Unleash the Power of FCPX with These Must-Have Plugins!
Final Cut Pro X has come a long way since its inception, and it’s now making a comeback as more and more professionals are using it. With the increasing popularity of FCPX, there are now more plugins available than ever before, and old plugins are getting better. We’ve done the hard work for you and compiled a list of our favorite and most-rewarding Final Cut Pro X plugins that every video editor should have.
What Are Plugins?
Plugins are like Optimus Prime’s upgrades – they enhance the original model. (Image via Hasbro.)
Before we dive into the best plugins available for FCPX, let’s answer the question: what are plugins? Simply put, plugins are components added to an application that allow you to do additional things in your edit. They offer shortcuts and workarounds for problems that would normally take hours to address. They are your friends, and they’re here to help.
(All the plugins on this list cost money, so if you’re interested in free FCPX plugins, check out our list here.)
1. Cinema Grade
Color grading is made easy with Cinema Grade, one of the best plugins available. With its 90 built-in “Hollywood” looks, it’s perfect for first looks and realtime LUTs previews. Some of the key features in this plugin are the tools like False Colors, Look Transfer Tool, and the Xrite ColorChecker. They make every step of the color grading process easy and unintimidating.
Price: $69
2. CoreMelt: Lock & Load X
CoreMelt’s Lock & Load is a powerful and easy-to-use stabilizer that’s up to 12 times faster and more accurate than the FCPX built-in stabilizer. If you’re used to using Premiere Pro’s Warp Stabilizer, this should be a very handy addition to your FXPX tool kit.
Price: $99
3. mMessage2
The mMessage2 pack is perfect for creating user interface animations for phones, tablets, or laptops. The text bubbles and emojis are still relevant and look just like a believable phone conversation.
Price: $99
4. Skin Smoother
Don’t waste hours trying to clear up skin blemishes or wrinkles frame by frame. FCPeffects’ Skin Smoother is a fast solution to this slow problem that you’ll inevitably face when working with difficult clients.
Price $20
5. FxFactory Pro
FxFactory Pro is a solid Final Cut Pro X plugin toolbox that comes with a ton of different features for transitions, effects, and color adjustments. You can buy many of the tools from FXFactory Pro as individual plugins at a much lower price point, but this version offers them all bundled together for a discounted price.
Price: $399