Final Cut Pro

Apple's pro app for video editing

12 Oct 2024 | in apps

Project folder structure

Recommended from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tes_SjT9eM8

  • FINAL CUT
  • FOOTAGE
  • AUDIO
  • IMAGES
  • DELIVERABLES

Learning resources

Learn Final Cut Pro in Under 60 Minutes

10 Essential Tips for Final Cut Pro

Great tips:

bp
Effects:
- video: add "Crisp Contrast" and "Vibrancy".
- audio: add "Voice Over Enhancement".

How to export a clip: R to select the range, then Cmd + E to export.

15 Hacks Every Editor Should Know
incl.:
00:00 15 Editing Hacks Every FCP User Should Know
00:08 Fixing Clipped Audio in Final Cut Pro (Expand Audio)
01:04 Make Soundbite Stand Out over Music
02:05 How to Fake a Multicam in FCP
03:04 Editing to Music Shortcut in Final Cut
04:06 Fixing Exporting Errors in FCP
05:09 Simulated Typing Effect
05:47 Recording VOs with Voice Memo App
06:34 Fixing Popped Ps in Final Cut
07:09 Cutting Out Logos in FCP
10:08 How to make 3D Text look Vibrant in Final Cut Pro
10:56 How to wrap 3D Text in a Pattern in Apple Motion
11:52 How to perfect text spacing in Apple Motion

Freeze frame: Shift + H (HOLD)

Lower volume on segment: I/O and then use the arrow in the audio wave to lower volume.

Ultimate Talking Head Videos Guide | Cameras, Editing & AI Tools

Keyboard shortcuts

Shortcut What It Does Notes
Command + N New project
Command + Shift + N New event
Command + I Import media
Command + E Export project
Command + Z Undo
Command + Shift + Z Redo
Command + X Cut
Command + C Copy
Command + V Paste
Command + A Select all
Command + Shift + A Deselect all
Command + S Save library
Command + = Zoom in timeline
Command + - Zoom out timeline
Shift + Z Fit timeline to window
Option + Shift + Z Fit content to timeline
Home Move playhead to start of timeline
End Move playhead to end of timeline
Arrow Left Move playhead left one frame
Arrow Right Move playhead right one frame
Spacebar Play/pause
J Play backward
K Pause
L Play forward
Shift + Spacebar Play backward
Command + B Blade tool (cuts at playhead)
Command + R Show retiming controls
V Toggle clip visibility
A Select tool
T Trim tool
R Range selection tool
I Mark In point
O Mark Out point
E Append clip to timeline
Q Connect clip to timeline
W Insert clip into timeline
P Position tool
Control + D Adjust duration
Command + Shift + G Group clips into a compound clip

Export

12 Oct 2024

Finally found how to get the best exports from Final Cut Pro, with the lowest file size.

None of the baked in presets in FCP are good enough.

eg. importing a 34Mb .mp4 file, editing it to remove half of it and exporting out again as a .mp4 file, maintaining all controllable settings as the input (eg 1920x1080, 25fps), the file sizes are between 100Mb and 200Mb+!

So best workaround is to export as a Master File (Apple ProRes 422), then use ffmpeg to compress to best output possible, with:

ffmpeg -i /input/folder/file_raw.mov -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -c:a aac -b:a 128k /output/folder/file_light.mp4

Could be automated as:
- set a watched folder with Hazel
- trigger a Python script to run the ffmpeg command & delete the original file
- export all files out of FCP as Apple ProRes 422 to the watched folder

links

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