Book Image

Final Cut Pro Efficient Editing

By : Iain Anderson
Book Image

Final Cut Pro Efficient Editing

By: Iain Anderson

Overview of this book

Final Cut Pro (also known as FCP, previously Final Cut Pro X) is Apple’s efficient and accessible video editing software for everyone, offering powerful features that experienced editors and novices will find useful. FCP is the quickest way to transform your raw clips into a finished piece, so if speed is important, make this a key tool in your editing arsenal. Final Cut Pro Efficient Editing is a comprehensive best practice guide for all editors. You’ll not only learn how to use the features but also find out which ones are the most important and when you should use them. With the help of practical examples, the book will show you how typical footage can be assembled, trimmed, colored, and finessed to produce a finished edit, exploring a variety of techniques. As you progress through the book, you’ll follow a standard editing workflow to get the feel of working on real-world projects and answer self-assessment questions to make sure that you’re on track. By the end of this Final Cut Pro book, you’ll be well versed with the key features of this app and have all the tools you need to create impressive edits.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
1
Section 1: Importing and Organizing
7
Section 2: Rough Cut to Fine Cut
13
Section 3: Finishing and Exporting

4. Sort It Out: Reviewing and Keywording

"Deceptively uncluttered, the Final Cut Pro X interface allows me to focus on creating compelling content."

— Sean Lander, editor, producer, and shooter based in Melbourne, Australia (www.rednail.com.au)

Now that you have a Library full of footage, it's time to make sense of it. Spending time organizing your footage now means that you'll be able to make better choices later, and the larger a project is, the more you will appreciate being able to find clips easily. This chapter will show you how to review your footage in many smart ways and then how to sort out your footage using Keywords.

Don't skip or shortcut this chapter by skipping straight to editing — it's really important to understand this key process. Keywords are one of the key innovations of Final Cut Pro, and understanding how metadata can help you find the right shot is crucial. Learn it, and you'll love it.

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