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.{C}

To introduce FCP users to Smoke, I recently partnered with Rick Young of students.autodesk.com.

You’ll definitely want to check the 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