other like-minded colleagues, letting them collaborate on edits and projects. The drawback to these courses is that they tend to be the most expensive training options, and since they are taught at professional training schools, students will need to commute to a campus and be restricted in what seminars they can enroll in.

Live online instruction is an alternative for students who can structure their schedule around a live training course but cannot travel to the program of their choice. These courses still allow students to work directly with live instructors who can answer their questions and provide feedback on their edits, even though students won't have to leave their home workspace. These classes are also ideal for students hoping to work in solitude or control their learning environment's atmosphere. The drawback to these classes is that receiving focused feedback on something as complicated as a large editing project online can be somewhat tricky. In addition, while students will save on the cost of travel, they will need to purchase their copy of Final Cut Pro, which is not the cheapest application.

Students who can’t work their schedules around a live instruction course will want to consider enrolling in an on-demand Final Cut Pro class. These courses give students additional flexibility and control over their Final Cut Pro training in terms of their training schedule and style. These classes are perfect for students who want to learn Final Cut Pro at a pace that fits their needs. The drawback to these courses is that students won’t have access to an instructor who can provide feedback or assist them when they get stuck. Students may need to do a lot more independent work to address problems than they would in a traditional live instruction course.

Tips to Succeed when Learning Final Cut Pro Online

Students looking to learn Final Cut Pro online may find that the new learning environment poses some challenges. While online learning is every bit as effective as in-person learning, it does require students to consider different issues and ideas in their training. Without the structure of the classroom environment, students will need to be more attentive to their home workspaces.

Students can underestimate how crucial in-person instruction is to minimize distractions and focus a student’s attention on their instructor and their work. Without this classroom design, students will need to find other ways to ensure they are not distracted by their environment. This can be as simple as closing windows and shutting off your phone or as complicated as finding childcare for an afternoon or asking roommates to leave for lunch. This may not be a major concern for some students, but others may find minimizing distractions in their workspace essential.

Students will also need to moderate themselves to minimize the impulse to let their minds wander during a lecture or demonstration. Studies repeatedly show that people think they are much better at multitasking than they are. Despite this, students still think that they can work on multiple tasks at once during an online training session. Students will need to do an honest self-assessment before enrolling in an online course to take the steps they need to take to stay focused during their course.

Finally, students will want to consider looking for alternative sources of feedback on their work, especially if they are enrolled in an on-demand course. Since it is such a technical art, video editing takes a lot of process-driven trial and error learning. Students will have to have a source of feedback to help students work on their edits. This will be less of a concern in live online courses, but students will still benefit from having as many sets of eyes as they can get on their editing projects.

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

• Students interested in learning Final Cut Pro may wish to enroll in an online training seminar as an alternative to in-person instruction.
• Students can enroll in either live or on-demand Final Cut Pro classes online. Each style has its strengths and weaknesses.
• Once a student has committed to an online course, they will want to ensure that their workspace is built in such a way that they minimize both external and internal distractions.
• Students will also want to find people they can trust to give honest feedback on their editing projects, especially if they are enrolled in an on-demand course.
• Students looking for comprehensive online Final Cut Pro training should explore the options offered by Noble Desktop.