It is true that FCP has much more industry acceptance (mostly due to Apple's marketing) than Vegas. This is also in part due to the fact that FCP adopted much of Avid's workflow, including the "source/record" editing metaphor, making it easier for studios to integrate it into their workflow without introducing an entirely new editing paradigm (as Vegas pretty much does).

As such, I would say that having working knowledge of FCP can only be a good thing. What's more, I would say that having experience on as many different systems as possible can only improve your chances of getting a job in editing, if that's what you want to do.

As for the value of certifications, I have always believed that actions speak louder than words (especially words on paper), so a reel is always a must. An FCP certification, however, does represent a baseline standard of operating the software, so a hiring manager may be all the more willing to hire an editor with a short reel if they are certified. I just think there's much more to editing than knowing how to press the buttons.

Personally, my first NLEs were FCP and Avid, so I have been able to accept jobs where editing on those systems was required. However, I edit on Vegas whenever possible, which is my NLE of choice. I was recently on a job where I was cutting a show on FCP. I had been able to stay away from FCP for some time, but they wanted this show cut on FCP. As I edited, I found myself increasingly longing to edit something on Vegas. In so many ways, I was reminded of how much more fluid and flexible Vegas was. So, I think I'll be avoiding FCP for a long time again :)

Final point: focus on learning to edit, not the tool. Once you know all the techniques required to edit something, you'll be able to pick up another NLE and be flying in very little time. If you have a very strong reel, no studio is going to not hire simply because you aren't FCP certified (tho as previously stated, experience on other systems cannot hurt). If you edit best in Vegas, stick with Vegas until you have to use another system. No one ever said you can't be well versed on serveral NLEs :)

It wont be too much longer and we will have the Macel chips taht can run Windows software along with Mac OS and then we will be able to edit on both platforms without having to shell out twice for editing systems. That is the day I am looking forward to.

Thanks everyone, but what would be a decent system to run final cut studio on? I was thinking somewhere in the 900mhz range. And i could figure out hard drive stuff....can always add an extra. But yea thanks

-Will

I would not run it on anything less than a dual g5 if you want to cut and render with relative speed. Anything less and you can forget about doing HDV or uncompressed.

hm...that's something quite difficult for me to obtain....i'm 16 and i don't have a job yet (just applied at channel 8 news). So, what would the minimum be maybe, because that's something i can't really afford yet.

-Will

If possible I would try and get experience with the program without actually buying a computer. Computers are a horrible investment, especially ones that would be considered "the minimum" - save your money for college and software.

There has to be a cable access channel or a buddy that could get you up to speed on FCP.

Ok, here's how it is, i've used final cut pro 3....on our crappy school computors....that are really really crappy. But yea thanks

-Will

Learn FCP. Learn Vegas.

Anytime you go out for an editing job say something like "yeah, Final Cut can do that, but Sony Vegas is so much easier and better, but if you'd like I'll do it in Final Cut." Remember you can make great looking videos on either. They are just tools. Your skill with images and sound is your true skill. If you are being hired by somebody else you should appear flexible. However, if you know both programs really well, they will be impressed if you can show them several things Vegas does better.

It may be a good investment when you get somebucks to get a nice Laptop for Vegas, so you can take it into someone else's studio.

If you start using Final Cut, you probably would want to bone up on

What Final Cut excels at
What Vegas excels at
moving project between the two

You probably will be able to learn Final Cut on better computers at college. Also remember that you can get academic discounts on software. (Sony academic licenses do not prevent you from earning money with the software.)

Sony was suppossed to be working on Vegas certification for this year. But it's October already and no word.

Vegas is excellent for someone working in video and who has their own studio. Final Cut is better for working in Film or offline/online and is good to know if you are an editor for hire in someone else's studio.