Pros & Cons of Switching from iMovie to Final Cut Pro!

iMovie is very capable video-editing software, despite its "consumer" label. And it gets more powerful with each and every update. So why upgrade to pro-level editing software, like Final Cut Pro? In this video, I give you 7 reasons.
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Stock footage from storyblocks.com
Plugins & Templates shown in this video are from motionvfx.com
Music: "Seamless" by Mar Vei - epidemicsound.com
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:41 Pro Projects
3:06 Precise Control
3:33 Long Projects
4:39 Multiple Layers of Video & Audio
5:50 Animation
6:33 Effects & Transitions
7:22 Plugins & Templates
8:19 Should You Upgrade?
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Camera Capture Card:
Elgato Cam Link 4K Compact HDMI Capture Device, USB 3.0 amzn.to/3v5NxgU
Camera Microphone:
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Lights:
Elgato Key Light, Professional Studio LED Panel With 2800 Lumens, Color Adjustable, App-Enabled, for Mac/Windows/iPhone/Android, Metal Desk Mount amzn.to/2OSbNjW
Editing: Screenflow 9:
bit.ly/screenflowEditing
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#imovie #finalcutpro #editing
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[@WillsBacklog]

7:00 - 7:05 That pretty much sums up the iMovie experience for me "You get what you get, and you don't get upset."

[@juststevejones7235]

I highly recommend making the switch!!!! If you spent a lot of time on iMovie, then Final Cut is what you need to take your creativity to the next level!!

[@arshadayyub6282]

Great to have you back Michael

[@Theflyinghoneybadger]

Great content. Great production, great instruction speed and voice inflection. Easy to follow, and didn't put me to sleep.

[@JoaoVictor-mp2tm]

Man, I learned a lot with your videos! Thanks! You always go direct to the point. And that is rare on KZbin. Congrats!

[@joneslu1377]

Thank you! Very useful information!

[@RemarketingDigital]

Nice content as always, thank you very much Michael !

[@unDatu]

Thanks for this wonderful advice!

[@hackysaq]

Informative, fast-pasted, and simple! Thanks for this great summary and yes I think I'll just upgrade to FCP from iMovie!

[@themaudelife]

Very timely as I was just cursing iMovie crashing yet again and wondering if it's time to upgrade. This video has me convinced that I should. Thank you!

[@zwurltube4087]

Great Video, thank you!

[@ZaidSahakk]

thanks Micheal Kinney, really good explanation about iMovies and Final Cut Pro

[@Teslafaninsight]

thanks bro. well done on you process.

[@amandajstar]

Hey, good to see you, Michael!

[@Dylson]

Thank you Michael, you've shown me that at my current level of content creation, I should stick to iMovie thank you so much!

[@Teslafaninsight]

Love your shows. No background sounds or music would be whole other level

[@DavidStahlOLDHAPPyMACs]

No One Has Showed Me Pro vs Consumer Level That Is A Great Way Of Explaining The Difference Great Info Michael

[@mjmusikhaus]

I was going to ask if you have any advice in 2023 for iMovie.Then I checked out your latest uploads! I am looking forward to watching all your content. Thanks for the uploads.

[@schonique]

Michael Kinney, you just gave me that push to start my new company...I debated over this for some time now. Funny thing is, that this was the furthest from my mind today. Thank you!

[@FLAVMEDIA]

Will go Pro when needed.. Thanx

[@zephyrkhambatta]

Thanks for making this and sharing it with us. Might switch to Final Cut soon as I've done edits on DaVinci before when I was full time in music, and I already use Logic Pro X for all my sound edits. In fact I export every iMovie video and then run it through Logic Pro for the sound before it's ready to hit KZbin. Thanks!

[@AlbertoRiveraCEO]

Timely. Spent the last 2 days considering the switch to FCP due to the limitations in iMovie. Thank you!

[@MacVideoMagic]

Hope I helped your decision.

[@Sleeperdude]

Good information

[@ColinBurtonPlays]

Thanks for making this Michael. Those multiple video layers sure look tempting. In iMovie it is so time consuming to have to render two layers of video before adding more layers. Most often I just decide not to bother!

[@MacVideoMagic]

I know, right!?

[@arshadayyub6282]

Adding more layers by rendering affects video quality

[@DecoratingBeautifully]

Thanks for sharing the benefits of Final Cut Pro. I am still trying to learn the ropes of iMovie. I still have a long way to go. I think of it as a way to prepare for the more professional software. Great video.

[@MacVideoMagic]

If iMovie does what you need it to do with a lot of pain and frustration, stick with it. It's so quick and easy.

[@WxCat1962]

Thank you for the layman explanation. I want to get more serious with my video editing. I've been using iMovie for decades and, as you say, it's very limited. It's time for me to upgrade to Final Cut Pro.

[@markcafiero2662]

Man. I was up until 1am the other night trying over and over for 3 hours to record a 2 minute script. I walked away with nothing. As it turns out this video gave me some great things to think about. Ready to try again with your tips. Thanks.

[@UncleJoeHikes]

I have FCP but need to take time to learn it. In the meantime thanks for your tips!

[@JeffyG]

Great! Thanks to you, I pushed iMovie to the limits, but used Keynote for a lot of graphics and green screen. I recently upgraded to DaVinci Resolve and while it’s powerful, even basic things take way longer and I found several bugs. Worst of all Resolve isn’t integrated with Mac apps like Photos, QuickTime, GarageBand, Notes and Mail. It has its own media library, it’s own notes, Fairlight audio editor and Fusion graphics, but these parts have a learning curve. iMovie is pretty smart and does many things for you, whereas in Resolve it’s ‘do it yourself’ I miss the power and simplicity of iMovie. I suspect upgrading to Final Cut Pro might be an easier transition than DaVinci Resolve. 😁

[@xplorential4851]

Michael, you have always been the iMovie God! A great saviour for the iMovie users.

[@MacVideoMagic]

I don't plan on changing that! 😄 But it's good to have choices.

[@LuvsDesign]

I would like to see a video like this for LumaFusion! Keep up the great work!

[@MacVideoMagic]

I'll look into it.

[@juliajelkes1230]

Wow, I’m about to binge watch your videos. So do you have a Final Cut Pro for beginners ❤?

[@kalyanbiswal7771]

I absolutely love your videos on imovie. I am just starting out so spending more on any editing software doesn't work for me. Therefore I rely on Imovie

[@cspk]

Very nice..

[@_hb6181]

Thank you sir, when will the Final Cut Pro explain series start?

[@contactwally]

Nice

[@nikitisza]

Such a great video, thank you. I really don't want to upgrade, but there is no other choice... I feel iMovie limits me now. I used to use Premier Pro, and wasn't a fan. Perhaps Final Cut pro is what I need 🙂

[@K3JRZOnTheAir]

Good points. I really need to learn Final Cut Pro eventually… but for now iMovie works for creating the videos for my channel.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Exactly! If it's working for you, no need to upgrade.

[@Selenoscope]

I was using iMovie but it was limited for me that's why I upgraded to fcpx

[@americansafarico]

Great content, friend. Getting ready to start a simple KZbin travel channel and debating the various platforms. As a Mac user who has dabbled in iMovie , would you say that Final Cut is the way to go? Seems like right now there is a tidal wave of pro editors moving to DaVinci.

[@RegitYouTuber]

I know you’re not ‘siding’ here but it is your tips that have inspired me to stay with iMovie and explore its true limits. I reckon, for example, you could create the necessary stems of an XML file by exporting the different audio stems in your project. A lot of FCPX is the allure of having more features, but its genuinely necessary use cases are minimal. Clip masking is probably the big barrier in iMovie - can’t see a way to selectively colour grade etc. at the moment

[@MacVideoMagic]

Not siding, just laying out what's there. I believe iMovie can create about 80% of the videos you see on KZbin.

[@DansplainingVideo]

I switched to FCPX part way through editing my first video. The two layer limit was the reason.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Yup. There are workarounds, but they take time, and in the end may not be worth the trouble.

[@vegasrenie]

Argh! I have FCP, but I've been using iMovie for little things (presentation inserts) and haven't taken the time to learn FCP. However, a friend and I are planning to document our upcoming Fall road trip, and after seeing this video, I'm closing my eyes and realizing that I'll have to get on the ball. Dammit. But okay.

[@AnvyMusic1]

I've been considering this for months. Imovie is ok but it's so time consuming. I feel like FCP would save me years worth of precious time I could be working on scripts. It's good to know all these features.

[@YardworkWithJohn]

I'm using iMovie on my channel and my biggest problems with it are: the never-ending sea of bugs. And how cumbersome it becomes creating more complicated projects. If Apple could just fix all the bugs in iMovie, and add some basic organization features like grouping your timeline into different groupings or "chapters", that would be extremely helpful!

[@MartinYan2108]

Hi Michael, thanks for making this video. Recently I m also planning my own KZbin channel and the effect I wanna make is very similar to what Evan Carmichael did in his channel : video on the right hand side and a bullet point presentation on the left. I wonder if you could let me know whether iMovie is enough to prepare that? Or would you recommend other tools?

[@riversedgeoutdoors5006]

Do you have a Final Cut Pro Tutorial ?

[@jaqsparadise-art936]

Great video and thank you for this helpful and interesting overview. I use iMovie for about 9 months of making KZbin videos and I want to switch to final cut but I think my 13” MacBook Pro with i5 has not enough power.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Check the hardware requirements for FCP, you never know. It might work if you're only editing 1080p.

[@jaqsparadise-art936]

@@MacVideoMagic Thank you for your reply. The hardware requirements includes a dedicated graphics card with metal support. The intel based i5 with integrated GPU is not supporting metal 😩. So i need a new Macbook 🦾! Have a nice weekend!

[@ColinBurtonPlays]

Dear Professor Kinney, Do you plan on making a series of tutorial videos for Final Cut Pro? This video prompted me to watch other KZbin videos showcasing Final Cut. I’ve decided to get the trial version before splashing out £300 on something I don’t know if I’ll have the ability to learn to use. (I have a collection of various musical instruments gathering dust that I never learned to play.) Any “beginner tutorials” I’ve seen for Final Cut Pro X are much too fast paced, don’t zoom to the active part of the screen and leap forward to the next feature so fast that my head spins. I think you’re the man to teach this old dog some new tricks!

[@MacVideoMagic]

Thinking about it.

[@ColinBurtonPlays]

@@MacVideoMagic I can guarantee you at least one grateful viewer...

[@robertf863]

I am looking at dabbling in making KZbin video or short clips for kids with my daughter. Thing is I have iPhone and iPad 4th gen. I have nice high end gaming PC which I honestly don’t use. Should I go for new Mac mini M1 chip for a cheaper way to get into Final Cut Pro . The MacBook Pro are little high but the portability is nice. I am start with iMovie I think but I think long term I probably need machine to run either on past my iPad. Thank you making these videos.

[@MacVideoMagic]

I run the latest versions of iMovie and Final Cut Pro on a 2020 Mac Mini M1 with 16 GB of unified RAM. Works for me.

[@vineyardchickshomestead]

Still tweeking what can do in iMovie...but maybe soon.

[@ChaseCarrington]

I’ve used fcpx so long that when I try to use iMovie it feels like I’m editing with one hand behind my back.

[@Mrbankfisherman]

I'm new to editing for my KZbin channel is it possible to upload videos in 4k on imovie? I mainly want to do Picture in Picture for my videos.

[@improvingyoursoftwareproject]

Hi Michael, great videos. Thanks. I use screenflow (now 10) and I like that it records directly from a hdmi camera, xlr mic and screen. Can Final Cut Pro do the same thing? Or does one have to record to a separate memory card and import the data. I tried with a trial version but FCP could it only see the built in FaceTime camera, not a hdmi camera. Nor could it see the audio interface. Do you know if this is a limitation in FCP or does it need additional drivers. thanks.

[@MacVideoMagic]

You could always using QuickTime Player to record video and audio.

[@EmadApple]

iMovie is enough for me bcoz of the tricks that I learned from you but I feel I need to upgrade to FCP to know more about real video editing

[@MacVideoMagic]

You're doing real video editing in iMovie. Trust me. I started editing network television shows on videotape!

[@mmhcreates]

Any advice regarding M1 pro mac 16gb ram vs 32gb? For Logic X use, seems like 16gb is enough. Would like to get into film and animation creation/video editing. Not sure if 16gb ram is adequate for that. Can currently get Final cut pro, as part of the Apple education bundle.

[@nam-anhtran-anh6206]

My M1 Mac Mini 8GB RAM 512GB SSD ran twice faster than my MBP i7 16RAM: M1 renders 12min 1080 video in 4 min using FCPX, instead of 8min for i7. While my M1 Pro MBP 14in 16GB 1TB costs $2500, 3 times the M1 Mac Mini, gains only 25% rendering time: 3 min.

[@frumitup]

Love love love this info I have been doing everything on iMovie for a year now but I spend a HUGE amount of time in external programs to add layers/ motions/ titles,… to add them in my timeline on iMovie! My question to you Michael, if I may, will investing in FCP allow to have a one stop shop for my editing needs or will I need to buy more packages, Luts, … to do a full editing work? Thank you so much for your help and for the time that you’re spending explaining all these differences it is priceless ! thank you for everything: you are doing a FANTASTIC job

[@MacVideoMagic]

It's pretty much a one-stop shop. I edited an entire network TV series with it years ago on a Mac laptop, including motion graphics and sound design. That was before they changed the UI (which takes some getting used to if you come from something like Premiere Pro). In terms of LUTS (Look Up Tables) it comes with a few. There are free ones out there, but you can always take the time to learn manual color timing/color correction in FCP. It has quite a powerful system.

[@frumitup]

@@MacVideoMagic thank you Michael for your detailed answer. So if I understand you correctly: your final recommendation is to make the switch to FCP?

[@edgarmunoz8888]

Is final cut the next step after working with iMovie? or should I switch to Davinci Resolve?

[@MacVideoMagic]

Try them out. If you've used iMovie, FCP will be somewhat familiar. IMHO, iMovie is a very stripped down version of FCP.

[@ThatYorkshireChap]

If I ever make money from KZbin I’ll invest in FCP. Can’t justify the cost at the moment.

[@MacVideoMagic]

Smart.

[@MrRawUK]

I've just moved from imovie to FCP and I have to say FCP is nothing like imovie. Even something simple like trimming a video clip needs a god dam youtube search . Gonna be a long summer learning :(

[@MacVideoMagic]

Yup. For shorter, relatively simple videos, I still use iMovie. But FCP is worth learning.

[@zhibinketang]

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