Our schedules give us barely enough time to keep up with our projects, so we’re unable to free up time to advise new filmmakers on their projects.
In our experience, there is no real short cut in terms of the learning curve. It's a tough climb, but like learning another language, it gets easier as you go along. Going to film festivals and technology conferences is a great way to get an overview of the process and meet other people who are at various stages of learning.
In terms of the best place to get answers to your technical questions about filmmaking, there are some excellent online sources where there are lots of knowledgeable people, and many film makers working through the process just like you are. There's a lot to learn technically, and you have to take it in stages, so getting hooked up with resources of this sort is pretty much a requirement for anyone who wants to edit a broadcast-quality film with programs such as Apple’s Final Cut Pro.
By reading through the forum posts you can learn so much, since so many of the questions and issues are common to many people using the same tools. As you'll see, the forum topics are very specific, so you can get right to the source for specific areas like sound, computer equipment, editing, etc. Don't be shy about posting your questions on such forums. But it is good to search the forums and get the background on the various topics first, so you'll better know what to ask and you will also be able to find the answers to most questions just reading the past posts.
http://www.2-popforums.com/forums/
Another great resource is on Apple's actual site. It offers lots of useful info, though 2-pop is more of a community:
http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@915.GJnVaPXWVwY.1@.ee6bcd7
We have always found the online forums to be great places to get answers because the people who are regulars on them are working on the leading edge of the technology, and often have more practical experience in the field with new technology than we do.
Another option you might seriously consider is doing a little formal Final Cut Pro training before diving into editing your own project. Apple offers a lot of options, including some that are self-paced courses you can do at home as well as instructor led coursess. The advantage of doing a training course is that you can get an overview of the whole process without having to struggle with technical problems, since all the files and materials for the course are set up to work perfectly. All in all, it might well save you time in the long run. There are a lot of links here:
http://www.apple.com/software/pro/training/
Also, there is a good book about sound by Jay Rose:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1578202086/qid=1127766098/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-8940349-7338354?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Best of luck--it’s a long road but worth it!
|