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 Bro
Website: https://thefinalcutbro.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/thefinalcutbro
Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/vxEHsdL5rEU
Brad West: https://bradwestmedia.com
00:00 - Introduction
01:11 - Dylan’s Journey: Editing Since Age 9
03:47 - Growing Up on Film Sets With Hollywood Veterans
05:21 - From Church Admin to Weekly Video Editor
06:55 - Quitting His Job on Day One for YouTube
08:51 - What Hollywood Sets Taught Him About Editing
10:31 - The Final Cut Pro Tools Dylan Uses Most
11:35 - Why Dylan Won’t Leave Final Cut Pro
12:22 - Moving from Final Cut Pro 7 to FCP X
13:01 - What Final Cut Pro Gets Wrong About Audio
14:53 - How to Get Started in Motion
16:18 - The First Motion Project You Should Build
18:07 - Dylan’s Favorite Tools He Has Built in Motion
21:01 - Building Companion Apps for Final Cut Pro
24:01 - The Final Cut Pro Companion App Dylan Wishes Existed
25:14 - Inside His Motion Masterclass
27:20 - Do Apple Certifications Matter?
29:18 - Why Your Work Matters More Than Your Qualifications
30:48 - The #1 Habit Every Editor Should Adopt
32:08 - Apple Bought MotionVFX: What Happens Next
35:11 - Creator Studio vs One-Time Purchase
37:45 - Will a FCP Subscription Get Us Better Features?
39:20 - Final Cut Pro vs DaVinci Resolve Updates
41:22 - Is Final Cut Pro Finally Catching Up?
42:44 - Life Outside Final Cut Pro
44:31 - Where to Find Dylan
45:02 - Previous Guest Question: The Future of Video Editing
