Apple Final Cut Pro - X User Guide

Final Cut Pro X

User Guide

K Apple Inc.

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Chapter 1: What’s new in Final Cut Pro?

13 13 What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.3? 14 What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.1?

15 Chapter 2: Final Cut Pro basics 15 What is Final Cut Pro? 16 Final Cut Pro workow overview 18 Final Cut Pro interface overview 21 Media les and clips 22 Events and projects

24 Chapter 3: Import media 24 Importing overview 25 If it’s your rst import 25 Import from connected devices 25 Import from le-based devices 30 Import spanned clips 33 Import from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch 34 Import from a digital still camera 35 Import from tape-based devices 37 If your device isn’t recognized 38 Import from other applications 38 Import from iMovie 39 Import from iPhoto and Aperture 40 Import from iTunes 40 Import from disks 40 Import from a hard disk 42 Access media on an archive or disk image 45 Organize les while importing 46 Import while recording 48 About memory cards and cables 49 Supported media formats

51 Chapter 4: Analyze media 51 Analyzing media overview 51 Video and still-image analysis options 53 Audio analysis options 53 Analyze your media 55 View analysis keywords on clips

57 Chapter 5: Organize your media 57 Events and clips overview 58 Organize Events 58 Create a new Event 58 Rename an Event 59 Merge or split Events 60 Copy or move clips between Events 60 Copy or move Events 62 Sort Events 63 Delete clips or Events 64 Organize clips 64 View and sort clips 68 Rename clips 70 Rate clips as Favorite or Rejected 72 Add keywords to clips 74 Add or edit clip notes 76 Organize clips by roles 76 Find clips in the Event Browser 79 Save searches as Smart Collections 81 Organize Keyword and Smart Collections

82 Chapter 6: Play back and skim media 82 Playback and skimming overview 83 Play back media 85 Skim media 87 Use the J, K, and L keys 88 Play back media in a loop 88 Play video full screen 89 View playback on a second display 90 View playback on an external video monitor 91 Playback and background rendering 91 Play your projects on other devices

4 Contents

92 Chapter 7: Create and manage projects 92 Create a new project 94 Preview and open a project 94 Modify a project’s name and properties 98 Organize projects in the Project Library 101 Save projects

102 Chapter 8: Edit your project 102 Editing overview 102 Select clips and ranges 102 About selections and lmstrips 103 Select one or more clips 105 Select a range 108 Add and remove clips 108 Adding clips overview 109 Drag clips to the Timeline 11 0 Append clips to your project 11 0 Insert clips in your project 113 Connect clips to add cutaway shots, titles, and synchronized sound eects 117 Overwrite parts of your project 11 8 Replace a clip in your project with another clip 121 Add and edit still images 12 2 Add clips using video-only or audio-only mode 12 3 Remove clips from your project 124 Solo, disable, and enable clips 12 6 Find a Timeline clip’s source clip 12 6 Arrange clips in the Timeline 134 Cut and trim clips 134 Trimming overview 134 Cut clips with the Blade tool 13 8 Extend or shorten a clip 145 Make roll edits with the Trim tool 147 Make slip edits with the Trim tool 151 Make slide edits with the Trim tool 154 Show detailed trimming feedback 15 5 View and navigate 15 5 Zoom and scroll in the Timeline 157 Adjust Timeline settings 15 9 Navigate within your project 161 Navigate using timecode 162 Use the Timeline Index to view, navigate, and search your project

Contents 5

166 Add and remove markers 166 Markers overview 167 Add and remove markers 168 Edit and move markers 170 Jump between markers 170 Correct excessive shake and rolling shutter issues

17 2 Chapter 9: Add and adjust audio 17 2 Audio overview 17 3 Add audio 17 3 Add music and sound 174 Record audio 17 5 Add and adjust audio eects 17 5 Add audio eects 17 7 Adjust audio eects 181 Adjust audio eects using keyframes 19 2 Adjust and enhance audio 19 2 Adjust volume 194 Enhance audio 19 7 Fade audio in or out 201 Pan audio 204 Congure audio channels 205 Match audio equalization settings 206 Preserve pitch when retiming clips 206 Audio tools and techniques 206 View and correct audio levels 208 About audio waveforms 208 View audio waveforms at the audio sample level 210 Ways to view audio clips 213 Solo and mute audio clips 214 Sync audio and video automatically 216 Use roles to organize clips and export audio les

217 Chapter 10: Add transitions, titles, eects, and generators 217 Transitions, titles, eects, and generators overview 218 Add and adjust transitions 218 Transitions overview 219 How transitions are created 220 Set the default duration for transitions 221 Add transitions to your project 224 Delete transitions from your project

6 Contents

224 Adjust transitions in the Timeline 227 Adjust transitions in the Transition inspector and Viewer 228 Adjust transitions with multiple images 229 Create specialized versions of transitions in Motion 229 Add and adjust titles 229 Titles overview 230 Add titles to your project 232 Adjust titles 234 Remove titles from your project 235 Find and replace text in your project 236 Adjust built-in eects 236 Built-in eects overview 236 Resize, move, and rotate clips 238 Trim clips 240 Crop clips 241 Pan and zoom clips 243 Skew a clip’s perspective 244 Work with built-in eects 250 Add and adjust clip eects 250 Clip eects overview 251 Add eects to your project 252 Adjust eects in Final Cut Pro 255 Change clip eect order 257 Turn o or remove an eect from a clip 257 Create specialized versions of the video eects in Motion 258 Add generators 258 Generators overview 259 Use a placeholder 260 Use a timecode counter 261 Use a shape 262 Use a background 263 Create specialized versions of the generators in Motion 264 Use onscreen controls 264 Onscreen controls overview 264 Show or hide onscreen controls 265 Onscreen control examples 270 Use the Video Animation Editor 270 Video animation overview 271 Adjust video eects using keyframes 281 Adjust eect curves using fade handles or keyframe animation

Contents 7

285 Chapter 11 : Advanced editing 285 Group clips with compound clips 285 Compound clips overview 286 Create and break apart compound clips 291 Manage compound clips 294 Add storylines 298 Fine-tune edits with the Precision Editor 302 Create split edits 308 Make three-point edits 308 Three-point editing overview 3 11 Three-point edit examples 317 Try out clips using auditions 317 Auditions overview 318 Create auditions to try out clips 320 Add and remove clips in auditions 322 Use auditions to try out clips in your project 326 Retime clips to create speed eects 326 Retiming clips overview 326 Change clip speed 332 Reverse or rewind clips 334 Create instant replays 335 Create freeze frames 336 Reset retimed clips to play at normal speeds 336 Edit with mixed-format media 339 Use roles to manage clips 339 Roles overview 340 View and reassign roles 344 Create custom roles and subroles 347 View clips by role in the Timeline 350 Use roles to export media stems 350 Use XML to transfer projects and Events 351 Edit with multicam clips 351 Multicam editing overview 352 Multicam editing workow 354 Import media for a multicam edit 354 Assign camera names and multicam angles 355 Create multicam clips in the Event Browser 361 Cut and switch angles in the Angle Viewer 371 Sync and adjust angles and clips in the Angle Editor 379 Edit multicam clips in the Timeline and the Inspector 381 Multicam editing tips and tricks

8 Contents

382 Chapter 12 : Keying and compositing 382 Keying 382 Keying overview 383 Use chroma keys 394 Use luma keys 401 Finalize the key 405 Compositing 405 Compositing overview 405 Use alpha channels 407 Use Compositing settings

409 Chapter 13 : Color correction 409 Color correction overview 410 Analyze and balance color automatically 410 Color balance overview 410 Analyze a clip for color balance 412 Balance a clip’s colors 412 Match color between clips automatically 414 Adjust color manually 414 Manual color correction overview 414 Color correct the whole image 417 Target a specic color using a color mask 419 Target specic areas using shape masks 422 Add shape masks to a color mask 423 Apply multiple color corrections 424 Add a transition between color corrections 425 Save and apply color correction presets 426 Turn iMovie adjustments on or o 426 Measure video levels 426 Video scopes overview 427 Use the video scopes 428 Waveform Monitor display options 431 Vectorscope display options 432 Histogram display options

434 Chapter 14: Share your project 434 Sharing projects overview 436 Share with other applications 436 Use the Media Browser to share your project with iLife and iWork 437 Play your project in iTunes, on mobile devices, or with Apple TV 438 Email your project 439 Publish your project to Podcast Producer

Contents 9

440 Burn your project to a disc or create a disk image 444 Share on the web 444 Publish your project to YouTube 445 Publish your project to Facebook 446 Publish your project to Vimeo 447 Publish your project to CNN iReport 448 Export your project 448 Export your project as media les 454 Export an image from your project 454 Export your project as an image sequence 455 Export your project for web streaming 456 Export your project using Compressor 459 Status of shared projects 459 Shared projects overview 461 Visit and announce shared projects 462 Remove shared projects 462 About Share Monitor

463 Chapter 15 : Manage media les 463 Media management overview 464 Where your media and project les are located 466 Manage your media les 466 View a clip’s information 467 Relink clips to media les 473 Transcode media les 476 View background tasks 477 Delete render les to free up disk space 478 Manage your Events and project les 478 Before you move or copy Events and projects 478 Consolidate a project’s media les 479 Back up projects, your Project Library, and Events 482 Edit your project on a dierent computer 487 Use SAN locations for Events and projects 488 Create and manage camera archives 492 Solutions to common media management issues 492 Alert icons 494 Common media management issues

10 Contents

496 Chapter 16: Preferences and metadata 496 Preferences and metadata overview 496 Final Cut Pro preferences 496 Change preference settings 497 Editing preferences 498 Playback preferences 500 Import preferences 502 Work with metadata 502 Display and change metadata 504 Modify metadata views 506 Batch rename clips

509 Chapter 17 : Keyboard shortcuts and gestures 509 Keyboard shortcuts and Multi-Touch gestures overview 509 Keyboard shortcuts 526 Multi-Touch gestures 526 Customize keyboard shortcuts 526 View keyboard shortcuts in the Command Editor 530 Modify keyboard shortcuts in the Command Editor 531 Export and import command sets in the Command Editor

532 Chapter 18: Glossary

Contents 11

What’s new in Final Cut Pro?

What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.3?

Final Cut Pro 10.0.3 includes major new features and enhancements, detailed below.

Multicam editing

You can now use multicam clips to edit footage from multicamera shoots or other synchronized footage in real time. Working with multicam clips in Final Cut Pro is

a exible and uid process. While the active angle plays in the Viewer, you can also

view all angles playing simultaneously in the Angle Viewer and easily cut and switch between them. You can create multicam clips from diverse media sources and modify existing multicam clips during the editing process.

For more information, see “Multicam editing overview” on page 351.

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

third-party video interface hardware and software. FireWire DV devices are not supported. For more information, contact the device manufacturer or go to the Final Cut Pro X Resources webpage at http://www.apple.com/nalcutpro/resources.

For more information, see “View playback on an external video monitor” on page 90.

Manual relinking of clips to media les

Now you can manually relink Event clips and project clips to media les. Manual relinking gives you more control over your post-production workow.

For more information, see “Relink clips to media les” on page 467.

Other notable features

Layered graphics les, such as Adobe Photoshop (PSD) les, can now be edited so Â

that each layer appears as a connected clip in the Timeline.

Advanced Keyer controls are now available. Â

Keyframing controls are improved in the Video and Audio Animation Editors. Â

What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.1?

Final Cut Pro 10.0.1 includes a number of new features, enhancements, and changes.

The most signicant features are introduced below.

Roles

You can use the new roles metadata labels to organize clips in your Events and projects, control the appearance of the Timeline, and export separate video or

audio les (also known as media stems) for broadcast delivery, audio mixing, or

post-production. For example, you can export roles as media stems in a combined,

multitrack QuickTime le, or as separate audio or video les. During the export process

you can assign mono, stereo, or surround output for your audio channels.

For more information, see “Roles overview” on page 339 and “Export your project as media les” on page 448.

Storage area network (SAN) locations

You can now add network volumes as storage locations for Events and projects. When you remove SAN locations in Final Cut Pro, other users on the network can work with the Events and projects stored on those locations.

For more information, see “Use SAN locations for Events and projects” on page 487.

XML export and import

Final Cut Pro now supports XML import and export so that you can transfer your

project and Event information to and from systems and third-party applications that don’t recognize Final Cut Pro projects and Events.

For more information, see “Use XML to transfer projects and Events” on page 350.

14 Chapter 1 What’s new in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro basics

What is Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro X is a revolutionary application for creating, editing, and producing the

highest-quality video. Final Cut Pro combines high-performance digital editing and native support for virtually any video format with easy-to-use and time-saving features that let you focus on storytelling.

In Final Cut Pro, you can:

Edit everything from uncompressed standard-denition video to HDV, DVCPRO HD, Â and uncompressed high-denition video—as well as le-based formats such as AVC-Intra, AVCHD, and XDCAM HD.

Play back and skim resolution-independent media up to 4K resolution. You can also Â play your video full screen or on a second display.

Assemble clips with ease using the Magnetic Timeline, which uidly adjusts clips Â

around the clip you’re dragging to eliminate gaps, collisions, and sync problems.

Edit quickly with the complete set of professional editing and trimming tools. Â Fine-tune edits with the inline Precision Editor.

Have Final Cut Pro analyze your video and nondestructively x common problems Â

such as camera shake, excess hum, or loudness. You can also have Final Cut Pro detect the presence of people or the shot type, and automatically apply keywords such as One Person or Wide Shot.

Organize your media using Keyword Collections, which automatically group clips Â based on keywords, and Smart Collections, which automatically group clips based on criteria you specify.

Try out clips in your project using auditions—sets of alternate takes, eects, or text Â treatments—and then choose the best clip for the edit.

Create compound clips to group any combination of clips, and nest clips within Â other clips.

Use connected clips and storylines to add cutaway shots, superimposed titles, and Â

sound eects to your project. Connected clips and storylines always stay in sync.

Add special eects to video, audio, and photos, and adjust them using keyframes Â

and onscreen controls. You can also change clip speed to create fast-motion or

slow-motion eects.

Automatically balance and match color, or use the color correction tools to precisely Â control the look of any clip in your project.

Publish your project directly to websites such as YouTube and Facebook, or send Â your project to iTunes for syncing with Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.

FinalCutProworkowoverview

To give you an idea of the possibilities, the overall process for putting together a movie with Final Cut Pro is described below. You don’t have to do every step, and you might

do others that aren’t listed. The workow isn’t necessarily linear. You could, for example, go all the way through editing and adding eects, and then import more new media

for your project.

Import your media into Final Cut Pro

To use Final Cut Pro, you need to transfer your media (video, audio, and still images) from your recording device to your computer or an external disk. You can import media from many kinds of cameras and other devices, or from other applications such

as iMovie.

16 Chapter 2 Final Cut Pro basics

Organize your media

Final Cut Pro automatically organizes your imported media into Events. An Event is like a folder that contains all the media recorded on a certain date. In Final Cut Pro, your media appears as clips, which link to the media les stored on a disk. You can reorganize your clips by creating or renaming Events and moving clips between Events. For example, you could create an Event for all the media shot for a

specic client.

As you review your footage, you can easily rate clips as Favorite or Rejected. These

ratings make it easier to focus on your best footage. Final Cut Pro also oers other

useful organizing tools, such as Keyword Collections and Smart Collections.

Create a project and add clips to it

Your project is the movie you create using clips from your Events and from the Final Cut Promedia browsers. Start creating your movie by adding clips to the Timeline.

You make all your edits in the project; your original media les remain untouched (this

is known as nondestructive editing).

Arrange and edit your clips

Now your movie can really begin to take shape. To assemble a rough cut, rearrange

and trim clips in the Timeline. You can also try out dierent clips using auditions.

Use connected clips and storylines to add cutaway shots, titles, background music,

and sound eects to your project. Create compound clips to group any combination

of clips and nest clips within other clips. You can simplify a complicated project by creating a separate compound clip for each major section.

Add eects and transitions

Add special eects from the ample collection of video and audio eects in the Final Cut Pro media browsers. Give your movie titles and credits, and apply video or audio transitions. Adjust clip speed settings to create fast-motion or

slow-motion eects.

To further polish your project, you can ne-tune cuts and transitions with the Precision Editor, keyframe video and audio eects, correct color, and composite

motion graphics.

Share your movie

When your project is nished, 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.

Chapter 2 Final Cut Pro basics 17

Viewer: Play back

clips and projects.

Event Browser: Access all

the source media you import.

Magnetic Timeline: Edit your

movie in this area.

FinalCutProinterfaceoverview

The Final Cut Pro window has three main areas:

18 Chapter 2 Final Cut Pro basics

Event Browser: View and sort

the clips in the selected Event.

Event Library: Select an Event

to view its media on the right.

Organize media in the Event Library and Event Browser

All your imported media is available in the Event Library. (An Event is like a folder that

contains clips.)

When you select an Event in the Event Library, its clips appear in the Event Browser on

the right.

You can reorganize your media however you like at any time, and you can use the

Event Library and the Event Browser to manage, rate, sort, and add keywords to your imported media. For more information, see “Events and clips overview” on page 57.

Chapter 2 Final Cut Pro basics 19

Resolution-independent playback:

Play back video files up to 4K.

Full-screen playback:

Play your video full screen,

or on a second display.

Onscreen controls:

Adjust effects such as Transform, Crop, and Distort.

Play back clips and projects in the Viewer

The Viewer is where you play back your video, including clips and projects with up to 4K resolution. You can play back Events, projects, or individual clips in full-screen view or on a second display. For information about ways to play media, see “Play back media” on page 83.

You can also use onscreen controls, superimposed over the video in the Viewer, to

adjust settings for a wide array of eects and transitions.

20 Chapter 2 Final Cut Pro basics

Toolbar: Perform

common tasks by clicking a button.

Connected clips: Add titles and

cutaway shots. In the Magnetic Timeline, everything stays in sync.

Audio clips: Add music

and sound effects as connected clips.

Primary storyline: Add and

arrange clips to construct your movie.

Edit your project in the Magnetic Timeline

The bottom portion of the Final Cut Pro window contains the Timeline, where you create your movie by adding and arranging clips and making all your edits. The

Timeline in Final Cut Pro “magnetically” adjusts clips to t around clips that you drag into place. If you drag clips out of place, the surrounding clips close up to ll the space.

A Final Cut Pro project holds all of the information for your nal movie, including your

editing decisions and links to all the source clips and Events. For more information about editing your project, see “Adding clips overview” on page 108 and “Arrange clips in the Timeline” on page 126.

Medialesandclips

After you’ve imported media into Final Cut Pro, clips representing the source media

les appear in the Event Browser. A large Event may hold many clips.

Media les are the raw materials you use to create your project. A media le is a video, audio, still-image, or graphics le on your hard disk that contains footage transferred from a camcorder or recording device or originally created on your computer. Media les can contain multiple video and audio components. Because media les—

Chapter 2 Final Cut Pro basics 21

especially video les—tend to be quite large, projects that use a lot of footage require

one or more high-capacity hard disks.

Project 2

Toy1

Event clips

Media files on your hard disk

Project 3

Project 1

Toy1.mov

Toy1

Clips represent your media, but they are not the media les themselves. The clips in a project simply point to (link to) the source media les on your hard disk. When you modify a clip, you are not modifying the media le, just the clip’s information in the project. This is known as nondestructive editing, because all of the changes and eects you apply to clips in Final Cut Pro never aect the media itself. Trimmed or deleted

pieces of clips are removed from your project only, not from the source clips in your

Event Library or from the source media les on your hard disk.

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. When you add a clip from an Event to a particular project, you create a link between the source Event clip and the corresponding project clip (and, by extension,

22 Chapter 2 Final Cut Pro basics

between the Event and the project). However, neither the Event nor the source clip is

contained within the project. You can use that Event clip in other projects, and your project can use clips from other Events.

Project

Event

The illustration below shows the relationship between Events and projects:

Final Cut Pro X keeps track of the links between project clips and their source Event

clips, but projects and Events remain independent.

Chapter 2 Final Cut Pro basics 23

Import media

Importingoverview

Importing media into Final Cut Pro is the rst step toward making your movie. With

Final Cut Pro, you can:

Import from a le-based (tapeless) camera or device Â

Import from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch Â

Import from a tape-based camcorder or device Â

Import from iMovie Â

Import from iPhoto and Aperture Â

Import from iTunes Â

Import from a hard disk Â

Import from a camera archive Â

During import, you assign your media to an Event. You can also transcode your media and analyze your media for a variety of issues, such as identifying shaky video, the presence of people and shot type, and problematic audio issues.

When you import clips (video, audio, or still images), Final Cut Pro assigns one of ve

default roles to the video and audio components of each clip: Video, Titles, Dialogue, Music, and Eects. For more information, see “View and reassign roles” on page 340.

If you want to quickly back up your media (instead of taking the time to import it), you can create an archive.

Ifit’syourrstimport

The rst 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

Do one of the following:

m To import Events from iMovie: Click the Import iMovie Events button and follow the

instructions for importing iMovie Events.

m To import media les: Click the Import Files button and follow the instructions for

importing media les.

m To import les from a connected camera or device: Click the Import From Camera button

and follow the instructions for importing les from a connected le-based camera or

device, from a tape-based camera or device, or from a camera archive.

Importfromconnecteddevices

Import from le-based devices

File-based camcorders and cameras can record video, audio, and still images. These

kinds of devices, which record to ash-based storage media, hard disk drives (HDD),

and so on, usually connect to your computer via a USB cable. Some devices have removable memory cards that you can insert into your computer instead.

Chapter 3 Importmedia 25

If your le-based device provides a clip-spanning feature, you can import all of the

media as one spanned clip.

To check whether your camera is compatible with Final Cut Pro, go to the Final Cut Pro X Supported Cameras webpage at http://help.apple.com/nalcutpro/cameras.

Import from a le-based camcorder, camera, or device

1 Do one of the following:

Connect your camcorder, camera, or device to your computer, using the cable that Â came with the device, and turn it on.

If you’re using a camcorder, set it to PC Connect mode. (The name of this transfer mode may be dierent on your device.) Your camcorder may automatically go into “connect” mode if you turn it on in playback mode while it’s connected to your computer. For more information, see the documentation that came with your camcorder.

Note: Connecting a DVD camcorder to your Mac can cause the DVD Player

application to open. If that happens, simply close DVD Player.

Remove the memory card from your camcorder or device and insert it into the card Â

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 48.

2 In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following:

Choose File > Import from Camera (or press Command-I). Â

Click the Import from Camera button on the left end of the toolbar. Â

The Camera Import window appears, displaying all the media on your device.

If your media does not appear in the Camera Import window, try importing the media

as les.

3 If necessary, select your camcorder, camera, or device from the list of devices on

the left.

26 Chapter 3 Importmedia

Change the way clips appear

using these controls.

The media on the

device appears here.

Playback controls

The media on the device appears at the bottom of the Camera Import window. You can preview the media by either playing it using the playback controls or skimming it

by moving the pointer forward or backward over a lmstrip.

4 Do one of the following:

Chapter 3 Importmedia 27

Â To import all clips: Click Import All.

Â To import only some of the clips: Select each clip you want to import by Command-

clicking each thumbnail, and click Import Selected (the Import button changes its name).

Tip: ∏ To select several clips located together, you can drag around the clips to enclose

them with the selection rectangle.

Â To import a portion of one clip: Drag inside the clip to select the range that you want,

and click Import Selected.

Tip: ∏ You can also select a clip, press the Space bar to play the clip, and press either I to

set a start point or O to set an end point.

Camera icon

5 In the window that appears, choose how you want to organize the imported media in

your Event Library:

Â To add the imported clips to an existing Event: Select “Add to existing Event,” and

choose it from the pop-up menu.

Â To create a new Event: Select “Create new Event” and type a name (for example,

“Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text eld; 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 57.

6 If you want to organize your media, transcode your 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.

7 Click Import.

Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background. If you selected any options in the

previous step, Final Cut Pro transcodes and optimizes the les after the import process

is complete. You can view the progress of the background tasks in the Background Tasks window.

8 To begin working with your clips, close the Camera Import window so you can access

the Event Browser.

You can create an archive from your le-based camera or device, recording everything

on the tape from beginning to end and saving the captured clips as an archive. For more information, see “Create and manage camera archives” on page 488.

Reimport a clip

Two situations warrant reimporting a clip:

Â If the clip was not completely imported: If you cancel or quit Final Cut Pro before an

import is nished, 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 le that was created during import).

28 Chapter 3 Importmedia

To play a clip with a Camera icon, Final Cut Pro locates the media on either a connected camera or in a connected, available camera archive. (See “Access media on an archive or disk image” on page 42 for more information.) If Final Cut Pro can’t

locate the media in one of those locations, the clip will go oine and display the Missing Camera alert icon.

Â If the clip’s source media le is not available: If a clip’s source media le is moved or

deleted, or the volume it is located on is disconnected from the computer, a Missing

File icon is displayed on the clip. To restore the clip, you can reimport it.

See “Alert icons” on page 492 for more information about alert icons.

When you reimport a clip, Final Cut Pro automatically connects to the necessary camera or camera archive. There is no need to manually mount a camera archive before reimporting.

1 Do one of the following:

Connect the camera that contains the clip to your computer, and turn it on. Â This will bring the clip online, but the clip will still display the Camera icon in the lower-left corner.

Insert the memory card that contains the clip in your computer or connected Â card reader.

See “About memory cards and cables” on page 48 for more information.

Make sure the camera archive that contains the clip is located in one of the Â

Final Cut Pro camera archives.

See “Create and manage camera archives” on page 488 for more information.

2 In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following:

Â To reimport one clip: Select the clip in the Event Browser.

Â To reimport all clips in an Event: Select the Event the clip belongs to in the Event

Browser sidebar.

3 Choose File > Import > Reimport from Camera/Archive.

The clip or clips are reimported.

Chapter 3 Importmedia 29

Import spanned clips

Some le-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. (Even if you are importing the spanned clip immediately, it’s useful to make the camera archive so you have a backup of the footage that makes up the spanned clip.) Then, when you’re ready to import, you can mount all of the camera archives and import the spanned clip.

Create a camera archive for each memory card

1 Connect your camcorder or camera to your computer and turn it on, or connect your

card reader and memory card to your computer. If you’ll be saving the camera archives to an external storage device, connect that as well.

2 In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following:

Choose File > Import from Camera (or press Command-I). Â

Click the Import from Camera button on the left end of the toolbar. Â

The Camera Import window appears.

3 Select a memory card to archive from the list of cameras on the left.

4 Click the Create Archive button at the bottom-left corner of the window.

5 In the “Create Camera Archive as” eld, type a name for the archive.

6 Choose a location to save the archive from the Destination pop-up menu, and click OK.

Note: It is recommended that you save your archive to a disk or partition dierent from the one where you store the media les used with Final Cut Pro.

7 Repeat steps 3-6 to create camera archives for each of the memory cards that contain

a portion of the spanned clip.

The camera archives appear in the Camera Archives list in the Camera Import window.

See “Create and manage camera archives” on page 488 for more information about creating camera archives.

30 Chapter 3 Importmedia

These camera archives contain all portions of the spanned clip.

This clip represents the complete spanned clip.

This icon indicates

that all portions of

the spanned clip

are available.

Import a spanned clip

1 If your camera archives are stored on an external storage device, make sure that it is

connected to your local system.

2 Choose File > Import from Camera.

The Camera Import window appears, showing all camera archives on your local system (and on any connected external storage devices) in the Camera Archives section on the left.

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 and an icon indicating that the spanned clip is complete.

Chapter 3 Importmedia 31

Indicates that all portions of the spanned clip are available.

Indicates that the end portion of the spanned clip is available.

Indicates that the beginning portion of the spanned clip is available.

Indicates that the middle portion of the spanned clip is available.

If one or more camera archives is missing, an icon appears on the camera archive to

indicate which part of the spanned clip is available—the beginning, middle, or end. You can select each camera archive to see the dierent icons.

4 Click Import All to import the spanned clip.

Important: If the camera archives that make up the spanned clip are not all available,

you can import each camera archive separately. Each portion of the spanned clip will be imported into Final Cut Pro as a separate clip.

5 Choose how you want to organize the imported media in your Event Library:

Â To add the imported media to an existing Event: Select “Add to existing Event,” and

choose it from the pop-up menu.

Â To create a new Event: Select “Create new Event” and type a name (for example,

“Chris and Kim Wedding”) in the text eld; 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 57.

6 If you want to organize your media, transcode your 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

7 Click Import.

analyze it later (if necessary) in the Event Browser.

Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background. If you selected any options in the

previous step, Final Cut Pro transcodes and optimizes the les after the import process

is complete. You can view the progress of the background tasks in the Background Tasks window.

32 Chapter 3 Importmedia

8 To begin working with your clips, close the Camera Import window so you can access

the Event Browser.

Import from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Importing media from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is the same as importing it from a

le-based camcorder, camera, or device.

Import from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

1 Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer using the Dock Connector

to USB cable that came with it. (If another application opens, close it.) Then turn on your device and unlock it.

2 In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following:

Choose File > Import from Camera (or press Command-I). Â

Click the Import from Camera button on the left end of the toolbar. Â

The Camera Import window appears, displaying all the media on your device. In this window you can preview the media by either playing it using the playback controls or

skimming it by moving the pointer forward or backward over a lmstrip. You can also

change which device to import from and change the way the clips appear using the buttons at the bottom-right corner of the window.

Chapter 3 Importmedia 33

3 Do one of the following:

Â To import all clips: Click Import All.

Â To import only some of the clips: Select each clip you want to import by Command-

clicking each thumbnail, or dragging to select a group of clips, and click Import Selected (the Import button changes its name).

Â To import a portion of one clip: Drag inside the clip to select the range that you want,

and click Import Selected.

Tip: ∏ You can also select a clip, press the Space bar to play the clip, and press either I to

set a start point or O to set an end point.

4 In the window that appears, choose how you want to organize the imported media in

your Event Library:

Â To add the imported clips to an existing Event: Select “Add to existing Event,” and

choose it from the pop-up menu.

Â To create a new Event: Select “Create new Event” and type a name (for example, “Chris

and Kim Wedding”) in the text eld; 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 57.

5 If you want to transcode your 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.

6 Click Import.

Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background. If you selected any options in the

previous step, Final Cut Pro transcodes and optimizes the les after the import process

is complete. You can view the progress of the background tasks in the Background Tasks window.

7 To begin working with your clips, close the Camera Import window so you can access

the Event Browser.

Import from a digital still camera

You can import video and still images from digital still cameras. The steps below describe how to import video and still images directly into Final Cut Pro. You can also import your photos into Aperture or iPhoto and access them through the Photos Browser in Final Cut Pro.

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.com/nalcutpro/cameras.

34 Chapter 3 Importmedia

Import still-image clips and video clips from a digital still camera

1 Connect your camera to your computer using the cable that came with the camera,

and turn it on.

If your camera doesn’t appear in the Finder, remove the camera’s memory card and

insert it into the card slot on your Mac (if it has one) or into an external card reader.

2 In the Finder, locate the DCIM folder inside the camera folder, and then locate the still-

image or video les. The les may be in the DCIM folder, or in a folder one or two levels down. Devices and le structures vary by model and manufacturer.

3 In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following:

Choose File > Import and follow the instructions in “ Â Import from a hard disk” on page 40.

Drag the les from the Finder into an Event or Timeline in Final Cut Pro. The les will Â be imported using the import settings you congured in Import preferences. See

“Import from a hard disk” on page 40.

After import, you may have separate audio les that you want to use to replace the video’s audio track. To do this, you can automatically synchronize the video and audio clips.

Import from tape-based devices

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.

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.com/nalcutpro/cameras.

Import media from a tape-based camcorder or device

1 Connect the camcorder to your computer using the cable that came with it, and

congure your device for remote control over FireWire, if necessary.

Note: For best results when importing from a tape-based camcorder, it is recommended that you import the video using the same camcorder that you used to record it.

2 Turn on the camcorder and set it to VTR or VCR mode. (This mode may have a dierent

name on your camera. For more information, see the documentation that came with your camcorder.)

Chapter 3 Importmedia 35

3 In Final Cut Pro, choose File > Import from Camera.

The Camera Import window appears. If you have multiple devices connected to your computer, choose the device you want to import from in the list of cameras on the left.

The Camera Import window displays the image from the current position of the tape.

4 Use the playback controls (or use the J, K, and L keys) to set your tape to the point

where you want to begin importing, and click Import.

5 In the window that appears, choose how you want to organize the imported media in

your Event Library:

Â To add the imported clips to an existing Event: Select “Add to existing Event,” and

choose it from the pop-up menu.

Â To create a new Event: Select “Create new Event” and type a name (for example, “Chris

and Kim Wedding”) in the text eld; 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 57.

6 If you want to transcode your 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.

36 Chapter 3 Importmedia

7 Click Import.

Final Cut Pro begins importing immediately from the current location on the tape. It

will continue to import (and save the resulting media le to the Event you specied)

until one of the following occurs:

It reaches the end of the tape. Â

The hard disk you are importing to is full. Â

You stop the import session by clicking Stop Import or Close (to close the Camera Â Import window).

The video plays as it’s being imported. It takes as long to import the video as it takes to watch it at normal speed.

8 When the section of video you want to import has been imported, click Stop Import.

Then use the import controls to set your video to a point where you want to begin

importing again, and repeat steps 5 through 7. If you selected any options in step 6, Final Cut Pro transcodes and optimizes the les after the import process is complete.

You can view the progress of the background tasks in the Background Tasks window.

9 When you’re done importing, click Close to close the Camera Import window.

You can also create an archive from your tape-based device, recording everything on the tape from beginning to end and saving the captured clips as an archive. For more information, see “Create and manage camera archives” on page 488.

If your device isn’t recognized

If you’ve connected your camcorder to your computer but the Camera Import window doesn’t open, or Final Cut Pro can’t control your device, there are several things you can do to try to establish the connection.

Check your equipment and system

1 Make sure that you’re using the correct equipment conguration:

Your camcorder or camera must be compatible with Final Cut Pro. For a list of Â

compatible devices, go to the Final Cut Pro X Supported Cameras webpage at http://help.apple.com/nalcutpro/cameras.

Your device must be connected properly to your computer. Â

Your camcorder must be set to the correct output mode. On some camcorders, this Â 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 denition (HDV).

If you’re connecting a tape-based camcorder to your computer, you should be using Â a FireWire cable (also called IEEE 1394, or i.LINK), not a USB cable.

See “About memory cards and cables” on page 48 for more information.

Chapter 3 Importmedia 37

If you’re importing video clips from a still camera or other ash memory device, Â make sure the le format of your video is MPEG-2, MPEG-4, or AVCHD, all of which

are compatible with Final Cut Pro.

If your still camera is not supported by Final Cut Pro, try importing the media as les, Â using a card slot on your Mac computer or an external card reader.

See “Import from a hard disk” on page 40 for more information.

If you’re importing from an AVCHD camcorder, make sure you’re using a Mac with an Â

Intel Core Duo processor or better.

If you’re importing from an AVCHD DVD camcorder, make sure your computer has Â the latest version of Mac OS X installed.

If you’ve enabled Fast User Switching, make sure no one else is trying to use the Â

camcorder from a dierent account at the same time.

2 If you still can’t import media after checking the items above, try the following:

Turn the device o and on again. Â

Disconnect the cable from both the device and the computer, and then reconnect it. Â

Quit and then reopen Final Cut Pro. Â

Restart your computer. Â

Try using a dierent cable. Â

Try using a dierent computer with Final Cut Pro installed. Â

If you’re using a le-based camcorder, use the Finder to copy the mounted volume Â to a local disk. Then open the les in Final Cut Pro in the same way that you open

an archive.

Importfromotherapplications

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 rst 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. You can override iMovie analysis by analyzing your clips in Final Cut Pro

after import. For more information, see “Analyze your media” on page 53.

38 Chapter 3 Importmedia

Import an iMovie project

1 In Final Cut Pro, choose File > Import > iMovie Project and locate your existing iMovie

project, typically found in the Movies folder on your hard disk.

2 Click Import.

The project opens in the Timeline and any associated Events appear in the

Event Library.

Import your iMovie Event Library

1 In Final Cut Pro, choose File > Import > iMovie Event Library.

2 Read the message that appears and click OK.

The Events in your iMovie Event Library appear in the Final Cut Pro Event Library.

Import from iPhoto and Aperture

When you import photos and video clips from iPhoto or Aperture into Final Cut Pro,

the media is imported using the import settings you dened in Import preferences.

For more information, see “Import from a hard disk” on page 40.

Import photos and video clips from iPhoto or Aperture

1 In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following:

Choose Window > Media Browser > Photos. Â

Click the Photos button in the toolbar. Â

2 If necessary, navigate to the iPhoto or Aperture section of the Photos Browser.

Chapter 3 Importmedia 39

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.

You can also drag photos and video clips from iPhoto or Aperture directly to an Event

in the Event Library or a project in the Timeline, without using the Photos Browser.

Import from iTunes

You can import music and sound from your existing iTunes library into Final Cut Pro.

Import music and sound from iTunes

1 In Final Cut Pro, do one of the following:

Choose Window > Media Browser > Music and Sound. Â

Click the Music and Sound button in the toolbar. Â

2 In the Music and Sound Browser, choose iTunes from the pop-up menu at the top.

Tip: ∏ If the folder you’re looking for doesn’t appear, you can add it to the source list by

dragging it from the Finder or desktop to the Music and Sound Browser.

3 In the list that appears, nd the music or sound you want:

Â To search for an item: Type text in the search eld. To lter your search, click the

Filter button and choose a lter.

Â To preview an item: Double-click the item, or select the item and click the

Play button .

Â To select more than one item: Command-click each item.

4 Drag the sound le or les to the Timeline.

Importfromdisks

Import from a hard disk

You can import media—video, audio, still images, and graphics les—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 Import Files window or by dragging les from the Finder.

40 Chapter 3 Importmedia

When you drag media from the Finder into Final Cut Pro, the media is imported using the organize, transcode, and analysis settings you set in the Final Cut Pro preferences. If you don’t want to use the Import Files window to manage your import, and if you want to always use the same organize, transcode, and analysis settings, importing by dragging les into Final Cut Pro is a good option. See “Import preferences” on page 500 for information on the Import preferences.

Note: Some le-based devices allow you to copy the recorded media (with its original

directory structure) to a folder on your computer’s hard disk via the Finder. To import media copied in this way, see “Access media on an archive or disk image” on page 42, and follow the instructions in “Import media from an archive or disk image.”

Import media using the Import Files window

1 In Final Cut Pro, choose File > Import > Files.

2 Select a le or folder, or Command-click to select multiple les to import.

3 Do one of the following:

Â To add the imported les to an existing Event: Select “Add to existing Event,” and

choose it from the pop-up menu.

Â To create a new Event: Select “Create new Event” and type a name (for example, “Chris

and Kim Wedding”) in the text eld; 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 57.

Chapter 3 Importmedia 41

4 To have Final Cut Pro copy your media les and add them to the Final Cut Pro Event

folder that you specied, select the checkbox.

5 If you want to organize your media, transcode your 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.

6 Click Import.

Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background. If you selected any options in the

previous step, Final Cut Pro transcodes and optimizes the les after the import process

is complete. You can view the progress of the background tasks in the Background Tasks window.

Import media by dragging from the Finder

Do one of the following:

Select a le, Command-click to select multiple les, or select a folder of les, and drag m

them from the Finder to the Event.

The clip or clips appear in the Event.

Select a le, Command-click to select multiple les, or select a folder of les and drag m

them from the Finder to a Keyword Collection.

The clip or clips appear in the Event, and the keyword is automatically added to the clip or clips.

Important: If you have the “Import folders as Keyword collections” Import preference

selected, a Keyword Collection will be created for each folder name, and the les inside

the folder will get that keyword.

Select a le or Command-click to select multiple les and drag them to your m project’s Timeline.

The clip or clips appear in the Timeline, and in the project’s default Events folder.

The le or les are imported using your default import settings.

Access media on an archive or disk image

If you’ve created a camera archive, you can use the media in the archive in two ways:

You can connect to the camera archive, making the media available to Final Cut Pro. Â While all available camera archives are always listed in the Camera Import window, you can’t use any of the media in an archive until you’ve connected to the camera archive.

You can import the media from the archive, or import media from disk images Â

previously archived with the Final Cut Pro Log and Transfer window. When you do

this, copies of the media are created on your local disk.

42 Chapter 3 Importmedia

Camera archive

Note: Some le-based devices allow you to copy the recorded media (with its original

directory structure) to a folder on your computer’s hard disk via the Finder. To import media copied in this way, follow the instructions in “Import media from an archive or disk image,” below.

Mount and unmount a camera archive

1 In Final Cut Pro, choose File > Import from Camera.

The Camera Import window appears, showing all camera archives in the Camera Archives section on the left.

2 Select the camera archive to connect to it.

The archive is connected to Final Cut Pro when the eject icon appears to the right of the archive name.

3 Click the eject icon to disconnect the camera archive.

Import media from an archive or disk image

1 In Final Cut Pro, choose File > Import from Camera.

The Camera Import window appears, showing all camera archives in the Camera Archives section on the left. You can preview the media by either playing it using the playback controls or skimming it by moving the pointer forward or backward over a

lmstrip. You can also change which archive to import from and change the way the

clips appear using the controls at the bottom-right corner of the window.

Chapter 3 Importmedia 43

2 Do one of the following:

Under the list of Camera Archives on the left, select the archive you want to import. Â

Click Open Archive, navigate to the folder of the archive you want to import, and Â click Open.

3 To select which clips you want to import, do one of the following:

Â To import all clips: Click Import All.

Â To import only some of the clips: Select each clip you want to import by

Command-clicking each thumbnail, or dragging to select a group of clips, and click Import Selected.

Â To import a portion of one clip: Drag inside the clip to select the range that you want

to import, and click Import Selected.

Tip: ∏ You can also select a clip, press the Space bar to play the clip, and press either I to

set a start point or O to set an end point.

4 Choose how you want to organize the imported media in your Event Library:

Â To add the imported media to an existing Event: Select “Add to existing Event,” and

choose it from the pop-up menu.

Â To create a new Event: Select “Create new Event” and type a name (for example, “Chris

and Kim Wedding”) in the text eld; 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 57.

5 If you want to organize your media, transcode your 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.

6 Click Import.

Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background. If you selected any options in the

previous step, Final Cut Pro transcodes and optimizes the les after the import process

is complete. You can view the progress of the background tasks in the Background Tasks window.

7 To begin working with your clips, close the Camera Import window so you can access

the Event Browser.

44 Chapter 3 Importmedia

After import, these clips will have “B-roll” and “Callaway” keywords.

After import, these clips will have “Interviews” and “Callaway” keywords.

Organize les while importing

You have organizing options when you import les into Final Cut Pro.

Â Copy les to Final Cut Events folder: This option duplicates the media les and

places the copy in the Final Cut Events folder on your computer. If you’re importing

media from a dierent disk or volume, or if you want to keep a copy of all the media les that have been imported into Final Cut Pro in the same location, select

this checkbox.

If you import les with this checkbox deselected, you can still copy the les at a later

time to the Final Cut Events folder using the Organize Event Files command.

Â Import folders as Keyword Collections: If you have folders of les that have meaningful

folder names, selecting this option creates a keyword for each folder name and

applies the keyword to all the les in the folder during import. Additionally, a

Keyword Collection is created for each keyword.

Organize your les during import

1 To import a le, choose File > Import > Files and navigate to the le you want

to import.

2 In the window that appears, choose how you want to organize the imported media in

your Event Library:

Â To add the imported media to an existing Event: Select “Add to existing Event,” and

choose it from the pop-up menu.

Â To create a new Event: Select “Create new Event” and type a name (for example, “Chris

and Kim Wedding”) in the text eld; 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 57.

3 Select one or both of the organize options (explained above).

Chapter 3 Importmedia 45

4 If you want to transcode your 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.

5 Click Import.

Final Cut Pro imports your media in the background. If you selected any options in the

previous step, Final Cut Pro transcodes and optimizes the les after the import process

is complete. You can view the progress of the background tasks in the Background Tasks window.

6 To begin working with your clips, close the Camera Import window so you can access

the Event Browser.

Copy all external media les used by an Event to its Event folder

1 Select the Event in the Event Library.

2 Choose File > Organize Event Files.

3 In the window that appears, click Continue.

Final Cut Pro duplicates the media les and places the copy in the Final Cut Events

folder on your computer.

Importwhilerecording

You can record video directly into Final Cut Pro using your computer’s built-in camera and some camcorders.

Record live video and audio into Final Cut Pro

1 Do one of the following:

Â To record using the built-in camera: Click the Import from Camera button in

the toolbar.

Â To record using a camcorder: Connect a camcorder to your computer with a FireWire

cable. You should see a live image on the camcorder’s screen or viewnder. Then

click the Import from Camera button in the toolbar.

Note: Most camcorders that connect to your computer using a USB cable go

into PC Connect mode, which doesn’t allow you to record live video directly into Final Cut Pro.

46 Chapter 3 Importmedia

2 In the Cameras list on the left side of the Camera Import window, select the camera

you want to import from.

A live video image from the camera appears in the Camera Import window.

3 Click Import.

The Event Settings window appears.

4 Choose how you want to organize the imported media in your Event Library:

Â To add the imported media to an existing Event: Select “Add to existing Event,” and

choose it from the pop-up menu.

Â To create a new Event: Select “Create new Event” and type a name (for example, “Chris

and Kim Wedding”) in the text eld; 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 57.

5 If you want to organize your media, transcode your 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.

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.

Chapter 3 Importmedia 47

About memory cards and cables

To import media from your recording device to your computer, you need to remove the memory card from your device and insert it into either your computer or a memory card reader. You can also connect your device directly to your computer using the appropriate cable. Then you can import the media on the memory card or device using the Import Files window. For more information, see “Import from a hard disk” on page 40 and “Import from le-based devices” on page 25.

Â Memory cards: Many le-based camcorders and devices record media on a

removable memory card. You can connect a card reader to your computer and use

that to transfer the contents of your memory card onto your computer. Some Mac computers feature an SD (Secure Digital) or SDXC (SD extended capacity) card slot

that allows these computers to read and write data to SD media inserted in the slot.

If your Mac has a card slot, you can remove the card from the camera, insert the card into your Mac, and then import the les.

For more information, go to http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3553.

You can also connect your device to the computer using a FireWire or USB cable. The kind of cable you need depends on the kind of device you’re using:

Â USB device: You use a USB cable for le-based camcorders, digital still cameras that

record video, and iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The USB cable should have at least

one connector that plugs into your Mac (at the top in the illustration below). The

other end of the USB cable, which plugs into your recording device, might look

dierent (on the bottom in the illustration below).

48 Chapter 3 Importmedia

Â 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 dierent end that plugs into your

camcorder or computer.

Â Thunderbolt device: Devices that use Thunderbolt I/O technology use a connector

that plugs into the mini display port on your Mac and looks like the connector

below.

If your device didn’t come with a cable and you’re not sure what kind of device you have, you can check the logo near the cable ports on your device to see if it matches the USB or FireWire logo, both shown above. Otherwise, check the documentation that came with your device.

Note: Not all Mac computers include a FireWire port. Check your system conguration to conrm that your Mac includes FireWire support before attempting to connect a standard (DV) or HDV camcorder.

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.com/nalcutpro/cameras.

Supportedmediaformats

You can import and work with the following video, audio, and still-image formats in Final Cut Pro:

Video formats

Apple Animation codec Â

Apple Intermediate codec Â

Chapter 3 Importmedia 49

Apple ProRes (all versions) Â

AVC-Intra Â

AVCHD (including AVCCAM, AVCHD Lite, and NXCAM) Â

DV (including DVCAM, DVCPRO, and DVCPRO50) Â

DVCPRO HD Â

H.264 Â

HDV Â

iFrame Â

Motion JPEG (OpenDML only) Â

MPEG IMX (D-10) Â

Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 Â

Uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:2 Â

XDCAM HD/EX/HD422 Â

QuickTime formats Â

Audio formats

AAC Â

AIFF Â

BWF Â

CAF Â

MP3 Â

MP4 Â

WAV Â

Still-image formats

BMP Â

GIF Â

PNG Â

PSD (static and layered) Â

RAW Â

TGA Â

TIFF Â

50 Chapter 3 Importmedia

Analyze media

Analyzingmediaoverview

You can have Final Cut Pro analyze your media and automatically correct common

problems it may nd in your video, still images, and audio. For example, you can

analyze your media to stabilize shaky video, to balance color, and to remove excess hum or loudness.

You can also analyze clips and still images 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. This is helpful if you need to quickly nd a certain type of clip while viewing

footage or editing a project.

See “Video and still-image analysis options” on page 51 and “Audio analysis options” on page 53 for complete lists of the video and audio analysis options.

After certain types of analysis, keywords are automatically added to the clip or still image to describe the results of the analysis, such as Excessive Shake, One Person, and Wide Shot.

You can analyze media during the import process or after you import it into Final Cut Pro. You can also set Final Cut Pro to automatically analyze clips you drag directly to the Final Cut Pro Timeline from the Finder.

Videoandstill-imageanalysisoptions

Final Cut Pro provides automatic video and still-image analysis that can nd and

correct shaky video, automatically balance color in video, and detect people and shot angles in video or still images. You can analyze video during import, or analyze video clips in the Event Browser or in a project’s Timeline. Keywords are attached to clips based on the results of the analysis.

Final Cut Pro provides these video and still-image analysis options:

Â Analyze for stabilization and rolling shutter: Analyzes video clips and adds analysis

keywords to clips with excessive shake, rolling shutter, or both. If a clip has an

Excessive Shake keyword, you can x the shaking after you add the clip to the

Timeline by turning on Stabilization and Rolling Shutter corrections. See “Correct excessive shake and rolling shutter issues” on page 170.

Note: If you’re analyzing for stabilization problems, it’s recommended that you also select the “Create Smart Collections after analysis” checkbox so you can easily locate clips with the Excessive Shake keyword.

Â 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 o at any time.

Â Remove pulldown: Analyzes video clips and removes pulldown patterns.

Important: This option is only available when importing from a tape-based camera

or device.

Â Find people: Analyzes video clips and still images for the number of people present

and shot types. After analysis, any of the following keywords are added to the clip

or still image: One Person, Two Persons, Group, Close Up Shot, Medium Shot, and

Wide Shot.

Note: If you’re analyzing to nd people, it’s recommended that you also select the

“Create Smart Collections after analysis” checkbox so you can easily locate clips with

“nd people” analysis keywords.

Â Consolidate nd people results: Summarizes all of the “nd people” analysis keywords

into one shot type keyword and one people keyword for every two-minute segment of the video. Select this checkbox if you don’t need to know all of the

“nd people” analysis keywords and instead want a summary of the keywords over

a longer duration of the clip. For example, if you have a clip that contains three

close-up shots and two wide shots, selecting the “Consolidate nd people results”

checkbox gives that clip a Close Up Shot keyword (the most prevalent keyword for that segment). If that same clip includes four shots containing one person and one

shot containing a group of people, selecting the “Consolidate nd people results”

checkbox gives that clip a One Person keyword (the most prevalent keyword for

that segment). If a clip is over two minutes, selecting the “Consolidate nd people

results” checkbox gives every two-minute segment of that clip a shot type keyword

and a “nd people” analysis keyword.

Â Create Smart Collections after analysis: Creates a Smart Collection for each keyword

applied when analyzing video clips for image stabilization problems or analyzing video clips and still images for the presence of people. The Smart Collections are sorted by type (people, shot type), and appear in a folder inside the Event in the

Event Library.

52 Chapter 4 Analyze media

When you drag a media le from the Finder to a Final Cut Pro Event or the Timeline,

the import begins automatically, without displaying a window of import options. You can set automatic import options in the Final Cut Pro Import preferences pane.

Audioanalysisoptions

Final Cut Pro provides automatic analysis that can x common audio problems, analyze

and group audio channels, and remove silent channels. You can analyze audio during import, or analyze video clips with audio issues in the Event Browser or in the Timeline.

Final Cut Pro provides these audio analysis options:

Â Analyze and x audio problems: Analyzes the audio for hum, noise, and loudness.

Final Cut Pro automatically xes problems that are considered severe (marked in red), and ags problems that are considered moderate (marked in yellow). See

“Enhance audio” on page 19 4 for more information.

Â Separate mono and group stereo audio: Audio channels are analyzed and grouped

as dual mono or stereo, depending on the results of the analysis. Automatically corrected audio channels are marked as Autoselected. For more information about audio channels, see “Congure audio channels” on page 204.

Â Remove silent channels: Audio channels are analyzed and silent channels are

automatically removed. Clips that have had channels removed are marked as Autoselected. For more information about audio channels, see “Congure audio channels” on page 204.

When you drag a media le from the Finder to a Final Cut Pro Event or Timeline, the

import begins automatically, without displaying a window of import options. You can set automatic import options in the Final Cut Pro Import preferences pane.

Analyze your media

You can analyze clips during the import process, after the import process in the Event Browser, or set Final Cut Pro to analyze clips automatically when they are dragged to a Final Cut Pro Event or Timeline.

Analyze clips during import

1 Do one of the following:

Â To import a le from a compatible camcorder or camera, iPad, iPhone, iPod, or other

device: Connect the device to your computer, turn on the device, and choose File > Import from Camera (or press Command-I) and click Import.

Â To import a le from a tape-based camcorder: Connect the camcorder to your

computer, turn on the camcorder, and set it to VTR or VCR mode. Then choose File > Import from Camera and click Import.

Chapter 4 Analyze media 53

Â To import a le from a memory card: Insert the memory card into the card slot on

your Mac or into a card reader that’s connected to your computer. Then choose

File > Import > Files (or press Command-I).

Â To import a le located on your hard disk or a connected external storage device:

Choose File > Import > File and navigate to the le you want to import.

Â To import from an archive: Choose File > Import from Camera, and in the window

that appears, choose a camera archive from the list on the left. Click Open Archive

and navigate to the les you want to import, and click the Import button.

2 In the window that appears, choose how you want to organize the imported media in

your Event Library:

Â To add the imported media to an existing Event: Select “Add to existing Event,” and

choose it from the pop-up menu.

Â To create a new Event: Select “Create new Event” and type a name (for example, “Chris

and Kim Wedding”) in the text eld. Use the “Save to” pop-up menu to choose the

disk where you want to store the Event.

To learn more about Events, see “Events and clips overview” on page 57.

3 Select any of the video and audio analysis options that you want to apply.

See “Video and still-image analysis options” on page 51 and “Audio analysis options” on page 53 for complete lists of the video and audio analysis options.

Final Cut Pro will analyze the les in the background, after the import process is complete.

4 Click Import.

The import may take a while, depending on the options you chose in step 3. You can see the status of all the background processes currently running in the Background Tasks window.

Analyze clips after import

1 If necessary, locate a clip in the Event Browser by Control-clicking it in the Timeline and

choosing “Reveal in Event Browser” from the shortcut menu.

2 Control-click one or more clips and choose “Analyze and Fix” from the shortcut menu.

3 In the window that appears, select any or all of the video analysis and audio analysis

options that you want to apply.

The transcoding process may take a while, depending on the analysis options you chose. You can see the status of all the background processes currently running in the Background Tasks window.

54 Chapter 4 Analyze media

Automatically analyze media les when they are dragged directly to a Final Cut Pro

Event or Timeline

1 To congure the Final Cut Pro analysis options:

a Choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences.

b In the Preferences window that appears, click Import.

c Select each of the video and audio analysis options that you want to apply.

d When you’re nished, close the Preferences window.

2 To import one or more les, select a le (or Command-click multiple les) in the Finder

and drag it to an Event or Timeline.

Viewanalysiskeywordsonclips

If you analyzed media to nd shaky footage or people, analysis keywords like Excessive

Shake, One Person, Close Up Shot, and so on are added to the relevant clips.

You can nd analysis keywords in several locations in Final Cut Pro.

View keywords in the Skimmer Info window

1 Choose View > Show Skimmer Info (or press Control-Y).

2 Skim the clip in the Event Browser or in the Timeline.

Keywords, including analysis keywords, are displayed in the Skimmer Info window.

View keywords in list view in the Event Browser

1 Click the List View button.

Chapter 4 Analyze media 55

The keywords are listed next to the blue key.

Without Excessive Shake Smart Collection

These clips contain the Without Excessive Shake analysis keyword.

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. The Smart Collections are grouped in folders titled People and Shot.

In the Event Library, locate and select a Smart Collection. m

The clips that contain analysis keywords appear in the Event Browser.

56 Chapter 4 Analyze media

Select an Event in the Event Library.

The Event Browser displays the clips in the selected Event.

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 les (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. Each Event in the Event

Library refers to a folder on your hard disk that contains the original source media les, any render les related to your media, and a database le that keeps track of where

everything is.

When you select an Event in the Event Library, the media it contains appears as clips

in the Event Browser. You select clips or portions of clips in the Event Browser to work with them. You can sort clips in the Event Browser by creation date, as well as by date

imported, reel, scene, clip duration, and le type.

When you import video into a new Event, you name the Event. By giving your Events meaningful names, such as “Smith Wedding 2011,” you can organize all of your media so that it’s readily accessible. By default, Final Cut Pro lists the Events in the Event

Library by the date they were recorded. You can organize the Event Library in other ways, and you can also hide the Event Library to give yourself more room to work. The Event Library is also the home for Final Cut Pro Keyword Collections and Smart

Collections which provide a powerful way to organize your video editing projects

using keywords and persistent search lters.

OrganizeEvents

Create a new Event

After importing your source media les into Final Cut Pro, you may nd that you need

to create additional Events to organize your media. For example, after importing media

shot for a specic client, you may decide to split the media into Events dened 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.

Create a new Event in the Event Library

1 If you don’t see the Event Library, click the Event Library button at the bottom-left

corner of the Event Browser.

2 Choose File > New Event (or press Option-N).

A new Event appears in the Event Library.

3 Type a name for the Event and press Return.

4 Move clips from other Events into the new Event, as necessary.

Rename an Event

Change an Event’s name

As your project evolves, you may nd that you want to rename an Event so that it more accurately reects the clips it contains.

58 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

1 In the Event Library, select the Event whose name you want to change.

2 Do one of the following:

Click the Event’s name and type a new name. Â

Press Return and type a new name. Â

Important: Renaming an Event also renames the Event’s folder on the hard disk where

your source media is located.

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 nd 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. Â

Select the Events you want to combine, and choose File > Merge Events. Â

2 In the Merge Events window that appears, type a new name for the Event.

3 Choose the disk where you want to store the Event’s source media les from the

Location pop-up menu, and click OK.

Final Cut Pro merges the selected Events into a single Event in the Event Library. The source media les for all the clips are moved into the merged Event folder on the hard

disk and stored in the location you chose from the pop-up menu.

Split an Event into multiple Events

1 Create the new Events you need.

2 Move the clips you want to separate out from the original Event to the new Events.

The source media les for all the clips are moved into the Event folders on disk corresponding to the newly created Events in the Event Library.

Important: If you disconnect the disk where your merged or split Events are stored,

you will not be able to access the Events or their source media les from within

Final Cut Pro until you reconnect the disk.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 59

Copy or move clips between Events

You can copy and move clips from one Event to another. When you copy a clip from

one Event to another, its source media les are duplicated on disk. When you move a clip from one Event to another, its source media les are moved from one Event folder

to the other on disk.

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:

Â If both Events are on the same hard disk: Option-drag the clips from one Event to

the other.

Â If the Events are on separate hard disks: Drag the clips from one Event to the other.

Move clips from one Event to another

1 In the Event Library, select the Event that contains the clips you want to move.

2 In the Event Browser, select the clip or clips you want to move.

3 Do one of the following:

Â If both Events are on the same hard disk: Drag the clips from one Event to the other.

Â If the Events are on separate hard disks: Command-drag the clips from one Event to

the other.

The Event to which you copy or move the clips may be re-sorted in the Event Library. It

will be listed below the year in which its most recent clip was recorded.

If you copy or move a large clip from an Event stored on one hard disk to an Event

stored on another, the move may take a few minutes as the source media les are

copied or moved from disk to disk.

Copy or move Events

You can easily copy or move an Event from your computer to a hard disk or from one hard disk to another. This is useful if you want to work with your Event on another computer that has Final Cut Pro installed or free up space on your computer’s hard disk.

Copy 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.

60 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

4 Do one of the following:

Choose File > Duplicate Event (or press Command-D). Â

Drag the Event to the external drive’s icon. Â

5 In the Duplicate Event window, type a name for the new Event.

6 To store your les in a second location, choose it from the Location pop-up menu.

7 Click OK.

Final Cut Pro makes a copy of the Event at the location you chose. It also makes copies

of the source media les and places them in a new Event folder. Keep in mind that copying an Event with large source media les can take several minutes.

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. Â

Command-drag the Event to the drive’s icon. Â

5 To store your les in a second location, choose it from the Location pop-up menu.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 61

6 Click OK.

Final Cut Pro moves the Event to the location you chose. It also moves the Event folder

which contains the source media les. Keep in mind that moving an Event with large source media les can take several minutes.

Important: If you disconnect the disk containing the Event you moved, you will no

longer have access to the Event or its source media les from within Final Cut Pro until

you reconnect the disk.

Sort Events

In the Event Library, you can view your Events in a number of ways, including by the

disk they’re stored on and the date when they were recorded.

Sort Events by storage location or date

m To view Events by the hard disk where they’re stored: Choose Group Events by Disk from

the Action pop-up menu below the Event Library.

m 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.

62 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Show Event date ranges

Final Cut Pro can display the date ranges for the source media les within each Event.

Choose Show Date Ranges in Event Library from the Action pop-up menu m .

Sort Events by most recent

Choose Arrange Events by Most Recent from the Action pop-up menu m .

Delete clips or Events

You can delete unwanted clips from an Event, and you can delete an entire Event in order to free up space on your hard disk. When you delete a clip from an Event or an entire Event, Final Cut Pro moves the source media to the Trash.

Note: The Event Library must contain at least one Event.

Delete clips from an Event or an entire Event

1 In the Event Library, select the Event you want to delete or delete clips from.

2 Do either of the following:

Â To delete clips from the Event: Select the clips you want to remove, and choose

File > Move to Trash (or press Command-Delete).

Â To delete the entire Event: Choose File > Move Event to Trash (or press

Command-Delete).

The selected clips’ source media les, or the Event and all its associated source media les, are moved to the Finder Trash. To permanently delete the source media les from

your hard disk, empty the Trash.

WARNING: After the Trash is emptied, the deleted clips or Event and all their source

media les cannot be restored.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 63

Organizeclips

View and sort clips

You can display your clips in the Event Browser in two views:

Â Filmstrip view: Displays the clips in the selected Event as a connected series

of thumbnail images. Filmstrip view is useful when you want to visually locate your clips.

Â List view: Displays a list of your clips with associated le information. Use this view

when you want to view or sort clips by data such as duration, creation date, rating,

keyword, and so on. When you select a clip in list view, a lmstrip for the selected clip appears at the top of the Event Browser. The lmstrip is fully interactive,

allowing access to start and end points, markers, and keywords.

64 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Slider set to 5 seconds

Slider set to 30 seconds

Switch between lmstrip and list views

Do one of the following:

Click the Filmstrip View button in the bottom-left corner of the Event Browser. m

Click the List View button in the bottom-left corner of the Event Browser. m

Customize lmstrip view

m To adjust the time represented by each thumbnail in a clip’s lmstrip: At the bottom-right

corner of the Event Browser, drag the Duration slider.

Adjusting the Duration slider expands and contracts the amount of detail shown in

each clip’s lmstrip. The longer each thumbnail’s duration, the fewer thumbnails each

clip displays, and the more clips are displayed in the Event Browser.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 65

m To adjust the lmstrip height: At the bottom-right corner of the Event Browser, click the

Clip Appearance button and drag the Clip Height slider.

66 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Keyword

Rating

m To turn audio waveforms on and o: 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 lmstrip,

increasing the height of all clips in the Event Browser.

Customize list view

m 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.

m To rearrange columns in list view: In the Event Browser, drag a column heading to move

the column to a new position.

m To sort clips in list view by a category: Click a column heading in the Event Browser to

sort clips by that category.

m To view a clip’s rating and keywords in list view: Click the disclosure triangle to the left of

the clip’s name.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 67

If a disclosure triangle appears to the left of a clip in list view, it means a rating, keyword, or both have been applied to that clip.

Sort clips in the Event Browser

You can sort clips in the Event Browser into an order that makes it easier to visually locate them.

1 In the Event Library, select the Event whose clips you want to sort.

2 Do one or both of the following:

Â To group clips by category: Choose Group Clips By from the Action pop-up menu

below the Event Library, and choose a category from the submenu. Choose to set

the sort order as Ascending or Descending from the same submenu.

Â To set the sort order of the clips in the Event without grouping them: Choose Arrange

Clips By from the Action pop-up menu below the Event Library, and choose a

category from the submenu.

Note: You can both group clips and set their sort order (arrangement) independently.

Reset the sort order in the Event Browser to its default state

1 In the Event Library, select the Event that contains the clips whose sort order you want

to reset.

2 Choose Group Clips By > None and Group Clips By > Ascending from the Action

pop-up menu below the Event Library.

3 Choose Arrange Clips By > Content Created and Arrange Clips By > Ascending from

the Action pop-up menu.

Rename clips

You can rename clips in the Event Browser, the Timeline Index, or the Info inspector at any time.

Renaming a clip aects 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

le on disk.

Rename a clip in the Event Browser

m To rename a clip in lmstrip view: Select a clip’s name, and type a new name.

m To rename a clip in list view: Select a clip’s name, press Return, and type a new name.

68 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Clips button

Rename a clip 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 Click the Clips button at the top of the Timeline Index.

3 Click the Name eld for a clip, and type a new name.

Rename a clip in the Info inspector

1 Select a clip in the Event Browser or the Timeline.

2 To open the Info inspector, click the Inspector button in the toolbar (shown below),

and click the Info button at the top of the pane that appears.

3 In the Name section of the Info inspector, click the Name eld and type a new name.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 69

Favorite

Rejected

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. You can

also delete your rejected clips’ source media les to free up space on your hard disk.

Rate clips

1 In the Event Browser, select a range, a clip, or multiple clips you want to rate.

2 Do one of the following:

Â If you like the selection: Press the F key or click the Favorite button in the toolbar.

In the Event Browser, a green line appears at the top of frames you’ve marked as Favorite.

Â If you don’t like the selection: Press the Delete key or click the Reject button in

the toolbar.

70 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Choose All Clips to show all the clips in the Event regardless of rating.

Clips with all ratings removed

A red line appears at the top of frames you’ve marked as Rejected.

Note: If you chose Hide Rejected from the Filter pop-up menu at the top of the

Event Browser, clips marked as Rejected disappear from view.

Remove ratings from clips

1 Make sure the clips you want to work with appear in the 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.

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.

The green or red line at the top of the clips disappears.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 71

Keyword Collections

Type the keyword or keyword phrase that you want to apply to the selection, and press Return.

Add keywords to clips

Applying keywords to your clips helps you quickly locate the clips you need to compose your movie. Analysis keywords are also automatically added to clips that have been analyzed for common video and audio issues.

When a keyword is applied to a clip or a section of a clip, a Keyword Collection

appears in the Event Library. A Keyword Collection contains pointers (aliases) to clips tagged with a specic keyword. For example, if you apply the keyword “Toys” to all

clips containing toys, you can then select the “Toys” Keyword Collection in the Event

Library to view all clips containing toys in the Event Browser.

You can apply one or more keywords to any range within a clip, a whole clip, or groups of clips in an Event, and you can apply keywords in two ways:

Add keywords using the Keyword Editor Â

Add keywords quickly using keyboard shortcuts Â

You can also remove a keyword or subset of keywords that you previously applied.

Apply keywords using the Keyword Editor

1 In the Event Browser, select a range or one or more clips to which you want to

add keywords.

2 To open the Keyword Editor, click the Keywords button in the toolbar.

3 At the top of the Keyword Editor, type the keyword or keyword phrase you want to

apply to the selection, and press Return.

72 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Enter keywords or a keyword phrase here to assign them to keyboard shortcuts.

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 nished adding keywords, close the Keyword Editor.

Assign keywords using keyboard shortcuts

To add keyword phrases to your clips using keyboard shortcuts, you must rst assign

keywords and keyword phrases to the keyboard shortcuts.

1 If the Keyword Editor isn’t open, click the Keywords button in the toolbar.

2 In the Keyword Editor, click the disclosure triangle to the left of Keyword Shortcuts.

3 Type a keyword or phrase in each shortcut eld, and press Return.

To reassign a keyboard shortcut, select the shortcut text in the eld and type the new keyword.

4 To use a keyboard shortcut, select a range or one or more clips to which you want to

add keywords, and press Control and the corresponding number key (1 through 9).

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 73

Select the keyword or keywords that you want to remove from the selection, and press Delete.

Remove all keywords from a clip

1 In the Event Browser, select a range or one or more clips from which you want to

remove keywords.

A blue bar at the top of the clips indicates the portions of the clips that have keywords applied to them.

2 Choose Mark > Remove All Keywords (or press Control-0).

Remove a subset of keywords from a clip

You use the Keyword Editor to remove a subset of keywords from a clip.

1 In the Event Browser, select a range or one or more clips from which you want to

remove specic keywords.

A blue bar at the top of the clips or range within the clip indicates the portions of the clips that have keywords applied to them. Each keyword assigned to a clip is also shown in list view.

2 Click the Keywords button in the toolbar to open the Keyword Editor, select the

keyword or keywords you want to remove, and press Delete.

The keyword or keywords deleted in the Keyword Editor are removed from the selection in the Event Browser.

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 nd your clips by entering the note text in the search eld in the Event Browser or the Timeline Index, or the Text eld in the

Filter window.

Note: You can add notes to each instance of a 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.

74 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Clips button

Add or edit clip notes in the Event Browser

1 Click the List View button in the bottom-left corner of the Event Browser.

2 Select the clip for which you want to add or edit notes.

Note: Notes are applied to the whole clip, not to range selections.

3 Click the Notes eld for the clip, and type or edit the notes for that clip.

Add or edit clip notes in the Timeline Index

1 To open the Timeline Index, click the Timeline Index button in the lower-left corner of

the Final Cut Pro main window (or press Command-Shift-2).

2 To open the Clips pane, click the Clips button at the top of the Timeline Index.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 75

Enter notes for a clip here.

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 eld for the clip, and type or edit the notes for that clip.

Organize clips by roles

You can organize clips by roles, which are metadata text labels assigned to clips.

When you import clips (video, audio, or still images), Final Cut Pro automatically

assigns one of ve default roles to the video and audio components of each clip: Video, Titles, Dialogue, Music, and Eects. You can also create custom roles and subroles and

assign them to clips.

You can view and reassign roles in the Event Browser, the Timeline Index, or the Info inspector. For example, you could easily identify all your dialogue clips and play them back in isolation from other audio clips. See “View and reassign roles” on page 340.

Find clips in the Event Browser

In Final Cut Pro, you can search for media in two ways:

Â Quickly lter clips by marking: Use the Filter pop-up menu in the Event Browser to

quickly locate individual clips by rating, or the absence of ratings and keywords.

Â Search by a combination of criteria using the Filter window: Use the Filter window to

perform complex searches for clips, also known as a weighted search. You can use a wide variety of criteria to search with, including clip name, rating, media type, excessive shake, keywords, the presence of people, format information, and date.

76 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Add Rule pop-up menu

Filter clips quickly by rating

Use the Filter pop-up menu in the Event Browser to quickly nd 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.

Â All Clips: Shows all clips in the Event.

Â Hide Rejected: Shows all clips or range selections except those you’ve rated Reject.

Â No Ratings or Keywords: Shows only the clips or range selections without ratings

or keywords.

Â Favorites: Shows only the clips or range selections you’ve rated Favorite.

Â Rejected: Shows only the clips or range selections you’ve rated Reject.

Search for clips by a combination of criteria

The Filter window allows you to combine multiple search criteria. For example, you can search for video clips that contain the text “exterior” in their metadata.

1 In the Event Library, select the Event or folder you want to search.

2 Click the Filter button at the top of the Event Browser.

3 In the Filter window, choose search criteria, or rules, from the Add Rule pop-up menu.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 77

Â Text: Find clips by their name or any notes applied to them in list view using text.

You can add multiple Text rules to search by more than one word or phrase, as well

as eliminate specic words and phrases from the search.

Â Ratings: Find clips based on the rating (Favorite or Reject) assigned to them.

Â Media Type: Find clips whose source media les are of a specic type, such as video,

audio, or stills.

Â Stabilization: Find video clips that Final Cut Pro has identied as having

excessive shake.

Â Keywords: Find clips by any of the keywords that you’ve assigned to them. You can

select one or more keywords to search for.

Â People: Find clips that Final Cut Pro has identied as having people in them.

Â Format Info: Find clips using format information, such as video frame rate or

scene number.

Â Date: Find clips by either the date the clip’s media le was created or the date the

media was imported into Final Cut Pro.

Â Roles: Find clips by their assigned roles.

To remove a rule, click the Remove button to the right of the rule. To exclude a rule from your search without removing it, deselect the checkbox to the left of the rule.

4 Further rene your search by choosing items from the pop-up menus for the rules

you’ve added.

5 Do one of the following:

Â To specify that a clip must match at least one of the criteria or keywords: Choose Any

from the pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Filter window.

Â To specify that a clip must match all the criteria and keywords: Choose All from the

pop-up menu.

The clips that match the search criteria are displayed in the Event Browser, and icons indicating the search status appear to the right of the Filter button at the top of the Event Browser.

If you wish, you can save your search results as a Smart Collection, which gathers clips automatically based on the search criteria.

78 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Clear a weighted search

Click the Reset button to the right of the search status icons in the upper-right corner m of the Event Browser.

Tip: ∏ If clips still appear to be missing from view, make sure to choose either All Clips

or Hide Rejected from the Filter pop-up menu in the upper-left corner of the Event Browser.

Search for clips by clip name and notes

You can use the search eld to quickly nd clips by name and any notes (applied in list

view) without having to open the Filter window.

1 In the Event Library, select one or more Events you want to search.

2 In the search eld, enter the clip’s name or notes applied to the clip you’re looking for.

Conduct a lter and search workow

Performing a weighted search and then ltering the clips in the Event Browser by rating is a powerful way to quickly nd clips. This is also the best method of nding specic clips that you haven’t rated and comparing them against the clips you

have rated.

1 In the Event Library, select the Event or folder you want to search.

2 Search for clips using a combination of search criteria as described in the “Search for

clips by a combination of criteria” steps above. However, do not apply a ratings lter

using the Filter window.

3 Use the Filter pop-up menu, as described in the “Filter clips quickly by rating” steps

above, to quickly lter the clips by rating.

4 Repeat step 3 until you nd 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. Anytime a new clip that matches the Smart Collection’s search criteria is brought into the Event, the new clip is automatically added to the Smart Collection.

Clips that appear in Smart Collections are not duplicates. Smart Collections lter clips in an Event to help you focus on the clips you need to use for a specic task.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 79

Smart Collection

Create a Smart Collection based on search criteria

1 In the Event Library, select an Event.

2 Use the Filter window to search for clips based on specied criteria.

3 In the Filter window, click the New Smart Collection button.

A new, untitled Smart Collection appears in the Event Library.

4 Type a name for the Smart Collection, and press Return.

When you add clips to the Event that match the Smart Collection’s search criteria, they’re automatically added to the Smart Collection.

Change the contents of a Smart Collection

1 In the Event Library, double-click the Smart Collection whose contents you want

to change.

The Filter window for the Smart Collection appears.

2 Revise the search criteria in the Filter window.

3 When you’re nished specifying search criteria, close the Filter window.

Note: Modifying a clip’s ratings or keywords in such a way that it no longer matches a Smart Collection’s search criteria results in the clip no longer appearing in the Smart Collection.

Delete a Smart Collection

In the Event Library, select the Smart Collection you want to delete, and choose m 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 unaected.

80 Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia

Organize Keyword and Smart Collections

You can organize Keyword Collections and Smart Collections in the Event Library with folders.

Organize collections with folders

1 In the Event Library, select the Event containing the collections you want to organize,

and choose File > New Folder.

2 Type a name for the new folder that appears within the Event.

3 Select the Smart Collections and Keyword Collections you want to organize, and drag

them into the new folder.

You can show and hide the contents of the folder by clicking the disclosure triangle to the left of the folder’s name.

Chapter 5 Organizeyourmedia 81

Play back and skim media

Playbackandskimmingoverview

Final Cut Pro makes it easy to view and listen your media, whether it’s located in the

Event Browser, the Project Library, or the Timeline. Its dynamic previewing capabilities let you nd 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 Â playhead marks your project’s current position in the Timeline or the Event Browser. You can move the playhead by dragging it or clicking another area of the Timeline or Event Browser. You use the playhead to scrub, or play back from its current position.

The playhead appears as a gray vertical line that is xed in place unless you move it

or click elsewhere.

The Â skimmer lets you preview clips in the Timeline, Event Browser, or Project Library, without aecting the playhead position. You use the skimmer to skim, or freely

move over clips to play back at the position and speed of the pointer.

Playhead

Skimmer

The skimmer appears as a pink vertical line as you move the pointer over the area you’re skimming. If you have snapping turned on, the skimmer turns orange when it snaps to a position.

When skimming is turned on, you can skim to see what’s in other clips, but still keep your playhead position in the Timeline. If both the playhead and skimmer are present in the same clip, the skimmer becomes the default position for playback or editing.

When skimming is turned o or the skimmer is not present in a clip, the playhead

assumes the default position.

Play back media

You can play back projects and clips in Final Cut Pro. Playback options include playing from the beginning, playing from a certain point, looping playback, and playing at

dierent speeds.

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 498 for more information.

Chapter 6 Play back and skim media 83

Yellow border

The clip or project begins playing at the skimmer or playhead position.

Skimmer

Play back video and audio clips

m To play a project or clip from the beginning: Select the project or clip and choose

View > Playback > Play from Beginning (or press Shift-Control-I).

m To play a section of a project, selected clips, or a frame range from the beginning: Select

the project, clips, or all or part of a clip, and choose View > Playback > Play Selection, or press the Slash (/) key.

When you select a clip or a portion of a clip or project, the selected area is marked with a yellow border.

m To play a project or clip from a specic point: In the Event Browser or the Timeline, click a

point in a project or within a clip where you want to begin (or move the playhead to the point in the Timeline), and either press the Space bar or click the Play button in

the Viewer (or press L).

m To play around the playhead or skimmer: Choose View > Playback > Play Around, or

press Shift-Question Mark (?).

m To stop playback: Press the Space bar.

84 Chapter 6 Play back and skim media

Skimmer

Skim media

You can quickly skim your video and audio to preview it, search for a particular shot, or make an edit. When skimming is turned on and you move the pointer forward or backward over a clip in the Event Browser or the Timeline, the content under the pointer plays in the Viewer.

You can also use the Blade, Trim, and Range Selection editing tools to skim clips in the Timeline or in the Precision Editor.

As you’re editing in Final Cut Pro, you may nd skimming distracting when you move the pointer from one location to another. You can disable all skimming (or just audio skimming).

Skim clips

Move the pointer forward or backward over a clip in the Event Browser or the Timeline. m

The skimmer (a vertical pink line) indicates exactly where the pointer is as you skim, and the corresponding frames are displayed in the Viewer.

Tip: ∏ You can also press the Space bar at any time to play forward from the

skimmer position.

Chapter 6 Play back and skim media 85

Audio skimming is turned off.

Skimming is turned on.

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.

When using an editing tool as a skimmer, you can skim and add markers to clips under connected clips in the Timeline.

Turn skimming on and o

m To turn all skimming on or o: Click the Skimming button, choose View > Skimming,

or press S.

m To turn audio skimming on or o: Click the Audio Skimming button, choose

View > Audio Skimming, or press Shift-S.

When skimming is turned on, the skimming buttons appear blue.

Note: When skimming is turned o, you can still skim with the Blade, Trim, and Range

Selection editing tools.

86 Chapter 6 Play back and skim media

“�

Moves through

forward speeds

{�

Moves through

reverse speeds

Pause

Use the J, K, and L keys

You can use the J, K, and L keys on your keyboard to play through a project or clip.

Playback begins at the location of the playhead (on a project) or the skimmer (on a

clip). You can also use the J, K, and L keys to control a video playback device.

You can use these keys to speed playback up to 32x normal speed.

Use the J, K, and L keys for playback

m To begin forward playback at normal (1x) speed: Press L.

m To begin reverse playback at normal (1x) speed: Press J.

m To pause playback: Press K.

m To double the current playback speed: Press L or J twice.

m To immediately reverse the playback direction: Press J to play in reverse, or press L to

play forward.

m To move the playhead one frame at a time: Hold down the K key, and press J or L.

m To move the playhead at 1/2x speed: Hold down the K key while holding down J or L.

Chapter 6 Play back and skim media 87

When you use keyboard shortcuts to control a device (like a camcorder or camera), the speed of forward (L) and reverse (J) playback may dier depending on your video equipment.

Playbackmediainaloop

You can turn on looping so that a project (or any portion of it) plays in a continuous loop.

Turn looping on or o

Do one of the following:

Choose View > Playback > Loop Playback (or press Command-L). m

Click the Loop Playback button m below the Viewer.

Loop your entire project

With looping turned on, press the Space bar to play the project. m

Loop a portion of your project

1 Select a range in the Timeline.

2 Choose View > Playback > Selection, or press the Slash (/) key.

Playvideofullscreen

Play video in full-screen view

1 Select or open a project in the Project Library or open a clip in the Event Library. Then

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). Â

Click the Play Full Screen button Â 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.

88 Chapter 6 Play back and skim media

Viewplaybackonaseconddisplay

If you have a second display connected to your computer, you can show the Viewer on the second display to play video, or the Event Browser on the second display to view clips in an Event, thereby expanding your workspace in the Final Cut Pro main window.

Show the Viewer 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 Viewer on Second Display.

The Viewer appears on the second display. All Viewer features (including onscreen controls) are now available on the second display.

3 To return the Viewer to the Final Cut Pro main window, choose Window > Show Viewer

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.

The Event Library and Event Browser appear on the second display. All Event features

(including selection capabilities, markers, keywords, and so on) are now available on the second display.

To return the Event Library and Event Browser to the Final Cut Pro main window, choose Window > Show Events in the Main Window.

Chapter 6 Play back and skim media 89

Viewplaybackonanexternalvideomonitor

Final Cut Pro includes an A/V Output option to send video and audio from your computer to an external video monitor. 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

Play video and audio on an external video monitor

1 Install the video interface hardware and software according to the manufacturer’s

instructions.

2 Connect an external video monitor to the video interface and make sure it’s connected

to power and turned on.

3 To select an A/V output device, choose Final Cut Pro > Preferences (or press

Command-Comma), click Playback, and choose a device in the Playback preferences pane.

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 o A/V output, choose Window > A/V Output.

90 Chapter 6 Play back and skim media

Background render indicator

Playbackandbackgroundrendering

When you add eects, transitions, generators, titles, and other items that require

rendering, the background render indicator (an orange bar) appears below the timecode in the Timeline.

By default, background rendering begins 5 seconds after you stop working and moving the pointer in Final Cut Pro. Background rendering continues while you work

in a dierent application. You can change this setting in the Final Cut Pro preferences.

Playyourprojectsonotherdevices

You can view your Final Cut Pro project on Apple TV, watch your movies in Front Row, and sync a project to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod. For more information, see “Sharing projects overview” on page 434.

Chapter 6 Play back and skim media 91

Create and manage projects

Createanewproject

To create a movie in Final Cut Pro, you rst 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. Â

Specify a default Event for the project. Â

The default Event stores media that’s dragged to the project from the Finder or a Final Cut Pro media browser. If you drag media from the Finder to the project’s Timeline, that media is automatically located in the project’s default Event.

Optionally, you can also set the starting timecode and dene the video, audio, and

render properties for the project.

After creating your project, you add clips to it from the Event Library.

Note: If you’re creating a project and you haven’t yet imported media into Final Cut Pro, you should do so. See “Importing overview” on page 24 for information.

Start a project

1 Do one of the following:

In Final Cut Pro, choose File > New Project (or press Command-N). Â

Make sure the Project Library is open, and click the New Project button. Â

2 In the window that appears, type a name for the project in the Name eld.

New project

3 Choose a default Event for the project.

If you drag any media les from the Finder directly to the project’s Timeline, or add

media to the project from one of the media browsers, that media is automatically added to the project’s default Event.

4 If you want to further customize settings for your project, click Use Custom Settings.

Note: Final Cut Pro shows the Automatic Settings by default, but it will remember the settings you used last, so this step may be unnecessary.

5 If you want your project’s timecode to start at a value other than 00:00:00:00, type a

starting timecode value in the Starting Timecode eld.

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 specic requirement for the project you’re creating, it’s best to leave “Set automatically based on rst video clip” selected.

7 Click OK.

The new project appears in the Project Library with the name you gave it in step 2.

You can now add clips from the Event Browser and begin to edit your project in other

ways, adding titles, special eects, background music, sound eects, and more.

You can change a project’s name, default Event, and project properties at any time. See “Modify a project’s name and properties” on page 94 for more information.

Chapter 7 Createandmanageprojects 93

Previewandopenaproject

If you want to see the contents of a project, you can preview the project before opening it.

Preview 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 in the Project Library.

3 To preview a project in the Viewer, select it and do one of the following:

Â To skim the project: Move the pointer over the lmstrip (to the right of the

project’s name).

Â To play the project from the skimmer (the pink vertical line): Press the Space bar;

press it again to stop playing the project.

Open a project

1 Open the Project Library.

2 Locate the project you want to open and double-click it.

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 eld, and press Return.

Depending on how you have the Project Library organized, the project’s position in

the project list may change after you rename it.

Change a project’s default Event and properties

When you create a project, you set the project properties and assign the project a default Event to hold media that is dragged directly into the project’s Timeline from a Final Cut Pro media browser or the Finder.

94 Chapter 7 Createandmanageprojects

Properties button

Project Properties button

Choose a default Event from the pop-up menu.

Change the project’s

video, audio, and render properties.

In most cases, Final Cut Pro manages project properties automatically based on

the properties of the rst clip you add to a project, but you can change a project’s

properties at any time. If you must modify the project properties, choose video and audio project properties based on how you intend to share your nal movie with your audience.

1 Open the Project Library and select a project.

2 Do one of the following:

Choose File > Project Properties (or press Command-J). Â

If the Inspector pane is hidden, click the Inspector button in the toolbar. Â

Then click the Properties button at the top of the pane.

3 Click the Project Properties button .

4 In the window that appears, change the settings as appropriate.

Chapter 7 Createandmanageprojects 95

Name

Â Name: Type a name for the project.

Default Event

Â Default Event: Choose the default Event for the project.

Starting Timecode

Â Starting Timecode: If you want your project’s timecode to start at a value other than

00:00:00:00, type a starting timecode value.

Drop Frame Timecode

Â Drop Frame: Select the checkbox to turn on drop frame timecode (this option

appears only for 29.97 and 59.94 fps media).

In non-drop frame timecode, the timecode counter counts at a consistent rate without dropping any numbers from the count. Non-drop frame timecode is available as a display option for every frame rate.

In drop frame timecode, frames 0 and 1 are skipped the rst second of every minute, unless the minute number is exactly divisible by 10.

Video Properties

Â Format: Choose the video format (a specic method of encoding the video).

Â Resolution: Choose the frame size of the video.

Â Rate: Choose the frames per second (fps).

Audio and Render Properties

Â Audio Channels: Choose whether to present the audio as multichannel surround

sound or as stereo.

Â Audio Sample Rate: Choose the audio sample rate for your project (the number

of times a signal is measured—or sampled—per second). A higher sample rate produces higher-quality audio and larger le sizes, and a lower sample rate produces lower-quality audio and smaller le sizes. Which sample rate you choose to work with depends on the source material you’re working with, and the nal

destination of your audio.

Â Render Format: Choose the codec to use for your project’s background rendering.

5 Click OK.

Dene the order in which Events are referenced by a project

If you have duplicate clips in dierent Events, you can dene the order in which

Final Cut Pro looks for the clips.

1 Open the Project Library and select a project.

96 Chapter 7 Createandmanageprojects

Properties button

2 Do one of the following:

Choose File > Project Properties (or press Command-J). Â

If the Inspector pane is hidden, click the Inspector button in the toolbar. Â

Then click the Properties button at the top of the pane.

3 Click the Modify Event References button in the Referenced Events section.

4 In the window that appears, drag the Events to set the order in which Final Cut Pro will

look for clips.

5 When you’ve set the order, click OK.

Chapter 7 Createandmanageprojects 97

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 specic names. As your Project Library

grows, you can rename, copy, move, and delete your projects as necessary.

Use folders to sort projects

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 disk, folder, or project to which you want to add a folder, and click the New

Folder button at the bottom-left corner of the Final Cut Pro main window.

A new folder called New Folder appears inside the disk or folder you selected, or at the same level as the project you selected.

3 Do any of the following:

Â To rename the folder: Select the folder, click the folder name, and type a new name.

Â To add a project to the folder: Drag the project to the folder.

Â To open or close the folder: Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the folder name.

98 Chapter 7 Createandmanageprojects

Choose a location to put the copied project.

Select a duplicate option.

Copy a project

Copying a project is useful if you want to work on a new version of a project or transfer a copy to another computer.

1 Open the Project Library and select a project.

2 Choose File > Duplicate Project.

3 In the window that appears, choose a location for the duplicated le from the Location

pop-up menu.

4 Select an option to specify what is duplicated:

Â Duplicate Project Only: Duplicates only the project le.

Â Duplicate Project and Referenced Events: Duplicates the project le, any Events

referred to by the project le, and all of the media in the referenced Events.

Â Duplicate Project + Used Clips Only: Duplicates the project le and the media les for

any clips used in the project.

Â Include Render Files: Select this checkbox to include render les for the clips and

projects. If you want to free up hard disk space, deselect this checkbox.

5 Click OK.

Final Cut Pro duplicates the project to the location you chose using the option you

specied. The project is given an appended name (for example “:Bill’s movie1”), and the project appears in the Project Library.

Quickly copy a project to a connected external storage device

Open the Project Library, select a project, and drag the project to another hard disk’s m icon in the Project Library.

Chapter 7 Createandmanageprojects 99

Choose a location to which you want to move the project.

Select a move option.

Move a project

You can easily move a project to a connected hard disk or another computer. Moving a project le is useful if you want to work on a project using another computer that has

Final Cut Pro installed, or if you want to free up space on your computer’s hard disk.

Important: You cannot undo a le move.

1 Open the Project Library and select a project.

2 Do one of the following:

Choose File > Move Project. Â

Hold down the Command key while you drag the project to another hard disk’s icon Â in the Project Library.

3 In the window that appears, choose where you want to move the project (to a hard

disk or computer) from the Location pop-up menu.

4 Select an option to specify what is moved:

Â Move Project Only: Moves only the project le.

Â Move Project and Referenced Events: Moves the project le, any Events referred to by

the project le, and all of the media in the referenced Events.

5 Click OK.

Final Cut Pro moves the project to the location you chose using the option you specied. See “Where your media and project les are located” on page 464 for information about the default location of Final Cut Pro projects and Events.

10 0 Chapter 7 Createandmanageprojects

Apple Final Cut Pro - X User Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.3?

What’s new in Final Cut Pro 10.0.1?

What is Final Cut Pro?

Import spanned clips

Import from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Import from a digital still camera

Import from tape-based devices

If your device isn’t recognized

Import from iMovie

Import from iPhoto and Aperture

Import from iTunes

Import from a hard disk

Access media on an archive or disk image

About memory cards and cables

Analyze your media

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

View and sort clips

Rename clips

Rate clips as Favorite or Rejected

Add keywords to clips

Add or edit clip notes

Organize clips by roles

Find clips in the Event Browser

Save searches as Smart Collections

Organize Keyword and Smart Collections

Play back media

Skim media

Use the J, K, and L keys