Final Cut Pro (FCP) Training
-Importing Clips
-Fcp Windows
-Adding Clips to Timeline
-Editing In The Timeline
-Transitions
-Filters
-Text
-Text Animation
-Opacity
-Speed/Reverse Clip
1. Getting Started in FCP
a.
Open the application folder on your desktop and double
click on the final cut pro icon.
b. FCP will always check for an external device/ camera
to connect to. This is always the first error message to appear. If you are not
importing footage from a camera you can click cancel.
Note:
Its important to have the camera on in VCR mode and connected to the
computer before you open FCP if you want the settings to be correct.
c.
If someone else's project opens up in the browser,
click on the name of their project in the browser window and then go to file on the top menu and select close project.
2. Create a New Project
Folder and Project
a. Go to file and select save as
b. Find your
student folder in the student folder on the desktop. (If you havenıt created one yet, you can do that
now.)
c. Create a new folder
with the name fcp tutorials and
save it in your student work folder.
d. Name the FCP project file with
your name, likeJohns- FCP tutorial,
and save this to your new folder.
Always save files to your projects folders
or they will be deleted.
3. Reset Sequence Settings
Rather
than scare you with lots of preferences just know that you will usually be
working with these default settings.
Editing
Timebase : 29.97
Frame
Size: 740 x 480
Compressor:
DV-NTSC
16
bit 48.000 kHz stereo
HOWEVER
The tutorial files for this project are in a different format that take up less memory. So you will need to change these settings.
a.
CLICK once on the timeline sequence to make
it the active window in FCP. (Note: the Timeline:Sequence heading will turn white when it is the selected window)
b. Go to ³Sequence
at the top of the page and scroll down to sequence settings
Note:
You will not be able to select settings if the sequence window is not the active
window in FCP.
c. Adjust the settings for the categories so that they match the image below.
a. You will be importing the files for this project from
the tutorials folder on the
desktop.
b.
Go to file and then import and select folder. All your clips will be brought in at one time.
c.
In the tutorials folder on the desktop, go into the folder called FCP tutorials and select
the folder called Dance shots
d.
Folder should have appeared in the browser called Dance Shots. These are the shots you will be
using to make your tutorial movie. To see what the finished movie will look
like, click on help on FCP and
scroll down to fcp tutorials and
play the movie that pops up. This is what were shooting for.
5 Introduction to the 4 Final Cut Pro Windows
The
Browser- this is the storage location
for all your media.
a. Notice the different icons for media: stills, sequences, audio and movies.
b. All media must be present in the browser if it is to be used in the project
c. In the Browser double click on a intro.mov
and now we will move on to examining clip in the viewer window.
The Viewer- shows
you previews of your clips from
the
browser.
a. By moving the play head, you can preview a clip in this window.
b. The clip will also play by hitting the play
button under the clip
c. Editing can be done in the viewer by setting the in (I)
and out (o) points on a clip in the viewer and then dragging the clip to the
timeline.
d. The
viewer can also be used to apply filters and effects to clips
The Timeline- This is the where your series of clips are assembled
for your finished movie.
a. Notice the numbers and names for the different
³tracks² of video.(Note: Each video track has two tracks of audio)
b. You can lock a track by clicking the small lock on the
track you want to protect.
c.
You can target a specific audio or video track
by clicking on the small yellow clips and speakers.
d. 
On the bottom
of the timeline you can control how large the tracks are shown in the timeline and
also show the audio levels and keyframes on your tracks. You can also magnify
the track.
The Canvas- window looks exactly like the viewer window but
shows you everything that exists in the timeline.
a. This window will play the clips you have assembled in
the timeline.
b. This window allows you to use title safe and helps in title animation. You can also change the
size of the image.(which we will get into later)
c. By double clicking a clip once it is in the timeline, the section of the clip you have selected will open
in the viewer. Only the properties of that selection of the clip will be
effected, not the original source footage.
Using Final Cut Pro
6. Adding Clips to the
Timeline
a. You might want to keep the first page of the
tutorial open so you can see the sample movie we are trying to recreate.This
movie uses the interview with Rob as the first clip and then adds b-roll of
the movements and dances he is discussing.The first clip we will be adding to
our timeline is the clip called Rob Dialog.mov.
b. Insert
Edit:-Double click the clip called
Rob Dialog.mov in the browser
to load it into the viewer window.
c.
Click and drag the picture of Rob dialog.movto the far right of the canvas window and use the insert edit option.
d.
You should have noticed that the clip Rob dialog.mov is now in the timeline and can be viewed from the canvas
window.
(You
can also drag a clip directly from the browser to the timeline)
e.
Three point edit- Now that we have Rob dialog.mov in the timeline,
we are going add b-roll. There is another type of edit called a ³three-point
edit. If we set in and out points on a clip in the viewer window
and place the play head to the exact positon in the timeline, we can add just
the footage we want to that exact spot.
f.
When you double click the clip called Bloomies in the
Browser, it loads the clip into the viewer.
g.
On the keyboard, hit the letter I to set an in point.
( A small blue in point marker should appear in the viewer).
h.
Now move the playhead 4 seconds and set anout point on
our clip by pressing the letter O on the key. The clip in the viewer should
like the same as below. These are the two first points of your three point edit
i.
Now place the play head in your timeline just after Rob as he says, if you look at the Lindy
Hop. This is the third point of your 3 point edit.
j.
Go back to view and click on the bloomies clip in the
viewer, and drag it over to the overwrite window on the canvas and let go. You
should have just added the bloomies clip to the timeline just after Rob says
Lindy Hop.
k.
Thats it, youve added your first clip to the timeline.
( Overwrite
edits erase the footage they go over, so make sure your changes are accurate
before moving on.)
(Be
careful not to Overwrite Robs audio tracks with the audio from the bloomies
audio. Clicking the yellow audio targets off on the timeline will allow you
to import only the video and not the audio.)
7. Editing in the Timeline
a. Once clips are put in the timeline you can use the toolbar
to help manipulate those clips.
b. When the playhead in the timeline window is on a clip
it is shown in the canvas window.
c.
You can make trim edits in the timeline by using the
razor blade tool that will cut the footage.
d. You can target tracks in the timeline by clicking on
the little yellow buttons at the start of the timeline.
e. You can turn a track off by clicking on the florescent
green button.
f. There are also shot cut keys for overwrite f10 and
insert edits F9
8 . Adding Transitions in the Timeline
a. Click on the edit point between two clips.
BEFORE AFTER
b. Go to the Effects menu and drop down to video
transitions and select a transition
c. Once the transition has been rendered, you will see
the effect in real time.
9. Adding Filters
a. If you want to add a filter, you must double click a
clip after it has been added to the timeline so that it pops up in the viewer.
b. Click on the effects tab and scroll down to video
filters and select one.
c. Select the effects tab in the viewer window and adjust
the properties of the effect. Each effect has its own set of variables you can
play with.
a.
In the viewer window there is a small letter A in the bottom right-hand corner.
b.
Click and drop down to the box that says text
c.
Click on the controls tab in the viewer window.
d.
Adjust the controls for your piece of textsize, color,
etc
e.
Click back on the video tab in the viewer and youre ready
to drag and drop your text clip over whatever you like.
f. Remember to use the title safe window in the canvas to
see that your title will fit properly in the frame.
a. Double click a piece of text in your timeline so that it appears in the viewer window
b. In the viewer window Click on the motion tab to see the clips properties.
(The light grey area in the viewer refers to your piece of text)
(With the viewer window selected hit shift+z to expand the view of the title in the viewer window.)
c. In the canvas window, reduce the size of the frame so you can see the blank space that exists around the video image of the title.
d. In the canvas window, click on the overlays menu and select image and wireframe.
e. Click on the title in the canvas window and move it off the screen to the right.
f. 
In the viewer window, create a key
frame for the titles initial off screen position by clicking on the small round
button next to the center property.
g.
h. Now move the play head over slightly.
i. Go back to the text image and move the text to the middle of the screen. (you should see a green line extend between the titles new and old positions.
j. Move the playhead again and adjust the movement.
(remember that the light grey area in the motion window corresponds to the length of the clip you are working on.)
k. Once you are done animating, render the clip and see what you have created.
l. Congrats youve just created your first text animation by inserting keyframes along a timeline. Now you can animate video and graphics as well as effects watch out the possibilities are endless!
12.
Adjusting the Opacity of a Clip
a. Layer two clips on top of each other in the timeline.
b. Double click the top clip in the timeline window so that it pops into the viewer window
c. In the viewer window, click on the motion tab and turn
down the handle on the opacity control.
d. Set the opacity at 50%
e. You should see a change in the transparency of the top
clip and the bottom clip come through the shot.
13.
Changing the Speed of a Clip
a. Click on a clip once and go to the modify menu at select speed.
b.
You can either reduce or speed up the playback of the
clip by increasing or decreasing the percentages.
1. Start with the intro movie file in track 1.