Behind the Final Cut

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

For episode 1 of Behind the Final Cut, I sat down with Matthew O'Brien, an editor and Final Cut Pro coach who has handled high-stakes live show content, J-Lo included, where getting it wrong isn't an option.

Most of our conversation is about where editing goes next. Matthew has a clear prediction for how we'll work with editing software ten years from now, and I push him on where it breaks. We also get into the one thing he doesn't think AI can replace, and the dark side of all of it.

Along the way: what Apple buying MotionVFX means for the creators who built a business around it, the feature Final Cut Pro needs most, the biggest file management mistake Matthew sees, and the simplest way to actually learn keyboard shortcuts.

Guest: Matthew O'Brien

Website: https://matthewobrien.co

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@matthewTobrien

Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/LPv_5TPOTc8

Brad West: https://bradwestmedia.com

00:00 Introduction

00:59 Matthew's Journey as a Video Editor

02:59 Apple Bought MotionVFX: What It Means

07:05 The Big Problem With Editing Subscriptions

09:18 The #1 Feature Final Cut Pro Needs

12:27 Film Emulation & Better Color Grading

14:00 Upgrading Final Cut's Color Tools

14:52 How AI Will Change Video Editing

18:11 The Dark Side of AI

20:24 Matthew's Go-To Plugins & Audio Tools

21:32 The Underrated App Every Editor Needs

22:34 The Biggest File Management Mistake

25:09 High-Stakes Editing for J-Lo & Live Shows

29:16 Essential Advice for Beginner Editors

32:23 Advice for Advanced Editors to Stay in the Flow

34:25 What AI Editing Tools Can't Replace

36:02 The #1 Habit to Speed Up Your Edits

37:38 The Most Important Skill Outside Editing

39:52 Nightmare Clients & The "Client Button"

43:54 Creative Outlets Beyond Video Editing