Many users want to create a variety of multimedia projects for their family or social media. If you are working on an Apple device, you will probably have to choose an application between Final Cut Pro, iMovie and Adobe Premiere Pro. This article is dedicated to the ultimate comparison between Final Cut Pro and iMovie to help you choose the right application.
What Final Cut Pro and iMovie have in common is that they were both designed by Apple for Mac and iOS, but they are suitable for different skill levels. Final Cut Pro is an industry standard tool and is suitable for professionals, while iMovie is a simple video editing program designed for beginners. However, before deciding which tool is the better video editor, let’s look at the features and characteristics of both video editing programs.
Let’s now compare different aspects of Final Cut Pro and iMovie to see which application is better than the other.
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iMovie’s user interface is simple and includes the main video editing functions. It’s a basic, user-friendly program that you can easily learn and start using. iMovie can also be used on an iPhone, but you can’t access all the features on your phone. For new users, iMovie is an excellent video editing platform.
On the other hand, Final Cut Pro is a standard professional program that includes many advanced features and tools. Therefore, this application requires a lot of time to understand and use. This application includes advanced features and tools for video editing, which are useful for experienced users.
Final Cut Pro is not free. You can purchase this application in the Apple Store. The purchase price also includes future updates.
On the other hand, iMovie is completely free and you can get it from the Apple Store. This application can be used on the iPhone and allows you to edit videos without using a PC.
Final Cut Pro and iMovie have different workflows because they are designed for people with different skill levels.
On the one hand, Final Cut Pro is designed for in-depth editing and is used for professional purposes. This application is used for editing large-scale projects. It includes colour correction tools, a wide range of effects and various other tools to help you with video editing.
On the other hand, iMovie is a simple application with a minimum of steps to edit a video. All you have to do is import the footage into the timeline, cut and edit the parts, and then export it. This is why iMovie is considered a beginner’s video editing application.
Both Final Cut Pro and iMovie have options for adding text to videos.
Final Cut Pro has a wide range of customisable text presets to allow you to add text to your videos. While iMovie has a few text presets with motion-based graphics. Adding text in iMovie is easy as you simply go to the Titles tab and choose the preset. You can then do minimal customisation to get the final result.
However, Final Cut Pro has a professional way of doing the same thing. There is a wide range of presets that you can customise to suit your needs. You can change the size, font style and placement of text in your video. Overall, the process is similar in both applications, but Final Cut Pro offers more customisation options than iMovie.
Video colour correction is a process that allows you to change the colour of your footage and make it look better. iMovie has a basic and simple method of colour correction because it is aimed at amateurs. It allows you to perfectly edit home videos, social media videos, etc.
But Final Cut Pro has advanced colour correction features that give videos a sophisticated look. It has an RGB Parser, Vectorscope and Waveform to perform colour grading of your videos.
There is an automated colour correction tool that balances the colours in the clip or matches selected colours in the clip to another part of the clip to make the final result look great.
As mentioned above, Final Cut Pro is a professional video editing platform that includes advanced features and tools. On the other hand, iMovie is a beginner’s tool that helps people edit their videos easily.
The graphical user interface has three panels: the Source panel, the Timeline and the Program panel. The Source panel contains the video clips and the complete footage.
The Timeline contains the clips edited from the magnetic timeline, and the Program panel shows the clip you are playing.
On the other hand, Final Cut Pro has these three panels and an additional panel called the Effects Panel. This panel helps users manipulate the video clips in the Source Panel and Timeline.
Both Final Cut Pro and iMovie are available for Apple devices, so their operating speed is comparatively faster.
The editing process in Final Cut Pro and iMovie is quite similar, as both import the footage into the timeline for editing.
However, iMovie has a faster running speed than Final Cut Pro due to its limited features and small file size. Because of its advanced features and more options, Final Cut Pro is a little slower.
So far it is clear that Final Cut Pro is a sophisticated video editing platform and iMovie is a platform for beginners. Final Cut Pro has more advanced features than iMovie.
iMovie allows you to simply edit videos by adding photos, predefined texts and voice-overs, and manipulating sound speeds. Once the video is ready, you can export it. There is also another function called the “Ken Burns effect” which allows you to zoom in and out of the video. This function is also available in Final Cut Pro.
In addition, Final Cut Pro allows you to do more with your video footage. It has tools such as the Colour Inspector to correct colours. Its stream dissolving tool allows you to remove pauses made during a conversation. The program also allows you to access key frames, animate videos and manipulate graphics. This feature brings an exceptional effect to the final result.
Final Cut Pro provides access to professional plugins such as smooth transition packs, distortion stabiliser, auto zoom, hidden zoom, etc. Shutterstock, Motionvfx and Filmora also offer Final Cut Pro plugins.
On the other hand, iMovie also supports plugins, but they are of low quality. This is why videos edited in iMovie look a bit shaky. After all, iMovie is designed for beginners, for editing small projects.
In addition, Final Cut Pro has built-in destination sharing, which allows you to export one file to multiple destinations at once. This feature is not available in iMovie.
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Sharing videos in iMovie is easier than in Final Cut Pro. It’s available on iPhone and iPad and allows you to post a video directly to YouTube. You can even share videos on social media platforms with ease.
Sharing videos in Final Cut Pro, on the other hand, is a time-consuming process as it is not supported by smartphones.
Both are good in themselves, but not without their drawbacks. However, if you’re looking for an easy-to-understand and easy-to-use program for basic video editing, choose iMovie. It offers everything you need to create a colourful video. It’s a basic video editor that helps you create an original video in a few steps. But if you’re a professional and want to create high-quality movies, the answer to the question “Do I need Final Cut Pro?” is “Yes”. It is a fast and complete solution for video editing.
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