Blog Archives

Open in Timeline is a hidden menu item in Final Cut Pro X that allows you to modify a clip in the Event Browser without removing it from the Event Browser. This technique allows you to solve problems that are not easy to solve any other way.

Optical flow, and it’s less sophisticated cousin, Frame Blending, are techniques that Final Cut Pro X uses to smooth playback of extremely slow-motion clips. This tutorial shows you how to apply and use them in FCP X.

The purpose of the Limiter filter in FCP X is to make soft audio louder while preventing the louder passages from distorting (which happens when audio levels exceed 0 dB). In fact, when used properly, the Limiter filter virtually guarantees that your audio won’t distort; as this article explains.

Final Cut Pro X provides a very easy way to match audio between clips. This is useful when you have recorded the same talent on different days using different mics.

Recently, I wrote about how to add video to a shape in Final Cut Pro 7 While adding video to shapes is reasonably easy in Final Cut Pro 7, it is almost impossible in FCP X. So, this week I decided to create a video tutorial on adding video to a shape in Final Cut Pro X.

In addition to over 100 audio effects, Final Cut Pro X ships with some very interesting audio enhancements which can repair bad audio. In this tutorial, I want to illustrate how to work with these enhancement tools.

Final Cut Pro 7 calls it a “nest.” Final Cut Pro X calls it a “compound clip.” Whatever you call it, there are some real benefits in knowing how to use it. A compound clip is simply a collection of clips gathered together and treated as though they were a single clip. This tutorial explains how to create them.

Keyframes are at the heart of all video animation; though, in some cases they are hidden in a Motion behavior or pre-built effect. In this tutorial, I will show you how to add keyframes in the Final Cut Pro X Timeline to animate an effect.

Action Safe and Title Safe boundaries were invented decades ago to solve two problems with televisions that had picture tubes. This technique explains what they are and how to display them.

Adding timecode to clips or projects is a great way to allow clients to review your projects and relate their comments to a specific time in the project. (This process is also called “timecode burn-in” – or “burning in timecode.”) This technique explains what you need to know.

Let’s pretend we want to share a group of clips with multiple projects. The easiest way to move a clip, or a group of clips, between projects is to use copy and paste. This article explains how, along with variations on Copy and Paste.

In this technique, you’ll learn how to save custom audio filter settings in both Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) and Soundtrack Pro.

This color correction technique in Final Cut Pro X isn’t perfect, but it is REALLY fast and gets you close enough to keep your job

A picture-in-picture effect is a very popular effect in that it allows us to see two images at once. This tutorial shows you how to create this in FCP X (Final Cut Pro X).

In FCP X, this technique shows you how to use the Position tool to create gaps, move clips, and overwrite clips in the Primary Storyline.

A quick tip for FCP X: if you are adding Ken Burns moves to two clips and you need to add a transition between them, apply the transition first.

This technique shows you how to create hold frames, remove them, adjust their duration, and change the frame that freezes in Final Cut Pro X.

There’s a lot of confusion about the three different media types in Final Cut Pro X: native, optimized, and proxy. This article explains what you need to know.

Many times, editors need to share projects. Changing Event References in FCP X makes this possible.

Common Final Cut Pro X trouble-shooting and performance tips, including how to trash Final Cut Pro (FCP) X preference files.

Do you have two or more audio clips that need to sound the same? Here’s a fast technique in FCP X that explains how.

A solution for dual-channel mono clips, or single track mono clips displaying audio as a single waveform in Final Cut Pro X.

Roles are new with Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) and can help manage complex projects through keywording your audio and video clips.

This is a better, faster, and more flexible way to create audio transitions in Final Cut Pro X.

Changing the color of a gradient in Final Cut Pro X requires opening it in Motion and making changes. This article describes how.

What happened to Background Sound in Final Cut Pro X?

An overview of working with proxies for your media in Final Cut Pro X.

Alex Gollner has posted a new, FREE, effect for Final Cut Pro X — it’s an eight-point mask.

One of the limitations of FCP X is that all Events and Projects must be open at all times. This product is a stand-alone utility that makes file management much easier in FCP X.

One of the limitations of FCP X is that it only allows one sequence per project. Here is a simple workaround you can create that may do the trick.

Mark Whalen sent me his thoughts on Final Cut Pro X that I wanted to share with you.

Final Cut Pro X was released just over 30 days ago — seems longer than that somehow…

Having problems with Apple Final Cut Pro 7? This article provides dozens and dozens of techniques you can use to optimize your Final Cut 5, 6, or 7 system; plus trouble-shooting tips to prevent problems.

Final Cut creates render files for all transitions, effects, and audio mixes. This article explains what you need to know to keep these files under control and recover hard disk space at the end of a project.

In Final Cut Pro 7 is the File > Share option which allows us to export a sequence from Final Cut and compress it for YouTube. This article, and comments, show you how this works.