chapter by chapter breakdown
 
What’s in the Book? Here's a chapter by chapter breakdown on the book. These are only rough descriptions, so if you have any specific questions about the book, head on over to the fcpworld discussions board. Chapter 1. Setting up your System: A pre-flight composition that carries a series of 5 exercises will get you up to speed with fx creation quickly. You gear hounds will appreciate my recommended hardware and software choices for fx creators. 

Chapter 2. Pre-Project Considerations: Workflow tips and creative inspiration. Deconstructing other's work, story boarding, and project organization - you know, the sexy stuff! I'll also talk about how to work with FCP's interface as it relates to FX and we'll also discuss new stuff in FCP 4.1 - including new options for Auto Select and copy/paste functions. 

Chapter 3. Adding FX: How to make static effects, FCP effects workflow related to managing multiple effects, using Auto Select, and more. You'll learn picture-in-picture and split screen effects along the way as well. 

Chapter 4. Animating Effects: Includes filter and motion animation techniques, complex motion paths, mastering bezier curves and handles, etc. You'll also learn a smoother workflow for working with keyframes.

Chapter 5. Layer Techniques: Layer splitting, layer sequencing, nesting, adding FX to nests, oversized nesting techniques, "super stacking" using Superimpose and more! Here's is where the book starts kicking into high gear! 

Chapter 6. Transitions: You already know them, so the chapter focuses on advanced techniques, such as making a vertical composite from a transition, adding multiple transitions vertically and horizontally, working with a clean plate and using motion graphics as transitions in an exercise called the "Gold Lady Wipe!" 

Chapter 7. Color Correction: A primer for basic color correction for primary and secondary color correction. This chapter also includes advanced techniques using the Limit Effect function including the "Schindler's List" effect and undocumented tips about how to use the color corrector as an FX tool. 

Chapter 8. Alpha Channels, Mattes and Keys: Understand and harness the power of the Alpha Channel, matte filter ideas, proper chroma key technique, how to use the Luma Key filter and everything you wanted to know about travel matte effects including video in text. 

Chapter 9. Composite Modes: How they work and how to get more use out of them. Other topics include: mattes and composite modes, keys and composite modes, color corrector with composite modes, switching composite modes, mode affected looks and "film look" effects. 

Chapter 10. Video Generators: How to get the most out of generators. They have much more firepower than meets the eye! Use them for geometric shapes, travel matte effects, creating graphic fill, or as standalone design elements. Tricking the render order pipeline and Z-depth matting is also covered to get even more mileage out of your stock generators. 

Chapter 11. Filter Techniques: Since the entire book is about using filters, here advanced techniques in using them is covered. Here, you'll learn how filters really work. I'll show you how to create mattes from color channels, the implications of changing filter and render order, discovering new uses for filters, displacement and bump mapping using my own custom filters and adding filters to oversized nested comps, extract matting and making a "pillow emboss" for a logo. 

Chapter 12. Titles and Motion Typography: This is an in-depth study of Calligraphy (Title3D and Title Crawl) so that you can get the most out of the tool. How to use LiveType for stunning motion type effects, including creating path text on open bezier or circular, closed paths, typewriter effects and how to use the character palette. Also how to grunge up text by adding filters, how to present and reveal text, drop shadow techniques, and how to integrate the tools. 

Chapter 13. Speed Effects: Here is a comprehensive volume of info about using speed effects in your work. Here, I'll show you techniques of the Speed dialog, Fit to Fill and the new Time Remap tools to get the job done quickly and easily. In this chapter, you'll find the most detailed explanation of the (often confusing) Time Remap function, which will open up new techniques to you. 

Chapter 14. Integrating Other Applications with FCP: In this chapter I'll show you some cool ways to work with Photoshop, including how to make an embedded alpha channel, still frame techniques and how to make an "action" to batch apply filters to an image sequence exported from FCP. I'll also show you how to integrate LiveType with FCP and how to bring in and manipulate footage from either platform. 3rd party applications and workflow for integration with Boris RED, After Effects, are covered. Shake, Flash MX and Combustion are also introduced. There is also a review of some of the more important 3rd party plug ins and a comprehensive list of all of the filters available for FCP called the "FCP Plug-in Matrix".http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321179153/wwwfcpworldco-20/102-5852114-6235341http://www.instantboard.com/users/telly/shapeimage_2_link_1