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Filed under: Apple •Final Cut Pro •Autodesk •Editing •GentryMedia Sister Sites •ProVideo Coalition •Post Production •Visual Effects •

Smoke for Final Cut Pro Users

As a Senior Smoke Trainer here at Autodesk, I routinely get question from editors and artists asking me how Smoke compares to the software packages and plugins they use for everything from editing to color correction to visual effects. This has been especially true for Final Cut Pro editors – many of whom are exploring options as they ponder the future of their editorial and finishing workflow.  And while a lot of these FCP users tell me they are excited about the possibility of trying out Smoke, the sheer complexity and breadth of creative tools in Smoke’s all-in-one workflow can be a bit intimidating.

To introduce FCP users to Smoke, I recently partnered with Rick Young of macvideo.tv to produce a series of blog posts specifically designed to give FCP editors an overview of Smoke in familiar terms. While I can’t promise that watching these videos will have you moving around Smoke as quickly as you do Final Cut Pro 7, you should end up with a better understanding of what Smoke is and how its capabilities compare to your current FCP workflow.

To help you get started, you can even try Smoke out for yourself. Autodesk has made a fully-functioning version of the software available as a free 30-day trial download. This way you can use Smoke on your own system and see for yourself what all the buzz is about.  Smoke is rather unique in that it combines both editorial and effects into a single applications. So once you get the hang of it, you can create great looking content and finish it faster with Smoke. 

Step 1:  Get Access to Smoke for Free

The thing you’re going to need is a copy of Smoke. To access the trial download, visit autodesk.com/smokeformac.  Just click the “Product Trial” tab at the top of the page. 

If you are a student, you can even download a fully functional 36-month trial of Smoke (yes, you read that right – a three-year free trial for students!) by registering at students.autodesk.com.

You’ll definitely want to check the latest system requirements for Smoke. You might be surprised to see the range of supported Mac platforms including the latest generation of MacBook Pro and iMacs. It’s easier than ever to download and try Smoke. 

Step 2:  Set up your user and hotkeys

If you’ve been an editor for a few years, hotkeys have probably become second nature. And Final Cut editors trying out Smoke can get a head start by selecting a pre-configured hotkey template based on FCP 7. When you launch Smoke for the first time, you’ll be prompted to create a new user. 

Just select “Final Cut Pro” from the Hotkey Template option box. Give your user a name and hit the “Create User” button. This ensures that right out of the gate, you’ll be able to mark in points, make cuts and navigate your timeline.

Step 3:  The Fun Begins

Now that you have Smoke and you’ve got you’re a new user set up with familiar hotkeys, it’s time to get busy learning Smoke. 

Smoke for Final Cut Pro Users is a series of 10 recorded videos that I put together with Rick. You can pick and choose from topics ranging from advanced compositing to basic editorial. Below I’ve embedded a video on basic editorial to to give you a taste of the series. When you’re ready for more, check out the entire series on my blog.

You can find a lot more content to help you get up to speed on Smoke. Check out the table of contents for my Smoke Learning Blog on AREA to get an idea of what’s available. 

If you have comments, questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to email me or leave a comment on my blog!

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