One of the things that makes Final Cut so powerful is its use of XML. However, many editors never take the time to learn what could end up saving them under deadline. It’s not as fun, maybe, as actually working with video, but it can be a great time saver. In this tutorial, Matt Lyon at Creative Cow, shows you how to clean up your project after improperly importing assets using XML.

Read the tutorial here.

Project bloat can happen so easily, making navigating the browser or archiving your project more difficult. Here’s a quick tip from Pixel Heads Network on how to find all your unused assets and do some “manual media management.

Watch the video tutorial here.

As Nathan Beaman puts it in this tutorial, “There could be any number of reason that you may be stuck with an FLV as a source file, none of them are good, as far I am concerned.” This little trick makes editing those FLVs a bit easier on Final Cut- and you.

Read the tutorial here.

Staying organized is key. Otherwise, you’ll look like a total n00b with 5 Capture Scratch folders inside each other. Or worse- you won’t be able to find a file. Larry Jordan has a video tutorial at Lynda.com that goes over the basics of Final Cut that rarely get taught. Lynda.com is a subscription site, but there are free sample sections on “Setting up a Folder System that works” and “Naming files.”

Watch the video tutorials here.

Final Cut’s media management is shaky at best, but there are some tricks to make your life easier. Alex Gollner shows you how to sort items in the browser based on several different columns- very handy, especially when your logging was good.

Read the tutorial here.

From Creative Cow-

The big stories in part 2: ProRes for HDV, with a splash of Color. We’ve also got the latest tech notes from Apple, documentation you might have missed, and updates on the latest supported mice.

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A very in-depth review, from Creative Cow-

Apple’s ProRes 422 is the most talked-about feature in any application for quite some time. As users finally start getting their hands on Apple Final Cut Studio 2 and working with ProRes, a number of questions have popped up. Part 1 of this article compiles some of the answers to questions including capture, performance, resolution and workflow basics from across The COW.

Read the tutorial here.

From Creative Cow-

Are you working on an HD project and found you need to incorporate standard definition footage? In this article, CreativeCow leader Shane Ross walks you through a step by step process of up-converting standard definition video to match a high definition project utilizing the AJA Kona 3 capture card.

Read the tutorial here.

From Creative Cow-

Looking for better media management in Final Cut Pro? TV producer and Cow contributor Dustin Lau says it all begins with better file naming. He shows how it’s working at ESPN/Star Sports Asia, as they manage their workflow across multiple teams, under the high pressure of episodic TV deadlines. It will work for you too.

Read the tutorial here.

From Creative Cow-

Sure, being replaceable can be scary — but sometimes you NEED somebody to step in and help. Here are some of the tricks that Cow author Dustin Lau has learned for project set-up, file naming, and clear communication with other members of your team. These tricks will create smooth hand-offs from you to your temporary replacement — and back to you when you return, without driving anyone crazy.

Read the tutorial here.