Archive for the ‘ Final Cut Pro ’ Category

Dynamic Trimming in FCPX – Video Tutorial

With all of the negativity around FCPX, I figured it was time to really look closely at how trimming can be performed in FCPX and Avid.  This walkthrough of using the trimming commands during playback shows that maybe FCPX isn’t so bad after all.  Look forward to another video coming soon on how similar trimming is in Avid to FCPX.

Dynamic Trim in FCPX from Chadwick Shoults on Vimeo.

 
Shortcut References:

shift + x = extend edit (edit during playback, dynamic)
; and ‘ = go to prev and next edit
[ and ] and \ = selects the type of trim operation (single roller, dual roller)
, and . = nudging 1 frame (use shift to x10 the change)
option and [ = top edit
option and ] = tail edit
command + b = add edit (cut)
t = only really used for slip and slide (not changing durations)
x = selects range between 2 cuts

2013
04/18
CATEGORY
FCPX
Final Cut Pro
Post Production Workflow
Tutorial
Video Editing
3 comments

DropSync for Shuttle Drives

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If you’re anything like me, then you use many computers during the course of a week.  You also might use many different hard drives.  I recently found this cheap $10 app that makes working across different computers and external hard drives a LOT easier.  It is called DropSync.

This app allows you to synchronize folders across drives of your choosing.  So how is this useful?

Scenario 1 – You want to take a project home with you on a shuttle drive.  You make changes.  Maybe make some new files (or delete some) then need to copy back only the changes to your work machine when you get in the next day.  This does that!

Scenario 2 – You want a backup of your Lightroom photos and catalog backups?  This does that with ease.

Scenario 3 – Let’s say 2 editors start out with 2 identical drives but are working together on a single project.  At the end of each day you can do a right to left, then a left to right sync and both editors will be caught up with all of the new files they created each day.  Pretty awesome.

You can manually run the sync operation by running the app.  Also, another cool option available with the r sync functionality is to have the backup copy be created immediately when the original file is created.  This assumes your backup drive is mounted of course.  Give it a shot, it’s cheap and pretty powerful.  Credit goes to Kanen Flowers for introducing me to this great little too.

2013
04/14
CATEGORY
Final Cut Pro
Post Production Workflow
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Philip Hodgetts on FCP 7 to X

Although I did a quick tutorial on how to use the software, Philip did a run through and I always think it’s always best to hear about products from the developers themselves.  Here it is from LAFCPUG.

2012
03/01
CATEGORY
FCPX
Final Cut Pro
Post Production Workflow
Video Editing
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Final Cut Pro 7 to X

Probably the biggest thing missing in the stock version of Final Cut Pro X is the ability to bring in old projects for revisions or repurposing.  Philip Hodgetts at assistedediting.com and his team built an amazing little app that converts your old legacy projects into the current version (10.0.3).  While I’m still confused how apple hasn’t purchased this software from them, I’m glad a small shop can leave such a huge impact on our industry.  Here is the link.

Take 2 minutes and see how easy it is to move old shows forward with FCPX.

2012
02/17
CATEGORY
FCPX
Final Cut Pro
Photography
Post Production Workflow
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X-Games vitaminwater Spots

I finally got to play with some high frame rate (300 fps) Red Epic footage this past month. With the aid of the Twixtor Plugin for After Effects we created some new snow slang at CP+B for vitaminwater. You can catch them here now or on ESPN throughout the weekend:



2012
01/27
CATEGORY
After Effects
Final Cut Pro
Red
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Mixing Voice and Music Fast in Final Cut Pro

Have you ever had a producer tell you to cut a few shots out of your video after you already made the “perfect” mix using clip overlays, keyframes, and rubberbands?  Here is an old school technique I use that prevents this frustration.  It keeps audio very flexible with the use of through-edits, crossfades, and the roll tool.  Check it out and be happy!

Also, if you have other time saving mixing techniques I’d love to hear ‘em.

2012
01/19
CATEGORY
FCPX
Final Cut Pro
Post Production Workflow
2 comments

5 things that make FCPX…well – Cool!

It seems that all I keep hearing on Twitter and Facebook is that Final Cut Pro X sucks.  It’s iMovie Pro.  It’s not letting me work like a “pro”.  It won’t let me work accurately or fast.  Bahhumbug Scrooges.  FCPX is here, it’s big, and it’s going to be much bigger.  It’s time to stop whining and LEARN what it CAN DO for you.

Here are my top 5 reasons why I think Final Cut Pro X is already awesome in its’ infant state.

  1. You can edit video without touching a mouse.  By simply using command + 1 or 2 you jump between the footage and timeline.  You can press up and down arrows to navigate and load footage into the viewer/canvas.  Then using the insert, overwrite, append, and connect commands you can build your rough story very fast.
  2. You can EASILY offline to online your projects for working on the road with an older laptop.  7 years ago I remember doing DV offlines and going back to online the show with uncompressed 10 bit SD from the DigiBeta source.  This sucked!  It was a technical challenge that made for less time making a great video and more time focussing on technical patching (and finding source tapes).
  3. The inline precision editor and the collapse of the rip, roll, slip, slide tools into 1 – T.  This one you can’t explain, just use it and you will see why it’s so great.  Finally a great way to visually trim with an Apple editing tool.
  4. The audio effects and plugins taken from Soundtrack Pro make it easy to make quick fixes on the fly.  The most important of these for me is the limiter.  For projects with voice over, which is 99% of the programs I edit, the limiter is my savior for my primitive mixing skills.  Sample by sample, it allows me to even out the vo talent read so I have a consistent level to work with against the music and nat sounds in the video.  I have recorded using a cheap snowball microphone and used this limiter.  Many people can’t tell the difference in this and a sound booth when mixed.
  5. Forcing a clean timeline with it being “magnetic” by default.  I can’t count how many times I have inherited a “dirty” project.  While there are some editing sins that should never be committed (like linking media from a desktop), others are more vague to younger editors.  For me, this is timeline organization.  Final Cut Pro X collapses down all of those would be empty tracks and uses them only as needed.  I don’t need to see 8 tracks with different clip options stacked on top anymore because they invented auditioning.  This is a huge leap forward for collaborative editing.  It forces organization.

Best of all is that you can try all of this out for yourself for 30 days for free.  After that if you like it enough you can buy it for only $300, instead of over a grand on competitors software.  Now, all this being said, am I going to purchase Final Cut Pro X after the trial is up?  No.  There are still a few shortcomings that I want in there and will be fixed soon.  Though overall I think it is a great start and only going to get better.  Why not try it?  You might like a new way of thinking and working.

2011
10/04
CATEGORY
FCPX
Final Cut Pro
HDSLR
Post Production Workflow
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Top 10 Lies Editors Hear

Somewhere, several years ago I came across this list of lies and still find it amusing.  I slightly modified it to be accurate with my current work, but here it is.  No explanation necessary.  Maybe we could make a drinking game of it someday?  What are some lies you hear frequently?

2011
08/29
CATEGORY
Final Cut Pro
Post Production Workflow
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Video Space – A Tool for Video Editors

Every once and a while, an amazing tool goes unnoticed.  One of those great tools is a Mac OSX widget called VideoSpace, made by Digital Heaven.  This little widget app is an ideal calculator for determining the amount of storage you need for almost ANY popular video format, frame rate, and resolution.

I formerly used this widget when we worked mostly with DigiBeta and had to decide if we could online the footage from the start with 10 bit uncompressed capture.  Instead, now I find myself using it to determine how much my HDSLR footage will grow in size when transcoding to a flavor of ProRes 4:2:2.  It works great and best of all is free.  So – I say download it and support the cool company with other paid products if the need ever arises.

2011
07/08
CATEGORY
Final Cut Pro
Post Production Workflow
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FCP Tip – Change Colored Markers FAST!

One often overlooked power feature of Final Cut Pro 7  is the ability to not just make markers with the “m” key.  The “m” key always gives you the same default red marker.  What if you had to indicate something like script markers with one color and a select part of a take with another?

FCP has just that little known trick!  If you use the hot key combo of “shift + number on the number row” you will get a different corresponding color for each number.  This allows you to very quickly make a different color of marker without going into the edit marker dialogue box and selecting the new one.

One bonus tip regarding markers that is very similar to “range based keywording” in FCPX is an extended marker.  In order to make an extended marker on a clip or timeline simply make a marker as usual, then at the end of the range – hit “option + ~”.  This will draw out a colored line that is the extent of the marked area.

I find extended markers useful for indicating segments or shots that need work that I will address after a directors review of the cut.

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2011
07/01
CATEGORY
Final Cut Pro
Post Production Workflow
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