What’s new in Final Cut Pro What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.2 Final Cut Pro 10.2 introduces new features and enhancements, detailed below. 3D titles Final Cut Pro 10.2 introduces 3D titles with intuitive controls for look, lighting, and animation. See 3D titles overview. Access a large collection of text styles to create stunning looks with one click. See Add a 3D title. Use simple surface material presets and lighting presets to get started quickly. See Materials overview and Lighting overview.
effects and superb video quality in your projects. Use the flexible Shape Mask and Draw Mask effects to create areas of transparency in your video clips. The Draw Mask effect lets you create complex custom masks and provides options for linear, Bezier, or B-Spline smoothing. See Masking overview and Create complex masks with the Draw Mask effect. Define the shape of video effects and color corrections using the shape mask and color mask controls built into almost every video effect.
Panasonic AVC-Ultra codec family Sony XAVC-S JVC H.264 Long GOP GPU-accelerated RED RAW processing with support for dual GPUs RED RAW anamorphic formats Additionally, you can now import Sony XAVC and XDCAM formats without a separate plug-in. Other notable features The Media Import window now contains all options in a single sidebar. See Importing overview. You can create Smart Collections across entire libraries. See Save searches as Smart Collections and Organize Keyword and Smart Collections.
Media management improvements New features provide you with more flexibility and control over media management. Store optimized, proxy, and rendered media outside the library, at the location you choose. Easily delete optimized, proxy, and render files from within Final Cut Pro. View and set storage locations for media, cache files, and library backup files using the Library Properties inspector.
from professional 4K cameras The new Apple ProRes 4444 XQ codec is the highest-quality version of Apple ProRes for 4:4:4:4 image sources (including alpha channels), with a very high data rate to preserve the detail from today’s highest-quality digital image sensors. See Supported media formats and Supported export formats. You can apply a standard broadcast color space (Rec. 709) look in real time to high-dynamic-range and wide-color-gamut video shot on ARRI, Blackmagic Design, Canon, and Sony cameras.
XML 1.4. See Use XML to transfer projects and events. Create keywords from Finder tags when you import media from a storage device. See Import from a hard disk and Organize files while importing. Quickly export cuts-only projects containing XDCAM media. Other notable features You can now import media by dragging it from the Finder to the Browser (rather than to the event in the Libraries list). See Import from a hard disk. Nudging a clip in the Timeline now works like a slide edit.
HDMI and Thunderbolt output at frame sizes up to 4K (UltraHD and DCI 4K) Better playback and rendering performance, plus faster opening of the application and projects Improved performance when modifying or keywording large numbers of clips at the same time Selected titles, effects, and other media content scaled for 4K projects Project and media management Project and media media management tools have been enhanced to deliver: Improved media management with the introduction of libraries, a new way to orga
Support for portrait/landscape metadata in still images For more information, see Organizing libraries overview, Media management overview, and Editing overview. Playback and effects Significant improvements in the Final Cut Pro playback interface and powerful new effects features will empower your workflow. Improved retiming lets you set custom speeds easier than ever—by typing frame rates directly in the interface.
And you can now view all pixels of a 2K frame on a MacBook Pro with Retina display. Editing Improved editing tools give you more creative flexibility than ever. Through edits are now supported in all types of clips. The new Join Clips command removes cuts from bladed Timeline clips. You can detach the audio portion of multicam clips in the Timeline to manipulate audio and video separately. You can also make video-only or audio-only edits into the Timeline with multicam clips as sources.
And you can receive notifications on the status of items you shared. For more information, see Sharing projects overview. Audio Audio fade handles have been added to individual audio channels in the Timeline. For more information, see Fade audio in or out. Third-party support Final Cut Pro 10.1 also features several new third-party support options: Developers can utilize a new API for customizing Share operations. FXPlug 3 has been updated to include the ability to design custom effects interfaces.
What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.6 Final Cut Pro 10.0.6 includes numerous new features and enhancements, detailed below. Advanced multichannel audio editing Final Cut Pro automatically groups audio channels into audio components according to how the channels are configured for the clip. You can now expand the audio portion of clips to view and edit audio components down to the individual channel level. You can edit audio components in a variety of ways, including any of the following: Adjust volume or pan.
The simplified and streamlined sharing workflow includes these enhancements: Simplified and consolidated menus that you can easily populate with customized destinations Reusable destination bundles that allow you to share to multiple output formats and locations at once Automatic sharing of project and clip metadata, with the ability to customize the metadata that is shared Support for multiple accounts at video-sharing websites such as YouTube Faster sharing and export using the GPU and background processi
For more information, see Importing overview. Dual viewers The Event Viewer is a separate video display that appears next to the main Viewer so you can compare shots to match action and color. With the Event Viewer and the Viewer open, you can display two clips at the same time: one from the Browser and one from the Timeline, each with its own video scope display. For more information, see Play back and skim media in the Event Viewer. Native REDCODE RAW (R3D) support Final Cut Pro 10.0.
For more information, see Select a range and Manage multiple range selections in event clips. Other notable features Chapter markers and chapter marker thumbnails allow you to prepare chapters and their representative poster frame images directly within Final Cut Pro for output to DVD, Blu-ray disc, iTunes, QuickTime Player, and Apple devices. The new Paste Attributes window is a powerful way to transfer specific effects and other settings between clips.
What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.3 Final Cut Pro 10.0.3 includes major new features and enhancements, detailed below. Multicam editing You can now use multicam clips to edit footage from multicamera shoots or other synchronized footage in real time. Working with multicam clips in Final Cut Pro is a flexible and fluid process. While the active angle plays in the Viewer, you can also view all angles playing simultaneously in the Angle Viewer and easily cut and switch between them.
information, contact the device manufacturer or go to the Final Cut Pro X Resources webpage at http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/resources. For more information, see View playback on an external video monitor. Manual relinking of clips to media files Now you can manually relink event clips and project clips to media files. Manual relinking gives you more control over your post-production workflow. For more information, see Relink clips to media files.
Roles You can use the new roles metadata labels to organize clips in your events and projects, control the appearance of the Timeline, and export separate video or audio files (also known as media stems) for broadcast delivery, audio mixing, or post-production. For example, you can export roles as media stems in a combined, multitrack QuickTime file, or as separate audio or video files. During the export process you can assign mono, stereo, or surround output for your audio channels.
Final Cut Pro basics What is Final Cut Pro? Final Cut Pro X is a revolutionary application for creating, editing, and producing the highest-quality video. Final Cut Pro combines high-performance digital editing and native support for virtually any video format with easy-to-use and time-saving features that let you focus on storytelling.
Play back and skim resolution-independent media up to 1920 x 1080, 2K, 4K, and even 5K resolution. You can also play your video full screen or on a second display. Assemble clips with ease using the Magnetic Timeline, which fluidly adjusts clips around the clip you’re dragging to eliminate gaps, collisions, and sync problems. Edit quickly with the complete set of professional editing and trimming tools. Fine-tune edits with the inline Precision Editor.
effects. Automatically balance and match color, or use the color correction tools to precisely control the look of any clip in your project. Publish your project directly to websites such as YouTube and Facebook, or send your project to iTunes for syncing with Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. What are libraries? In Final Cut Pro 10.1 or later, you organize your work in libraries. A library contains multiple events and projects in the same location. The first time you open Final Cut Pro 10.
it simple and quick to move media, metadata, and creative work to another system for mobile work, work with multiple editors, or archiving. You can open and close libraries as needed so that you never have too many libraries open at once. The following concepts are important to understand when you work with libraries. Managed and external media Media that you import into a specific library is stored inside the library and is referred to as managed media.
locations. To reduce a library’s size, and to move, copy, or archive a library more quickly, you can delete all the generated media (proxy, optimized, or render files) in one step. For more information, see Manage optimized and proxy media files and Manage render files. Note: By default, copying a project between libraries does not copy the associated proxy, optimized, or render files because these files can be quickly regenerated.
Organize your media Final Cut Pro automatically organizes your imported media into events. An event is similar to a folder that can hold dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of video clips, audio clips, and still images, as well as projects. In Final Cut Pro, your media appears as clips, which link to the media files stored on a disk. You can reorganize your clips by creating or renaming events and moving clips between events.
any combination of clips and nest clips within other clips. You can simplify a complicated project by creating a separate compound clip for each major section. Add effects and transitions Add special effects from the ample collection of video and audio effects in the Final Cut Pro media browsers. Give your movie titles and credits, and apply video or audio transitions. Adjust clip speed settings to create fast-motion or slow-motion effects.
Organize media in the Libraries list and the Browser Your imported media is available in events in your library. (An event is like a folder that contains clips and projects.) When you select an event in a library, its clips and projects appear in the Browser on the right.
You can reorganize your media however you like at any time, and you can use the Libraries list and the Browser to manage, rate, sort, and add keywords to your imported media. For more information, see Organizing libraries overview. Play back clips and projects in the Viewer The Viewer is where you play back your video, including clips and projects with up to 1920 x 1080, 2K, 4K, and even 5K resolution. You can play back events, projects, or individual clips in fullscreen view or on a second display.
You can also use onscreen controls, superimposed over the video in the Viewer, to adjust settings for a wide array of effects and transitions. Edit your project in the Magnetic Timeline The bottom portion of the Final Cut Pro window contains the Timeline, where you create your movie by adding and arranging clips and making all your edits. The Timeline in Final Cut Pro “magnetically” adjusts clips to fit around clips that you drag into place.
Media files and clips After you import media into your Final Cut Pro library, clips representing the source media files appear in the Browser. A large event may hold many clips. Media files are the raw materials you use to create your project. A media file is a video, audio, still-image, or graphics file on your hard disk that contains footage transferred from a camcorder or recording device or originally created on your computer. Media files can contain multiple video and audio components.
changes and effects you apply to clips in Final Cut Pro never affect the media itself. Trimmed or deleted pieces of clips are removed from your project only, not from the source clips in your library or from the source media files on your hard disk.
Import media Importing overview Importing media into Final Cut Pro is the first step toward making your movie.
Import from a hard disk Import from a camera archive During import, you assign your media to an event. You can also transcode your media and analyze your media for a variety of issues, such as color balance, the presence of people and shot type, and audio problems. When you import clips (video, audio, or still images), Final Cut Pro assigns one of five default roles to the video and audio components of each clip: Video, Titles, Dialogue, Music, and Effects. For more information, see View and reassign roles.
Import media into an empty event To import files from a connected camera or from a hard disk: Click the Import Media button and follow the instructions for importing files from a connected file-based camera, from a hard disk, from a tape-based camera, or from a camera archive. To create a new project: Choose File > New > Project, and follow the instructions for creating new projects.
based storage media, hard disk drives (HDD), and so on, usually connect to your computer via a Thunderbolt or USB cable. Some devices have removable memory cards that you can insert into your computer instead. If your file-based device provides a clip-spanning feature, you can import all of the media as one spanned clip. To check whether your camera is compatible with Final Cut Pro, go to the Final Cut Pro X Supported Cameras webpage at http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204203.
Remove the memory card from your camcorder or device and insert it into the card slot on your Mac (if it has one) or into an external card reader. For more information about memory cards, see About memory cards and cables. Note: Some cameras require that you download and install an additional software plug-in. For more information, see the documentation that came with your camera. 2. To open the Media Import window, do one of the following: Choose File > Import > Media (or press Command-I).
Note: By default, the Media Import window is set to show only video clips, but you can display only photos or both video clips and photos using the pop-up menu in the middle-right area of the window. 4. Do any of the following: To change which device to import from: Click the device in the Cameras section. To change the way the clips appear: Click the Clip Appearance button in the bottom-right corner of the Media Import window.
selected clip appears at the top of the Browser. The filmstrip is fully interactive, allowing access to start and end points, markers, and keywords. To sort clips in list view by data such as duration, creation date, rating, keyword, file type, and so on: Click the column headings at the top of list view. For more information about list view, see Import from a hard disk. To add folders of frequently used media to the Favorites section: Drag them from list view.
To learn more about events, see Organizing libraries overview. Note: You can set storage locations for each of your libraries using the Library Properties inspector. For more information, see Manage storage locations. 6. If you want to create optimized or proxy media, analyze the video, or analyze the audio, select the relevant checkboxes in the Transcoding, Keywords, Video, and Audio sections.
play the clip, and press either I to set a start point or O to set an end point. By default, the Media Import window closes when you click Import. You can begin working with your clips in the Browser. Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background. If you selected any options in the previous step, Final Cut Pro transcodes and optimizes the files after the import process is complete. You can view the progress of the import and other background tasks in the Background Tasks window. 8.
To play a clip with a Camera icon, Final Cut Pro locates the media on either a connected camera or in a connected, available camera archive. (See Access media on an archive or disk image for more information.) If Final Cut Pro can’t locate the media in one of those locations, the clip will go offline and display the Missing Camera alert icon.
See About memory cards and cables for more information. Make sure the camera archive that contains the clip is located in one of the Final Cut Pro camera archives. See Create and manage camera archives for more information. 2. In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following: To reimport one clip: Select the clip in the Browser. To reimport all clips in an event: Select the event in the Libraries list. 3. Choose File > Import > Reimport from Camera/Archive. The clip or clips are reimported.
archives on your local system or on an external storage device until you are ready to import the spanned clip. (Even if you are importing the spanned clip immediately, it’s useful to make the camera archive so you have a backup of the footage that makes up the spanned clip.) Then, when you’re ready to import, you can mount all of the camera archives and import the spanned clip. Create a camera archive for each memory card 1.
3. Select a memory card to archive from the list of cameras on the left. 4. Click the Create Archive button at the bottom-left corner of the window. 5. In the “Create Camera Archive as” field, type a name for the archive. 6. Choose a location to save the archive from the Destination pop-up menu, and click OK. Note: To protect your media, it is recommended that you save your archive to a disk or partition different from the one where you store the media files used with Final Cut Pro. 7.
Click the Import Media button on the left end of the toolbar. 3. In the Devices section on the left side of the Media Import window, select your computer’s hard disk or the connected external storage device or memory card that contains the spanned clip camera archives. 4. Use the list view at the bottom of the window to navigate to and open the camera archives. Important: If the camera archives that make up the spanned clip are not all available, you can import each camera archive separately.
5. Use the settings on the right side of the Media Import window to choose how you want to organize the imported media in your library: To add the imported media to an existing event: Select “Add to existing event,” and choose the event from the pop-up menu. To create a new event: Select “Create new event in,” use the pop-up menu to choose the library in which you want to create the event, and then type a name (for example, “Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text field.
video, or analyze the audio, select the relevant checkboxes in the Transcoding, Keywords, Video and Audio sections. If you don’t set Final Cut Pro to analyze your media during the import process, you can analyze it later (if necessary) in the Browser. Note: Some import options are available only when you import files from a storage device. For more information, see Organize files while importing and Import from a hard disk. 7. Click Import All to import the spanned clip.
Import from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch 1. Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer using the Dock Connector to USB cable that came with it. (If another application opens, close it.) Then turn on your device and unlock it. 2. In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following: Choose File > Import > Media (or press Command-I). Click the Import Media button on the left end of the toolbar. The Media Import window appears. 3.
Import window. To switch between filmstrip view and list view: Click the List View and Filmstrip View buttons at the bottom of the Media Import window. (Connected file-based cameras and camera archives only.) Note: When you select a clip in list view, a filmstrip for the selected clip appears at the top of the Browser. The filmstrip is fully interactive, allowing access to start and end points, markers, and keywords.
Note: By default, the Media Import window is set to show video clips only, but you can display photos only or both video clips and photos using the pop-up menu in the middle-right area of the window. 4. Use the settings on the right side of the Media Import window to choose how you want to organize the imported media in your library: To add the imported clips to an existing event: Select “Add to existing event,” and choose the event from the pop-up menu.
using the Library Properties inspector. For more information, see Manage storage locations. 5. If you want to create optimized or proxy media, analyze the video, or analyze the audio, select the relevant checkboxes in the Transcoding, Keywords, Video, and Audio sections. If you don’t set Final Cut Pro to analyze your media during the import process, you can analyze it later (if necessary) in the Browser. Note: Some import options are available only when you import files from a storage device.
By default, the Media Import window closes when you click Import. You can begin working with your clips in the Browser. Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background. If you selected any options in the previous step, Final Cut Pro transcodes and optimizes the files after the import process is complete. You can view the progress of the import and other background tasks in the Background Tasks window. 7. When background tasks are completed, disconnect the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
If your camera doesn’t appear on the left side of the Media Import window (either in the Cameras or Devices section), remove the camera’s memory card and insert it into the card slot on your Mac (if it has one) or into an external card reader. 2. In the Finder, locate the DCIM folder inside the camera folder, and then locate the still-image or video files. The files may be in the DCIM folder, or in a folder one or two levels down. Devices and file structures vary by model and manufacturer. 3.
Import from tape-based cameras You can import media from a tape-based camcorder or tapebased device. To determine which clips you want to import (rather than importing all of them), you can view them using Final Cut Pro before you import them. Final Cut Pro supports tape-based import of the following formats: DV (including DVCAM, DVCPRO, and DVCPRO50), DVCPRO HD, and HDV. To check whether your camera is compatible with Final Cut Pro, go to the Final Cut Pro X Supported Cameras webpage at http://support.
2. Turn on the camcorder and set it to VTR or VCR mode. (This mode may have a different name on your camera. For more information, see the documentation that came with your camcorder.) 3. In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following: Choose File > Import > Media (or press Command-I). Click the Import Media button on the left end of the toolbar. The Media Import window appears. 4.
5. Use the settings on the right side of the Media Import window to choose how you want to organize the imported media in your library: To add the imported clips to an existing event: Select “Add to existing event,” and choose the event from the pop-up menu. To create a new event: Select “Create new event in,” use the pop-up menu to choose the library in which you want to create the event, and then type a name (for example, “Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text field.
If you don’t set Final Cut Pro to analyze your media during the import process, you can analyze it later (if necessary) in the Browser. Note: Some import options are available only when you import files from a storage device. For more information, see Organize files while importing and Import from a hard disk. 7. Use the playback controls (or use the J, K, and L keys) to set your tape to the point where you want to begin importing, and click Import.
9. Use the import controls to set your video to a point where you want to begin importing again, and repeat steps 5 through 8. 10. When you’re done importing, click Close to close the Media Import window. You can also create an archive from your tape-based device, recording everything on the tape from beginning to end and saving the captured clips as an archive. For more information, see Create and manage camera archives.
Your device must be connected properly to your computer. Your camcorder must be set to the correct output mode. On some camcorders, this is called VTR or VCR mode, but not all camcorders use the same terminology, so check the documentation that came with your device. On some camcorders you must set the output to DV mode or HDV mode, depending on whether the content is standard (DV) or high definition (HDV).
Disconnect the cable from both the device and the computer, and then reconnect it. Quit and then reopen Final Cut Pro. Restart your computer. Try using a different cable. Try using a different computer with Final Cut Pro installed. If you’re using a file-based camcorder, use the Finder to copy the mounted volume to a local disk. Then open the files in Final Cut Pro in the same way that you open an archive.
to convert it to a movie project. For more information, see iMovie Help. Note: If you send a movie project from iMovie to Final Cut Pro and it contains a clip with the “Lower volume of other clips” audio adjustment, that adjustment appears in Final Cut Pro as the Gain filter. For information about adjusting audio effects in Final Cut Pro, see Adjust audio effects.
3. To use one or more photos or video clips in your project, drag the items from the Photos Browser to an event icon in the Libraries list or a project in the Timeline. To select multiple clips, you can Command-click them or drag a selection rectangle around them. You can also drag photos and video clips from a photos app directly to an event in the Libraries list or a project in the Timeline, without using the Photos Browser.
Choose Window > Media Browser > Music and Sound. Click the Music and Sound button in the toolbar. 2. In the Music and Sound Browser, choose iTunes from the pop-up menu at the top. Tip: If the folder you’re looking for doesn’t appear, you can add it to the source list by dragging it from the Finder or desktop to the Music and Sound Browser. 3. In the list that appears, find the music or sound you want: To search for an item: Type text in the search field.
Import from Motion You can build and modify video effects, titles, transitions, and generators in Motion 5 for use in Final Cut Pro. When you save a template in Motion, it is “published” and becomes available in its respective media browser in Final Cut Pro. See the information about Final Cut Pro X templates in Motion Help at http://help.apple.com/motion.
storage, transcoding, keyword, and analysis settings, importing by dragging files into Final Cut Pro is a good option. For more information, see Import preferences. Note: Some file-based devices allow you to copy the recorded media (with its original directory structure) to a folder on your computer’s hard disk via the Finder. To import media copied in this way, see Access media on an archive or disk image. Import media from a hard disk using the Media Import window 1.
4. Use the list view at the bottom of the window to navigate to a file or folder and select it. (When you import from a hard disk, filmstrips are visible for individual selected clips only.) Tip: Command-click to select multiple files or folders to import. 5. Do any of the following: To preview the selected clip: Play it using the playback controls or skim it by moving the pointer forward or backward over the filmstrip.
headings at the top of list view. To add folders of frequently used media to the Favorites section: Drag a folder from the list on the right to the Favorites section on the left. To remove a folder from the Favorites section, Control-click the folder and choose Remove from Sidebar in the shortcut menu. To automatically close the Media Import window when the import begins: Select the “Close window after starting import” checkbox.
library” to duplicate the files and place the copies in the current library storage location. You can set the storage location for a library using the Library Properties inspector. For more information, see Manage storage locations. Note: The name of this option changes to “Copy to library storage location: location name“ when the current library is set to an external storage location. To link to the files at their current location: Select “Leave files in place.
By default, the Media Import window closes when you click Import. You can begin working with your clips in the Browser. Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background. If you selected any options in the previous step, Final Cut Pro starts to transcode and optimize the files after the import process is complete. You can view the progress of the import and other background tasks in the Background Tasks window.
Important: If you selected “From Finder tags” and “From folders” in the Keywords section of Final Cut Pro Import preferences, a Keyword Collection is created for each folder name and each tag, and the corresponding files are assigned that keyword. Select a file or Command-click to select multiple files, and drag the file or files to a project in the Timeline. The clip or clips appear in the Timeline, and in the corresponding event. The file or files are imported using your default import settings.
disk. Some file-based devices allow you to copy the recorded media (with its original directory structure) to a folder on your computer’s hard disk via the Finder. To import media copied in this way (or to import from disk images previously archived with the Final Cut Pro Log and Transfer window in Final Cut Pro 7 or earlier) follow the instructions in “Import media from a disk image,” below. Import media from a camera archive 1.
camera archive to open it. 4. To import the media, see Import from file-based cameras. Import media from a disk image 1. In the Finder, double-click the disk image (.dmg) file to open it. 2. To open the Media Import window in Final Cut Pro, do one of the following: Choose File > Import > Media (or press Command-I). Click the Import Media button on the left end of the toolbar. 3. Select the disk image in the Cameras section on the left side of the Media Import window.
Create and manage camera archives Organize files while importing You can choose how to organize your media when you import it into Final Cut Pro. You can copy the source files into the library or link to them at their current location. If your source files have Finder tags or the folders containing the files have meaningful names, you can choose to have the tags and folder names applied to the files as keywords during import.
to choose how you want to organize the imported media in your library: To add the imported media to an existing event: Select “Add to existing event,” and choose the event from the pop-up menu. To create a new event: Select “Create new event in,” use the pop-up menu to choose the library in which you want to create the event, and then type a name (for example, “Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text field. To learn more about events, see Organizing libraries overview. 3.
project or event, you want to replace the symbolic links with the actual source media files, select the events and choose File > Consolidate Event Files. For more information about files and clips, see Media files and clips. 4. In the Keywords section, select any of the following options: From Finder tags: Creates a keyword for each Finder tag in the files you’re importing. Additionally, a Keyword Collection is created for each keyword.
people, it’s recommended that you also select the “Create Smart Collections after analysis” checkbox. For more information, see Analyzing media overview. 5. If you want to create optimized or proxy media, analyze the video, or analyze the audio, select the relevant checkboxes in the Transcoding, Video, and Audio sections. If you don’t set Final Cut Pro to analyze your media during the import process, you can analyze it later (if necessary) in the Browser. 6. Click Import Selected or Import All.
Record live video and audio into Final Cut Pro 1. Do one of the following: To record using the built-in camera: Click the Import Media button in the toolbar. To record using an external iSight camera: Connect the iSight camera to your computer with a FireWire cable, and click the Import Media button in the toolbar. 2. In the Cameras list on the left side of the Media Import window, select the camera you want to import from. A live video image from the camera appears in the Media Import window. 3.
the imported media in your library: To add the imported clips to an existing event: Select “Add to existing event,” and choose the event from the pop-up menu. To create a new event: Select “Create new event in,” use the pop-up menu to choose the library in which you want to create the event, and type a name (for example, “Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text field. To learn more about events, see Organizing libraries overview.
A new video clip is created. You can click Import to begin recording again. You can repeat this process as many times as necessary. Tip: You can also capture live video from some video camcorders over a FireWire cable using QuickTime X. For more information, see QuickTime Player Help (available from the Help menu when QuickTime Player is open).
For more information, go to http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3553. You can also connect your device to the computer using a FireWire or USB cable. The kind of cable you need depends on the kind of device you’re using: USB device: You use a USB cable for file-based camcorders, digital still cameras that record video, and iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The USB cable should have at least one connector that plugs into your Mac (at the top in the illustration below).
Or you might have a FireWire 800 cable, with a different end that plugs into your camcorder or computer. Thunderbolt device: Devices that use Thunderbolt I/O technology use a connector that plugs into the mini display port on your Mac and looks like the connector below. If your device didn’t come with a cable and you’re not sure what kind of device you have, you can check the logo near the cable ports on your device to see if it matches the USB or FireWire logo, both shown above.
Supported media formats You can import and work with the following video, audio, and stillimage formats in Final Cut Pro: Video formats Apple Animation codec Apple Intermediate codec Apple ProRes (all versions) AVCHD (including AVCCAM, AVCHD Lite, and NXCAM) AVC-ULTRA (including AVC-LongG and AVC-Intra Class 50/100/200/4:4:4) DV (including DVCAM, DVCPRO, and DVCPRO50) DVCPRO HD H.
Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 XAVC (including XAVC-S) XDCAM HD/EX/HD422 XF-AVC 8-bit 4:2:2 Audio formats AAC AIFF BWF CAF MP3 MP4 WAV Still-image formats BMP GIF JPEG PNG PSD (static and layered) RAW TGA
TGA TIFF Container formats 3GP AVI MOV (QuickTime) MP4 MTS/M2TS MXF For information about formats you can export your movie to, see Supported export formats. Import and adjust REDCODE RAW video files You can import and work with REDCODE RAW (R3D) files in Final Cut Pro. RAW format video files require some additional steps before and after import. After the R3D RAW files are imported, you can make nondestructive color correction adjustments directly within Final Cut Pro.
Import REDCODE RAW (R3D) files 1. Install the appropriate plug-in. In order for Final Cut Pro to recognize the R3D RAW files, you must download and install the corresponding plug-in. For more information, go to http://www.red.com. 2. Import the media. Important: When you import the media, make sure to deselect the “Create optimized media” and “Create proxy media” options, because any transcoding work done during import will be discarded if you adjust the RAW settings in the next step.
You can apply a nondestructive “one-light” color correction to the R3D RAW clips immediately after import, to give your footage a more finished look for editing and review. If you have a professional production with sophisticated color correction needs, you can revisit these RAW settings during the finishing stage. For more information, see “Adjust RED RAW settings,” below. 4. If you like, generate optimized or proxy media from the R3D RAW files.
Internal (embedded) settings: This is metadata information recorded by the camera and embedded in the R3D RAW file. It always remains with the file. These camera settings can be superseded by settings in the external RMD file, but they are never overwritten. You can revert to these camera settings by deleting any existing RMD file or by choosing Original Camera Settings from the Revert To pop-up menu in the RED RAW Settings window.
4. Click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears. 5. In the Info inspector, click the Modify RED RAW Settings button. 6. In the RED RAW Settings window, adjust the settings. Your changes are saved nondestructively to an external metadata file with the file extension .RMD, overwriting any existing RMD metadata file. Unlike video effects that are applied to a clip, these adjustments are associated with the file (via the RMD metadata file).
Analyze media Analyzing media overview You can have Final Cut Pro analyze your media and automatically correct common problems it may find in your video, still images, and audio. For example, you can balance color and remove excess hum or loudness. You can also analyze clips to identify their contents. Analysis can detect the number of people in a shot and identify if the shot is a close-up, medium, or wide shot.
information, see Add keywords to clips.) Note: This section covers analysis and automatic correction options for event clips only. For information about correcting shaky video and rolling shutter distortion in clips in the Timeline, see Correct excessive shake and rolling shutter issues. Video and still-image analysis options Final Cut Pro provides video and still-image analysis options that can automatically balance color in video and detect people and shot angles in video or still images.
keywords are added to clips or clip ranges based on the results of the analysis. Final Cut Pro provides these video and still-image analysis options: Analyze for balance color: Analyzes video clips to detect color balance and contrast. Color is automatically balanced when you add the clip to the Timeline. You can turn automatic color adjustments on and off at any time. Remove pulldown: Analyzes video clips and removes pulldown patterns.
the segment’s analysis keywords are reduced to Wide Shot and Group during consolidation. Create Smart Collections after analysis: Creates a Smart Collection for each keyword applied when analyzing video clips and still images for the presence of people. The Smart Collections are listed alphabetically in a People folder inside the event in the Libraries list.
channels are marked as Autoselected. For more information about audio channels, see Configure audio channels. Remove silent channels: Audio channels are analyzed, and silent channels are automatically removed. Clips that have had channels removed are marked as Autoselected. For more information about audio channels, see Configure audio channels. When you drag a media file from the Finder to a Final Cut Pro event or the Timeline, the import begins automatically, without displaying a window of import options.
Import button. To import a file from a tape-based camcorder: Connect the camcorder to your computer, turn on the camcorder, and set it to VTR or VCR mode. Then choose File > Import > Media (or press Command-I) and click the Import button. To import a file from a memory card: Insert the memory card into the card slot on your Mac or into a card reader that’s connected to your computer, and choose File > Import > Media (or press Command-I).
To learn more about events, see Organizing libraries overview. 3. Select any of the video and audio analysis options that you want to apply. For descriptions of the video and audio analysis options, see Video and still-image analysis options and Audio analysis options. Final Cut Pro will analyze the files in the background, after the import process is complete. 4. Click Import. The import may take a while, depending on the options you selected in step 3.
analysis and audio analysis options that you want to apply, and click OK. The transcoding process may take a while, depending on the analysis options you selected. You can see the status of all the background processes currently running in the Background Tasks window. Automatically analyze media files when they are dragged to an event or the Timeline 1. Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences. 2.
If you analyzed media to find people, analysis keywords such as One Person, Close Up Shot, and so on are automatically added to clips or clip ranges. Clips or ranges with analysis keywords are marked with a purple line in the Browser. You can view a clip’s analysis keywords in several locations in Final Cut Pro. View keywords in the Skimmer Info window 1. Choose View > Show Skimmer Info (or press Control-Y). 2. Skim the clip in the Browser.
To turn off Skimmer Info, choose View > Hide Skimmer Info (or press Control-Y). View keywords in list view in the Browser 1. Click the List View button. 2. To see a clip’s keywords, click the disclosure triangle next to the clip.
If you chose to create Smart Collections after analysis, clips that have analysis keywords are automatically grouped in Smart Collections within the event in the Libraries list. A Smart Collection is created for each analysis keyword and placed in a People folder in the event. In the Libraries list, select an analysis keyword Smart Collection inside an event. The clips with that analysis keyword appear in the Browser.
Organize your library Organizing libraries overview A library contains multiple events and projects in the same location. When you import video, audio, and still images, or record directly into Final Cut Pro, the source media files (your raw footage) appear as clips in one or more events in the library. An event is similar to a folder that can hold projects as well as dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of video clips, audio clips, and still images.
When you import video into a new event, you name the event. By giving your events meaningful names, such as “Smith Wedding 2013,” you can organize all of your media so that it’s readily accessible. The Libraries list is also the home for Final Cut Pro Keyword Collections and Smart Collections, which provide a powerful way to organize your video editing projects using keywords and persistent search filters.
Organize your projects, events, and media Create a new event After importing your source media files into Final Cut Pro, you may find that you need to create additional events to organize your media. For example, after importing media shot for a production, you may decide to split the media into events defined by useful categories—shooting locations, scenes, episodes, and so on. Create a new event in your library 1.
the Create New Project checkbox. To customize settings for the new project, click Use Custom Settings. For more information, see Modify a project’s settings. The new event appears in the selected library. 5. Move clips from other events into the new event, as necessary. SEE ALSO Delete clips, events, and projects Rename clips, events, and projects You can rename clips in the Browser, the Timeline Index, or the Info inspector at any time. You can rename projects in the Browser and in project settings.
Rename a clip or a project in the Browser To rename a clip or project in filmstrip view: Click the clip’s or project’s name, and type a new name. To rename a clip or project in list view: Click the clip’s or project’s name, press Return, and type a new name. You can also rename a project in project settings. For more information, see Modify a project’s settings. Rename an event 1. In the Libraries list, select the event whose name you want to change. 2.
2. Click the Clips button at the top of the Timeline Index. 3. Click the Name field for a clip, and type a new name. Rename a clip in the Info inspector 1. Select a clip in the Browser or the Timeline. 2. To open the Info inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears. 3.
and type a new name. SEE ALSO Find clips and projects in events Media management overview View and sort clips and projects You can display your clips and projects in the Browser in two views: Filmstrip view: Displays the clips in the selected event as a connected series of thumbnail images. Projects appear as thumbnail images with a superimposed clapboard design. Filmstrip view is useful when you want to visually locate your clips and projects.
you want to view or sort clips and projects by data such as duration, creation date, rating, keyword, and so on. When you select a clip in list view, a filmstrip for the selected clip appears at the top of the Browser. The clip filmstrip is fully interactive, allowing access to start and end points, markers, and keywords. Switch between filmstrip and list views Do one of the following: Click the Filmstrip View button in the bottom-left corner of the Browser.
Click the List View button in the bottom-left corner of the Browser. Customize filmstrip view To adjust the time represented by each thumbnail in a clip’s filmstrip: At the bottom-right corner of the Browser, drag the Duration slider.
Adjusting the Duration slider expands and contracts the amount of detail shown in each clip’s filmstrip. The longer each thumbnail’s duration, the fewer thumbnails each clip displays, and the more clips are displayed in the Browser. To adjust the filmstrip height: At the bottom-right corner of the Browser, click the Clip Appearance button and drag the Clip Height slider.
To turn audio waveforms on and off: At the bottom-right corner of the Browser, click the Clip Appearance button and deselect the Show Waveforms checkbox.
When audio waveforms are on, they appear at the bottom of each clip’s filmstrip, increasing the height of all clips in the Browser. Customize list view To choose what type of information is displayed in list view columns as well as customize the columns themselves: In the Browser, Control-click a column heading, and choose a category option from the shortcut menu. To rearrange columns in list view: In the Browser, drag a column heading to move the column to a new position.
Sort and group clips and projects in the Browser You can sort clips and projects in the Browser into an order that makes it easier to visually locate them. 1. In the Libraries list, select the event whose items you want to sort. 2. Do one or both of the following: To group clips by category: Choose Group Clips By from the Action pop-up menu below the Libraries list, and choose a category from the submenu. Choose to set the sort order as Ascending or Descending from the same submenu.
Ascending from the Action pop-up menu Libraries list. below the Merge, split, and sort events You can merge (combine) two or more events in a library (for example, if the media and projects they contain are very closely related). If you find an event is getting bulky and unmanageable, you can split it into multiple events. You can also sort events in the Libraries list by name or date. Merge multiple events 1.
their original locations: either in the library file or linked from external folders. 2. Select the merged event and type a new name. Split an event into multiple events 1. Create the new events you need. 2. Drag the clips and projects you want to relocate from the original event to the new events. The corresponding source media files remain in their original locations: either in the library file or linked from external folders. Sort events by name or date 1.
order. To set a descending sort order: Choose View > Sort Events By > Descending. This option sorts the events in reverse alphabetical or chronological order. Copy or move clips and projects between events in the same library You can copy and move clips and projects from one event to another. For information about copying and moving clips, projects, and events to other libraries, see Copy or move items between libraries and hard disks.
3. Do one of the following: To copy the items: Option-drag the items from one event to the other by first starting to drag and then holding down the Option key as you drag. To move the items: Drag the items from one event to the other. The event to which you copy or move the clips may be re-sorted in the library. Duplicate projects and clips Duplicating projects and clips is a fundamental technique in your editing workflow. For example, you can simply duplicate a project to work on a new version of it.
Duplicate projects and clips 1. In the Libraries list, select the event that contains the clips or projects you want to copy. 2. In the Browser, select the clips or projects you want to copy. Note: You cannot select clips and projects at the same time. 3. Choose Edit > Duplicate (or press Command-D). The duplicate items appear in the Browser next to the originals.
The duplicate project appears in the Browser with the word “Snapshot” and the date and time appended to the project name. Delete clips, events, and projects You can delete unwanted clips and projects. You can also delete an entire event from your library in order to free up storage space. When you delete a clip or a project from an event, or delete an entire event, Final Cut Pro moves the source media files to the Trash.
To delete the entire event: Choose File > Move Event to Trash (or press Command-Delete). The selected items are deleted. To permanently delete the source media files from your hard disk, empty the Trash. WARNING: After the Trash is emptied, the deleted clips and all of the associated source media files cannot be restored.
Rate clips 1. In the Browser, select a range, a clip, or multiple clips you want to rate. 2. Do one of the following: If you like the selection: Press the F key or click the Favorite button in the toolbar. In the Browser, a green line appears at the top of frames you’ve marked as Favorite. If you don’t like the selection: Press the Delete key or click the Reject button in the toolbar. A red line appears at the top of frames you’ve marked as Rejected.
Note: If you chose Hide Rejected from the Filter pop-up menu at the top of the Browser, clips marked as Rejected disappear from view. Remove ratings from clips 1. Make sure the clips you want to work with appear in the Browser. You might need to choose a new option, such as All Clips, from the Filter pop-up menu at the top-left corner of the Browser so that all the clips you need to access are visible. 2.
The green or red line at the top of the clips disappears. Note: An orange line along the bottom of an event clip indicates the clip is being used in the current project (open in the Timeline). To turn this view on or off, choose View > Show Used Media Ranges. SEE ALSO Find clips and projects in events Add keywords to clips You can apply keywords to your clips to help you quickly locate the clips you need to compose your movie.
media overview.) Additionally, when a keyword is applied to a clip or clip range, a Keyword Collection appears in the Libraries list. A Keyword Collection contains pointers (aliases) to clips tagged with a specific keyword. For example, if you apply the keyword “Nicholas” to all clips containing Nicholas, you can then select the Nicholas Keyword Collection in the Libraries list to view all clips containing the “Nicholas” keyword in the Browser.
Apply keywords using the Keyword Editor 1. In the Browser, select a range or one or more clips to which you want to add keywords. 2. To open the Keyword Editor, click the Keywords button in the toolbar. 3. At the top of the Keyword Editor, type the keyword or keyword phrase you want to apply to the selection, and press Return. 4. Repeat step 3 for each keyword or keyword phrase you want added to the selection.
Editor. Assign keywords using keyboard shortcuts To add keyword phrases to your clips using keyboard shortcuts, you must first assign keywords and keyword phrases to the keyboard shortcuts. 1. If the Keyword Editor isn’t open, click the Keywords button in the toolbar. 2. In the Keyword Editor, click the disclosure triangle to the left of Keyword Shortcuts. 3. Type a keyword or phrase in each shortcut field, and press Return.
4. To use a keyboard shortcut, select a range or one or more clips to which you want to add keywords, and press Control and the corresponding number key (1 through 9). View keywords applied to clips To quickly identify clips that have keywords: Select an event in the Libraries list. Clips that have one or more keywords appear in the Browser marked with a blue line at the top. To view all keywords applied to a clip: Choose View > Show Skimmer Info (or press Control-Y), and skim the clip in the Browser.
To view all the clips that have a specific keyword: Select a Keyword Collection in the Libraries list. The clips with that keyword appear in the Browser. Remove all keywords from a selection 1. In the Browser, select a range or one or more clips from which you want to remove keywords. A blue line at the top of the clips indicates the portions of the clips that have keywords applied. 2. Choose Mark > Remove All Keywords (or press Control-0). Remove a subset of keywords from a selection 1.
Editor, select the keyword or keywords you want to remove, and press Delete. Tip: To create a Keyword Collection for an entire library, create a library Smart Collection using one or more keywords as the search criteria.
Note: You can add notes to each instance of a clip or project. For example, if you copy clips or projects between events or libraries, add a clip from the Browser to the Timeline, or copy clips within the Timeline, each of these clip or project instances (copies) is independent of the others. Add or edit clip and project notes in the Browser 1. Click the List View button in the bottom-left corner of the Browser. 2. Select the clip or project for which you want to add or edit notes.
Add or edit clip notes in the Timeline Index 1. To open the Timeline Index, click the Timeline Index button in the lower-left corner of the Final Cut Pro main window (or press Shift-Command-2). 2. To open the Clips pane, click the Clips button at the top of the Timeline Index. 3. If the Notes column is not visible in the Clips pane, Controlclick a column heading and choose Notes from the shortcut menu.
4. Click the Notes field for the clip, and type or edit the notes for that clip. SEE ALSO View and sort clips and projects Find clips and projects in events Use the Timeline Index to view, navigate, and search your project Organize clips by roles You can organize clips by roles, which are metadata text labels assigned to clips.
and Effects. You can also create custom roles and subroles and assign them to clips. You can view and reassign roles in the Browser, the Timeline Index, or the Info inspector. For example, you could easily identify all your dialogue clips and play them back in isolation from other audio clips. See View and reassign roles.
you’ve marked a clip as Rejected. Rejected. A blue line indicates that a clip has manually applied keywords or keywords imported with the media file. See Add keywords to clips. A purple line indicates that a clip has one or more analysis keywords. See View analysis keywords on clips. An orange line along the bottom of an event clip indicates that the clip is being used in the project currently open in the Timeline. See Adding clips overview.
Find items Find clips and projects in events In Final Cut Pro, you can search for media in two ways: Quickly filter clips by marking: Use the Filter pop-up menu in the Browser to quickly locate individual clips by rating, or the absence of ratings and keywords. Search using a combination of criteria in the Filter window: Use the Filter window to perform complex searches for clips and projects, also known as weighted searches.
the Browser. All Clips: Shows all clips in the event. Hide Rejected: Shows all clips or range selections except those you’ve rated Reject. No Ratings or Keywords: Shows only the clips or range selections without ratings or keywords. Favorites: Shows only the clips or range selections you’ve rated Favorite. Rejected: Shows only the clips or range selections you’ve rated Reject.
For example, you can search for video clips or projects that contain the text “exterior” or “wide shot” in their metadata. 1. In the Libraries list, select the event or folder you want to search. 2. Click the Filter button at the top of the Browser. 3. In the Filter window, choose search criteria, or rules, from the Add Rule pop-up menu. Text: Find clips or projects by their name or any notes applied to them in list view.
Used Media: Find clips based on whether or not they are used in a project, a compound clip, a multicam clip, or a synchronized clip. Stabilization: Find video clips that Final Cut Pro has identified as having excessive shake. Keywords: Find clips by any of the keywords that you’ve assigned to them. You can select one or more keywords to search for. People: Find clips that Final Cut Pro has identified as having people in them.
the upper-left corner of the Filter window. To specify that an item must match all the criteria and keywords: Choose All from the pop-up menu in the upperleft corner. The items that match the search criteria are displayed in the Browser, and icons indicating the search status appear to the right of the Filter button at the top of the Browser. If you wish, you can save your search results as a Smart Collection, which gathers items automatically based on the search criteria.
search. 2. In the search field, enter the clip’s or project’s name or notes applied to the clip or project you’re looking for. Find clips using both searching and filtering Performing a weighted search and then filtering the results in the Browser by rating is a powerful way to quickly find clips. This is also the best method of finding specific clips that you haven’t rated and comparing them against the clips you have rated. 1. In the Libraries list, select the event or folder you want to search. 2.
Rate clips as Favorite or Rejected Save searches as Smart Collections Use the Timeline Index to view, navigate, and search your project Analyzing media overview Video and still-image analysis options Audio analysis options Save searches as Smart Collections When you search for clips or projects in a library or an event using the Filter window, you can save your results by creating a new Smart Collection that gathers items matching the search criteria.
2. Do one of the following: Use the Filter window to search for clips or projects based on specified criteria, then click the New Smart Collection (or New Library Smart Collection) button in the Filter window. Choose File > New > Smart Collection or File > New > Library Smart Collection (or press Option-Command-N). If you create the Smart Collection using this method, you need to double-click the Smart Collection to open the Filter window and enter your specified search criteria.
2. Revise the search criteria in the Filter window. 3. When you’re finished specifying search criteria, close the Filter window. Note: Modifying a clip’s ratings or keywords in such a way that it no longer matches a Smart Collection’s search criteria results in the clip no longer appearing in the Smart Collection. Delete a Smart Collection In the Libraries list, select the Smart Collection you want to delete, and choose File > Delete Smart Collection (or press Command-Delete).
Tip: To create a Keyword Collection for an entire library, create a library Smart Collection using one or more keywords as the search criteria. SEE ALSO Find clips and projects in events Organize Keyword and Smart Collections Organize Keyword and Smart Collections You can organize Keyword Collections and Smart Collections in events using folders, and you can copy collections between folders and between events.
Organize collections with folders 1. In the Libraries list, select the event containing the collections you want to organize, and choose File > New Folder. 2. Type a name for the new folder that appears within the event and press Return. 3. Select the Smart Collections and Keyword Collections you want to organize, and drag them into the new folder. You can show and hide the contents of the folder by clicking the disclosure triangle to the left of the folder’s name.
event, library, or folder: Drag the collection to the new location, and then delete the original copy. The collection appears in the destination event, library, or folder, and the collection’s search criteria are applied to the items in the new location. SEE ALSO Video and still-image analysis options Add keywords to clips Save searches as Smart Collections Restore a library from automatic backups Final Cut Pro makes automatic library backups at regular intervals.
Restore from a library backup 1. In the Libraries list, select the library you want to restore. 2. Choose File > Open Library > From Backup. 3. In the “Restore from” pop-up menu, choose a backup from a specific time and date, or click Other and navigate to a different backup file to open. The backup is added as a library in the Libraries list. Note: The backups are standard Final Cut Pro library files, so you can also open them by double-clicking them in the Finder.
Play back and skim media Playback and skimming overview Final Cut Pro makes it easy to view and listen to your media, whether it’s located in the Browser or the Timeline. Its dynamic previewing capabilities let you find what you need quickly without being distracted from the task at hand. You use two tools to preview and play back media in Final Cut Pro: The playhead marks the current position in the Timeline or the Browser.
When skimming is turned on, you can skim to see what’s in other clips, but still keep your playhead position in the Timeline. If both the playhead and skimmer are present in the same clip, the skimmer becomes the default position for playback or editing. When skimming is turned off or the skimmer is not present in a clip, the playhead assumes the default position. Play back media You can play back projects and clips in Final Cut Pro.
corner of the Viewer. For more information, see Control playback quality and performance. Play back video and audio clips To play a project or clip from the beginning: Select the project or clip and choose View > Playback > Play from Beginning (or press Control-Shift-I). To play a section of a project, selected clips, or a frame range from the beginning: Select the project, clips, or all or part of a clip, and choose View > Playback > Play Selection, or press the Slash (/) key.
To play around the playhead or skimmer: Choose View > Playback > Play Around, or press Shift-Question Mark (?). To stop playback: Press the Space bar. Use the J, K, and L keys for playback You can use the J, K, and L keys on your keyboard to play through a project or clip. Playback begins at the location of the playhead (on a project) or the skimmer (on a clip). You can also use the J, K, and L keys to control a video playback device.
You can use these keys to speed playback up to 32x normal speed. To begin forward playback at normal (1x) speed: Press L. To begin reverse playback at normal (1x) speed: Press J. To pause playback: Press K. To double the current playback speed: Press L or J twice. To immediately reverse the playback direction: Press J to play in reverse, or press L to play forward. To move the playhead one frame at a time: Hold down the K key, and press J or L.
You can turn on looping so that a project or a clip (or any portion of either) plays in a continuous loop. 1. To enable looping, choose View > Playback > Loop Playback (or press Command-L). 2. Do any of the following: To loop your entire project: Click the Timeline to make it active and press the Space bar. To loop a clip in the Browser: Select the clip and press the Space bar.
Tip: You can use all the playback shortcut keys during fullscreen playback, including J-K-L and others. For a full list of the available shortcuts, see Keyboard shortcuts. 3. To leave full-screen view, press the Esc (Escape) key. When you play back clips, the frames under the playhead or skimmer play in the Viewer. If you need to compare two clips at once, you can use the Event Viewer, a separate viewer for playing back event clips only. The Event Viewer appears to the left of the main Viewer.
another. You can disable all skimming (or just audio skimming). Skim clips Move the pointer forward or backward over a clip in the Browser or the Timeline. The skimmer (a vertical pink line) indicates exactly where the pointer is as you skim, and the corresponding frames are displayed in the Viewer. Tip: You can also press the Space bar at any time to play forward from the skimmer position.
2. Select either the Blade, Trim, or Range Selection tool from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar. 3. Move the tool forward or backward over a clip. When using an editing tool as a skimmer, you can skim and add markers to clips under connected clips in the Timeline. Turn skimming on and off To turn all skimming on or off: Click the Skimming button, choose View > Skimming, or press S. To turn audio skimming on or off: Click the Audio Skimming button, choose View > Audio Skimming, or press Shift-S.
Note: When skimming is turned off, you can still skim with the Blade, Trim, and Range Selection editing tools. Skim audio for individual clips or audio components You can turn on clip skimming to limit audio skimming to an individual clip. This is useful if you have a connected clip in the Timeline and want to skim it without also hearing audio from the clip in the primary storyline. Important: Audio skimming must also be turned on in order to use this feature.
Event Viewer Sometimes, you may need two viewers so that you can play back and skim event clips separately from Timeline clips. The Event Viewer is a separate video display that appears next to the main Viewer. With the Event Viewer and the Viewer open, you can display two clips at the same time: one in the Browser and one in the Timeline. You use the Event Viewer to play clips in the Browser only.
Open the Event Viewer Choose Window > Show Event Viewer (or press ControlCommand-3). To close the Event Viewer, choose Window > Hide Event Viewer (or press Control-Command-3). Note: If you’re using video scopes with the Event Viewer, you may find it convenient to display the scopes below the video image rather than on the left side (the default). To display scopes below the video image, choose Vertical Layout from the Settings pop-up menu in the Event Viewer. For more information, see Display video scopes.
connected to power and turned on. 2. In Final Cut Pro, choose Window > Show Viewers on Second Display. The Viewer appears on the second display. All Viewer features (including onscreen controls) are now available on the second display. Note: If the Event Viewer is also visible, both viewers appear on the second display. 3. To return the Viewer to the Final Cut Pro main window, choose Window > Show Viewers in the Main Window. Show the Libraries list and the Browser on a second display 1.
The Libraries list and the Browser appear on the second display. All event features (including selection capabilities, markers, keywords, and so on) are now available on the second display. To return the Libraries list and Browser to the Final Cut Pro main window, choose Window > Show Events in the Main Window. View playback on an external video monitor Final Cut Pro includes an A/V Output option to send video and audio from your computer to an external video monitor.
about third-party devices and software, contact the device manufacturer or go to the Final Cut Pro X Resources webpage at http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/resources. View playback on an external monitor using a third-party video interface 1. Install the video interface hardware and software according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 2. Connect an external video monitor to the video interface, and make sure the monitor and all other external devices are connected to power and turned on. 3.
To turn off A/V output, choose Window > A/V Output. View playback on an external monitor using HDMI If you’re using Final Cut Pro 10.1 or later on a 4K-capable Mac with an HDMI port, you can play 4K or HD 1080 video on an external video monitor connected to the HDMI port. For a list of compatible Mac computers, go to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6057. 1.
Note: You may need to press the Option key while you click Scaled to see additional resolutions for the HDMI monitor. 5. To select the monitor in Final Cut Pro, choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences (or press Command-Comma), click Playback, and choose the HDMI monitor from the A/V Output pop-up menu. 6. In Final Cut Pro, choose Window > A/V Output. The Viewer contents appear on the HDMI monitor.
performance in the Viewer: the Quality setting and the Media setting. Both are found in the Viewer Options pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Viewer. Set playback quality In the Quality section of the Viewer Options pop-up menu, choose one of the following: Better Quality: Choose this option to display full-resolution video frames in the Viewer. This setting may decrease playback performance for high-quality, large-frame-size video.
media for playback. Choosing this option increases playback performance but lowers the video quality. In Final Cut Pro, proxy media is in the Apple ProRes 422 Proxy format. You can use the Info inspector to determine whether optimized or proxy media files exist for a given clip. For more information, see View a clip’s information. If you choose Proxy in the Viewer Options pop-up menu and no proxy media file exists, a Missing Proxy File alert icon appears in the Viewer.
By default, rendering begins in the background 5 seconds after you stop working and moving the pointer in Final Cut Pro. Background rendering continues while you work in a different application. You can turn off background rendering or adjust this setting in Final Cut Pro preferences. You can also manually control rendering for a project or a portion of a project, and you can delete render files for one or more projects, events, or libraries to free up storage space.
Edit your project Editing overview The term video editing refers both to broader stages of a project workflow and to very specific manual tasks that you do with clips in a project Timeline. Create a project: To create a movie in Final Cut Pro, you first create a project, which provides a record of your editing decisions and the media you use. See Create a new project.
Create and manage projects Create a new project To create a movie in Final Cut Pro, you first create a project, which provides a record of your editing decisions and the media you use. Then you add clips to the Timeline and edit them. When you create a new Final Cut Pro project, you do the following: Name the project. Specify the event where the project is stored. Often, you store projects in events that contain the media used to create the project.
video, audio, and render properties for the project. After creating your project, you add clips to it from an event in the library. Note: If you’re creating a project and you haven’t yet imported media into Final Cut Pro, you should do so. For more information, see Importing overview. Start a project 1. If you don’t see the Libraries list, click the button at the bottom-left corner of the Browser. 2. In the Libraries list, select the event where you want to create the project. 3.
project in the Timeline, or add media to the project from one of the media browsers, that media is automatically stored in the same event with the project. 6. If you want to further customize settings for your project, click Use Custom Settings. Note: Final Cut Pro shows the Automatic Settings by default, but it retains the settings you used last, so this step may be unnecessary. 7.
Open an existing project You can open an existing project at any time. Open a project 1. If you don’t see the Libraries list, click the button at the bottom-left corner of the Browser. 2. In the Libraries list, select the event containing the project you want to open. 3. Locate the project you want to open and double-click it. Note: You may have to scroll up to the top of the event to see the project. Modify a project’s settings As your project evolves, you may decide you want to change its settings.
automatically based on the properties of the first clip you add to a project, but you can change almost all settings of an existing project. If you must modify the project settings, choose video and audio project settings based on how you intend to share your final movie with your audience. Change a project’s settings 1. In the Libraries list, select the event that contains the project you want to modify, and select the project (or double-click it to open it in the Timeline). 2.
5. In the window that appears, change the settings as appropriate. Project Name Project Name: Type a name for the project. Starting Timecode Starting Timecode: If you want your project’s timecode to start at a value other than 00:00:00:00, type a starting timecode value. Drop Frame Timecode Drop Frame: Select the checkbox to turn on drop frame timecode (this option appears only for 29.97 and 59.94 fps media).
Video Properties Format: Choose the video format (a specific method of encoding the video). Resolution: Choose the frame size of the video. Available frame sizes are dependent on the format. To enter an arbitrary frame size, choose Custom in the Format pop-up menu. Rate: Choose the frames per second (fps). Note: Unless the Timeline is completely empty, you cannot change the frame rate of an existing project.
SEE ALSO Conform frame sizes and frame rates Save, back up, and make versions of your projects Final Cut Pro automatically saves all the changes you make as you work on a project, which means you never have to save changes manually. Also, you can undo all of your changes up to the last time you quit and reopened Final Cut Pro by choosing Edit > Undo (or pressing Command-Z). You can create multiple versions of a project by duplicating it. For more information, see Duplicate projects and clips.
About selections and filmstrips A fundamental step in editing a video project is choosing what you want to include in your final movie. In Final Cut Pro you indicate what clips or portions of clips you want to act on by making a selection. Final Cut Pro provides a variety of powerful tools for making selections with both speed and precision, including filmstrips, which are connected series of thumbnail images.
You can also adjust the filmstrip appearance in the Timeline to make it easier to view and select audio waveforms. SEE ALSO Select one or more clips Select a range View and sort clips and projects Adjust Timeline settings Select one or more clips Clips represent your video, audio, and graphics files and allow you to work with your media in Final Cut Pro without changing the files themselves.
them, you first need to select them. You can select a single clip or multiple clips at a time. Selecting multiple clips allows you to move them as a group within your project, or from one event to another. It’s also useful if you’ve made adjustments to a clip and you want to paste the same adjustments onto several other clips. Select an entire clip Do one of the following: Click the clip once. Move the skimmer (or the playhead) over a clip and press X.
In the Timeline, move the skimmer (or the playhead if skimming is turned off) over the clip you want to select and press C. This method selects the clip in the primary storyline. Connected clips and storylines are attached to clips in the primary storyline, and they appear above and below the primary storyline. To select a connected clip or storyline with this keyboard shortcut method, position the pointer on the connected clip and press C.
To select a number of individual clips: Hold down the Command key as you click the clips you want to select. Note: Command-clicking a Browser clip with preexisting ranges selects the ranges rather than the whole clip. To select all clips and ranges in the Browser or the Timeline: Click the Browser or Timeline to make it active, and choose Edit > Select All (or press Command-A). To select multiple clips by dragging: Drag a selection rectangle over the Timeline or event clips you want to select.
key and click the clips you don’t want selected. To deselect all clips and ranges: Choose Edit > Select > None (or press Shift-Command-A). To deselect all clips and clear all selected ranges in the Browser: Press Option-X. Select a range Instead of selecting whole clips, you can select a range within any clip in the Timeline or the Browser. In the Timeline, you can also select a range that spans multiple clips.
Select a range Do one of the following: In the Browser, drag across any clip (filmstrip). A yellow border appears around the range you selected. If the filmstrip wraps onto two lines, you can select a range extending over the break simply by continuing to drag across the break. When you reach the edge, the pointer jumps to the next line. Tip: In the Browser, Option-drag across any clip (filmstrip) with existing ranges to replace those ranges with a new range.
Drag the Range Selection tool across one or more clips in the Timeline to select a range. To adjust the range selection start and end points, drag the range handles on either side of the range. Tip: To temporarily turn on the Range Selection tool, hold down the R key. When you release the R key, the tool reverts to the previously active tool. Use the I and O keys to set the range selection start and end points. For more information, see the instructions below.
These marker lines can indicate any of the following: Favorite (green), Rejected (red), manually applied keywords (blue), or analysis keywords (purple). Set a range start point or end point To set the start point: Position the skimmer (or the playhead, if skimming is turned off) where you want the selection to start, and choose Mark > Set Range Start (or press I). To remove the range start point, press Option-I.
Extend or shorten the range selection To adjust where the range starts or ends: Drag the left or right edge of the yellow selection border. To reset the start point or end point for a range within the same event clip or project: Move the skimmer and press I or O. Tip: You can also press the I or O key while a clip is playing back.
playback. 1. Play back an event clip. 2. While the clip is playing, do any of the following: To add a range start point: Press Shift-Command-I. To add a range end point: Press Shift-Command-O. Note: To set multiple ranges in the same clip, repeat these keyboard shortcuts while continuing playback. Set the range selection to match the boundaries of the clip Move the skimmer (or the playhead) over a clip and press X. Final Cut Pro sets a range selection from the start point to the end point of the clip.
To remove a range in the Timeline: Click outside of the range or select a different range. To clear one or more ranges in the Browser or the Timeline: Select the range or ranges and choose Mark > Clear Selected Ranges (or press Option-X). Note: Selected ranges have a thick yellow border. Unselected ranges (available only in the Browser) have a thin orange border.
Note: The commands described in this section require the Browser to be the active portion of the Final Cut Pro interface. You can make the Browser active by moving the pointer over it or clicking it. When the Browser is active, its background has a lighter gray color. Set multiple ranges in an event clip 1. In the Browser, select a range within a clip. 2. To set an additional range, do one of the following: Command-drag in a different section of the clip.
where you want the additional range to end and press Shift-Command-O. Note: These keyboard shortcuts also work during playback, so you can set additional ranges on the fly. Option-drag over or within existing ranges to replace them with a new range. Command-click a colored marker line at the top of a clip. These marker lines can indicate any of the following: Favorite (green), Rejected (red), manually applied keywords (blue), or analysis keywords (purple). The additional range selection appears in the clip.
To select an individual range: Click the range. To select or deselect a range: Command-click the range. To select all ranges in a clip: Click an area of the clip that has no range. To select all ranges and clips in the current event: Choose Edit > Select All (or press Command-A). The ranges (and all clips with no ranges) are selected with a yellow border. To deselect all ranges and clips in the current event: Choose Edit > Deselect All (or press Shift-Command-A). The ranges turn orange.
To remove selected ranges in an event: Select the ranges you want to remove, and choose Mark > Clear Selected Ranges (or press Option-X). To remove all ranges in an event: Choose Edit > Select All (or press Command-A) to select all ranges in the current event, and choose Mark > Clear Selected Ranges (or press OptionX). Navigate between selections in an event To go to the start of the range selection: Choose Mark > Go to > Range Start (or press Shift-I).
Add and remove clips Adding clips overview You build a movie project by adding clips to the Timeline in a chronological arrangement. To suit your particular editing style or need, you can choose from a wide variety of tools and techniques for adding clips. You can change the arrangement of the clips in the Timeline at any time. In Final Cut Pro, you can edit your projects without worrying about maintaining clip connection or synchronization.
In the Browser, an orange line along the bottom of an event clip indicates the clip is being used in the current project (open in the Timeline). To turn this view on or off, choose View > Show Used Media Ranges.
Drag clips to the Timeline You can add clips to the Timeline by dragging them from the Browser, from a Final Cut Pro media browser (such as the Photos Browser or the Generators Browser), or from the Finder. Drag clips from the Browser or a media browser 1. Do one of the following: In the Libraries list, select an event containing the clips you want to add to your project. Open the media browser containing the media you want to add to your project. 2.
1. Arrange the windows onscreen so that you can see both the Final Cut Pro main window and the files in the Finder. 2. Drag the files from the Finder to the Timeline. Depending on where you drag the clips in the Timeline, your actions may result in an append, an insert, a connect, or a replace edit. Note: If you add clips to the Timeline from a Final Cut Pro media browser or the Finder, you are effectively importing the media into the event that contains the current project.
1. Select one or more clips in the Browser. 2. To add the clips to the Timeline, do one of the following: Choose Edit > Append to Storyline (or press E). Click the Append button in the toolbar. If there is no selection, the clip appears at the end of the primary storyline in the Timeline. If a storyline is selected, the clip appears at the end of the selected storyline.
insert edit to interrupt the action in an existing clip with the action in the newly inserted clip. The action in the original clip then resumes after the inserted clip. Note: You can use three-point editing to make insert edits. For more information, see Three-point editing overview. Insert Browser clips in the Timeline 1. Select one or more clips in the Browser. 2.
in the middle of an existing Timeline clip, that clip is cut at the insertion point, and the second half is moved to the end of the newly inserted clip, along with the rest of the footage to the right of the insertion point. Insert a gap clip or a placeholder clip in the Timeline Sometimes you need to reserve space in the Timeline for a clip that you don’t yet have.
To insert a gap clip: Choose Edit > Insert Generator > Gap (or press Option-W). Final Cut Pro inserts a blank clip (containing blank video and silent audio) that you can adjust to any duration. (The film industry term for this is slug.) Note: Gap clip color is determined by the current background color in Final Cut Pro. To adjust the background color, choose a Player Background option in the Playback pane of the Final Cut Pro Preferences window.
Insert clips by dragging them from the Browser, a media browser, or the Finder You can insert clips between clips in the Timeline by dragging them from the Browser, another Final Cut Pro media browser, or the Finder. Drag the clip you want to insert to an edit point (between two clips) in the Timeline. The clip appears in the Timeline, and all clips after the insertion point are rippled forward (to the right).
Some uses for connected clips include: Cutaway shots: Add a cutaway shot by connecting it to a video clip in the Timeline. Superimpose titles: Add a title or a lower third to a video clip or range. Spot sound effects and background music: Synchronize audio clips to clips in the primary storyline. The clips will remain synchronized even if you move the primary storyline clips.
Note: You can use three-point editing to make connect edits. For more information, see Three-point editing overview. Connect clips in the Timeline 1. If your project is empty, add clips to the dark gray primary storyline area in the Timeline to build your initial sequence.
The clips in the primary storyline serve as a foundation on which you connect (attach) clips to further build your project. Connect edits are slightly different than the other edit types in that they never add clips to the primary storyline. If you perform a connect edit in an empty Timeline, Final Cut Pro first adds a gap clip to the primary storyline and attaches the new connected clip to it. 2. Select one or more clips or a range in the Browser. 3.
Click the Connect button in the toolbar. Drag the clips to the gray area above or below the primary storyline. The first frame of the source selection is connected to the clip in the primary storyline at the playhead or skimmer position. If you dragged the selection to the Timeline, the first frame of the source selection is connected to the primary storyline at the point where you released the mouse button.
When you connect clips by dragging them, you have the option to put video clips below the primary storyline or put audio clips above the primary storyline.
clips block out any video clips below them. Exceptions to this rule are clips with some type of transparency, keying, or compositing settings. For more information, see Compositing overview. Audio clips never affect video output, even when they are placed above video clips in the Timeline.
Move, trim, or delete clips in the primary storyline without affecting connected clips If you need to move or trim clips in the primary storyline but want to keep any connected clips where they are, you can hold down the Grave Accent (`) key while editing to preserve the timing and position of connected clips. To move a clip without affecting connected clips: While holding down the Grave Accent (`) key, drag the clip to another location in the Timeline (using either the Select tool or the Position tool).
To trim a clip without affecting connected clips: While holding down the Grave Accent (`) key, trim the clip using any method, including ripple edits, roll edits, slip edits, and slide edits. To delete a clip without affecting connected clips: While holding down the Grave Accent (`) key, select the clip and press Delete (or press Option-Command-Delete). For more information about removing clips or ranges that have connected clips, see Remove clips from your project.
If you remove clips or ranges involved with connected clips and storylines without holding down the Grave Accent (`) key, special rules apply. For more information, see Remove clips from your project. SEE ALSO Add storylines Overwrite parts of your project In an overwrite edit, one or more source clips overwrite any clips in the primary storyline or a selected storyline, starting at a range selection start point or at the playhead or skimmer position.
Overwrite clips in the Timeline with clips from the Browser 1. Select one or more clips in the Browser. If there are multiple source clips in the selection, the clips will appear in the Timeline in the order in which they were selected. 2. To define where you want the overwrite clip to start in the Timeline, do one of the following in the primary storyline or a selected storyline: Position the playhead. Select a range involving one or more clips in the Timeline.
target position, press Shift-D. Replace a clip in your project with another clip You can replace clips in your project with clips from the Browser, other Final Cut Pro media browsers, or the Finder. In contrast to overwrite edits, replacing works on whole Timeline clips only and can change the duration of your project.
browsers or in the Finder. 2. Drag the source selection over the clip in the Timeline you want to replace. The target clip in the Timeline is highlighted with a white outline. 3. Release the mouse button and choose an option from the shortcut menu: Replace: The target clip is replaced with the source clip selection. The duration is determined by the duration of the source clip selection.
ripple. Replace from Start: The target clip is replaced with the source clip selection, starting from the beginning of the source selection. The duration is determined by the duration of the Timeline clip. Replace from End: The target clip is replaced with the source clip selection, starting from the end of the source selection. The duration is determined by the duration of the Timeline clip.
Note: In the case of Replace from Start and Replace from End, if the source clip selection is a range selection with a shorter duration than that of the target clip and there is sufficient extra media, Final Cut Pro extends the duration of the source selection to match the target clip duration. The resulting storyline duration does not change. Replace a clip in the Timeline using keyboard shortcuts 1. In the Browser, select the source clip or range. 2. In the Timeline, select the clip you want to replace.
The target clip is replaced with the source clip selection. The duration is determined by the duration of the source clip selection. If the source clip selection and the target clip have different durations, the subsequent clips ripple. To perform a Replace from Start edit: Press Option-R. The target clip is replaced with the source clip, starting from the beginning of the source clip. The duration is determined by the duration of the Timeline clip.
To add a still image from the Browser: Import the still image into an event, and then select all or part of the still-image clip and drag it from the Browser to the Timeline. Note: Once a still image is imported, it functions like any other clip in Final Cut Pro. You can use any of the techniques described in this chapter to add still-image clips to the Timeline. To add a still image from the Photos Browser: Open the Photos Browser, select a still image, and drag it directly into the Timeline.
background, make sure your project’s render format is set to Apple ProRes 4444 to preserve the transparency when rendering. See Modify a project’s settings. 2. In the Browser, Control-click the layered graphics image and choose Open in Timeline from the shortcut menu. Each layer appears in the Timeline as a connected clip that you can edit as you would any other clip. For example, you can animate layers by fading them in or out. The default duration for a layered graphics file is one minute.
For more information on creating layered graphics files for Final Cut Pro, go to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5152. Edit a still image with an external image editing application You can modify a still image with an external image editing application, and the changes appear automatically in the clip in Final Cut Pro. 1. To add a still-image clip to the Timeline, follow the steps above. 2. To locate the clip’s source media file in the Finder, press ShiftCommand-R. 3.
Create freeze frames You can easily create freeze-frame clips from any video clip. Freeze-frame clips hold a particular frame in place, temporarily stopping the action onscreen. You can create freeze-frame clips from clips in the Timeline or the Browser. If you create a freeze-frame clip from the Browser, it is attached to the primary storyline at the playhead location as a connected clip. You can create freeze frames on the fly during playback or by navigating to a specific frame in a clip.
2. Choose Edit > Add Freeze Frame (or press Option-F). How the freeze frame is added to the project depends on whether the freeze frame was created from the Timeline or the Browser. If you created the freeze frame from a clip in the Timeline: A new freeze-frame clip is inserted at the skimmer or playhead location in the Timeline. If you created the freeze frame from a clip in the Browser: A new freeze-frame clip is attached as a connected clip at the playhead location in the Timeline.
Freeze-frame clips have the same default duration as still-image clips: 4 seconds. You can change the default duration in Final Cut Pro preferences. 1. Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences (or press CommandComma), and click the Editing button at the top of the window. 2. Adjust the Still Images value slider. If you don’t want to create a separate clip for freeze frames, you can create a hold segment using the Retime pop-up menu. For more information, see Create a hold segment.
toolbar (or press Shift-2). To add just the audio from your selection to the Timeline: Choose Audio Only from the Edit pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press Shift-3). The edit buttons in the toolbar change their appearance to indicate the mode you selected: 2. Add clips to the Timeline as you normally would. The video-only or audio-only clip appears in the Timeline. To return to the default (video and audio) mode, choose All from the Edit pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press Shift-1).
Delete clips or ranges from the Timeline 1. In the Timeline, select the clips or the range you want to remove. 2. Choose Edit > Delete (or press the Delete key). The selected clips or portions of clips are removed from the Timeline and any clips to the right of the selection ripple to close the resulting gap. To undo the deletion immediately, choose Edit > Undo (or press Command-Z).
If you want to remove clips from the Timeline but still maintain the total project duration and timing, you can replace clips with gap clips. This method prevents any ripple edits. 1. Select the clips or range you want to remove. 2. Choose Edit > Replace with Gap (or press Shift-Delete). Final Cut Pro replaces the selection in the Timeline with a gap clip. Note: This method preserves connected clips. When you replace a clip with a gap clip, any connected clips will be attached to the resulting gap clip.
Delete clips, events, and projects Solo, disable, and enable clips Sometimes, it’s helpful to compare how a sequence plays with and without certain clips. In Final Cut Pro, you can quickly play one clip’s audio, excluding audio from other clips. This feature, called solo, works by disabling the audio in all unselected clips in the Timeline. You can also disable (rather than delete) selected clips, making them invisible and silent during playback. Disabled clips do not appear in any output.
When solo is turned on, the Solo button turns yellow, and nonsoloed clips are shown in black and white, making the soloed clips outlined in yellow easy to identify. 3. To turn off solo, click the Solo button again. Disable and reenable one or more clips 1. Select one or more clips in the Timeline. 2. Choose Clip > Disable (or press V). Disabled clips are dimmed in the Timeline and are invisible and silent during playback. 3.
Find a Timeline clip’s source clip You can quickly find the source event clip for any clip you’re using in your project in the Timeline. This is particularly useful if you want to duplicate a clip in your project or add the same clip to a different project. Find and reveal the source event clip for a Timeline clip 1. In the Timeline, select the clip whose source event clip you want to locate. 2. Do one of the following: Choose File > Reveal in Browser (or press Shift-F).
Arrange clips in the Timeline In Final Cut Pro, you can arrange and reorder the clips in your project however you want. If you add or move a clip in the Timeline by dragging, Final Cut Pro moves other clips to make room for it. Other reordering techniques include moving clips numerically by entering a timecode value, nudging clips with keyboard shortcuts, overwriting with the Position tool, and moving clips vertically from and to the primary storyline.
Note: This method of moving clips horizontally is the functional equivalent of a shuffle edit in Final Cut Pro 7, just easier. Move clips by entering a timecode value You can move selected clips in the Timeline by entering an amount of time you want the clips to move. 1. Select one or more clips in the Timeline. 2. Do any of the following: To move the clips forward: Press the Plus Sign (+) key, and type a timecode duration for the move.
3. Press Return. The clips move forward or back by the duration you entered. The adjacent clips are trimmed to accommodate the change in the clip’s position. If you prefer to fill in the vacated parts of the storyline with a gap clip, select the Position tool by pressing P before entering a timecode value. Note: Moving clips by entering a timecode value is similar to making a slide edit. For more information, see Make slide edits with the Trim tool.
Nudge clips with keyboard shortcuts The nudging feature in Final Cut Pro allows you to move selected items by very small amounts, such as frames or subframes (for connected audio-only clips). 1. Select one or more clips in the Timeline. 2. To nudge the clips, do any of the following: To move the selection left by one frame: Press Comma (,). To move the selection left by 10 frames: Press ShiftComma (,). To move the selection right by one frame: Press Period (.).
waveforms at the audio sample level. The nudged clip appears at the new position in the Timeline. The adjacent clips are trimmed to accommodate the change in the clip’s position. If you prefer to fill in the vacated parts of the storyline with a gap clip, select the Position tool by pressing P before nudging clips. Note: Nudging clips in the Timeline is similar to making a slide edit. For more information, see Make slide edits with the Trim tool.
Tip: To switch to the Position tool temporarily, hold down the P key. When you release the P key, the tool reverts to the previously active tool. 2. Select the clip you want to move. 3. Drag the clip to a new position in the Timeline. The moved clip overwrites any clips at the new position. A gap clip fills in the vacated part of the Timeline. Note: If you prefer to move clips left or right in the Timeline without leaving a gap, you may want to perform a slide edit.
You can drag clips from and to the primary storyline. This technique employs ripple edits, which affect the total duration of your project. When you move a clip out of the primary storyline, it becomes either an individual connected clip or part of a connected storyline. 1. If the Select tool is not the active tool, choose it from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press A). 2. Select one or more clips (either clips in the primary storyline or connected clips). 3.
To move clips to the primary storyline: Drag the clips from their position as connected clips to an edit point between two clips in the primary storyline. The result is effectively an insert edit: the former connected clips are inserted in the primary storyline and subsequent clips ripple right to make room for the new clips.
Note: You can drag clips from and to the primary storyline as long as there are no clips connected to them. If there is a connected clip, you must first move or remove the connected clip or use the Lift from Primary Storyline or Overwrite to Primary Storyline command. Move clips from and to the primary storyline without rippling the project You can move clips from and to the primary storyline without affecting the total duration of your project. 1. Select the clips you want to move.
2. Do any of the following: To move selected clips from the primary storyline to connected clips at the same Timeline position: Choose Edit > Lift from Primary Storyline (or press Option– Command–Up Arrow). Gap clips fill in the vacated parts of the primary storyline, as needed.
Option–Command–Down Arrow). Depending on the amount of overlap on the connected clip, the Overwrite to Primary Storyline command either creates a split edit or overwrites any video clips at the new location and converts the audio portion of the overwritten clip to a connected clip. The Overwrite to Primary Storyline command is not available for audio-only clips. Note: The Overwrite to Primary Storyline command works on individual connected clips only.
Timeline clips and edit points, including ripple edits, roll edits, slip edits, and slide edits. No matter how you trim or make other edits in Final Cut Pro, the underlying media is never touched. Trimmed or deleted pieces of clips are removed from your project only, not from the source clips in your library or from the source media files on your hard disk. Tip: You can see a “two-up” display in the Viewer as you trim edit points in the Timeline. For more information, see Show detailed trimming feedback.
The pointer changes to the Blade tool icon . Tip: To switch to the Blade tool temporarily, hold down the B key. When you release the B key, the tool reverts to the previously active tool. 2. Move the skimmer to the frame in the clip where you want to cut, and click. Tip: You can also cut clips while playing back your project. To cut clips on the fly, press Command-B at any time while your project plays back.
the clip is divided into two clips. The dotted line indicates a through edit, in which the media content on either side of the edit point is continuous. To remove a through edit, do one of the following: Select either or both sides of the through edit point, and choose Trim > Join Clips (or press Delete). Select the clips on both sides of the through edit, and choose Trim > Join Clips.
All clips at the skimmer position are cut. Cut multiple selected clips at once You can use the Blade command to cut selected primary storyline clips and connected clips simultaneously. 1. In the Timeline, select the clips you want to cut. 2. Move the skimmer to the frame where you want to cut. 3. Choose Trim > Blade (or press Command-B). The selected clips are cut at the skimmer position.
Note: If you don’t make a selection, this command acts only on the clip in the primary storyline. Extend or shorten a clip You can trim a clip in your project by adjusting the start point or end point of the clip. The default type of trim in Final Cut Pro is a ripple trim, which adjusts a clip’s start point or end point without leaving a gap in the Timeline. The change in the clip’s duration ripples outward, moving all subsequent clips earlier or later in the Timeline.
the position of all subsequent clips in the Timeline, and the total duration of your project. You can see a “two-up” display in the Viewer as you trim edit points in the Timeline. This display shows a more detailed view of each side of an edit point. For more information, see Show detailed trimming feedback. Drag edit points with the Select tool 1. In the Timeline, move the pointer to the start point or the end point of the clip you want to trim. The pointer changes from an arrow icon to a trim icon.
amount of time you are moving the edit point. Any clips to the right of the edit point are rippled accordingly. When you extend a clip to its maximum length in either direction, the clip edge turns red. Enter a new duration for a clip using timecode You can change the total duration of one or more selected clips by entering a timecode value. 1. Select one or more clips in the Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Modify > Change Duration (or press Control-D).
Double-click in the center of the Dashboard in the toolbar. The timecode entry field appears in the Dashboard. 3. Enter a new duration for the selected clip. Final Cut Pro moves the end point of the clip to the duration you entered, and any subsequent Timeline clips ripple accordingly. For more information about entering timecode values, see Navigate using timecode.
For information about making range selections, see Select a range. 2. Choose Trim > Trim Selection. Final Cut Pro trims the clip start and end points to the range selection. The unwanted sections are removed from the clip and the project, and the subsequent clips in the project ripple accordingly. Nudge edit points with keyboard shortcuts You can fine-tune the start or end point of a clip using keyboard shortcuts.
2. To move the edit point, do any of the following: To move the edit point left by one frame: Press Comma (,). To move the edit point left by 10 frames: Press ShiftComma (,). To move the edit point right by one frame: Press Period (.). To move the edit point right by 10 frames: Press ShiftPeriod (.). 3. If you want to move the edit point of connected audio clips by one or more subframes, do any of the following: To move the edit point left by one subframe: Press OptionComma (,).
The clip is trimmed and the Timeline updates accordingly. Move edit points to the playhead You can adjust selected edit points in the Timeline, either as a ripple edit or a roll edit, using keyboard shortcuts. 1. In the Timeline, select the edit point you want to adjust. Note: For a roll edit, select both sides of the edit point with the Trim tool. 2. Position the playhead or the skimmer at the point in the Timeline to which you want to move the edit point.
3. Choose Trim > Extend Edit (or press Shift-X). The edit point is extended (or shortened) to the playhead or skimmer position. In the example above, if you selected the end point of the clip, subsequent clips in the Timeline are rippled accordingly. If you selected both sides of the edit point with the Trim tool, the right clip is shortened (with a roll edit) and no clips ripple.
You can trim clips numerically by entering timecode values. 1. If the Select tool is not the active tool, choose it from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press A). 2. In the Timeline, select the start point or the end point of the clip you want to trim. 3. To trim the edit point, do one of the following: To move the edit point forward: Press the Plus Sign (+) key, type a timecode duration for the trim, and press Enter.
The clip is shortened or extended by the amount of time you entered, and subsequent clips in the Timeline are rippled accordingly. Note: You cannot use this feature to extend a clip beyond its maximum duration. For more information and tips on entering timecode, see Navigate using timecode. Cut the start or end of a clip at the playhead Some of your video clips may have sections at the beginning or the end that you don’t want to include in your project.
2. Do one of the following: To trim off the start of the clip: Choose Trim > Trim Start, or press Option–Left Bracket ([). To trim off the end of the clip: Choose Trim > Trim End, or press Option–Right Bracket (]). To trim the edit point closest to the playhead: Choose Trim > Trim to Playhead, or press Option–Backslash (\). The clip is trimmed to the playhead (or skimmer) position, and the Timeline updates accordingly.
the selected clip. If there is no selection, Final Cut Pro trims the topmost clip. Make roll edits with the Trim tool A roll edit adjusts the start point and the end point of two adjacent clips simultaneously. If you like where two clips are placed in the Timeline, but you want to change when the cut point happens, you can use the Trim tool to roll the edit point between the two clips. No clips move in the Timeline as a result; only the edit point between the two clips moves.
Roll an edit point 1. Choose the Trim tool from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press T). The pointer changes to the Trim tool icon . Tip: To switch to the Trim tool temporarily, hold down the T key. When you release the T key, the tool reverts to the previously active tool. 2. In the Timeline, click the center of the edit point you want to roll so that both sides of the edit point are selected.
3. Do one of the following: Drag the edit point left or right. Press the Plus Sign (+) key or the Minus Sign (–) key followed by the timecode duration to add or subtract from the current edit, and press Return. The timecode entry field (with blue numbers) appears in the Dashboard in the toolbar as you type. For more information about entering timecode values, see Navigate using timecode.
Make slip edits with the Trim tool Performing a slip edit doesn’t change a clip’s position or duration in the Timeline, but instead changes what portion of the clip’s media appears in the Timeline. A slip edit allows you to change a clip’s start and end points simultaneously. Whenever you arrange clips in the Timeline so that edit points line up with musical beats or other fixed sync points in a movie, you want to keep your clips in position to maintain the alignment.
In the example above, the slip edit changes the start and end points of clip B, but not its duration or position in the Timeline. When the project plays back, a different portion of clip B’s media is shown. Note: To slip a clip, it must have media handles on both sides, meaning that there must be additional media available on both the head and the tail of the clip. If you’re having trouble slipping a clip, check that the clip has media handles on both sides.
1. Choose the Trim tool from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press T). The pointer changes to the Trim tool icon . Tip: To switch to the Trim tool temporarily, hold down the T key. When you release the T key, the tool reverts to the previously active tool. 2. Drag a clip left or right. As you drag, a timecode field indicates the amount of time you’re moving the start point and the end point. Yellow edge selections on the start point and end point indicate a slip edit.
When you release the mouse button, the slipped clip appears in the Timeline with a new start point and a new end point. With the current selection, you can also slip the clip with keyboard shortcuts by doing either of the following: Nudge the start and end points (one frame or 10 frames) to the left or right. Enter an amount of time to slip the clip left or right. Note: If either the start point or the end point turns red as you drag, you’ve reached the end of the available media for that side of the clip.
Make slide edits with the Trim tool Performing a slide edit allows you to move a clip’s position in the Timeline between two other clips without creating a gap. The clip’s content and duration remain the same; only its position in the Timeline changes. When you slide a clip, the adjacent clips get longer and shorter to accommodate the change in the clip’s position. The combined duration of these three clips stays the same, and the project’s total duration remains unchanged as well.
For more accurate visual feedback on edits involving contiguous clips, you can turn on “Show detailed trimming feedback” in Final Cut Pro preferences. For a slide edit, this “two-up” display in the Viewer shows the two edit points you are adjusting: the end point of the preceding clip and the start point of the subsequent clip. For more information, see Show detailed trimming feedback. Slide a clip in the Timeline 1. Choose the Trim tool from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press T).
Yellow selections on the neighboring clips indicate a slide edit. As you drag, a timecode field indicates the amount of time you’re moving the clip in the Timeline. When you release the mouse button, the slide clip appears at the new position in the Timeline. The adjacent clips are trimmed to accommodate the change in the clip’s position. With the current selection, you can also slide the clip with keyboard shortcuts by doing either of the following: Nudge it (one frame or 10 frames) to the left or right.
Enter an amount of time to slide the clip left or right. For more information, see Arrange clips in the Timeline. Note: If either edit point turns red as you drag, you’ve reached the end of the available media for that side of the clip. Note: You can also make slide edits by entering a timecode value to move clips or by nudging clips with keyboard shortcuts. For more information, see Arrange clips in the Timeline.
This display is available for ripple, roll, slip, and slide edits as well as for trimming in the Precision Editor. Turn on detailed trimming feedback 1. Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences, or press CommandComma (,). 2. Click Editing. 3. In the Timeline section, select the “Show detailed trimming feedback” checkbox. The “two-up” display appears in the Viewer whenever you use a supported edit type or when trimming in the Precision Editor.
enabled, press the Option key to disable it. If detailed trimming feedback is disabled, press the Option key to switch the view between the end point of the left clip and the start point of the right clip. View and navigate Zoom and scroll in the Timeline Being able to see and get to any point in your project is critical to efficient editing and storytelling. There are many ways to adjust the view of the Timeline. Learning keyboard shortcuts can save you time.
Zoom in to and out of the Timeline using the Zoom slider To zoom in to the Timeline: Drag the Zoom slider to the right, or press Command–Plus Sign (+). To zoom out of the Timeline: Drag the Zoom slider to the left, or press Command–Minus Sign (–).
Zoom in to and out of the Timeline using the Zoom tool 1. Choose the Zoom tool from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press Z). The pointer changes to the Zoom tool icon . Tip: To switch to the Zoom tool temporarily, hold down the Z key. When you release the Z key, the tool reverts to the previously active tool. 2. Do one of the following: To zoom in to the Timeline: Click the section of the Timeline you want to zoom in to.
Option-click multiple times to continue zooming out. Scroll a zoomed-in Timeline 1. Zoom in to the Timeline until you see a portion of the project only. 2. Do one of the following: Drag the slider at the bottom of the Timeline left or right. Drag the slider at the right side of the Timeline up or down. Choose the Hand tool from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press H), and drag in the Timeline. Tip: To switch to the Hand tool temporarily, hold down the H key.
Touch gestures to zoom and scroll in the Timeline. For more information, see Keyboard shortcuts and Multi-Touch gestures. Adjust Timeline settings In Final Cut Pro, it’s very easy to adjust the Timeline display options. For example, you can show clips with or without video filmstrips or audio waveforms. Or you can change the vertical height of the clips or the size of filmstrips or audio waveforms in relation to the video thumbnails that appear in the filmstrip of each clip in the Timeline.
Adjust Timeline clip appearance and height 1. Click the Clip Appearance button in the lower-right corner of the Timeline. The Clip Appearance window appears. 2. Do one of the following: To display clips with large audio waveforms only: Click the leftmost Clip Appearance button (or press Control-Option1). To display clips with large audio waveforms and small filmstrips: Click the second Clip Appearance button from the left (or press Control-Option-2).
To display clips with audio waveforms and video filmstrips of equal size: Click the third Clip Appearance button from the left (or press Control-Option-3). To display clips with small audio waveforms and large filmstrips: Click the third Clip Appearance button from the right (or press Control-Option-4). To display clips with large filmstrips only: Click the second Clip Appearance button from the right (or press ControlOption-5).
3. To adjust the vertical height of clips in the Timeline, drag the Clip Height slider to the left to decrease the clip height, or to the right to increase the clip height. 4. To turn connection lines for connected clips and storylines on or off, select or deselect the Show Connections checkbox. 5. To adjust the clip label display, choose an option from the Show pop-up menu: To view clips by name: Choose Clip Names. To view clips by role: Choose Clip Roles.
Click the Snapping button in the upper-right corner of the Timeline. When snapping is on, the Snapping button appears blue. Tip: To turn snapping on or off temporarily, hold down the N key. When you release the N key, snapping reverts to the previous state. Navigate within your project The ability to jump to any point in the Timeline instantly is one of the main benefits of a nonlinear editing environment. Final Cut Pro provides a variety of quick and easy ways to navigate your project.
To skim to a frame in your project: Move the skimmer left and right over the clips in the Timeline to quickly view them in the Viewer. To move the playhead to a frame in your project: Move the playhead by clicking or dragging in the ruler at the top of the Timeline, or by clicking in the Timeline background. Tip: To prevent the playhead from moving while you select a clip in the Timeline, press Option as you click.
when viewing or editing audio waveforms that are zoomed in to the sample level. Note: You can’t make edits to video at the subframe level. 1. In the Timeline or the Browser, move your pointer and click. over a clip 2. Do any of the following: To move backward in one-subframe increments: Press Command-Left Arrow. To move forward in one-subframe increments: Press Command-Right Arrow. Note: You can change the time display in the Dashboard to show subframes. For more information, see Editing preferences.
Beginning (or press the Home key). To go to the end of the project: Choose Mark > Go to > End (or press the End key). To go to the next marker: Choose Mark > Next > Marker, or press Control-Apostrophe (’). To go to the previous marker: Choose Mark > Previous > Marker, or press Control-Semicolon (;). For more information about markers, see Markers overview. Navigate using timecode Timecode is a signal recorded with your video that uniquely identifies each video frame.
Navigate by entering timecode To move the playhead to a new Timeline location, do any of the following: To move the playhead to a specific Timeline location: Click once in the center of the Dashboard (or press Control-P), enter the new timecode value, and press Return. For example, to move the playhead to 01:40:31:03, press Control-P, and then enter “1403103” and press Return.
Here are some tips for entering timecode values: You don’t have to enter the separator characters (colons). Final Cut Pro adds them automatically after each set of two digits. For example, if you enter “01221419,” Final Cut Pro interprets it as 01:22:14:19 (1 hour, 22 minutes, 14 seconds, and 19 frames). If the leftmost fields are zeroes, you don’t have to enter them. For example, if you enter “1419,” Final Cut Pro interprets it as 00:00:14:19.
You can also use the Timeline Index to navigate in the Timeline. The Timeline Index playhead appears in the list of items. When you play a project, the playhead moves down the list of items in the Timeline Index. When you select an item in the Timeline Index, the playhead automatically moves to the beginning of the item. Show or hide the Timeline Index Click the Timeline Index button in the lower-left corner of the Final Cut Pro main window (or press Shift-Command-2).
View a list of items in the Timeline Index 1. If the Timeline Index is not already open, click the Timeline Index button in the lower-left corner of the Final Cut Pro main window (or press Shift-Command-2). 2. Do any of the following: To view a list of the clips used in the Timeline, ordered chronologically: Click the Clips button at the top.
You can do any of the following: Rename clips. See a list of clips by timecode in the Position column. View, reassign, and edit roles in the Roles column. View and add notes in the Notes column. View the active angles of multicam clips in the Active Angle column. You can specify which columns are displayed by Controlclicking a column heading and choosing an option from the shortcut menu.
To view a list of all the tags on the clips in the Timeline, ordered chronologically: Click the Tags button at the top. All of the tags are shown by default. You can specify which items are displayed by clicking a button at the bottom of the Timeline Index. You can show markers, keywords, analysis keywords, incomplete to-do items, completed todo items, and chapter markers. Note: To-do items are types of markers. To view a list of clips in the Timeline, organized by role: Click the Roles button at the top.
Select a role name in the list to highlight all clips in the Timeline with that role assigned. Select or deselect the checkboxes next to the roles you want to turn on or off in the Timeline. When a checkbox is deselected, you can’t see or hear clips with that assigned role when you play back your project. For more information, see View clips by role in the Timeline. Change a To Do marker In the Timeline Index, you can quickly change a To Do marker’s state from incomplete to completed. 1.
If the marker was red (an incomplete to-do item), it turns green (completed). If the marker was green (a completed to-do item), it turns red (incomplete). Search for items in the Timeline Index 1. If the Timeline Index is not already open, click the Timeline Index button in the lower-left corner of the Final Cut Pro main window (or press Shift-Command-2). 2. Click Clips to search for clips, or click Tags to search for tags. 3. Enter a term in the search field Index.
Work with markers Markers overview Markers are reference points you can place within clips to locate, identify, annotate, and navigate to specific frames. In editing, markers are particularly useful for synchronizing two or more clips at a specific point. For example, you can use a marker to label the frame where a door slams and then snap a sound effect to that marker. You can use markers to flag a specific location in a clip with editing notes or other descriptive information.
and clips in the Timeline. Add and remove markers It’s easy to add and remove markers. If you add markers to clips in the Browser, the markers are visible in both filmstrip view and list view. When you add clips with markers to the Timeline, the markers are visible in both the Timeline and the Timeline Index. Add a marker to a clip in the Browser or the Timeline 1. To specify where you want to add a marker, do one of the following: Skim to the location.
2. Do one of the following: To add a marker: Choose Mark > Markers > Add Marker (or press M). Tip: To add markers on the fly, just press M while playing a clip. To add a marker and show the marker’s information: Choose Mark > Markers > Add Marker and Modify (or press Option-M). Adding a marker this way automatically shows the marker’s information. The marker appears at the top of the clip in the Browser or the Timeline. Note: Event clip markers also appear in the list view filmstrip and text list.
Remove a marker Do one of the following: Navigate to a marker and choose Mark > Markers > Delete Marker (or press Control-M). Select one or more clips, and choose Mark > Markers > Delete Markers in Selection. Double-click a marker to open the Marker window, and click the Delete button. Control-click the marker you want to remove, and choose Delete Marker from the shortcut menu.
You can view and edit marker information, and you can move markers within a clip or to different clips. Edit marker information and change marker types By default, new markers are blue standard markers with placeholder text. You can change the text at any time, and you can change the marker type to other marker types, including chapter markers, to-do items, and completed to-do items. 1.
2. To modify the marker, do any of the following: To change the descriptive text for the marker: Type the new text in the text field. (The text is automatically selected when the marker information appears, so you don’t need to select it.) To make the marker a chapter marker: Click the Chapter Marker button. The marker turns into an orange chapter marker. For more information, see Manage chapter markers and their thumbnail images. To make the marker a to-do item: Click the To-Do Item button.
To make the marker a standard marker: Click the Standard Marker button. The marker turns blue. 3. Click Done. Move or copy a marker You can move or copy markers with the familiar Mac commands Cut, Copy, and Paste. 1. Control-click the marker you want to move or copy, and choose an option from the shortcut menu. To move the marker: Choose Cut Marker. To copy the marker: Choose Copy Marker. 2. Position the skimmer or the playhead where you want to move or copy the marker. 3.
The marker appears at the new location. Nudge a marker one frame at a time 1. Click a marker to select it. 2. Do one of the following: To nudge the marker one frame to the right: Choose Mark > Markers > Nudge Marker Right, or press ControlPeriod (.). To nudge the marker one frame to the left: Choose Mark > Markers > Nudge Marker Left, or press Control-Comma (,). Move between markers You can move quickly from marker to marker in the Timeline or the Browser.
Manage chapter markers and their thumbnail images Chapter markers are a standard feature in DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and podcasts. You can add chapter markers to your project so that when you share your finished movie, viewers can use the markers to quickly jump to those points in the movie. Applications and devices that recognize Final Cut Pro chapter markers during playback include iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, QuickTime Player, DVD Player, and most standard DVD and Blu-ray players.
1. Add a marker to a clip in the Timeline where you want the chapter to begin. By default, Final Cut Pro creates a blue standard marker. 2. To change the marker to a chapter marker, double-click it and, when the marker’s information appears, click the Chapter Marker button. The marker changes to an orange chapter marker. Set the chapter marker thumbnail image After you set a chapter marker, you can choose an appropriate video frame to represent that particular chapter. 1.
thumbnail pin appears 11 frames after the chapter marker. 2. To set the video frame for the chapter marker thumbnail image, drag the pin left or right in the Timeline. As you drag, the Viewer displays the corresponding video frame. Note: The chapter marker thumbnail image is the composited image from that location in the Timeline and includes titles and any other superimposed imagery.
the end of the primary storyline. If the chapter marker is in a connected storyline, you can drag the chapter marker thumbnail pin as far as the beginning or the end of the connected storyline. For information about sharing your completed movie, see Sharing projects overview. Correct excessive shake and rolling shutter issues You can smooth a clip’s shaky footage by correcting the stabilization, rolling shutter, or both.
Fix a clip with excessive shake or rolling shutter distortion 1. If the clip is not already in your project, add it to the Timeline and select it. Note: These operations act on whole clip selections, not on range selections. To get the highest-quality and fastest results, isolate the problem section by cutting the clip with the Blade tool in the Timeline. Then apply the correction to just the video footage that needs correcting. 2.
4. To view the fix, play the clip in the Timeline. To turn off stabilization or rolling shutter corrections for a clip, deselect the Stabilization or Rolling Shutter checkbox. You can refine the corrections by adjusting the stabilization settings or the Rolling Shutter Amount setting. Adjust stabilization settings You can adjust how much of a correction is applied by the stabilization feature.
you apply stabilization to a clip, all three parameters are set to an average value of 2.5 by default. Each parameter can be set to a value between 0.0 and 5.0. A value of 0.0 turns off the parameter, and a value of 5.0 applies the strongest possible transformation. The higher you set each parameter, the more camera motion is compensated for in that axis. 1. Select a clip in the Timeline, and open the Video inspector. 2.
best. 4. Optionally, choose a different stabilization method from the Method pop-up menu: Automatic: Allows Final Cut Pro to choose the most appropriate stabilization method. InertiaCam: Applies stabilization optimized for video footage that has camera moves such as pans and zooms. Use the Smoothing slider to adjust the amount of the InertiaCam effect.
ranges in the Timeline.) Crop the edges of the stabilized video to remove the black bars.
Edit audio Audio overview Final Cut Pro has many features designed to make processing and editing audio easier. For example, you can analyze and automatically enhance audio to address problems such as noise or hum, add effects to your clips, sync video and audio clips automatically, and match audio between two clips.
Adjust volume: Quickly adjust a clip’s volume directly in the Timeline or in the Audio inspector. See Adjust volume. Pan audio: Take advantage of built-in pan presets for both stereo and surround sound. See Pan audio. Add audio effects: Add Audio Units effects, Logic Effects, or custom effects included with Final Cut Pro, such as reverb, to clips. See Add audio effects. Add keyframes to automate volume and effects: Vary volume or effect settings as a clip plays. See Adjust audio effects using keyframes.
Use compound clips: Compound clips let you combine any video or audio clips into a single compound clip. From an audio standpoint, compound clips let you apply the same audio effect or enhancement to a group of clips, similar to applying an effect or adjustment to the overall mix. See Compound clips overview. Export audio: You can export your project as an audio file in either mono, stereo, or surround sound. You can also export media by role. See Sharing projects overview.
An audio waveform’s amplitude and length change according to the underlying sound’s volume and duration. A short, loud sound such as a drum beat has a sharp, peaked waveform, whereas low-level crowd noise has a lower, more uniform waveform. These properties make it easier to find specific edit points when trimming clips or keyframing effects. In Final Cut Pro, audio waveforms change according to a clip’s volume level or applied effects.
Note: Many popular digital audio file formats, such as AAC and MP3, use interleaved stereo files, which do not contain separate left and right channels. A stereo clip with interleaved left and right channels appears as a single audio component in the Audio inspector and the Timeline. If you change the clip’s channel configuration from Stereo to Dual Mono, the channels appear as two separate audio components. For more information, see Configure audio channels.
Detach audio from a video clip to work on the audio and video as separate clips. Change the background appearance of a clip to show reference waveforms, which make it easier to see audio waveforms when the volume is diminished. Show expanded audio components You can expand the audio portion of clips in Final Cut Pro to view and edit audio components. You can show expanded audio components for synchronized clips, multicam clips, and compound clips.
Collapse audio components Do one of the following: Select either the clip or one of its audio components in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Collapse Audio Components (or press Control-Option-S). Double-click any of the audio components in the Timeline while holding down the Option key.
Timeline by expanding clips that have both audio and video. This can be useful if you need to zoom in to the audio portion to make edits or to make a split edit. Note: If you create a split edit so that audio portions overlap, you won’t clearly see the overlapped waveforms unless you choose to show expanded audio for split clips. To expand a single clip: Double-click the audio waveform of the clip.
When you show expanded audio, the audio and video portions of the clip remain attached to each other. To create a separate connected audio clip, detach the audio. You can also use the Precision Editor to see a detached view of the video and audio portions of the clip. Collapse audio and video You can collapse the expanded audio/video view for a single clip, multiple clips, or all clips in the Timeline. To collapse a single clip: Double-click the audio waveform of the clip.
To collapse a clip or clips you’ve selected in the Timeline: Choose Clip > Collapse Audio/Video (or press Control-S). To collapse all expanded clips in the Timeline: Choose View > Collapse All Clips. Detach audio from video By default, Final Cut Pro imports audio and video from the same source into one clip. You can easily detach the audio from a video clip so that you can edit the audio clip separately in the Timeline. Select the clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Detach Audio.
Show or hide reference waveforms A reference waveform shows the maximum visual resolution possible for the actual audio waveform. By factoring out loudness changes, reference waveforms let you see the details of the sound more clearly. 1. Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences, and click Editing. 2. Select the “Show reference waveforms” checkbox.
View audio waveforms at the audio sample level For even more precise editing, you can zoom in to audio clips at the audio sample level. Audio samples show the audio waveform at a fraction of a second (for example, 1/48,000 for audio recorded at a sample rate of 48 kHz). Sample-accurate editing resolution is available only for connected audio clips (that is, audio clips not in the primary storyline) or compound clips that contain only audio.
You can continue to zoom in for closer detail of the waveform. 4. Make edits to the clip, or make adjustments to audio effects using keyframes. To turn off zooming to audio samples, choose View > Zoom to Samples (or press Control-Z). Navigate by subframe 1. In the Timeline or the Browser, move your pointer and click. over a clip 2. Do any of the following: To move backward in one-subframe increments: Press Command-Left Arrow.
To move forward in one-subframe increments: Press Command-Right Arrow. View and correct audio levels The Audio meters let you see and track the audio levels of clips in Final Cut Pro and warn you if a particular clip or section of a clip reaches peak levels, which may result in audible distortion. The number of audio meters you see depends on how many channels are configured for the clip you’re playing.
Final Cut Pro includes two meters, a small Audio Meter icon in the Dashboard in the toolbar and a larger Audio Meters pane. Show or hide the Audio meters To show the Audio meters, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Audio Meters. Click the Audio Meter icon in the Dashboard in the toolbar. You can drag the edges of the meters to see an expanded view with additional information.
To hide the Audio meters, choose Window > Hide Audio Meters, or click the Audio Meter icon in the Dashboard in the toolbar. Reset and correct peak levels Select the clip in the Timeline, readjust the level, and play back the clip again to test for peaks. In the Timeline and Browser, the waveform section or sections of a clip turn yellow when a level is approaching peak levels and red when a level exceeds 0 dB.
Choose Clip > Solo (or press Option-S). Click the Solo button in the Timeline. The soloed clip appears highlighted, while other clips appear dimmed. To turn off solo, click the Solo button, or choose Clip > Solo (or press Option-S) again. Disable clips or ranges 1. Select one or more clips in the Timeline. Note: If the selected clips contain both video and audio, and you want to mute the audio only, choose Clip > Expand Audio Components, and select the audio portion only (or drag to select a range).
2. Choose Clip > Disable (or press V). Disabled clips are silent and appear dimmed in the Timeline. To reenable the disabled clips, select them in the Timeline and choose Clip > Enable (or press V). Silence clips or ranges You can silence a selected clip or range. Choose Modify > Adjust Volume > Silence (–∞). The selection is silenced, and the volume control for the clip or range is set to –∞ dB.
Final Cut Pro also includes a number of built-in Foley and other sound effects that you can insert as connected audio clips. If you have a clip that contains both audio and video, you can change the edit mode to audio only to insert only the audio portion of the clip. Add music and sound to a project in the Timeline 1. Click the Music and Sound button in the toolbar. 2. In the Music and Sound Browser, choose a source folder from the pop-up menu at the top.
item and click the Play button . To select more than one item: Command-click each item. 4. Drag the sound file or files to the Timeline. Note: For better import and playback performance, Final Cut Pro automatically transcodes all MP3 audio files to MOV audio files and retains the original MP3 files for future use. For information about where to find original and transcoded media files, see Locate source media files.
Tip: To start recording immediately without adjusting settings, press Option-Shift-A and go to step 7. 3. To adjust the input level of the microphone, do one of the following: Drag the Input Gain slider right to increase the input level, or left to decrease it. Type a dB value in the Input Gain field. Use the Audio meter to make sure the volume doesn’t exceed peak levels (colored red), which may result in audible distortion.
4. To name your voiceover clip, click the Name field and type a new name. 5. To specify other voiceover settings, click the Advanced disclosure triangle and do any of the following: To change the input device or the number of input channels (mono or stereo): Choose an option from the Input pop-up menu. The default choice of System Setting uses the first channel of the input device currently selected in OS X Sound preferences.
feedback, use headphones or external speakers placed away from the microphone. To turn off the automatic countdown before recording: Deselect the “Countdown to record” checkbox. To unmute project audio while recording: Deselect the “Mute project while recording” checkbox. To turn off automatic grouping of multiple voiceover takes into auditions: Deselect the “Create Audition from takes” checkbox. To change where the recording is saved: Choose an event in the current library from the Event pop-up menu. 6.
Record multiple voiceover takes You can record multiple versions, or “takes,” of voiceover recordings for the same section of your project. By default, Final Cut Pro creates an audition from all the takes you record. After you’ve finished recording, you can review the different takes in the audition and choose the one you want to use. 1. To record your first voiceover take, follow the instructions above. 2.
To add another take to the audition, repeat steps 2 and 3. Each new take you record is added to the audition. To learn more about auditions, see Add and remove clips in auditions. Preview and select a voiceover take 1. In the Timeline, select the audition containing the voiceover takes you want to review, and open it by choosing Clip > Audition > Open (or pressing Y). 2. In the audition window, select the take and press the Space bar (or press Control-Command-Y) to play it. 3.
4. If you’re sure of your decision and want to finalize the audition, choose Clip > Audition > Finalize Audition (or press OptionShift-Y). The audition is dissolved, leaving the voiceover clip in the Timeline. To learn more about previewing auditions, see Use auditions to try out clips in your project. Combine audio from multiple takes By default, an audition lets you choose only one voiceover take to use in your project.
2. Edit the clips as needed. Edit audio clips or audio components Audio editing overview Final Cut Pro includes tools for editing audio clips or multiple audio channels. You edit audio in two ways, detailed below.
Clip-level audio editing You can make audio adjustments and edits to whole clips. At this level, audio adjustments and effects are applied to the entire clip, including any audio channels within the clip. Final Cut Pro preserves any adjustments you make to individual audio channels. This means that if you reduce the volume for a single channel but raise the volume for the whole clip, the volume of the single channel is raised but stays in proportion to the volume of other channels in the clip.
streamlines the process for making quick sound cutouts to a single microphone input or other fine adjustments. Important: Many digital audio file formats, such as AAC and MP3, use interleaved stereo files, which do not contain separate left and right channels. These files appear as a single audio component unless you change the clip’s channel configuration.
Use fade handles to fade audio in at the beginning or out at the end of an audio component. See Fade audio in or out. Pan the sound for individual components. See Pan audio. Assign a role such as Dialogue, Music, or Effects to a component in the Info inspector (or by using the Modify menu when the clip that contains the audio component is in the Timeline). See Use roles to organize clips and export audio files. Add or adjust audio effects for individual components.
and listen to audio components, add or remove audio components from a clip, and rename audio components. Change the channel configuration The number of channel options you can configure depends upon how many channels are in your source clip or compound clip. You can configure channels in several formats, including: Mono: Single channel. In a surround sound setup, you can assign a mono channel to any surround channel. Stereo: Left and right channels. 5.
choose an option from the Channels pop-up menu. The channels appear in the Audio inspector as separate audio components, each with its own waveform. If you have a clip with surround channels and want to assign a mono channel to a specific surround channel, select the mono channel waveform and choose a surround channel from the Channels pop-up menu.
2. In the Channel Configuration section of the Audio inspector, click the disclosure triangle next to the clip name to reveal its audio components, and then skim over a component or play it back using the Space bar or the J, K, and L keys. Add or remove an audio component You can add or remove audio components in a clip. For example, you may want to remove unused components from a clip, or add components from inactive angles to the active angle in a multicam clip.
2. In the Channel Configuration section of the Audio inspector, click the disclosure triangle next to the clip name to reveal the clip’s audio components. 3. Do one of the following: To remove a component: Deselect the checkbox next to a component waveform. To add a component: Select the checkbox next to a component waveform.
In a clip in the Timeline with expanded audio components shown: Control-click the audio component, choose Rename Component from the shortcut menu, and type a new name. To learn more about viewing audio components, see Ways to view audio clips. Important: If you subsequently change the channel configuration, all custom audio component names are reset to the original name. You can also choose a channel configuration when exporting roles as audio stems for mixing or post-production.
Surround source exported as stereo: The surround source is exported as a stereo (left and right channel) mix. Stereo or surround source exported as mono: The stereo or surround source is exported as a mono (one channel) mix. Adjust volume You can adjust the volume levels of audio clips from the Browser, the Timeline, the Audio inspector, or the Modify menu. Volume adjustments you make in the Audio inspector or from the Modify menu are applied to the entire selection.
If you adjust the volume between two keyframes, the volume line slopes to show the change in volume between the keyframes. Adjust volume from the Modify menu or the keyboard 1. Select one or more audio clips or video clips with audio in the Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: To adjust the volume in +1 or –1 dB increments: Choose Modify > Adjust Volume, and choose Up or Down, or press Control–Equal Sign (=) or Control-Hyphen (-).
Type a positive or negative value to change the absolute volume. The volume across the entire selection is set to one dB level, and any keyframe adjustments are deleted. To adjust the volume using a relative dB value: Choose Modify > Adjust Volume > Relative (or press Control-L). The Dashboard display changes to show Relative dB. Type a positive or negative value to change the relative volume.
If multiple clips are selected, the volume is adjusted for all clips. Adjust volume in the Audio inspector 1. Select one or more audio clips or video clips with audio in the Browser or the Timeline. 2. In the Audio inspector, do one of the following: Enter a value in the Volume field. If multiple clips are selected, the volume for all clips is set to the value you entered. Drag the Volume slider right to increase the volume, or left to decrease it.
Range Selection tool to add keyframes automatically across a selected range. 1. Select the clip in the Timeline. 2. Choose Range Selection from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press R). The pointer changes to the Range Selection tool icon . 3. Drag across the area where you want to adjust the volume. 4. To adjust the volume within the range, do one of the following: Drag the horizontal control in the Timeline up or down. (See “Adjust volume in the Timeline,” above.
within the range. Reset all volume adjustments Do one of the following: Select an audio clip or a video clip with audio in the Browser or the Timeline, and click the Reset button in the Volume and Pan section of the Audio inspector. Select a clip or a range in the Timeline and choose Modify > Adjust Volume > Reset (0dB). Disable a clip’s audio At times, you may import clips with unwanted audio that you will never use. You can disable the audio in these clips.
Fade audio in or out There are several ways to create fade-ins or fade-outs on the audio portion of a clip or an audio component in Final Cut Pro: Automatic crossfades during transitions: When you add a transition to a video clip with attached audio, Final Cut Pro automatically applies a crossfade transition to the audio. If the audio is detached or expanded from the video, the audio is not affected by the video transition. See Add transitions to your project.
You can also change the fade’s shape by choosing one of several predefined options. Changing the fade shape changes the sound of the fade. Note: Fades created using fade handles override crossfades created by a transition. Create a fade using fade handles Drag the fade handle to the point in the clip where you want the fade to begin or end. Fade handles from the beginning of a clip create a fade-in, while fade handles at the end of a clip create a fade-out.
Fades complement any volume adjustments you’ve already made to a clip. For example, if you previously adjusted the volume lower at the beginning of a clip, the fade-in increases the volume from silence (–∞ dB) to the level you’ve already specified. Create a crossfade manually using fade handles 1. Select two adjacent clips in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Expand Audio/Video (or press Control-S). The clips appear expanded. 2.
3. Drag the fade handles of each clip to the points where you want the fade to begin and end. To change the fade shape for each clip, follow the instructions immediately below.
Control-click a fade handle, and choose a fade option from the shortcut menu: Linear: Maintains a constant rate of change over the length of the fade. S-curve: Eases in and out of the fade with the midpoint at 0 dB. +3dB: Starts quickly and then slowly tapers off toward the end. This is the most useful setting for quick fades. –3dB: Starts slowly and then moves quickly toward the end. This is the default setting and is best for maintaining a natural volume when crossfading between two adjacent clips.
1. Select a transition in the Timeline, and do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 2. In the Audio Crossfade section of the Transition inspector, choose a fade option from the Fade In Type and Fade Out Type pop-up menus: Linear: Maintains a constant rate of change over the length of the fade. S-curve: Eases in and out of the fade with the midpoint at 0 dB. +3dB: Starts quickly and then slowly tapers off toward the end.
stereo clip or less sound in the center channel of a surround clip. Final Cut Pro includes a built-in surround sound decoder that lets you choose among several stereo and surround preset pan modes that you can apply to clips from the Audio inspector. Using the pan mode presets, you can dynamically re‑create surround sound fields from stereo source content.
Pan audio for surround sound 1. Select the audio clip. 2. In the Audio inspector, choose one of the following options from the Pan Mode pop-up menu: Basic Surround: Positions the signal in its default channels, with a stereo signal in the right and left channels, and a mono signal in the center channel. The Pan Amount slider setting distributes portions of the signal to other channels and can be adjusted from –100 (left channels) to 100 (right channels).
surround field). Ambience: Pans across the surround spectrum with more signal toward the surround channels and less signal to the front and center channels. This setting is useful for effects such as crowd noise or other outdoor environments. The Pan Amount slider setting can be adjusted from 0 (no effect) to 100 (total surround field). Circle: Pans the sound in a circle around the surround spectrum like a bee buzzing around the listener’s head.
Drag the Pan Amount slider left or right. The Pan Amount settings vary according to the pan mode you choose. Adjust surround sound using the Surround Panner In the Audio inspector, you can use the Surround Panner to change the surround sound field or make advanced adjustments using sliders. Using the Surround Panner, you can change the panning levels by moving a control that represents where the sound would appear to originate in an actual surround sound speaker setup. 1.
control within the surround field to pan toward or away from any of the surround channels (left, center, right, left surround, or right surround) represented by the speaker icons. Click a speaker icon to turn it on or off. To move the control back to the center position, doubleclick it.
from –100 (surround signal only) to 100 (center signal only). At 0, the signal is balanced evenly between the center and surround signals. Surround Width: Specifies how much separation (in dB) is between the decoded surround signals. At 0 dB, there is complete separation between the center and surround signals, but each surround signal is mono. To increase the stereo effect in the left and right surround channels, you can increase the parameter value.
channels). At 100, the source signals are collapsed (meaning that the original channel signals aren’t changed in volume, but instead are moved to other channels in the panning direction). Center Balance: Adjusts the balance between the center and surround signals. The slider can be adjusted from –100 (all center signal sent to the surround channels) to 100 (all surround signals sent to the center channel). At 0, the signal is balanced evenly between the center and surround channels.
Multichannel audio editing examples Below are examples of some multichannel audio editing workflows in Final Cut Pro. Example: Remove unwanted noise from a specific audio component Note: To skim audio for an individual audio component, make sure both clip skimming and audio skimming are turned on. For more information, see Skim media. 1. Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Expand Audio Components (or press Control-Option-S). 2.
4. Do one of the following: To disable the portion of the component where the noise occurs: Press the V key (or press the Delete key). Disabling a selected range mutes all sound within the range. To unmute (enable) the range, press the V key (or press Command-Z). Note: When you disable a range in an audio component, fade handles become available on either side of the disabled range. For more information on fade handles, see Fade audio in or out.
control up or down. Keyframes are automatically created along the adjustment points within the range. 5. Play back the clip to listen to your adjustments. 6. To collapse the audio components after you complete your adjustments, choose Clip > Collapse Audio Components (or press Control-Option-S).
component 1. Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Expand Audio Components (or press Control-Option-S). 2. Position the pointer at the edge of the audio component you want to trim. The pointer changes to the Trim tool icon . 3. Drag to trim that section. The trimmed section is disabled (muting all sound in that section) and appears dimmed in the Timeline. To undo your trim, press Command-Z.
4. Play back the clip to listen to your adjustments. 5. To collapse the audio components after you complete your adjustments, choose Clip > Collapse Audio Components (or press Control-Option-S). Example: Make a roll edit to all audio components 1. Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Expand Audio Components (or press Control-Option-S).
2. Position the pointer at the edge of the audio portion of the clip you want to roll. The pointer changes to the Trim tool icon . 3. Hold down the Shift key and drag to roll back the edit point for the audio portion of the clip. The edit point is rolled to the new location, cutting the audio at the end of the clip. The video portion of the clip is not affected. To undo your edit, press Command-Z. 4. Play back the clip to listen to your adjustments. 5.
When you create a multicam clip that contains multiple audio components, you can use the Angle Viewer or the Audio inspector to add audio components from inactive angles to the active angle. This makes it easy to add audio from different source clips in your multicam clip while maintaining the active video angle. You can also remove audio components from the active angle to eliminate unwanted or unused audio.
3. To enable audio-only switching in the Angle Viewer, click the right switch mode button in the upper-left corner. 4. To open the Audio inspector, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4), and click the Audio button at the top of the Inspector pane. Click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Audio button at the top of the Inspector pane.
5. To reveal the audio components for the active angle, click the disclosure triangle next to the active angle’s source clip name. 6. To add audio components from inactive angles, do one of the following: In the Angle Viewer: Hold down the Command and Option keys and click an inactive angle or angles. In the Audio inspector: Select the checkbox next to each audio component you want to add.
The added audio components also appear in the multicam clip’s component arrangement in the Timeline. (To show expanded audio components, choose Clip > Expand Audio Components, or press Control-Option-S.) 7.
you want to remove. In the Audio inspector: Deselect the checkbox next to the audio component you want to remove. When a component is removed, it appears dimmed in the Audio inspector and the angle is no longer highlighted in green in the Angle Viewer. The component also disappears from the multicam clip’s component arrangement in the Timeline. Use roles to organize clips and export audio files Final Cut Pro assigns an audio role (Dialogue, Music, or Effects) to the audio portion of all clips on import.
custom roles and subroles to further organize your clips. View and organize clips by role: In the Timeline Index, you can organize clips by role, turn roles on or off, and highlight or minimize clips for viewing in the Timeline. For example, you could easily identify all your dialogue clips and play them back in isolation from other audio clips. See View clips by role in the Timeline.
reverbs. Further advanced features include delays, modulations, distortions, bass enhancement, and time-altering processors and utilities. Some custom effects included with Final Cut Pro combine multiple effects to create a particular sound environment, such as a cathedral. You can add effects to individual clips or to a compound clip. Once you add an effect, you can adjust its settings using the Audio inspector. Add audio effects to a clip 1. Click the Effects button in the toolbar (or press Command-5).
3. Do one of the following: Drag the effect to an audio clip (or a video clip with audio) in the Timeline. Double-click the effect icon to apply it to the selected clip. The effect appears in the Effects section of the Audio inspector and in the Audio Animation Editor. You can now adjust the effect. Turn off a clip effect After you apply an audio effect to a clip, you can turn off the effect (but retain its settings) in the Audio inspector or the Audio Animation Editor. 1.
1. Select the clip with the effect in the Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: In the Effects section of the Audio inspector, select the effect and press Delete. In the Audio Animation Editor, select the effect and press Delete. Change the order of effects After you apply audio effects to a clip, you can change the order in which they appear in the Audio inspector or the Audio Animation Editor. 1. In the Timeline, select a clip for which you’ve added effects. 2.
1. Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). 2. Select the clip or clips to which you want to apply the effects, and choose Edit > Paste Effects (or press Option-CommandV). If a clip has more than one effect applied to it, all of the effects and their settings are applied to the other clip. Copy selected clip attributes to another clip You can copy a clip’s audio attributes, such as settings and effects, from one clip to another.
If you made any keyframe adjustments to the source clip: Choose either Maintain Timing or Stretch to Fit from the Keyframes pop-up menu. If you choose Stretch to Fit, Final Cut Pro adjusts the keyframes in time to match the duration of the destination clip. 4. Click Paste. For more information about using the Logic Effects that are included with Final Cut Pro, see the Final Cut Pro X Logic Effects Reference at http://help.apple.com/finalcutpro-logiceffects/mac.
If you’re using Audio Units effects or Logic Effects, you can show an expanded interface by opening the effect’s window. For more information about using the Logic Effects that are included with Final Cut Pro, see the Final Cut Pro X Logic Effects Reference at http://help.apple.com/finalcutpro-logiceffects/mac. Adjust an audio effect 1. In the Timeline, select the clip with the effect you want to adjust. 2. Locate the effect in the Effects section of the Audio inspector. 3.
controls in the Audio inspector. Tip: You can adjust effects over time using keyframes in the Audio inspector or in the Audio Animation Editor. 4. Select effect parameters and adjust their settings as needed. You can preview your adjustments by using the skimmer or playing the clip in the Timeline. To return the effect’s values to their default settings, click the effect’s Reset button .
You can preview your presets by using the skimmer or playing the clip in the Timeline. To return the effect to its default settings, choose Default from the Preset pop-up menu. Edit and save custom Audio Units and Logic effects presets You can edit preset parameters by adjusting the effect’s controls. If you want to keep your changes, you can save them as as a custom preset. 1. Locate the effect in the Effects section of the Audio inspector. 2. Choose a preset from the Preset pop-up menu.
3. To see an effect’s parameters, do one of the following: Click the Controls button (to the right of the effect’s name) to show a larger window with advanced controls. Click the disclosure triangle next to Parameters to show controls in the Audio inspector. 4. Select effect parameters and adjust their settings as needed. You can preview your adjustments by using the skimmer or playing the clip in the Timeline.
Saved presets appear in the Preset pop-up menu. To return the effect to its default settings, choose Default from the Preset pop-up menu. Delete custom presets 1. Locate the effect in the Effects section of the Audio inspector.
2. Choose Reveal User Presets in Finder from the Preset pop-up menu. 3. Select the preset or presets you want to delete in the Finder window, and drag them to the Trash. After a custom preset has been deleted, it no longer appears in the Preset pop-up menu. Save audio effects presets in the Effects Browser You can save any combination of audio effects and audio effect parameter settings as an audio effects preset, which appears in the Effects Browser and functions like any other audio effect.
available in their Effects Browser. Save an audio effects preset 1. Apply any combination of built-in effects and clip effects to an audio clip (or a video clip with audio) in the Timeline, and make any adjustments to the effects. 2. Select the clip in the Timeline. 3. Do one of the following: Choose File > Save Audio Effects Preset. Open the Audio inspector and click Save Effects Preset at the bottom of the inspector.
4. Enter a name for the new preset in the Name field. 5. Click the Category pop-up menu and choose an Effects Browser category in which to store the new preset. 6. In the Attributes list, select the audio effects you want to include in the preset. If you made any keyframe adjustments to the source clip, select either Maintain or Stretch to Fit. If you select Stretch to Fit, Final Cut Pro adjusts the keyframes in time to match the duration of any clip to which you apply the preset. 7. Click Save.
Share an audio effects preset 1. In the Effects Browser, Control-click the effects preset you want to share, and choose Reveal in Finder from the shortcut menu. 2. In the Finder, select the effects preset file and choose File > Compress. Note: Compressing the file prevents any change to the preset during transit. 3. Transfer the resulting .zip file to your friend or colleague using email or another convenient method. 4. On the receiving Mac, double-click the .zip file to decompress it. 5.
Adjust audio effects using keyframes With Final Cut Pro, you can use keyframes to create simple changes to audio over time, such as fading the volume or an effect in or out in the middle of a clip. You place keyframes at specific points in a clip to change the parameter value of an audio enhancement or effect at those points. For example, you can keyframe specific points for volume or for an effect such as reverb or distortion.
Each effect in the Audio Animation Editor has a separate area for adding keyframes. Some effects have more than one parameter and allow you to add keyframes to individual parameters separately. They appear in the Audio Animation Editor with a triangle next to the effect’s name or in the Audio inspector as additional parameter controls. 2. Select the effect for which you want to add keyframes in either the Audio Animation Editor or the Effects section of the Audio inspector. 3.
In the Audio Animation Editor (or the audio clip for volume only): Option-click (or press Option-K) at a point on the horizontal effect control where you want to add a keyframe. Keyframes for volume adjustment appear as white diamonds. For effects with more than one parameter, keyframes for the selected parameter appear as white diamonds, while keyframes for other parameters appear gray. Keyframes appear as white diamonds for all parameters when you choose All from the effect pop-up menu.
In the Audio inspector: Position the playhead in the Timeline at the point where you want to add a keyframe, and click the Keyframe button (or press Option-K). Once you add a keyframe, the Keyframe button changes to yellow, indicating that the playhead currently sits on this keyframe. When you move the playhead in the Timeline, arrows appear next to the Keyframe button in the Audio inspector to indicate which side of the playhead has keyframes.
Tip: After you’ve added one keyframe, you can add another automatically by moving the playhead in the Timeline and then adjusting the effect parameter (or the Volume slider when keyframing volume) in the Audio inspector. Add keyframes automatically across a selected area For volume adjustments to a clip in the Timeline, you can use the Range Selection tool to add keyframes automatically across a selected range.
3. In the Timeline, do one of the following: If you’re adjusting volume only: Choose Range Selection from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press R). The pointer changes to the Range Selection tool icon . If you’re adjusting an effect in the Audio Animation Editor: Choose either Select or Range Selection from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press A for Select, or R for Range Selection). 4. Drag across the area where you want to adjust the volume or effect.
5. Adjust the volume or effect within the range by dragging the effect’s horizontal control up or down. Keyframes are automatically created along the adjustment points within the range.
Adjust keyframes in the Audio Animation Editor You can move keyframes left or right in the Audio Animation Editor. If an effect appears with a disclosure button, you can expand the effect view and move keyframes up or down to change the parameter value. 1. Select a keyframe. 2. Do one of the following: To change its position in time, drag a keyframe left or right. As you drag, the timecode value appears.
If an effect appears with a disclosure button, click the button (or double-click the effect) to expand the effect view. With the effect view expanded, you can drag the keyframe up or down to change the effect’s parameter value. To add another keyframe, Option-click (or press Option-K) at a point on the effect control where you want to add the keyframe. To add a keyframe and change the effect’s parameter value at the same time, Option-click while dragging the effect control up or down.
For many effects, you adjust the parameter value of individual keyframes using the Audio inspector. 1. Select a keyframe or position the playhead on a keyframe, and adjust the parameter value in the Audio inspector. 2. To change the value at the next keyframe, go to the next keyframe and adjust the value again. Adjust all keyframes at once in the Audio Animation Editor Hold down the Command and Option keys, and drag either a keyframe or the effect control up or down.
View only one effect at a time in the Audio Animation Editor You can collapse the Audio Animation Editor to view only one effect at a time. This can be useful if you have multiple effects applied to a clip and want to preserve screen space. 1. Choose Clip > Solo Animation (or press Control-Shift-V). 2. In the Audio Animation Editor, click the triangle next to the displayed effect’s name to choose an effect from the pop-up menu.
Select a keyframe in the Audio Animation Editor, and press Option-Shift-Delete. Navigate to a keyframe in the Audio inspector, and click the Keyframe button. Hide audio animation Do one of the following: Select the clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Hide Audio Animation (or press Control-A). Click the close button Animation Editor. in the upper-left corner of the Audio Control-click the clip in the Timeline, and choose Hide Audio Animation from the shortcut menu.
You can also copy specific keyframes between different attributes or between different clips. See Copy and paste keyframes. Audio tools and techniques Enhance audio Final Cut Pro includes several powerful tools for both analyzing and enhancing the audio portion of clips, including: Loudness: Improves the main audio signal and makes it more uniform. Background Noise Removal: Reduces background noise. Hum Removal: Reduces common electrical hum noise at either 50 or 60 Hz.
problems, these appear in yellow next to Audio Analysis in the Audio Enhancements section of the Audio inspector after the clip is imported. To correct these, you need to automatically enhance audio in the Audio Enhancements inspector. Analyze audio 1. Select an audio clip or video clip with audio in the Timeline. 2. To analyze the audio, do one of the following: Choose Window > Go To > Audio Enhancements (or press Command-8). Choose Show Audio Enhancements from the Enhancements pop-up menu in the toolbar.
A green checkmark indicates OK. 3. To close the Audio Enhancements inspector, click the back button . You can automatically or manually change enhancement settings to correct any problems. Automatically enhance audio You can automatically enhance audio to analyze for and correct loudness, background noise, and hum. 1. Select an audio clip or video clip with audio in the Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Modify > Auto Enhance Audio.
appear if a correction was automatically applied. A blue checkbox appears next to each enhancement that was turned on to apply a correction. Deselect the checkbox to turn off an enhancement. Apply enhancements manually After you analyze audio, you can adjust the enhancements manually. 1. Select an audio clip or video clip with audio in the Timeline. 2. To show the Audio Enhancements inspector, do one of the following: Choose Window > Go To > Audio Enhancements (or press Command-8).
is blue). 4. If necessary, do any of the following: To change Loudness settings: Drag the Amount and Uniformity percentage sliders. The Amount slider increases or decreases the overall loudness (compression) of the clip, while the Uniformity slider increases or decreases the dynamic range affected. To change the percentage of Background Noise Removal: Drag the Amount slider. To remove hum: Select either 50 Hz or 60 Hz for Hum Removal. 5. To close the Audio Enhancements inspector, click the back button .
1. Select the clip in the Timeline. 2. In the Audio Enhancements section of the Audio inspector, choose an Equalization preset from the Equalization pop-up menu, or click the Controls button to make manual adjustments. If you want a clip to sound like another clip, you can match the audio. Sync audio and video Final Cut Pro can automatically analyze and sync the audio and video clips in your project.
Sync clips automatically 1. In the Browser, select the audio or video clips you want to sync.
2. Do one of the following: Choose Clip > Synchronize Clips (or press OptionCommand-G). Control-click the selection and choose Synchronize Clips from the shortcut menu. 3. In the window that appears, type a name for the synced clip in the Synchronized Clip Name field. 4. Use the In Event pop-up menu to choose the event in which you want to create the new synced clip. 5. To sync clips using audio waveform data, select “Use audio for synchronization.
Note: The automatic settings are shown by default, but if the last synced clip you created used custom settings, those settings are shown. 7. Click OK. Final Cut Pro creates a new synced clip in the event you specified. Sync clips using custom settings 1. In the Browser, select the audio or video clips you want to sync. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Clip > Synchronize Clips (or press OptionCommand-G). Control-click the selection and choose Synchronize Clips from the shortcut menu. 3.
The custom settings appear. Note: The automatic settings are shown by default, but if the last synced clip you created used custom settings, those settings are shown. 6. In the Synchronization pop-up menu, choose how the clips are synced: Automatic: Final Cut Pro syncs the clips automatically. Timecode: Final Cut Pro syncs the clips using timecode recorded in the clips. If you recorded timecode in your clips, choose this option. It’s the fastest and most frameaccurate method of syncing clips.
video recording device. The Content Created method can sync clips within 1second accuracy (because in most camcorders the smallest unit in date and time information is 1 second). If you choose this syncing method, consider doing any of the following to make the sync frame-accurate: Select “Use audio for synchronization.” (See step 7.) Final Cut Pro uses the Content Created data as a starting point and then further refines the sync. Manually adjust the sync.
Tip: The Start of First Clip method is useful if you want to use specific range selections of your source clips only. In the Browser, add keywords or the Favorite rating to the ranges you want to use, and then filter or search for the clips. When you create your synced clip, Final Cut Pro uses only the media showing in the filtered view. First Marker on the Clip: Final Cut Pro uses the first marker in each clip as the sync point.
waveforms. Note: Some audio recordings are not suited for use with this feature. Selecting this option may result in long processing times during which Final Cut Pro is not available for editing. 8. If you want the synced clip’s timecode to start at a value other than the earliest timecode value in the selected clips (the default), type a timecode value in the Starting Timecode field. 9.
Manually adjust or slip a synced clip You may need to adjust a synced clip (by slipping the sync, for example). You can do this by opening the contents of the synced clip in the Timeline. 1. Select the clip in the Browser or the Timeline. 2. Do any of the following: Choose Clip > Open in Timeline. Control-click the synced clip and choose Open in Timeline from the shortcut menu. The Timeline displays the contents of the clip. 3. Make adjustments to the contents of the synced clip.
as one of the search criteria. For more information, see Save searches as Smart Collections. If your synced clip contains audio channels that aren’t being used, you can turn them off. See Configure audio channels. SEE ALSO Markers overview Match audio equalization settings The Match Audio function uses equalization (EQ) to let you match a selected clip’s sound to another clip.
3. Click to select the clip whose sound you want to match. 4. Click Apply Match. Once you match a clip, you can make adjustments to settings in the Audio Enhancements section of the Audio inspector. Remove audio matching 1. Select the clip in the Timeline. 2. In the Audio Enhancements section of the Audio inspector, choose a different equalization setting from the Equalization pop-up menu. To remove all equalization, choose the Flat setting.
Turn Preserve Pitch on or off 1. In the Timeline, select an entire clip, or a range within a clip, whose speed you plan to change. 2. Choose Preserve Pitch from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar. A checkmark to the left of the command name indicates that Preserve Pitch is turned on. To turn it off, choose Preserve Pitch again.
Add transitions, titles, effects, and generators Transitions, titles, effects, and generators overview You can easily add special effects to video, audio, and photos in your projects. Final Cut Pro provides several kinds of effects and controls: Transitions: Add an effect between clips to control how they change from one to the next. See Transitions overview. Titles: Use to add text at any point in your project. See Titles overview.
3D Titles: Use to add 3D text at any point in your project. See 3D titles overview. Effects: Use to do a wide variety of things to your video and audio clips, from subtle (add film grain or a color effect to the video, or a graphic equalizer to the audio) to not so subtle (add droplet ripples or an insect-eye view to the video, or apply an exaggerated pitch shift to the audio).
of an effect using auditions. Most of the effects and generators can be opened in Motion, an Apple application designed to work with Final Cut Pro, where you can customize and save specialized versions of them. Note: If you are using a transition, title, effect, or generator created in Motion that utilizes a third-party plug-in, and that plugin is not installed on your Final Cut Pro system, the Final Cut Pro project may render incorrectly or incompletely.
crossfade. Note: When a transition is added to a video clip with attached audio, a crossfade transition is automatically applied to the audio. If the audio is detached or expanded from the video, the audio is not affected by the video transition. How transitions are created Transitions require overlapping video from the clips on each side of the edit point. A one-second transition requires one second of video from the end of the left clip and one second of video from the start of the right clip.
The media handle video may not be appropriate for use in a transition. For example, if the video includes unusable video such as a slate, it will be visible in the project. You can set the default duration for transitions. See Set transition defaults. The illustration below shows how transitions are created when the clips on either side of the edit point have media handles. The transition is placed so that it spans the clips; one half of the transition overlaps each clip.
If one or both of the clips do not have enough extra content (media handles) to support a transition of the default duration, you are given the option to overlap media in your project to create the transition. Final Cut Pro uses any available media handles and then overlaps media as necessary to create the transition. The illustration below shows a transition created without media handles. The two clips are made to overlap, and the transition is placed over the overlapping region.
Set the default transition 1. Click the Transitions button in the toolbar. 2. Control-click a transition, and choose Make Default from the shortcut menu. Set the default duration You set the default duration for transitions in Final Cut Pro preferences. 1. Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences, or press CommandComma (,), and click Editing. 2. Use the “Duration is x seconds” value slider to set the duration, in seconds, of all transitions you add to the Timeline.
Add transitions to your project There are several methods you can use to add transitions to your project. Once a transition is added, you can adjust its parameters. You can also modify the transition effect in Motion. Add a cross dissolve 1. Choose the Select tool from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (shown below), and click the edge of a clip (an edit point) in the Timeline. One or both clip edges are highlighted.
Note: If you select a whole clip in the Timeline instead of just an edit point, transitions are added at each end of the selected clip. 2. Choose Edit > Add Cross Dissolve (or press Command-T). The cross dissolve is inserted using the “Apply transitions using” setting. For more information, see Set transition defaults. If the video clip has attached audio, a crossfade transition is applied to the audio. Add or change a transition using the Transitions Browser 1. Click the Transitions button in the toolbar.
appear. 3. Do one of the following: To apply the transition to an edit point: Drag the transition to it. To replace an existing transition in your project: Drag the transition to it. Tip: Alternatively, you can select the edit point first, and double-click a transition in the Transitions Browser to apply it. The transition is added to the edit using the “Apply transitions using” setting. For more information, see Set transition defaults.
the storyline. One or both clip edges are highlighted. Note: If you select a whole clip in the storyline instead of just an edit point, transitions are added at each end of the selected clip. 3. To insert a crossfade, choose Edit > Add Cross Dissolve (or press Command-T). The crossfade is inserted using the “Apply transitions using” setting. For more information, see Set transition defaults. You can configure the fade-in and fade-out settings in the Transition inspector.
the Timeline, and choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). Note: If you copy a transition to an edit point that already has a transition, the existing transition is overwritten. Copy a transition to other edit points by dragging Select a transition in the Timeline, press the Option key, and drag the transition to another edit point. Note: If you copy a transition to an edit point that already has a transition, the existing transition is overwritten.
Important: If a transition you deleted used Full Overlap, the edit point is now at the center point of the transition that was removed, not at its original location before the transition was applied. You can use Edit > Undo to remove the transition and return the clips to their original length. For more information, see How transitions are created. Adjust transitions in the Timeline You can adjust a transition’s duration and move it in the Timeline.
The transition maintains its center point and equally trims both ends, with the number showing how many frames have been added to or subtracted from the transition duration. Move the transition Moving a transition actually rolls the edit under the transition, adding content to one underlying clip while removing content from the other clip. The overall duration of the project is not affected.
transition. The edit under the transition is rolled, with one clip being extended and the other shortened. A number appears showing the number of frames to the left (negative numbers) or to the right (positive numbers) you have rolled the transition. You can also use the Precision Editor to roll the transition. Trim a clip under a transition The transition includes icons that make it easy to trim the left or right clip without affecting the transition. 1. Select a transition in the Timeline. 2.
Dragging the trim icon in the upper left adjusts the right clip’s start point, and dragging the trim icon in the upper right adjusts the left clip’s end point. A number appears showing how many frames you have added to (negative numbers) or subtracted from (positive numbers) the clip’s duration. Trimming the clip doesn’t affect the transition’s duration, but it does affect the project’s duration. You can also use the Precision Editor to trim the clips under the transition.
inspector and Viewer 1. If the Transition inspector is not already visible, choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). 2. In the Timeline, select the transition to adjust. For this example, use the Circle transition. The Viewer shows any onscreen adjustments you can make by dragging the handles. The Transition inspector shows the other parameters available for you to adjust. Additionally, some transitions have an image well for you to select a video frame that appears as part of the transition.
Additionally, many transitions have parameters that you can animate using keyframes. For example, you could have the center of the Circle transition move as you play the clip. For more information on adjusting audio crossfades in the Transition inspector, see Fade audio in or out. Adjust transitions with multiple images Several transitions include areas that are filled with still images from the clips on either side of the transition.
Adjust transitions with numbered points 1. Select the transition with numbered points in the Timeline. 2. Move the playhead over the transition until you see an area with the same number as one of the numbered handles in the Timeline. 3. Drag the numbered handle to select the image to fill the area. 4. Continue until you have selected images for all of the areas.
Browser. Important: The following steps require you to have Motion 5 installed on your computer. Modify a transition in Motion 1. Click the Transitions button in the toolbar. 2. In the Transitions Browser, Control-click the transition you want to modify, and choose “Open a copy in Motion” from the shortcut menu. Motion opens and the transition’s project appears. 3. Modify the transition project. For more information, see Motion Help at http://help.apple.com/motion. 4.
Add and adjust titles Titles overview Titles play a critical role in movies, providing important bookends (such as opening titles and closing credits) and conveying time and dates within the movie. Titles, especially in the lower third of the screen, are also used in documentaries and informational videos to convey details about subjects or products onscreen. You can also add notes and placeholders within your project while you edit.
1. Drag the playhead in the Timeline to the point where you want to add the title. 2. Click the Titles button in the toolbar (or choose Window > Media Browser > Titles). 3. Do any of the following: To add a title from the Titles Browser: Double-click the title. A title clip is added at the playhead location. To add a basic title: Choose Edit > Connect Title > Basic Title (or press Control-T). A title clip named Basic Title (with no effects or animations) is added at the playhead location.
Add a title as a clip in the primary storyline There are two ways to add a title as a clip in the primary storyline. You can either insert a title clip at the edit point between two clips or replace an existing clip in the primary storyline with a title clip. To add a title between clips in the Timeline: Drag a title from the Titles Browser to the edit point between the clips where you want the title clip to appear.
4. To select a different text object, do one of the following: Click the Previous Text Layer or Next Text Layer button. Double-click a different text object. 5. Type new text as necessary. 6. To exit text editing, press Command-Return. Note: The Previous Text Layer and Next Text Layer buttons also support Motion text edit markers. For more information, see Motion Help at http://help.apple.com/motion.
alignment, color, glow, and drop shadow. Edit title text 1. Do one of the following: Select a title clip in the Timeline, and then move the playhead over the selected title clip. Double-click a title clip in the Timeline. The title appears in the Viewer, and the text in the first text object in the title clip is selected. The playhead moves to the point in the Timeline where the first text object is fully visible in the Viewer.
2. Move the playhead over the selected title clip. 3. Do one of the following: In the Viewer, drag the text object to the new position. Double-click the text object and drag the position button to the new position. Adjust a title clip’s opacity You can adjust a title clip’s opacity to make it more transparent. 1. Double-click a title clip in the Timeline. 2. Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4), and click the Video button at the top of the pane that appears.
3. In the Compositing section, adjust the opacity settings. Note: Some titles allow you to adjust the text opacity separately from the rest of the title graphics. For more information, see “Modify a title’s text style,” below. 4. To exit text editing, press Command-Return. Note: You can also keyframe a title’s opacity setting. Adjust a title’s settings You can modify a title’s settings in the Title inspector. You can build and modify titles in Motion 5 for use in Final Cut Pro.
Help at http://help.apple.com/motion. 1. Select a title clip in the Timeline. 2. Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4), and click the Title button at the top of the pane that appears. 3. Adjust the available settings as needed. Note: You can also keyframe many of the settings in both the Title and Text inspectors. Modify a title’s text style You can modify the text style for a title. 1. Double-click a title clip in the Timeline.
Note: To modify a different text object in the same title, select it in the Viewer. 2. Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). 3. Adjust the available settings as needed in the sections listed below. For a complete list of available controls, see Controls in the Text inspector. Note: To reveal the controls in each of the sections, you may need to scroll down in the Text inspector and double-click each section name.
Glow: Sets the text glow color, opacity, blur, and radius. Drop Shadow: Sets the text drop-shadow color, opacity, distance, and angle. 4. To exit text editing, press Command-Return. Note: You can also keyframe many of the settings in both the Title and Text inspectors. Adjust the timing of an animated title Many of the titles in the Titles Browser include animations. Depending on the specific title, you have some options for adjusting the speed of the animation.
You can adjust the settings of more than one text object at once. 1. Select a title clip in the Timeline. 2. Move the playhead over the selected title clip. 3. In the Viewer, do one of the following: Holding down the Command key, select the text objects you want to modify. Drag to select the text objects you want to modify. 4. Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). 5. Adjust the available settings as needed.
Tabs in the ruler show how tabbed text will be aligned in the selected text. 3. Do any of the following: To add a tab: Click in the ruler. To change the type of tab added when you click in the ruler: Control-click in the ruler and choose a tab type from the shortcut menu. To move a tab: Drag it to another position on the ruler. To delete a tab: Drag it out of the ruler. To change a tab to another tab type: Control-click the tab and choose a tab type from the shortcut menu.
To access these controls, select a title clip in the Timeline and then open the Text inspector. Preset pop-up menu Preset: An unlabeled pop-up menu at the top of the Text inspector, used to apply preset text styles to titles in the Timeline. You can also use this pop-up menu to save text style and format settings. For more information about applying and saving text styles with the Preset pop-up menu, see Apply preset text styles.
Basic controls Font: A pop-up menu to choose a font for selected text. Typeface: An unlabeled pop-up menu (to the right of the Font pop-up menu) to choose a type style, such as Regular, Bold, Condensed, and so on. The available typefaces are specific to the font family selected in the Font pop-up menu. Size: A slider to set the point size of the text. The slider is constrained to a maximum of 288 points.
Tip: To modify the spacing for individual lines of text when hard returns are present, select text, then adjust the Line Spacing slider. Spacing is modified on the line that includes the selected text. Tracking: A slider to set the spacing between text characters; applies a uniform value between each character. Kerning: A slider to adjust spacing between text characters. Baseline: A slider to adjust the baseline of text characters: an invisible horizontal line defining the bottom alignment of characters.
Apply preset text styles to titles 1. Double-click a title clip in the Timeline. The title appears in the Viewer, and the text in the first text object in the title clip is selected. 2. Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4), and click the Text button at the top of the pane that appears. 3. Click the pop-up menu at the top of the Text inspector and choose 2D Styles or 3D Styles. 4. Choose a text style from the submenu that appears. The text style is applied to the selected text.
1. Double-click a title clip in the Timeline. The title appears in the Viewer, and the text in the first text object in the title clip is selected. 2. Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4), and click the Text button at the top of the pane that appears. 3. Make any custom changes to the font or style in the Text inspector. For more information, see “Modify a title’s text style” in Adjust titles. 4.
6. To apply the new preset to another title, select the title in the Timeline and choose the preset from the pop-up menu at the top of the Text inspector. Organize your saved custom text styles 1. In the Finder, hold down the Option key and choose Go > Library. 2. Navigate to /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Motion/Library/Text Styles/. The Text Styles folder contains the custom text styles you’ve created. Each text style has two files: a .molo file and a .
Create specialized versions of titles in Motion Many of the titles included with Final Cut Pro were created using Motion, an Apple application designed to work with Final Cut Pro. You can open any of these titles in Motion, make modifications, and save the changes as a new title that appears in the Titles Browser. Important: The following steps require you to have Motion 5 installed on your computer. Modify a title in Motion 1. Click the Titles button in the toolbar. 2.
4. Choose File > Save As (or press Shift-Command-S), enter a name for the new title (referred to as a Template in Motion), assign it to a category (or create a new category), choose a theme (if needed), and click Publish. Note: If you choose File > Save, the effect is saved using the same name, with “copy” appended to its end.
3. In the Replace field, type the text you want to replace the text you’re looking for. 4. To choose where to search, do one of the following: To search for text in the selected title clip: Choose Selected Title from the “Search in” pop-up menu. This option is useful for searching in title clips that have a lot of text, such as credits. To search for text across all the title clips in your project: Choose All Titles In Project from the “Search in” pop-up menu. 5.
To cycle forward and backward through each instance of the text you’re looking for: Click the Previous and Next buttons. Add and adjust 3D titles 3D titles overview In addition to basic two-dimensional text, Final Cut Pro lets you create text that appears to have depth, complete with sides, edges, and backs. 3D text in Final Cut Pro exhibits the same characteristics as real three-dimensional objects, simulating natural lighting and shading effects, and displaying textures.
As you can with 2D text, you can animate your 3D titles in Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Video animation overview. SEE ALSO 3D titles workflow Add a 3D title 3D titles workflow Although 3D titles can be customized in unlimited ways, you can create impressive-looking 3D text in just a few steps. Step 1: Create a 3D title You can either add a 3D title from the Titles Browser or convert an existing 2D title to 3D. Either way, you’ll wind up with a 3D title that has basic settings.
Step 2: Apply a preset style If you want to take advantage of the ready-made 3D text styles that come with Final Cut Pro, you can select the title and choose a preset 3D style in the Text inspector. This applies a combination of settings, including the font, weight, depth, and appearance. Each of these attributes can be further customized, but the preset styles are a great way to get started.
To get a good look at all sides of your title, you can use onscreen controls to rotate the title or move it in 3D space. Step 4: Modify the materials You can define the surface appearance of the 3D title by applying preset materials or by creating custom materials. Materials include substances (such as metal or plastic), paint layers, distress layers, and more. Each layer has many attributes, allowing you to create limitless variations in appearance.
back, side, and edges). To learn more about materials, see Materials overview. Step 5: Add a lighting style Another way to customize the appearance of your 3D title is to add a lighting style. You can choose from preset lighting styles in the Lighting section of the Text inspector. You can customize the lighting in a variety of ways, but presets are a great way to quickly create a unique and realistic look.
Step 6: Integrate the text with your composition Finally, you can combine your 3D title with backgrounds or other elements to create an organic, integrated scene. You can also apply glow or drop shadow effects in this final step. Add 3D titles to a project Add a 3D title Add a 3D title the same way you would add a normal 2D text title. For details (including alternative ways to add titles), see Add titles to your project. Add a 3D title 1.
to add the title. 2. Click the Titles button in the toolbar (or choose Window > Media Browser > Titles). 3. Select a 3D titles category in the Titles Browser. 4. Do any of the following: To add a 3D title to a project clip: Double-click the title in the Titles Browser. The title clip is connected to the clip in the primary storyline at the position of the playhead and appears superimposed over that clip. If the playhead isn’t over a clip, the title is superimposed over the default background.
Note: Some 3D titles come with their own built-in backgrounds. You can disable (or enable) the built-in background in the Title inspector. Convert 2D text to and from 3D Any title can be converted back and forth between 2D and 3D. Converting a 2D text title to 3D (called extruding) replaces the Face and Outline settings with settings and parameters designed to simulate realistic three-dimensional objects.
2. To open the Text inspector, choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). 3. In the Text inspector, click the 3D Text checkbox so that it turns blue. The Face and Outline sections of the inspector are replaced by the Lighting and Material sections. Convert 3D text to 2D 1. Double-click a 3D title clip in the Timeline. The title appears in the Viewer, and the text in the first text object in the title clip is selected. To modify a different text object in the same title, select it in the Viewer.
controls When you add a 3D title to a project, you see a bit of the extruded sides in addition to the front of the text. But 3D text actually has multiple facets (the front, the sides, the edges, and the back) even though you can’t see them by default. You can view these other facets by rotating the text object using the onscreen controls. Rotate a title in 3D space 1. Add a 3D title to your project and select it in the Timeline. 2.
The 3D onscreen controls appear in the Viewer for the 3D title, including the X, Y, and Z rotation handles (small circles surrounding the arrows). 4. Move the pointer over one of the rotation handles until a colored rotation ring appears, then drag the ring. The red ring rotates the object around its X axis. The green ring rotates the object around its Y axis. The blue ring rotates the object around its Z axis.
For more information about the three axes of the 3D coordinate system in Final Cut Pro, see Move 3D titles with onscreen controls. Note: You can modify the appearance of each facet individually, as well as control the bevel and style of the edges between facets. For more information, see Materials overview and Modify depth, weight, edges, and corners. Move 3D titles with onscreen controls Final Cut Pro uses a 3D coordinate system to precisely control the look of your 3D titles.
The main difference between 2D text and 3D text is that with 3D text you can change your point of view, so that moving an object up doesn’t always mean increasing its Y Position value. Move a title in 3D space 1. Add a 3D title to your project and select it in the Timeline. 2. Position the playhead in the Timeline so that your 3D title appears in the Viewer. 3. In the Viewer, click the 3D title once.
4. Do any of the following: To move the object horizontally along its X axis: Drag the red arrow. To move the object vertically along its Y axis: Drag the green arrow. To move the object forward or backward along its Z axis: Drag the blue handle. As you drag, the active arrow turns yellow, and the status bar above the Viewer displays the current coordinates of the object as well as the distance the object has moved (delta). Coordinates are given in the form of X, Y, and Z.
Modify basic 3D text attributes Adjust basic 3D text settings In many ways, 3D text is just like 2D text, and you can modify most of the text attributes (including font, size, tracking, line spacing, and capitalization) exactly the same way you modify those attributes for 2D text. Note: To modify the depth, texture, and lighting attributes of 3D text, use the controls in the 3D Text section of the Text inspector.
1. Double-click a 3D title clip in the Timeline. The title appears in the Viewer, and the text in the first text object in the title clip is selected. To modify a different text object in the same title, select it in the Viewer. 2. To open the Text inspector, choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). 3. Adjust the basic text settings as needed. For a list of available controls, see Controls in the Text inspector. For basic instructions on working with 2D or 3D titles, see Adjust titles.
This attribute, as well as a number of other basic aspects of a 3D title’s appearance (such as text weight, edge style, and corner style) can be set in the 3D Text section of the Text inspector. Adjust 3D text depth Select a 3D title in the Timeline, and in the 3D Text section of the Text inspector, drag the Depth slider to the left to decrease depth, or to the right to increase depth.
In the 3D Text section of the Text inspector, click the Depth Direction pop-up menu and choose one of the following settings: Backward: The text object is extruded backward from the plane where the text was initially added. Forward: The text object is extruded forward from the plane where the text was initially added. Centered: The text object is extruded equally both forward and backward from the plane where the text was initially added.
Set the style of 3D text edges The places where the different facets of a 3D title meet are called edges. You can add bevels, ridges, rings, and other shapes to customize the appearance of these edges. You can set the back edge (between the back of the text and its sides) to be identical to the front edge (between the front and the sides), or each can be set to a different edge shape. 1. Select the 3D title in the Timeline. 2.
3. Click the Back Edge pop-up menu and choose an edge style. If you choose Same As Front, the style you chose in step 2 is applied to the back edge of the 3D title. Adjust the size of text edges If you change the style of the front edge or back edge of a 3D title to anything other than square, you can also adjust the size of that edge. If the back edge is set to something other than Same As Front (or Square), you can adjust the size of the back edge independently from that of the front. 1.
Note: You can’t see the back edge of the text object unless you rotate the title. For more information, see Rotate a title in 3D space with onscreen controls. Set the style of text inside corners You can customize text with inside corners (for example, the angles in a letter E). In the 3D Text section of the Text inspector, click the Inside Corners pop-up menu and choose one of the following options: Straight: Sets all corners to sharp angles.
3D Text: An activation checkbox that, when selected, applies 3D attributes to selected text in your project and enables 3D controls. Deselecting this checkbox converts selected 3D text to 2D text and disables 3D controls. When this checkbox is selected, the following controls become available for adjustment: Depth: A slider that sets the thickness of selected 3D text. Depth Direction: A pop-up menu that sets whether selected 3D text is extruded backward, forward, or equally from front to back.
inner corners of characters (such as angles in the letter E) in selected 3D text. Modify surface appearance Materials overview 3D titles in Final Cut Pro have properties designed to give them a natural and realistic appearance. They respond to lighting conditions and exhibit shading, reflectivity, and other attributes of real-world objects. Attributes that define an object’s surface appearance are called materials.
object in real life. For example, you might begin creating an object by deciding what substance it should be made of—wood, plastic, metal, and so on. Depending on that basic substance, the object will have some fundamental properties, such as color, texture, and reflectivity. Next, you apply paint or another finish to the object to change its color, sheen, and reflectivity.
Apply a preset material to a 3D title The quickest way to give your 3D title a naturalistic texture is to apply one of the preset materials built into Final Cut Pro. Below are some examples of the many preset 3D materials available in Final Cut Pro: Apply a preset material to a 3D title 1. Add a 3D title to your project. 2. Double-click the 3D title clip in the Timeline.
The title appears in the Viewer, and the text in the first text object in the title clip is selected. To modify a different text object in the same title, select it in the Viewer. 3. To open the Text inspector, choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). 4. In the Material section of the 3D Text section, click the preview thumbnail. A pop-up menu showing the material presets categories appears. 5. Choose a material category from the pop-up menu, then choose a preset from the submenu.
The preset 3D material is applied to the text object. You can modify any of the preset materials or add new material layers to create custom textures. See Modify material layers and Add, remove, or rearrange material layers. Modify material layers When you add a new 3D title, it appears with a default 3D material preset applied: a matte white plastic texture (Basic).
section of the Text inspector. As you modify these settings, your 3D title is updated instantly in the Viewer, allowing you to fine-tune the look you want to achieve. Modify material layers used in a 3D texture You can create a custom material by applying a preset material and then modifying it. This example shows how to modify the Substance layer of a simple 3D texture. 1. Select a 3D title in the Timeline and apply a preset material to it. For more information, see Apply a preset material to a 3D title.
The material layers comprising the preset are shown below the preview thumbnail. For example, the Basic material preset has a single material layer, Substance, which is set to Plastic. Additional Substance settings specify the type of plastic (Shiny) as well as the color (White). 2. Click the Substance pop-up menu and choose a substance category.
Depending on the option you choose, additional controls may appear. 3. Click the Type pop-up menu (under the Substance pop-up menu) and choose a substance belonging to the category you chose above. Depending on the option you choose, additional controls may appear. 4. Adjust other available Substance settings, such as Color, Brightness, Roughness, and so on. As you make adjustments, the preview thumbnail is updated in the Material section, and the 3D title is updated in the Viewer.
instances of the preset are not affected. Restore a preset material’s original settings 1. In the Timeline, select a 3D title with a modified preset material. 2. In the Material section of the 3D Text section of the Text inspector, click the preview thumbnail and choose a preset from the pop-up menu. The original settings stored in the preset are applied to the selected facet. Other customized instances of the preset are not affected.
The order in which material layers are applied affects the appearance of the object. For example, you might add a wood surface layer, a paint layer, and various distress layers to create a material that looks as if it is made of painted wood that is aged and worn. Each layer affects the layers stacked beneath it in the Text inspector, and rearranging the layers creates different results. You can also remove, rearrange, or temporarily disable material layers. Add a material layer to a 3D texture 1.
The new material layer and its adjustable controls are added in the Material section. 5. To add another material layer, repeat step 4. 6. Adjust material layer controls in the Material section to achieve the look you want. For more information about material layer controls, see Material controls overview. Enable or disable material layers You can temporarily turn off or turn on any material layer to see how it’s affecting the overall texture.
When the checkbox is highlighted blue, the effect of the material layer is visible in the Viewer. When the checkbox is not highlighted, the effect is turned off. Rearrange the stacking order of material layers The stacking order of material layers in the Material section of the Text inspector affects a 3D texture’s appearance in the Viewer. You can rearrange the stacking order to create different looks.
Remove a material layer In the Material section of the 3D Text section of the Text inspector, click a material layer name (Substance, Paint, Distress, and so on), and press Delete. Tip: To select and modify multiple material layers at once, Shiftclick or Command-click the layers. This is especially useful if you want to delete or rearrange all the layers at once.
Add an emit layer 1. Select a 3D title in the Timeline. 2. To open the Inspector pane, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 3. Click the Text button at the top of the Inspector pane to open the Text inspector. 4. In the Material section of the 3D Text section, click the Add Layer pop-up menu and choose Emit. An Emit section is added to the Text inspector. 5.
the Emit section of the Text inspector. For a description of all Emit parameters, see Emit controls. Save a modified material After you create your own materials, you can save those textures as custom presets. Saving a modified material as a custom preset includes all material layers shown in the Text inspector at the time of saving (including disabled material layers). Save the current material as a preset 1.
2. In the Save Preset to Library window, type a descriptive name for the preset, and click Save. The currently selected material is saved as a preset. Saved preset materials appear in alphabetical order at the bottom of the material preset pop-up menu. You can apply the preset as you would any other material preset. Note: You can organize saved custom preset materials using Motion, an Apple application designed to work with Final Cut Pro.
Apply materials to different facets By default, applying a material to a 3D title causes all facets of the text to display the same material. But a 3D title can also display different materials on its different facets. For example, you can apply car paint to the front facet and a shiny metal appearance to the side facet. You can even apply a different material to the edges (the border between the face or the back and the sides).
Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 3. Click the Text button at the top of the Inspector pane to open the Text inspector. 4. In the Material section of the 3D Text section, click the Material pop-up menu and choose Multiple. Five preview thumbnails appear, representing the five facets of 3D text: Front, Front Edge, Side, Back Edge, and Back. 5.
To apply a custom material to a facet: Click the name of a facet to show its material layers, then adjust those material layers or add new ones. For more information, see Modify material layers. The facet is updated to display the new material—both in your 3D title in the Viewer and in the Material preview thumbnail in the Text inspector. Apply a material to multiple facets simultaneously 1. Select a 3D title in the Timeline. 2.
The selected facets are highlighted in blue. 4. Click the preview thumbnail for any of the highlighted facets, then choose a new preset material from the pop-up menu. The facets are updated to display the new material—both in your 3D title in the Viewer and in the preview thumbnails in the inspector. The facets are also automatically linked together so that further changes to any of them affect all of them.
1. With a 3D title selected in the Timeline and the Material popup menu in the Text inspector set to Multiple, Shift-click the names of two or more facets you want to link. 2. Click the broken link icon on one of the selected facets. The selected facets are linked and display blue active link icons . 3. To add another facet to the group, click its broken link icon. The additional facet is linked to the group. Now when you select any facet in the linked group, all linked facets are highlighted.
Revert from multiple facets to a single facet In the Material section of the 3D Text section of the Text inspector, click the Material pop-up menu and choose Single. The five preview thumbnails are replaced by a single preview thumbnail, and all facets revert to the material that was applied to the selected facet. Any modifications you made to materials on other facets are permanently discarded.
You can adjust the parameter controls in each of these material layers to modify the texture applied to your 3D title.
section of the Text inspector, to modify the basic surface texture of 3D text. Depending on the option you choose in the Substance pop-up menu, different parameter controls become available. Substance: A pop-up menu to set a substance type: Concrete, Fabric, Metal, Plastic, Stone, Wood, Flat, or Generic. When Substance is set to Concrete Type: A pop-up menu to choose a style of concrete (Aged, Colored, Smooth, and so on).
Depth: A slider to adjust the depth of surface irregularities in the concrete substance. Placement: A group of controls (available when you click the disclosure triangle) to set how the concrete pattern is applied to the text object. For details, see Placement controls. When Substance is set to Fabric Type: A pop-up menu to choose a style of fabric (Denim, Leather, Wool, and so on). Roughness: A slider to adjust how raised and uneven the fabric pattern appears.
Steel, and so on). There is also a Custom option that allows you to use a custom gradient for the metal’s reflection. Shininess: A slider to adjust how reflective the surface appears. Thickness: A slider to adjust the apparent thickness of the metal surface when it’s applied on top of another substance layer. You can control this effect more precisely by clicking the disclosure triangle and adjusting the Base and Highlight sliders.
Texture Depth: A slider (available when Type is set to Textured) to adjust how visible the texture appears on the object. Placement: A group of controls (available when Type is set to Textured) to determine how the texture is applied to the text object. For details, see Placement controls. When Substance is set to Stone Type: A pop-up menu to choose a style of stone (Limestone, Granite, Slate, and so on). Depth: A slider to adjust the depth of surface irregularities in the stone substance.
Type: A pop-up menu to choose a style of wood (Ash, Bamboo, Walnut, and so on). Grain Depth: A slider to adjust the depth of grain in the wood substance. Placement: A group of controls (available when you click the disclosure triangle) to set how the wood pattern is applied to the text object. For details, see Placement controls. When Substance is set to Flat Use the Flat substance type to create an object that has depth but is unaffected by light or shadows. Flat creates a “2.
surface appear more transparent, or drag to the right to make the surface appear more opaque. Enable Edge: A group of controls (available when you click the disclosure triangle) that creates a dynamic effect for how edges are rendered depending on the relative position of the camera. As the text changes position (relative to the camera), the shading changes. You can enable or disable these controls by selecting or deselecting the checkbox to the left of the Enable Edge disclosure triangle.
The Generic substance type is used by some of the preset materials available in Final Cut Pro. When Substance is set to Generic, a neutral surface is generated, to which a solid color or gradient can be applied. This substance type is usually used in conjunction with the Custom Specular or Custom Bump finish layer to create unique looks. Surface: A pop-up menu to choose whether the surface displays a color or a gradient. Color: A color control available when Surface is set to Color.
Paint controls Use the Paint controls, in the Material section of the 3D Text section of the Text inspector, to modify the effect of a coat of paint being applied to the 3D title. Depending on the option you choose in the Paint pop-up menu, different parameter controls become available. Paint: A pop-up menu to set a paint type: Smooth Paint, Textured Paint, Watercolor, or Reflective Paint.
Sheen: A slider to adjust the apparent shininess of the paint surface. Opacity: A slider to adjust the transparency of the paint. Drag to the left to make the paint more transparent, or drag to the right to make it more opaque. When Paint is set to Textured Paint Color Type: A pop-up menu to choose whether the paint is a solid color or a gradient. Paint Color: A color control (available when Color Type is set to Color) to set the color of the paint.
Paint Color: A control to set the color of the paint. Sheen: A slider to adjust the apparent shininess of the paint surface. Opacity: A slider to adjust the visibility of the paint. Drag to the left to make the paint more transparent, or drag to the right to make it more opaque. Placement: A group of controls (available when you click the disclosure triangle) to set how the watercolor pattern is applied to the text object. For details, see Placement controls.
object. Shininess: A slider (available when Paint Job is set to Custom) to set how mirror-like the surface appears. Face Opacity: A slider (available when Paint Job is set to Custom) to set how transparent the paint effect is on surfaces that are more perpendicular to the camera. Edge Opacity: A slider (available when Paint Job is set to Custom) to set how transparent the paint effect appears on surfaces that are more parallel to the camera.
When Finish is set to Polish Reflectivity: A slider to adjust the brightness of reflections that appear in the surface of the object. This value can be set above 100% to create a high dynamic range (HDR) type effect. Glossiness: A slider to adjust how dull or sharp reflections are. A setting of zero creates a blurry reflection, and a setting of 100 creates a sharp, mirror-like reflection.
surface. Note: The enamel setting effectively negates any bumpiness on layers beneath it (just like the effect of adding enamel to a rough surface in the real world). For example, if you place this layer over a wood layer, the grain depth of the wood is ignored no matter high you set that parameter. When Finish is set to Brushed Type: A pop-up menu to choose a brush pattern: Linear, Circular, Overlapping Circular, or Swirls.
When Finish is set to Textured Type: A pop-up menu to choose a texture: Combed, Cracked, Eggshell, and so on. Reflectivity: A slider to adjust the brightness of reflections that appear in the surface of the object. This value can be set above 100% to create a high dynamic range (HDR) type effect. Glossiness: A slider to adjust how dull or sharp reflections are. A setting of zero creates a blurry reflection, and a setting of 100 creates a sharp, mirror-like reflection.
Environment: A slider to adjust the amount of environmental light reflected in the object’s surface. For more information about these lighting options, see Lighting overview. Intensity Image: A checkbox selected by default for certain material presets (such as those in the Grunge category) that use a built-in image as an “intensity map” in a Custom Specular finish layer. An intensity map makes brighter areas of the image reflect more light, and darker areas reflect less light.
Wrap Mode: A pop-up menu to choose what happens if the image is smaller than the text object. Choose one of the following options: None: The image is applied once, and areas of the text object that exceed the scope of the image are not covered. Repeat: The image is applied and reapplied as often as necessary, creating a pattern to fill the area beyond the scope of the original image.
overview. Shininess Image: A checkbox selected by default for certain material presets (such as those in the Grunge category) that use a built-in image as a “shininess map” in a Custom Specular finish layer. A shininess map controls how sharp or mirror-like the object appears. Note: The Shininess Image controls in Final Cut Pro are available for a limited set of material presets only.
Repeat: The image is applied and reapplied as often as necessary, creating a pattern to fill the area beyond the scope of the original image. Mirror: The image is applied to the text object, then applied again in an inverted, reversed orientation to cover the area beyond the scope of the original image. Placement: A group of controls (available when you click the disclosure triangle) to set how the shininess map is applied to the text object. For details, see Placement controls.
following controls: Geometry: A pop-up menu to choose whether the anisotropic effect is linear or cylindrical. Placement: A pop-up menu to choose whether the anisotropic effect placement is independent or shared. For details, see Placement controls. Place On: A pop-up menu to choose whether the anisotropic effect is applied to individual glyphs (letters) in a text object or to the entire text object.
Depending on the option you choose in the Distress pop-up menu, different parameter controls become available. Distress: A pop-up to choose a distress type: Scratches, Stains, Dirt, Dents, Wavy, Bumps, Perforated, Wrinkles, or Custom Bumps. When Distress is set to Scratches Type: A pop-up menu to choose a scratch pattern. Depth: A slider to adjust the apparent depth of the scratches.
the text object. For details, see Placement controls. When Distress is set to Stains Type: A pop-up menu to choose a stain pattern. Opacity: A slider to adjust the transparency of the stain pattern. Placement: A group of controls (available when you click the disclosure triangle) to set how the stain pattern is applied to the text object. For details, see Placement controls. When Distress is set to Dirt Type: A pop-up menu to choose a dirt pattern.
When Distress is set to Wavy Depth: A slider to adjust the apparent depth of the wave pattern. Placement: A group of controls (available when you click the disclosure triangle) to set how the wave pattern is applied to the text object. For details, see Placement controls. When Distress is set to Bumps Type: A pop-up menu to choose a bump pattern. Depth: A slider to adjust the apparent depth of the bump pattern.
Type: A pop-up menu to choose a wrinkle pattern. Depth: A slider to adjust the apparent depth of the wrinkles. Placement: A group of controls (available when you click the disclosure triangle) to set how the wrinkle pattern is applied to the text object. For details, see Placement controls. When Distress is set to Custom Bumps Note: The Custom Bumps distress type is available in a limited set of preset materials that use a built-in image as a bump map.
Fill: A pop-up menu to choose whether the light emitted is based on a solid color or a gradient. Color: A color control (available when Fill is set to Color) to select the color to be emitted. Gradient: A gradient control (available when Fill is set to Gradient) to create a custom gradient for the colors to be emitted. Intensity: A slider to adjust the strength of the light emitted from the text object. Coverage: A slider to adjust how visible the emit layer is, based on the opacity of the layer.
If you want to apply placement settings to more than one layer at once, you can designate the placement for those layers as Shared. In that case, Shared Placement controls appear in the Material section of the Text inspector and replace the Placement controls for the individual layers. Layers that have Placement set to Independent are not affected by the Shared Placement settings.
Placement: A pop-up menu to choose whether the mapping of the image is independent, meaning that the controls below affect the placement of the image, or whether the placement controls are shared with the other images being placed on the selected 3D title. When Placement is set to Shared, the rest of the placement parameters in the material layer are hidden, because the layer is now controlled by the Shared Placement settings in the Options section.
to reveal separate X and Y scale sliders and the Scale With Font Size checkbox (described below). Scale With Font Size: A checkbox (available when you click the Scale disclosure triangle) that, when selected, causes the size of the applied image or texture to change proportionally when you modify the font size of the text object. Rotation: A dial to rotate the mapped image or texture around the Z axis. Click the disclosure triangle to reveal separate dials for rotating around the X, Y, and Z axes.
You can create variations of the patterns Final Cut Pro uses to place textures, effects, and images onto text objects in your 3D titles. In some cases you may want the placement of the applied pattern to vary among the characters in your titles. The Random Seed feature is effectively a random-pattern generator for this purpose. Randomize: A pop-up menu to choose whether to apply the randomness to just the sides, just the front and back, or all facets.
to local lighting conditions and the surrounding environment. The built-in lighting and environment controls greatly simplify the process of creating natural-looking 3D titles. Also, because reflectivity is a fundamental aspect of what makes three-dimensional objects appear realistic, Final Cut Pro allows you to control what’s reflected in 3D titles. You can choose from a range of preset environments, or you can create your own custom environment.
Modify the lighting style 1. Select a 3D title in the Timeline. 2. To open the Inspector pane, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 3. Click the Text button at the top of the Inspector pane to open the Text inspector. 4. In the Lighting section of the 3D Text section, click the Lighting Style pop-up menu and choose a lighting style.
Tip: In the case of the Backlit option, default environmental light will cause some illumination to fall on the front surface of the title. To create an effect where the front of the object appears entirely unlit (like the Backlit preview sphere), deselect the Environment checkbox. 5. Drag the Intensity slider to increase or decrease the amount of illumination. The following examples illustrate a few selected lighting styles using the default Soft Box Above lighting environment set to 80% intensity.
For a detailed list of all 3D text lighting controls, see Lighting and environment controls. Control how 3D titles cast shadows In the real world, complex objects often cast shadows on parts of themselves. You can simulate this effect in Final Cut Pro using the Self Shadows controls. The following examples show what 3D text looks like with Self Shadows turned on and off. Both examples use the Diagonal Left lighting style.
1. Select a 3D title in the Timeline. 2. In the Lighting section of the 3D Text section of the Text inspector, select the Self Shadows checkbox. Note: If Lighting Style is set to Off, the Self Shadows checkbox is hidden. With self-shadows enabled, one part of a 3D title casts a shadow on another part of the same title (depending on the light source position). Although this effect can add realism to a text object, in some cases it may add unwanted or distracting shadows. 3.
Modify the lighting environment Reflective objects such as 3D text need something to reflect. You can choose what’s reflected in the surface of 3D titles by enabling environment lighting. Environment lighting projects an image onto the 3D title to simulate a reflected world. Because environment lighting emulates the reflective properties of real-world objects, its effects are more noticeable on 3D text with shiny surfaces. The following examples show different lighting environments.
Set the lighting environment for a 3D title 1. Select a 3D title in the Timeline. 2. To open the Inspector pane, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 3. Click the Text button at the top of the Inspector pane to open the Text inspector. 4. In the Lighting section of the 3D Text section, click the Environment disclosure triangle to show the Environment controls. 5.
Tip: You may need to rotate the 3D title around the X or Y axis to see different parts of the reflected environment. For information about rotating a text object, see Rotate a title in 3D space with onscreen controls.
Drag the Rotation dial to change the angle at which the environment image appears reflected in the 3D title. Tip: By default, environments rotate around the Y axis. To rotate around the other axes, expand the Rotation controls and adjust the dials. Drag the Contrast slider to the right to create a sharper difference between the light and dark areas in the reflected image. Drag the Saturation slider to the left to reduce the amount of color visible in the reflected image.
the Text inspector to modify 3D text lighting. Lighting controls Lighting Style: A pop-up menu to choose a preset lighting style for the selected 3D title. Off: Disables the 3D text lighting controls. Choose this if you want to light your 3D title using environment lighting only. Note: You may also want to disable environment lighting. See Modify the lighting environment. Standard: Illuminates the text object from the front, from the left, and from the right.
Note: By default, environmental light causes additional illumination to fall on the front surface of the text object. To create a backlighting effect where the front of the text object appears entirely unlit, deselect the checkbox for the Environment controls to disable environment lighting. For more information, see Modify the lighting environment. Below: Illuminates the text object from the bottom. Diagonal Left: Illuminates the text object from the upper-left corner.
appear. Environment controls Environment: An activation checkbox that, when selected, enables a reflective lighting effect so that 3D text appears to reflect lighting from a surrounding environment. Click the disclosure triangle to reveal additional adjustment controls: Type: A pop-up menu to choose one of the preset environments. Intensity: A slider to adjust the strength of the environmental light. Rotation: A dial that controls the angle at which the environment image is mapped onto the object.
just as you would to 2D titles. However, the results always appear in only two dimensions. Add a glow effect to a 3D title 1. Select a 3D title in the Timeline. 2. To open the Inspector pane, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 3. Click the Text button at the top of the Inspector pane to open the Text inspector. 4. Select the checkbox to the left of the Glow heading (near the bottom of the Text inspector).
image. Add a drop shadow effect to a 3D title 1. Select a 3D title in the Timeline. 2. In the Text inspector, select the checkbox to the left of the Drop Shadow heading (near the bottom of the inspector). The checkbox is highlighted blue, and a default drop shadow is applied to the title. 3. Double-click the Drop Shadow heading to display parameter controls, and adjust Color, Opacity, and other settings to customize the drop shadow effect.
Configure a Ken Burns effect to add life to your still images (and video clips as well) You can use more than one of the built-in effects at the same time. For example, you can use Transform to reduce the image’s size and position, Trim to remove a portion of the video, and Distort to give the video a skewed look. You can animate any of these effects so that they change as the clip plays. For example, you can have an image shrink and move offscreen.
Controls in the Viewer and Video inspector allow you to adjust this effect. However, some controls are found in only one or the other. 1. Select a clip in the Timeline. 2. To access the Transform controls, do one of the following: Choose Transform from the pop-up menu in the lower-left corner of the Viewer (or press Shift-T). Control-click in the Viewer and choose Transform from the shortcut menu. 3.
Tip: For finer precision when rotating the image, drag the rotation handle farther away from the anchor point in the center. 4. Use the Transform controls in the Video inspector as follows: Position X and Y: Use these to move the image left and right (X) and up and down (Y). Rotation: Use this to rotate the image around its anchor point. Scale: Use this to change the image’s size. Anchor X and Y: Use these to move the image’s center point. This defines the point that the image rotates around.
5. When you are finished adjusting the effect and no longer need the onscreen controls, click Done. You can animate the effect and have it appear over a background. For details on working with built-in effects, see Work with built-in effects. Trim clips Trim controls allow you to independently trim each of the image edges, creating a window look.
Control-click in the Viewer and choose Crop from the shortcut menu. 3. Click the Trim button at the bottom of the Viewer. 4. To adjust the effect using the onscreen controls: Blue handles at each corner: Drag these to adjust the position of two trim window sides at the same time. Blue handles in the middle of each side: Drag these to independently adjust the position of each side. Anywhere inside the window: Drag anywhere inside the window to adjust its position. 5.
the onscreen controls, click Done. You can animate the effect and have it appear over a background. For details on working with built-in effects, see Work with built-in effects. Crop clips The Crop effect makes it easy to remove unwanted areas of the image. It automatically expands the cropped image so that it fills the screen. Adjust the Crop effect 1. Select a clip in the Timeline. 2.
3. Click the Crop button at the bottom of the Viewer. 4. To adjust the effect using the onscreen controls: Blue handles at each corner: Drag these to adjust the crop of that corner. The cropped image always maintains the original aspect ratio. Anywhere inside the window: Drag anywhere inside the crop window to adjust its position. 5. To individually adjust each edge using the Crop area of the Video inspector, use the Crop controls.
6. Click Done to have the crop applied and see the image zoomed to fill the screen. You can animate the effect, creating the illusion of a pan and zoom camera move (effectively, a manual Ken Burns effect). For details on working with built-in effects, see Work with built-in effects. Pan and zoom clips with the Ken Burns effect The Ken Burns effect creates a pan and zoom effect using the start and end positions you define.
you create a Ken Burns effect is automatically smoothed so that the movement accelerates slowly as the animation starts, and decelerates slowly as the clip comes to rest at the end of the animation. This simulates the effects of friction and inertia that occur in the real world. In visual effects software, this trick is commonly called ease out and ease in.
Two rectangles appear in the Viewer: a green one that defines the position and size for the start of the clip and a red one that defines the position and size for the end of the clip. The default start and end settings result in a small zoom to the center of the image. 4. To choose the part of the image that appears at the start of the effect, drag the green handles to change the crop size of the image, and drag the window to set its position. 5.
6. To have the clip with the effect play in a loop, click the Play Loop button. 7. To exchange the start and end positions, click the Swap button. 8. Click Done. Customize the smoothness of a Ken Burns animation By default, a Ken Burns animation performs both smoothing operations (Ease Out and Ease In), but you can customize the effect. 1. In the Timeline, select a clip with the Ken Burns effect applied. 2.
Tip: Use the Crop effect and intermediate keyframes to create a Ken Burns–style effect that follows a more complicated path. For details on working with built-in effects, see Work with built-in effects. Skew a clip’s perspective The Distort effect is similar to the Transform effect, except that you can drag each of the corners independently of the others, allowing you to create a skewed look or add a 3D perspective to the image.
Adjust the Distort effect 1. Select a clip in the Timeline. 2. To access the Distort controls, do one of the following: Choose Distort from the pop-up menu in the lower-left corner of the Viewer (or press Option-D). Control-click in the Viewer and choose Distort from the shortcut menu. 3.
4. To individually adjust each corner using the Video inspector, use the Distort controls. 5. When you are finished adjusting the effect and no longer need the onscreen controls, click Done. You can animate the effect and have it appear over a background. For details on working with built-in effects, see Work with built-in effects. Work with built-in effects Following are ways you can work with built-in effects.
1. Select the clip with the effect in the Timeline. 2. Do one of the following: To turn off the effect and retain its settings: Click the blue checkbox next to the effect used (Transform, Crop, or Distort) in the Video inspector. You can click the checkbox again to turn the effect back on, making it easy to compare how the clip looks with and without the effect. To return all values for that effect to their default state: Click the Reset button .
Animate built-in effects Use keyframes to have the effect’s settings change as the clip plays. This applies to all built-in effects except the Ken Burns effect. 1. Select a clip in the Timeline. 2. Choose the effect you want to animate from the pop-up menu in the lower-left corner of the Viewer. For this example, choose Transform (or press Shift-T). 3. Place the Timeline’s playhead at the start of the clip. 4. Adjust the effect’s onscreen controls to set the start position.
5. Click the Add Keyframe button in the upper part of the Viewer. 6. Move the playhead to the end of the clip. 7. Adjust the effect’s controls to set the end position. A keyframe is automatically added. Additionally, for Transform effects, a line showing the image’s path appears.
8. To finish, click Done in the upper-right corner of the Viewer. When you play the clip, the video moves smoothly between the keyframes, creating an animated effect. You can actually add multiple keyframes by moving the playhead to a new position and changing the effect’s controls. For more information on working with keyframes, see Video animation overview. Smooth position keyframes You can modify the shape of a clip’s path in the Viewer by setting individual keyframes to be smooth.
1. In the Viewer, select a clip that has keyframes applied. To learn how to add keyframes to a clip, see “Animate built-in effect,” above. 2. Click the Transform button to display the position keyframes. 3. Control-click any individual keyframe, and choose an option from the shortcut menu: To convert the keyframe to a smooth keyframe: Choose Smooth. Bezier handles appear, and you can drag those handles to control the curved shape of the path. To convert the keyframe to a corner point: Choose Linear.
1. Select a clip in the Timeline and put the playhead at its start. 2. Choose Transform from the pop-up menu in the lower-left corner of the Viewer (or press Shift-T), and drag the onscreen controls to reduce the image’s size and place it in the upperleft corner. 3. Click the Add Keyframe button. 4. Move the Timeline playhead to the middle of the clip. 5. Use the Transform onscreen controls to move the image to the upper-right corner.
bottom center. A keyframe is automatically added, and the red line extends to this new point. 8. To jump between the keyframes, click the white squares along the red line. The first and last keyframes have white arrows. By default, the red line indicates a smooth path (indicated by how it curves). 9. To control the curve of the path, click the starting or middle keyframe and drag the curve handles. 10.
Linear: Use for direct, non-curved paths in and out of that keyframe. Smooth: Use for curved paths in and out of that keyframe, providing a more natural movement. Delete Point: Use to delete that keyframe. Lock Point: Use to prevent that keyframe from being adjusted. It changes to Unlock Point once set. Disable Point: Use to ignore that keyframe, but keep the keyframe in place in case you want to use it later. It changes to Enable Point once set.
If the clip is already in the primary storyline, drag it above the primary storyline, positioning it over the clip you want to be the background. The result is a composited image.
For more information about working with connected clips, see Add storylines. For more information about compositing clips, see Compositing overview. Add and adjust clip effects Clip effects overview In addition to the built-in effects, Final Cut Pro includes a wide variety of video effects that you can apply to your project’s video clips. Many of the effects modify the look of your video, from adding a blur or glow to severe distortions. Some effects overlay camcorder or timecode graphics.
see Save video effects presets and Save audio effects presets in the Effects Browser. You can also use effect masking controls available in most video clip effects to limit the area of the video frame that is affected by a video effect or color correction. Additionally, many video effects can be opened and changed in Motion, allowing you to create specialized versions for use in your projects. Add effects to your project You add effects to clips in your project using the Effects Browser.
To preview changing the effect’s primary control: Hold down the Option key while moving the pointer over a video effect thumbnail. To filter the list of effects that appear: Type text in the Effects Browser search field. 3. Do one of the following: Drag the effect to the Timeline clip to which you want to apply it. Double-click the effect thumbnail to apply it to the selected clip. You can now adjust the effect.
2. Locate the effect in the Video inspector or Audio inspector. In the above example, there are several settings for the Censor effect. Many effects also have adjustments that appear in the Viewer, known as onscreen controls. Tip: For audio effects, you can click the Controls button (to the right of the effect’s name) to show a custom control window. 3. Select effect parameters and adjust their settings as needed.
Many effect parameters can be adjusted in the Video Animation Editor. Additionally, you can set these parameters to fade in and out, allowing you to gradually apply the effect’s settings. 1. Select the clip with the video effect in the Timeline. 2. Choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V). The effect appears as one of the animations in the Video Animation Editor above the clip. You can click its checkbox to turn the effect off and on.
This applies only to effect adjustments that have a single value. An icon appears on the right side of the effect’s section if the adjustment can be expanded. 4. To have the effect’s setting fade in and out of the clip, drag the handles on either end of the effect. You can also drag the horizontal line up and down to control the effect’s selected setting (Amount, in the above example). Any keyframes you add also appear. Show the audio effects applied to a clip 1.
The audio effect appears as one of the animations in the Audio Animation Editor. You can click its green checkbox to turn the effect off and on. Use masks to define the shape of a video effect Effect masking overview Using the masking tools built into most clip effects in Final Cut Pro, you can isolate and control which areas of the video image are affected by the clip effects, including color corrections.
For information about using traditional masking tools to create areas of transparency in an image, see Masking overview. Note: Clip effects in the Keying and Masks categories in the Effects Browser do not have the built-in effect masking tools described in this section. Apply a shape mask to a video effect You can define the area of a video effect, including a color correction, using the powerful shape-masking tool.
You can add multiple masks to define multiple areas, and you can also animate the shapes so that they follow an area while a camera pans or an object moves as the clip plays. Apply a shape mask to a video effect 1. Add a clip to your project and select it in the Timeline. 2. Position the playhead in the Timeline so that your clip appears in the Viewer. 3. Add an effect to the Timeline clip from the Effects Browser.
5. In the Effects section of the Video inspector, move the pointer over the effect name and click the Apply Effect Masks button . 6. In the pop-up menu that appears, choose Add Shape Mask. The onscreen controls appear in the Viewer, superimposed over the video image. By default, the shape mask is set to a partially feathered circle in the center of the frame. The Shape Mask parameter appears in the effect’s section of the Video inspector. 7. Use the onscreen controls to adjust the mask shape.
To position the shape: Drag the center. To adjust the shape’s width or height: Drag any of the four handles at the 90-degree points (top, bottom, left, or right) of the inner circle. You can hold down the Shift key while dragging to force all sides to scale proportionally. To control the roundness of the shape: Drag the handle to the left of the inner circle’s top handle. To rotate the shape: Drag the rotation handle (extending from the center).
Apply a color mask to a video effect You can create a color mask to apply a video effect, including a color correction, to a particular color in an image, or to exclude a color from the effect. For example, you could use a color mask to mute a brightly colored shirt in the background that distracts attention from a shot’s main subject. Apply a color mask to a video effect 1. Add a clip to your project and select it in the Timeline. 2.
5. In the Effects section of the Video inspector, move the pointer over the effect name and click the Apply Effect Masks button . 6. In the pop-up menu that appears, choose Add Color Mask. The Color Mask parameter appears in the same section of the Video inspector, and the pointer changes to the eyedropper tool. 7. In the Viewer, position the eyedropper on a color in the image that you want to isolate, and drag to select the color.
As you drag, two concentric circles appear. The size of the outer circle determines the range of color that is included in the color mask. As you change the outer circle size, the image becomes monochrome except for the color you’re selecting. You can drag a new selection circle as many times as you like to try for better results. Note: When you stop dragging, the effect is applied to the area you selected.
Softness slider, hold down the Command key. 10. To view the color mask alpha channel, click View Masks (next to the effect name). The mask’s alpha channel appears in the Viewer. White indicates fully opaque mask areas, black indicates areas outside the mask, and levels of gray indicate transparent mask areas. Combine multiple masks on a video effect When defining the area of a clip effect, including a color correction, you may find that it’s impossible to create the mask shape you need using only one mask.
modes. For example, you can add mask shapes together to create a combined mask, subtract a mask shape from other masks, and intersect masks. You can add an unlimited number of effects to a clip, but the following rules dictate how you can combine multiple masks within a single effect: You can add an unlimited number of shape masks to an effect. You can add only one color mask to an effect. Mask blend modes interact within a single effect—not across multiple effects. Add, subtract, and intersect masks 1.
5. In the Effects section of the Video inspector, add a shape mask or a color mask to the effect. 6. To add an additional mask to the effect, move the pointer over the effect name in the Video inspector and click the Apply Effect Masks button that appears to the right of the effect name. The new mask appears below the effect name in the Video inspector, with the blend mode to the right.
Subtract: Removes the effect from the area inside the mask shape, including areas that overlap with other masks. Intersect: Applies the effect to any area inside the mask shape that overlaps with other masks set to either Add or Intersect.
Note: At any time, you can invert all masks for a given effect. For more information, see Invert effect masks for a clip. Reorder masks The order in which you apply shape and color masks can affect the final output. The Add, Subtract, and Intersect modes operate sequentially, starting at the top of the mask list in the Video inspector. By default, new shape masks appear at the top of the list in Add mode, and new color masks appear at the bottom of the list in Intersect mode.
2. To change the mask order, drag masks up or down in the list. For an example of how you might use shape masks set to the Intersect blend mode to isolate one area of a color mask, see Add shape masks to a color mask. Invert effect masks for a clip In most cases, you use the built-in masking capability of a video effect, including a color correction, to limit the effect to a specific area or color. However, you can also invert your mask to exclude a specific area or color from the effect.
Invert effect masks for a clip 1. Position the playhead in the Timeline so that your clip appears in the Viewer. 2. To open the Video inspector, choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). 3. Add an effect to the Timeline clip from the Effects Browser. 4. Apply a shape mask or a color mask to the effect. 5. To make the mask alpha channel visible, click View Masks (next to the effect name). The mask’s alpha channel appears in the Viewer.
6. In the Effects section of the Video inspector, move the pointer over the effect name, click the Apply Effect Masks button , and choose Invert Masks from the menu that appears. All mask selections for the effect are inverted.
follows the movement of an onscreen object. Animate a shape mask 1. Add a shape mask to a video effect. 2. In the Timeline, move the playhead to the frame where you want the shape to begin moving. 3. In the Viewer, position the shape mask at its starting position. 4. If the Video inspector isn’t already open, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 5.
A keyframe is added at the position of the playhead. To see the keyframe in the Timeline, press Control-V to open the Video Animation Editor. The keyframe appears in the Color section as a diamond at the playhead position. 6. Move the playhead to the next point in the clip where you want to define the shape mask’s position, reposition the shape mask, and add the second keyframe. 7. To animate the shape mask throughout the clip, continue adding keyframes until you’ve defined the shape movement you want.
You can apply multiple clip effects to a Timeline clip. The order that you apply them can affect the final output. For example, applying the Artifacts effect, which by default adds random white circles to the video, before the Aged Paper effect results in the white circles also being aged; applying it after Aged Paper results in the circles remaining white. You can easily change the order of the clip effects in the Video inspector, Audio inspector, Video Animation Editor, or Audio Animation Editor.
Change video and audio clip effect order using the Video Animation or Audio Animation Editor 1. Select a clip in the Timeline that has multiple video or audio clip effects applied, and do one of the following: To see the video effects: Choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V). To see the audio effects: Choose Clip > Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A). 2. In the Video Animation Editor or Audio Animation Editor, drag the effects to change their order.
Copy effects and attributes between clips Final Cut Pro offers two ways to copy effects between clips. The Paste Attributes command lets you copy selected clip attributes to another clip and provides more control over individual effects, settings, and keyframes. The Paste Effects command lets you copy all of a clip’s effects to another clip and is the fastest way to copy effects and attributes. You can also copy and paste individual keyframes from one parameter to another. See Copy and paste keyframes.
You can copy a clip’s attributes, such as settings and effects, from one clip to another. For example, you can copy video crop settings, audio pan settings, or any effects you’ve added to a clip, including any keyframe adjustments. The Paste Attributes feature allows you to select which clip attributes you want to apply. 1. Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). 2.
4. If you made any keyframe adjustments to the source clip, choose either Maintain Timing or Stretch to Fit from the Keyframes pop-up menu. If you choose Stretch to Fit, Final Cut Pro adjusts the keyframes in time to match the duration of the destination clip. 5. Click Paste. Copy all of a clip’s effects to another clip 1. In the Timeline, select the clip you want to copy the effects from, and choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). 2.
destination clip. For more control over individual attributes, follow the instructions in “Copy selected clip attributes to another clip,” above. Save video effects presets You can save any combination of video effects and video effect parameter settings as a video effects preset, which appears in the Effects Browser and functions like any other video effect. You can create an effects preset from any combination of built-in effects and clip effects.
The Save Video Effects Preset window appears, with any applied or adjusted effects selected in the Attributes list. 4. Enter a name for the new preset in the Name field. 5. Click the Category pop-up menu and choose an Effects Browser category in which to store the new preset. 6. In the Attributes list, select the video effects you want to include in the preset. 7. If you made any keyframe adjustments to the source clip, select either Maintain or Stretch to Fit.
8. Click Save. The new video effects preset appears in the Effects Browser category you chose, ready to be applied to clips in the Timeline in the same way as any other video effect. To apply the preset to a clip, see Add effects to your project. Share a video effects preset 1. In the Effects Browser, Control-click the effects preset you want to share, and choose Reveal in Finder from the shortcut menu. 2. In the Finder, select the effects preset file and choose File > Compress.
Presets/ 7. If Final Cut Pro is open, quit and reopen it. The transferred video effects preset appears in the Effects Browser, in the same category as on the original Mac. Copy and paste keyframes You can copy and paste individual keyframes from one parameter to another. This allows you to move or duplicate a specific effect (or part of an effect) from one clip to another. For example, you can copy and paste an animated color correction effect or an audio filter adjustment.
Note: Some parameters’ keyframes can be pasted only onto a similar parameter. For example, you can paste audio volume keyframes from one clip to another clip’s volume animation, but you cannot paste those keyframes to a clip’s opacity animation. Keyframes are always pasted beginning at the location of the playhead or skimmer, and a specific parameter must be selected before you choose the Paste command. If the playhead or skimmer is not currently over the selected clip, no keyframes are pasted.
To show the Audio Animation Editor: Choose Clip > Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A). 3. Double-click the graph of the parameter containing the keyframes you want to copy. The graph expands, revealing keyframes arranged along a curve. Note: Some parameters allow you to select keyframes without expanding the graph. 4. Shift-click the keyframes you want to copy or drag a selection rectangle around them. The selected keyframes are highlighted in yellow. 5.
to paste the keyframes to. When selected, the graph becomes highlighted. 8. Position the playhead or skimmer on the frame where you want the new keyframes to begin. 9. Choose Edit > Keyframes > Paste (or press Option-Shift-V). The keyframes are added to the selected parameter. Copy or move keyframes from one parameter to another 1. In the Video Animation Editor or Audio Animation Editor, select the keyframes you want to copy.
copy or move the keyframes to. For more on using Solo Animation, see Adjust video effects using keyframes. Note: Some parameters’ keyframes can be pasted only onto a similar parameter. For example, you can paste audio volume keyframes from one clip to another clip’s volume animation, but you cannot paste those keyframes to a clip’s opacity animation. 4. Position the playhead or skimmer on the frame where you want the pasted keyframes to begin. 5. Choose Edit > Keyframes > Paste (or press Option-Shift-V).
the effect, and click its checkbox. Select the effect in the Video inspector or Audio inspector, and click its blue checkbox. The effect no longer affects the video or audio. You can click the checkbox again to turn the effect back on, with its settings still intact. Remove an effect from a clip 1. Select the clip with the effect in the Timeline. 2.
Important: The following steps require you to have Motion 5 installed on your computer. Modify a video effect in Motion 1. Click the Effects button in the toolbar (or press Command-5). 2. In the Effects Browser, Control-click the effect you want to modify, and choose “Open a copy in Motion” from the shortcut menu. Motion opens and the effect’s project appears. 3. Modify the effect’s project. For more information, see Motion Help at http://help.apple.com/motion. 4.
Add generators Generators overview Final Cut Pro includes a number of video clips, called generators, that you can use in your project for a variety of purposes. For example, you can use generators to add the following elements: Placeholder content: If your project is missing content that hasn’t yet been shot or delivered, you can add a placeholder clip. The placeholder generator allows you to add a clip to the Timeline with a suitable silhouette to represent the missing content. See Use a placeholder.
Generated placeholders are useful in many situations where you want to fill a gap in the project with something that provides a hint about what the final content will include. You can configure placeholder clips to represent a wide variety of standard shots, such as close-ups, groups, wide shots, and so on. Insert and configure a placeholder clip 1. Drag the playhead in the Timeline to the point where you want to add the placeholder clip. 2.
5. Select View Notes to add a text area in the Viewer where you can type text that pertains to this clip. If you prefer to fill a gap in your Timeline with a blank clip, you can insert a gap clip. For more information, see Insert clips in your project. Use a timecode counter When sending your project for review, it can be useful to superimpose timecode over it, making it easier for the reviewer to precisely specify sections when providing feedback. Insert and configure a timecode counter 1.
2. Drag the Timecode generator above the primary storyline. Usually the Timecode generator clip is placed at the start of the project, but you can place it anywhere you want it to appear and adjust its length to match the project’s length. 3. Configure the Timecode settings in the Generator inspector. You can click the Reset button default settings.
Insert and configure a shape 1. Open the Generators Browser by clicking the Generators button in the toolbar. 2. Drag the Shapes generator above the primary storyline so that it is over the video clip you want the shape to appear over. The default shape is a white circle. 3. Choose the shape to use from the Shape pop-up menu in the Generator inspector. 4. Set the shape’s fill color, outline color and width, and drop shadow. You can click the Reset button default settings.
Using these effects also makes it possible to animate the shape. For example, you can have an arrow follow a person across a room. 6. To make the shape partially transparent, select it in the Timeline and adjust its Opacity setting in the Video inspector. Use a background Many of the generators provide a general background over which you can place built-in effects, titles, keys, and clips with an alpha channel. Some are solid colors while others are textures such as wood or stone.
1. Drag the playhead in the Timeline to the point where you want to add the background clip. 2. Open the Generators Browser by clicking the Generators button in the toolbar. 3. In the Generators Browser, double-click the background thumbnail you want to use. 4. Select the background clip in the Timeline. 5. Configure the background (if applicable) using the settings in the Generator inspector.
Many of the generators were created using Motion, an Apple application designed to work with Final Cut Pro. To further customize the generators, you can open them in Motion, make modifications, and save the changes as a new file that appears in the Generators Browser. Important: The following steps require you to have Motion 5 installed on your computer. Modify a generator or background in Motion 1. Open the Generators Browser by clicking the Generators button in the toolbar. 2.
Note: If you choose File > Save, the generator is saved using the same name with “copy” appended to its end. About themes Final Cut Pro includes a number of generators, transitions, and titles, grouped into themes. The generators, transitions, and titles in each theme use related shapes and colors, which result in a visual style unique to each theme. Theme names—such as Boxes, Comic Book, or Documentary— suggest elements used by the theme, or the type of project in which a theme might be used.
Use onscreen controls Onscreen controls overview Many effects, transitions, and other items use onscreen controls, superimposed over the video in the Viewer, to make it easier to adjust a variety of parameters. In many cases, these onscreen controls duplicate controls in the inspectors, although in some cases the controls are unique and provide the only way to adjust a particular parameter.
selected. The onscreen controls for clip effects appear when an effect is selected, or when the playhead is positioned over a clip or title in the Timeline that has a video effect applied. You can also show or hide the onscreen controls. Note: Onscreen controls are always hidden when you play clips in the Timeline. Show or hide a transition’s onscreen controls To show the transition’s onscreen controls: Select the transition in the Timeline.
Note: If a clip contains multiple effects that use onscreen controls, only the topmost effect’s onscreen controls appear when the playhead is positioned over the clip. Onscreen control examples Following are a few examples of the onscreen controls you might use while working with clip effects and transitions. Many other clip effects and transitions use these same or similar controls—the examples are intended to provide general information about using the onscreen controls.
1. Open the Effects Browser and drag the Censor effect to a clip in the Timeline. 2. To adjust the effect’s onscreen controls, do any of the following: To position the effect: Drag the center circle. To set the effect’s size: Drag the outer circle. Example: Use onscreen controls to apply a Droplet effect 1. Open the Effects Browser and drag the Droplet effect to a clip in the Timeline. 2. To adjust the effect’s onscreen controls, do any of the following: To position the effect: Drag the center circle.
To position the effect: Drag the center circle. To set the effect’s outer limit: Drag the outer circle. To set the effect’s inner limit: Drag the inner circle. To set the effect’s overall size: Drag any area in between the inner and outer circles. A shaded area appears when the pointer is in this area. Example: Use onscreen controls to apply a Prism effect 1. Open the Effects Browser and drag the Prism effect to a clip in the Timeline. 2. To adjust the direction of the effect, drag the arrow.
Because the effect has no center setting, the circle in the center cannot be dragged. Example: Use onscreen controls to apply a Scrape effect 1. Open the Effects Browser and drag the Scrape effect to a clip in the Timeline. 2. To adjust the effect’s onscreen controls, do any of the following: To position the effect: Drag the center circle. To set the effect’s direction: Drag the rotation handle.
Example: Use onscreen controls to apply a Center transition 1. Open the Transitions Browser and drag the Center transition to an edit point in the Timeline. 2. To adjust the transition’s onscreen controls, do any of the following: To position the transition: Drag the center circle. To set the transition’s direction: Drag the arrow. To set the transition’s border width (softness in this case): Drag the outer handle toward or away from the center circle.
Example: Use onscreen controls to apply a Star transition 1. Open the Transitions Browser and drag the Star transition to an edit point in the Timeline. 2. To adjust the transition’s onscreen controls, do any of the following: To position the transition: Drag the center circle. To set the number of points on the star: Drag the longer handle. To rotate the star: Drag the shorter handle.
Example: Use onscreen controls to apply a Zoom & Pan transition 1. Open the Transitions Browser and drag the Zoom & Pan transition to an edit point in the Timeline. 2. To adjust the transition’s onscreen controls, do any of the following: To set the transition’s start point: Drag the green circle. To set the transition’s end point: Drag the red circle.
SEE ALSO Clip effects overview Transitions overview Use the Video Animation Editor Video animation overview With Final Cut Pro, you can create simple changes to video over time, such as fading the video from invisible to visible at the beginning of a movie. Or you can make sophisticated and precise adjustments over time to many individual parameters of video effects, transitions, motion paths, and so on.
The word keyframe comes from the traditional workflow in the animation industry, where only important (key) frames of an animated sequence were drawn to sketch a character’s motion over time. Once the keyframes were determined, an in-between artist drew all the frames between the keyframes.
To see keyframes in the Timeline, you need to display the Video Animation Editor for the clip. Additional keyframing controls appear with the Final Cut Pro builtin effects. See Work with built-in effects. For information about keyframes for audio clips, see Adjust audio effects using keyframes. Add keyframes 1. Do one of the following: Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V).
Some effects have more than one parameter and allow you to add keyframes to individual parameters separately. They appear in the Video Animation Editor with a triangle next to the effect’s name or in the Video inspector as additional parameter controls. 2. Select the effect for which you want to add keyframes in either the Video Animation Editor or the Effects section of the Video inspector. 3.
Option-K) at a point on the horizontal effect control where you want to add the keyframe. Keyframes for the parameter you chose appear as white diamonds, while keyframes for other effect parameters appear gray. When you choose to view all parameters in the Video Animation Editor, keyframes appear as white diamonds for all parameters. Double diamonds indicate you added a keyframe for more than one parameter at that point.
When you move the playhead in the Timeline, arrows appear next to the Keyframe button in the Video inspector to indicate which side of the playhead has keyframes. To go to the previous keyframe, click the left arrow or press Option-Semicolon (;). To go to the next keyframe, click the right arrow or press Option-Apostrophe (’). 5. Add keyframes as needed.
2. Select an effect, and click the disclosure button to expand it in the Video Animation Editor. 3. In the Timeline, choose either Select or Range Selection from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press A for Select, or R for Range Selection). 4. Drag across the area in the Video Animation Editor where you want to adjust the effect. Tip: To deselect the range, click anywhere on the Timeline background. 5. Adjust the effect within the range by dragging the effect’s horizontal control up or down.
Keyframes are automatically created along the adjustment points within the range. Adjust keyframes in the Video Animation Editor You can move keyframes left or right in the Video Animation Editor.
expand the effect view and move keyframes up or down to change the parameter value. 1. Select a keyframe. 2. Do one of the following: To change its position in time, drag a keyframe left or right. As you drag, the timecode value appears. If an effect appears with a disclosure button, click the button (or double-click the effect) to expand it. With the effect expanded, you can drag the keyframe up or down to change the effect’s parameter value.
To add another keyframe, Option-click (or press Option-K) at a point on the effect control where you want to add the keyframe. To add a keyframe and change the effect’s parameter value at the same time, Option-click while dragging the effect control up or down. If an effect appears with a disclosure button in the Video Animation Editor, you can also fade video effects in or out, or change the shape of the effect curve between keyframes.
keyframe, click the left arrow or press Option-Semicolon (;). To go to the next keyframe, click the right arrow or press OptionApostrophe (’). 1. Select a keyframe or position the playhead on a keyframe, and adjust the parameter value in the Video inspector. 2. To change the value at the next keyframe, go to the next keyframe and adjust the value again. Delete keyframes Do one of the following: Select a keyframe in the Video Animation Editor, and press Option-Shift-Delete.
Animation Editor You can collapse the Video Animation Editor to view only one effect at a time. This can be useful if you have multiple effects applied to a clip and want to preserve screen space. 1. Choose Clip > Solo Animation (or press Control-Shift-V). 2. In the Video Animation Editor, click the triangle next to the displayed effect’s name to choose an effect from the pop-up menu. Note: When Solo Animation is turned on, you can’t delete effects from the Video Animation Editor.
Modify groups of keyframes There are many ways you can modify keyframes to create simple or complex animations. In addition to modifying individual keyframes as described in the previous section, you can also modify keyframe groups, effect curves (the line segments between keyframes), or the entire set of keyframes for a given parameter, and you can make all of these changes with great precision. Select and modify multiple keyframes 1.
individual keyframe horizontally. To change the value of all the keyframes: Drag any individual keyframe vertically. Keyframe values remain relative to one another while dragging; however, if you “flatten” the curve by dragging all the way to the top or bottom of the graph, the keyframe values remain in that flattened state with all keyframes sharing the same value. To increase the relative values by 1: Press Option–Up Arrow. To decrease the relative values by 1: Press Option–Down Arrow.
All keyframes are adjusted by the same amount, preserving the original shape of the curve. However, if you “flatten” the curve by dragging all the way to the top or bottom of the graph, the keyframe values remain in that flattened state with all keyframes sharing the same value.
You can also copy specific keyframes between different attributes or between different clips. See Copy and paste keyframes. Adjust effect curves using fade handles or keyframe animation Some effects in the Video Animation Editor include fade handles, which allow you to adjust how long it takes for an effect to fade in or out. For example, you can use fade handles to adjust how long it takes for an opacity effect to fade in, how long it takes to fade up from black, or how long it takes to fade to black.
Note: If an effect doesn’t have a disclosure button, it doesn’t have fade handles. 2. Drag the fade handle to the point in the clip where you want the fade to begin or end. Fade handles from the beginning of a clip create a fade-in, while fade handles at the end of a clip create a fade-out.
Note: If an effect doesn’t have a disclosure button, you can’t move keyframes up or down. To add a keyframe: Option-click (or press Option-K) at a point on the effect control where you want to add the keyframe. Tip: To add a keyframe and change the effect’s parameter value at the same time, Option-click while dragging the effect control up or down. To change the effect’s parameter value at a particular keyframe: Select a keyframe and drag it up or down.
Change the curve shape (interpolation) between keyframes Do one of the following: Command-Drag the line horizontally between the keyframes to create a curve. Control-click the line between keyframes, and choose a curve option from the shortcut menu.
Linear: Maintains a constant rate of change over the duration of the fade. Ease: Eases in and out of the fade with the midpoint set between the beginning and end values. Ease In: Starts quickly from the beginning value and then moves slowly toward the end value. Ease Out: Starts slowly from the beginning value and then moves quickly toward the end value. Note: You can change the curve shape between keyframes for video effects only.
Advanced editing Group clips with compound clips Compound clips overview With Final Cut Pro, you can create compound clips, which allow you to group any combination of clips in the Timeline or the Browser and nest clips within other clips. Compound clips can contain video and audio clip components, clips, and other compound clips. Effectively, each compound clip can be considered a mini project, with its own distinct project properties.
compound clip for each major section. Synchronize a video clip with one or more audio clips and then combine the clips into a compound clip, to avoid inadvertently moving them out of sync. Open any clip, edit its contents in the Timeline, and then close it. Quickly create a compound clip containing the clips in an event, based on the Browser sort order. Use a compound clip to create a section of a project with settings different from those of the main project.
Compound clips have the following characteristics: You create compound clips in the Browser or in the Timeline. Every compound clip in the Timeline has a “parent” compound clip in the Browser.
When you edit the contents of any compound clip, you are in fact editing the parent compound clip from the Browser. Any changes you make to the compound clip are inherited by all of its child clips. For example, if you delete a title clip from the contents of a parent compound clip, the title clip is deleted from all child clips. You can create an independent compound clip from an existing compound clip. For example, you might have a compound clip of a standard title sequence for your TV or podcast series.
the Browser and add clips to it in the Timeline. You can also break a compound clip into its component parts in the Timeline, so that the items are no longer grouped. Create a compound clip from existing clips 1. Select one or more clips in the Timeline or the Browser. The selected clips can be any combination of contiguous or noncontiguous clips, compound clips, primary storyline clips, or connected clips. 2. Do one of the following: Choose File > New Compound Clip (or press Option-G).
If you selected clips in an event: Final Cut Pro creates a new compound clip in the event (in addition to the selected clips) and places duplicates of the selected clips in the new compound clip horizontally, in the order in which you selected them. (For further instructions on creating a compound clip in the Browser, see “Create an empty compound clip,” below.
selected clips in the new compound clip exactly as they are laid out in the Timeline. The new compound clip inherits the frame size and frame rate of the current Timeline.
1. Select a compound clip in the Timeline. 2. Choose Clip > Reference New Parent Clip. Final Cut Pro creates a new parent compound clip in the Browser. This command breaks the relationship between the selected compound clip in the Timeline and its original parent compound clip (as well as any child clips of the original parent clip, in all projects). Note: You can also select multiple clips in step 1 and Final Cut Pro will make one or more parent clips, depending on the existing parent clip references.
but it will remember the settings you used last, so this step may be unnecessary. 4. By default, Final Cut Pro sets the Starting Timecode field to the lowest timecode value in the selected clips. If you want the compound clip’s timecode to start at a different value, type that starting timecode value in the Starting Timecode field. 5. To adjust video, audio, and render settings, click Custom.
Timeline history. Note: Because editing in Final Cut Pro is nondestructive, any changes you make to the contents of standard or compound clips do not affect the corresponding source media files, which remain unchanged on your computer’s hard disk. For more information about the difference between media files and clips, see Media files and clips. Break apart clip items You can break apart a compound clip or a standard clip to convert its contents to individual clips in the Timeline.
SEE ALSO Compound clips overview Manage compound clips Manage compound clips There are many ways to manage and edit compound clips. For example, you can open up compound clips (and edit their component parts) in a separate Timeline. You can easily navigate up and down a series of compound clip levels. And you can open and edit a compound clip from within an event.
choose Clip > Open in Timeline. Double-click the video portion of a compound clip in the Timeline or the Browser. Click the compound clip icon in the upper-left corner of a compound clip in the Timeline. The compound clip opens in a new Timeline view, with its contents ready for editing.
about the difference between media files and clips, see Media files and clips. Navigate compound clip levels using menu commands and keyboard shortcuts You can navigate up or down one or more levels of a compound clip. To move forward (down one level): Choose View > Timeline History Forward, or press Command–Right Bracket (]). To move back (up one level): Choose View > Timeline History Back, or press Command–Left Bracket ([).
The left arrow effectively closes the current compound clip and opens its parent, with the top level being the project or event containing the compound clip. If there is no history available to navigate, both the left and right arrows are dimmed.
To have the new clip material appear in your project, do one of the following to make room for the new material: Reduce the total duration of the other clips inside the compound clip. For example, you could trim one or more clips inside the compound clip. Close the compound clip to navigate up one level, and extend the total duration of the parent clip (the “outside shell” of the compound clip) in the Timeline. For more information, see Trimming overview.
in the Timeline. For example, you can add cross dissolve transitions to a series of superimposed titles in a storyline and then adjust the timing of the titles to match clips in the primary storyline. Like connected clips, storylines can contain both video and audio, or they can be video only or audio only. For more information about connected clips, see Connect clips to add cutaway shots, titles, and synchronized sound effects.
primary storyline, a storyline is automatically created for that clip. Trim clips: Use any of the standard trim edits in a storyline, including ripple, roll, slip, and slide. You can also trim or move clips within storylines by entering timecode values. Create split edits: Set separate video and audio start and end points in an individual clip to create split edits (L-cuts and Jcuts) in a storyline. Create or break apart storylines You can quickly create storylines from existing connected clips. 1.
Note: If the original connected clips are not contiguous, Final Cut Pro inserts a gap clip to fill the space between the clips. You can also create a storyline by holding down the G key as you drag a clip to a connected clip so that their edges touch: 3.
Select the storyline (by clicking the gray border), and choose Clip > Break Apart Clip Items (or press ShiftCommand-G). Drag the storyline into the primary storyline. Select and move storylines You can select or move entire storylines as if they were standard clips or compound clips. They have the connection properties of connected clips. To select an entire storyline: Click the gray border of the storyline.
To move a storyline with timecode values or keyboard shortcuts: Use the same techniques you would use with standard clips. For more information, see Arrange clips in the Timeline. Fine-tune edits with the Precision Editor You can fine-tune the edit point between two clips in the Timeline using the Precision Editor, which provides an expanded view of the clips on either side of the edit point as well as the unused portions of each clip.
The Precision Editor appears, presenting an expanded view of your outgoing and incoming shots. The edit point is represented by a vertical line in the center of the Precision Editor. The outgoing clip and the clips before it appear in the top part of the storyline. The incoming clip and the clips after it appear in the bottom part. The dimmed portions of clips to the right and left of the edit line are the unused portions of media that are available for trimming (called media handles).
2. To adjust the edit point, do any of the following: Move the edit line in the center of the Precision Editor by dragging its handle left or right. Moving the entire edit line performs a roll edit.
the incoming clip. This performs a ripple edit. Note: You can drag the edit line or individual edit points to the extent that there are media handles available. When you extend a clip to its maximum length in either direction, the clip edge turns red. Skim over and click the outgoing clip or the incoming clip at any point.
The clip’s edit point is adjusted to the frame you click. This is the equivalent of a ripple edit. You can also enter a timecode value to adjust the edit point numerically. If you select either the end point of the outgoing clip or the start point of the incoming clip, a ripple edit is performed. Otherwise, a roll edit is performed. 3.
To go directly to an edit point: Click the other edit point. To go to the next or previous edit point: Press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key. 4. To close the Precision Editor, do one of the following: Double-click the current edit point, or press the Esc (Escape) key. Click the Close Precision Editor button at the bottom-right corner of the Timeline.
a person talking to video of a person listening, while the audio from the first clip continues. The split edit technique results in L-shaped and J-shaped clips with audio extending to the left or the right. These are known as Lcuts and J-cuts. Note: Whenever you use split edits in a project, it’s recommended that you choose View > Expand Audio/Video Clips > For Splits (so that there’s a checkmark next to the menu item). This setting provides you with the most accurate display of all your split edits.
the following: In the Timeline, select the clip whose audio you want to expand, and choose Clip > Expand Audio/Video (or press Control-S). Double-click the clip’s audio waveform. The audio and video portions of the clip appear as discrete components that you can change individually. They are still attached and will remain in sync. 3. Drag the start point (left edge) of the video portion of the clip to the right, effectively trimming it with a ripple edit.
This creates a J-shaped split edit, with the start point of the audio overlapping the preceding clip. 4. To complete the split edit, show separate audio for the preceding clip, and do one of the following: Drag the preceding clip’s end point to the left so that the two audio clips no longer overlap. Adjust the audio (fade) level of either clip so that the audio overlap sounds natural. 5.
Choose View > Collapse All Clips. Select the clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Collapse Audio/Video (or press Control-S). Double-click the clip’s audio waveform. When you play back this section of the Timeline, you hear the man begin to speak before the video cuts to the close-up of him. In this way, you can use split edits to create seamless edits from one shot to the next. Create a split edit using keyboard shortcuts You can create split edits quickly using keyboard shortcuts.
In the Timeline, select the clips whose audio you want to expand, and choose Clip > Expand Audio/Video (or press Control-S). Double-click the clip’s audio waveform. 3. Move the playhead to the edit point between the two clips. To ensure accurate playhead placement, use keyboard shortcuts: To move the playhead to the previous edit point: Press Semicolon (;) or the Up Arrow key. To move the playhead to the next edit point: Press Apostrophe (’) or the Down Arrow key.
4. Do one of the following: To select both sides of the audio edit point: Press ShiftBackslash (\). To select both sides of the video edit point: Press Backslash (\). 5. To roll the audio edit point or the video edit point, do any of the following: To nudge the edit point left or right: Press Comma (,) or Period (.), respectively. To nudge the edit point 10 frames left or right: Press ShiftComma (,) or Shift-Period (.), respectively.
When you play back this section of the Timeline, you hear the man begin to speak before the video cuts to the close-up of him. In this way, you can use split edits to create seamless edits from one shot to the next. Clear a split edit At any time, you can clear split edits from your project to make the video and audio start and end points of a clip match. 1. Select one or more clips that have split edits. 2. Choose Clip > Clear Audio/Video Split. The split edits are removed from the selected clips.
Three-point editing allows you to use start and end points in the Browser and the Timeline to specify the duration of a clip and where it should be placed in the Timeline. Three-point editing gets its name from the fact that only three edit points are necessary to determine the portion of the source clip to use and where to place that clip in the Timeline. Final Cut Pro infers the fourth edit point automatically.
Stage 1: Set source selection edit points in the Browser Specify which part of a clip you want to place in the Timeline. You do this by setting the start and end points. If you want to set just a start point in the Browser, position the skimmer (or playhead) at the point where you want the edit to begin. In this case, the end point is determined by the start and end points set in the Timeline or by the end of the clip.
Important: Timeline start and end points always take precedence over start and end points set in the Browser. This means that if you set both a start point and an end point in the Timeline, the Timeline start and end points determine the duration of the edit, regardless of the start and end points in the Browser. This allows you to limit your edit to a specific section of the Timeline. There are a few key things to keep in mind when making threepoint edits.
destination start and end points in the Timeline. Note: This edit requires a range selection in the Timeline. You can use the Range Selection tool or the I and O keys for this purpose. For more information about making range selections, see Select a range.
Source selection end point in the Browser Destination start and end points in the Timeline The end point of the source selection in the Browser is aligned with the destination end point in the Timeline, and the duration of the edit is determined by the destination start and end points in the Timeline. This is known as “backtiming” an edit. Use this method when you want to make sure a clip ends at a specific point in the project. Note: This edit requires a range selection in the Timeline.
Three-point edit examples In Final Cut Pro, you can make precise edits using a combination of three (or sometimes two) edit points set in the Browser and the Timeline. For more information, see Three-point editing overview. Here are a few examples of ways to make three-point edits.
3. To add the source selection to the project using an overwrite edit, press D. The portion of your source selection between the start and end points appears in the Timeline, starting at the skimmer position. By defining only three points—the source selection start and end points in the Browser and the destination start point in the Timeline—you have total control of the edit.
backtiming a clip. You can use this method when you want to make sure a particular clip ends at a specific point in a project, on a musical beat. In the resulting edit, the end point of the media in the Browser selection is aligned with the end point you set in the Timeline, and the rest of the source selection appears to the left. 1. Set start and end points for the source selection in the Browser. 2.
To backtime the selection using an overwrite edit: Press Shift-D. Your source selection is edited into the project so that the end point of the media in your source selection lines up with the end point you specified in the Timeline. The rest of your clip has overwritten any material to the left of the end point for the duration defined by the source selection start and end points set in the Browser.
2. In the Timeline, define a destination start point by positioning the skimmer at the location in your project where you want the clip or group of clips to start. 3. To add the selected clips to the project using an overwrite edit, press D.
The entire group of clips selected in the Browser has been edited into the project. Note: The clips are added in the order in which you selected them. Because you used an overwrite edit, any clip items already in the project are overwritten by the clips selected in the Browser for the duration of the Browser clips. You can also make a three-point edit involving multiple clips in the Timeline. To select a range across multiple clips in the Timeline, you use the Range Selection tool or the I and O keys.
the project in the Timeline from the position of the skimmer or playhead forward. You can also make backtimed two-point edits, in which Final Cut Pro acts on the current clip in the Browser and the project in the Timeline from the skimmer or playhead position back. In either case, the duration of the edit is determined by the skimmer or playhead position and the end of the clip in the Browser. 1.
3. To add the clip to the project using an overwrite edit, press D. The new clip starts where the skimmer was positioned. Try out clips using auditions Auditions overview In Final Cut Pro you can organize related clips into sets, called auditions, from which you can choose one clip to use. You can create an audition composed of different clips to try out multiple takes, or you can create an audition composed of multiple versions of the same clip to preview different effects.
the pick. All other clips in the audition are referred to as alternates. You can open an audition to see the selected clip and the alternates. Auditions allow you to preserve your alternate edits without affecting the other clips in the Timeline. When you’re not auditioning the clips in an audition, the audition functions like an individual clip. You can trim an audition, apply transitions between auditions and other clips, and add keywords and markers.
SEE ALSO Adding clips overview Markers overview Create auditions to try out clips You can create auditions in the Browser and then add them to the Timeline, or you can create auditions directly in the Timeline. When you create auditions in the Timeline, you can either group related clips or group multiple versions of the same clip (for example, to try out multiple effect treatments or lower-third titles).
Create auditions in the Browser Select the clips you want to include in the audition, and choose Clip > Audition > Create (or press Command-Y). Create auditions in the Timeline To create an audition with related clips: Drag a clip or a group of clips from the Browser onto a clip in the Timeline, and choose an audition option from the shortcut menu. Choosing Add to Audition creates an audition with the current Timeline clip as the pick.
Audition makes the clip you’re dragging the pick. Important: If a transition is applied to the current clip in the Timeline and the pick for the new audition lacks sufficient media for the transition, the transition is either shortened or removed. To create an audition with a duplicate version of a clip, including applied effects: Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Audition > Duplicate as Audition.
first clip. Open an audition After you create an audition, it’s easy to open it and review its contents. Do one of the following: Choose Clip > Audition > Open (or press Y). Click the Audition icon. The Audition window appears, and you can preview your clips to choose a pick. Break apart an audition You can break apart an audition to convert its contents to individual clips in the Timeline. Select an audition in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Break Apart Clip Items (or press Shift-Command-G).
Final Cut Pro replaces the audition selected in the Timeline with the individual items that made up the audition. You can also break apart compound clips, storylines, and standard clips. For more information, see Create and break apart compound clips and Add storylines. Add and remove clips in auditions When building auditions to try out different clips or versions of a clip with different effects, you can add and remove clips at any time.
icon in the upper-left corner of the audition to open the Audition window, select the clip you want to duplicate, and click Duplicate. A new version of the selected clip appears in the Audition window. Add new clips to an audition in the Timeline To add a new clip to an audition and maintain the current clip in the Timeline as the pick: Drag a clip from the Browser to the audition in the Timeline, and choose Add to Audition from the shortcut menu.
To duplicate a clip within an audition: Click the Audition icon in the upper-left corner of the audition to open the Audition window, select the clip you want to duplicate, and click Duplicate (or press Shift-Command-Y). A new version of the selected clip appears in the Audition window.
The clip is removed from the audition. Use auditions to try out clips in your project You create an audition to try out the clips within it and find the one that works best for your project. Although the auditioning workflow may differ from project to project, the general process is the same. You create an audition that contains a set of alternate takes, effects, or text treatments, and then you choose the best clip for the edit by making it the pick.
Open (or pressing Y). 2. In the Audition window, select the pick and press the Space bar (or press Control-Command-Y) to play it. 3. To play an alternate clip in the Viewer, select a clip to the right or left of the pick (or press the Right Arrow or Left Arrow key).
Tip: To quickly move through and play alternate clips, select a closed audition in the Timeline, press the Space bar, and press Control-Left Arrow to play clips to the left of the current pick, or Control-Right Arrow to play clips to the right. 4. When you decide on the clip you want to use, make sure it’s selected under the spotlight, and click Done. 5. If you’re sure of your decision and want to finalize the audition, choose Clip > Audition > Finalize Audition (or press OptionShift-Y).
Try out multiple effects on a clip in the Timeline You can try out effects on a clip in the Timeline by creating an audition and adding individual effects to duplicates of the same clip. This technique allows you to view each effect in relation to the clips that precede and follow the audition in the Timeline. 1. In the Timeline, select the clip you want to try different effects on. 2. Choose Clip > Audition > Duplicate as Audition (or press Option-Y). 3.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you’ve applied all the effects you want to audition. 9. Review each effect’s impact on the clip in the Timeline by selecting a clip to the right or left of the pick.
Tip: To quickly move through and play alternate clips, press Control-Left Arrow to play clips to the left of the current pick, or Control-Right Arrow to play clips to the right. 10. When you decide on the effect you want to use, select the clip with that effect in the Audition window, and click Done. 11. If you’re sure of your decision, and want to finalize the audition, choose Clip > Audition > Finalize Audition (or press Option-Shift-Y).
the Option key and the Control key while you drag the effect from the Effects Browser to the audition in the Timeline. In both cases, you must start dragging the effect from the Effects Browser and then press the keys as you add the effect to the clip. Retime clips to create speed effects Retiming clips overview You can adjust a clip’s speed settings to create fast-motion or slow-motion effects.
SEE ALSO Change clip speed Create variable speed effects Add transitions between speed segments Reverse or rewind clips Create instant replays Create a hold segment Create jump cuts at specified frames Transitions, titles, effects, and generators overview Change clip speed In Final Cut Pro you can make both constant and variable speed changes to your clips while preserving the audio’s pitch. Note: Speed settings are applied to the specific instance of the selected clip only.
Constant speed changes also usually alter the duration of a clip. By default, if a constant speed change causes the duration of a clip to become longer or shorter, all clips coming after it ripple forward or backward. If you change the speed to 50 percent, your clip becomes twice as long, and subsequent clips are moved to the right; if you change the speed to 200 percent, the clip becomes half as long, and subsequent clips ripple left.
whose speed you want to change. 2. Do one of the following: To apply a preset speed setting: Choose Slow or Fast from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar (shown below), and choose a speed from the submenu. To apply a manual speed setting: Choose Show Retime Editor from the Retime pop-up menu (or press CommandR) to display the Retime Editor above the selection in the Timeline, and drag the retiming handle.
selection increases, the duration of the selection decreases, and the bar above the Timeline selection turns blue. To apply a custom speed setting: Choose Custom from the Retime pop-up menu, and in the Custom Speed window that opens, select a direction (forward or reverse) and enter a rate or duration. Apply a constant speed change without rippling the sequence You can also create speed changes that don’t cause the downstream clips to ripple.
Note: If there is a gap to the right of a clip that is being slowed down, the clip’s duration is lengthened to cover the gap. When a clip is sped up, the duration of the clip is shortened and a gap fills the space between the changed clip and the remainder of the project. 1. In the Timeline, select a range, a whole clip, or a group of clips whose speed you want to change. 2. Choose Custom from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar. 3.
The speed effect is applied to the clip, and the rest of the project remains in place. Preserve audio pitch in retimed clips By default, Final Cut Pro is set to preserve the audio pitch of a clip that has been retimed. However, if you want to accentuate the retiming adjustment’s effect by allowing the pitch to change in accordance with the retiming adjustment, you can turn this feature off. 1. In the Timeline, select a range, a whole clip, or a group of clips whose speed you plan to change. 2.
source media for the rest of the clips in your project in the Timeline. However, you can change the clip with the differing native speed to match the rest of the clips in the Timeline. 1. In the Timeline, select the clip whose speed you want to change to match the rest of the clips in your project. 2. Choose Automatic Speed from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar.
2. Click the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar, choose Video Quality, and choose a setting from the submenu. Normal: The default setting. Frames are duplicated, and no frame blending is applied to the slow-motion clip. No rendering is required. Frame Blending: Adds in-between frames by blending individual pixels of neighboring frames. Slow-motion clips created with Frame Blending appear to play back more smoothly than those created with the Normal (duplication) setting. Rendering is required.
In addition to constant speed changes, you can create variable speed effects in which the playback speed of a clip changes dynamically. For example, a clip might start in slow motion, speed up to fast motion, and then slow back down to regular speed. You create variable speed changes by identifying ranges of a clip as speed segments, each with its own constant speed setting.
To ramp the speed up: Choose Speed Ramp > “from 0%” from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar. The selection is segmented into four parts with different speed percentages, creating the ramp effect. If more precision is required, you can manually drag any one of the four retiming handles to set the speed you want. You can modify the transitions between segments to control how fast each segment transitions to the next. For more information, see Add transitions between speed segments.
2. Choose Show Retime Editor from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press Command-R). 3. Double-click the transition between two speed segments in the Retime Editor in the Timeline. 4. In the Speed Transition window, click the Edit button. A filmstrip icon appears over the end frame of the speed segment. 5. To change the end frame, drag the filmstrip icon left or right. As you drag, the Viewer displays the current end frame.
frame where you want to begin a new speed segment. 2. Choose Blade Speed from the Retime menu in the toolbar (or press Shift-B). The Retime Editor appears above the clip (If it wasn’t already shown), and the clip is divided into two speed segments. 3. To set the speed for the newly created segments, do one of the following: Double-click the Retime Editor above one of the speed segments.
You can modify the transitions between segments to create smooth adjustments from one speed to another. For more information, see Add transitions between speed segments. Add transitions between speed segments When two adjacent speed segments are set to play at different speeds, you can control how smoothly the video switches between the playback speeds. When there’s no transition between the segments, playback shifts suddenly from one speed to another.
transitions individually, or you can add them to all the speed segments in a clip at once. Note: You cannot add transitions between forward-playing segments and reverse-playing segments (or vice versa). Add transitions between all speed segments in a clip 1. In the Timeline, select a clip that has speed segments. 2. Choose Speed Transitions from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar, so that there’s a checkmark next to the menu item.
Remove transitions from all speed segments in a clip 1. In the Timeline, select a clip that has speed transitions. 2. Choose Speed Transitions from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar, so that the checkmark is removed. Speed transitions are removed from all speed segments in the clip.
Remove individual speed transitions To add transitions between some speed segments in a clip and not others, you must turn on Speed Transitions in the Retime popup menu, and then remove the transitions you don’t want. 1. In the Timeline, select a clip that has speed segments. 2. Choose Speed Transitions from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar, so that there’s a checkmark next to the menu item. Speed transitions are added to all speed segments in the clip. 3.
4. Deselect the Speed Transition checkbox in the Speed Transition window, and then click anywhere outside the window to dismiss it. The transition is removed. Change the duration of a speed transition After a speed transition is applied, you can change its duration. The shorter the transition, the more quickly the speed ramps from one value to another. The longer the transition, the slower the ramp.
1. In the Timeline, select a clip that has a speed transition. 2. If the Retime Editor is not showing, choose Show Retime Editor from the Retime pop-up menu (or press Command-R). 3. Drag the left or right edge of the shaded bar in the Retime Editor. Reverse or rewind clips In addition to changing the speed of a clip, you can also add directional effects: Reverse: Reverses the order of frames in the clip, so that the last frame plays first.
1. In the Timeline, select a clip or a group of clips whose contents you want to reverse. 2. Choose Reverse Clip from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar. The green bar with arrows pointing to the left above the selection in the Timeline indicates that the clip is reversed. 3. If you want to adjust the speed of the reversed clip, drag the retiming handle to the left to increase the speed or to the right to decrease it. 4. To see the reverse effect, play back the reversed clip or selection.
1. In the Timeline, select a range, a whole clip, or a group of clips whose contents you want to rewind. 2. Choose Rewind from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar (shown below), and choose a speed from the submenu. The selection is duplicated, added to the end of the original selection, and then reversed according to the speed choice. An additional duplicate of the Timeline selection follows the reversed section and plays back in forward motion at the selection’s original speed. 3.
Create instant replays You can apply an instant replay to a range selection within a clip or a whole clip. Final Cut Pro duplicates the range or clip, appending the duplicated frames to the end of the selection as a new segment. You can then modify the speed of the new segment to achieve the instant replay effect you’re looking for. Create an instant replay 1. In the Timeline, select a range or a whole clip whose contents you want to use to create an instant replay. 2.
4. To see the instant replay effect, play back the original selection and the instant replay segment. Create jump cuts at specified frames To compress time in a long clip without playing the clip at fast speed, you can create jump cuts to periodically skip over a specific number of frames.
occur. 2. Choose Jump Cut at Markers from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar (shown below), and choose a number of frames from the submenu. You can skip 3, 5, 10, 20, or 30 frames.
image, temporarily stopping the action onscreen. By default, Final Cut Pro adds a 2-second still frame, called a hold segment, at the location of the skimmer or playhead, but you can change the duration of the hold segment at any time. Alternatively, you can create separate freeze-frame clips in Final Cut Pro. One key difference between freeze frames and hold segments is that hold segments remain part of the original clip and their duration can be adjusted within the clip.
If you selected a range, a hold segment is created for the duration of the range. The frame used as the still frame is the first (leftmost) frame in the range. 3. If you want to adjust the duration of the hold segment, drag the segment’s retiming handle to the right to increase the duration, or to the left to decrease it. 4. To see the effect of the hold segment, play back the clip in the Timeline.
Reset a range or a clip to play forward at 100 percent 1. In the Timeline, select a range, a whole clip, or a group of clips that you want to reset to their original speed. 2. Choose Normal 100% from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press Shift-N). Conform frame sizes and frame rates Final Cut Pro manages project settings automatically. This means you can work with multiple media types with differing frame sizes (also referred to as resolution) and frame rates in the same project.
individual clip’s frame rate and frame size to match the project settings. All of the project information in this section applies equally to compound clips, which can have their own distinct project settings. You can add interlaced clips to progressive (non-interlaced) projects and progressive clips to interlaced projects. To add an interlaced clip to a progressive project, see the instructions below. Final Cut Pro accepts progressive clips in interlaced projects automatically.
Tip: If the first clip you add to a project is an audio clip or a still-image clip, Final Cut Pro prompts you to choose the video properties for your project. Cancel the edit, add a video clip whose source media file has the video properties you require for your project, and then add the non-video clip to your project. Choose a method of conforming frame size You can choose how Final Cut Pro modifies the frame size of a clip to match the project’s frame size settings.
inspector. Fit: The default setting. Fits the clip within the project’s frame size setting without cropping the clip’s video. Black bars appear on the sides of the frames that don’t match the project’s frame size (resolution). In the case of a standard-definition (SD) clip in a high-definition (HD) project, Final Cut Pro scales up the SD clip to fit the HD project’s frame size. In the case of an HD clip in an SD project, Final Cut Pro scales down the HD clip to fit the SD project’s frame size.
Choose a method of conforming frame rate When a clip’s frame rate differs from the project’s frame rate, Final Cut Pro employs a frame-sampling method to change the clip’s frame rate to match that of the project. You can choose which frame-sampling method Final Cut Pro uses to modify the clip’s frame rate. The method you choose depends on how important it is to you to eliminate visual stuttering and visual artifacts. 1.
Floor: The default setting. Final Cut Pro truncates down to the nearest integer during its calculation to match the clip’s frame rate to the project’s frame rate. Nearest Neighbor: Final Cut Pro rounds to the nearest integer during its calculation to match the clip’s frame rate to the project’s frame rate. The Nearest Neighbor option reduces artifacts at the expense of visual stuttering. Rendering is required. Frame Blending: Creates in-between frames by blending individual pixels of neighboring frames.
odd and even lines that are scanned at different times. If you want to add an interlaced clip to a progressive project, you can have Final Cut Pro deinterlace the clip so that it plays at full resolution, free of the alternating jagged lines associated with interlaced clips in progressive projects. 1. Do one of the following: In the Browser, select the interlaced clips you want to add to a progressive project. In the Timeline, select interlaced clips you’ve added to a progressive project. 2.
Tip: To confirm the absence of interlacing artifacts, you can press the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys to step through the clips in the Timeline one frame at a time. 5. To display full-resolution frames during playback, choose Better Quality from the Viewer Options pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Viewer. The clips now play back and function as progressive clips. Depending on your specific computer configuration, background rendering may be necessary.
3. Choose Settings View from the Metadata View pop-up menu at the bottom of the Info inspector. 4. In the Anamorphic Override pop-up menu, choose Widescreen. The clips now play back and function with the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio.
When you import clips (video, audio, or still images), Final Cut Pro analyzes existing clip metadata to assign one of five default roles to the video and audio components of each clip: Video, Titles, Dialogue, Music, and Effects. For example, if a source media file has an iTunes “genre” metadata tag, Final Cut Pro assigns the Music role to the resulting clip. Final Cut Pro assigns the Video and Dialogue roles to clips that contain both video and audio.
stereo, or surround output for your audio channels. See Destinations preferences. View and reassign roles You can view and change the roles that are assigned to clips in the Browser, the Timeline Index, the Info inspector, or the Modify menu. Keep in mind the following when using roles: Every clip must have at least one assigned role (clips with audio and video always have one audio and one video role).
View and reassign roles in the Browser 1. In the Browser in list view, select one or more clips. Note: If the Roles column isn’t visible in the Browser, Controlclick a column heading and choose Roles from the shortcut menu. 2. In the Roles column, click the assigned role for a clip to see a shortcut menu listing the available roles. 3. To change the role assignments for the selected clips, choose different roles from the shortcut menu. View and reassign roles in the Info inspector 1.
3. In the Info inspector, click the Roles pop-up menu to see the available roles. 4. To change the role assignments for the selected clips, choose different roles from the Roles pop-up menu. View and reassign roles in the Timeline Index 1. To open the Timeline Index, click the Timeline Index button in the lower-left corner of the Final Cut Pro main window (or press Shift-Command-2). 2. To open the Clips pane, click the Clips button at the top of the Timeline Index.
3. If the Roles column is not visible in the Clips pane, Controlclick a column heading and choose Roles from the shortcut menu. 4. Select one or more clips in the Clips pane. 5. To change the role assignments for the selected clips, click the assigned role and choose different roles from the shortcut menu.
1. Select one or more clips in the Browser or the Timeline. 2. Choose Modify > Assign Roles, and choose a role from the submenu. A checkmark appears next to the role you chose. View and reassign the role of an audio component 1. Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Expand Audio Components (or press Control-Option-S). 2. Select an audio component. 3.
Open the Info inpector, and choose a different role from the Roles pop-up menu. A checkmark appears next to the role you chose. For more information about audio components, see About audio channels and audio components. View and reassign roles in compound clips Compound clips reflect the roles of the original clips that make up the compound clip. You can view and reassign the roles of clips inside a compound clip, but you cannot assign roles to the compound clip itself. 1.
When you assign a role to a compound clip (the container), the role is assigned to every clip inside the compound clip. If you want to assign different roles to specific clips within the compound clip, you can open the compound clip for editing and then assign roles to individual clips inside the compound clip. For more information about compound clips, see Compound clips overview.
With a clip selected in the Browser or the Timeline, open the Info inspector and choose Edit Roles from the Roles pop-up menu. 2. Choose the role type from the Add Role pop-up menu in the lower-left corner of the Role Editor window. The new role appears at the bottom of the Role column. 3. Type a name for the new role.
that you can assign it to any clip. Create subroles Subroles allow you to organize roles within a role; for example, you could create a Foley Effect subrole within the Effects role, or a Spanish Subtitles subrole within the Titles role. 1. To open the Role Editor, do one of the following: Choose Modify > Edit Roles. In the Browser in list view or the Clips pane of the Timeline Index, click a role in the Roles column and choose Edit Roles from the shortcut menu.
With a clip selected in the Browser or the Timeline, open the Info inspector and choose Edit Roles from the Roles pop-up menu. 2. Select a role in the Role column, and click the Add Subrole button (with a plus sign) below the Subrole column. 3. Type a name for the subrole. The new subrole remains in the Subrole list and appears below its parent role in roles lists elsewhere in Final Cut Pro. When you assign subroles to clips in the Timeline, the subroles also appear in the Timeline Index.
View clips by role in the Timeline You can use the Roles pane of the Timeline Index to view and play back clips by role in the Timeline. All video and audio clips are organized by the default roles of Video, Titles, Dialogue, Music, or Effects, or by a custom role or subrole you’ve created. You can turn off roles to suspend playback for all clips with those roles assigned.
inspectors. Turn roles on or off 1. In the Timeline Index, click the Roles button. 2. In the Roles pane, select the checkboxes next to the roles or subroles you want to turn on. Deselect the checkboxes next to the roles or subroles you want to turn off. Active roles appear in color in the Timeline, and inactive roles appear gray. If you turn off all video or all audio roles, the respective portion of audio-video clips also appears gray.
3. To preview clips by role, play back your project. Only clips with active roles assigned play back. Highlight roles in the Timeline 1. In the Timeline Index, click the Roles button. 2. In the Roles pane, click the name of the role you want to highlight. The clips with this role assigned are highlighted in the Timeline. This includes both active (color) clips and inactive (gray) clips.
Tip: To highlight more than one role at a time, Shift-click to select contiguous items and Command-click to select noncontiguous items. Minimize clips by role To make more space to view and work with clips in the Timeline, you can minimize clips with a particular role assigned. Minimized clips appear smaller in the Timeline. 1. In the Timeline Index, click the Roles button. 2. In the Roles pane, click the Minimize button next to the role whose clips you want to minimize.
You can also customize the display of clips in the Timeline by changing the clip appearance and height, and you can choose whether to view clips by name or role. See Adjust Timeline settings. SEE ALSO Use the Timeline Index to view, navigate, and search your project Use roles to export media stems When you export your work, you can use roles to define the details of your output media files.
For more information, see Share roles as files. Use XML to transfer projects and events Final Cut Pro can import and export XML (Extensible Markup Language) files. You can use XML documents (plain ASCII text files with tagged elements) to transfer the details of your libraries, events, projects, and clips between Final Cut Pro and third-party applications, devices, and media asset management tools that do not recognize Final Cut Pro documents and files.
Final Cut Pro processes the XML and generates the corresponding clips, events, projects, and library, depending on the contents of the XML file. Tip: You can also import XML files by double-clicking them in the Finder or dragging them to the Final Cut Pro application icon. Export XML from Final Cut Pro You can export events and projects as XML files. 1. In Final Cut Pro, select a library, or select one or more events, projects, or clips that you want to export as XML files.
processing code or a third-party application that recognizes the previous version only. 5. Navigate to a folder on your storage device where you want to store the XML files, and click Save. Edit with multicam clips Multicam editing overview You can use Final Cut Pro to edit footage from multicamera shoots or other synchronized footage in real time.
Working with multicam clips in Final Cut Pro is a flexible and fluid process. At any time, you can add angles to or remove angles from a multicam clip, and easily adjust the synchronization between angles. You can also group unrelated footage together for real-time montage editing (such as for music videos). For example, if you’re editing a music video, you could add several angles of abstract visuals and cut to those angles at specific places in the music.
When you open any multicam clip in the Angle Editor (whether from the Browser or the Timeline) you are in fact opening the parent multicam clip from the Browser. Any changes you make to a multicam clip in the Angle Editor are inherited by all of its child clips, in all projects. These changes include sync or trimming adjustments, clip speed retiming, video or audio effects such as color correction, and added or deleted angles.
procedures are presented in rough chronological order, but you can rearrange the order to suit your workflow. Shoot an event with multiple cameras and record appropriate sync information A multicamera shoot uses multiple cameras to record the same subject or event from different angles and distances. For multicam projects, it’s a good idea to set the date, the time, and the time zone on your camcorder or recording device before you shoot footage for your multicam project.
Import media for a multicam edit Although importing media for multicam projects is the same as importing for any other project, there are steps you can take during importing to help streamline the multicam workflow. Assign camera names and multicam angles You can use the Camera Name and Camera Angle metadata tags to automate and organize your multicam workflow. It’s recommended (but not required) to apply these tags to your event clips before you create an actual multicam clip.
Cut and switch between angles in the Angle Viewer After you create a multicam clip, you can watch all angles simultaneously in the Angle Viewer while switching or cutting to different angles in real time. You can cut and switch video and audio at the same time or independently. For example, you can use the audio from angle 1 while switching the video between angles 1 to 4.
multicam clip during the automatic multicam clip creation process. If you anticipate having multicam clips with numerous angles, select “Use proxy media” in Playback preferences to maintain top performance during your multicam edit. You can generate the necessary proxy versions of your clips during the import process. If you have only a few angles in your multicam edit, you can make optimized versions of your media during import, using the Apple ProRes 422 codec.
Final Cut Pro uses the name you enter as the Camera Name metadata property for all clips that you import from this device. Note: Most modern camcorders and recording devices (including all iOS devices) record a Camera ID tag. Final Cut Pro imports the Camera ID metadata automatically when you import from a filebased device and can use this information to automatically build multicam angles.
Camera Angle metadata Camera Name metadata Camera ID metadata Note: The Camera ID tag is generated by most modern camcorders and recording devices (including all iOS devices). Final Cut Pro imports the Camera ID metadata automatically when you import from a file-based device. Final Cut Pro uses the Camera Angle, Camera Name, and Camera ID metadata to place clips in the correct angle. If it doesn’t find any of this information, Final Cut Pro creates a separate angle for each selected clip.
name the angles in the resulting multicam clip. If no Camera Angle tags are present, Final Cut Pro uses Camera Name, Name (clip name), or Camera ID metadata to name angles. You can rename angles in the Angle Editor. For more information, see Sync and adjust angles and clips in the Angle Editor. Create multicam clips in the Browser Creating multicam clips is similar to creating auditions and compound clips in the Browser.
multicam clip. 2. Do one of the following: Choose File > New Multicam Clip. Control-click the selection and choose New Multicam Clip from the shortcut menu. 3. In the window that appears, type a name for the multicam clip in the Name field. 4. Use the In Event pop-up menu to choose the event in which you want to create the new multicam clip. 5. If the multicam automatic settings are not shown, click Use Automatic Settings. The multicam automatic settings appear.
together into a compound clip. Note: Some audio recordings are not suited for use with this feature. Selecting this option may result in long processing times during which Final Cut Pro is not available for editing. 7. Click OK. Final Cut Pro creates a new multicam clip in the event and places duplicates of the selected clips in the new multicam clip. Create a multicam clip with custom settings 1. In the Browser, select the clips you want to include in the multicam clip. 2.
Control-click the selection and choose New Multicam Clip from the shortcut menu. 3. In the window that appears, type a name for the multicam clip in the Name field. 4. If the multicam custom settings are not shown, click Use Custom Settings. The custom settings appear. Note: The automatic settings are shown by default, but if the last multicam clip you created used custom settings, those settings are shown. 5.
Camera Name: Final Cut Pro creates angles in the multicam clip based on the Camera Name property of the selected clips. Clips: Final Cut Pro creates a separate angle for each selected clip, using the Name property in each clip to name the angle. 6. In the Angle Clip Ordering pop-up menu, choose how angles are ordered within the multicam clip: Automatic: Final Cut Pro orders the clips within each angle automatically.
Content Created Date and Time. 7. In the Angle Synchronization pop-up menu, choose how angles are synchronized in the multicam clip: Automatic: Final Cut Pro synchronizes the angles automatically (using one or more of the following methods). Timecode: Final Cut Pro synchronizes the angles based on the timecode recorded in the clips. For more information about recording timecode, see Multicam editing workflow.
angle as the sync point. Tip: The Start of First Clip method is useful if you want to use specific range selections of your source clips only. In the Browser, add keywords or the Favorite rating to the range selections you want to use and then filter or search for the clips. When you create your multicam clip, Final Cut Pro uses only the media showing in the filtered view. First Marker on the Angle: Final Cut Pro uses the first marker in each angle as the sync point.
8. To sync angles automatically using audio waveform data, select “Use audio for synchronization.” This option makes precision sync adjustments using audio waveforms in each angle. This is the same audio sync technology that you can use to automatically sync clips together into a compound clip. Note: Some audio recordings are not suited for use with this feature. Selecting this option may result in long processing times during which Final Cut Pro is not available for editing. 9.
12. Click OK. Final Cut Pro creates a new multicam clip in the event and places duplicates of the selected clips in the new multicam clip. Cut and switch angles in the Angle Viewer After you create a multicam clip, you can watch all angles simultaneously in the Angle Viewer while switching or cutting to different angles in real time. This allows you to cut an entire movie as if it were live, and then fine-tune your edits in the Timeline just as you would for any other project.
Play back a multicam clip in the Angle Viewer 1. To open the Angle Viewer, do one of the following: Choose Window > Viewer Display > Show Angles (or press Shift-Command-7). Choose Show Angles from the Viewer Options pop-up menu in the top-right corner of the Viewer. If you’re viewing a multicam clip in the Browser, you have the option to show the Event Viewer next to the Viewer. To show multicam angles in the Event Viewer, do one of the following: Choose Window > Event Viewer Display > Show Angles.
2. Use the skimmer or the playhead to play back a multicam clip in the Browser or the Timeline. The Angle Viewer appears in the upper part of the Final Cut Pro window. Cut and switch angles in the Angle Viewer You can cut and switch angles “on the fly” (while playing back your project), or you can skim to specific points in the Timeline and then cut and switch. You can also use a combination of those two methods. 1.
2. Add the multicam clip you want to cut and switch to the Timeline. Note: The cut and switch feature works on Timeline clips only. 3. Do one of the following: Position the playhead and press the Space Bar to play back the multicam clip. Skim the Timeline to the frame where you want to cut and switch to a different angle. 4. In the Angle Viewer, move the pointer over the angle that you want to switch to.
5. Do one of the following: To cut and switch: Click the angle you want to switch to. (Or press any number key to cut and switch to the corresponding angle of the current bank. For example, press 5 to cut and switch to angle 5 of the current bank.) In the Timeline, the current multicam clip is cut at the playhead position. The section of the clip to the right of the playhead is replaced with a new instance of the clip, with the angle you clicked as the active angle.
Switch video or audio separately By default, Final Cut Pro switches the video and audio of a multicam clip at the same time. But you can set Final Cut Pro to switch the video and audio separately. 1. To open the Angle Viewer, choose Window > Viewer Display > Show Angles (or press Shift-Command-7). 2. To change the switch mode, do one of the following: To enable video and audio switching: Click the left switch mode button in the upper-left corner of the Angle Viewer. This is the default setting.
To enable audio-only switching: Click the right switch mode button. Only the audio switches. The video from the original angle remains active. 3. Do one of the following: To cut and switch: Click an angle in the Angle Viewer. To switch: Option-click an angle in the Angle Viewer. If you selected the video-only or audio-only switch mode, blue highlighting indicates the active video angle and green highlighting indicates the active audio angle.
Tip: With audio-only switching enabled, you can add audio components from inactive angles to the active angle or remove audio components from the active angle. Simply OptionCommand-click an inactive angle to add its audio to the active angle. Or Option-Command-click an active angle to remove its audio. For more information, see “Example: Add or remove audio components in a multicam clip” in Multichannel audio editing examples.
3. In the Settings pop-up menu (in the upper-right corner of the Angle Viewer), choose the number of angles you want to display in each bank. If the number of angles in your multicam clip exceeds the current Angle Viewer display setting, Final Cut Pro creates additional banks and displays them as separate grids of squares.
Three banks of 4 angles each, with the last angle in the third bank as the active angle, and the third bank as the currently displayed bank. One bank of 16 angles, with the last angle as the active angle. One bank of 9 angles and another bank of 7 angles, with the first bank as the currently displayed bank. 4. To navigate banks of angles, do any of the following: To display a bank’s angles in the Angle Viewer: Click the bank switcher icon for the bank.
(’). Show overlays in the Angle Viewer For each angle that appears in the Angle Viewer, you can display video overlays showing timecode and either the clip name or the angle name. 1. To open the Angle Viewer, choose Window > Viewer Display > Show Angles (or press Shift-Command-7). 2. To choose a display option, do one of the following: To display timecode for the clips in each angle: Choose Timecode from the Settings pop-up menu in the upperright corner of the Angle Viewer.
Settings pop-up menu, choose Display Name > Clip. To display the name for each angle: In the Settings pop-up menu, choose Display Name > Angle. To turn off display names: In the Settings pop-up menu, choose Display Name > None. Adjust the Angle Viewer display You can adjust the Angle Viewer display to suit your needs. To adjust the number of angles in the Angle Viewer: In the Settings pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Angle Viewer, choose either 2 Angles, 4 Angles, 9 Angles, or 16 Angles.
To make the Angle Viewer a vertical column: Drag the boundary to the left, and drag the Final Cut Pro toolbar downward to expand the Viewer quadrant vertically. (This vertical column view is available only in the 2 Angles and 4 Angles views.
Sync and adjust angles and clips in the Angle Editor At any time, you can open multicam clips in the Angle Editor to adjust the synchronization and the angle order, set the monitoring angle, or add or delete angles. Note: When you open any multicam clip in the Angle Editor (whether from the Browser or the Timeline) you are actually opening the parent multicam clip. Any changes you make in the Angle Editor are propagated to all child clips of that multicam clip, in every project.
would normally add in the Timeline, such as color corrections and transitions. You can copy and paste clips in the Angle Editor. Clips are pasted sequentially as overwrite edits, and in the monitoring angle only. Tip: Before you edit multicam clips in the Angle Editor, duplicate them in the Browser to maintain clean backup copies. You cannot cut and switch between angles in the Angle Editor.
Set video and audio monitoring in the Angle Editor In the Angle Editor, you can set any one angle to be the monitoring angle. This is the angle you see in the Viewer when the multicam clip is playing back in the Angle Editor. You can also monitor the audio of any number of angles at once. You use the monitoring angle to synchronize angles in the Angle Editor. The monitoring angle is not the same thing as the active angle (which you see in the Timeline).
1. To open the Angle Editor, do one of the following: Double-click a multicam clip in the Browser. Control-click a multicam clip in the Browser or the Timeline and choose Open in Angle Editor from the shortcut menu. 2. To set an angle as the monitoring angle, do any of the following: Click the Video Monitor icon at the left side of the angle. Choose Set Monitoring Angle from the pop-up menu next to the angle name. Press Shift-V while skimming the angle.
3. To turn on audio monitoring for an angle, do one of the following: Click the Audio Monitor icon once. (To turn off audio monitoring, click the icon again.) Choose Monitor Audio from the pop-up menu next to the angle name. (To turn off audio monitoring, choose Monitor Audio again.) Press Shift-A while skimming the angle. (To turn off audio monitoring, press Shift-A again.) The monitoring settings do not affect any of your active angles.
clip in the Angle Editor, and turn on audio monitoring for two or more angles at a time. You will hear immediately if the angles are in sync or if you need to adjust them further. Manually adjust the synchronization of a multicam clip A primary function of the Angle Editor is to provide an easy way to correct out-of-sync angles in your multicam clips. The instructions below describe how to synchronize angles by locating sync points and then manually dragging them into alignment. 1.
4. Drag the clips left or right in the rows of the Angle Editor so that the sync points align vertically. If an angle contains more than one clip, you can easily select all clips in the angle so that you can move them all at once. To do this, choose Select Clips in Angle from the pop-up menu next to the angle name.
You can then drag the clips left or right to move them all by the same amount. Automatically adjust the synchronization of a multicam clip The instructions below describe two automatic methods for synchronizing angles in a multicam clip. 1.
Double-click a multicam clip in the Browser. Control-click a multicam clip in the Browser or the Timeline and choose Open in Angle Editor from the shortcut menu. 2. In the out-of-sync angle, click the pop-up menu to the right of the angle name and choose one of the following: Sync to Monitoring Angle: This option opens a two-up display in the Viewer, showing the frame at the skimmer position on the left and the frame at the playhead position of the monitoring angle on the right.
occupied by existing clips, the moved clips overwrite the existing clips. Note: Some audio recordings are not suited for use with this feature. Choosing this option may result in long processing times during which Final Cut Pro is not available for editing. Adjust the order of angles in a multicam clip You can adjust the order in which angles appear in the Angle Viewer and the Angle Editor.
The angles in the Angle Editor and the Angle Viewer change to the new order. Add, delete, or rename angles in a multicam clip 1. To open the Angle Editor, do one of the following: Double-click a multicam clip in the Browser. Control-click a multicam clip in the Browser or the Timeline and choose Open in Angle Editor from the shortcut menu. 2. Do any of the following: To delete an angle: Choose Delete Angle from the pop-up menu to the right of the angle name.
The angle is removed from the Angle Editor, the Angle Viewer, and all child clips of the multicam clip. Important: Deleting an active angle affects the edits in your projects. The deleted angle is replaced with black filler in all projects. To add an angle: Choose Add Angle from the pop-up menu to the right of the angle name. A new, empty angle appears in the Angle Editor and the Angle Viewer. To rename an angle: At the left side of the Angle Editor, click the name of the angle you want to rename.
However, multicam clips do have some unique characteristics in the Timeline: You can display the names of the active video angle and the active audio angle in the multicam clip in the Timeline. Cut and switch edit points appear as dotted lines in the Timeline. These are through edits (in which the video or audio content on either side of the edit point is continuous). In the case of multicam editing, through edits indicate that the content on either side of the edit point comes from the same multicam clip.
In the case of video-only or audio-only cuts and switches, the edit point can be mixed (with both black and white dotted lines). For example, when you cut and switch video only, you see a black dotted line for the video and a white dotted line for the audio.
pointer changes to the Trim tool, indicating that the edit will be a roll edit (because any other type of edit breaks the relationship between the clips on either side of the cut and switch edit point in the Timeline). Many edits (such as split edits, markers, connected clips, and retiming effects) remain in place on a multicam clip in the Timeline even after you switch the angle.
To switch the audio angle: Choose Active Audio Angle from the shortcut menu, and choose the angle you want to switch to from the submenu. The clip switches to the video or audio angle you chose. Switch angles in the Inspector Switching angles in the Inspector allows you to switch angles for multiple selected multicam clips at once. 1. Select one or more multicam clips that you want to switch. 2. Open the Info inspector. 3.
Click the Clip Appearance button in the lower-right corner of the Timeline and choose Clip Names or Angles from the Show pop-up menu. Remove multicam through edit points To remove an individual multicam through edit: Select it and press Delete. To remove multiple through edits at once: Select the edit points (or select the clips on both sides of the through edits) and choose Trim > Join Clips.
and time of your source clips in the Browser. Just select one or more clips and choose Modify > Adjust Content Created Date and Time. Because you can use the sophisticated automatic audio sync feature in Final Cut Pro to help ensure multicam synchronization accuracy, it makes sense to record audio on every camcorder and recording device in your multicam production. (Clear audio recordings provide the best results.
which provides better performance during multicam editing. This option is turned on by default. If the original camera format can be edited with good performance, you can deselect this checkbox. Make sure that the hard disk holding your multicam source clips is fast enough to play back all of your media at once. You can check hard disk performance by choosing Final Cut Pro > Preferences and selecting “Warn when frames are dropped due to hard disk performance.
Keying, masking, and compositing Keying Keying overview Keying is creating areas of transparency based on color or lightness values in an image. Keying is commonly performed on subjects photographed against a blue or green background, but keys can be based on any color (color or chroma keying), or on a specific range of brightness values (luma keying).
This type of keying is accomplished using one of two keyer effects in Final Cut Pro: Keyer: This general-purpose chroma-keying effect is optimized for blue- or green-screen keying but can key any range of color you choose. See Use chroma keys. Luma Keyer: This is designed to generate mattes based on the image’s lightness—you choose to remove the white or black areas and whether the gray areas should be partially transparent. See Use luma keys.
SEE ALSO Compositing overview Use chroma keys A challenging part of creating a good chroma key is shooting the chroma key video, and in particular, using a good, well-lit background that provides a uniform color to remove. A wide variety of specialized chroma key background options are available, from chroma key paint that includes highly reflective additives to chroma key cloth or paper sheets.
1. In the Timeline, add the foreground clip (the chroma key clip with the color you want to remove) to the primary storyline. 2. Drag the background clip (the clip you want to superimpose the chroma key clip over) so that it is connected below the foreground clip in the primary storyline. For more information about connected clips, see Connect clips to add cutaway shots, titles, and synchronized sound effects. 3.
the color to be keyed. 4. In the Effects Browser, select the Keyer effect. Tip: Type “keyer” in the Effects Browser’s search field to quickly find the Keyer effect. 5. Do one of the following: Drag the effect to the Timeline foreground clip to which you want to apply it. Double-click the effect thumbnail to apply it to the selected clip. The Keyer effect automatically analyzes the video to detect a green or blue dominant color and configures itself to remove that color.
3. To improve the key using controls in the Viewer, use the Refine Key and Strength controls to do any of the following: To identify areas of the foreground clip that might still have some of the chroma key color showing: Click the Sample Color thumbnail image in the Video inspector and draw a rectangle in the Viewer over the area where the chroma key color needs to be removed.
To improve the key, you can drag the rectangle to adjust its position or drag its corners to change its size, and you can drag additional rectangles over any areas with the chroma key color still showing. Tip: Select Matte (the center button) in the View area in the Video inspector to see the matte that the chroma keyer is creating. This can make it much easier to see areas that are not keying well.
You can use the following keyboard shortcuts to work directly in the Viewer: To make a Sample Color adjustment: Draw a rectangle while holding down the Shift key. To make an Edges adjustment: Draw a line while holding down the Command key. To delete a Sample Color or Edges adjustment: Click a Sample Color rectangle or Edges line while holding down the Option key, or select the control and press the Delete key.
is 100%. Reducing this value narrows the range of color sampled, resulting in less transparency in the keyed image. Increasing the Strength value expands the range of color sampled, resulting in more transparency in the keyed image. The Strength parameter is useful to retrieve areas of semitransparent detail such as hair, smoke, or reflections. 4. To help fine-tune the key, use the View options: Composite: Shows the final composited image, with the keyed foreground subject over the background clip.
video). Viewing the matte makes it easier to spot unwanted holes in the key or areas that aren’t transparent enough. Original: Shows the original, unkeyed foreground image. 5. To further refine the matte, use the following controls: Fill Holes: Increasing this parameter value adds solidity to regions of marginal transparency within a key.
For information about making advanced chroma key adjustments, see the following instructions. Make advanced chroma key adjustments The following controls are available for use in difficult keying situations or for fine-tuning specific problems: Color Selection: These controls are meant to be used after you begin creating a key using automatic sampling or the Sample Color and Edges tools. (However, you can skip those tools and create a key using Manual mode, described below.
1. In the Timeline, select the foreground clip with the Keyer effect, and open the Video inspector. Controls for modifying and improving the Keyer effect appear. 2. Click Color Selection to reveal the following controls: Graph: Provides two options to set how the adjustable graphs in the Chroma and Luma controls are used to finetune a key: Scrub Boxes: Select to limit the Chroma and Luma controls to adjusting softness (edge transparency) in the matte you are creating.
adjust the softness (edge transparency) and tolerance (core transparency) in the matte you are creating. Make sure the Strength slider is set to a value greater than 0 before you switch to Manual mode; otherwise the Chroma and Luma controls are disabled. When you switch to Manual mode, the Refine Key tools and Strength slider become disabled, but samples you’ve made with those controls continue to contribute to the matte.
left of the color wheel, a small graph displays the slope of chroma rolloff, the relative softness of matte edges in regions most affected by the Chroma control. Dragging the Chroma Rolloff slider (described below) modifies the shape of this slope. Tip: It’s possible to zoom in to and pan around the Chroma control to more precisely adjust the graphs. To zoom in to the Chroma control, move the pointer over the color wheel, and, holding down the Z key, drag to the left to zoom out or to the right to zoom in.
below). Note: The luma softness handles may extend past the outer boundaries of the Luma control. This is due to the floating-point precision of the Keyer effect and is expected behavior. To reveal and move out-of-bounds handles, drag the slope line of the Luma graph. Chroma Rolloff: Use this slider to adjust the linearity of the chroma rolloff slope (displayed in the small graph to the left of the Chroma control).
can be deselected if subpixel smoothing degrades the quality of your keys. 3. Click Matte Tools to reveal the following controls: Levels: Use this grayscale gradient to alter the contrast of the keyed matte, by dragging three handles that set the black point, white point, and bias (distribution of gray values between the black point and white point).
the matte to affect matte translucence and matte size simultaneously. Drag the slider left to make translucent regions more translucent while simultaneously shrinking the matte. Drag the slider right to make translucent regions more solid while simultaneously expanding the matte. Soften: Use this slider to blur the keyed matte, feathering the edges by a uniform amount. Erode: Drag this slider right to gradually increase transparency from the edge of the solid portion of the key inward. 4.
Black, White: Click the disclosure triangle in the Spill Contrast row to reveal sliders for the Black and White point parameters. These sliders, which mirror the settings of the Spill Contrast handles described above, allow you to keyframe the Black point and White point parameters (via the Add Keyframe button to the right of each slider). Tint: Use this slider to restore the natural color of the keyed foreground subject.
Amount: Use this slider to control the overall light wrap effect, setting how far into the foreground the light wrap extends. Intensity: Use this slider to adjust gamma levels to lighten or darken the interaction of wrapped edge values with the keyed foreground subject. Opacity: Use this slider to fade the light wrap effect up or down. Mode: Use this pop-up menu to choose the compositing method that blends the sampled background values with the edges of the keyed subject.
overlapping dark portions become darker, light portions become lighter, and colors become intensified. Hard Light: Similar to the Overlay composite mode, except that colors become muted. Animate the chroma key effect To compensate for changing conditions in the foreground clip, you can make Sample Color and Edges adjustments at multiple points in the clip. The following steps assume you have applied the chroma key effect. 1. Place the Timeline’s playhead at the start of the clip. 2.
When you play the clip, the Sample Color and Edges settings smoothly change from one sample point to the next. For even greater control, you can add keyframes for most of the other settings in the Keyer section of the Video inspector. For more information about working with keyframes, see Video animation overview. Note: Keyframes for the chroma and luma graphs in the Color Selection controls appear only in the Video inspector and not the Video Animation Editor in the Timeline.
Apply the luma key effect 1. In the Timeline, move the playhead to the point in the background clip (the clip you want to superimpose the luma key clip over) where you want the key to start. 2. In the Browser, select the part of the foreground clip (the luma key clip with the black or white you want to remove) you want to key over the background, and choose Edit > Connect to Primary Storyline (or press Q).
For details about connecting clips in this way, see Connect clips to add cutaway shots, titles, and synchronized sound effects. 3. Select the foreground clip in the Timeline, and click the Effects button in the toolbar (or press Command-5). 4. In the Effects Browser, select the Luma Keyer effect. Tip: Type “keyer” in the Effects Browser’s search field to quickly find the Luma Keyer effect. 5. Do one of the following: Drag the effect to the Timeline foreground clip to which you want to apply it.
clip. The Luma Keyer effect automatically configures itself to remove black video. If the resulting key is not right or you would like to improve it, you can adjust the luma key effect. Adjust the luma key effect The following steps assume you have applied the Luma Keyer effect. 1. In the Timeline, select the clip with the Luma Keyer effect. 2. Open the Video inspector. The Effects section of the Video inspector shows the parameters available for adjusting the Luma Keyer effect. 3.
either end of the gradient thumbnail image. By default, these handles are set to provide a linear key where the luma level linearly controls the transparency of the foreground—100% white is fully opaque, 0% black is completely transparent, and 25% gray retains 25% of the foreground image. Dragging the white and black controls changes the values that result in fully opaque or fully transparent foreground video. 5. To adjust the softness of the edges, adjust the Luma Rolloff control.
being generated by the keying operation. White areas are solid, black areas are transparent, and varying shades of gray indicate varying levels of transparency. Viewing the alpha channel makes it easier to spot unwanted holes in the key or areas that aren’t transparent enough. Original: Shows the original, unkeyed image. 7. To leave smoothly aliased text or graphics in the image visually intact, which can improve the edges, select Preserve RGB. 8.
simulate the interaction of environmental lighting with the keyed subject, making it appear as if background light wraps around the edges of a subject. The following steps assume you have applied the luma key effect. 1. In the Timeline, select the clip with the Luma Keyer effect. 2. Open the Video inspector. The Effects section of the Video inspector shows the parameters available for adjusting the Luma Keyer effect. 3.
Fill Holes: Increasing this parameter value adds solidity to regions of marginal transparency within a key. This control is useful when you’re satisfied with the edges of your key, but you have unwanted holes in the interior that you can’t eliminate via the Luma Rolloff parameter without ruining your edges. Edge Distance: Lets you adjust how close to the edge of your keyed subject the effect of the Fill Holes parameter gets.
Bias parameters may yield a better key, one that adapts to changing blue-screen or green-screen conditions. Shrink/Expand: Use this slider to manipulate the contrast of the matte to affect matte translucence and matte size simultaneously. Drag the slider left to make translucent regions more translucent while simultaneously shrinking the matte. Drag the slider right to make translucent regions more solid while simultaneously expanding the matte.
Mode: Use this pop-up menu to choose the compositing method that blends the sampled background values with the edges of the keyed subject. There are five modes: Normal: Evenly blends light and dark values from the background layer with the edges of the keyed foreground layer. Lighten: Compares overlapping pixels from the foreground and background layers, and then preserves the lighter of the two. Good for creating a selective light wrap effect.
adjust the foreground so that it matches the look of the background. Final Cut Pro includes effects that you can use for these purposes. Use a mask effect to remove unwanted parts of the foreground image 1. In the Timeline, move the playhead to the point in the background clip (the clip you want to superimpose the chroma key clip over) where you want the key to start. 2.
clips to add cutaway shots, titles, and synchronized sound effects. 3. Select the foreground clip. In the above example, the light stands need to be removed. 4. Click the Effects button in the toolbar (or press Command-5). 5. In the Effects Browser, double-click a mask effect to apply it to the selected foreground clip. Tip: Type “mask” in the Effects Browser’s search field to quickly find the various mask effects. For more information, see Masking overview.
6. Adjust the edges of the mask to crop out the objects you want to remove, in this case, the light stands. When adjusting the mask, be sure to leave shadows and other details that can help make the key more realistic later. 7. Apply the appropriate keyer effect to the foreground clip.
The foreground is composited over the background. Use Transform to position the foreground image The following steps assume you have already configured a key but need to reposition the foreground image. 1. Select the foreground clip in the Timeline.
2. In the lower-left corner of the Viewer, choose Transform from the pop-up menu and move the image to the position you want. In the above example, you might want to move the woman to the left. You can also resize the image. 3. Click Done in the Viewer when you are finished repositioning the foreground image. Masking Masking overview When you draw shapes to create areas of transparency in an image, you are masking that image.
You can use onscreen controls to precisely define the mask area. For example, if you want to isolate a clip’s foreground subject, you can create a detailed mask to cut out the background. You can also animate mask effects to create complex regions of animated transparency that change over time. The following mask effects are available in the Masks category of the Effects Browser. Add them to any clip in the Timeline as you would any other clip effect.
Vignette Mask: Create a horizontal ellipse mask with graduated edges. Final Cut Pro also features effect masking. Most clip effects have built-in shape masks and color masks that allow you to isolate and control which areas of the video image are affected by clip effects and color corrections. For more information, see Effect masking overview. Note: Masking blend modes (including Add, Subtract, and Intersect modes) for combining multiple masks are available for effect masking only.
Connect clips to add cutaway shots, titles, and synchronized sound effects. 2. Select the clip in the Timeline and position the playhead at a point within the clip that shows the area you want to make transparent. 3. To open the Effects Browser, click the Effects button in the toolbar (or press Command-5). 4. In the Effects Browser, select the Shape Mask effect. Tip: To quickly find the Shape Mask effect, type “shape” in the Effects Browser’s search field. 5.
To position the shape: Drag the center. To adjust the shape’s width or height: Drag any of the four handles at the 90-degree points (top, bottom, left, or right) of the inner circle. You can hold down the Shift key while dragging to force all sides to scale proportionally. Or hold down the Option key to adjust one side only. To control the curvature of the shape: Drag the handle to the left of the inner circle’s top handle. One extreme of the curvature continuum is a perfect rectangle.
background, and dragging the outer circle away from the inner circle creates a softer edge and a more gradual transition. To hide the mask’s controls: Click the Shape Mask Onscreen Controls button in the Shape Mask area of the Color section of the Video inspector. Note: The Shape Mask is just one of several simple mask effects. For the complete list of Effects Browser mask effects, see Masking overview.
B-Splines: You can also use B-Splines to draw shapes. Unlike Bezier splines, B-Splines are manipulated using only points— there are no tangent handles. Furthermore, the points themselves do not lie on the surface of the shape. Instead, each B-Spline control point is offset from the shape’s surface, magnetically pulling that section of the shape toward itself to create a curve. By combining the influence of multiple BSpline points, you can create different curves.
You can also draw masks with linear control points, which are connected by straight lines. Linear control points are also known as corner points. You can convert control points between linear (corner) points and smooth (Bezier) points at any time. Note: By default, the Draw Mask is set to draw with Bezier shapes. If you prefer to draw your mask with linear or B-Spline shapes, you can adjust this setting in the Video inspector before you get started.
The instructions below explain how to create a mask using a Bezier spline, the default shape type. If you prefer to draw your mask with linear or B-Spline shapes, you can adjust this setting in the Video inspector before you get started. For more information, see Add and delete control points. 1. Add the clip you want to mask to the Timeline. Note: If you want to composite the clip over a background clip, you must use connected clips.
Double-click the effect thumbnail in the Effects Browser. 6. In the Viewer, click to add a control point. A red dot with a white center (indicating a selected control point) appears where you clicked. 7. To add points to further define the shape, do one of the following: Click to make a linear corner point. Drag to make a curved Bezier point, adjusting it to the shape you want.
Press Shift while making a curved point to constrain its tangents to 45-degree angles. Press Command–Equal Sign (=) to zoom in for a closer look and Command-Hyphen (-) to zoom out. 8. Continue adding more control points in the Viewer to create your detailed mask shape. Red lines appear in the Viewer, connecting the control points. 9. To complete the initial mask shape, click the original control point.
The area outside the mask shape is filled with solid black, representing the transparent area. If you added a background clip using connected clips, the background image shows through this transparent area. 10. To adjust the mask, do any of the following : To visually manipulate the mask in the Viewer: Drag the onscreen controls in the Viewer. To show or hide onscreen controls and control points in the Viewer: Click the Draw Mask Onscreen Controls button in the Draw Mask section of the Video inspector.
You can refine the contours of a Shape Mask by converting it to a Draw Mask with editable control points that allow you to adjust shape and curvature. 1. Add a Shape Mask effect to a clip in the Timeline. The Shape Mask onscreen controls appear in the Viewer. 2. Do one of the following: Click Convert to Points at the bottom of the Shape Mask section of the Video inspector. Control-click the Shape Mask onscreen controls in the Viewer, then choose Convert to Points from the shortcut menu.
Note: If you animated the Radius or Curvature parameter in the original Shape Mask, a dialog appears asking you to confirm the conversion. The animation is discarded after the shape is converted. 3. To adjust the mask, do any of the following: To visually manipulate the mask in the Viewer: Drag the control points in the Viewer. To show or hide onscreen controls and control points in the Viewer: Click the Draw Mask Onscreen Controls button in the Draw Mask section of the Video inspector.
SEE ALSO Complex masks overview Editing complex masks overview Mask controls Mask an image with multiple masks Occasionally, it may be necessary to apply multiple masks to the same image. For example, if you are masking an image of a car, you might draw separate masks for different parts of the car: roof and windows, the lower body, and so on.
2. Duplicate the clip as a connected clip directly above the original clip. Tip: To quickly duplicate the original clip and position it at the same time, Option-drag the clip to the area just above the primary storyline. 3. Apply a mask to the connected clip. Tip: To get a better view of your mask as you create it, you can temporarily disable the other clip by selecting it and pressing V. To reenable the clip, press V again. 4. Apply a mask to the original clip. The two mask shapes are effectively merged.
Compositing overview Edit complex masks Editing complex masks overview Complex masks are defined by Bezier splines and B-Splines, which are built with control points. Each control point in a complex mask defines some sort of corner or curve, and the actual spline that makes up the shape connects these control points together like a connect-the-dots drawing. The control points determine the shape and curvature of the spline.
Add and delete control points You draw the shape of your complex mask by adding and adjusting control points. The default drawing shape type is Bezier, but you can change the shape type before creating the mask if you want to draw with a linear or B-Spline shape instead. Set the shape type to Bezier, linear, or BSpline It’s best to set the shape type in the Video inspector before you create your mask. Changing the type in the middle of drawing your mask may radically alter the shape. 1.
Add control points to a Draw Mask In the Viewer, do one of the following: Option-click or double-click the edge of a mask. Note: To add control points to a B-Spline mask, Option-click or double-click the B-Spline frame’s edge, rather than the edge of the mask itself. Control-click the edge of a mask, then choose Add Point from the shortcut menu. Delete control points from a Draw Mask If a mask has more control points than are necessary, you can delete points to make it easier to edit.
SEE ALSO Complex masks overview Create complex masks with the Draw Mask effect Select, lock, and disable control points There are many ways to select and deselect control points that you want to modify. You can also lock control points to prevent changes, or disable them to temporarily remove them from a mask shape. Select control points In the Viewer, do one of the following: Click any control point. Shift-click unselected control points to add them to the selection.
Shift-drag a selection rectangle around unselected control points in a closed mask to add them to the selection. Drag a selection rectangle over multiple control points in a closed mask. Deselect control points Do one of the following: Shift-click selected points. Shift-drag a selection rectangle over selected points. Select or deselect every control point on a mask To select all of a mask’s control points: Choose Edit > Select All (or press Command-A).
You can also click anywhere outside the selected mask in the Viewer. Display the control point number By default, mask control points are numerically labeled in the order in which they were created in the Viewer. Position the pointer over any control point in a closed mask. The numeric name of the control point appears—“Control Point 1,” for example. Note: Draw Mask control points are also listed by number in the Draw Mask section of the Video inspector.
Disabling a control point in a Draw Mask is similar to disabling a clip in the Timeline: the control point is temporarily removed from the mask but retains its position and its number in the sequence of control points. You can just as easily reenable control points. Control-click a control point, then choose Disable Point from the shortcut menu. To enable a disabled control point, Control-click it, then choose Enable Point from the shortcut menu.
Note: When you drag a control point, the point’s name and coordinates are displayed at the top of the Viewer. Move a selected control point by one pixel To nudge left: Press Comma (,). To nudge right: Press Period (.). To nudge up: Press Option–Up Arrow. To nudge down: Press Option–Down Arrow. Constrain the movement of selected control points 1. Select control points on a mask in the Viewer. 2. Press Shift while you drag a selected point horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
(90-degree), vertical (180-degree), or diagonal (45-degree or 135-degree) axis. Move control points using the Video inspector You can make precise adjustments to the position of any control point using controls in the Video inspector. 1. In the Timeline, select the clip containing the mask you want to modify. 2. To open the Video inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Video button at the top of the pane that appears. 3.
any control point using the value sliders. Position, rotate, and scale a mask 1. In the Timeline, select the clip containing the mask you want to modify. 2. To open the Video inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Video button at the top of the pane that appears. 3. In the Draw Mask section of the Video inspector, click the Transforms disclosure triangle to open the Transforms controls. 4.
The distance between the two points remains constant as you drag. Press Shift to constrain the movement horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. SEE ALSO Create complex masks with the Draw Mask effect Edit Bezier control points The methods used to adjust Bezier shapes are similar to those used by many other applications. Bezier control points are widely used to modify curves, and allow you to easily draw any mask shape you may need.
curves On a mask in the Viewer, do any of the following: Command-click a smooth (Bezier) point to turn it into a linear (corner) point. Command-drag a linear (corner) point to turn it into a smooth (Bezier) point, creating adjustable tangent handles. Control-click selected points, then choose Linear, Smooth, or Very Smooth (for B-Splines) from the shortcut menu to change the control point type.
To break the relationship between opposing tangent handles: Option-drag either tangent handle. After this relationship is broken, adjustments to one tangent handle have no effect on the other, and you can rotate both tangent handles freely. You can also Control-click a tangent handle point and choose Break Handle from the shortcut menu.
To lock the angle of the tangent handles together again: Option-drag a broken tangent handle, or Control-click a handle point and choose Link Handle from the shortcut menu. The tangent handles now maintain their relationship when moved and rotated. To align the tangent handles to a 180-degree angle: Controlclick a handle point and choose Align Handles from the shortcut menu. Press Shift while you adjust a tangent handle to constrain its movement to 45-degree angles.
Each B-Spline control point tugs on a section of the shape, pulling it toward itself. For this reason, you manipulate a shape’s curve by moving its control points in the direction you want to pull the shape. For example, notice how every control point creating the S curve below is offset in the direction of the curve it influences. By default, B-Spline shapes have no corners. However, you can adjust the amount of curvature at each B-Spline control point to create sharper curves using fewer control points.
Adjust B-Spline control points 1. In the Viewer, Command-drag selected B-Spline control points. A handle appears indicating the adjustment you’re making. Note: After the handle appears, you can modify the curve without using the Command key. 2. Do any of the following: To make the curve progressively sharper: Drag away from the point. To make the curve progressively looser: Drag toward the point. To switch between three progressively sharper degrees of curvature: Command-click the handle.
Create complex masks with the Draw Mask effect Animate a mask As with many effects and titles in Final Cut Pro, you can animate simple and complex masks using keyframes. For more information about animating effects using keyframes, see Video animation overview. Animate a simple or complex mask 1. Add a simple mask effect or a Draw Mask effect to a clip in the Timeline. 2. Select the clip and position the playhead in the Timeline where you want the animation to begin. 3.
the following: Adjust the onscreen controls in the Viewer. Adjust the mask controls in the Video inspector. 5. To add keyframes for the starting shape of your animated mask, do one of the following in the Video inspector: To add a keyframe for a single parameter: Move the pointer over the area to the right of the parameter you want to animate, and click the Keyframe button that appears.
6. In the Timeline, move the playhead to the next point where you want to define the mask shape, and repeat steps 4 and 5. Final Cut Pro adds a keyframe for the parameters you adjusted, and the Keyframe button changes to yellow. When you move the playhead in the Timeline, arrows appear next to the Keyframe button in the Video inspector to indicate which side of the playhead has keyframes. To go to the previous keyframe, click the left arrow. To go to the next keyframe, click the right arrow. 7.
Mask controls Shape Mask and Draw Mask controls appear in the Video inspector. You use these controls to adjust how the mask is drawn and how each mask operates upon an image. You can also fine-tune mask control point positions. Shape Mask controls The Shape Mask contains the following adjustable controls: Radius: A slider that changes the mask’s size. Curvature: A slider that changes the mask shape. One extreme of the curvature continuum is a perfect rectangle.
other extreme is an oval or a perfect circle. Fill Opacity: A slider that adjusts the opacity of the image inside the mask selection. Invert Mask: A checkbox that, when selected, reverses the mask—swapping its solid and transparent areas. View: A pop-up menu that switches between the original image and the masked image (with its transparent areas). Feather: A slider that feathers (softens) the edges of the mask. Positive feathering values soften the mask from its edge outward.
Control Points: When a Shape Mask is selected, the Convert To Points button is available. Click this button to convert a Shape Mask to a Draw Mask with editable control points. Draw Mask controls The Draw Mask contains the following adjustable controls: Shape Type: A pop-up menu that sets the type of control points used to define the mask. For example, if you originally created a Bezier mask, you can choose B-Spline from this menu to change how the mask is drawn.
of a Bezier mask lie directly on its edge. B-Spline: Control points are all B-Spline points, with different degrees of curvature. B-Spline control points lie outside the surface of the mask but are connected by the B-Spline frame. Fill Opacity: A slider that adjusts the opacity of the image inside the mask selection. Invert Mask: A checkbox that, when selected, reverses the mask—swapping its solid and transparent areas.
Rotation: A dial control that rotates the mask around its anchor point. Scale: A slider that changes the mask’s size as a percentage of the default mask size. Control Points: When a Draw Mask is selected, click the disclosure triangle to display a list of the position parameters for the mask control points. Use the value sliders to adjust the position of control points. The left value slider represents X, and the right value slider represents Y.
There are a number of ways to combine video images in Final Cut Pro: Transitions: All video transitions involve combining the end of one clip with the start of a second clip, which results in a combination of the two clips appearing at the same time during the transition. Keying: All keys involve compositing a foreground image over a background image.
Use alpha channels Alpha channels provide an easy way to composite one image over another. Using an application like Motion, an Apple application designed to work with Final Cut Pro, you can create still images and video clips that have alpha channels. Alpha channels can be thought of as having a built-in keyer—when you use the key effects you are creating a mask that is used in the same way a clip with an alpha channel is used for compositing.
This is what the final composite looks like over a background clip. Use a clip with an alpha channel 1. Position the playhead in the Timeline where you want to add the alpha channel clip. 2.
choose Edit > Connect to Primary Storyline (or press Q). 3. To see the composited clips, position the playhead within the clip that was just added above the primary storyline. The clip is composited over the primary storyline video clip, with the alpha channel controlling the opacity of its clip. You can also use the Opacity adjustment’s fade handles to dissolve the foreground clip on and off.
Use Compositing settings The Compositing settings provide a wide variety of options for combining two images. You can make a simple adjustment to evenly combine two images, or you can choose from settings that use the video content to determine how to combine the images. Use the Opacity adjustment 1. Position the playhead in the Timeline where you want to add a clip above the primary storyline. 2. Select the clip to add in the Browser, and choose Edit > Connect to Primary Storyline (or press Q). 3.
Choose a blend mode 1. Position the playhead in the Timeline to where you want to add a clip above the primary storyline. 2. Select the clip to add in the Browser, and choose Edit > Connect to Primary Storyline (or press Q). 3. To see the composited clips, position the playhead within the clip that was just added. By default, the new clip completely obscures the clip on the primary storyline. 4. Choose an option from the Blend Mode pop-up menu in the Compositing section of the Video inspector.
Color correction Color correction overview In any post-production workflow, color correction is generally one of the last steps in finishing an edited program.
Final Cut Pro also includes several automatic tools you can use to quickly balance and match the color in clips. You can: Automatically balance colors: With one click, neutralize any color casts and maximize image contrast. See Color balance overview. Automatically match a clip’s color and look: With two clicks, make one or more clips match the color look of any clip that you choose. See Match color between clips automatically.
clips in the project or in other projects. See Save and apply color correction presets. Although these features are independent of one another—you can turn any of the features off and on to see its effect—the order in which you use them matters. In general, you should use these features in the order of Balance Color, Match Color, and (if necessary) manual color correction. Final Cut Pro also includes several video scopes you can use when manually color correcting your video.
The video frame used as the reference frame depends on whether the clip has already been color analyzed: If the clip has been color analyzed, either during import or while in the Browser: The analysis process extracts color balance information for the entire clip. Whether you add a portion of the clip or the entire clip to a project, the colorbalancing feature chooses the frame within the project clip that is closest to being correctly balanced.
shorter clips to a minute or more for longer clips. The analysis process takes longer if you also analyze for people and stabilization issues. After a clip has been analyzed for color balance, you can turn the color balance correction on or off at any time. By default, color balance correction is off for clips in the Browser and on for clips in the Timeline, if they have been analyzed.
button and select “Analyze for balance color” in the Video section. All clips that you drag directly to the Timeline from the Finder are now analyzed. Note: When you change this setting in the Preferences window, the setting is also changed in all other windows with an “Analyze for balance color” option. Analyze color balance for clips in the Browser When you analyze the color balance of clips in the Browser, any clips that were analyzed during import are skipped. 1.
color balance correction on and off, whether the clip is in the Browser or the Timeline. The frame used as the reference frame is either a frame chosen during color balance analysis, the frame the playhead is on in the Timeline, or the middle frame. For more information, see Color balance overview. Turn a clip’s color balance correction on and off 1. Select one or more clips in the Timeline or the Browser. 2. Do one of the following: Choose Modify > Balance Color (or press OptionCommand-B).
Note: To ensure the highest-quality results, the Balance Color and Match Color effects appear at the top of the Effects list in the Video inspector by default. Match color between clips automatically Your project likely uses video from a wide variety of sources. The Match Color feature makes it easy to ensure that all scenes that take place in the same location have the same look. Match color between clips 1. Select one or more clips in the Timeline that you want to adjust. 2.
Choose Match Color from the Enhancements pop-up menu in the toolbar. The Viewer changes to display the Timeline playhead’s frame on the right and the frame the pointer is over on the left. 3. Skim any clip in the Timeline or the Browser to find a frame with the color look you want to match, and click to preview that look applied to the selected clip. You can click a variety of clips until you find the look you want.
you want, even if it’s not related to your project, so that you can match its color look. 4. To accept the current look, click Apply Match in the Match Color window. The Viewer returns to its normal configuration, and the selected Timeline clips change to the new look. Turn match color corrections on or off You can turn off the color match corrections that have been applied to a clip. This is useful for viewing the difference between the original clip and the corrected clip. 1.
Final Cut Pro includes powerful manual color correction tools that you can use to accomplish a wide variety of color correction or enhancement effects: Apply a color correction to the whole image: Adjust the color tint, color saturation, and exposure for the whole clip image. See Color correct the whole image. Choose a specific color in the image to correct: For example, choose a brightly colored object, such as a shirt or car, and use the color correction settings to mute or change the color.
Add a color correction 1. Add a clip to your project and select it in the Timeline. 2. Position the playhead in the Timeline so that your clip appears in the Viewer. 3. If the Video inspector is not already visible, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 4. Click the Video button at the top of the Inspector pane to open the Video inspector. 5.
Choose Window > Go To > Color Board (or press Command-6). Note: You can use the last two methods to add the first color correction only. For information about adding multiple color corrections, see “Apply multiple color corrections to a clip,” below. The Color Correction effect appears in the Effects section of the Video inspector. (If you added the color correction using the last method, the Color Correction effect appears in the Effects section only after you make adjustments in the Color Board.
clip, the second color correction can still create a color mask based on a color originally in the clip. 1. Follow the instructions in "Add a color correction,” above. 2. To add an additional color correction, do one of the following: Add another Color Correction effect from the Color category of the Effects Browser. Choose Window > Go To > Color Board (or press Command-6), click the pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Color Board, and choose Add Correction.
Note: If you have applied multiple corrections to a clip, you can change their order by dragging them in the Video inspector. Rearranging the processing order can provide different results. To ensure the highest-quality results, the Balance Color and Match Color effects always appear at the top of the Effects list by default. Color correct the whole image You can adjust a clip’s tint, saturation, and exposure with great precision using the Color Board. Manually color correct the whole clip image 1.
3. If the clip has multiple corrections applied to it, choose the correction to adjust from the pop-up menu in the Color Board’s upper-right corner. 4. To add or remove a color tint, click Color (or press ControlCommand-C), and drag the controls in the Color pane. To adjust the tint for the whole image: Drag the Global control (the large gray control). To adjust the tint in the darker areas of the image: Drag the Shadows control (the black control).
Dragging the controls up adds the color to the video, and dragging them down subtracts the color (effectively adding the opposite color). Dragging the controls left and right chooses the color to add or subtract. You can also select the control and enter values numerically using the corresponding value slider. Tip: To move the selected Color Board control up or down, press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key.
You can also select the control and enter values numerically using the corresponding value slider. 6. To adjust the clip’s luma level, click Exposure (or press Control-Command-E), and drag the controls in the Exposure pane. To adjust exposure for the whole image: Drag the Global control on the left. To adjust exposure in the darker areas of the image: Drag the Shadows control. To adjust exposure in the midtones (similar to a gamma control): Drag the Midtones control.
corrections 1. In the Timeline, select a clip whose color corrections you want to remove. 2. Do any of the following: To reset the currently selected control in the Color Board to its neutral state: Press Delete. To reset all of a Color Board pane’s controls to their neutral state: Click the Reset button in the pane’s upper-right corner.
Target a specific color using a color mask A color mask isolates a particular color in the image. You can apply a color mask to a clip to correct a specific color, or to exclude that color from corrections to the rest of the image, or both. For example, you could mute a brightly colored shirt in the background that distracts attention from a clip’s main subject. Add a color mask to a color correction 1. Add a color correction to a clip in the Timeline. 2.
4. Move the pointer over the Color Correction bar in the Effects section and click the Apply Effect Masks button . 5. In the pop-up menu that appears, choose Add Color Mask. The Color Mask parameter appears in the same section of the Video inspector, and the pointer changes to the eyedropper tool. 6. In the Viewer, position the eyedropper on a color in the image that you want to isolate, and drag to select the color.
As you drag, two concentric circles appear. The size of the outer circle determines the range of color that is included in the color mask. As you change the outer circle size, the image becomes monochrome except for the color you’re selecting. You can drag a new selection circle as many times as you like to try for better results. Note: After you stop dragging, you see the effects of the color mask as soon as you start making adjustments in the Color Board.
indicates fully opaque mask areas, black indicates areas outside the mask, and levels of gray indicate transparent mask areas. 10. To adjust the color correction settings for the selected color, click the Color Board button in the Video inspector. 11. Do one of the following: To apply a color correction to the selected color: Click Inside. To apply a color correction to everything except the selected color: Click Outside.
12. Adjust the Color Board controls to create the effect you want. For more information about working with the Color Board, see Color correct the whole image. To limit the area of the image affected by a color mask, you can add a shape mask. For more information, see Target specific areas using shape masks. Target specific areas using shape masks A shape mask defines an area in the image so that you can apply color corrections either inside or outside that area.
you can also animate the shapes with keyframes so that they follow an area while a camera pans or an object moves as the clip plays. For information about animating shape masks, see Animate an effect shape mask. For information about working with keyframes, see Video animation overview and Adjust video effects using keyframes. Add a shape mask 1. Add a color correction to a clip in the Timeline. 2.
5. In the pop-up menu that appears, choose Add Shape Mask. The onscreen controls appear in the Viewer, superimposed over the video image. By default, the shape mask is set to a partially feathered circle in the center of the frame. The Shape Mask parameter appears in the effect’s section of the Video inspector. 6. Adjust the onscreen controls to specify which part of the video image is affected by the color correction. To position the shape: Drag the center.
dragging to force all sides to scale proportionally. To control the roundness of the shape: Drag the handle to the left of the inner circle’s top handle. To rotate the shape: Drag the rotation handle (extending from the center). To control the softness of the shape’s edge: Drag the outer circle.
To apply a color correction to everything except the shape area: Click Outside. You can make corrections to both the inside and outside areas of the mask—each area effectively has its own complete set of Color Board controls. For example, you could select Inside Mask and enhance the shape’s area, and then select Outside Mask to darken everything else. 10. Adjust the Color Board controls to create the effect you want. For more information about working with the Color Board, see Color correct the whole image.
2. Press Delete. Add shape masks to a color mask Often when you create a color mask, more areas of the video are affected by it than you would like. For example, there might be a gray car on the right side of the screen that you want to color correct, and a gray car on the left that you don’t want to affect. In this situation, you can add one or more shape masks to restrict the color mask to the areas defined by the shape masks. You can set masks to interact in different ways using mask blend modes.
in a Color Correction effect 1. Add a color correction to a clip in the Timeline. 2. If the Video inspector is not already visible, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 3. Click the Video button at the top of the Inspector pane to open the Video inspector. The Video inspector appears with the Color Correction in the Effects section. 4. Apply a color mask to the color correction. 5.
(next to the effect name). The color mask alpha channel appears in the Viewer. Note: If necessary, you can invert the mask selection. For more information, see Invert effect masks for a clip. 6. Apply a shape mask to the same color correction. Both masks appear in a list below the effect name in the Video inspector. By default, the shape mask appears at the top of the list in the Video inspector, set to the Add blend mode. The color mask’s blend mode is changed to Intersect.
7. Click the Shape Mask Onscreen Controls button onscreen controls appear in the Viewer. so that the 8. Adjust the shape mask onscreen controls to isolate the area you want to correct (in this example, the dark gray tones of the first car). The alpha channel in the Viewer shows the isolated area only. 9. Add additional shape masks as needed to further isolate the area. 10.
color correct the isolated area. Add a transition between color corrections You can have a video clip change from one color correction to another using a transition. For example, if you want a scene to gradually highlight the face of an actor, you can use a transition to dissolve between the normal clip and a second instance of the clip with a shape mask around the face and a color correction applied that darkens the image outside of the mask. Add a transition between two color corrections 1.
adjustment. 4. Select the edit point between the two clips, and press Command-T to insert a cross dissolve. When you play the clip, one color correction dissolves into the other as the edit point is passed.
Save a color correction preset 1. In the Timeline, select a clip that has the color correction look you want to save, and open the Color Board. 2. Click the Presets pop-up menu in the lower-right corner of the Color Board and choose Save Preset. 3. Type a name for the preset and click OK. Apply a color correction preset 1. Select a clip in the Timeline, and open the Color Board. 2. Click the Presets pop-up menu in the lower-right corner of the Color Board and choose a preset.
Although you cannot modify the adjustments added in iMovie, you can choose whether they are applied to the clip or not. Turn a clip’s iMovie adjustments on or off In the Timeline, select a clip with iMovie adjustments applied, and select or deselect the iMovie Color Effect checkbox in the Effects area of the Video inspector. Turn log processing on or off Many modern cameras have a log or wide-dynamic-range recording option that provides more f-stops of exposure latitude in the image.
Turn a clip’s log processing on or off 1. Select a clip recorded with the log option. 2. To open the Info inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears. 3. In the Info inspector, choose Settings View from the Metadata View pop-up menu. 4. In the Log Processing pop-up menu, choose an option for converting the appearance of your footage: None: Turns off log processing.
Log. Sony S-Log2: Applies the appropriate linearization and 709(800%) MLUT tone mapping for footage shot with the S-Log2/S-Gamut setting on Sony cameras such as the F5 and F55. Sony S-Log3: Applies the appropriate linearization and 709(800%) MLUT tone mapping for footage shot with the S-Log3/S-Gamut3.Cine setting on Sony cameras such as the F5 and F55. Note: Final Cut Pro properly displays Apple ProRes media captured with the ARRI ALEXA camera Log C recording option and imported with Final Cut Pro X 10.0.
use the Final Cut Pro video scopes to make sure that the luma and chroma levels of your video stay within the parameters referred to as broadcast-safe, or acceptable for broadcast. Even if your project is not intended for broadcast, using the video scopes is an important part of your workflow. If the monitors you’re using don’t display color accurately or you’ve been working with the same clips for a while, you can easily get used to seeing a color cast or blacks that are not quite right.
1. Do one of the following: To open a video scope in the Viewer: Choose Window > Viewer Display > Show Video Scopes (or press Command7). To open a video scope in the Event Viewer: Choose Window > Event Viewer Display > Show Video Scopes. You can also click the View pop-up menu in the top-right corner of the Viewer or Event Viewer and choose Show Video Scopes. 2. Choose the scope to display from the top section of the Action pop-up menu . 3.
Change video scope display settings You can display up to four video scopes at the same time and choose from 12 different scopes layouts, including a vertical layout in which scopes appear below the Viewer. You can also adjust brightness controls, enable quantitative guides, and display monochrome scopes. 1. If you haven’t already done so, open a video scope. 2. Click the View pop-up menu above the video scope display, and choose display settings.
To display scopes below the video image: Choose Vertical Layout. To display quantitative data and guide lines: Choose Show Guides. To set the video scopes display to black and white: Choose monochrome. To adjust the video scopes brightness level: Drag the Brightness slider at the bottom of the menu. Below are some examples of the many possible combinations of video scopes layouts and settings.
SEE ALSO Waveform Monitor display options Vectorscope display options Histogram display options
Waveform Monitor display options The Waveform Monitor shows the relative levels of luma and chroma in the clip currently being examined. These values are displayed from left to right, mirroring the relative distribution of luma and chroma levels from left to right in the image. Spikes and dips in the displayed waveforms correspond to light and dark areas in your picture. The waveforms are also tinted to match the color of items in the video.
The RGB Parade view is useful for comparing the relative levels of red, green, and blue between two clips. If one clip has more blue than another, the Waveform Monitor displays an elevated blue waveform for the clip with more blue and a depressed blue waveform for the other clip. RGB Overlay: Combines waveforms for the red, green, and blue color components in one display. Red: Shows only the red color channel. Green: Shows only the green color channel.
Blue: Shows only the blue color channel. Luma: Shows only the luma component of the video. Chroma: Shows only the chroma component of the video, and is tinted to match the video’s colors. Y’CbCr Parade: Presents three side-by-side waveform displays for the separate luma, Cb (the blue color difference channel), and Cr (the red color difference channel) components. The waveforms are tinted white (for luma), magenta (for Cb), and yellow (for Cr) so that you can easily identify the waveform for each component.
IRE: Displays the video range in IRE units. Millivolts: Displays the video range in millivolts. Guides: Turns the Waveform Monitor’s grid and numeric values on or off. Monochrome: Dims and desaturates the scope display to prevent visual distractions and color perception issues in your color-finishing suite. Brightness: Sets the relative lightness or darkness of the scope display.
a circular scale. The color in your video is represented by a series of connected points that fall somewhere within this scale. The angle around the scale represents the hue displayed, with targets indicating the primary colors of red, green, and blue and the secondary colors of yellow, cyan, and magenta. The distance from the center of the scale to the outer ring represents the saturation of the color being displayed.
this when your source media uses 100 percent color bars as its reference. 133%: Sets the reference chroma level for the color bar targets at 75 percent saturated chroma. Use this when your source media uses 75 percent color bars as its reference. Vector: Uses a normal chroma hue reference, with red near the top. Mark3: Uses a 90-degree rotated chroma hue reference, with red on the right side.
percentage of luma or color. Each increment of the scale from left to right represents a percentage of luma or color, and the height of each segment of the Histogram graph shows the number of pixels that correspond to that percentage. The Settings pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Histogram provides a variety of display options: Luma: Shows only the luma component of the video.
distribution of values across the entire width of the graph. RGB Overlay: Combines waveforms for the red, green, and blue color components in one display. If the image being examined has equal levels of two or more colors, you see the combined color: Equal levels of green and blue appear as cyan. Equal levels of green and red appear as yellow. Equal levels of red and blue appear as magenta. Equal levels of red, green, and blue appear as gray.
You can use the RGB Parade view to compare the relative distribution of each color channel across the tonal range of the image. For example, images with a red color cast have either a significantly stronger red graph or weaker green and blue graphs. Red: Shows only the red color channel. Green: Shows only the green color channel. Blue: Shows only the blue color channel.
Share your project Sharing projects overview Final Cut Pro provides a variety of destinations, or preconfigured export settings, that you can use to output your project or clip. For example, you can export a project or clip as a QuickTime movie, export it for viewing on Apple devices such as iPhone and iPad, publish it to websites such as Facebook and YouTube, or burn it to a disc. You can also save a frame from your movie or export an image sequence. Each of these options uses a different destination.
Details about each destination in the default set are listed in the table below. Destination Use to DVD Burn your project to a standard-definition (SD) DVD. Master File (default) Export your project as a QuickTime movie file. Apple Devices 720p Export files for iPhone and iPod.
Apple Devices 1080p Export files for iPad. Facebook Publish your project to your account on any of these websites. YouTube Vimeo You can easily add destinations or replace the default set of destinations with your own customized destinations. For example, if you want to save a frame from your movie as a Photoshop file, you need to add the Save Current Frame destination to your set and specify that the destination export a Photoshop file.
Share projects, clips, and ranges You can share an entire project, an entire clip, or a portion of a project or clip (indicated with a range selection). You share using one of the built-in destinations provided with Final Cut Pro, or using a custom destination that you create in the Destinations pane of Final Cut Pro preferences. For more information, see Destinations preferences. You can also share a project’s roles, exporting each role as a separate media stem.
Note: To share just a portion of a project, you must make a range selection. A clip selection is not sufficient. For example, you can use the I and O keys to set the range start and end points. 2. If you’re sharing a project that is set to use proxy media for playback, open it in the Timeline and choose Optimized/Original from the Viewer Options pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Viewer. This ensures the highest quality in the exported file.
Important: If the destination that you want to use doesn’t appear in the menu, you need to manually add it to your set of destinations. See Destinations preferences. 4. In the Share window that appears, do any of the following: Move the pointer over the image to skim the video.
In the Info pane on the right, view and modify project or clip attributes, such as the title and description. For more information, see Modify share attributes. All of the attributes associated with the project or clip are included in the output file. Important: By default, the title field lists the project or clip name. Changing the title does not change the project or clip name, which is the name used for the exported file.
5. To view the destination’s settings, click Settings. The settings for the destination are displayed in the Settings pane. If necessary, modify the destination’s settings. Note: If you change the destination’s settings, the changes are saved as the default settings for the destination. For more information, see Destinations preferences. 6. Click Share or Next. The button you see changes depending on the destination you chose. If you click Next, follow the instructions to complete the sharing process.
while the file is transcoded. When transcoding is complete, a notification appears. You can view and locate shared projects in the Share inspector. For more information, see View the status of shared projects. Note: If you added chapter markers to your project, chapter marker thumbnails are placed at the appropriate location when sharing to disc (DVD and Blu-ray disc) and MV4, QuickTime, and MP4 formats (for playback using iTunes, QuickTime Player, and Apple devices).
DVCPRO HD H.264 HDV MPEG IMX (D-10) Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 Uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:2 XDCAM HD/EX/HD422 Compressor setting You can export to the following formats using a Compressor setting: Apple Animation codec AVC-Intra (MXF) QuickTime formats Note: Depending on the format of your source media files, some of the export formats listed above may not be available.
export multiple types of output at once. You can also revert to the default set of destinations that were available when you first opened Final Cut Pro. For information about sharing projects and clips from Final Cut Pro, see Sharing projects overview. Create a new destination 1. Do one of the following: Choose File > Share > Add Destination.
Select a clip or project, click the Share button in the toolbar, and choose Add Destination from the pop-up menu. 2. In the Destinations pane of the Preferences window, do one of the following: Drag a destination from the area on the right to the Destinations list on the left (or double-click a destination on the right). Control-click a destination in the Destinations list and choose Duplicate from the shortcut menu.
For descriptions of the controls in each destination, see Destinations preferences. Here are some tips for setting up various types of destinations: If you chose a web destination: Enter your user name and password in the window that appears, and click OK. Depending on the destination you’re setting up, you may need to verify your account or your device. To do so, follow the onscreen instructions.
OK. The settings that are displayed include the Compressor settings that come with Final Cut Pro as well as any settings you added. Important: You can use the Compressor Settings destination only if you have Compressor installed or someone gives you a Compressor setting. You can adjust the destination at any time. For example, you can type a new name or use the controls on the right to change the destination settings. As you customize the destination, your changes are saved automatically.
To use a different web account: Select a web destination and click the Details button to the right of the account name. In the window that appears, enter a new account name and password, and click OK. Follow the onscreen instructions to verify your identity and enable your device, and click Done. To have multiple accounts available for the same web destination, create additional instances of the web destination, enter the other account name and password, and click OK.
To restore a destination to its original settings: Control-click a destination in the Destinations list and choose Revert to Original Settings from the shortcut menu. The destination’s settings are restored to their original values and the settings are saved automatically. To rename a destination: Double-click a destination in the list on the left and type a new name. To change the order of destinations in the list: Drag a destination to a different location in the Destinations list.
Create a bundle of destinations Bundles make it easy to create several types of output in a single step. A bundle holds a set of destinations. When you share a project or clip using the bundle, a file for each destination in the bundle is output automatically. 1. In the Destinations pane of the Preferences window, select Add Destination in the Destinations list and then double-click the Bundle destination (or drag it from the area on the right to the Destinations list on the left).
Select a destination in the Destinations list, and click the Remove (–) button below the list. Assign a default destination After you set the default destination, you can quickly share to that destination by pressing Command-E. If a clip in the Browser is selected, that clip will be shared; if the Timeline is active, the project will be shared. By default, this shortcut is assigned to the Master File destination.
Share destinations between Final Cut Pro users To export destinations from your copy of Final Cut Pro: Drag one or more destinations from the Destinations list in the Destinations pane of Final Cut Pro preferences to a location in the Finder. The destination file is appended with the .fcpxdest extension. To import destinations into your copy of Final Cut Pro: Drag a destination file from a location in the Finder to the Destinations list.
Show and modify share attributes for a clip or project 1. Select a clip or project. 2. To open the Share inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Share button at the top of the pane that appears. 3. If the attributes for the selection aren’t shown, move the pointer over Attributes and click Show.
4. Type new text in an attribute field. If you type a word or phrase that has been defined as an attribute, the attribute (a word or phrase in a blue bubble) appears after you finish typing.
1. Select a clip or project. 2. Open the Share inspector. The Share inspector contains a pop-up menu you can use to customize attribute fields. 3. Using the Attributes pop-up menu, do any of the following: To add an attribute field: Choose the field name (so that there’s a checkmark next to it). Fields with a checkmark are shown in the Share inspector and exported with your clip or project.
To remove an attribute field: Choose the field name (so that there’s no checkmark next to it). To show only the Final Cut Pro default attribute fields: Choose Show Default Fields. Choosing this option displays only the Title, Description, Creator, and Tags fields. Important: The default fields cannot be removed. To save the selected attribute fields as your default set: Choose Save as Default. To display your default set of attribute fields: Choose Update to Default.
1. In the Share inspector, choose Edit Share Fields from the Attributes pop-up menu. 2. In the Edit Share Fields window, select an attribute field from the list on the left. The attributes assigned to the selected field appear in the Format field. 3. To edit the selected attribute field, do any of the following: To add an attribute: Drag an attribute (a word or phrase in a blue bubble) from the middle of the window to the Format field. You can also type the attribute name in the field.
To create a custom name attribute: Enter a word or phrase in the Custom Name field at the bottom of the window, and drag the Custom Name attribute to the Format field. Tip: Because the custom name attribute appears in the Format field as “Custom Name,” you can use it for long phrases or sentences and still easily view the other attributes and text in the Format field. To remove an attribute or text: Select the attribute or text and press Delete.
roles. You can export roles as a combined, multitrack QuickTime file or as separate audio or video files, and you can assign mono, stereo, or surround output for your audio channels. For more information, see Roles overview. 1. Do one of the following: Select a project or a clip in the Browser. Select a range in a project in the Timeline or in a clip in the Browser. 2. Choose File > Share > Master File (or click the Share button in the toolbar and choose Master File).
Include chapter markers: Select the checkbox to include chapter markers with the exported file (or files). Open with: Choose what you want to happen after the export is complete. 4. In the “Roles as” pop-up menu, choose how you want the roles exported. Note: The options available in this pop-up menu change based on your choices in the Format and “Audio file format” pop-up menus. QuickTime Movie: Exports all of the roles in the project as a single QuickTime movie. If you choose this option, skip step 5.
For more information, see Configure audio channels. To remove a role from the export files: Move the pointer over the role you want to remove, and click the Remove (–) button that appears to the right of the pop-up menu. 6. Click Next, enter file information in the window that appears, and click Save. You can monitor the progress of the transcode in the Background Tasks window, and you can continue to work in Final Cut Pro while the file is transcoded. When transcoding is complete, a notification appears.
Create and modify custom presets If you’ve created a customized list of roles to share, you can save it as a preset. 1. Configure your share options using the instructions in “Share roles as separate files,” above. 2. In the “Roles as” pop-up menu, do any of the following: To save a new preset: Choose Save As, type a name for the preset, and click Save. To save changes to an existing preset: Select the preset and make your changes, and then choose Save.
1. Select a project or clip, and then click the Share button in the toolbar and choose Master File. 2. In the Share window, click the Settings button, and in the “Roles as” pop-up menu, choose the custom preset that you want to delete. The custom presets are listed in the pop-up menu. After you choose a preset, a checkmark appears next to its name. 3. In the “Roles as” pop-up menu, choose Delete.
Send your project to Compressor 1. Select a project or a clip in the Browser, or a range in a project or a clip. 2. Choose File > Send to Compressor. Note: The Send to Compressor command is dimmed if Compressor is not installed on the same computer as Final Cut Pro. Compressor opens with a new batch that contains a job with the project’s or clip’s media file. 3. Configure the job by clicking Add Outputs and following the instructions, then click Start Batch.
Open the Share inspector 1. In the Libraries list, select the event that contains the shared clip or project you want to inspect. 2. In the Browser, select the shared clip or project you want to inspect. 3. To open the Share inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Share button at the top of the pane that appears.
appears at the bottom. You can do any of the following in the Share inspector: Click the magnifying glass icon to reveal the exported files in the Finder. Click the shared item’s pop-up menu to access more options, such as visiting the shared item’s website or emailing a link to a friend. Visit the website where a project or clip has been shared In the Share inspector, choose Visit from the shared item’s pop-up menu. Note: Not all shared items have a pop-up menu.
Create an email to announce that a project or clip was shared to a website 1. In the Share inspector, choose Tell a Friend from the shared item’s pop-up menu. 2. In Mail, complete the email that was created and click Send. The email includes a link to the website where the project or clip was shared.
Manage media, libraries, and archives Media management overview Final Cut Pro provides you with flexible and powerful tools to manage your media files. The first time you open Final Cut Pro, it automatically creates a library file in the Movies folder. You can import media into the library file or have Final Cut Pro access media files in other locations.
You can use multiple libraries and events to organize media and projects to suit your workflow. For example, copying or moving events is useful if you want to work on a project using another Mac that has Final Cut Pro installed, or if you want to free up space on your computer’s hard disk. Use other media management tools such as the Consolidate command for backups and managing shared storage.
Managing multiple libraries, including copying and moving items between libraries. See Managing libraries overview. Creating camera archives to save the contents of your camera or camcorder as readily available backups on any computer. See Create and manage camera archives. Importing media from cameras, an external storage disk, or another device is also generally considered a form of media management. See Importing overview. Update your projects and events to Final Cut Pro 10.1 Final Cut Pro 10.
move your files to another Mac and continue working on these projects as needed using version 10.0.9 of Final Cut Pro. For more information about backing up your files and the Final Cut Pro application, go to “Final Cut Pro X 10.1: How to back up important files before updating” at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5550 and the Final Cut Pro Support webpage at http://www.apple.com/support/finalcutpro.
Asks if you want to move the old project and event files to the Trash after the update is complete. If you choose to move them to the Trash and need to go back to them for any reason, you can restore them to their original location using the File > Put Back command in the Finder. However, after the Trash is emptied, the deleted project and event files cannot be restored. Note: Media files are never moved to the Trash or deleted.
events and projects later, by choosing File > Update Projects and Events. Locate: If you’ve been using SAN locations on an Xsan volume, you can click Locate to navigate to and then update SAN location folders. You can select a volume, a SAN location, or any folder containing a Final Cut Projects or Final Cut Events folder, and update it. This creates a new library next to the folder where the original projects and events were located.
Events and projects that were not stored on the root level of the connected volumes Projects, events, or sets of events that were offline when using Intelligent Assistance’s Event Manager X application All projects and events, if you clicked Update Later when first presented with update options You can update these projects and events at any time. 1. If necessary, connect the volumes that contain the projects and events you want to update, and then open Final Cut Pro. 2.
Manage your media files View a clip’s information The Info inspector provides a summary of a clip’s information. Here you can view status information about a clip’s source media file, including the file’s location, available media representations for the file, the event the clip is located in, and the event the clip references. View a clip’s information 1. Select a clip in the Browser or Timeline. 2.
3. In the Info inspector, scroll down until you see the File Information section. For information about using optimized or proxy media for playback, see Control playback quality and performance. For more general information about optimized and proxy media, see Manage optimized and proxy media files. Locate source media files You can locate the source media file (on the hard disk) for any clip in your library.
clip 1. If you don’t see the Libraries list, click the button at the bottom-left corner of the Browser. 2. In the Libraries list, select the event that contains the clip. 3. Select the clip in the Browser. 4. Choose File > Reveal in Finder (or press Shift-Command-R). A Finder window opens, with the source media file selected. You can also quickly find the source event clip for any clip in the Timeline. For more information, see Find a Timeline clip’s source clip.
Relink clips to media files In Final Cut Pro, clips represent your media, but they are not the media files themselves. Final Cut Pro keeps track of the links between clips and media files automatically. However, there are times when you need to manually relink clips to media files. One common scenario that requires relinking is when files are altered or re-created outside of your copy of Final Cut Pro.
projects or events) are updated to link to the new media files. In other words, if you used a clip in multiple projects or events, each of those projects and events is relinked to the new media file. Note: You cannot undo the Relink Files command. Relink clips to media files 1. Do one of the following: In the Browser or the Timeline, select the clips or the projects containing the clips you want to relink. In the Libraries list, select an event or an entire library containing the clips you want to relink.
4. Do one of the following: To locate all the matching files: Click Locate All. To locate some of the matching files: Select items in the list and click Locate Selected. 5. In the window that appears, navigate to one of the files you want to link to, or to the folder that contains it. Text at the bottom of the window indicates how many potential matches to items in your original list were found (based on the filenames only).
Note: Final Cut Pro identifies matches based on proximity in the directory structure and related filenames. For example, if your original files were in two adjacent folders, Final Cut Pro looks in folders adjacent to the folder containing the file you chose and relinks all matching files in the relative path.
(on the right). If a file was matched incorrectly, select it in the list and press Delete. The item is placed back in the original list at the top of the Relink Files window. Items with no matches remain in the original list above. You can continue to locate those by selecting them and repeating steps 4 through 6. 8. To link the event clips to the new media files, click Relink Files. All matched clips (including those in other projects or events) are updated to link to the new media files.
storage devices. If the media used in a project, an event, or a library is located in multiple folders or on multiple hard disks, you can consolidate all the media in one location (on one storage device). This process facilitates archiving and makes it easier for others to access the media (using shared storage, for example). The consolidate command places the files in the current library storage location.
2. To select files to consolidate, do one of the following: Select a library in the Libraries list. Select one or more events in the Libraries list. Select an event in the Libraries list, and then select one or more projects in the Browser. 3. Choose File > Consolidate [item]. 4. In the window that appears, confirm the library to consolidate the files into. 5. If you want to include optimized and proxy media, select the checkboxes in the window that appears. 6. Click OK.
up and move the Motion Templates folder located in your Movies folder. Similarly, you must manually track and move any thirdparty effects, because they are not managed within the Final Cut Pro library. Back up projects, events, and libraries Backing up your work and your media consistently is an essential part of your workflow. Some people back up daily or weekly; others back up when a project is complete.
symlinks), which are special files that point to the media files. When you copy or move clips between events, Final Cut Pro copies or moves the symbolic links only (not the source media files). To replace the symbolic links with the actual source media files, select the events and choose File > Consolidate Event Files. For more information about files and clips, see Media files and clips.
for offline editing at the original frame size, frame rate, and aspect ratio. Final Cut Pro creates medium-quality (one-half resolution) proxy versions that increase editing performance. Video proxy files often take up considerably less storage space than optimized files, which can allow you to work on a portable computer instead of a desktop computer with significantly more memory and processing power.
Important: If you use proxy media for playback, make sure to switch back to optimized/original media before sharing your project. This ensures the highest quality in the exported file. For more information, see Share projects, clips, and ranges. Create optimized and proxy files during import During import, Final Cut Pro either creates an alias file that points to the media file in its original location, or creates a copy of the original media file.
2. Use the settings on the right side of the Media Import window to choose how you want to organize the imported media in your library: To add the imported media to an existing event: Select “Add to existing event,” and choose the event from the pop-up menu. To create a new event: Select “Create new event in,” use the pop-up menu to choose the library in which you want to create the event, and then type a name (for example, “Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text field.
more information about files and clips, see Media files and clips. 4. Select one or both of the transcoding options. Final Cut Pro will transcode the files in the background, after the import process is complete. 5. Click Import Selected or Import All (the Import button changes its name based on your clip selection). The import may take a while, depending on the option you selected in step 3. You can see the status of all the background processes currently running in the Background Tasks window.
Tasks window. Note: MP3 audio files from projects created with versions of Final Cut Pro earlier than 10.0.4 can be manually transcoded to WAV audio files using this process. Create optimized and proxy files when importing by dragging When you drag media from the Finder into an event or the Timeline in Final Cut Pro, it is automatically organized, transcoded, and analyzed based on the import settings that you specify in Final Cut Pro preferences. 1.
in the Info inspector doesn’t have a proxy file, you see a red triangle. 1. Select a clip in the Browser. 2. To open the Info inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears. 3. Scroll down to the File Information section of the Info inspector, and click the Generate Proxy button.
The proxy file is created, and a green circle appears next to the proxy item in the Available Media Representations section, indicating that the proxy file for the clip is available. To control whether Final Cut Pro displays the proxy media in the Viewer, choose an option from the Viewer Options pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Viewer. For more information, see Control playback quality and performance.
Delete Proxy Media 4. Click OK. The selected files are deleted from your storage device. Note: The Delete Generated Library Files command is unique among media management commands in Final Cut Pro in that it affects external media as well as managed media (in the library). Manage render files Rendering is the process of creating temporary video and audio render files for segments of your project that Final Cut Pro cannot play in real time.
while you work in a different application. You can turn off background rendering or adjust this setting in Final Cut Pro preferences. You can also manually start rendering for a project or a portion of a project. Render files are stored in your Final Cut Pro library or in an external location you define in the Library inspector. For more information, see Manage storage locations. Over time, render files can accumulate and take up storage space.
Choose Modify > Render All (or press Control-Shift-R). Final Cut Pro renders the portions of the project that you defined and removes the corresponding orange render indicator. You can view the progress of rendering in the Background Tasks window. Delete project render files 1. Select one or more projects in the Browser. 2. Choose File > Delete Generated Project Files. 3. In the window that appears, select Delete Render Files and click OK. Delete event render files 1.
Delete render files from a library 1. Select a library in the Libraries list. 2. Choose File > Delete Generated Library Files. 3. In the window that appears, select Delete Render Files. 4. Select whether to delete unused render files or all render files, and click OK.
open the Background Tasks window. The tasks being performed and a percentage of completion are shown in the window. Important: If you actively use Final Cut Pro while background tasks are running, the background tasks will pause. The tasks resume when you stop using Final Cut Pro. View tasks that are running in the background 1. Do one of the following: Choose Window > Background Tasks (or press Command9). In the toolbar, click the Background Tasks button. 2.
Pause or resume a task in the Background Tasks window Click the Pause button or Resume button . Cancel a task in the Background Tasks window Click the Cancel button . Manage libraries Managing libraries overview Final Cut Pro allows you to work with multiple libraries.
collaborate with other editors, or archive your projects and media. You can open and close libraries as needed so that you never have too many libraries open at once. You can also manage storage locations for media files, cache files, and library database backups on a per-library basis. For more information, see Manage storage locations. Create a new library You can create new (empty) libraries, or you can create libraries from existing events.
Create a library 1. If you don’t see the Libraries list, click the button at the bottom-left corner of the Browser. 2. Do one of the following: To create an empty library: Choose File > New > Library, and navigate to a location on your hard disk where you want to save the library. To create a library from existing events: Select one or more events in an existing library, and choose File > Copy Events to Library. The new library appears in the Libraries list.
select one or more libraries in the list and click Choose. To select more than one library: Command-click the libraries in the list. To open or close libraries in the Libraries list 1. If you don’t see the Libraries list, click the button at the bottom-left corner of the Browser. 2. Do any of the following: To open an existing library: Choose File > Open Library and choose a library from the submenu, or double-click a library file in the Finder.
corresponding files are moved from one library file to the other on disk. For information about copying and moving items between events in the same library, see Copy or move clips and projects between events in the same library. Here are some ways to use this feature to enhance your workflow: Use multiple libraries on the same hard disk to organize a large number of active projects and media assets. Work on your project and media files on a different Mac that has Final Cut Pro installed.
1. In the Libraries list, select the event you want to copy, or select the event that contains the clips or projects you want to copy. 2. If you’re copying clips or projects, select them in the Browser. Note: You cannot select clips and projects at the same time. 3. Do one of the following: If the library you want to copy to is present in the Libraries list: Drag the items to the library. If you’re copying an event, drag it to the library icon .
select the event that contains the clips or projects you want to move. 2. If you’re moving clips or projects, select them in the Browser. Note: You cannot select clips and projects at the same time. 3. Do one of the following: If the library you want to move the items to is present in the Libraries list: Command-drag the items to the library by first starting to drag and then holding down the Command key as you drag. If you’re copying an event, drag it to the library icon .
case, Final Cut Pro creates symbolic links (also known as symlinks), which are special files that point to the media files. When you copy or move clips between events, Final Cut Pro copies or moves the symbolic links only (not the source media files). To replace the symbolic links with the actual source media files, select the events and choose File > Consolidate Event Files. For more information about files and clips, see Media files and clips.
The inspector shows the storage location settings for the selected library. The Media Locations section shows a list of storage devices for the existing media in the selected library, including the total amount of original, optimized, and proxy media stored on each device. (This is media that was previously imported or generated for the selected library.) 3. To change storage location settings, click Modify Settings. A window appears with three pop-up menus that you can use to set storage locations.
backups at regular intervals. Backups include the database portion of libraries only, not the media files. Backups are saved with the time and date in the filename. To open a backup from a specific time and date and add it to the current Libraries list in Final Cut Pro, choose File > Open Library > From Backup. For more information, see Restore a library from automatic backups. 5. When you’re finished setting storage locations, click OK.
3. In the Library Properties inspector, click Consolidate. 4. If you want to include optimized and proxy media, select the checkboxes in the window that appears, and click OK. Final Cut Pro copies the media into the selected library file, or to the external storage location. To view or change library storage locations, see the instructions above. For more information about consolidating media files, see Consolidate projects, events, and libraries.
that you can record more media right away, rather than wait for it to import into Final Cut Pro, which can take time. Import the archived media on multiple computers without having to keep it on the camcorder Keep a browsable, “near-line” archive of media from a camera without having to import the media into Final Cut Pro See Access media on an archive or disk image for information on how to import media into Final Cut Pro from a camera archive. Archive the media on your file-based camera or camcorder 1.
3. In Final Cut Pro, click the Import Media button on the left end of the toolbar (or press Command-I). 4. In the Media Import window that appears, select the device whose content you want to archive from the list of cameras on the left. 5. Click the Create Archive button at the bottom-left corner of the window. 6. In the “Create Camera Archive as” field, type a name for the archive. 7.
pop-up menu, and click OK. Note: It is recommended that you save your archive to a disk or partition different from the one where you store the media files used with Final Cut Pro. The camera archive is stored on your hard disk. You can mount the archive as if it were a file-based camcorder and browse the archive’s contents, or import the media on the camera archive into Final Cut Pro. For more information, see Access media on an archive or disk image.
Click the Import Media button on the left end of the toolbar. 4. In the Media Import window that appears, select the device whose content you want to archive from the list of cameras on the left. 5. Click the Create Archive button at the bottom-left corner of the window. 6. In the “Create Camera Archive as” field, type a name for the archive. 7. Choose a location to save the archive from the Destination pop-up menu, and click OK.
Final Cut Pro begins archiving from the current location on the tape. It will continue to archive until one of the following occurs: It reaches the end of the tape. You manually stop the archiving process by clicking Stop Import or Close (to close the Media Import window). The camera archive is stored on your hard disk. You can mount the archive as if it were a file-based camcorder and browse the archive’s contents, or import the media on the camera archive into Final Cut Pro.
Delete a camera archive Camera archives are very small relative to other media files, and often don’t warrant being deleted. However, you can delete a camera archive at any time. 1. In the Finder, select the camera archive. 2. Hold down the Control key and choose Move to Trash from the shortcut menu that appears. 3. Control-click or click and hold the Trash icon in your Dock, and choose Empty Trash from the shortcut menu. Important: Emptying the Trash permanently deletes the camera archive.
events, media files, and effects can be missing: moving projects, events, and files between computers and actively managing your media using the Finder are two common reasons. Final Cut Pro events and clips Icon Alert Description Missing Event The event media is not available. You may see this alert if you moved an event to the Trash, moved an event to another location, moved a project to another location, or moved another project’s media.
event is not available. You may see this alert if you moved the clip to the Trash, moved a clip (or event), moved a project to a different location, or consolidated a different project’s media. Missing Camera A camera that contains files used in Final Cut Pro is not connected to your system. To avoid getting this alert, create a copy of the media when you import it.
while importing. Media files Icon Alert Description Missing File A file is not available in the Finder. You may see this alert if you moved or renamed a file in the Finder, moved an event or project to a different location, or consolidated a different project’s media.
Final Cut Pro. Missing Proxy File A proxy file created by Final Cut Pro is not in its expected location in the Finder. See Manage optimized and proxy media files. Final Cut Pro effects Icon Alert Description Missing Effect An effect in Final Cut Pro is missing.
missing. Missing Title A title in Final Cut Pro is missing. Missing Transition A transition in Final Cut Pro is missing. Common media management issues This section describes common media management issues and solutions. If you import a file directly from a hard disk and change the name in the Finder You may see a missing file alert if you move or rename a file in the Finder.
In the Finder, change the filename back to the filename used in the Browser. Quit and reopen Final Cut Pro. The file will be relinked to the clip when Final Cut Pro opens. If you canceled an import If you canceled an import and didn’t import an entire clip, the clip will have a Camera icon on its bottom-left corner. Follow the instructions in “Reimport a clip” in Import from filebased cameras.
Preferences and metadata Preferences and metadata overview In Final Cut Pro, you can modify preference settings to specify how your source media is imported into the application, how your clips play back, and how you edit your clips in the Timeline. You can also view and change the information associated with a clip, referred to as a clip’s metadata. Metadata includes information about a clip’s source media files as well as information you add to a clip, such as notes.
Display and change clip metadata Final Cut Pro preferences Change preference settings A preference modifies how a particular Final Cut Pro feature behaves. Most preference settings can be turned on or off at any time. The following sections describe Final Cut Pro preferences in detail. Open Final Cut Pro preferences Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences (or press CommandComma), and click a pane’s button at the top of the window to open it.
2. Copy the preference settings file to the same location on another Mac. If necessary, overwrite any existing version of the file at that location. Reset Final Cut Pro preferences You can reset Final Cut Pro preferences to their original settings. Press Option-Command while opening Final Cut Pro. SEE ALSO Editing preferences Playback preferences Import preferences Destinations preferences General preferences General preferences are basic settings in Final Cut Pro.
Time Display Time Display: Use this pop-up menu to choose the time mode for Final Cut Pro. Changes in this setting affect the time display (for the position of the skimmer or the playhead) in the Dashboard in the center of the toolbar, as well as trimming and navigation operations in Final Cut Pro.
Timeline Show detailed trimming feedback: Select this checkbox to show the “two-up” display in the Viewer for more accurate feedback on an edit point involving two contiguous clips. For example, for a simple ripple or roll edit, this display shows the end point of the left clip and the start point of the right clip. Position playhead after edit operation: Select this checkbox to have the playhead automatically positioned in the Timeline at the end of your last edit.
Percentages: Choose this setting to display values as percentages. Audio Show reference waveforms: Select this checkbox to change the background appearance of the audio portion of a clip to show reference waveforms. A reference waveform shows the maximum visual resolution possible of the actual audio waveform. By factoring out loudness, reference waveforms let you see the shape of the sound more clearly.
Playback preferences Playback preferences affect playback and rendering performance in Final Cut Pro. Note: For information about controlling playback quality and performance, including switching between original or optimized media and proxy media, see Control playback quality and performance. Rendering Background render: Select this checkbox to turn on Final Cut Pro rendering operations when the system is idle.
Playback Create optimized media for multicam clips: Select this checkbox to automatically transcode multicam clip video to the Apple ProRes 422 codec, which provides better performance during editing and faster render times. If a frame drops, stop playback and warn: Select this checkbox to have Final Cut Pro warn you when frames are dropped during playback.
visible in the case of partially or completely transparent clips, or clips that do not fill the frame completely. A/V Output A/V Output: Use this pop-up menu to choose an external audio/video device or monitor for output. A/V output requires third-party video interface hardware and software and is available only with OS X Lion v10.7.2 or later. For more information, see View playback on an external video monitor.
Files Choose a storage location for the media files: Copy to library storage location: This option duplicates the media files and places the copies in the current library storage location. You can set storage locations for each of your libraries using the Library Properties inspector. For more information, see Manage storage locations.
information about files and clips, see Media files and clips. Transcoding Create optimized media: This option transcodes video to the Apple ProRes 422 codec, which provides better performance during editing, faster render times, and better color quality for compositing. If the original camera format can be edited with good performance, this option is dimmed. Create proxy media: This option transcodes video to the Apple ProRes 422 Proxy codec, which provides high-quality files useful for offline editing.
From Finder tags: Creates a Keyword Collection for each Finder tag assigned to the files you’re importing. If the files you’re importing have tags, select this option to keep the tag organization that exists in the Finder. For more information about Finder tags, see the help for OS X (available from the Help menu when the Finder is active). Note: For REDCODE RAW files only, Keyword Collections are based on tags assigned to the enclosing folder.
Video Analyze for balance color: Analyzes video clips and detects color cast and contrast issues. Color is automatically balanced when you drag the clip to the Timeline. You can fix color balance for a clip in an event by turning on Balance in the Color section of the Video inspector. You can turn off the automatic color adjustments at any time to display the colors that were originally recorded.
Audio analysis options Destinations preferences You modify share destinations in the Destinations pane of the Final Cut Pro Preferences window. The destinations in the Destinations list (on the left side of the Destinations pane) also appear in the Share submenu of the File menu and in the pop-up menu that appears when you click the Share button in the toolbar.
The settings available for each destination are described below. For information about adding and modifying destinations, see Create and modify share destinations. DVD and Blu-ray Use these destinations to burn your project or clip to a standarddefinition (SD) DVD or a Blu-ray-compatible disc, or to create a disk image (.img) file you can copy to an external drive or burn to disc later. Note: The Blu-ray destination does not appear by default.
You can use this option to force the disk image to be formatted for a double-layer disc when you choose Hard Drive as your output device. Important: Depending on the project’s length, choosing Double-layer when using a single-layer disc may result in an error while burning the disc. Disc template: Displays the available disc templates. When disc loads: Displays the automatic action taken when you play the disc. Show Menu: Displays the main menu. Play Movie: Begins playing the movie immediately.
Chapter Menu to preview the chapter menu. Email Use this destination to email your project or clip using Mail, Apple’s email program. The Email destination automatically creates an email message that includes the exported file. Note: The Email destination does not appear by default. To add it to the Destinations list, see Create and modify share destinations. The Email destination includes the following settings: Resolution: Choose a resolution from the pop-up menu.
After you enter the account information, the destination name is appended with the account name in parentheses; for example, “YouTube (myusername).” If you want, you can rename the destination with a more descriptive name. The web destinations include the following settings: Sign In: The first time you view a web destination, a window for entering your account information appears.
password field (by pressing the Tab key or clicking elsewhere in the window). If you don’t do this, Youku does not receive the account information. Category: Choose the category your movie will appear in. The category options change based on the web destination you’re modifying. Save Current Frame and Export Image Sequence Use these destinations to save a still image of any video frame in your project or to save a set of sequentially numbered still-image files.
horizontal and vertical pixels as the original video. Export File Note: This destination is used as the basis for three of the destinations in the default set: Master File, Apple Devices 720p, and Apple Devices 1080p. When you create and modify destinations in Final Cut Pro preferences, this destination is called Export File. Use this destination to export your project or clip as a movie file with video and audio, as a video file (with no audio), or as an audio file (with no video).
(Available choices are based on the source clip or project media format.) Resolution: Choose the default resolution for the destination. If the destination is used with a project or clip that has a lower resolution than the resolution you chose, the resolution changes to match that of the project or clip. Audio file format: If you chose Audio Only from the Format pop-up menu, choose an audio format for the exported file.
Compressor: Choose this option to open the exported file in Compressor. The exported file will appear as the source in a new batch, making it easy to continue to process the project’s movie. For example, you can create the compressed versions needed for distribution, without involving Final Cut Pro. Note: This option is available only if Compressor is installed on the same computer as Final Cut Pro. Other: Choose this option to specify another application to open the exported file.
work directly with Final Cut Pro. Note: The Compressor Settings destination does not appear by default. To add it to the Destinations list, see Create and modify share destinations. Exporting a project with a Compressor setting provides many of the benefits of Compressor without actually opening your project in Compressor. You can use Compressor to create multiple output files in one share operation, or create custom settings that modify your output file (for example, to add a watermark to the video).
Use this destination to send audio and video to iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac using a web server. Note: The HTTP Live Streaming destination does not appear by default. To add it to the Destinations list, see Create and modify share destinations. Because HTTP live streaming dynamically adjusts movie playback quality to match the available speed of wired or wireless networks, it’s a great way to deliver streaming media to your iOSbased app or HTML5-based website.
Work with metadata Display and change clip metadata Information about your source media files, information recorded by the camera, and descriptive information about a clip are called metadata. In Final Cut Pro, you can create your own combinations of metadata to display with your clips, called metadata views. You can either create new metadata views or modify the ones that come with Final Cut Pro.
The Share inspector also displays metadata that is exported with a shared clip or project. For more information, see Modify share attributes. View a clip’s metadata 1. Select a clip. 2. To open the Info inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below), and click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears. Metadata for the selected clip or group of clips is displayed in fields in the Info inspector.
Switch metadata views in the Info inspector You can change the metadata fields shown in the Info inspector by choosing a different metadata view from the Metadata View pop-up menu. 1. Select a clip. 2. Open the Info inspector. 3. Choose a metadata view from the Metadata View pop-up menu. Note: If you create custom metadata views, they also appear in the pop-up menu. Change a clip’s metadata 1. Select a clip. 2. Open the Info inspector. 3.
want to include. Note: If you can’t click in a text field, the field can’t be edited. Some EXIF metadata fields, for example, can’t be edited. Choose an option from the pop-up menu for the metadata you want to change. Tip: You can also change the Content Created date and time of your source clips in the Browser. Just select one or more clips and choose Modify > Adjust Content Created Date and Time.
toolbar (shown below), and click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears. 3. In the Info inspector, choose Edit Metadata View from the Metadata View pop-up menu. 4. In the Metadata Views window, choose New Metadata View from the Action pop-up menu at the bottom-left corner of the window. 5. Enter a name for the new metadata view, and press Return. 6.
8. When you are satisfied with the metadata fields assigned to the metadata view, click OK. The new metadata view is added to the Metadata View pop-up menu in the Info inspector. Modify an existing metadata view You can change the combination of metadata that appears in an existing metadata view. You can rename metadata fields, add or remove metadata fields, create custom metadata fields, and rearrange the order in which the metadata fields are displayed. 1. Select a clip. 2. Open the Info inspector. 3.
Metadata View pop-up menu. 4. In the Metadata Views window, select the metadata view you want to change, and do any of the following: To rename the metadata view: Double-click the metadata view name in the column on the left, enter a new name, and press Return. To remove properties (metadata fields) from the metadata view: In the Property column, click the checkmark to the left of the property you want to remove.
2. Open the Info inspector. 3. In the Info inspector, choose the metadata view you want to duplicate from the Metadata View pop-up menu, and then choose Save Metadata View As from the Metadata View popup menu. 4. In the window that appears at the top of the Final Cut Pro window, enter a name for the new metadata view and click OK. The new metadata view appears in the Metadata View pop-up menu in the Info inspector. Modify the new metadata view as needed. Delete a metadata view 1. Select a clip. 2.
Note: Deleting a metadata view does not delete metadata applied to a clip or its source media. Batch rename clips When you import media into Final Cut Pro, the clips often contain meaningless names, such as those assigned by the camera. Although you can rename clips individually, you can also automatically rename a selection of clips as a batch in the Browser, after the media has been imported into Final Cut Pro.
Create a new naming preset In most cases, you’ll want to create a new naming preset and customize it. Tip: The easiest way to create a new naming preset is to duplicate an existing one. See the following task for more information. 1. In the Browser, select the clips you want to rename. 2. Open the Info inspector. 3. Click the Apply Custom Name pop-up menu and choose New. 4. In the Naming Presets window, double-click Untitled, type a name for the new preset, and press Return.
3. Click the Apply Custom Name pop-up menu and choose Edit. 4. In the Naming Presets window, Control-click the preset that you want to duplicate, and choose Duplicate from the shortcut menu. The duplicate naming preset appears below the original preset. 5. Enter a name for the duplicate preset, and press Return. You can now modify the preset to suit your needs. Modify an existing naming preset 1. In the Browser, select the clips you want to rename. 2. Open the Info inspector. 3.
To remove a naming token, select it in the Format field, and press Delete. 5. Rearrange the tokens in the Format field by dragging them into new positions. 6. If you like, add text characters between naming tokens in the Format field, such as underscores (_) and spaces. 7. When you are satisfied with the naming preset’s new format, click OK. Remove a naming preset 1. Select a clip. 2. Open the Info inspector.
3. Click the Apply Custom Name pop-up menu, then choose Edit. 4. In the Naming Presets window, select the naming preset you want to remove, and click the Remove Presets button (with a minus sign). The naming preset is removed from the Naming Presets window.
Keyboard shortcuts and gestures Keyboard shortcuts and MultiTouch gestures overview Final Cut Pro provides several ways to increase your efficiency while you put together your project: Standard keyboard shortcuts: Many common tasks, such as opening a specific window or adding a clip from the Browser to the Timeline, can be accomplished very quickly by pressing one or more keys. See Keyboard shortcuts.
Keyboard shortcuts You can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly accomplish many tasks in Final Cut Pro. To use a keyboard shortcut, press all the keys in the shortcut at the same time. Shortcuts for common commands are listed in the table below. For information about viewing, creating, and managing shortcuts, see Command Editor Overview.
Minimize Command-M Minimize Final Cut Pro Open Library Command-O Open an existing library or a new library Preferences CommandComma (,) Open the Final Cut Pro Preferences window Quit Command-Q Quit Final Cut Pro Redo Change Shift-CommandZ Redo the last command Undo Change Command-Z Undo the last command Editing
Command Shortcut Action Adjust Volume Absolute Control-OptionL Adjust the audio volume across all selected clips to a specific dB value Adjust Volume Relative Control-L Adjust the audio volume across all selected clips by the same dB value Append to Storyline E Add the selection to the end of the storyline Audition: Add to Audition Control-Shift-Y Add the selected clip to the audition Audition: Duplicate and OptionCommand-Y Duplicate clips in the audition and
Paste Effects add effects Audition: Duplicate as Audition Option-Y Create an audition with a Timeline clip and a duplicate version of the clip, including applied effects Audition: Duplicate from Original Shift-CommandY Duplicate the selected audition clip without applied effects Audition: Replace and Add to Audition Shift-Y Create an audition and replace the Timeline clip with the current selection Blade Command-B Cut the primary storyline clip (or the selection) at
the skimmer or playhead location Blade All Shift-CommandB Cut all clips at the skimmer or playhead location Break Apart Clip Items Shift-CommandG Break the selected item into its component parts Change Duration Control-D Change the duration of the selection Connect to Primary Storyline Q Connect the selection to the primary storyline Connect to Primary Shift-Q Connect the selection to the
Storyline Backtimed primary storyline, aligning the selection’s end point with the skimmer or playhead Copy Command-C Copy the selection Create Audition Command-Y Create an audition from the selection Create Storyline Command-G Create a storyline from a selection of connected clips Cut Command-X Cut the selection Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 1 Cut and switch the multicam clip
1 to angle 1 of the current bank Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 2 2 Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 2 of the current bank Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 3 3 Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 3 of the current bank Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 4 4 Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 4 of the current bank Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 5 5 Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 5 of the current bank Cut and Switch 6 Cut and switch
to Viewer Angle 6 the multicam clip to angle 6 of the current bank Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 7 7 Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 7 of the current bank Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 8 8 Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 8 of the current bank Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 9 9 Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 9 of the current bank Delete Delete Delete the Timeline selection, reject the Browser selection, or remove a
through edit Delete Selection Only OptionCommandDelete Delete the selection and attach the connected clip or clips to the resulting gap clip Deselect All Shift-CommandA Deselect all selected items Duplicate Command-D Duplicate the Browser selection Enable/Disable Clip V Enable or disable playback for the selection Expand Audio/Video Control-S View audio and video separately for selected clips
Expand/Collaps e Audio Components Control-OptionS Expand or collapse audio components for the selection in the Timeline Extend Edit Shift-X Extend the selected edit point to the skimmer or playhead position Extend Selection Down Shift–Down Arrow In the Browser, add the next item to the selection Extend Selection Up Shift–Up Arrow In the Browser, add the previous item to the selection Finalize Audition Option-Shift-Y Dissolve the
audition and replace it with the audition pick Insert W Insert the selection at the skimmer or playhead position Insert/Connect Freeze Frame Option-F Insert a freeze frame at the playhead or skimmer location in the Timeline, or connect a freeze frame from the skimmer or playhead location in the event to the playhead location in the Timeline
Insert Gap Option-W Insert a gap clip at the skimmer or playhead position Insert Placeholder OptionCommand-W Insert a placeholder clip at the skimmer or playhead position Lift from Storyline Option– Command–Up Arrow Lift the selection from the storyline and connect it to the resulting gap clips Lower Volume 1 dB Control-Hyphen (-) Lower the audio volume by 1 dB Move Playhead Position Control-P Move the playhead by entering a timecode value
New Compound Clip Option-G Create a new compound clip (if there’s no selection, create an empty compound clip) Nudge Audio Subframe Left Option-Comma (,) Nudge the selected audio edit point left by one subframe, creating a split edit Nudge Audio Subframe Left Many Option-ShiftComma (,) Nudge the selected audio edit point left by 10 subframes, creating a split edit Nudge Audio Subframe Right Option-Period (.
creating a split edit Nudge Audio Subframe Right Many Option-ShiftPeriod (.
Nudge Right Period (.) Nudge the selection one unit to the right Nudge Right Many Shift-Period (.
skimmer or playhead position Overwrite Backtimed Shift-D Overwrite from the skimmer or playhead position back Overwrite to Primary Storyline Option– Command– Down Arrow Overwrite at the skimmer or playhead position in the primary storyline Paste as Connected Option-V Paste the selection and connect it to the primary storyline Paste Insert at Playhead Command-V Insert the Clipboard contents at the skimmer or playhead position
Previous Angle Control–Shift– Left Arrow Switch to the previous angle in the multicam clip Previous Audio Angle Option–Shift– Left Arrow Switch to the previous audio angle in the multicam clip Previous Pick Control–Left Arrow Select the previous clip in the Audition window, making it the audition pick Previous Video Angle Shift– Command–Left Arrow Switch to the previous video angle in the multicam clip Raise Volume 1 Control–Equal Raise the audio
dB Sign (=) volume by 1 dB Replace Shift-R Replace the selected clip in the Timeline with the Browser selection Replace from Start Option-R Replace the selected clip in the Timeline with the Browser selection, starting from its start point Replace with Gap Shift-Delete Replace the selected Timeline clip with a gap clip Select All Command-A Select all clips Select Clip C Select the clip under the
pointer in the Timeline Select Left Audio Edge Shift–Left Bracket ([) For audio/video clips in expanded view, select the left edge of the audio edit point Select Left Edge Left Bracket ([) Select the left edge of the edit point Select Left and Right Audio Edit Edges Shift-Backslash (\) For audio/video clips in expanded view, select the left and right edges of the audio edit point Select Left and Right Edit Edges Backslash (\) Select the left and right edges of the edit point
Select Next Angle Control–Shift– Right Arrow Switch to the next angle in the multicam clip Select Next Audio Angle Option–Shift– Right Arrow Switch to the next audio angle in the multicam clip Select Next Pick Control–Right Arrow Select the next clip in the Audition window, making it the audition pick Select Next Video Angle Shift– Command– Right Arrow Switch to the next video angle in the multicam clip Select Right Audio Edge Shift–Right Bracket (]) For audio/video clips in expanded view,
select the right edge of the audio edit point Select Right Edge Right Bracket (]) Select the right edge of the edit point Set Additional Selection End Shift-CommandO Set an additional range selection end point at the playhead or skimmer location Set Additional Selection Start Shift-CommandI Set an additional range selection start point at the playhead or skimmer location Show/Hide Precision Editor Control-E When an edit point is selected, show or hide the Precision Editor
Snapping N Turn snapping on or off Solo Option-S Solo the selected items in the Timeline Source Media: Audio & Video Shift-1 Turn on audio/video mode to add the video and audio portion of your selection to the Timeline Source Media: Audio Only Shift-3 Turn on audioonly mode to add the audio portion of your selection to the Timeline Source Media: Video Only Shift-2 Turn on videoonly mode to
add the video portion of your selection to the Timeline Switch to Viewer Angle 1 Option-1 Switch the multicam clip to angle 1 of the current bank Switch to Viewer Angle 2 Option-2 Switch the multicam clip to angle 2 of the current bank Switch to Viewer Angle 3 Option-3 Switch the multicam clip to angle 3 of the current bank Switch to Viewer Angle 4 Option-4 Switch the multicam clip to angle 4 of the current bank
Switch to Viewer Angle 5 Option-5 Switch the multicam clip to angle 5 of the current bank Switch to Viewer Angle 6 Option-6 Switch the multicam clip to angle 6 of the current bank Switch to Viewer Angle 7 Option-7 Switch the multicam clip to angle 7 of the current bank Switch to Viewer Angle 8 Option-8 Switch the multicam clip to angle 8 of the current bank Switch to Viewer Angle 9 Option-9 Switch the multicam clip to angle 9 of the current bank
Toggle Storyline Mode G Turn on or turn off the ability to build storylines when dragging clips in the Timeline Trim End Option–Right Bracket (]) Trim the end of the selected or topmost clip to the skimmer or playhead position Trim Start Option–Left Bracket ([) Trim the clip start point to the skimmer or playhead position Trim to Selection OptionBackslash (\) Trim clip start and end points to the range selection
Effects Command Shortcut Action Add Basic Lower Third Control-Shift-T Connect a basic lower-third title to the primary storyline Add Basic Title Control-T Connect a basic title to the primary storyline Add Default Transition Command-T Add the default transition to the selection Color Board: Reset Current Board Controls Option-Delete Reset the controls in the current Color Board pane Color Board: Switch to the Color Pane ControlCommand-C Switch to the Color pane in the Color Board
Color Board: Switch to the Exposure Pane ControlCommand-E Switch to the Exposure pane in the Color Board Color Board: Switch to the Saturation Pane ControlCommand-S Switch to the Saturation pane in the Color Board Copy Effects OptionCommand-C Copy the selected effects and their settings Copy Keyframes Option-Shift-C Copy the selected keyframes and their settings Cut Keyframes Option-Shift-X Cut the selected keyframes and their settings
Enable/Disable Balance Color OptionCommand-B Turn Balance Color corrections on or off Match Audio Shift-CommandM Match the sound between clips Match Color OptionCommand-M Match color between clips Next Text Option-Tab Navigate to the next text item Paste Attributes Shift-CommandV Paste selected attributes and their settings to the selection Paste Effects OptionCommand-V Paste effects and their settings to the
selection Paste Keyframes Option-Shift-V Paste keyframes and their settings to the selection Previous Text Option-Shift-Tab Navigate to the previous text item Retime Editor Command-R Show or hide the Retime Editor Retime: Create Normal Speed Segment Shift-N Set the selection to play at normal (100 percent) speed Retime: Hold Shift-H Create a 2second hold segment
Retime: Reset OptionCommand-R Reset the selection to play forward at normal (100 percent) speed Solo Animation Control-Shift-V Show one effect at a time in the Video Animation Editor Command Shortcut Action Delete Delete Delete the Timeline selection, reject the Browser selection, or remove a through edit Find Command-F Show or hide the Filter window (in General
the Browser) or the Timeline Index (in the Timeline) Go to Event Viewer OptionCommand-3 Make the Event Viewer active Import Media Command-I Import media from a device, a camera, or an archive Library Properties ControlCommand-J Open the Library Properties inspector for the current library Move to Trash CommandDelete Move the selection to the Finder Trash New Project Command-N Create a new project
Project Properties Command-J Open the Properties inspector for the current project Render All Control-Shift-R Start all rendering tasks for the current project Render Selection Control-R Start rendering tasks for the selection Reveal in Finder Shift-CommandR Reveal the selected event clip’s source media file in the Finder Shortcut Action Marking Command
Add Marker M Add a marker at the location of the skimmer or playhead All Clips Control-C Change the Browser filter settings to show all clips Add Marker and Modify Option-M Add a marker and edit the marker’s text Apply Keyword Tag 1 Control-1 Apply keyword 1 to the selection Apply Keyword Tag 2 Control-2 Apply keyword 2 to the selection Apply Keyword Tag 3 Control-3 Apply keyword 3 to the selection
Apply Keyword Tag 4 Control-4 Apply keyword 4 to the selection Apply Keyword Tag 5 Control-5 Apply keyword 5 to the selection Apply Keyword Tag 6 Control-6 Apply keyword 6 to the selection Apply Keyword Tag 7 Control-7 Apply keyword 7 to the selection Apply Keyword Tag 8 Control-8 Apply keyword 8 to the selection Apply Keyword Tag 9 Control-9 Apply keyword 9 to the selection Clear Selected Ranges Option-X Clear the range selection
Clear Range End Option-O Clear the range’s end point Clear Range Start Option-I Clear the range’s start point Delete Marker Control-M Delete the selected marker Delete Markers in Selection Control-Shift-M Delete all of the markers in the selection Deselect All Shift-CommandA Deselect all selected items Favorite F Rate the Browser selection as Favorite Favorites Control-F Change the Browser filter settings to show
Favorites Hide Rejected Control-H Change the Browser filter settings to hide rejected clips New Keyword Collection Shift-CommandK Create a new Keyword Collection New Smart Collection OptionCommand-N Create a new Smart Collection Range Selection Tool R Make the Range Selection tool active Reject Delete Mark the current selection in the Browser as rejected Note: The Delete key will
remove selected items if the Timeline is active instead of the Browser.
Roles: Apply Music Role Control-OptionM Apply the Music role to the selected clip Roles: Apply Titles Role Control-OptionT Apply the Titles role to the selected clip Roles: Apply Video Role Control-OptionV Apply the Video role to the selected clip Select All Command-A Select all clips Select Clip Range X Set the range selection to match the boundaries of the clip below the skimmer or playhead Set Additional Range End Shift-CommandO Set an additional range selection end point at the
playhead or skimmer location Set Additional Range Start Shift-CommandI Set an additional range selection start point at the playhead or skimmer location Set Range End O Set the end point for the range Set Range End Control-O Set the end point for the range while editing a text field Set Range Start I Set the start point for the range Set Range Start Control-I Set the start point for the
range while editing a text field Unrate U Remove ratings from the selection Command Shortcut Action New Event Option-N Create a new event New Folder Shift-CommandN Create a new folder Reveal in Browser Shift-F Reveal the selected clip in the Browser Reveal Project in Browser Option-ShiftCommand-F Reveal the open project in the Organization
Browser Synchronize Clips OptionCommand-G Synchronize the selected event clips Playback/Navigation Command Shortcut Action Audio Skimming Shift-S Turn audio skimming on or off Audition: Preview ControlCommand-Y Play the pick in context in the Timeline Clip Skimming OptionCommand-S Turn clip skimming on or off Cut/Switch Option-Shift-3 Turn on audio-
Multicam Audio Only only mode for multicam cutting and switching Cut/Switch Multicam Audio and Video Option-Shift-1 Turn on audio/video mode for multicam cutting and switching Cut/Switch Multicam Video Only Option-Shift-2 Turn on videoonly mode for multicam cutting and switching Down Down Arrow Go to the next item (in the Browser) or the next edit point (in the Timeline) Down Control–Down Arrow While editing a text field, go to the next item (in the Browser) or
the next edit point (in the Timeline) Go Back 10 Frames Shift–Left Arrow Move the playhead back 10 frames Go Forward 10 Frames Shift–Right Arrow Move the playhead forward 10 frames Go to Beginning Home button Move the playhead to the beginning of the Timeline or the first clip in the Browser Go to End End button Move the playhead to the end of the Timeline or to the last clip in
the Browser Go to Next Bank Option-ShiftApostrophe (’) Display the next bank of angles in the current multicam clip Go to Next Edit Apostrophe (’) Move the playhead to the next edit point in the Timeline Go to Next Field Option–Right Arrow Move the playhead to the next field in an interlaced clip Go to Next Frame Right Arrow Move the playhead to the next frame Go to Next Subframe Command– Right Arrow Move the playhead to the next audio
subframe Go to Previous Bank Option-ShiftSemicolon (;) Display the previous bank of angles in the current multicam clip Go to Previous Edit Semicolon (;) Move the playhead to the previous edit point in the Timeline Go to Previous Field Option–Left Arrow Move the playhead to the previous field in an interlaced clip Go to Previous Frame Left Arrow Move the playhead to the previous frame Go to Previous Subframe Command–Left Arrow Move the playhead to the
previous audio subframe Go to Range End Shift-O Move the playhead to the end of the range selection Go to Range Start Shift-I Move the playhead to the beginning of the range selection Loop Playback Command-L Turn looped playback on or off Monitor Audio Shift-A Turn on or turn off audio monitoring for the angle being skimmed Negative Hyphen (-) Enter a negative
Timecode Entry timecode value to move the playhead back, move a clip earlier, or trim a range or clip, depending on your selection Next Clip Control– Command– Right Arrow Go to the next item (in the Browser) or the next edit point (in the Timeline) Next Marker ControlApostrophe (’) Move the playhead to the next marker Play Around Shift–Question Mark (?) Play around the playhead position Play Forward L Play forward (press L multiple
times to increase the playback speed) Play from Playhead Option–Space bar Play from the playhead position Play Full Screen Shift-CommandF Play full screen from the skimmer or playhead position Play Reverse J Play in reverse (press J multiple times to increase the reverse playback speed) Play Reverse Control-J Play in reverse while editing a text field (press J multiple times to increase the
reverse playback speed) Play Reverse Shift–Space bar Play in reverse Play Selection Slash (/) Play the selection Play to End Control-Shift-O Play from the playhead to the end of the selection Play/Pause Space bar Start or pause playback Play/Pause Control–Space bar Start or pause playback while editing a text field Positive Timecode Entry Equal Sign (=) Enter a positive timecode value
to move the playhead forward, move a clip later, or trim a range or clip, depending on your selection Previous Clip Control– Command–Left Arrow Go to the previous item (in the Browser) or the previous edit point (in the Timeline) Previous Marker ControlSemicolon (;) Move the playhead to the previous marker Set Monitoring Angle Shift-V Set the angle being skimmed as the monitoring angle Skimming S Turn skimming
on or off Start/Stop Voiceover Recording Option-Shift-A Start or stop recording audio from the Record Voiceover window Stop K Stop playback Stop Control-K Stop playback while editing a text field Timeline History Back Command–Left Bracket ([) Go back one level in the Timeline history Timeline History Forward Command– Right Bracket (]) Go forward one level in the Timeline history Up Up Arrow Go to the previous item (in
the Browser) or the previous edit point (in the Timeline) Up Control–Up Arrow While editing a text field, go to the previous item (in the Browser) or the previous edit point (in the Timeline) Share and Tools Command Shortcut Action Share to Default Destination Command-E Share the selected project or clip using the default destination Select (Arrow) A Make the Select
Tool tool active Blade Tool B Make the Blade tool active Crop Tool Shift-C Make the Crop tool active and display onscreen controls for the selected clip or the topmost clip under the playhead Distort Tool Option-D Make the Distort tool active and display onscreen controls for the selected clip or the topmost clip under the playhead Hand Tool H Make the Hand tool active
Position Tool P Make the Position tool active Transform Tool Shift-T Make the Transform tool active and display onscreen controls for the selected clip or the topmost clip under the playhead Trim Tool T Make the Trim tool active Zoom Tool Z Make the Zoom tool active View
Command Shortcut Action Clip Appearance: Clip Labels Only Control-Option6 Depending on the clip name setting, display Timeline clips with clip names, role names, or active angle names only Clip Appearance: Decrease Waveform Size Control–Option– Down Arrow Decrease the size of audio waveforms for Timeline clips Clip Appearance: Filmstrips Only Control-Option5 Display Timeline clips with large filmstrips only Clip Appearance: Increase Waveform Size Control–Option– Up Arrow Increase the size of a
Clip Appearance: Large Filmstrips Control-Option4 Display Timeline clips with small audio waveforms and large filmstrips Clip Appearance: Large Waveforms Control-Option2 Display Timeline clips with large audio waveforms and small filmstrips Clip Appearance: Waveforms and Filmstrips Control-Option3 Display Timeline clips with audio waveforms and video filmstrips of equal size Clip Appearance: Waveforms Only Control-Option1 Display Timeline clips with large audio waveforms only Decrease Clip Heigh
height Increase Clip Height Shift– Command– Equal Sign (=) Increase the Browser clip height Show Fewer Filmstrip Frames Shift-CommandComma (,) Show fewer filmstrip frames in Browser clips Show/Hide Audio Animation Control-A Show or hide the Audio Animation Editor for the selected clips Show/Hide Skimmer Info Control-Y Show or hide clip information when skimming in the Browser Show/Hide Video Animation Control-V Show or hide the Video Animation Editor for the selected
Timeline clips Show More Filmstrip Frames Shift-CommandPeriod (.
Equal Sign (=) Timeline, Browser, or Viewer Zoom Out CommandHyphen (-) Zoom out of the Timeline, Browser, or Viewer Zoom to Fit Shift-Z Zoom the contents to fit the size of the Browser, Viewer, or Timeline Zoom to Samples Control-Z Turn zooming in to audio samples on or off Shortcut Action Windows Command
Background Tasks Command-9 Show or hide the Background Tasks window Go to Audio Enhancements Command-8 Make the Audio Enhancements inspector active Go to Color Board Command-6 Make the Color Board active Go to Browser Command-1 Make the Browser active Go to Inspector OptionCommand-4 Make the current inspector active Go to Timeline Command-2 Make the Timeline active Go to Viewer Command-3 Make the Viewer active
Next Tab Control-Tab Go to the next pane in the Inspector or the Color Board Previous Tab Control-ShiftTab Go to the previous pane in the Inspector or the Color Board Record Voiceover OptionCommand-8 Show or hide the Record Voiceover window Show Histogram ControlCommand-H Show the Histogram in the Viewer Show Vectorscope ControlCommand-V Show the Vectorscope in the Viewer Show Video Control- Show the
Waveform Command-W Waveform Monitor in the Viewer Show/Hide Angles Shift-Command7 Show or hide the Angle Viewer Show/Hide Audio Meters Shift-Command8 Show or hide the Audio meters Show/Hide Browser ControlCommand-1 Show or hide the Browser Show/Hide Effects Browser Command-5 Show or hide the Effects Browser Show/Hide Libraries list Shift-Command1 Show or hide the Libraries list Show/Hide Event Viewer ControlCommand-3 Show or hide the Event Viewer Show/Hide Command-4 Show or hide the
Inspector Inspector pane Show/Hide Keyword Editor Command-K Show or hide the Keyword Editor Show/Hide Timeline Index Shift-Command2 Show or hide the Timeline Index for the open project Show/Hide Video Scopes Command-7 Show or hide the video scopes in the Viewer Multi-Touch gestures If your computer has a Multi-Touch trackpad, you can use the Multi-Touch gestures listed in the table below when working with Final Cut Pro.
Pinch (two-finger): Pinch closed with two fingers to zoom out of the Timeline or window. Pinch open to zoom in to the Timeline or window. Double-tap (two-finger): Double-tap with two fingers to zoom the Timeline so that all the clips fill the visible part of the Timeline. Scroll (two-finger): Swipe with two fingers to move the Timeline left, right, up, or down. Click (two-finger): Click once to open the shortcut menu.
the Timeline or event clips you want to select, or drag to move selected clips. Scroll (three-finger): Swipe left or right to move the playhead to the previous or next edit point. Swipe up or down to move the playhead to the beginning or end of the Timeline. Note: To enable this gesture, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Trackpad, and click More Gestures. Click the “Swipe between pages” pop-up menu and choose “Swipe with three fingers.
Customize keyboard shortcuts Command Editor Overview You can use the Command Editor to view and modify existing shortcuts, create new shortcuts, and save multiple sets of keyboard shortcuts that you can export for others to use. You can also import a set of shortcuts that someone else created. And if you’re more familiar with keyboard shortcuts from other applications, you can use the Command Editor to substitute those shortcuts in place of the default set for Final Cut Pro.
to working with tools. The Command Editor provides a set of keyboard shortcuts for Final Cut Pro in English, Japanese, French, and German. The language that is shown is determined by your computer’s operating system. To learn how to change the language used by Final Cut Pro, see OS X Help, available from the Help menu when the Finder is active. View standard keyboard shortcuts 1. Choose Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize (or press Option-Command-K). The Command Editor appears. 2.
Click one or more keys on the virtual keyboard (or click one of the four modifier buttons at the top of the Command Editor). The Command groups associated with the selected key or keys appear in the bottom-left corner of the window, and a list of all the keyboard shortcuts associated with the key you selected appears in the bottom-right corner of the window. When you hold down any modifier buttons on the keyboard, the key colors update.
The commands that match the search term are listed in the Command List at the bottom of the window. Tip: To show the keys that correspond with the items in the Command List, click the Keyboard Highlight button to the left of the search field. Click any command in the list to view its details in the Command Detail area in the bottom-right corner of the window. Click a Command group to quickly filter the Command List to display only the commands and keyboard shortcuts in that group.
View shortcuts from a different command set If your system has multiple command sets, you can easily switch between them. For more information, see Export and import command sets in the Command Editor. Do one of the following: Choose Final Cut Pro > Commands, and then choose a command set from the submenu. The Command Editor window appears, showing the command set you chose. If you’ve already opened the Command Editor, choose a command set from the pop-up menu at the top-left corner of the window.
Modify keyboard shortcuts in the Command Editor You can quickly and easily customize keyboard shortcuts in the Command Editor. If you want to add a few custom commands to the default set in Final Cut Pro, you can duplicate the default set and assign keyboard shortcuts to some of the unassigned commands. You can also create a new set that contains only your commands. Duplicate a command set 1. Choose Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize (or press Option-Command-K). 2.
3. Choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu. 4. In the window that appears, type a name for the command set, and click OK. The duplicate set is added to the Command submenu of the Final Cut Pro menu and to the pop-up menu in the Command Editor. Modify a command set You can add keyboard shortcuts to a command set or reassign keyboard shortcuts. 1. Choose Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize (or press Option-Command-K). 2.
shaded with diagonal lines are reserved for system use and cannot be assigned. If the key combination is not already assigned to a command, the virtual keyboard updates to show the new key assignment. A gray dot appears on a newly assigned key (or keys), and a color is applied if the command belongs to a color-coded Command group. If the key combination is already assigned to a command, Final Cut Pro displays the current setting, and prompts you to confirm the change. 5.
The command set is removed. Export and import command sets in the Command Editor After you save a command set, you may want to export it to create a backup or to share the new set with another user. Exported command sets are saved in a file that can be imported back into Final Cut Pro at a later time. Export a set of custom keyboard shortcuts 1. Choose Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize (or press Option-Command-K). 2.
The file is saved in the location you chose, with the filename extension .commandset. Import a command set 1. Do one of the following: Choose Final Cut Pro > Commands > Import. Open the Command Editor by choosing Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize, and choose Import from the pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Command Editor. 2. In the window that appears, navigate to the location where you’ve stored a command set file, select it, and click Open.
Glossary 4:3 The aspect ratio for standard-definition (SD) broadcast video. The ratio of the width to the height of the visible area of the video frame is 4:3, or 1.33. See also standard-definition (SD). 16:9 A widescreen aspect ratio for video. The ratio of the width to the height of the visible area of the video frame is 16:9, or 1.78. The 16:9 aspect ratio is used for high-definition video. See also high-definition (HD). AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) Also called MPEG-4 Audio.
applications support 16-bit alpha channels. In Final Cut Pro, black represents 100 percent transparency, and white represents 100 percent opacity. Only certain formats, such as Targa, TIFF, PNG, PSD, Apple ProRes 4444, and the QuickTime Animation codec, support alpha channels. See also compositing, RGB. Angle Editor You can open multicam clips in the Angle Editor to adjust the synchronization and the angle order, or to add or delete angles.
ProRes for 4:4:4:4 image sources (including alpha channels), with a very high data rate to preserve the detail in high-dynamic-range imagery generated by today’s highest-quality digital image sensors. Apple ProRes 4444 XQ preserves dynamic ranges several times greater than the dynamic range of Rec. 709 imagery —even against the rigors of extreme visual effects processing, in which tone-scale blacks or highlights are stretched significantly.
highest-quality professional HD video that a single-link HD-SDI signal can carry. This codec supports full-width, 4:2:2 video sources at 10-bit pixel depths, while remaining visually lossless through many generations of decoding and reencoding. The target data rate of Apple ProRes 422 HQ is approximately 220 Mbps at 1920 x 1080 and 29.97 fps.
fade-ins or fade-outs, or change effects over time using keyframes. audio components Audio files can contain a single audio channel or multiple audio channels. Final Cut Pro automatically groups audio channels into audio components according to how the channels are configured for the clip. In Final Cut Pro, you can expand the audio portion of clips to view and edit audio components down to the individual channel level.
automatic audio sync The “Use audio for synchronization” option in the multicam clip creation process makes precision sync adjustments using audio waveforms in the angles of a multicam clip. This is the same audio sync technology that you can use to automatically analyze and sync clips together into a compound clip. AVCHD A high-definition (HD) video format that uses Advanced Video Coding (AVC) compression (also known as MPEG-4 part 10 or H.264).
However, higher bit rates require larger file sizes. Blade tool The editing tool that allows you to cut clips in the Timeline. You can select the Blade tool by pressing the B key. blue laser media Blu-ray burners and players use a blue laser when working with Blu-ray media. The blue color has a shorter wavelength, making it possible to store more data on a disc when compared to red lasers. blue or green screening See chroma key.
CAF (Core Audio Format) Apple’s Core Audio Format (CAF) is a flexible file format for storing and manipulating digital audio data. It is fully supported by Core Audio APIs on Mac OS X v10.4 and later and on Mac OS X v10.3 with QuickTime 7 or later. CAF provides high performance and flexibility, and is scalable to future ultra high-resolution audio recording, editing, and playback.
Timeline. In contrast to a range selection, a clip selection is limited to clip boundaries. You cannot adjust a clip selection to include portions of clips. However, you can add or remove whole clips. codec Short for compressor/decompressor, or encode/decode. A software component used to translate video or audio from its current form to the digital compressed form in which it is stored on a computer’s hard disk. DV, Photo JPEG, and Apple ProRes are common QuickTime video codecs.
finishing an edited program. The color correction tools in Final Cut Pro give you precise control over the look of every clip in your project by allowing you to adjust the color balance, black levels, midtones, and white levels of individual clips. color difference In video formats that store color information in the Y’CbCr color space, color channels are derived by subtracting Y (luma) from the R (red) and B (blue) signals and are sometimes referred to generally as B-Y and R-Y. See also Y’CbCr.
primary storyline in the Timeline. They are useful for cutaway shots, superimposed or composited images, and sound effects. Connected clips remain attached and synchronized until you explicitly move or remove them. A sequence of connected clips is a storyline. contrast The difference between the lightest and darkest values in an image. High-contrast images have a large range of values from the darkest shadow to the lightest highlight.
helping to make the edit less noticeable. Dashboard The Dashboard appears in the center of the toolbar and provides a timecode display as well as icons showing audio levels and the status of background tasks. data rate The speed at which data can be transferred, often described in megabytes per second (MB/sec.) or megabits per second (Mbps). The higher a video file’s data rate, the higher quality it is, but the more system resources (processor speed, hard disk space, and performance) it requires.
downmixing The process used to combine multiple audio channels into a single stereo (or dual mono) pair. Also referred to as mixing down. downstream Refers to clips to the right of the current clip in the Timeline. When you perform actions that ripple the project, downstream clips are affected; upstream clips are not. drop frame timecode NTSC timecode that skips ahead in time by two frame numbers each minute, except every tenth minute, so that the timecode agrees with the actual elapsed clock time.
DVCPRO A standard-definition (SD) digital videotape recorder format that records an 8-bit, 5:1 compressed component video signal using 4:1:1 color sampling (PAL uses 4:2:0). Supports two tracks of audio with 16-bit, 48 kHz audio sampling. DVCPRO50 A standard-definition (SD) digital videotape recorder format that records an 8-bit, 3.3:1 compressed component video signal with 4:2:2 color sampling. Supports four tracks of audio with 16-bit, 48 kHz audio sampling.
real world and generally creates a more natural, organic-looking effect than a linear movement would. editing tools The seven tools from which you can choose when you’re working in the Timeline: Select tool, Trim tool, Position tool, Range Selection tool, Blade tool, Zoom tool, and Hand tool. When you choose a tool, the pointer changes to the icon for that tool. edit point Edit points define the part of a clip you want to use in an edited project.
keeps track of where everything is. Event Viewer The Event Viewer is a separate video display that appears next to the main Viewer and is used to play clips in the Browser only. exposure The amount of light in video or film images. Exposure affects the overall brightness of the image as well as its perceived contrast. fade A common type of transition in both video and audio. For video, a fade-out begins with a shot at full intensity and reduces until it is gone.
heavily synchronized to picture, such as footsteps on different surfaces, clothes rustling, fight sounds, and the handling of various noisy objects. Final Cut Pro includes a number of built-in Foley and other sound effects that you can insert as connected audio clips. frame A single still image. Film and video are made up of a series of these images. Although a film frame is a single photographic image, an interlaced video frame contains two fields. See also interlaced video, non-interlaced video.
gain The amount an audio or video signal is boosted. In video, this increases the white level; in audio, this increases the volume. gamma A curve that describes the intensity of an image. Gamma is a nonlinear function often confused with brightness or contrast. Gamma adjustment is often used to compensate for differences between Mac and Windows video graphics cards and displays. gap clip A blank clip (containing blank video and silent audio) that you can adjust to any duration.
Supports four tracks of audio. HDV A format for recording high-definition video on DV tape. HDV uses MPEG-2 video compression with 8-bit samples and 4:2:0 chroma subsampling. HDV has a video bit rate of 18.3 Mbps for 720p (1280 x 720) and a bit rate of 25 Mbps for 1080i (1440 x 1080). high-definition (HD) Refers to any video with a higher resolution than standard-definition NTSC or PAL video. The most common high-definition resolutions are 1280 x 720 (720p) and 1920 x 1080 (1080i or 1080p).
incoming clip The clip to which a transition segues. For example, if Clip A dissolves to Clip B, Clip B is the incoming clip. See also outgoing clip. Info inspector The Info inspector displays information (called metadata) about a clip or group of clips selected in either the Browser or the Timeline. You can display different combinations of metadata with your clips, such as codecs, media start and end times, reel, scene, take, EXIF information, and IPTC information.
that are scanned at different times. IRE An analog video signal unit of measurement for luma, established by the Institute of Radio Engineers. J-cut See split edit. job Each media file added to a batch in Compressor is a job. Each job has one media file and one or more settings that define the type of file to render. See also batch. JPEG A popular image file format that lets you create highly compressed graphics files. The amount of compression used can be varied.
keywords Keywords add descriptive information to a clip or clip range. You can use keywords to organize, sort, and classify media. You can add keywords to a clip manually, and Final Cut Pro can also add keywords automatically during import or clip analysis. See also Keyword Collection. L-cut See split edit. Libraries list The area of the Final Cut Pro sidebar that lists the libraries and events that contain your imported media (video, audio, and still images) and your projects.
luma A value describing the brightness of a video image. A luma channel is a grayscale image showing the range of brightness across the whole clip. luma key An effect used to key out pixels of a certain luma value (or a range of luma values), creating a matte based on the brightest or darkest area of an image.
layers. See also alpha channel, compositing. media A generic term for elements such as movies, sounds, and pictures. media browsers Media that you import into events in Final Cut Pro is accessed from the Libraries list and the Browser, but Final Cut Pro also includes a collection of media browsers you can use to add clips to your project.
monochrome An image presented in shades of a single color, most often as the shades of gray in a black-and-white image. MP3 Refers to the MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3 compression standard and file format. Like AAC, MP3 uses perceptual audio coding and psychoacoustic compression to remove superfluous information that the human ear doesn’t hear. MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) A group of compression standards for video and audio, which includes MPEG‑1, MPEG‑2, and MPEG‑4.
to) the source media files on your hard disk. When you modify a clip, you are not modifying the media file, just the clip’s information in the project. Trimmed or deleted pieces of clips are removed from your project only, not from the source clips in your library or from the source media files on your hard disk. non-drop frame timecode Timecode in which frames are numbered sequentially and no timecode numbers are dropped from the count. When discussing NTSC video, the video frame rate is actually 29.
offline editing A post-production process in which raw footage is copied and edited without affecting the original camera media (film, tape, or file-based media). After a program has been completed in the offline edit (typically using proxy media at a lower resolution), an online edit is performed to re-create the edit using the original media. opacity The level of a clip’s transparency. outgoing clip The clip a transition segues from. For example, if Clip A dissolves to Clip B, Clip A is the outgoing clip.
cycles from positive to negative and back to positive. The word that musicians most commonly use for frequency is pitch. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. Modifying the speed of a clip affects the pitch of the audio. Slow motion creates low pitch, and fast motion creates high pitch. pixel One dot in a video or still image. The more pixels in an image, the higher the resolution. playhead The playhead marks your project’s current position in the Timeline or the Browser.
you add to a project. If you must modify the project properties, choose video and audio project properties based on how you intend to share your final movie with your audience. You set a project’s properties when you create a Final Cut Pro project, and you can change them at any time. proxy files You can use Final Cut Pro to transcode your original media to create proxy files, which are smaller files with a lower data rate.
broadcast format for high-definition television. red laser media Traditional DVD burners and players use a red laser when working with DVD media. Blu-ray burners and players use a blue laser when working with Blu-ray media. The blue color has a shorter wavelength, making it possible to store more data on a disc when compared to red lasers. render To process video and audio with any applied effects or transitions, and store the result on disk as a render file.
a clip. RGB Abbreviation for Red, Green, Blue. A color space commonly used on computers, in which each color is described by the strength of its red, green, and blue components. This color space directly translates to the red, green, and blue phosphors used in computer displays. The RGB color space has a very large gamut, meaning it can reproduce a very wide range of colors. This range is typically larger than the range that can be reproduced for broadcast.
rough edit The first editing pass. The rough cut is an early version of a movie that pulls together its basic elements. Often, a rough edit is performed prior to adding transitions, titles, and other effects. saturation A measurement of the intensity of color in the video signal. scene A series of shots that take place at the same time in the same location. A series of scenes make up a program. Select tool The default arrow-shaped pointer that allows you to select items in the Timeline.
slate A shot at the beginning of a scene, which identifies the scene with basic production information such as the take, date, and scene number. A clapper provides an audiovisual cue for synchronization when video and audio are recorded separately. slide edit An edit in which an entire clip is moved, along with the edit points on its left and right. The duration of the clip being moved stays the same, but the clips to the left and right of it change in length to accommodate the new position of the clip.
quickly line up edits with other items in the project. Snapping affects the functions of many of the editing tools in Final Cut Pro, including the Select tool, the Trim tool, the Position tool, the Range Selection tool, and the Blade tool. You can disable snapping when frame-by-frame precision editing is required. sound effects Specific audio material, such as the sound of a door closing or a dog barking, from effects libraries or from clips you recorded.
sound of a new shot or scene before cutting to the video of that shot or scene. Conversely, you can use a split edit to extend the audio of a shot over a subsequent shot. standard-definition (SD) Refers to the original NTSC and PAL video frame sizes. NTSC uses 480 or 486 active lines per frame, and PAL uses 576 active lines. See also high-definition (HD). stereo Short for stereophonic, in which audio contains two different channels.
Themes Browser A media browser in Final Cut Pro that provides access to all transitions and title effects supplied with Final Cut Pro, grouped into related themes. three-point editing An editing technique in which three out of four edit points are set in a source selection and a project. When the edit is performed, the fourth edit point is calculated automatically by Final Cut Pro. through edit An edit point in which the video or audio content on either side of the edit is continuous.
tint A color shade added to an image, usually to create an effect, such as sepia. Titles Browser A media browser in Final Cut Pro that provides access to all the title effects included with Final Cut Pro. toolbar The toolbar is a collection of buttons and tools located in the middle of the Final Cut Pro main window. The toolbar also includes the Dashboard, which displays the timecode for the clip selected in the Browser and for the playhead’s position in the Timeline. transcode All media files use a format.
clip in a project longer or shorter, you’re trimming that clip. However, trimming generally refers to precision adjustments of anywhere from one frame to several seconds. If you’re adjusting clip durations by much larger amounts, you’re still trimming, but you may not be in the fine-tuning phase of editing yet. In Final Cut Pro, you can use a variety of techniques to trim Timeline clips and edit points, including ripple edits, roll edits, slip edits, and slide edits.
double-clicking the number and entering a new value. variable speed Speed that varies dynamically, in forward or reverse motion, in a single clip. VCR Abbreviation for videocassette recorder. Generally refers to consumer equipment used for recording video from various sources. Sometimes referred to as a VTR. See also VTR. Vectorscope A video scope in Final Cut Pro that shows the distribution of color in your image on a circular scale.
data. Waveform Monitor A video scope in Final Cut Pro that displays the relative levels of luma and chroma in the clip currently being examined. Spikes and dips in the displayed waveforms correspond to light or dark areas in your picture. widescreen Any movie presentation that has an aspect ratio wider than 4:3. In movie theaters, 1.85 is considered standard and 2.40 is considered widescreen. For video, 4:3 is considered standard and 16:9 (which is almost the same aspect ratio as 1.
Y’CbCr The color space in which many digital video formats store data. Three components are stored for each pixel—one for luma (Y) and two for color information (Cb for the blue difference signal and Cr for the red difference signal). Also referred to as YUV. See also pixel. Zoom tool The editing tool that allows you to zoom in to or out of the Timeline. You can select the Zoom tool by pressing the Z key.
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) Also called MPEG-4 Audio. A standard way of compressing and encoding digital audio. AACencoded files rival the quality of audio CDs and generally sound as good as or better than MP3 files encoded at the same or even a higher bit rate.
AC3 (Audio Codec 3, Advanced Codec 3, Acoustic Coder 3) A Dolby Digital compressed audio format often used for encoding surround sound.
AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) A cross-platform audio file format developed by Apple. Like WAV files, AIFF files contain “chunks” of information such as the Sound Data Chunk, which contains the actual sample data, and the Common Chunk, which contains sample rate and bit depth information.
alpha channel Ordinary video clips and image files have three channels of color information: red, green, and blue. Many video and image file formats also support an additional alpha channel, which contains information defining areas of transparency. An alpha channel is a grayscale channel in which white represents areas of 100 percent opacity (solid), gray represents translucent areas, and black represents 0 percent opacity (transparent).
Angle Editor You can open multicam clips in the Angle Editor to adjust the synchronization and the angle order, or to add or delete angles. You can also use the Angle Editor to make edits to the individual clips inside a multicam clip (such as trimming, making color corrections, adding transitions, and so on).
Open the Angle Editor Do one of the following: Double-click a multicam clip in the Browser. Control-click a multicam clip in the Browser or the Timeline and choose Open in Angle Editor from the shortcut menu.
Angle Viewer A viewer used to watch all angles of a multicam clip simultaneously while switching or cutting to different angles in real time. You can cut and switch video and audio at the same time or independently. For example, you can use the audio from angle 1 while switching the video between angles 1 to 4.
Open the Angle Viewer Do one of the following: Choose Window > Viewer Display > Show Angles (or press Shift-Command-7). Choose Show Angles from the Viewer Options pop-up menu in the top-right corner of the Viewer.
Animation Editors You can show the Video Animation Editor or Audio Animation Editor for clips in the Timeline to adjust effect parameters, create fade-ins or fade-outs, or change effects over time using keyframes. The Video Animation Editor or Audio Animation Editor appears above the clip.
Show the Video Animation Editor Do one of the following: Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V).
shortcut menu. Show the Audio Animation Editor Do one of the following: Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A). Control-click a clip in the Timeline, and choose Show Audio Animation from the shortcut menu.
Apple ProRes Apple ProRes codecs provide an unparalleled combination of multistream, real-time editing performance, impressive image quality, and reduced storage rates. Apple ProRes codecs take full advantage of multicore processing and feature fast, reduced-resolution decoding modes. All Apple ProRes codecs support any frame size (including SD, HD, 2K, and 4K) at full resolution. The data rates vary based on codec type, image content, frame size, and frame rate.
image sources (including alpha channels), with a very high data rate to preserve the detail in high-dynamic-range imagery generated by today’s highest-quality digital image sensors. Apple ProRes 4444 XQ preserves dynamic ranges several times greater than the dynamic range of Rec. 709 imagery—even against the rigors of extreme visual effects processing, in which tone-scale blacks or highlights are stretched significantly.
quality version of Apple ProRes for 4:4:4:4 image sources (including alpha channels). This codec features full-resolution, mastering-quality 4:4:4:4 RGBA color and visual fidelity that is perceptually indistinguishable from the original material. Apple ProRes 4444 is a high-quality solution for storing and exchanging motion graphics and composites, with excellent multigeneration performance and a mathematically lossless alpha channel up to 16 bits.
formats. Apple ProRes 422 HQ: A higher-data-rate version of Apple ProRes 422 that preserves visual quality at the same high level as Apple ProRes 4444, but for 4:2:2 image sources. With widespread adoption across the video post-production industry, Apple ProRes 422 HQ offers visually lossless preservation of the highest-quality professional HD video that a single-link HD-SDI signal can carry.
Apple ProRes 422: A high-quality compressed codec offering nearly all the benefits of Apple ProRes 422 HQ, but at 66 percent of the data rate for even better multistream, real-time editing performance. The target data rate of Apple ProRes 422 is approximately 147 Mbps at 1920 x 1080 and 29.97 fps. Apple ProRes 422 LT: A more highly compressed codec than Apple ProRes 422, with roughly 70 percent of the data rate and 30 percent smaller file sizes.
Apple ProRes 422 Proxy: An even more highly compressed codec than Apple ProRes 422 LT, intended for use in offline workflows that require low data rates but full-resolution video. The target data rate of Apple ProRes 422 Proxy is approximately 45 Mbps at 1920 x 1080 and 29.97 fps. Note: Apple ProRes 4444 and Apple ProRes 4444 XQ are ideal for the exchange of motion graphics media because they are virtually lossless, and are the only Apple ProRes codecs that support alpha channels.
aspect ratio A film or video frame’s width-to-height ratio on any viewing screen. Standard-definition (SD) video (used for regular television screens) has an aspect ratio of 4:3. High-definition (HD) video has an aspect ratio of 16:9.
automatic audio sync The “Use audio for synchronization” option makes precision sync adjustments using audio waveforms. You can use this option to sync angles in a multicam clip and to sync video and audio clips together into a compound clip. Note: Some audio recordings are not suited for use with this feature. Selecting this option may result in long processing times during which Final Cut Pro is not available for editing.
audio components Audio files can contain a single audio channel or multiple audio channels. Final Cut Pro automatically groups audio channels into audio components according to how the channels are configured for the clip. For example, many popular digital audio file formats, such as AAC and MP3, use interleaved stereo files, which do not contain separate left and right channels.
In Final Cut Pro, you can expand the audio portion of clips to view and edit audio components down to the individual channel level.
audio waveforms Audio waveforms are visual representations of the actual sound. Audio waveforms appear in clips in the following ways: As the bottom portion of a video clip, colored blue As a detached or an audio-only clip, colored green An audio waveform’s amplitude and length change according to the underlying sound’s volume and duration. A short, loud sound such as a drum beat has a sharp, peaked waveform, whereas low-level crowd noise has a lower, more uniform waveform.
trimming clips or keyframing effects. You edit audio clips in the Timeline by first listening to a clip’s audio through playback and skimming, and then applying changes to the clip, using the waveform as a reference.
audition In Final Cut Pro you can organize related clips into sets, called auditions, from which you can choose one clip to use. You can create an audition composed of different clips to try out multiple takes, or you can create an audition composed of multiple versions of the same clip to preview different effects. When you record live audio, you can have Final Cut Pro automatically group multiple takes into auditions.
AVCHD A high-definition (HD) video format that uses Advanced Video Coding (AVC) compression (also known as MPEG-4 part 10 or H.264). Many Blu-ray players can play red laser discs with AVCHD format content, making this a common way to distribute short HD video projects using a standard red laser disc.
Background Tasks window You can watch the progress of importing, transcoding, analysis, rendering, sharing, and other tasks in the Background Tasks window. Important: If you actively use Final Cut Pro while transcoding, importing, or rendering, those background processes are paused.
Do one of the following: Choose Window > Background Tasks (or press Command-9). Click the Background Tasks indicator in the toolbar. Pause or resume a task in the Background Tasks window Click the Pause button .
batch Compressor uses a batch to contain one or more source media files that you want to convert, or transcode, to another format. Each source media file creates its own job. This means that a batch can contain multiple jobs, with each job based on its own source media file. Each job also has at least one setting that defines the format of the transcoded file.
Bezier curve A parametric curve used to create smooth movement for keyframes and animated clips in the Viewer. Bezier curves contain two kinds of points: smooth points and corner points. Smooth points have handles that can be manipulated to curve the adjacent line segment. Corner points have no handles, and therefore the adjacent line segments are straight (or linear).
blue laser media Blu-ray burners and players use a blue laser when working with Blu-ray media. The blue color has a shorter wavelength, making it possible to store more data on a disc as compared to red lasers.
Browser The Browser displays the clips and projects for the item selected in the Libraries list. You select clips or portions of clips in the Browser to work with them. Open projects by doubleclicking them in the Browser. You can sort or group items in the Browser by creation date, name, and duration. You can also view the Browser contents as filmstrips or in a list.
To switch between filmstrip view and list view, click a view button below the Libraries list.
CAF (Core Audio Format) Apple’s Core Audio Format (CAF) is a flexible file format for storing and manipulating digital audio data. It is fully supported by Core Audio APIs on Mac OS X v10.4 and later and on Mac OS X v10.3 with QuickTime 7 or later. CAF provides high performance and flexibility, and is scalable to future ultra high-resolution audio recording, editing, and playback.
chroma The color information contained in a video signal, consisting of hue, which represents the color itself, and saturation, which represents the intensity of the color.
chroma key A special effects technique that allows you to derive an alpha channel or matte from the blue or green background of a video clip in order to make it transparent for the purpose of compositing it against other clips. Blue-screen technology is what makes weather forecasters appear to be standing against an animated map, when in reality they’re standing in front of a blue wall. Also known as blue or green screening.
clip The term used to describe a video or audio asset, especially after it has been imported into Final Cut Pro. Clips appear in the Browser, the Timeline, and the media browsers. Clips in Final Cut Pro point to (link to) source media files on a storage device. When you modify a clip, you are not modifying the media file, just the clip’s information in Final Cut Pro.
(This is known as nondestructive editing.
clip selection A selection of whole clips in the Browser or the Timeline. You can select a single clip or multiple clips at a time. In contrast to a range selection, a clip selection is limited to clip boundaries. You cannot adjust a clip selection to include portions of clips. However, you can add or remove whole clips.
codec Short for compressor/decompressor, or encode/decode. A software component used to translate video or audio from its current form to a different, digitally compressed form. DV, Photo JPEG, and Apple ProRes are common QuickTime video codecs.
color balance Refers to the mix of red, green, and blue in a clip. In Final Cut Pro, you can adjust the color balance of the highlights (bright areas), midtones, or shadows (dark areas) of your clip using the Color Board.
color bars A standard color test signal displayed as columns, often accompanied by a reference audio tone. Color bars are used to adjust the video signal of the incoming source to maintain proper color from import through output.
Color Board The Color Board allows you to manually adjust a clip’s color properties. It contains separate panes for adding or subtracting a color tint, controlling the intensity of the color, and controlling the brightness of the video. In addition to an overall control, each pane has individual controls for the highlight, midtone, and shadow areas of the image. Apply a color correction and open the Color Board 1. Add a clip to your project and select it in the Timeline. 2.
that your clip appears in the Viewer. 3. If the Video inspector is not already visible, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 4. Click the Video button at the top of the Inspector pane to open the Video inspector. The Color Correction effect appears in the Effects section of the Video inspector.
5. Click the Color Board button for the Color Correction effect you just added. The Color Board appears. 6. If the clip has multiple corrections applied to it, choose the correction to adjust from the pop-up menu in the Color Board’s upper-right corner.
Note: Depending on the resolution of your computer’s display and your layout settings, some controls may not appear.
color cast An unwanted color tint in the image, usually caused by lighting issues.
color difference In video formats that store color information in the Y’CBCR color space, color channels are derived by subtracting Y (luma) from the R (red) and B (blue) signals and are sometimes referred to generally as B-Y and R-Y.
compound clip You can use compound clips to group any combination of clips in the Timeline or the Browser, and nest clips within other clips. You can open any compound clip, edit its contents in the Timeline, and then close it. Compound clips can contain video and audio clip components, clips, and other compound clips. Effectively, each compound clip can be considered a mini project, with its own distinct project settings.
a standard clip, the clip automatically becomes a compound clip. Compound clips have many uses. You can: Simplify a complicated project by creating a separate compound clip for each major section. Sync a video clip with one or more audio clips and then combine the clips into a compound clip, to avoid inadvertently moving them out of sync. Open any clip, edit its contents in the Timeline, and then close it. Quickly create a compound clip containing the clips in an event, based on the Browser sort order.
Use a compound clip to create a section of a project with settings different from those of the main project.
compression The process by which video, graphics, and audio files are reduced in size. “Lossy” compression refers to a process of reducing video file sizes through the removal of redundant or less noticeable image data. Lossless compression reduces file sizes by mathematically consolidating redundant image data without discarding it.
connected clip Connected clips are attached to clips in the primary storyline in the Timeline. They are useful for cutaway shots, superimposed or composited images, and sound effects. Connected clips remain attached and synchronized until you explicitly move or remove them. A sequence of connected clips is a storyline.
contrast The difference between the lightest and darkest values in an image. High-contrast images have a large range of values from the darkest shadow to the lightest highlight. Lowcontrast images have a more narrow range of values, resulting in a “flatter” look.
corner point On a Bezier path, a type of point with no curves applied. Line segments adjacent to a corner point are linear.
cross dissolve A common type of video transition, in which the first shot fades out while the second shot simultaneously fades in. During the cross dissolve, the two shots are superimposed as they fade.
crossfade A common type of audio transition, in which the first clip’s audio fades down while the second clip’s audio simultaneously fades up. During the crossfade, audio from both clips is heard.
cutaway shot A shot that is related to the current subject and occurs in the same time frame (for example, an interviewer’s reaction to what is being said in an interview). Often, a cutaway shot is used to eliminate an unwanted visual section of another shot. The audio usually remains continuous during the cutaway, helping to make the edit less noticeable.
Dashboard The Dashboard appears in the center of the toolbar and provides a timecode display as well as icons showing audio levels and the status of background tasks. The Dashboard contains the following: Background Tasks indicator: Shows the progress of all background processes, such as analyzing clips and rendering effects. To see background task details, click the Background Tasks indicator to open the Background Tasks window.
the skimmer position in the Browser and for the playhead or skimmer position in the Timeline. You can also enter a timecode value to move the playhead, move a clip, or trim a range or clip, depending on your selection. Audio Meter icon: Shows audio levels as a clip plays. To see the full-size Audio meters, click the icon.
destination A set of preconfigured export settings that you can use to share a project or clip from Final Cut Pro. Destinations make it easy to export your movie for viewing on Apple devices such as iPad and iPhone, publish your movie to websites such as YouTube or Facebook, or burn your movie to a disc. Final Cut Pro comes with a variety of destinations, and you can also modify destinations and create new destinations. You add and modify destinations in the Destinations pane of Final Cut Pro preferences.
Disk Utility Disk Utility is an Apple application that performs disk-related tasks in OS X. It’s located in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder. For more information, see the OS X documentation, available from the Help menu when the Finder is active.
downstream Refers to clips to the right of the current clip in the Timeline. When you perform actions that ripple the project, downstream clips are affected; upstream clips are not.
ease in An effect in which an object in motion decelerates slowly until it comes to a stop, rather than ending its movement abruptly. This simulates the effect of friction in the real world and generally creates a more natural-looking effect than a linear movement would.
ease out An effect in which an object in motion accelerates from its starting position slowly rather than beginning its movement at full speed. This simulates the effect of inertia and friction in the real world and generally creates a more natural-looking effect than a linear movement would.
edit point Edit points define the part of a clip you want to use in an edited project. Edit points include start points, which specify the beginning of a section of a clip or project, and end points, which specify the end of a section of a clip or project. An edit point is also a point in the Timeline where the end point of one clip meets the start point of the next clip. This edit point can be selected for various operations.
editing tools You can choose from seven different editing tools when you’re working in the Timeline. When you choose a tool, the pointer changes to the icon for that tool. Select tool: Select items in the Timeline. Trim tool: Trim clips in the Timeline using ripple, roll, slip, and slide edits. Position tool: Place clips in the Timeline.
Range Selection tool: Select a range within a clip or across multiple clips. Blade tool: Cut clips in the Timeline. Zoom tool: Zoom in to and out of the Timeline. Hand tool: Scroll the Timeline.
Effects Browser A media browser in Final Cut Pro that contains video and audio clip effects. Open the Effects Browser Do one of the following: Choose Window > Media Browser > Effects (or press Command-5). Click the Effects button in the toolbar.
you’re looking for.
equalization An equalizer (commonly abbreviated as EQ) shapes the sound of incoming audio by changing the level of specific frequency bands. Equalization is one of the most commonly used audio processes, both for music projects and in video post-production work. You can use EQ to subtly or significantly shape the sound of an audio file, instrument, or project by adjusting specific frequencies or frequency ranges.
event When you import video, audio, and still images, or record directly into Final Cut Pro, the source media files (your raw footage) are stored in events. An event is similar to a folder that can hold dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of video clips, audio clips, and still images, as well as projects. Each event in the library refers to media on your storage device, and a database file keeps track of where everything is.
Event Viewer The Event Viewer is a separate video display that appears next to the main Viewer. With the Event Viewer and the Viewer open, you can display two clips at the same time: one in the Browser and one in the Timeline. You use the Event Viewer to play clips in the Browser only. As with the main Viewer, you can show video scopes, color channels, title and action safe zones, and multicam angles (with the Event Viewer set to show angles).
Playback and adjustment controls are identical in the Viewer and the Event Viewer. Other viewer-related operations (including onscreen controls and built-in effects) are done with the main Viewer. Show or hide the Event Viewer To show the Event Viewer: Choose Window > Show Event Viewer (or press ControlCommand-3). To hide the Event Viewer: Choose Window > Hide Event Viewer (or press ControlCommand-3).
exposure The amount of light in video or film images. Exposure affects the overall brightness of the image as well as its perceived contrast.
fade A common type of transition in both video and audio. For video, a fade-out begins with a shot at full intensity and reduces until it is gone. A fade-in begins with a shot at no intensity and increases to full intensity. These are the common “fade to black” and “fade up (from black)” transitions. Audio fade-ins begin with silence and increase to full volume, and fade-outs begin at full volume and decrease to silence.
filmstrip Your video clips appear as filmstrips in the Timeline (where you build projects) and in the Browser (where your source media is displayed). A single video filmstrip might represent several seconds of video encompassing hundreds of video frames (individual images). Audio-only clips appear as audio waveforms, showing the change in the audio volume over time. You can adjust the appearance of filmstrips in the Browser and the Timeline so that it’s easier to make selections.
Foley effects Foley effects are custom sound effects that are heavily synchronized to picture, such as footsteps on different surfaces, clothes rustling, fight sounds, and the handling of various noisy objects. Final Cut Pro includes a number of built-in Foley and other sound effects that you can insert as connected audio clips.
frame blending Duplicating frames to create slow motion can result in a strobing, jittery effect. To minimize this, you can turn on Frame Blending in the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar. Frame blending creates new in-between frames, each a composite of two neighboring frames.
gamma A curve that describes the intensity of an image. Gamma is a nonlinear function often confused with brightness or contrast. Gamma adjustment is often used to compensate for differences between Mac and Windows video graphics cards and displays.
gap clip A blank clip (containing blank video and silent audio) that you can adjust to any duration. (The film industry term for this is slug.) Gap clip color is determined by the current background color in Final Cut Pro. You can adjust the background color using the Player Background pop-up menu in the Playback pane of the Final Cut Pro Preferences window.
H.264 H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding) is a video compression standard in widespread use for recording, distribution, and Internet streaming of highdefinition (HD) video.
HDV A format for recording high-definition (HD) video on DV tape. HDV uses MPEG-2 video compression with 8-bit samples and 4:2:0 chroma subsampling. HDV has a video bit rate of 18.3 Mbps for 720p (1280 x 720) and a bit rate of 25 Mbps for 1080i (1440 x 1080).
hue An attribute of color perception, also known as color phase. Red, blue, yellow, and green are all hues.
Info inspector The Info inspector displays information (called metadata) about a selection in either the Browser or the Timeline. You can display different combinations of metadata with your clips, such as codecs, media start and end times, reel, scene, take, EXIF information, and IPTC information. You can also use the Info inspector to change the metadata for a selection, and you can create custom sets of metadata for display using the Metadata Views window, accessed from the Info inspector.
Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 2. Click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears.
insert edit An insert edit places the source clip so that all clips after the insertion point are moved forward (or rippled) in the Timeline to make room for the clip being added. No clips are removed from your project. An insert edit makes the project longer by the duration of the inserted clip.
inspectors Final Cut Pro provides a number of inspectors you can use to view and change the attributes of selected items. For example, you can adjust video effects and apply color corrections in the Video inspector. Other inspectors include the Audio, Audio Enhancements, Info, Transition, Title, Text, Generator, Library Properties, and Share inspectors. The inspectors appear in the Inspector pane in the upper-right corner of the Final Cut Pro main window.
Open an inspector 1. To open the Inspector pane, do one of the following: Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). Click the Inspector button in the toolbar. 2. To open a specific inspector, such as the Video inspector, Audio inspector, Info inspector, or Share inspector, click a button at the top of the Inspector pane.
IRE An analog video signal unit of measurement for luma, established by the Institute of Radio Engineers.
job Each media file added to a batch in Compressor is a job. Each job has one media file and one or more settings that define the type of file to render.
keyframe A control that denotes the value of a video or audio effect parameter at a particular point in the project. When two keyframes with different values are set in Final Cut Pro, a transition from one value to another is calculated, resulting in a dynamic change to that parameter. The word keyframe comes from the traditional workflow in the animation industry, where only important (key) frames of an animated sequence were drawn to sketch a character’s motion over time.
Keyword Collection When you apply a keyword to a clip, a Keyword Collection is automatically created in the library. When you select the Keyword Collection, each clip tagged with that keyword is displayed.
keywords Keywords add descriptive information to a clip or clip range. You can use keywords to organize, sort, and classify your media. You can add keywords to a clip manually, and Final Cut Pro can also add keywords automatically during import or clip analysis. For example, Final Cut Pro can convert the names of folders containing your media files to keywords during import, and add keywords identifying particular shot types during clip analysis.
keyword. When you select a Keyword Collection in the Libraries list, the clips with that keyword appear in the Browser. You can quickly see whether a clip has keywords by looking at the clip in the Browser. A clip with manually applied keywords or keywords imported with the media file is marked with a blue line, and a clip with keywords applied during clip analysis is marked with a purple line.
Libraries list The Libraries list holds and organizes the libraries and events that contain your imported media (video, audio, and still images) and your projects. When you select an event or a library in the Libraries list, its media appears as clips in the Browser and its projects appear as thumbnails. The Libraries list is also the home for Final Cut Pro Keyword Collections and Smart Collections, which provide a powerful way to organize your media using keywords and saved searches.
lower third A television industry term for a graphic placed in the lower area of the screen, usually to convey details about subjects or products. A common use of lower thirds is to identify individuals on the screen with their names and job titles.
luma A value describing the brightness of a video image. A luma channel is a grayscale image showing the range of brightness across the whole clip.
luma key An effect used to key out pixels of a certain luma value (or a range of luma values), creating a matte based on the brightest or darkest area of an image. Keying out luma values works best when your clip has a large discrepancy in exposure between the areas that you want to key out and the foreground images you want to preserve, such as a white title on a black background.
Mail Mail is the email application that comes with OS X.
markers Markers flag a specific location in a clip with editing notes or other descriptive information. Viewers can use chapter markers to quickly jump to those points in your finished movie after it has been exported or burned to a DVD or Blu-ray disc. You can also use markers for task management. Markers are classified as standard markers (blue), chapter markers (orange), to-do items (red), or completed to-do items (green).
To view a marker’s information, double-click the marker.
mask A shape, a color, or an image used to define areas of transparency in a video clip or still image. Similar to an alpha channel.
matte Sometimes referred to as a holdout matte. An effect that uses information in one layer of video to affect another layer. Mattes are useful when you want to use one clip to selectively hide or reveal part of another; for example, you could use a round spotlight shape to reveal parts of a video layer.
media browsers Media that you import into events in Final Cut Pro is accessed from the Libraries list and the Browser, but Final Cut Pro also includes a collection of media browsers you can use to add clips to your project. The media browsers provide access to the effects, titles, and transitions supplied with Final Cut Pro as well as to video, audio, and still-image files in other applications on your computer.
audio clip effects supplied with Final Cut Pro. Photos Browser: Access your iPhoto and Aperture photo libraries. Music and Sound Browser: Access your iTunes content as well as sound effects and loops from Final Cut Pro and iLife. Transitions Browser: Access all video transitions supplied with Final Cut Pro. Titles Browser: Access all title effects supplied with Final Cut Pro. Generators Browser: Access all video generators supplied with Final Cut Pro.
Open a media browser Do one of the following: Choose Window > Media Browser, and choose a browser from the submenu. Click the browser’s button at the right side of the toolbar. The photos and audio files accessible via the Photos Browser and the Music and Sound Browser are on your computer.
pop-up menu at the top of the browser. The other media browsers have a list of categories you can show or hide by clicking a button.
media handle Additional media available before a clip start point or after a clip end point.
media stems Media stems are audio or video files that are usually exported separately for audio mixing or post-production, or to match specifications when delivering files to broadcast networks. For example, you may need to deliver a multitrack QuickTime file along with separate dialogue, music, and effects stems. Final Cut Pro automatically labels clips with video or audio roles (Video, Titles, Dialogue, Music, or Effects), which makes it easier to export media stems.
monochrome An image presented in shades of a single color, most often as the shades of gray in a black-and-white image.
MOV Refers to the QuickTime movie file format from Apple. This digital media container format is the basis for the MPEG-4 (MP4) format.
MP3 Refers to the MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3 compression standard and file format. Like AAC, MP3 uses perceptual audio coding and psychoacoustic compression to remove superfluous information that the human ear doesn’t hear.
multicam clip A set of clips grouped together and synced by a common sync point. You can use multicam clips to edit footage from multicamera shoots or other synced footage in real time. While the active angle plays in the Viewer, you can also view all angles playing simultaneously in the Angle Viewer and easily cut and switch between them.
MXF An industry-standard file format for video and audio. Like QuickTime files, MXF files contain information about the media inside. This information, also called metadata, can include frame rate, frame size, creation date, and custom data added by a camera operator, an assistant, or an archivist.
notification After you share a project or clip, you’ll see a Final Cut Pro notification in the top-right corner of your screen. Here are some tips for working with notifications in Final Cut Pro: To see a list of movies you shared online, open Notification Center by clicking the Notification Center icon on the right side of the menu bar. The latest shared files are listed in the Final Cut Pro area of Notification Center.
modify the Final Cut Pro settings. For more information about Notification Center, see the help for OS X (available from the Help menu when the Finder is active).
nondestructive editing No matter how you edit clips in Final Cut Pro, the underlying media is never touched. This is known as nondestructive editing, because all of the changes and effects you apply to your footage never affect the original source media files. Clips represent your media, but they are not the media files themselves. The clips in a project simply point to (link to) the source media files on your storage device.
media files on your storage device.
offline editing A post-production process in which raw footage is copied and edited without affecting the original camera media (film, tape, or filebased media). After a program has been completed in the offline edit (typically using proxy media at a lower resolution), an online edit is performed to re-create the edit using the original media.
overwrite edit In an overwrite edit, one or more source clips overwrite any clips in the primary storyline or a selected storyline, starting at a range selection start point or at the skimmer or playhead position. No clip items are rippled forward, so the duration of your project remains the same. Overwriting is purely duration-based and works on range selections only, irrespective of clip boundaries.
pitch Sounds are perceived as high or low depending on their frequency, or the number of times per second a sound wave cycles from positive to negative and back to positive. The word that musicians most commonly use for frequency is pitch. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. Modifying the speed of a clip affects the pitch of the audio. Slow motion creates low pitch, and fast motion creates high pitch.
playhead The playhead marks the current position in the Timeline or the Browser. You can move the playhead by dragging it or clicking another area of the Timeline or Browser. You use the playhead to scrub, or move through a project or clip and play it back from different locations. The playhead appears as a gray vertical line that is fixed in place unless you move it or click elsewhere.
When skimming is turned on, you can skim to see what’s in other clips, while maintaining the playhead position in the Timeline or Browser. If both the playhead and skimmer are present in the same clip, the skimmer becomes the default position for playback or editing. When skimming is turned off or the skimmer is not present in a clip, the playhead assumes the default position.
project A project provides a record of your editing decisions and the media you use. You build your project by adding clips and editing them in the Timeline. A project is also defined by its video, audio, and render properties. In most cases, Final Cut Pro manages project settings automatically based on the properties of the first clip you add to a project.
project properties A project’s video, audio, and render properties. In most cases, Final Cut Pro manages project properties automatically based on the properties of the first clip you add to a project. If you must modify the project properties, choose video and audio project properties based on how you intend to share your final movie with your audience. You set a project’s properties when you create a Final Cut Pro project, and you can change them at any time.
A Final Cut Pro project has the following properties. Name Project Name: Type a name for the project. Starting Timecode Starting Timecode: If you want your project’s timecode to start at a value other than 00:00:00:00, type a starting timecode value. Drop Frame Timecode Drop Frame: Select the checkbox to turn on drop frame timecode (this option appears only for 29.97 and 59.94 fps media).
In non-drop frame timecode, the timecode counter counts at a consistent rate without dropping any numbers from the count. Non-drop frame timecode is available as a display option for every frame rate. In drop frame timecode, frames 0 and 1 are skipped the first second of every minute, unless the minute number is exactly divisible by 10. Video Properties Format: Choose the video format (a specific method of encoding the video). Resolution: Choose the frame size of the video.
Rate: Choose the frames per second (fps). Note: Unless the Timeline is completely empty, you cannot change the frame rate of an existing project. Audio and Render Properties Audio Channels: Choose whether to present the audio as multichannel surround sound or as stereo. Audio Sample Rate: Choose the audio sample rate for your project (the number of times an audio signal is measured—or sampled—per second).
depends on the source material you’re working with and the final destination of your audio. Render Format: Choose the codec to use for your project’s background rendering.
proxy files You can use Final Cut Pro to transcode your original media to create proxy files, which are smaller files with a lower data rate. Proxy files can be used for offline editing or for editing when using a slower computer. Final Cut Pro creates video proxy files using the Apple ProRes 422 Proxy codec, and still-image proxy files using the JPEG format (if the original file doesn’t have alpha channel information) or the PNG format (if the file has alpha channel information).
range Instead of selecting whole clips, you can select a range within any clip in the Timeline or the Browser. You can trim range selections, mark them with ratings and keywords, and modify them in other ways. You can adjust the range start and end points by dragging either side of the selection. In the Timeline, you can also select a range that spans multiple clips. Range selections in the Timeline have a thick yellow border and range handles on each side.
In the Browser, you can set multiple ranges within one or more clips, and you can select and deselect ranges after you set them. Selected ranges have a thick yellow border and straight range handles. Unselected ranges have a thin orange border. Editing commands operate on yellow selections only.
Rec. 709 Short for ITU-R Recommendation BT.709, the standard broadcast format for high-definition television.
red laser media Traditional DVD burners and players use a red laser when working with DVD media. Blu-ray burners and players use a blue laser when working with Blu-ray media. The blue color has a shorter wavelength, making it possible to store more data on a disc when compared to red lasers.
render To process video and audio with any applied effects or transitions, and store the result as a render file. These render files are stored with your Final Cut Pro event and project files. When you publish or export a project, it is similarly rendered to create the output files.
resolution Image resolution refers to the number of pixels in an image. Resolution is expressed in terms of the width and height of the image in pixels (for example, 640 x 360 pixels). Higherresolution images contain more detail but also create larger files that take longer to download. Your electronic devices (computer, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and so on) also have screen resolution. Ideally, you should match the image resolution of your media to the resolution of your playback device.
reverb Reverberation, or reverb, refers to the reflection pattern created by bouncing sound waves off the surfaces—walls, ceilings, windows, and so on—of any space, or off objects within a space, gradually dying out until they are inaudible. Final Cut Pro includes a variety of audio effects that add reverb to the sound of a clip.
ripple edit The default type of trim in Final Cut Pro is a ripple trim, which adjusts a clip’s start point or end point without leaving a gap in the Timeline. The change in the clip’s duration ripples outward, moving all subsequent clips earlier or later in the Timeline. Similarly, if you delete a clip from the Timeline, subsequent clips ripple earlier to close the gap. Ripple edits affect the trimmed clip, the position of all subsequent clips in the Timeline, and the total duration of your project.
roles Metadata text labels that you assign to clips in the Browser or the Timeline. Roles provide a flexible and powerful way to manage your editing workflow. You can use roles in Final Cut Pro to organize clips in your events and projects, control the appearance of the Timeline, and export separate video or audio files (also known as media stems) for distribution, audio mixing, or post-production.
saturation A measurement of the intensity of color in the video signal.
select clips in the Browser or Timeline You can select a single clip or multiple clips at a time. Selecting multiple clips allows you to move them as a group within your project, or from one event to another. It’s also useful if you’ve made adjustments to a clip and you want to paste the same adjustments onto several other clips.
either clip selections or range selections of one or more clips. Select clips To select a clip in the Browser: Click the clip once. This is actually a range selection that defaults to the entire clip. For many purposes, such as working with the Color Balance setting, this is the same as selecting a whole clip.
To select a clip in the Timeline: Click the clip once. To select a clip in the Timeline without moving the playhead: Hold down the Option key and click the clip. To select a clip in the Timeline without clicking: Move the pointer over the clip you want to select, and press C. To select multiple contiguous clips in the Browser or the Timeline: Hold down the Shift key as you click the first and last clips.
To select all clips in the Browser or the Timeline: Select a single clip in the Browser or the Timeline, and choose Edit > Select All (or press Command-A). To select multiple clips by dragging in the Browser or the Timeline: Drag a selection rectangle around the clips you want to select.
select items in the Libraries list or the Browser You can select one or more events or libraries (or other items such as Keyword Collections or folders) in the Libraries list. You can also select one or more projects or clips in the Browser. These kinds of selections are required for organizational tasks such as copying, moving, merging, duplicating, consolidating, backing up, and deleting. Select items in the Libraries list 1.
2. In the Libraries list, click the library or events or other items (Keyword Collections, Smart Collections, folders, and so on) to select them. To select more than one item, Commandclick each item. Note: You can select only one library at a time. Select items in the Browser 1. If you don’t see the Libraries list, click the button at the bottom-left corner of the Browser.
2. In the Libraries list, select the event containing the projects or clips you want to select. 3. In the Browser, click the projects or clips to select them. To select more than one item, Commandclick each item. Note: You cannot select clips and projects at the same time.
skimmer The skimmer lets you preview clips in the Timeline or the Browser without affecting the playhead position. You use the skimmer to skim, or freely move over clips or projects to play them back at the speed of the pointer. The skimmer appears as a pink vertical line as you move the pointer over the area you’re skimming. If you have snapping turned on, the skimmer turns orange when it snaps to a position.
When skimming is turned on, you can skim to see what’s in other clips, while maintaining the playhead position in the Timeline or Browser. If both the playhead and skimmer are present in the same clip, the skimmer becomes the default position for playback or editing. When skimming is turned off or the skimmer is not present in a clip, the playhead assumes the default position.
Smart Collection When you search for clips in an event using the Filter window, you can save your results by creating a new Smart Collection that gathers clips matching the search criteria. Whenever a new clip that matches the Smart Collection’s search criteria is brought into the event, the new clip is automatically added to the Smart Collection. Clips that appear in Smart Collections are not duplicates.
snapping When the snapping feature is turned on in Final Cut Pro, items you move in the Timeline (including the playhead, the skimmer, and selected clips) appear to jump, or “snap,” directly to certain points in the Timeline. This can help you quickly line up edits with other items in the project. Snapping affects the functions of many of the editing tools in Final Cut Pro, including the Select tool, the Trim tool, the Position tool, the Range Selection tool, and the Blade tool.
source media files The original files (video, audio, and still images or graphics) that you import into Final Cut Pro. A clip you use in Final Cut Pro points to the location where the source media file is stored (either on your computer or on a camcorder, camera, or storage device). Changes made to clips within Final Cut Pro do not affect the source media files.
speed segment Sections in a clip that have different playback speeds. You can show the Retime Editor above a clip in the Timeline to view and change speed segments. You can also add transitions to the boundaries between speed segments to create variable speed effects (also called ramp effects).
spill suppression Spill suppression is a color correction operation that applies the complementary (opposite) color of the color that’s being made transparent to neutralize any green or blue fringing or light bounce that’s tinting the subject being keyed. The Spill Level slider controls how much spill suppression is applied to the keyed subject.
split edit Final Cut Pro allows you to set separate video and audio start and end points in an individual clip. These edits, known as split edits, are a common technique in most dialogue scenes in films and television shows. You can use split edits to introduce the sound of a new shot or scene before cutting to the video of that shot or scene. Conversely, you can use a split edit to extend the audio of a shot over a subsequent shot.
standard definition (SD) Refers to the original NTSC and PAL video frame sizes. NTSC uses 480 or 486 active lines per frame, and PAL uses 576 active lines.
storylines All instances of the Timeline contain a primary storyline, which is the main sequence of clips that you build to create your movie. Storylines are sequences of clips connected to the primary storyline. You can use storylines for the same purposes as connected clips (such as creating cutaways, compositing titles and other graphics, and adding sound effects and music).
superimposed titles in a storyline and then adjust the timing of the titles to match clips in the primary storyline. Like connected clips, storylines can contain both video and audio, or they can be video only or audio only.
subframe A subframe has 1/80 the duration of a video frame and is thus a more precise unit of reference when editing audio at the sample level. You can view subframes in the timecode display of the Dashboard. In the General pane of the Final Cut Pro Preferences window, choose the subframe option (HH:MM:SS:FF + Subframes) from the Time Display pop-up menu.
through edit An edit point that has continuous video or audio content on either side of the edit.
timecode A signal recorded with your video that uniquely identifies each frame. By default, timecode appears in Final Cut Pro in the format hours: minutes: seconds: frames. Timecode supports a variety of functions in Final Cut Pro, including Timeline playback, syncing video and audio clip items, navigating through projects in the Timeline, and moving and trimming clips.
Timeline The bottom portion of the Final Cut Pro window contains the Timeline, where you create your movie project by adding and arranging clips and making all your edits.
Timeline Index You can view a text-based, chronological list of the clips, keywords, and markers in a project using the Timeline Index. When you select an item in the Timeline Index, the playhead jumps to that item in the Timeline. To view the Timeline Index, click the Timeline Index button at the bottom-left corner of the Final Cut Pro main window.
tint A color shade added to an image, usually to create an effect. For example, adding a sepia tint to an image creates an aged effect.
toolbar A collection of buttons and tools located in the middle of the Final Cut Pro main window. The toolbar also includes the Dashboard, which displays the timecode for the clip selected in the Browser and for the playhead’s position in the Timeline.
transcode All media files use a format. Video format examples include DV, H.264, and MPEG-2. Video files also have a variety of properties, such as video frame size and frame rate, data rate, and audio sample rate. When you need to convert a media file to a different format or change its properties, you transcode it to the new format or properties. Compressor, an Apple application designed to work with Final Cut Pro, makes transcoding media files a fast and easy process.
Transitions Browser The Transitions Browser provides access to all the video transitions included with Final Cut Pro. Open the Transitions Browser Do one of the following: Choose Window > Media Browser > Transitions. Click the Transitions button in the toolbar.
of the Transitions Browser to quickly find the transition you’re looking for.
trim After you’ve assembled your clips in rough chronological order in the Timeline, you begin to fine-tune the cut point (or edit point) between each pair of contiguous clips. Any time you make a clip in a project longer or shorter, you’re trimming that clip. However, trimming generally refers to precision adjustments of anywhere from one frame to several seconds. If you’re adjusting clip durations by much larger amounts, you’re still trimming, but you may not be in the fine-tuning phase of editing yet.
edits, and slide edits. Note: No matter how you trim or make other edits in Final Cut Pro, the underlying media is never touched. The trimmed or deleted pieces of clips are removed from your project, but the source clips in the library and the source media files on your storage device remain unchanged.
uncompressed 8- and 10-bit 4:2:2 These video formats can be used to store 8-bit or 10-bit 4:2:2 Y’CBCR video without employing data compression. Bypassing compression reduces the computer’s processing load but increases the data rate considerably. A large-capacity RAID storage system is typically required to work effectively with uncompressed video. In many cases, Apple ProRes is a better choice. The data rate of uncompressed 4:2:2 video varies according to frame size and frame rate.
video.
upstream Refers to clips that are to the left of the current clip in the Timeline. When you perform actions that ripple the project, upstream clips are not affected.
value slider A type of numerical slider control that appears as a number, often to the right of a basic slider. There are two ways to adjust a value slider: by dragging over the number to decrease or increase the parameter value, or by double-clicking the number and entering a new value.
Viewer When you play a clip in the Browser or a project in the Timeline, the clip or project plays back in the Viewer. Note: If the Event Viewer is open, clips in the Browser play back in the Event Viewer.
watermark A visible graphic or text overlay applied to an image or a video clip to indicate that it is protected by a copyright. Watermarks are used to discourage the use of images or video clips without the copyright holder’s explicit permission.
WAVE (or WAV) An audio file format most commonly used for storing uncompressed linear pulse code modulation (LPCM) audio data.
wipe A common type of video transition. In a wipe, the screen splits, moving from one side of the image to the other to gradually reveal the next shot. A wipe is more obvious (and customizable) than a fade or cross dissolve.
XDCAM EX A member of the Sony XDCAM product family that uses MPEG-2 video compression with 4:2:0 chroma sampling. In contrast to XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX supports 720p and records at full HD resolution (either 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720). Its maximum bit rate is 35 Mbps. Instead of optical discs, XDCAM EX camcorders use solid-state memory cards known as SxS cards.
XDCAM HD422 A member of the Sony XDCAM product family featuring 4:2:2 chroma sampling and a video bit rate of 50 Mbps. Like XDCAM EX, it uses MPEG-2 video compression at full HD resolution (either 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720).
Apple Inc. © 2015 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Use of the “keyboard” Apple logo (Option-Shift-K) for commercial purposes without the prior written consent of Apple may constitute trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of federal and state laws.
Intel, Intel Core, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corp. in the U.S. and other countries. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. The YouTube logo is a trademark of Google Inc. Other company and product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. Production stills from the film “Koffee House Mayhem” provided courtesy of Jean-Paul Bonjour. “Koffee House Mayhem” © 2004 Jean-Paul Bonjour.
