I'm a fan of Mark Spencer's on-line tutorials on Final Cut Studio and Motion, and therefore bought this book to see what deeper insights could be gained from the 500+ pages of in-depth tutorial.

The good: It's very readable, and does a nice job offering tips and alternatives when applicable.

The not-so-good: Following the step-by-step instructions requires attention that tends to cause the larger scope lesson to be lost. And don't miss a step or you'll find the results don't match the book at all.

The still-not-so-good: In several instances, options are mentioned but never discussed. E.g. on page 56, some parameters are pointed out but no further explanation is given...

I do like the repeated emphasis on keyboard shortcuts, which are expansive in FCPro, and often dependent upon the active item.

All in all, for the beginner/intermediate, a worthwhile investment IF you're willing to spend the hours of time to do the lessons in totem.

I am not a fan of the "paint by numbers" method of learning from books. Miss a step and it's over. However, this one has been pretty good and has supplied me with useful information to get me up and running with Final cut studio 2. As you would expect, this book leanes heavily towards "Motion 3" but hey! that's mainly why you are interested in it! Of note is something of an introduction to "Live Type" that more than hints at what this somewhat eclipsed application can do. I do wish the Apple manuals were available for purchase though. Four Stars (loses one for being "paint by numbers")

After using Adobe's Premiere and After Effects for a number of years, I finally decided to switch to Final Cut Studio 2.

Whilst editing methods in Final Cut Studio were pretty much the same, I wanted to unlock the hidden gems that I knew FCS2 had under the hood.

I've been a fan of Peachpit Press' releases so I didn't hesitate to stock up on the Final Cut Studio 2 series. Of all the titles in this category, "Apple Pro Training Series: Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Studio 2" was the first to arrive in the mail.

Each lesson is fun and takes you through the new features and quickly gets you familiar with the power of the software.

This is a perfect book for anyone new to Apple's mammoth A/V suite and also for those that wish to become certified without attending classes. Using this book series, you can take the Apple Certified Pro Level 1 exams (for Level 2, you will need to attend actual classroom courses).

To get the most from this book, set aside the time needed for each lesson, don't rush them as you could miss a vital step or even a useful side note (I learned from this mistake) and keep it to one lesson per day to maximize retention.

Highly recommended for those getting started out in Final Cut Studio 2 and want to get working on projects quickly.

After using Adobe's Premiere and After Effects for a number of years, I finally decided to switch to Final Cut Studio 2.

Whilst editing methods in Final Cut Studio were pretty much the same, I wanted to unlock the hidden gems that I knew FCS2 had under the hood.

I've been a fan of Peachpit Press' releases so I didn't hesitate to stock up on the Final Cut Studio 2 series. Of all the titles in this category, "Apple Pro Training Series: Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Studio 2" was the first to arrive in the mail.

Each lesson is fun and takes you through the new features and quickly gets you familiar with the power of the software.

This is a perfect book for anyone new to Apple's mammoth A/V suite and also for those that wish to become certified without attending classes. Using this book series, you can take the Apple Certified Pro Level 1 exams (for Level 2, you will need to attend actual classroom courses).

To get the most from this book, set aside the time needed for each lesson, don't rush them as you could miss a vital step or even a useful side note (I learned from this mistake) and keep it to one lesson per day to maximize retention.

Highly recommended for those getting started out in Final Cut Studio 2 and want to get working on projects quickly.