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148Final Cut Pro User Guide
Overwrite clips in Final Cut Pro
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 the playhead or skimmer
position. No clip items are rippled forward, so the duration of your project remains the
same.
Overwriting media is different from replacing it. Overwriting works with range selections
only, not entire clips, and is not constrained by clip boundaries. Use an overwrite edit when
you want to replace media for a specific span of time, rather than replace specific shots.
Note: You can also use three-point editing to make overwrite edits. See Intro to three-point
editing in Final Cut Pro.
1. In Final Cut Pro, select one or more clips in the browser.
If you select multiple clips, they appear in the timeline in the order in which they were
selected.
2. To define where you want the overwrite clip to start in the timeline, do one of the
following in the primary storyline or a selected storyline:
• Position the playhead.
• Select a range involving one or more clips in the timeline.
Note: The overwrite command ignores whole-clip selections in the timeline. If you don’t
select a range in the timeline, the overwrite clip starts at the playhead or skimmer
position.
3. Choose Edit > Overwrite (or press D).
The source clip appears in the primary storyline and overwrites any clips for the
duration of the source clip.
Note: If you use the keyboard shortcut and the skimmer is present in the timeline, the
edit occurs at the skimmer position.
To overwrite from the playhead back, so that the overwrite clip’s end point (rather than
its start point) is aligned at the target position, press Shift-D.