Final Cut Pro X User Guide
KKApple Inc. Copyright © 2013 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement. The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of Final Cut Pro software may reproduce this publication for the purpose of learning to use such software. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this publication or for providing paid for support services.
Contents 10 10 11 12 Chapter 1: What’s new in Final Cut Pro? 13 13 14 15 17 18 Chapter 2: Final Cut Pro basics 19 19 20 20 20 24 26 28 29 30 31 31 32 32 33 34 34 36 37 39 40 41 43 Chapter 3: Import media 45 45 45 46 47 48 Chapter 4: Analyze media What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.6? What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.3? What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.
51 51 52 52 52 53 53 54 55 56 57 57 61 62 64 67 68 68 71 72 Chapter 5: Organize your media 73 73 74 76 78 78 79 80 Chapter 6: Play back and skim media 81 81 82 83 86 89 Chapter 7: Create and manage projects Events and clips overview Organize events Create a new event Rename an event Merge or split events Copy or move clips between events Copy or move events Sort events Delete clips or events Organize clips View and sort clips Rename clips Rate clips as Favorite or Rejected Add keywords to clips Add
109 111 113 114 115 116 117 117 123 123 123 126 132 134 136 138 139 139 141 143 144 145 149 149 149 150 152 154 Replace a clip in your project with another clip Add and edit still images Create freeze frames Add clips using video-only or audio-only mode Remove clips from your project Solo, disable, and enable clips Find a Timeline clip’s source clip Arrange clips in the Timeline Cut and trim clips Trimming overview Cut clips with the Blade tool Extend or shorten a clip Make roll edits with the Trim tool Ma
189 Adjust audio effects 192 Adjust audio effects using keyframes 199 Audio tools and techniques 199 Enhance audio 202 Sync audio and video automatically 203 Match audio equalization settings 203 Preserve pitch when retiming clips 204 204 205 205 205 206 207 209 209 211 212 213 213 213 213 215 218 218 219 219 220 221 222 224 225 226 231 231 231 232 234 235 236 237 237 237 238 239 239 240 241 241 242 Chapter 10: Add transitions, titles, effects, and generators Transitions, titles, effects, and generators o
242 Onscreen controls overview 242 Show or hide onscreen controls 243 Onscreen control examples 247 Use the Video Animation Editor 247 Video animation overview 247 Adjust video effects using keyframes 253 Adjust effect curves using fade handles or keyframe animation 257 257 257 259 263 265 268 271 275 275 277 281 281 282 283 284 287 287 288 292 294 294 295 296 299 299 300 303 305 307 307 308 308 309 310 311 312 316 324 330 332 Chapter 11: Advanced editing Group clips with compound clips Compound clips ove
334 Chapter 12: Keying and compositing 334 Keying 334 Keying overview 334 Use chroma keys 343 Use luma keys 348 Finalize the key 351 Compositing 351 Compositing overview 352 Use alpha channels 354 Use Compositing settings 355 355 356 356 356 357 358 359 359 359 361 363 366 367 368 368 369 369 370 370 370 371 374 375 Chapter 13: Color correction 377 377 378 383 386 387 387 388 389 Chapter 14: Share your project Color correction overview Analyze and balance color automatically Color balance overview An
390 390 390 392 392 393 397 400 401 402 402 402 403 406 410 411 414 414 416 Chapter 15: Manage media files Media management overview Where your media and project files are located Manage your media files View a clip’s information Relink clips to media files Transcode media files View background tasks Delete render files to free up disk space Manage your events and project files Before you move or copy events and projects Consolidate a project’s media files Back up projects, your Project Library, and event
What’s new in Final Cut Pro? 1 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.
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 Event 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 on page 78. Native REDCODE RAW (R3D) support Final Cut Pro 10.0.
A/V output You can now connect your computer to an external video monitor for audio and video (A/V) output. In addition to showing you how video and audio look and sound on an NTSC/PAL or HD broadcast monitor, this feature also allows you to test output with more sophisticated devices such as vectorscopes and waveform monitors. A/V output is available only with OS X Lion v10.7.2 or later and requires compatible thirdparty video interface hardware and software. FireWire DV devices are not supported.
Final Cut Pro basics 2 What is Final Cut Pro? Final Cut Pro X is a revolutionary application for creating, editing, and producing the highestquality 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.
•• Use connected clips and storylines to add cutaway shots, superimposed titles, and sound effects to your project. Connected clips and storylines always stay in sync. •• Add special effects to video, audio, and photos, and adjust them using keyframes and onscreen controls. You can also change clip speed to create fast-motion or slow-motion effects. •• Automatically balance and match color, or use the color correction tools to precisely control the look of any clip in your project.
Share your movie When your project is finished, you can publish your movie right from Final Cut Pro to the web, or send it to iTunes, iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Apple TV. You can also burn a disc to give to others. Final Cut Pro interface overview The Final Cut Pro window has three main areas: Event Browser: Access all the source media you import. Viewer: Play back clips and projects. Magnetic Timeline: Edit your movie in this area.
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. With the Event Viewer, a separate video display that can be shown next to the main Viewer, you can display two clips at the same time: one from the Event Browser and one from the Timeline.
Media files and clips After you import media into Final Cut Pro, clips representing the source media files appear in the Event 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.
Events and projects In Final Cut Pro X, you use events to collect and organize media. Events are like folders that contain unedited media imported from a camera or some other source. You use projects to edit and construct movies and share them with your audience. A project is a record of the work you do in the Timeline and the editing decisions you make.
Import media 3 Importing overview Importing media into Final Cut Pro is the first step toward making your movie. With Final Cut Pro, you can: •• Import from a file-based (tapeless) camera or device •• Import from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch •• Import from a tape-based camcorder or device •• Import from iMovie •• Import from iPhoto and Aperture •• Import from iTunes •• Import from a hard disk •• Import from a camera archive During import, you assign your media to an event.
If it’s your first import The first time you open Final Cut Pro, it contains no media, no projects, and a single event. Buttons appear in the Event Browser to help you quickly import events from iMovie, media from your hard disk or a connected external storage device, or media directly from a connected camera. Import media into an empty event mm To import events from iMovie: Click the Import iMovie Events button and follow the instructions for importing iMovie events.
•• 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 on page 40. 2 To open the Media Import window, 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.
•• To sort clips in list view by data such as duration, creation date, rating, keyword, 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 on page 34. •• To add folders of frequently used media to the Favorites section: Drag them from list view. To remove a folder from the Favorites section, Control-click the folder and choose Remove from Sidebar in the shortcut menu.
Reimport a clip Two situations warrant reimporting a clip: •• If the clip was not completely imported: If you cancel or quit Final Cut Pro before an import is finished, a Camera icon appears on the bottom-left corner of the clip. This icon indicates that Final Cut Pro is using the media on the camera for playback (instead of using the QuickTime file that was created during import).
Import spanned clips Some file-based camcorders or devices that have more than one memory card slot can record one shot over multiple memory cards. The resulting shot is called a spanned clip. A good way to import a spanned clip into Final Cut Pro is to attach your camera or card reader to your local system and create a camera archive for each memory card. You can store the camera archives on your local system or on an external storage device until you are ready to import the spanned clip.
3 Select each camera archive that makes up the spanned clip. Final Cut Pro mounts all of the camera archives. If all portions of the spanned clip are available, all the mounted camera archives show a clip with the same duration. An icon indicating that the spanned clip is complete appears on the spanned clip. These camera archives contain all portions of the spanned clip. This icon indicates that all portions of the spanned clip are available. This clip represents the complete spanned clip.
5 Choose how you want to organize the imported media in the Event 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” and type a name (for example, “Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text field; then choose the disk where you want to store the event from the “Save to” pop-up menu. To learn more about events, see Events and clips overview on page 51.
•• 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 Event Browser. The filmstrip is fully interactive, allowing access to start and end points, markers, and keywords.
5 In the window that appears, choose how you want to organize the imported media in the Event 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” and type a name (for example, “Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text field; then choose the disk where you want to store the event from the “Save to” pop-up menu.
Import from tape-based cameras You can import media from a tape-based camcorder or tape-based 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://help.apple.
6 In the window that appears, choose how you want to organize the imported media in the Event 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” and type a name (for example, “Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text field; then choose the disk where you want to store the event from the “Save to” pop-up menu.
•• 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). •• If you’re connecting a tape-based camcorder to your computer, you should be using a FireWire cable (also called IEEE 1394, or i.
Import from iMovie You can import any of your existing iMovie projects and your iMovie Event Library into Final Cut Pro. Note: If you want to import an iMovie trailer project, you first need to convert it to a standard iMovie project. For more information, choose Help in iMovie ‘11 and search for “Convert a trailer to a project.” Important: iMovie projects and clips from the iMovie Event Library are not automatically analyzed during import because they retain their original analysis results from iMovie.
2 If necessary, navigate to the iPhoto or Aperture section of the Photos Browser. 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 Event Library or a project in the Timeline. To select multiple clips, you can Command-click them or drag a selection rectangle around them.
Import from devices Import from a hard disk You can import media—video, audio, still images, and graphics files—from your computer’s hard disk, a connected external storage device, a memory card inserted in your computer’s card slot or a card reader, or a network attached volume. You can import media using the Media Import window or by dragging files from the Finder.
Tip: Command-click to select multiple files or folders to import. Add favorite import folders. Play back the selected clip. Skim the selected clip. Click a column heading to sort items by that category. Navigate to the files and folders. 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.
9 If you want to organize your media, create optimized or proxy media, analyze the video, or analyze the audio, select the relevant checkboxes. 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 Event Browser. 10 Click Import. By default, the Media Import window closes when you click Import. You can begin working with your clips in the Event Browser. Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background.
Import media from an archive or disk image 1 To open the Media Import window, 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. 2 Do one of the following: •• To mount a camera archive: In the Camera Archives section on the left side of the Media Import window, select a camera archive to connect to it. Note: To disconnect the camera archive, click the Eject button.
•• Import folders as Keyword Collections: If you have folders of files that have meaningful folder names, selecting this option creates a keyword for each folder name and applies the keyword to all the files in the folder during import. Additionally, a Keyword Collection is created for each keyword. After import, these clips will have “B-roll” and “Callaway” keywords. After import, these clips will have “Interviews” and “Callaway” keywords.
Import while recording You can record video directly into Final Cut Pro using your computer’s built-in camera or an external iSight camera. 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.
6 When you’re ready to begin recording, click Import. The camera begins recording immediately. 7 When you want to stop recording, click Stop Import. 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: It’s also possible to capture live video from some video camcorders over a FireWire cable using QuickTime X. For more information, see QuickTime Player Help.
•• FireWire device: For most camcorders that record to tape, you use a FireWire cable with a 6-pin connector on one end that plugs into your Mac (at the top in the illustration below) and a 4-pin connector on the other end that plugs into your camcorder (on the bottom in the illustration below). Or you might have a FireWire 800 cable, with a different end that plugs into your camcorder or computer.
•• MPEG IMX (D-10) •• REDCODE RAW (R3D) •• Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 •• Uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:2 •• XAVC •• XDCAM HD/EX/HD422 •• QuickTime formats Audio formats •• AAC •• AIFF •• BWF •• CAF •• MP3 •• MP4 •• WAV Still-image formats •• BMP •• GIF •• JPEG •• PNG •• PSD (static and layered) •• RAW •• TGA •• TIFF Container formats •• 3GP •• AVI •• MP4 •• MXF •• QuickTime Chapter 3 Import media 42
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.
Adjust RED RAW settings You can adjust REDCODE RAW (R3D) files using the RED RAW Settings window. Metadata about REDCODE RAW (R3D) files can be stored in two locations: •• 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.
Analyze media 4 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 stabilize shaky video, 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.
•• 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. Important: This option is available only when importing from a tape-based camera or device. •• Find people: Analyzes video clips and still images for the number of people present and shot types.
Analyze your media You can analyze clips during the import process, analyze clips in the Event Browser after import, or set Final Cut Pro to analyze clips automatically when they are dragged to a Final Cut Pro event or the Timeline. Note: Analysis for stabilization and rolling shutter is available only after import.
Analyze clips after import 1 In the Event Browser, Control-click one or more clips and choose “Analyze and Fix” from the shortcut menu. Tip: To quickly find a clip used in the Timeline, Control-click the clip and choose “Reveal in Event Browser” from the shortcut menu. 2 In the window that appears, select any or all of the video 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.
View keywords in the Skimmer Info window 1 Choose View > Show Skimmer Info (or press Control-Y). 2 Skim the clip in the Event Browser. Keywords, including analysis keywords, are displayed in the Skimmer Info window when you hold the pointer over the clip. To turn off Skimmer Info, choose View > Hide Skimmer Info (or press Control-Y). View keywords in list view in the Event Browser 1 Click the List View button. 2 To see a clip’s keywords, click the disclosure triangle next to the clip.
View the contents of a Smart Collection 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 Event Library. A Smart Collection is created for each analysis keyword and placed in either a People folder or a Stabilization folder, depending on the type of analysis. mm In the Event Library, select an analysis keyword Smart Collection inside a People folder or Stabilization folder in an event.
5 Organize your media Events and clips overview 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 Event Library. An event is similar to a folder that can hold dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of video clips, audio clips, and still images.
Organize events 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 specific client, you may decide to split the media into events defined by the location the media was shot in; or split the media by the time of day it was shot, such as morning, afternoon, and evening.
Merge or split events You can merge (combine) two or more events in the Event Library (for example, if the media they contain is very closely related). You can also split a single event into multiple events if you find an event is getting unmanageable. Merge multiple events 1 In the Event Library, do one of the following: •• Drag one or more events that you want to combine to a new event. •• Select the events you want to combine, and choose File > Merge Events.
Copy clips from one event to another 1 In the Event Library, select the event that contains the clips you want to copy. 2 In the Event Browser, select the clip or clips you want to copy. 3 Do one of the following: •• If both events are on the same hard disk: Option-drag the clips from one event to the other by first starting to drag and then holding down the Option key as you drag. •• If the events are on separate hard disks: Drag the clips from one event to the other.
Move an event 1 Make sure another hard disk is connected to your computer. 2 Choose Group Events by Disk from the Action pop-up menu below the Event Library. The connected disk drive’s icon and name appear in the Event Library. 3 Select an event in the Event Library. 4 Do one of the following: •• Choose File > Move Event. •• Command-drag the event to the drive’s icon. 5 To store your files in a second location, choose it from the Location pop-up menu. 6 Click OK.
mm To view events by the date they were recorded: Choose Group Events by Date from the Action pop-up menu, and choose an option from the submenu. Show event date ranges Final Cut Pro can display the date ranges for the source media files within each event. mm Choose Show Date Ranges in Event Library from the Action pop-up menu Sort events by most recent mm Choose Arrange Events by Most Recent from the Action pop-up menu . .
The selected clips’ source media files, or the event and all its associated source media files, are moved to the Finder Trash. To permanently delete the source media files from your hard disk, empty the Trash. WARNING: After the Trash is emptied, the deleted clips or event and all their source media files cannot be restored.
Switch between filmstrip and list views Do one of the following: mm Click the Filmstrip View button in the bottom-left corner of the Event Browser. mm Click the List View button in the bottom-left corner of the Event Browser. Customize filmstrip view mm To adjust the time represented by each thumbnail in a clip’s filmstrip: At the bottom-right corner of the Event Browser, drag the Duration slider.
mm To adjust the filmstrip height: At the bottom-right corner of the Event Browser, click the Clip Appearance button and drag the Clip Height slider. mm To turn audio waveforms on and off: At the bottom-right corner of the Event Browser, click the Clip Appearance button and deselect the Show Waveforms checkbox in the window that appears. When audio waveforms are on, they appear at the bottom of each clip’s filmstrip, increasing the height of all clips in the Event Browser.
Customize list view mm To choose what type of information is displayed in list view columns as well as customize the columns themselves: In the Event Browser, Control-click a column heading, and choose a category option from the shortcut menu. mm To rearrange columns in list view: In the Event Browser, drag a column heading to move the column to a new position. mm To sort clips in list view by a category: Click a column heading in the Event Browser to sort clips by that category.
Rename clips You can rename clips in the Event Browser, the Timeline Index, or the Info inspector at any time. Renaming a clip affects only that instance of the clip. For example, if you add a clip from the Event Browser to the Timeline, copy clips between events, or copy clips within the Timeline, each of these clip instances (copies) is independent of the others and can have its own name. Important: Renaming a clip in Final Cut Pro does not rename the clip’s source media file on disk.
Rate clips as Favorite or Rejected If your clips contain sections that you don’t like or that you might never want to use in a project—because they’re blurry, for example—you can mark them as Rejected. You can easily rate the clips you like and the clips you don’t like as you review them. When you’re ready to make a project or play your clip for your client, you can focus on your best footage by choosing to display only those clips you marked as Favorite.
Remove ratings from clips 1 Make sure the clips you want to work with appear in the Event 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 Event Browser so that all the clips you need to access are visible. Choose All Clips to show all the clips in the event regardless of rating. 2 In the Event Browser, select the clips whose rating you want to remove, and press the U key or click the Clear Rating button in the toolbar.
Add keywords to clips You can apply keywords to your clips to help you quickly locate the clips you need to compose your movie. After you apply a keyword to a clip or clip range, the clip or range is marked with a blue line in the Event Browser. (Clips that have analysis keywords, which are automatically applied after certain types of analysis, are marked with a purple line. For more information, see Analyzing media overview on page 45.
4 Repeat step 3 for each keyword or keyword phrase you want added to the selection. A blue line appears at the top of the selection in the Event Browser, indicating that keywords have been applied to it. 5 When you’re finished adding keywords, close the Keyword 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.
View keywords applied to clips mm To quickly identify clips that have keywords: Select an event in the Event Library. Clips that have one or more keywords appear in the Event Browser marked with a blue line at the top. mm To view all keywords applied to a clip: Choose View > Show Skimmer Info (or press Control-Y), and skim the clip in the Event Browser. You can also view a clip’s keywords by selecting the clip in the Event Browser and clicking the Keywords button in the toolbar.
Add or edit clip notes As you review your clips, you can add and edit notes about them in the Event Browser or the Timeline Index. You can quickly find your clips by entering the note text in the search field in the Event Browser or the Timeline Index, or the Text field in the Filter window. Note: You can add notes to each instance of a clip.
3 If the Notes column is not visible in the Clips pane, Control-click 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. Enter notes for a clip here. Organize clips by roles You can organize clips by roles, which are metadata text labels assigned to clips.
Filter clips quickly by rating Use the Filter pop-up menu in the Event Browser to quickly find clips by rating. 1 In the Event Library, select one or more events you want to search. 2 Choose an option from the Filter pop-up menu at the top of the Event 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.
•• People: Find clips that Final Cut Pro has identified as having people in them. •• Format Info: Find clips using format information, such as video frame rate or scene number. •• Date: Find clips by either the date the clip’s media file was created or the date the media was imported into Final Cut Pro. •• Roles: Find clips by their assigned roles. To remove a rule, click the Remove button to the right of the rule.
3 Use the Filter pop-up menu, as described in the “Filter clips quickly by rating” steps above, to quickly filter the clips by rating. 4 Repeat step 3 until you find the clips you’re looking for. Save searches as Smart Collections 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.
Delete a Smart Collection mm In the Event Library, select the Smart Collection you want to delete, and choose File > Delete Smart Collection (or press Command-Delete). The Smart Collection is removed from the Event Library, but its associated clips (the clips that appeared in it) are unaffected. Organize Keyword and Smart Collections You can organize Keyword Collections and Smart Collections in the Event Library with folders.
Play back and skim media 6 Playback and skimming overview Final Cut Pro makes it easy to view and listen to your media, whether it’s located in the Event Browser, the Project Library, 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 Event Browser.
Play back media You can play back projects and clips in Final Cut Pro. Playback options include playing from the beginning, playing from a certain point, looping playback, and playing at different speeds. You can also play back video in full-screen view. Whether Final Cut Pro uses proxy media or your original or optimized media during playback is determined by the playback setting you select in the Final Cut Pro Editing preferences. See Playback preferences on page 419 for more information.
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. Moves through reverse speeds Pause Moves through forward speeds You can use these keys to speed playback up to 32x normal speed. mm To begin forward playback at normal (1x) speed: Press L.
Play video in full-screen view 1 Select or open a project in the Project Library or open a clip in the Event Browser, and position the playhead where you want the video to begin. 2 Do one of the following: •• Choose View > Playback > Play Full Screen (or press Command-Shift-F). •• Click the Play Full Screen button below the Viewer. The item plays in full-screen view starting at the playhead position. 3 To leave full-screen view, press the Esc (Escape) key.
Skim clips with editing tools You can skim clips when you use the Blade, Trim, and Range Selection tools in the Timeline or in the Precision Editor. The tools behave as skimmers as you move the pointer over a clip. 1 Select a clip in the Timeline or open the Precision Editor. 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.
Play back and skim media in the 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 Event Browser and one in the Timeline. Event Viewer Viewer You use the Event Viewer to play clips in the Event Browser only.
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 Event Library and the Event Browser on a second display 1 Connect a second display (a second computer monitor connected to the PCI video card), and make sure it is connected to power and turned on. 2 In Final Cut Pro, choose Window > Show Events on Second Display.
4 In Final Cut Pro, choose Window > A/V Output. The Viewer contents appear on the broadcast monitor. Viewer features (such as onscreen controls and the title-safe and action-safe overlays) can be viewed only in Final Cut Pro. Note: Video and audio are synced at the video frame (not audio sample) level. To turn off A/V output, choose Window > A/V Output.
Create and manage projects 7 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 project Timeline and edit them. When you create a new Final Cut Pro project, you do the following: •• Name the project. •• Specify a default event for the project. The default event stores media that’s dragged to the project from the Finder or a Final Cut Pro media browser.
6 If you want to make any changes to the project’s video or audio properties, select Custom and use the pop-up menus. Unless you have a specific requirement for the project you’re creating, it’s best to leave “Set automatically based on first video clip” selected. 7 Click OK. The new project appears in the Project Library with the name you gave it in step 2.
Modify a project’s name and properties As your project evolves, you may decide you want to rename it or change its properties. Rename a project 1 If the Project Library is not already open, click the Project Library button at the bottom-left corner of the Final Cut Pro main window. 2 Select a project, and click the project’s name to highlight it. 3 Type a new name in the project Name field, and press Return.
4 In the window that appears, change the settings as appropriate. Choose a default Event from the pop-up menu. Change the project’s video, audio, and render properties. Name •• Name: Type a name for the project. Default Event •• Default Event: Choose the default event 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.
Define the order in which events are referenced by a project If you have duplicate clips in different events, you can define the order in which Final Cut Pro looks for the clips. 1 Open the Project Library and select a project. 2 Do one of the following: •• Choose File > Project Properties (or press Command-J). •• If the Inspector pane is hidden, click the Inspector button in the toolbar. Then click the Properties button at the top of the pane.
Organize projects in the Project Library All your Final Cut Pro video projects are listed in the Project Library. You can start organizing your projects by connecting additional hard disks, creating folders to hold projects, and giving your projects clear and specific names. As your Project Library grows, you can rename, copy, move, and delete your projects as necessary.
4 Select an option to specify what is duplicated: •• Duplicate Project Only: Duplicates only the project file. •• Duplicate Project and Referenced Events: Duplicates the project file, any events referred to by the project file, and all of the media in the referenced events. •• Duplicate Project + Used Clips Only: Duplicates the project file and the media files for any clips used in the project. •• Include Render Files: Select this checkbox to include render files for the clips and projects.
4 Select an option to specify what is moved: •• Move Project Only: Moves only the project file. •• Move Project and Referenced Events: Moves the project file, any events referred to by the project file, and all of the media in the referenced events. Choose a location to which you want to move the project. Select a move option. 5 Click OK. Final Cut Pro moves the project to the location you chose using the option you specified.
Save 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 about duplicating projects, see Organize projects in the Project Library on page 86.
Edit your project 8 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. •• Make selections and add clips to the Timeline: Adding and arranging clips in your project is the fundamental step in creating a movie with Final Cut Pro. You move and reorder clips in the Timeline. See Adding clips overview on page 99, Arrange clips in the Timeline on page 117, and Audio overview on page 157.
You can adjust the appearance of filmstrips in the Event Browser and the Timeline so that it’s easier to make selections. For example, expanding the width of a filmstrip (by showing shorter durations per thumbnail) helps you make more precise selections. Filmstrip expanded in the Event Browser for precise selections You can also adjust the filmstrip appearance in the Timeline to make it easier to view and select audio waveforms.
Select an entire clip Do one of the following: mm Click the clip once. mm Move the skimmer (or the playhead) over a clip and press X. Note: This results in a range selection that matches the boundaries of the clip. mm In the Event Browser, press Up Arrow or Down Arrow to move the selection to a neighboring clip. mm In the Event Browser, Option-drag from the start point to the end point of the clip.
mm To select multiple clips by dragging: Drag a selection rectangle over the Timeline or event clips you want to select. Deselect clips in the Event Browser or the Timeline mm To deselect a single selected clip: Command-click the clip or click outside it (or select a different clip). mm To deselect multiple selected clips: Hold down the Command key and click the clips you don’t want selected. mm To deselect all clips and ranges: Choose Edit > Select > None (or press Command-Shift-A).
Select a range Do one of the following: mm In the Event 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 Event Browser, Option-drag across any clip (filmstrip) with existing ranges to replace those ranges with a new range.
mm 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). Set a range start point or end point mm 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.
Set the range selection to match the boundaries of the clip mm 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. Any preexisting ranges are removed. Clear ranges You can remove one or more ranges from the Event Browser or the Timeline. Note: This operation does not affect the clip media in either the Event Browser or the Timeline. mm To remove an individual range in an event: Option-click the range.
Set multiple ranges in an event clip 1 In the Event 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. •• Move the skimmer (or the playhead) to the frame where you want the additional range to start and press Command-Shift-I. Move the skimmer or playhead to the frame where you want the additional range to end and press Command-Shift-O.
Select and deselect ranges and clips in an event You can set, select, or deselect multiple ranges within event clips or within events. Important: Editing commands operate on yellow selections only. Editing commands ignore orange (unselected) ranges. Selected ranges Unselected ranges mm To select an individual range: Click the range. mm To select or deselect a range: Command-click the range. mm To select all ranges in a clip: Click an area of the clip that has no range.
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.
Drag files from the Finder 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.
Insert Event Browser clips in the Timeline 1 Select one or more clips in the Event Browser. 2 Move the playhead to the point in the primary storyline or a selected storyline (or make a range selection) where you want to insert the clip. 3 Do one of the following: •• Choose Edit > Insert (or press W). Note: If you use the keyboard shortcut and the skimmer is present in the Timeline, the edit will occur at the skimmer position. •• Click the Insert button in the toolbar.
•• To insert a gap clip: Choose Edit > Insert 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.) Gap clip 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.
Connect clips to add cutaway shots, titles, and synchronized sound effects You can attach clips to other clips in the Timeline. Connected clips remain attached and synchronized until you explicitly move or remove them. D A B C Before edit D A B C After edit 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.
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.
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. Title Connected audio-only clip Connected audio/video clip Note: In Final Cut Pro, if you connect clips, the topmost video 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 on page 351.
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. mm 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).
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. No clip items are rippled forward, so the duration of your project remains the same. D A B C Before edit A D B C After edit Overwriting media is different from replacing it.
Replace a clip in your project with another clip You can replace clips in your project with clips from the Event 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. D A B C D C Before edit A After edit Replace options include using the start or end of the source clip, as well as automatically creating or adding to auditions.
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. If the source clip selection and the target clip have different durations, the subsequent clips ripple. •• Replace from Start: The target clip is replaced with the source clip selection, starting from the beginning of the source selection.
Replace a clip in the Timeline using keyboard shortcuts 1 In the Event Browser, select the source clip or range. 2 In the Timeline, select the clip you want to replace. Note: This must be a whole clip selection, not a range selection. For more information, see About selections and filmstrips on page 90. 3 Do one of the following: •• To perform a standard replace edit: Press Shift-R. The target clip is replaced with the source clip selection.
Add layered graphics files to the Timeline You can add layered graphics files, such as Adobe Photoshop (PSD) files, created with another image editing application to the Timeline. 1 Import the layered graphics file into an event. Important: If the layered graphics file has a transparent 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 name and properties on page 83.
You can also create freeze frames from your video clips. For more information, see Create freeze frames on page 113. 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 Event Browser.
Change the default duration of freeze-frame clips 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 Command-Comma), 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.
Remove clips from your project When you remove clips from a project in the Timeline, the source media in events, the Final Cut Pro media browsers, and the Finder is not affected. 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.
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. You can just as easily reenable them.
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 Clip > Reveal in Event Browser (or press Shift-F).
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 either or both of the following: •• To move the clips forward: Press the Plus Sign (+) key, and type a timecode duration for the move. •• To move the clips back: Press the Hyphen (-) key, and type a timecode duration for the move.
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 Shift-Comma (,). •• To move the selection right by one frame: Press Period (.).
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. To return to the Select tool (the default), choose it from the Tools pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press A).
3 Do either of the following: •• To move clips out of the primary storyline: Drag the clips from the primary storyline to their new position as connected clips (above or below the primary storyline). The subsequent clips in the primary storyline ripple left to close the gap left by the clips you moved. Drag the clip to its new position as a connected clip. •• Subsequent clips ripple left to close the gap.
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.
Cut and trim clips Trimming overview After you’ve roughly assembled your clips in 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.
2 Move the skimmer to the frame in the clip where you want to cut, and click. Blade tool 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. An edit point appears where you clicked, and the clip is divided into two clips. New edit point Cut all clips at once You can use the Blade All command to cut all primary storyline clips and connected clips at the skimmer or playhead location simultaneously.
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 Edit > 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.
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.
2 Choose Edit > Trim to Selection. Final Cut Pro trims the clip start and end points to the range selection. Trimmed clip 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.
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. Selected end point 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. Skimmer 3 Choose Edit > Extend Edit (or press Shift-X).
Trim edit points using timecode 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.
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. You can easily trim off these ranges with a single command, even while playing back the project. No selections are required. This type of edit is sometimes called a top and tail edit. 1 In the Timeline, position the playhead or the skimmer on the frame at which you want to trim the 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. No other clips in the project are affected.
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.
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.
Slip a clip in the Timeline 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.
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.
Slide a clip in the Timeline 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 Option-drag a clip to the left or right. Yellow selections on the neighboring clips indicate a slide edit. Yellow selections on the neighboring clips indicate a slide edit.
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 on page 117. 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.
Tip: You can use the Option key to change the detailed trimming feedback display on the fly. If detailed trimming feedback is 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.
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.
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. You can also show only the clip labels.
•• To display clips with audio waveforms and video filmstrips of equal size: Click the third Clip Appearance button from the left (or press Option-Control-3). •• To display clips with small audio waveforms and large filmstrips: Click the third Clip Appearance button from the right (or press Option-Control-4). •• To display clips with large filmstrips only: Click the second Clip Appearance button from the right (or press Option-Control-5).
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. You can also use a text-based view of the Timeline to navigate and search your project.
Navigate by jumping Use the following techniques to move the playhead quickly from point to point in the Timeline. mm To go to the next edit point: Choose Mark > Next > Edit (or press the Down Arrow key), or click the Next Edit button below the Viewer. mm To go to the previous edit point: Choose Mark > Previous > Edit (or press the Up Arrow key), or click the Previous Edit button below the Viewer. mm To go to the start of the project: Choose Mark > Go to > Beginning (or press the Home key).
The new timecode values appear in the Dashboard as you enter them. When you press Return, the playhead moves to the new Timeline location. 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).
Show or hide the Timeline Index mm Click the Timeline Index button in the lower-left corner of the Final Cut Pro main window (or press Command-Shift-2). The Timeline Index appears in the lower-left corner of the Final Cut Pro window. Timeline playhead The Timeline Index playhead moves in tandem with the Timeline playhead.
You can specify which columns are displayed by Control-clicking a column heading and choosing an option from the shortcut menu. You can specify which items are displayed by clicking the All, Video, Audio, or Titles button at the bottom of the Timeline Index. •• To view a list of all the tags on the clips in the Timeline, ordered chronologically: Click the Tags button at the top. Keyword Incomplete to-do item Completed to-do item Chapter marker Standard marker All of the tags are shown by default.
•• 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 on page 305.
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.
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 Event Browser or the Timeline.
1 To view a marker’s information, do one of the following: •• Select the marker and choose Mark > Markers > Modify Marker (or press Shift-M). •• Control-click the marker and choose Modify Marker from the shortcut menu. •• Double-click the marker. The marker’s information appears above the marker. To-Do Item button Standard Marker button Chapter Marker button 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.
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 Choose Edit > Paste (or press Command-V). The marker appears at the new location.
Create a chapter marker 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. To-Do Item button Standard Marker button Chapter Marker button The marker changes to an orange 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. Drag the pin left or right in the Timeline. Note: The chapter marker thumbnail image is the composited image from that location in the Timeline and includes titles and any other superimposed imagery.
•• To reduce the shake: Select the Stabilization checkbox. •• To reduce rolling shutter distortion: Select the Rolling Shutter checkbox. When you turn on Stabilization or Rolling Shutter, its checkbox turns blue. 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.
1 Select a clip in the Timeline, and open the Video inspector. 2 Do any of the following: •• To adjust left, right, up, and down movement of a shot (x and y axes): Drag the Translation Smooth slider. •• To adjust rotation around the center point of the image: Drag the Rotation Smooth slider. •• To adjust forward or backward camera or lens movement (z axis): Drag the Scale Smooth slider.
Edit audio 9 Audio overview Final Cut Pro has many features designed to make processing and editing audio easier. For example, you can use Final Cut Pro to analyze and automatically enhance audio to address problems such as noise or hum, add effects to your clips, synchronize video and audio clips automatically, and match audio between two clips.
Audio editing basics About 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 Audio portion of a video clip Audio-only clip An audio waveform’s amplitude and length change according to the underlying sound’s volume and duration.
About audio channels and audio components Audio files can contain a single audio channel or multiple audio channels. Channels usually correspond to microphone inputs during recording or to speakers for multichannel output. For example, a stereo audio file usually contains left and right channels that match what you hear from the left and right speakers during playback. Final Cut Pro automatically groups channels into audio components according to how the channels are configured for the clip.
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. Do one of the following: mm Select the clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Expand Audio Components (or press Option-Control-S). mm Double-click the audio portion of the clip in the Timeline while holding down the Option key.
Show expanded audio and video You can view audio and video separately in the same clip in the 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. 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. mm To expand a single clip: Double-click the audio waveform of the clip.
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. mm Select the clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Detach Audio. A new audio clip appears as a connected clip beneath the video clip. Detached audio To reattach an audio clip to its original video clip, you need to create a compound clip.
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.
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.
Reset and correct peak levels mm Select the clip in the Timeline, readjust the level, and play back the clip again to test for peaks. In the Timeline and Event Browser, the waveform section or sections of a clip turn yellow when a level is approaching peak levels or red when a level exceeds 0 dB. Solo and mute audio clips The solo feature temporarily disables audio playback of all clips in the Timeline except for selected ones.
Add audio Add music and sound You can add music and sound files directly to your project from your iTunes library or other sources. 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.
Record live audio 1 Position the playhead where you want to start recording in the Timeline. 2 Choose Window > Record Audio. Click the Record button to start or stop recording. 3 If necessary, adjust the input parameters by doing any of the following: •• To change where the recording is saved: Choose an Event folder from the Destination pop-up menu. •• To change the input device or number of input channels (mono or stereo): Choose an option from the Input Device pop-up menu.
Edit audio clips or audio components Audio editing overview You edit audio in Final Cut Pro 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.
Configure audio channels Final Cut Pro assigns a default channel configuration for audio clips when they are imported or added to a project. You can change the channel configuration if, for example, you want to convert a stereo dialogue clip to two mono channels. Final Cut Pro automatically groups channels into audio components according to how the channels are configured for the clip. For more information, see About audio channels and audio components on page 159.
Note: To change the channel configuration of a compound clip, first deselect Use Event Clip Layout from the Channels pop-up menu, and then choose another configuration. To reset a configuration, click the Reset button . View and listen to an audio component 1 Select the clip in the Timeline.
Rename a component Do one of the following: mm 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, and then double-click a component’s name and type a new name. Type a new audio component name in the field. mm 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.
Adjust volume You can adjust the volume levels of audio clips from the Event 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. To make more precise adjustments, you can create keyframes in the clip, and then make adjustments to points between keyframes. See Adjust audio effects using keyframes on page 192.
Adjust volume in the Audio inspector 1 Select one or more audio clips or video clips with audio in the Event 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. If multiple clips are selected, the volume for all clips is adjusted relative to each clip’s original volume.
Fade audio in or out There are several ways to create fade-ins or fade-outs to the audio portion of clips 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 on page 207.
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 Drag the end point of the first clip to the right and the start point of the second clip to the left so that the audio portions of the clips overlap. Note: Make sure to adjust the audio overlap to the length you want. 3 Drag the fade handles of each clip to the points where you want the fade to begin and end.
Change the fade shape when using fade handles mm 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.
Pan audio Panning audio lets you distribute sound across the stereo or surround spectrum to create balance or a special effect. For example, you can place more sound in the right channel of a 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.
3 If you want to adjust the pan amount, do one of the following: •• Type a value in the Pan Amount field. •• 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.
•• To make advanced adjustments: Click the Advanced disclosure triangle below the Surround Panner, and drag the sliders left or right for any of the following parameters: •• Original/Decoded: Adjusts the balance between the original and decoded signals. The slider can be adjusted from –100 (original signal only) to 100 (decoded center and surround signals only). At 0, the signal is balanced evenly between the original and decoded signals.
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 on page 76. 1 Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Expand Audio Components (or press Option-Control-S).
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. Note: To unmute (enable) the range, press the V key (or press Command-Z). •• To adjust the volume within the range: Drag the horizontal 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.
Example: Trim audio within an audio component 1 Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Expand Audio Components (or press Option-Control-S). Audio components 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.
Example: Make a roll edit to all audio components 1 Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Expand Audio Components (or press Option-Control-S). Audio components 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.
Example: Add or remove audio components in a multicam clip 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.
5 To reveal the audio components for the active angle, click the disclosure triangle next to the active angle’s source clip name. Click to reveal audio components for the active angle. 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 Option-Control-S.) Audio components added to the Timeline 7 To remove an audio component from the active angle, do one of the following: •• In the Angle Viewer: Hold down the Command and Option keys and click the angle (highlighted in green) whose audio you want to remove.
Add and adjust audio effects Add audio effects In addition to the built-in audio enhancement features of Final Cut Pro, you can take advantage of 64-bit OS X built-in and third-party Audio Units (AU) effects for your audio processing tasks. Final Cut Pro also comes with an extensive range of custom audio effects and professional Logic Effects, which are digital signal processing (DSP) effects and processors that are used to color or tonally shape existing audio recordings and audio sources—in real time.
Remove a clip effect After you apply an audio effect to a clip, you can remove the effect from the clip in the Audio inspector or the Audio Animation Editor. 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.
•• 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.
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. 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.
Edit and save custom 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.
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.
Add keyframes to a clip 1 Do one of the following: •• Select the clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A). •• Control-click the clip in the Timeline, and choose Show Audio Animation from the shortcut menu. If you’re adding keyframes for volume adjustment only, go to step 4. Each effect in the Audio Animation Editor has a separate area for adding keyframes.
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. Double diamonds indicate that you added a keyframe for more than one parameter at that point.
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. If an effect appears in the Audio Animation Editor with a disclosure button, you can use either the Select or Range Selection tool to add keyframes across a selected area. 1 Do one of the following: •• Select the clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A).
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 the Audio Animation Editor, drag a keyframe left or right. As you drag, the timecode value appears.
Adjust all keyframes at once in the Audio Animation Editor mm Hold down the Command and Option keys, and drag either a keyframe or the effect control up or down. All keyframes are adjusted by the same amount, preserving the original shape created by any keyframe adjustments. Before After 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.
Hide audio animation Do one of the following: mm Select the clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Hide Audio Animation (or press Control-A). mm Click the close button in the upper-left corner of the Audio Animation Editor. mm Control-click the clip in the Timeline, and choose Hide Audio Animation from the shortcut menu.
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. •• Choose Auto Enhance Audio from the Enhancements pop-up menu in the toolbar. •• Click the Auto Enhance button at the bottom of the Audio Enhancements inspector. 3 To close the Audio Enhancements inspector, click the back button .
3 To turn on an enhancement, click its icon or select its checkbox (when the enhancement is turned on, its checkbox is blue). Blue checkbox 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.
Sync audio and video automatically Final Cut Pro can automatically analyze and sync the audio and video clips in your project. For example, if you select two video clips and three separate audio clips from different sources that were all recorded during the same take, Final Cut Pro automatically analyzes and syncs the clips together into a new clip in the Event Browser. Final Cut Pro analyzes the clips for sync points such as markers you’ve added, timecode, file creation date, and audio content.
Match audio equalization settings The Match Audio function uses equalization (EQ) to let you match a selected clip’s sound to another clip. This is particularly useful when you have multiple audio clips recorded in different environments but want the clips to sound similar to each other. Match audio 1 Select the clip or clips you want changed in the Timeline. 2 Do one of the following: •• Choose Modify > Match Audio.
Add transitions, titles, effects, and generators 10 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 on page 205. •• Titles: Use to add text at any point in your project. See Titles overview on page 213.
Add and adjust transitions Transitions overview You can add cross dissolves and other transition effects between cuts to make your program more interesting. Transitions replace one shot with another over a specified period of time; when one shot ends, another one replaces it. Three very common video transitions occur over time: fades, cross dissolves, and wipes. You can add audio-only transitions to audio edits in a connected storyline. These transitions can be either a fade-in, fade-out, or crossfade.
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. Unused media from the end of each clip is added to fill out the transition. The total duration of your project is unchanged.
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.
Add or change a transition using the Transitions Browser 1 Click the Transitions button in the toolbar. 2 Select a transition. Move the pointer over the transition thumbnails to see an example of what the transition looks like. Additionally, you can type text in the search field to filter the list of transitions that 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.
Copy a transition to other edit points using the Edit menu 1 Select a transition in the Timeline, and choose Edit > Copy (or press Command-C). 2 Using the Select tool, click the edge of a clip (an edit point) in 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.
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. Additionally, you can only move the transition as long as sufficient media handles are available for the clip that is being extended.
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.
Adjust transitions with multiple images Several transitions include areas that are filled with still images from the clips on either side of the transition. For example, this is the Pan Far Right transition (one of the Bulletin Board transitions). This image is set by handle number 4 in the Timeline. The areas are numbered and correlate to numbered points around the transition in the Timeline. Adjust transitions with numbered points 1 Select the transition with numbered points in the Timeline.
Create specialized versions of transitions in Motion Many of the transitions were created using Motion, an Apple application designed to work with Final Cut Pro. You can open these transitions in Motion, make modifications, and save the changes as a new transition file that appears in the Transitions 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.
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. •• To add a lower-third title: Choose Edit > Connect Title > Basic Lower Third (or press Shift-Control-T).
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.
Adjust a title’s opacity If you’re placing a title over an existing clip, you can adjust the title’s transparency. 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. Opacity slider 3 In the Compositing section, adjust the opacity settings. 4 To edit text editing, press Command-Return. Note: You can also keyframe a title’s opacity setting.
Modify a title’s text style You can modify the text style for a title. 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 To modify another text object, select it in the Viewer. 3 Choose Window > Show Inspector (or press Command-4). 4 Adjust the available settings as needed. 5 To exit text editing, press Command-Return. Note: You can also keyframe many of the settings in both the Title and Text inspectors.
A ruler appears above the paragraph text object in the Viewer. Tabs in the ruler show how tabbed text will be aligned in the selected text. Left tab Center tab Decimal tab Right tab 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.
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 Do any of the following: •• To match how letters are capitalized in your search string: Select the “Match case” checkbox.
Resize, move, and rotate clips The Transform built-in effect allows you to resize, move, and rotate an image. This effect is commonly used on a clip placed over a primary storyline clip, which becomes the background of the resized clip. It is also often used to zoom in on a clip, allowing you to reframe a shot if needed. Adjust the Transform effect Controls in the Viewer and Video inspector allow you to adjust this effect. However, some controls are found in only one or the other.
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. Note: This control isn’t available in the onscreen controls.
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. Drag a handle in the middle of a side to change only one side. Drag a corner handle to change two sides at once.
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. Click Done to crop the image and expand it to full size. Drag a corner handle to change the crop window’s size (but not its aspect ratio). Drag anywhere inside the image to position the crop window.
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. The Ken Burns effect is actually a Crop effect with two crop settings, one at the clip start and another at its end. Adjust the Ken Burns effect 1 Select a clip in the Timeline. 2 To access the Ken Burns controls, do one of the following: •• Choose Crop from the pop-up menu in the lower-left corner of the Viewer (or press Shift-C).
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 on page 226. 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.
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 on page 226. Work with built-in effects Following are ways you can work with built-in effects. Turn off or reset the effect 1 Select the clip with the effect in the Timeline.
•• To turn off the effect in the Video Animation Editor: Open the Video Animation Editor by choosing Clip > Show Video Animation (or pressing Control-V), and click the checkbox next to the effect you want to turn off. Click an effect’s checkbox to turn the effect on or off. 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.
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. Click Done when you are finished creating the animation. Click the Left Arrow button to jump back to the first keyframe. The red line shows the path of the image’s center. 8 To finish, click Done in the upper-right corner of the Viewer.
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 upper-left 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.
Composite effects over a background Often, Transform, Trim, and Distort effects result in the image being less than full size, with the empty areas filled with black. You can replace the black with a background by placing the transformed clip over a background clip, known as compositing. Do one of the following: mm Add a clip to the Timeline as a connected clip and then add the effect to that clip. This places the clip above the primary storyline clip, which automatically becomes the effect’s background.
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. There is also an effect for keying one video clip over another.
Adjust effects in Final Cut Pro Most effects have one or more parameters that you can adjust using the Video inspector or Audio inspector, the Viewer, or the Video Animation Editor or Audio Animation Editor. You can also control how the effect is applied to the clip, either gradually or constantly. Adjust an effect in the Video inspector and Viewer 1 In the Timeline, select the clip with the effect you want to adjust. 2 Locate the effect in the Video inspector or Audio inspector.
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. Effects that have more than one adjustable attribute also have a pop-up menu for you to choose the attribute to show and adjust. Click to turn the effect on and off. Choose a specific effect adjustment from this pop-up menu. Double-click effects with this icon to vertically expand them.
Show the audio effects applied to a clip 1 Select the clip with the audio effect in the Timeline. 2 Choose Clip > Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A). 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. Change clip effect order You can apply multiple clip effects to a Timeline clip. The order that you apply them can affect the final output.
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.
3 Do either of the following: •• To apply all video or all audio attributes from the source clip: Select the Video Attributes or Audio Attributes checkbox. •• To apply individual attributes: Select the checkbox or checkboxes for each attribute you want to apply. 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.
Remove an effect from a clip 1 Select the clip with the effect in the Timeline. 2 Do one of the following: •• Choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V) to see video effects or choose Clip > Show Audio Animation to see audio effects, select the effect, and press Delete. •• Select the effect in the Video inspector or Audio inspector, and press Delete.
•• Shape clip: You can choose from a wide variety of shapes for adding graphical elements to your project. See Use a shape on page 239. •• General-purpose background clip: Final Cut Pro includes a variety of still and animated backgrounds over which you can superimpose titles or keying effects. See Use a background on page 240. All of the generators are added as clips to the project, using their default duration.
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 Open the Generators Browser by clicking the Generators button in the toolbar. 2 Drag the Timecode generator above the primary storyline.
5 To change the shape’s size, position, and rotation, use the Transform or Distort built-in effect. Use the Transform effect to change the size, position, and rotation of the shape. 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.
Create specialized versions of the generators in Motion 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.
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.
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. Keep the following in mind while going through these examples: •• These examples assume you are familiar with applying clip effects to clips in the Timeline.
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 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.
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 either of the following: •• To position the effect: Drag the center circle. •• To set the effect’s direction: Drag the rotation handle. Drag the center circle to set the effect’s start position. Drag this handle to rotate the effect’s direction.
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. Drag this center circle to set the transition’s position.
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. In Final Cut Pro, you use keyframes and fade handles in the Video Animation Editor to change effects over time.
Add keyframes 1 Do one of the following: •• Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V). •• Control-click a clip in the Timeline, and choose Show Video Animation from the shortcut menu. Each effect in the Video 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.
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. Double diamonds •• In the Video 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).
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. 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. 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 the Video Animation Editor, drag a keyframe left or right. As you drag, the timecode value appears. Drag the keyframe left or right.
Tip: To adjust values with greater precision, hold down the Command key while dragging the keyframe up or down. Drag the keyframe up or down. 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.
View only one effect at a time in the Video 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 Shift-Control-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.
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. Fade-in Fade-out Change an effect using keyframes mm Click the disclosure button to expand the effect in the Video Animation Editor, and do either of the following: Disclosure button Note: If an effect doesn’t have a disclosure button, you can’t move keyframes up or down.
Tip: To adjust values with greater precision, hold down the Command key while dragging the keyframe up or down. Drag the keyframe up or down. Change the curve shape (interpolation) between keyframes Do one of the following: mm Drag the line horizontally between the keyframes to create a curve. To adjust the curve with greater precision, hold down the Command key while dragging. mm Control-click the line between keyframes, and choose a curve option from the shortcut menu.
Adjust all keyframes on a curve mm Hold down the Command and Option keys, and drag either a keyframe or the curve up or down. All keyframes are adjusted by the same amount, preserving the original shape of the curve.
Advanced editing 11 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 Event 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.
The following diagram shows how a project in the Timeline could be simplified using compound clips: Selected clips in the Timeline New compound clip Compound clips have the following characteristics: •• You create compound clips in the Event Browser or in the Timeline. •• Every compound clip in the Timeline has a “parent” compound clip in the Event Browser.
Create and break apart compound clips You can create a compound clip from existing clips in the Timeline or the Event Browser, or you can create a new, empty compound clip in the Event 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 Event Browser.
The way clips are grouped within the compound clip depends on where you selected the clips: •• 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 Event Browser, see “Create an empty compound clip,” below.
•• If you selected clips in the Timeline: Final Cut Pro places the 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. Selected clips in the Timeline New compound clip Compound clip contents Create an independent compound clip from an existing compound clip 1 Select a compound clip in the Timeline. 2 Choose Clip > Reference New Parent Clip.
Create an empty compound clip You can create new, empty compound clips and then add clips to them. Each compound clip can be considered a mini project, with its own distinct project properties. 1 In the Event Library, select an event to which you want to add the compound clip. 2 Choose File > New Compound Clip. In the window that appears, type a name for the compound clip in the Name field. 3 Click Use Custom Settings to further customize settings for your compound clip.
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.
Navigate compound clip levels using menu commands and keyboard shortcuts You can navigate up or down one or more levels of a compound clip. mm To move forward (down one level): Choose View > Timeline History Forward, or press Command–Right Bracket (]). mm To move back (up one level): Choose View > Timeline History Back, or press Command–Left Bracket ([). Navigate compound clip levels using the arrow buttons Do one of the following: mm Click the left and right arrows in the upper-left corner of the Timeline.
To have the new clip material appear in your project, do one of the following to make room for the new material: mm 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. mm 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 on page 123.
You edit storylines using the same methods you use to edit the primary storyline. You can: •• Add clips: Drag clips to the storyline to add them, or use the standard append, insert, replace, and overwrite commands. •• Add transitions, titles, effects, and generators: Add effects to a storyline by dragging them or by using any of the standard commands and keyboard shortcuts. Note: When you apply a transition to a clip connected to the primary storyline, a storyline is automatically created for that clip.
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: Hold down the G key as you drag a clip to a connected clip. 3 To convert a storyline back to its component clips, do one of the following: •• Select the storyline (by clicking the gray border), and choose Clip > Break Apart Clip Items (or press Command-Shift-G). •• Drag the storyline into the primary storyline.
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. You can trim or extend the end of one clip and the beginning of the next, either separately or together. As you make changes, you can instantly see how your edits affect the cut or transition from one clip to the next.
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. Drag the edit line handle left or right. Moving the entire edit line performs a roll edit. •• Drag the end point of the outgoing clip or the start point of 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.
•• Skim over and click the outgoing clip or the incoming clip at any point. Click either clip at any point. The clip’s edit point is adjusted to the frame you click. This is the equivalent of a ripple edit. The clip’s edit point moves to the frame you click. 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.
Create split edits 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, can be used in many different situations—in dialogue scenes, when cutting to illustrative B-roll footage during an interview, or when transitioning from one scene to another. You can use a split edit to introduce the sound of a new shot or scene before cutting to the video of that shot or scene.
3 Drag the start point (left edge) of the video portion of the clip to the right, effectively trimming it with a ripple edit. The example below shows the video start point of the close-up of the man being dragged to the right. This creates a J-shaped split edit, with the start point of the audio overlapping the preceding clip.
5 If you want to turn off the separate audio view to “clean up” the affected clips, do one of the following: •• 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.
3 Move the playhead to the edit point between the two clips. Playhead at edit point 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 Shift-Backslash (\).
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 on page 144. Shifted edit point Original edit point 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.
Basic three-point editing has three stages: Stage 1: Set source selection edit points in the Event 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 Event 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.
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 Event Browser and the Timeline. For more information, see Three-point editing overview on page 275. Here are a few examples of ways to make three-point edits.
Example: Make a backtimed three-point edit You can make a three-point edit by defining source selection start and end points in the Event Browser and a destination end point (instead of a destination start point) in the Timeline. This is called 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.
Example: Make a three-point edit with multiple clips You can make three-point edits with multiple clips at a time. 1 In the Event Browser, select two or more clips. (Don’t select a range within a single clip.) For information about selecting multiple clips, see Select one or more clips on page 91. Three clips are selected to be placed in the storyline. No range selection is set.
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. For more information about range selections, see Select a range on page 93. Example: Make a two-point edit You can make an edit without any selections in either the Event Browser or the Timeline. This is known as a two-point edit.
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. Auditions appear in the Event Browser and Timeline as clips with an Audition icon in the upper-left corner.
Create auditions to try out clips You can create auditions in the Event 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).
An audition is created containing the selected clip and a duplicate version with effects and attributes copied from the 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: mm Choose Clip > Audition > Open (or press Y). mm Click the Audition icon. Audition icon The Audition window appears, and you can preview your clips to choose a pick.
Add new clips to an audition in the Timeline mm To add a new clip to an audition and maintain the current clip in the Timeline as the pick: Drag a clip from the Event Browser to the audition in the Timeline, and choose Add to Audition from the shortcut menu. mm To add a new clip to an audition and make the clip you’re adding the pick: Drag a clip from the Event Browser to the audition in the Timeline, and choose Replace and Add to Audition from the shortcut menu.
Review clips within an audition in the Timeline 1 In the Timeline, select the audition containing the clips you want to review, and open it by choosing Clip > Audition > Open (or pressing Y). The clip under the spotlight in the center of the window is the pick. 2 In the Audition window, select the pick and press the Space bar (or press Command-Control-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).
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 Shift-Option-Y). The audition is dissolved, leaving the pick in the Timeline. The clip selected as the pick retains any keywords or markers assigned to the 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. Click an alternate clip to play it in the Viewer. 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.
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. They are not applied to that clip’s source media file on disk. To create a media file with the applied speed effects, export the clip as a QuickTime movie. For more information, see Share projects, clips, and ranges on page 378.
1 In the Timeline, select a range, a whole clip, or a group of clips 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 custom speed setting: Choose Show Retime Editor from the Retime pop-up menu (or press Command-R) to display the Retime Editor above the selection in the Timeline, and drag the retiming handle.
Apply a variable speed change To alter the speed of a clip over time, in forward or reverse motion, you can apply a variable speed change (also called speed ramping). Variable speed changes create sophisticated effects in which subjects appear to smoothly shift across a variety of different speeds, with gradual or abrupt transitions between each speed segment. These types of effects can be seen in many music videos and broadcast commercials, and the effects can be created directly in the Timeline.
Change the end frame of a speed segment You can change the end frame of a speed segment in the Timeline. When you drag the retiming handle of a speed segment, you’re adjusting the speed of the segment, not trimming it. The Change End Source Frame command allows you to trim the end point (end frame) of a segment. 1 In the Timeline, select a clip that has speed segments.
Smooth out a slow-motion clip with video quality presets To smooth out the apparent motion of a clip playing back in slow motion, you can apply frame blending or optical flow analysis to the retimed clip. 1 In the Timeline, select a range, a whole clip, or a group of clips whose video quality you want to change. 2 Choose a Video Quality setting from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar. •• Normal: The default setting. Frames are duplicated, and no frame blending is applied to the slow-motion clip.
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. Drag the retiming handle to change the speed of the reversed clip. Reversed segment 4 To see the reverse effect, play back the reversed clip or selection. Rewind a range selection or clip 1 In the Timeline, select a range, a whole clip, or a group of clips whose contents you want to rewind.
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.
Create a still-image hold segment 1 In the Timeline, do one of the following: •• Select the clip with the frame you want to hold, and move the skimmer or playhead to that frame. •• Select a range within a clip in the Timeline. 2 Choose Hold from the Retime pop-up menu in the toolbar (or press Shift-H). If you selected a clip, a 2-second hold segment is added to the clip at the position of the skimmer or the playhead. If you selected a range, a hold segment is created for the duration of the range.
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. When you add the first video clip to your project, Final Cut Pro automatically sets the format, frame size, and frame rate for the entire project based on the properties of that first clip (or, more precisely, on the properties of the clip’s source media file).
4 Choose a method of conforming frame size from the Type pop-up menu in the Spatial Conform section of the Video 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.
•• 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.
Adjust anamorphic footage Some video camcorders and recording devices shoot at a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio but record the data using a 4:3 aspect ratio. Sometimes the metadata tag specifying 16:9 playback in the video file is missing or set incorrectly. In Final Cut Pro, you can set this tag so that the video plays correctly with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio. Note: This option applies only to (and appears only with) standard-definition (SD) formats.
View and reassign roles You can view and change the roles that are assigned to clips in the Event 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). Still images are assigned the Video role by default, but you can create a custom (still image) role and assign it to your still images.
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 Command-Shift-2). 2 To open the Clips pane, click the Clips button at the top of the Timeline Index.
View and reassign roles with the Modify menu 1 Select one or more clips in the Event 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 Option-Control-S). Audio components 2 Select an audio component.
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 on page 257.
3 Type a name for the new role. Once you have created a new role, it appears in the roles list so 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.
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. Subroles 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.
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. Active roles Clips assigned an active role appear in color. Clips assigned an inactive role appear in 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.
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.
Import XML into Final Cut Pro You can generate XML files with other applications and then import them into Final Cut Pro. When you import XML into Final Cut Pro, clips, events, and projects are automatically generated in Final Cut Pro. 1 In Final Cut Pro, choose File > Import > XML. 2 Navigate to the XML file you want to import, and click Import. Final Cut Pro processes the XML and generates clips, events, and projects in the Event Library and the Project Library.
Multicam clips have the following characteristics: •• You create multicam clips in the Event Browser only, from existing event clips. •• You edit and adjust multicam clips in the Angle Editor, which looks similar to the Timeline. •• When you add a multicam clip to the Timeline, you create a direct and active relationship between the “parent” multicam clip in the Event Browser and the “child” multicam clip in the Timeline.
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. Create multicam clips You create multicam clips from selected event clips (similar to the way you create auditions and compound clips in the Event Browser).
Name your camera The following instructions cover how to add the Camera Name property when you import media from a connected file-based device. You can also add the Camera Name property at a later time. 1 Connect your camera or recording device to your computer. 2 In Final Cut Pro, choose File > Import > Media (or press Command-I). 3 In the Media Import window, select your camcorder or recording device from the list of devices on the left, if it’s not already selected. 4 Click it again, and enter a name.
Create multicam clips in the Event Browser Creating multicam clips is similar to creating auditions and compound clips in the Event Browser. Multicam clips can be made up of diverse media sources (different formats, frame rates, and so on). You can have multiple clips in any given angle of a multicam clip. You can have Final Cut Pro create multicam clips for you automatically, or you can create the clips manually.
6 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. Multicam clip icon Create a multicam clip with custom settings 1 In the Event Browser, select the clips you want to include in the 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.
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. If there is more than one clip per angle, Final Cut Pro inserts gap clips between the clips, as needed, to achieve the correct timing and spacing. •• Timecode: Final Cut Pro orders the clips within each angle using timecode recorded in the clips. If you recorded timecode in your clips, choose this option.
•• Start of First Clip: Final Cut Pro uses the first frame in each angle as the sync point. 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 Event 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.
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. Multicam clip icon 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.
2 Use the skimmer or the playhead to play back a multicam clip in the Event Browser or the Timeline. The Angle Viewer appears in the upper part of the Final Cut Pro window. Play back a multicam clip in the Event Browser or the Timeline. Active angle The multicam clip’s angles appear in the Angle Viewer. 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.
4 In the Angle Viewer, move the pointer over the angle that you want to switch to. As you move the pointer over the angles in the Angle Viewer, the pointer changes to the Blade tool, indicating that a cut (and switch) will occur when you click. The active angle is highlighted. The pointer changes to the Blade tool. 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.
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 Command-Shift-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.
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. Switch Video Only button Switch Audio Only button The active video angle is highlighted in blue. The active audio angle is highlighted in green. The bank switcher shows the active angles.
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. Settings pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Angle Viewer 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.
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. Angle name Timecode 1 To open the Angle Viewer, choose Window > Viewer Display > Show Angles (or press Command-Shift-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 upper-right corner of the Angle Viewer.
mm To adjust the size of the Angle Viewer and the main Viewer: Drag the boundary between them. Drag the boundary to the right. Drag the boundary to the left. mm 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.) Drag the boundary to the left. Chapter 11 Advanced editing Drag the toolbar down.
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 Event 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.
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).
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.) Audio monitoring on Audio monitoring off The monitoring settings do not affect any of your active angles.
4 Drag the clips left or right in the rows of the Angle Editor so that the sync points align vertically. Sync point Drag the clip to align the sync points. Sync point 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. To select all clips in an angle, choose Select Clips in Angle from the pop-up menu.
You can then drag the clips left or right to move them all by the same amount. When all clips in the angle are selected, you can drag them all at once. Automatically adjust the synchronization of a multicam clip The instructions below describe two automatic methods for synchronizing angles in a multicam clip. 1 To open the Angle Editor, do one of the following: •• Double-click a multicam clip in the Event Browser.
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. Note: If you’ve already started a multicam edit on a multicam clip in the Timeline, changing the angle order does not affect which angle is chosen for each cut and switch edit. 1 To open the Angle Editor, do one of the following: •• Double-click a multicam clip in the Event Browser.
Edit multicam clips in the Timeline and the Inspector You can switch multicam clip angles directly in the Timeline or the Info Inspector, without having to open the Angle Viewer. Multicam clips generally function in the Timeline like any standard clips. You can add video and audio effects, transitions, and markers; attach connected clips; and apply retiming effects. You can apply split edits to multicam clips and edit them in the Precision Editor.
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. Black dotted lines indicate that different angles from the same multicam clip are on either side of the edit point. A white dotted line indicates that the same angle is on either side of the edit point.
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 In the Info inspector, do one of the following: •• To switch the video angle: In the Active Video Angle pop-up menu, choose the angle you want to switch to. •• To switch the audio angle: In the Active Audio Angle pop-up menu, choose the angle you want to switch to.
•• •• If performance becomes an issue while you’re working on a multicam project, do any of the following: •• Set Final Cut Pro to use proxy playback by selecting “Use proxy media” in Playback preferences. Proxy playback allows you to play back more angles at a time. To use proxy playback, you must have proxy versions of your media available, or you must create proxy versions. For more information about creating proxy versions, see Transcode media files on page 397.
Keying and compositing 12 Keying Keying overview There are times when you need to combine two clips to create an image with bits of both. A common way to combine two clips is to use a keying process, where the video of the top, or foreground, clip is processed to eliminate either a color or luma value in areas of the video and then is combined with the bottom, or background, clip.
For the following examples, this woman will be keyed over a street scene. The light stands will be handled in Finalize the key on page 348. Apply the chroma key effect 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.
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. If the resulting key is not right or you would like to improve it, you can adjust the chroma key effect.
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.
4 To help fine-tune the key, use the View options: Composite (foreground combined with background) Original (unprocessed foreground) The name of the currently selected View button Matte (foreground-based alpha signal created by the keyer) •• Composite: Shows the final composited image, with the keyed foreground subject over the background clip. This is the default view. •• Matte: Shows the grayscale matte, or alpha channel, that’s being generated by the keying operation.
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.
•• Manual: Select to use the Chroma and Luma controls to 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.
•• Luma Rolloff: Use this slider to adjust the linearity of the luma rolloff slope (the ends of the bell-shaped luma curve displayed in the Luma control). Luma rolloff modifies the softness of the matte around the edges of regions that are affected most by the Luma control. Lowering this value makes the slope between the upper and lower handles in the Luma control more linear, which increases edge softness in the matte.
•• Spill Contrast: Use this grayscale gradient to adjust the contrast of the color being suppressed, using Black and White point handles (and corresponding sliders). Modifying spill contrast can reduce the gray fringing surrounding a foreground subject. The Black point handle (on the left side of the gradient control) lightens edge fringing that is too dark for a successful composite. The White point handle (on the right side of the gradient control) darkens edge fringing that is too light.
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 Use Sample Color and Edges (described above) to create a good chroma key.
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 Event 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).
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 To reverse the key and remove white instead of black areas of the foreground clip, select Invert. 4 To adjust the white and black clip values, drag the handles at either end of the gradient thumbnail image.
7 To leave smoothly aliased text or graphics in the image visually intact, which can improve the edges, select Preserve RGB. 8 To mix the keyed effect with the unkeyed effect, adjust the Mix control. For information about making advanced luma key adjustments, see the following instructions.
•• 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.
•• Screen: Superimposes lighter portions of the background layer over wrapped areas of the keyed foreground layer. Good for creating an aggressive light wrap effect. •• Overlay: Combines the background layer with the wrapped areas of the keyed foreground layer so 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.
3 Select the foreground clip. In the above example, the light stands need to be removed. 4 Click the Effects button in the toolbar. 5 In the Effects Browser, double-click the Mask effect to apply it to the selected foreground clip. Tip: Type “mask” in the Effects Browser’s search field to quickly find the mask effect.
6 Adjust the four corners 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.
•• Alpha channels: Many computer-generated video clips have an alpha channel—a built-in mask—that defines precisely the areas of the clip that are composited over a background clip. These require no key setup and generally just automatically work. Many effects, such as Transform and Distort; generators, such as Shapes and Timecode; and titles use alpha channels. •• Compositing: Each video clip in the Timeline has a set of Compositing settings.
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 Select the clip that has an alpha channel in the Event 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 above the primary storyline.
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 Event Browser, and choose Edit > Connect to Primary Storyline (or press Q).
Color correction 13 Color correction overview In any post-production workflow, color correction is generally one of the last steps in finishing an edited program.
Analyze and balance color automatically Color balance overview Final Cut Pro includes an automatic color-balancing feature. When you use the color-balancing feature, Final Cut Pro samples the darkest and lightest areas of the image’s luma channel and adjusts the shadows and highlights in the image to neutralize any color casts. In addition, Final Cut Pro adjusts the image to maximize image contrast, so that the shot occupies the widest available luma range.
Analyze color balance for clips dragged to the Timeline from the Finder 1 Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences, or press Command-Comma (,). 2 In the Final Cut Pro Preferences window, click the Import 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.
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 Do one of the following: •• Choose Modify > Match Color (or press Command-Option-M). •• Choose Match Color from the Enhancements pop-up menu in the toolbar.
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 In the Timeline, select a clip with match color corrections applied. 2 Click the Color Match checkbox in the Color section of the Video inspector.
•• Click the upper-left corner of a clip in the Timeline and choose Color Adjustment from the pop-up menu. Click to return to the Video inspector. Choose the correction to work with. Click the Reset button to remove the adjustments in this pane. Drag the controls to change the values. Use value sliders to change the values. Use the Action pop-up menu to create or choose a color correction preset.
5 To adjust the clip’s luma level, click Exposure (or press Command-Control-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. •• To adjust exposure in the brighter areas of the image: Drag the Highlights control.
Add a color mask to a color correction 1 In the Timeline, select a clip with a color that you want to mute or enhance. 2 Click the Add Color Mask button in the Color section of the Video inspector. Click here to add a color mask. The Color Mask section appears. When the button is highlighted, use the eyedropper to select the mask color in the Viewer.
6 To adjust the color correction settings for this color mask, click the Color Board button in the Video inspector. (After you make any Color Board adjustments, the button color changes.) 7 Do one of the following: •• To apply a color correction to the selected color: Click Inside Mask. •• To apply a color correction to everything except the selected color: Click Outside Mask.
3 To adjust the default shape that appears in the Viewer, do any of the following: Drag this handle to make the shape rectangular. Drag the outer edge to control the softness. Drag the center circle to move the shape. Drag this handle to rotate the shape. Drag any of these handles to change the shape’s width or height. •• 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.
Delete a shape mask 1 In the Video inspector, select the Shape Mask item you want to delete. Select a Shape Mask item and press Delete. 2 Press Delete. Note: If you delete all shape masks in the correction, the Inside Mask corrections are applied to the whole image. Animate a shape mask You can use keyframes to animate a shape mask so that it follows the movement of an onscreen object. 1 To add a shape mask, follow the instructions in “Add a shape mask,” above.
5 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. 6 To reposition the shape mask throughout the clip, continue adding keyframes until you’ve defined the shape movement you want. When you’ve added all the keyframes, you can play the clip to see the shape mask move between them. For more information about working with keyframes, see Video animation overview on page 247.
Apply multiple color corrections You can apply multiple color corrections to a clip to target specific issues. For example, you could have one color correction that mutes a bright orange shirt and a second one that enhances the green in the lawn. Color masks are created based on the original colors in the clip. For example, if the first color correction removes all chroma from the clip, the second color correction can still create a color mask based on a color originally in the clip.
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 two main characters, you can use a transition to dissolve between the normal clip and the clip with shape masks and a color correction applied that darkens the image outside of the masks.
Turn iMovie adjustments on or off When editing a project in iMovie, you can adjust several video attributes, such as exposure, brightness, and saturation, in the Project Browser. If you import an iMovie project that has these adjustments into Final Cut Pro, the adjustments are retained and appear in the Color area of the Video inspector as an iMovie item. Although you cannot modify the adjustments added in iMovie, you can choose whether they are applied to the clip or not.
Measure video levels Video scopes overview Broadcast facilities have limits on the maximum values of luma and chroma that are allowable for broadcast. If a video program exceeds these limits, distortion can appear in the form of colors bleeding into one another, the whites and blacks of your program washing out, or the picture signal bleeding into the audio signal and causing audible distortion. In all these cases, exceeding standard signal levels can result in unacceptable transmission quality.
2 Choose the scope to display from the top section of the Settings pop-up menu. Choose the scope you want to use from the Settings pop-up menu. Viewer Options pop-up menu 3 After you choose a scope, choose the display options from the bottom section of the Settings pop-up menu. Note: You may find it convenient to display scopes below the video image in the Event Viewer. To do so, choose Vertical Layout from the Settings pop-up menu in the Event Viewer.
The Settings pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Waveform Monitor provides a variety of display options: •• RGB Parade: Presents three side-by-side waveform displays that display your video as three separate red, green, and blue components. The waveforms are tinted red, green, and blue so that you can easily identify them. The RGB Parade view is useful for comparing the relative levels of red, green, and blue between two clips.
•• 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.
Vectorscope display options The Vectorscope shows the distribution of color in your image on 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.
Histogram display options The Histogram provides a statistical analysis of the image by calculating the total number of pixels of each color or luma level and creating a graph that shows the number of pixels at each 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.
•• •• 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.
14 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. Each of these options uses a different destination.
You can easily replace the default set of destinations with your own customized destinations. You modify existing destinations and create new destinations using the Destinations pane of Final Cut Pro preferences. You can also create a bundle of destinations to export several types of output at once. For more information, see Work with destinations on page 427. To further customize your output, you can use Compressor, the professional transcoding application.
3 In the Share window that appears, do any of the following: Move the pointer over the image to skim the video. Project attributes File information •• 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. 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.
4 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 on page 422. 5 Click Share or Next. The button you see changes depending on the destination you chose.
•• 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 selection 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.
6 Click Next, enter a name for the file, choose a location to save it, 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 the transcode is complete, the transcoded file is either opened by the application specified in the “Open with” pop-up menu in the Settings pane or saved to the location you chose. You can view and locate shared projects in the Sharing inspector.
Modify share attributes Share attributes are project and clip metadata that is included with exported files. You can view and modify share attributes in the Share inspector. Attribute fields 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.
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. Attribute fields Modify the attribute fields that are displayed in the Share inspector 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. Click to view options for customizing 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. Fields that are shown in the Share inspector have a checkmark. •• •• 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.
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 add text: Type a word or phrase in the Format field at the top of the window. •• 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.
Status of shared projects Shared project status overview When you publish or share your project using any of the share options, a Share icon appears in the Timeline and the Project Library to indicate that the project has been published. Share icon Share icon You can click the Share icon in the Project Library to open the Sharing inspector.
Visit, announce, and view the location of shared projects You can use options in the Sharing inspector to open a project shared to a web destination, or send an email to announce the project. You can also locate a shared project file in the Finder. Click to open the shared item’s pop-up menu. Open the Sharing inspector mm Click the project’s Share icon in the Project Library. Share icon View the project at its shared location mm In the Sharing inspector, choose Visit from the shared item’s pop-up menu.
Remove shared projects You may find that you need to remove a shared project from its website or other final destination. In some cases Final Cut Pro may be able to remove it for you; in other cases you will have to manually remove it. In both cases, the project needs to be updated so that it no longer indicates that it was shared to that destination. Remove your movie from its destination 1 Open the Sharing inspector by clicking the project’s Share icon in the Project Library.
Manage media files 15 Media management overview In general, any task that relates to processing your media is considered to be media management. Media management includes: •• Importing media from cameras, an external storage disk, or another device. See Importing overview on page 19. •• Transcoding your source media files to optimized or proxy formats that are high quality and easy to work with. See Transcode media files on page 397. •• Backing up, consolidating, and moving projects.
When you create a new event on your local system, a folder is created for the event: /Users/username/Movies/Final Cut Events/eventname/ The [event name] folder can contain one or more of the following items. The contents of these folders depend on the options you selected during import or in the Import preferences. These files are used and managed by Final Cut Pro, and thus should not be moved, modified, or deleted. •• Event file: Final Cut Pro event files have the name CurrentVersion.fcpevent.
•• Old Versions: If you update existing projects to open them with a newer version of the application, Final Cut Pro first saves copies of the original projects in this folder. •• Backups: This folder contains a single backup copy of each project. This is a copy of CurrentVersion.fcpproject (the project file) only, not any media files. Final Cut Pro updates the backup copy in 15-minute intervals (if it detects a change in the project).
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 want to manually relink clips to media files. One common scenario is that the media files were altered or re-created outside of your copy of Final Cut Pro.
3 If you want to show all items in the selection, select All. 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 file you chose and relinks all matching files in the relative path.
3 If you want to show all items in the selection, select All. 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 file you chose and relinks all matching files in the relative path.
•• Create proxy media: This option creates video and still-image proxy files. Video is transcoded to the Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) codec format, which provides high-quality files useful for offline editing at the original frame size, frame rate, and aspect ratio. Final Cut Pro creates mediumquality (one-half resolution) proxy versions that increase editing performance.
Transcode clips after import 1 Control-click one or more clips in the Event Browser and choose Transcode Media from the shortcut menu. 2 In the window that appears, select the “Create optimized media” checkbox, the “Create proxy media” checkbox, or both, and click OK. Note: If the original camera format can be edited with good performance, the “Create optimized media” option will be dimmed. The transcoding process may take a while, depending on the options you chose in this step.
You can create a proxy file for a clip by doing the following: 1 Select a clip in the Event 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 Choose Show File Status from the Action pop-up menu . 4 Click the Generate Proxy button in the Available Media Representations section of the file status area.
View tasks that are running in the background 1 Do one of the following: •• Choose Window > Background Tasks (or press Command-9). •• In the toolbar, click the Background Tasks button. 2 To view the tasks that are running in each section, click a disclosure triangle. Pause or resume a task in the Background Tasks window mm Click the Pause button or Resume button . Cancel a task in the Background Tasks window mm Click the Cancel button .
Manage your events and project files Before you move or copy events and projects If you want to edit a project on a different computer, or back up a project or events to an external storage device, you can either move or copy it. Before you move or copy a project, it’s a good idea to consolidate its media and back it up. By default, media files that are imported into Final Cut Pro are not moved from their original location.
•• New Event Name field: If you select Copy Used Clips Only, you can create a new event to hold the consolidated media. If you don’t specify a new event name, the event will be given the project name. 4 Click OK. Final Cut Pro consolidates the media using the method you selected. The event or events appear on the same hard disk as the project. You can also use the Organize Event Files command to copy all external media files used by an event to its event folder.
•• Duplicate Project and Referenced Events: Duplicates the project and any events referred to by the project. Selecting this option includes all of the media in the referenced events. This is a good option to select if you want to have the unused media available to use later. •• Duplicate Project + Used Clips: Duplicates the project and clips used in the project.
6 Click OK. Final Cut Pro duplicates the project using the option you specified. The project is given an incremented name (for example, “Bill’s movie1”), and the project appears in the location you specified. In most situations, viewing your backup projects and events is as simple as connecting your storage device to Final Cut Pro and locating your backup project or event in the Project Library. For more information about locating or viewing your project, see Common media management issues on page 416.
Edit your project on a different computer If you find yourself in a situation where you need to work on your project and media files on a different computer, you have a variety of options: •• Move the project: You can delete the project from its current location and put it in a new location. When you move a project, you can move all of the events used in the project, all of the clips used in the project, or just the project.
6 Quit Final Cut Pro, and disconnect the storage device from your computer. WARNING: Do not disconnect a device when Final Cut Pro is using it. 7 Connect the storage device to the computer to which you want to move your project, and verify that the device appears in the Finder. 8 Open Final Cut Pro, and then open the Project Library. The project you moved appears in the Project Library, listed under the connected storage device.
5 In the window that appears, do the following: a Choose your external storage device from the Location pop-up menu. b Select Duplicate Project + Used Clips Only. Selecting this option copies the project file and the media files used by the project file. For more information about the options in this window, see Organize projects in the Project Library on page 86. c Type a descriptive name in the New Event Name field.
10 In the window that appears, do the following: a Choose the new computer from the Location pop-up menu. b Select “Duplicate Project and Referenced Events.” c Click OK. The project appears under the the startup disk (home icon) in the Project Library, and the event that contains the project’s media appears under the startup disk (home icon) in the Event Library. You can now locate your project in the Project Library and begin editing.
Use SAN locations for events and projects You can store your events and projects on a storage area network (SAN). These network storage locations give you more options for storing your media and streamlining your workflow over a high-speed local network. Although you can access SAN locations from different computers on a network, only one installed copy of Final Cut Pro can use a SAN location at a time.
Create and manage camera archives You can make a camera archive (backup copy) of the contents of your camera or camcorder. (Note that you cannot make an archive from a live video signal, such as the signal produced by an iSight camera.) 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.
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. Playback controls The media on the device appears here. Change the way clips appear using these controls. 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.
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. 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.
Move or copy a camera archive 1 In the Finder, select the camera archive that you want to move or copy. 2 Do one of the following: •• To move the camera archive on your local disk: Drag the camera archive to a new location. •• To copy the camera archive on your local disk: Hold down the Option key and drag the camera archive to a new location on your local disk. •• To copy the camera archive to an external storage device: Drag the camera archive to a location on the external storage device.
Icon Alert Description Missing event The Event folder is not available. Final Cut Pro events and clips You may see this alert if you moved the event to the Trash, moved the event to another location, moved a project to another location, or consolidated a different project’s media. Missing Clip A clip used in a Final Cut Pro project or in an event is not available.
Common media management issues This section describes common media management issues and solutions. If you don’t see a project on an external storage device mm Make sure the Final Cut Projects folder and the Final Cut Events folder are at the root level of the storage device. mm If the storage device still does not appear in the Project Library device list, you can manually copy or move the Final Cut Projects folder and the Final Cut Events folder to the Movies folder.
Preferences and metadata 16 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.
Editing preferences Editing preferences affect editing behaviors 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.
Still Images •• Editing duration is x seconds: Use this value slider to set the default editing duration of stillimage and freeze-frame clips in seconds. Transitions •• Duration is x seconds: Use this value slider to set the default duration of transitions in seconds. Dialog Warnings •• Reset All: Click this button to reset all warning dialogs. Playback preferences Playback preferences affect playback and rendering performance in Final Cut Pro.
•• Warn when dropping frames during playback: Select this checkbox to have Final Cut Pro warn you when frames are dropped during playback. •• Warn when frames are dropped due to hard disk performance: Select this checkbox to have Final Cut Pro warn you when frames are dropped during playback specifically because of hard disk performance.
•• Import folders as Keyword Collections: Creates a Keyword Collection for each folder in the files you’re importing. If the files you’re importing are in folders with meaningful names, select this option to keep the file organization that exists in the Finder. (Note that although Keyword Collections are not nested in the Event Library, every file in a folder will get a Keyword Collection for each folder it is in, whether it is one, two, or more levels deep in that folder.
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. When you first open Final Cut Pro, a default set of destinations appears in the Destinations list, but you can add other destinations and customize destinations.
•• Layers: Displays the available layers on the destination media. •• Automatic: Automatically detects the type of disc you can use. •• Single-layer: Identifies the disc as a single-layer disc. You can use this option to force a duallayer disc to be treated as a single-layer disc. •• Double-layer: Identifies the disc as a double-layer disc. 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.
The web destinations include the following settings: •• Sign In: The first time you open a new web destination, a window for entering your account information appears. If you enter your account name and password and select the “Remember this password in my keychain” checkbox, you won’t need to enter your account name or password again. After the initial setup, you can click the Sign In button in the destination’s settings to reenter or change your account information.
The Export File destination includes the following settings: •• Format: Lists mastering formats (Video and Audio, Video Only, Audio Only) and publishing formats (Apple Devices, Computer, Web Hosting). Your choice of format determines the options in the pop-up menus below. Important: When sharing a project or clip, you can change the resolution only for publishing formats. •• Video codec: Choose the video codec to use for the exported file.
Compressor Settings Use this destination to export a project or clip using settings from Compressor, the professional transcoding application designed to work directly with Final Cut Pro. Note: The Compressor Settings destination does not appear by default. To add it to the Destinations list, see Work with destinations on page 427. Exporting a project with a Compressor setting provides many of the benefits of Compressor without actually opening your project in Compressor.
Work with destinations You modify share destinations using the Destinations pane of the Final Cut Pro Preferences window. You can modify existing destinations, add new destinations, delete destinations, and create destination bundles, which allow you to 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.
Create a new destination 1 Do one of the following: •• Choose File > Share > Add Destination. •• Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences, click the Destinations button at the top of the window, and select Add Destination in the Destinations list on the left. •• Select a clip or project, click the Share button in the toolbar, and choose Add Destination from the pop-up menu.
3 Choose the settings you want for the new destination. New destination Modify the settings for the new destination. If you chose a web destination, enter your user name and password in the window that appears, and click OK. If you select the “Remember this password in my keychain” checkbox, your user name and password are saved so that your exported file can be uploaded to the website automatically.
Modify existing destinations Note: You can also modify an existing destination’s settings while you’re sharing a project or clip. For more information, see Share projects, clips, and ranges on page 378. 1 Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences, and click Destinations. The Destinations pane appears, with a list of destinations on the left. 2 Do any of the following: •• To change a destination’s settings: Select a destination, and modify the destination’s settings on the right.
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).
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.
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. 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.
7 To add a property to the metadata view, select the checkbox to the left of the property. Click a checkbox to add a property to the metadata view. Action pop-up menu 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.
Duplicate a metadata view If you want to create a new metadata view that contains most of the metadata fields in an existing metadata view, you can save time by duplicating the existing metadata view and then modifying it. 1 Select a clip. 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 pop-up menu.
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 Event Browser, select the clips you want to rename. 2 Open the Info inspector. 3 Choose Apply Custom Name from the Action pop-up menu the submenu.
4 In the Naming Presets window, add name tokens by dragging the elements from the Clip Info, Date/Time, Format, and Camera areas to the Format field. 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.
Keyboard shortcuts and gestures 17 Keyboard shortcuts and Multi-Touch 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 Event Browser to the Timeline, can be accomplished very quickly by pressing one or more keys. See Keyboard shortcuts on page 438.
Editing Command Shortcut Action Append to Storyline E Add the selection to the end of the storyline Audition: Add to Audition Shift-Control-Y Add the selected clip to the audition Audition: Duplicate and Paste Effects Command-Option-Y Duplicate clips in the audition and 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 Command-Shift-Y Duplicate the sele
Command Shortcut Action Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 6 6 Cut and switch 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 Event Browser selec
Command Shortcut Action 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 Shift-Option-Comma (,) Nudge the selected audio edit point
Command Shortcut Action Previous Audio Angle Shift-Option-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 Command-Shift-Left Arrow Switch to the previous video angle in the multicam clip Raise Volume 1 dB Control-Equal Sign (=) Raise the audio volume by 1 dB Replace Shift-R Replace the selected clip in the Timeline with the Event Browser selec
Command Shortcut Action Set Additional Selection Start Command-Shift-I 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
Effects Command Shortcut Action Add Basic Lower Third Shift-Control-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 Command-Control-C Switch to the Color pane in the Color Board Color Bo
General Command Shortcut Action Delete Delete Delete the Timeline selection, reject the Event Browser selection, or remove a multicam through edit Find Command-F Show or hide the Filter window (in the Event Browser) or the Timeline Index (in the Timeline) Go to Event Viewer Command-Option-3 Make the Event Viewer active Import Media Command-I Import media from a device, a camera, or an archive Move to Trash Command-Delete Move the selection to the Finder Trash New Project Command-N Create
Command Shortcut Action Deselect All Command-Shift-A Deselect all selected items Favorite F Rate the Event Browser selection as Favorite New Keyword Collection Command-Shift-K Create a new Keyword Collection New Smart Collection Command-Option-N Create a new Smart Collection Range Selection Tool R Make the Range Selection tool active Remove All Keywords From Selection Control-0 Remove all keywords from the Event Browser selection Roles: Apply Dialogue Role Option-Control-D Apply the D
Playback/Navigation Command Shortcut Action Audio Skimming Shift-S Turn audio skimming on or off Audition: Preview Command-Control-Y Play the pick in context in the Timeline Clip Skimming Command-Option-S Turn clip skimming on or off Cut/Switch Multicam Audio Only Shift-Option-3 Turn on audio-only mode for multicam cutting and switching Cut/Switch Multicam Audio and Video Shift-Option-1 Turn on audio/video mode for multicam cutting and switching Cut/Switch Multicam Video Only Shift-Option
Command Shortcut Action 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 Timecode Entry Hyphen (-) Enter a negative timecode value to move the playhead back, move a clip earlier, or trim a range or clip, depending on your selection Next Clip Command-Control-Right Arrow Go to the next item (in the Event Brows
Command Shortcut Action Set Monitoring Angle Shift-V Set the angle being skimmed as the monitoring angle Skimming S Turn skimming on or off 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 Event Browser) or the previous edit point (
View Command Shortcut Action Clip Appearance: Clip Labels Only Option-Control-6 Depending on the clip name setting, display Timeline clips with clip names, role names, or active angle names only Clip Appearance: Decrease Waveform Size Option-Control-Down Arrow Decrease the size of audio waveforms for Timeline clips Clip Appearance: Filmstrips Only Option-Control-5 Display Timeline clips with large filmstrips only Clip Appearance: Increase Waveform Size Option-Control-Up Arrow Increase the size
Command Shortcut Action Zoom Out Command-Hyphen (-) Zoom out of the Timeline, Event Browser, or Viewer Zoom to Fit Shift-Z Zoom the contents to fit the size of the Event Browser, Viewer, or Timeline Zoom to Samples Control-Z Turn zooming in to audio samples on or off Command Shortcut Action 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
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. For more information about Multi-Touch gestures, see the documentation that came with your computer. Gesture Action Scroll (two-finger): Moves the Timeline left, right, up, or down. Scroll (three-finger): Swipe up to move the playhead to the beginning of the Timeline. Swipe down to move the playhead to the end of the Timeline.
2 To find keyboard shortcuts in the Command Editor, do any of the following: •• 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. Select a key to see the Command groups associated with the key.
Click any command in the list to view its details in the Command Detail area in the bottomright corner of the window. Enter a term to search for here. Commands located by the search •• Click a Command group to quickly filter the Command List to display only the commands and keyboard shortcuts in that group. Click any command in the list to view its details in the Command Detail area in the bottomright corner of the window. Click a Command group to quickly filter the Command List.
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 on page 456. Do one of the following: mm 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.
4 Press the combination of keys you want to use for the command (for example, Shift-Option-T, or any other keys). Note: Keys on the Command Editor virtual keyboard that are 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.
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. If you’re already using a command set with the same name, a window appears and prompts you to rename the command set.
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.
Apple ProRes 4444 This Apple ProRes codec offers the best quality for 4:4:4:4 sources and for workflows involving alpha channels. It features full-resolution, mastering-quality 4:4:4:4 RGBA color, perceptually indistinguishable from the original material with excellent multigeneration performance.
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. Auditions appear in the Event Browser and Timeline as clips with an Audition icon in the upper-left corner.
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. See also alpha channel.
compound clip You can use compound clips to group any combination of clips in the Timeline or the Event 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.
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.
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.
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 A single still image. Film and video are made up of a series of these images.
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).
JPEG A popular image file format that lets you create highly compressed graphics files. The amount of compression used can be varied. Less compression results in a higher-quality image. 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.
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.
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 hard disk.
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. pixel One dot in a video or still image.
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. These render files are stored with your Final Cut Pro event and project files.
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. For example, you use it to select a clip or edit point. You can select the Select tool by pressing the A key. sequence See project, Timeline. shortcut menu A menu you access by holding down the Control key and clicking an item on the screen, or by pressing the right mouse button.
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 a disk or on a camcorder, camera, or device). Changes made to clips within Final Cut Pro do not affect the source media files. special effects Visual effects applied to clips and projects, such as motion effects, compositing, keying, and retiming effects.
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, synchronizing video and audio clip items, navigating through projects in the Timeline, and moving and trimming clips.
value slider A value slider is 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. variable speed Speed that varies dynamically, in forward or reverse motion, in a single clip. VCR Abbreviation for videocassette recorder.
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.
