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

Understanding and applying Keywords

The simplest way to get started with Keywords is to think of a simple one- or two-word description of your clips, something that will help you to find that clip again later. One common strategy is to focus on what's actually in the shot, such as water, trees, skies, people, or animals. Another strategy might focus on how the shots will be used: A-roll and B-roll, introductory shots, and conclusion shots. Perhaps focal length would be helpful: close up, medium shot, or long shot. There are many strategies that could succeed in different workflows and at different parts of the editing process. Yes, Keywords are metadata, but they are less about the technical aspects and more about the shot content, and they're stored in the Library, rather than on the media files themselves.

Here's the big problem with the traditional "bin" structure, which is essentially just like putting files into specific folders (and subfolders) in...