Filmmaker Magazine recently asked independent filmmaker Jamie Stuart to test drive the new Final Cut Studio 2 on his latest short film. Halfway through post production he wrote up a great piece on the ins-and-outs of the new software suite that can now be found on the mag’s website.

First released six years ago, Final Cut Pro created a new dimension in the world of DIY filmmaking – an intuitive, consumer-grade software that cut out nearly all post production costs. Coupled with the use of emerging digital film formats, FCP took the hobbyist and auteur alike easily into the final frontier of film distribution: the internet.

Now in its sixth incarnation, Final Cut is still delivering as part of a suite with six other apps that let you work easily with motion graphics, animated text, video files, DVD authoring, sound editing and color correction.

Stuart documents his experience with each app in great detail, discussing the pros, cons and upgrades. It’s a must-read for all DIY filmmakers, especially those working in HD and with P2 cards. How you get the funds for the id="blog_post",300 software suite, however, is entirely up to you.

Check out Jamie Stuart’s finished FCS2 film.