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