Behind the Final Cut

For episode 2 of Behind the Final Cut, I sat down with Dylan Bates, better known as The Final Cut Bro. Dylan started editing at nine, bought his first copy of Final Cut Pro X with every iTunes gift card in Walmart, and grew up on film sets with Hollywood veterans. He went from a church admin job to editing a weekly show, then quit a new job on its first day to go all in on YouTube. Today he's an Apple Certified Instructor for Final Cut Pro and Motion, and the developer behind plugins like Pro Zooms and Pro Subtitles.The first half is about Motion, pitched at editors who have never opened it: why it feels foreign at first, the first project Dylan says you should build, and the tools he has built in it since. From there it moves to the companion apps he now makes for Final Cut Pro (DropHawk Pro included) and the one app he still wishes existed.Then the news. Apple bought MotionVFX, and Dylan gives his estimate of when that work actually shows up in Final Cut. He and I weigh Creator Studio against a one-time purchase (Dylan despises subscriptions, and still calls it the best deal on the market unless you already own the apps), ask whether a subscription gets editors better features, and work out why Resolve's update lists look so much longer than Final Cut's.Guest: Dylan Bates, The Final Cut BroWebsite: https://thefinalcutbro.comYouTube: https://youtube.com/thefinalcutbroWatch the video version: https://youtu.be/vxEHsdL5rEUBrad West: https://bradwestmedia.com00:00 - Introduction01:11 - Dylan’s Journey: Editing Since Age 903:47 - Growing Up on Film Sets With Hollywood Veterans05:21 - From Church Admin to Weekly Video Editor06:55 - Quitting His Job on Day One for YouTube08:51 - What Hollywood Sets Taught Him About Editing10:31 - The Final Cut Pro Tools Dylan Uses Most11:35 - Why Dylan Won’t Leave Final Cut Pro12:22 - Moving from Final Cut Pro 7 to FCP X13:01 - What Final Cut Pro Gets Wrong About Audio14:53 - How to Get Started in Motion16:18 - The First Motion Project You Should Build18:07 - Dylan’s Favorite Tools He Has Built in Motion21:01 - Building Companion Apps for Final Cut Pro24:01 - The Final Cut Pro Companion App Dylan Wishes Existed25:14 - Inside His Motion Masterclass27:20 - Do Apple Certifications Matter?29:18 - Why Your Work Matters More Than Your Qualifications30:48 - The #1 Habit Every Editor Should Adopt32:08 - Apple Bought MotionVFX: What Happens Next35:11 - Creator Studio vs One-Time Purchase37:45 - Will a FCP Subscription Get Us Better Features?39:20 - Final Cut Pro vs DaVinci Resolve Updates41:22 - Is Final Cut Pro Finally Catching Up?42:44 - Life Outside Final Cut Pro44:31 - Where to Find Dylan45:02 - Previous Guest Question: The Future of Video Editing

For episode 1 of Behind the Final Cut, I sat down with Matthew O'Brien, an editor and Final Cut Pro coach who has handled high-stakes live show content, J-Lo included, where getting it wrong isn't an option.Most of our conversation is about where editing goes next. Matthew has a clear prediction for how we'll work with editing software ten years from now, and I push him on where it breaks. We also get into the one thing he doesn't think AI can replace, and the dark side of all of it.Along the way: what Apple buying MotionVFX means for the creators who built a business around it, the feature Final Cut Pro needs most, the biggest file management mistake Matthew sees, and the simplest way to actually learn keyboard shortcuts.Guest: Matthew O'BrienWebsite: https://matthewobrien.coYouTube: https://youtube.com/@matthewTobrienWatch the video version: https://youtu.be/LPv_5TPOTc8Brad West: https://bradwestmedia.com00:00 Introduction00:59 Matthew's Journey as a Video Editor02:59 Apple Bought MotionVFX: What It Means07:05 The Big Problem With Editing Subscriptions09:18 The #1 Feature Final Cut Pro Needs12:27 Film Emulation & Better Color Grading14:00 Upgrading Final Cut's Color Tools14:52 How AI Will Change Video Editing18:11 The Dark Side of AI20:24 Matthew's Go-To Plugins & Audio Tools21:32 The Underrated App Every Editor Needs22:34 The Biggest File Management Mistake25:09 High-Stakes Editing for J-Lo & Live Shows29:16 Essential Advice for Beginner Editors32:23 Advice for Advanced Editors to Stay in the Flow34:25 What AI Editing Tools Can't Replace36:02 The #1 Habit to Speed Up Your Edits37:38 The Most Important Skill Outside Editing39:52 Nightmare Clients & The "Client Button"43:54 Creative Outlets Beyond Video Editing