Final Cut Pro X plugins work in iMovie 2013

Today’s new version of iMovie uses the same effects, transitions and graphics system that is built into Final Cut Pro X, Apple’s professional editing application.

To test this, I installed an unmodified plugin that I created for Final Cut Pro X into a newly downloaded copy of iMovie 2013:

The Final Cut Pro X plugin ecosystem is diverse and constantly growing, so the fact that effects created for a professional post-production application now work in consumer software is big news.

As Apple say iMovie on OS X and iOS are compatible, it might be possible to make Final Cut Pro plugins work with iMovie 2013 on iOS too.

Although it takes seconds to install Final Cut plugins into iMovie, the method is unsupported, and the many parameter controls than work in Final Cut are not yet available in iMovie.

Perhaps I’d better make some plugins especially for iMovie 2013.