FCPeffects - the FCPeffects blog: Final Cut Pro X tips & tricks

Why Final Cut Pro?

2023-06-25T10:22:31-04:00

In the realm of video editing, professionals and enthusiasts alike seek a powerful and intuitive software solution that can bring their creative visions to life. Final Cut Pro, developed by Apple, has consistently proven itself as the premier editing application in the industry. With its robust features, user-friendly interface, and a wealth of resources available such as Final Cut Pro plugins, motion templates, and FCPeffects.com, Final Cut Pro empowers editors to craft stunning and professional-quality videos. This article will delve into the reasons why Final Cut Pro stands out as the best editing application.

Unmatched Performance and Efficiency

One of the key advantages of Final Cut Pro is its exceptional performance and efficiency. The software harnesses the power of Apple's advanced hardware and optimized software ecosystem, resulting in lightning-fast rendering and seamless playback, even with complex projects. With Final Cut Pro, users can work with multiple high-resolution video streams, apply real-time effects, and preview edits without any lag or compromise in quality. This efficiency allows editors to focus on their creative process rather than waiting for their edits to render.

Vast Library of Final Cut Pro Plugins

Final Cut Pro offers a vast library of plugins that extend the software's capabilities and provide users with endless creative options. Final Cut Pro plugins, developed by both Apple and third-party developers, offer specialized effects, transitions, and tools that enhance the editing experience. These plugins allow editors to achieve unique and professional-looking effects that elevate their videos to the next level. Whether it's adding cinematic filters, advanced color grading, or dynamic text animations, the availability of Final Cut Pro plugins ensures that editors have the necessary tools to bring their creative vision to life.

Motion Templates for Stunning Visual Effects

Another compelling aspect of Final Cut Pro is its extensive collection of motion templates. Motion templates are pre-designed elements that simplify the creation of visually striking titles, transitions, and effects. With Final Cut Pro's vast library of motion templates, editors can easily add professional-quality visual effects to their videos without spending hours on complex keyframe animations. The availability of motion templates empowers editors to achieve visually captivating results quickly, allowing them to focus more on storytelling and overall video quality.

Access to FCPeffects.com Plugins

A valuable resource for Final Cut Pro users is FCPeffects.com, a dedicated platform for Final Cut Pro plugins, tutorials, and resources. This online marketplace offers a vast selection of high-quality plugins developed by industry professionals. Users can explore a wide range of effects, transitions, titles, and more, all tailored to enhance the editing experience with Final Cut Pro. FCPeffects ensures that editors have access to cutting-edge tools and resources to stay ahead of the curve and continuously improve their editing skills.

Intuitive and User-Friendly Interface

Final Cut Pro's user-friendly interface is designed to streamline the editing workflow and make the creative process smooth and efficient. The software provides a clean and intuitive workspace, allowing editors to focus on their work without distractions. The interface features a magnetic timeline that simplifies the organization and arrangement of clips, making it easy to insert, rearrange, and trim footage. Final Cut Pro's intuitive interface, combined with its extensive keyboard shortcuts and customizable layouts, enables editors to work quickly and effectively, saving valuable time during the editing process.

Conclusion

In a highly competitive landscape of video editing applications, Final Cut Pro stands out as the best choice for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Its unmatched performance and efficiency, vast library of Final Cut Pro plugins, extensive collection of motion templates, and the availability of resources such as FCPeffects.com, all contribute to its unparalleled editing capabilities. With Final Cut Pro, editors can unleash their creative potential and bring their visions to life with stunning visuals, seamless workflows, and professional-grade results.

Intro to Final Cut Pro Color Grading

2023-06-04T16:31:33-04:00

Color correction is an essential step in video editing that can greatly enhance the visual appeal and overall impact of your footage. Apple's Final Cut Pro X (FCPX) provides a robust set of color correction tools, and with the help of third-party plugins like FCPeffects.com's "Quick Color" and "the Finishing Plugin," you can elevate your color correction process to new heights. In this article, we will guide you through the process of properly color correcting videos within FCPX and highlight the benefits of using FCPeffects.com plugins with their beautiful presets.

Understanding the Basics of Color Correction

Before diving into color correction, it's important to grasp the fundamentals. Color correction involves adjusting various aspects of your video's colors, including exposure, white balance, saturation, and contrast. The goal is to achieve a balanced and visually pleasing look that enhances the mood and narrative of your footage.

Utilizing FCPX's Built-in Color Correction Tools

FCPX offers a range of built-in color correction tools to help you achieve the desired look for your videos. These tools include color wheels, color curves, and color controls. Experiment with these tools to adjust the overall tonal balance, correct white balance issues, and fine-tune specific colors.

Enhancing Your Color Correction with FCPeffects.com Plugins

FCPeffects.com provides a variety of plugins that can enhance your color correction process. "Quick Color" and "the Finishing Plugin" are two notable options that offer a wealth of beautiful presets to quickly transform your footage.

Quick Color: simplifies the color correction process by providing a wide range of preset looks. From cinematic styles to vintage aesthetics, Quick Color allows you to achieve different moods and atmospheres effortlessly. Browse through the presets, select the one that aligns with your vision, and apply it to your footage. Fine-tune the settings to further customize the look.

The Finishing Plugin: offers an array of advanced color grading tools and presets. It allows you to fine-tune every aspect of your video's color, including highlights, shadows, mid-tones, and more. The plugin's presets provide a great starting point for your color correction, and you can adjust the settings to achieve the perfect balance and visual style.

Applying and Customizing the Presets

Once you've selected the desired preset from the FCPeffects.com plugins, apply it to your footage within Final Cut Pro X. Depending on the plugin, you may have options to further customize the settings to suit your specific needs. Adjust parameters such as intensity, contrast, saturation, and overall balance to achieve the desired effect. Remember to maintain consistency throughout your project to create a cohesive visual experience.

Refining the Color Correction

Color correction is an iterative process. Take the time to review your footage and make adjustments as necessary. Fine-tune individual shots to ensure they blend seamlessly together. Pay attention to details like skin tones, overall color balance, and the mood you want to convey. Regularly preview your work to see how it looks in the context of your project.

Color correction is a crucial step in video editing, and Final Cut Pro X provides powerful tools to achieve stunning results. By incorporating FCPeffects.com plugins like Quick Color and the Finishing Plugin, you can expedite your color correction process and access beautiful presets that transform your footage. Experiment with different looks, customize settings, and refine your color correction to create visually captivating videos that leave a lasting impact on your audience. Embrace the power of FCPeffects.com plugins to unleash your creativity and take your color correction to the next level within FCPX.

Object Tracker Tutorial for FCPX

2021-10-20T11:02:06-04:00

Ready to learn how to use Object Trackers in Final Cut Pro?

Make sure you're running Final Cut Pro 10.6 to use Object Track.

Object Track works with all types of media and titles.

In the demo, we used our Attention Grabber plugin.

The Title Browser has moved - Final Cut Pro 10.3 Update

2016-11-09T11:14:00-05:00

Why are so many of your plugins located in the Title Browser?

Titles can be applied more easily to multiple clips and make it easier to work with clips that are not the same aspect ratio as your project.

To use title plugins, simply place them above the footage you want to work with.

Select a plugin in the Title Browser you want to use and press Q on your keyboard to save some time!

The Title Browser has been moved to the upper left corner of the Final Cut Pro X interface with the release of version 10.3.

The Effect and Transition Browsers are still in the lower right corner of the interface, but the icons have changed.

Save Effects Preset: how to create and save presets of effects in Final Cut Pro X

2015-04-15T09:47:00-04:00

Before the release of Final Cut Pro X 10.2, there was no way to save effects configurations as presets for future use.

The only option was to copy and paste configurations from one clip to another using the Paste Effects and Paste Attributes commands (read more about the Paste Attributes command here).

Thankfully, in Final Cut Pro X 10.2, Apple added a great new feature to the application called "Save Effects Preset".

Now you can configure a clip to your liking using multiple effects, settings, keyframes, etc. and then save that exact configuration for use in the future.

Here's a breakdown of the steps needed to use this feature:

1 - Configure a clip exactly how you'll want to configure other clips in the future. You'll be able to save everything from the effects you've applied to the keyframes you set, so be sure to think of everything.

2 - Click on the button labeled "Save Effects Preset" at the bottom of the Inspector window.

3 - Check all of the options that you want to save from this clip. Name your preset something memorable so you'll remember what it is that you've created. Also, choose or create a category that will also help you remember.

4 - Click save. You've now created an Effects Preset. It can be found in the Effect Browser in the category you chose.

If you'd like to delete the preset, right click on it and choose Reveal in Finder or select it and press Command-Shift-R. Then, drag the preset into the Trash and restart Final Cut Pro X for the change to take effect.

This feature also works with audio, making it possible to easily save all your favorite audio settings configurations too! Simply select the Audio tab at the top of the Inspector for any clip with audio follow the same process as above.

This feature works with our effects too. Be sure to check them out!

Keyframe Tutorial for Final Cut Pro X

2013-03-22T09:13:00-04:00

Watch this keyframing tutorial video to learn how to keyframe in Final Cut Pro X.

Text from video:

:04 - Set keyframes for settings you want to animate
:10 - The arrow keys on your keyboard are great for moving the playhead
:18 - To keyframe at the end of a clip, press the left arrow key to move back one frame
:26 - Since we created keyframes at the beginning of the clip, changes that we make at the end of the clip are automatically keyframed
:41 - When the clip is played back, the values change based on the keyframes we created
:53 - You can add a keyframe at any point in time during a clip in your timeline
1:07 - To disable a keyframe, use the arrows next to the keyframe icon to move between the keyframes you've created and click on the yellow icon to disable it

Copy/paste effects & settings from one clip to another

2011-09-28T15:27:00-04:00

Copying effects and settings from one clip to another is easy with FCPX's "Paste Attributes" feature (added in version 10.0.6). If you're using Final Cut Pro X 10.2 or higher, you can save effects and settings as presets. Click here to learn how.

Select a clip in your timeline that has effects or settings that you wish to copy and press Command-C.

Then select the clip(s) you want to apply the effects and/or settings to in the timeline and press Command-Shift-V to "Paste Attributes".

Then select which attributes from the copied clip that you want to add (paste) to the other clip(s).

Delete Final Cut Pro (FCPX) Render Files to Recover Hard Drive Space

2011-08-25T00:08:00-04:00

Final Cut Pro render files take up a lot of hard drive space. To recover some of this space, you can delete these files (especially for projects you're not currently working on).

Deleting render files is easy and safe, Final Cut Pro will create them automatically when you open a project again.

Process for deleting Final Cut Pro X render files:

1. Select a Library/Event/Project in the Browser by simply clicking on it so it's highlighted.

2. In the menu; choose File > "Delete Generated Library Files..." (or "Delete Generated Event Files..." or "Delete Generated Project Files..." depending on what you've selected)

3. Choose "Delete All Render Files" and Click OK.

And that's it, your hard drive will thank you!

Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts

2011-08-08T08:25:00-04:00

Keyboard shortcuts are an essential part of any video editing software, and Final Cut Pro X is no exception.

With the right shortcuts, you can quickly and easily navigate the program, edit clips, and perform other tasks with just a few keystrokes.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts in Final Cut Pro X. First, let’s start with the basics.

To open a clip in the Viewer, press the “V” key.

To open the Inspector, press the “I” key.

To open the Timeline, press the “T” key.

To open the Effects Browser, press the “E” key.

Now, let’s look at some of the shortcuts for editing clips.

To select a clip in the Timeline, press the “A” key.

To move a clip in the Timeline, press the “M” key.

To trim a clip in the Timeline, press the “T” key.

To add a transition to a clip, press the “W” key.

To add an effect to a clip, press the “F” key.

Finally, let’s look at some of the shortcuts for navigating the program.

To go to the beginning of the Timeline, press the “Home” key.

To go to the end of the Timeline, press the “End” key.

To go to the previous clip in the Timeline, press the “Page Up” key.

To go to the next clip in the Timeline, press the “Page Down” key.

These are just a few of the many keyboard shortcuts available in Final Cut Pro X.

With a little practice, you’ll be able to quickly and easily navigate the program and edit clips with just a few keystrokes.

You can also customize your keyboard shortcuts if you'd like:

Here's a list of all of the Final Cut Pro X keyboard shortcuts. Press Command-F to search this page.

Application

Action	Command	Shortcut
Hide Final Cut Pro	Hide Application	Command-H
Hide all applications except Final Cut Pro	Hide Other Applications	Option-Command-H
Open the Command Editor	Keyboard Customization	Option-Command-K
Minimize Final Cut Pro	Minimize	Command-M
Open an existing library or a new library	Open Library	Command-O
Open the Final Cut Pro Preferences window	Preferences	Command-Comma (,)
Quit Final Cut Pro	Quit	Command-Q
Redo the last command	Redo Change	Shift-Command-Z
Undo the last command	Undo Change	Command-Z

Editing

Action	Command	Shortcut
Adjust the audio volume across all selected clips to a specific dB value	Adjust Volume Absolute	Control-Option-L
Adjust the audio volume across all selected clips by the same dB value	Adjust Volume Relative	Control-L
Add the selection to the end of the storyline	Append to Storyline	E
Add the selected clip to the audition	Audition: Add to Audition	Control-Shift-Y
Create an audition with a timeline clip and a duplicate version of the clip, including applied effects	Audition: Duplicate as Audition	Option-Y
Duplicate the selected audition clip without applied effects	Audition: Duplicate from Original	Shift-Command-Y
Create an audition and replace the timeline clip with the current selection	Audition: Replace and Add to Audition	Shift-Y
Cut the primary storyline clip (or the selection) at the skimmer or playheadlocation	Blade	Command-B
Cut all clips at the skimmer or playhead location	Blade All	Shift-Command-B
Break the selected item into its component parts	Break Apart Clip Items	Shift-Command-G
Change the duration of the selection	Change Duration	Control-D
Connect the default lower third to the primary storyline	Connect Default Lower Third	Control-Shift-T
Connect the default title to the primary storyline	Connect Default Title	Control-T
Connect the selection to the primary storyline	Connect to Primary Storyline	Q
Connect the selection to the primary storyline, aligning the selection’s end point with the skimmer or playhead	Connect to Primary Storyline - Backtimed	Shift-Q
Copy the selection	Copy	Command-C
Create an audition from the selection	Create Audition	Command-Y
Create a storyline from a selection of connected clips	Create Storyline	Command-G
Cut the selection	Cut	Command-X
Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 1 of the current bank	Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 1	1
Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 2 of the current bank	Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 2	2
Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 3 of the current bank	Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 3	3
Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 4 of the current bank	Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 4	4
Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 5 of the current bank	Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 5	5
Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 6 of the current bank	Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 6	6
Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 7 of the current bank	Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 7	7
Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 8 of the current bank	Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 8	8
Cut and switch the multicam clip to angle 9 of the current bank	Cut and Switch to Viewer Angle 9	9
Delete the timeline selection, reject the browser selection, or remove a through edit	Delete	Delete
Delete the selection and attach the connected clip or clips to the resulting gap clip	Delete Selection Only	Option-Command-Delete
Deselect all selected items	Deselect All	Shift-Command-A
Duplicate the browser selection	Duplicate	Command-D
Enable or disable playback for the selection	Enable/Disable Clip	V
View audio and video separately for selected clips	Expand Audio	Control-S
Expand or collapse audio components for the selection in the timeline	Expand/Collapse Audio Components	Control-Option-S
Extend the selected edit point to the skimmer or playhead position	Extend Edit	Shift-X
In the browser, add the next item to the selection	Extend Selection Down	Shift-Down Arrow
In the browser, add the previous item to the selection	Extend Selection Up	Shift-Up Arrow
Dissolve the audition and replace it with the audition pick	Finalize Audition	Option-Shift-Y
Insert the selection at the skimmer or playhead position	Insert	W
Insert a freeze frame at the playhead or skimmer location in the timeline, or connect a freeze frame from the skimmer or playhead location in the event to the playhead location in the timeline	Insert/Connect Freeze Frame	Option-F
Insert a gap clip at the skimmer or playhead position	Insert Gap	Option-W
Insert the default generator at the skimmer or playhead position	Insert Default Generator	Option-Command-W
Lift the selection from the storyline and connect it to the resulting gap clips	Lift from Storyline	Option-Command-Up Arrow
Lower the audio volume by 1 dB	Lower Volume 1 dB	Control-Hyphen (-)
Move the playhead by entering a timecode value	Move Playhead Position	Control-P
Create a new compound clip (if there’s no selection, create an empty compound clip)	New Compound Clip	Option-G
Nudge the selected audio edit point left by one subframe, creating a split edit	Nudge Audio Subframe Left	Option-Comma (,)
Nudge the selected audio edit point left by 10 subframes, creating a split edit	Nudge Audio Subframe Left Many	Option-Shift-Comma (,)
Nudge the selected audio edit point right by one subframe, creating a split edit	Nudge Audio Subframe Right	Option-Period (.)
Nudge the selected audio edit point right by 10 subframes, creating a split edit	Nudge Audio Subframe Right Many	Option-Shift-Period (.)
Nudge down the value of the selected keyframe in the animation editor	Nudge Down	Option-Down Arrow
Nudge the selection one unit to the left	Nudge Left	Comma (,)
Nudge the selection 10 units to the left	Nudge Left Many	Shift-Comma (,)
Nudge the selection one unit to the right	Nudge Right	Period (.)
Nudge the selection 10 units to the right	Nudge Right Many	Shift-Period (.)
Nudge up the value of the selected keyframe in the animation editor	Nudge Up	Option-Up Arrow
Open the selected audition	Open Audition	Y
Temporarily override clip connections for the selection	Override Connections	Grave Accent (`)
Overwrite at the skimmer or playhead position	Overwrite	D
Overwrite from the skimmer or playhead position back	Overwrite - Backtimed	Shift-D
Overwrite at the skimmer or playhead position in the primary storyline	Overwrite to Primary Storyline	Option-Command-Down Arrow
Paste the selection and connect it to the primary storyline	Paste as Connected	Option-V
Insert the Clipboard contents at the skimmer or playhead position	Paste Insert at Playhead	Command-V
Switch to the previous angle in the multicam clip	Previous Angle	Control-Shift-Left Arrow
Switch to the previous audio angle in the multicam clip	Previous Audio Angle	Option-Shift-Left Arrow
Select the previous clip in the Audition window, making it the audition pick	Previous Pick	Control-Left Arrow
Switch to the previous video angle in the multicam clip	Previous Video Angle	Shift-Command-Left Arrow
Raise the audio volume by 1 dB	Raise Volume 1 dB	Control-Equal Sign (=)
Replace the selected clip in the timeline with the browser selection	Replace	Shift-R
Replace the selected clip in the timeline with the browser selection, starting from its start point	Replace from Start	Option-R
Replace the selected timeline clip with a gap clip	Replace with Gap	Shift-Delete
Select all clips	Select All	Command-A
Select the clip under the pointer in the timeline	Select Clip	C
For audio/video clips in expanded view, select the left edge of the audio edit point	Select Left Audio Edge	Shift-Left Bracket ([)
Select the left edge of the edit point	Select Left Edge	Left Bracket ([)
For audio/video clips in expanded view, select the left and right edges of the audio edit point	Select Left and Right Audio Edit Edges	Shift-Backslash (\)
Select the left and right edges of the edit point	Select Left and Right Edit Edges	Backslash (\)
For audio/video clips in expanded view, select the left and right edges of the video edit point	Select Left and Right Video Edit Edges	Control-Backslash (\)
For audio/video clips in expanded view, select the left edge of the video edit point	Select Left Video Edge	Control-Left Bracket ([)
Switch to the next angle in the multicam clip	Select Next Angle	Control-Shift-Right Arrow
Switch to the next audio angle in the multicam clip	Select Next Audio Angle	Option-Shift-Right Arrow
Select the next clip in the Audition window, making it the audition pick	Select Next Pick	Control-Right Arrow
Switch to the next video angle in the multicam clip	Select Next Video Angle	Shift-Command-Right Arrow
For audio/video clips in expanded view, select the right edge of the audio edit point	Select Right Audio Edge	Shift-Right Bracket (])
Select the right edge of the edit point	Select Right Edge	Right Bracket (])
For audio/video clips in expanded view, select the right edge of the video edit point	Select Right Video Edge	Control-Right Bracket (])
Set an additional range selection end point at the playhead or skimmer location	Set Additional Selection End	Shift-Command-O
Set an additional range selection start point at the playhead or skimmer location	Set Additional Selection Start	Shift-Command-I
When an edit point is selected, show or hide the precision editor	Show/Hide Precision Editor	Control-E
Turn snapping on or off	Snapping	N
Solo the selected items in the timeline	Solo	Option-S
Turn on audio/video mode to add the video and audio portion of your selection to the timeline	Source Media: Audio & Video	Shift-1
Turn on audio-only mode to add the audio portion of your selection to the timeline	Source Media: Audio Only	Shift-3
Turn on video-only mode to add the video portion of your selection to the timeline	Source Media: Video Only	Shift-2
Switch the multicam clip to angle 1 of the current bank	Switch to Viewer Angle 1	Option-1
Switch the multicam clip to angle 2 of the current bank	Switch to Viewer Angle 2	Option-2
Switch the multicam clip to angle 3 of the current bank	Switch to Viewer Angle 3	Option-3
Switch the multicam clip to angle 4 of the current bank	Switch to Viewer Angle 4	Option-4
Switch the multicam clip to angle 5 of the current bank	Switch to Viewer Angle 5	Option-5
Switch the multicam clip to angle 6 of the current bank	Switch to Viewer Angle 6	Option-6
Switch the multicam clip to angle 7 of the current bank	Switch to Viewer Angle 7	Option-7
Switch the multicam clip to angle 8 of the current bank	Switch to Viewer Angle 8	Option-8
Switch the multicam clip to angle 9 of the current bank	Switch to Viewer Angle 9	Option-9
Turn on or turn off the ability to build storylines when dragging clips in the timeline	Toggle Storyline Mode	G
Trim the end of the selected or topmost clip to the skimmer or playhead position	Trim End	Option-Right Bracket (])
Trim the clip start point to the skimmer or playhead position	Trim Start	Option-Left Bracket ([)
Trim clip start and end points to the range selection	Trim to Selection	Option-Backslash (\)

Effects

Action	Command	Shortcut
Connect a basic lower-third title to the primary storyline	Add Basic Lower Third	Control-Shift-T
Connect a basic title to the primary storyline	Add Basic Title	Control-T
Add the default audio effect to the selection	Add Default Audio Effect	Option-Command-E
Add the default transition to the selection	Add Default Transition	Command-T
Add the default video effect to the selection	Add Default Video Effect	Option-E
Reset the controls in the current Color Board pane	Color Board: Reset Current Board Controls	Option-Delete
Switch to the Color pane in the Color Board	Color Board: Switch to the Color Pane	Control-Command-C
Switch to the Exposure pane in the Color Board	Color Board: Switch to the Exposure Pane	Control-Command-E
Switch to the Saturation pane in the Color Board	Color Board: Switch to the Saturation Pane	Control-Command-S
Copy the selected effects and their settings	Copy Effects	Option-Command-C
Copy the selected keyframes and their settings	Copy Keyframes	Option-Shift-C
Cut the selected keyframes and their settings	Cut Keyframes	Option-Shift-X
Turn Balance Color corrections on or off	Enable/Disable Balance Color	Option-Command-B
Match the sound between clips	Match Audio	Shift-Command-M
Match color between clips	Match Color	Option-Command-M
Navigate to the next text item	Next Text	Option-Tab
Paste selected attributes and their settings to the selection	Paste Attributes	Shift-Command-V
Paste effects and their settings to the selection	Paste Effects	Option-Command-V
Paste keyframes and their settings to the selection	Paste Keyframes	Option-Shift-V
Navigate to the previous text item	Previous Text	Option-Shift-Tab
Remove selected attributes from the selection	Remove Attributes	Shift-Command-X
Remove all effects from the selection	Remove Effects	Option-Command-X
Show or hide the retime editor	Retime Editor	Command-R
Set the selection to play at normal (100 percent) speed	Retime: Create Normal Speed Segment	Shift-N
Create a 2-second hold segment	Retime: Hold	Shift-H
Reset the selection to play forward at normal (100 percent) speed	Retime: Reset	Option-Command-R
Show one effect at a time in the Video Animation editor	Solo Animation	Control-Shift-V

General

Action	Command	Shortcut
Delete the timeline selection, reject the browser selection, or remove a through edit	Delete	Delete
Show or hide the Filter window (in the browser) or the timeline index (in the timeline)	Find	Command-F
Make the event viewer active	Go to Event Viewer	Option-Command-3
Import media from a device, a camera, or an archive	Import Media	Command-I
Open the Library Properties inspector for the current library	Library Properties	Control-Command-J
Move the selection to the Finder Trash	Move to Trash	Command-Delete
Create a new project	New Project	Command-N
Open the Properties inspector for the current project	Project Properties	Command-J
Start all rendering tasks for the current project	Render All	Control-Shift-R
Start rendering tasks for the selection	Render Selection	Control-R
Reveal the selected event clip’s source media file in the Finder	Reveal in Finder	Shift-Command-R

Marking

Action	Command	Shortcut
Add a marker at the location of the skimmer or playhead	Add Marker	M
Change the browser filter settings to show all clips	All Clips	Control-C
Add a marker and edit the marker’s text	Add Marker and Modify	Option-M
Apply keyword 1 to the selection	Apply Keyword Tag 1	Control-1
Apply keyword 2 to the selection	Apply Keyword Tag 2	Control-2
Apply keyword 3 to the selection	Apply Keyword Tag 3	Control-3
Apply keyword 4 to the selection	Apply Keyword Tag 4	Control-4
Apply keyword 5 to the selection	Apply Keyword Tag 5	Control-5
Apply keyword 6 to the selection	Apply Keyword Tag 6	Control-6
Apply keyword 7 to the selection	Apply Keyword Tag 7	Control-7
Apply keyword 8 to the selection	Apply Keyword Tag 8	Control-8
Apply keyword 9 to the selection	Apply Keyword Tag 9	Control-9
Clear the range selection	Clear Selected Ranges	Option-X
Clear the range’s end point	Clear Range End	Option-O
Clear the range’s start point	Clear Range Start	Option-I
Delete the selected marker	Delete Marker	Control-M
Delete all of the markers in the selection	Delete Markers in Selection	Control-Shift-M
Deselect all selected items	Deselect All	Shift-Command-A
Rate the browser selection as favorite	Favorite	F
Change the browser filter settings to show favorites	Favorites	Control-F
Change the browser filter settings to hide rejected clips	Hide Rejected	Control-H
Create a new Keyword Collection	New Keyword Collection	Shift-Command-K
Create a new Smart Collection	New Smart Collection	Option-Command-N
Make the Range Selection tool active	Range Selection Tool	R
Mark the current selection in the browser as rejected Note: The Delete key removes selected items if the timeline is active instead of the browser.	Reject	Delete
Change the browser filter settings to show rejected clips	Rejected	Control-Delete
Remove all keywords from the browser selection	Remove All Keywords From Selection	Control-0
Apply Dialogue subroles to the selected clip’s components	Roles: Apply Dialogue Role	Control-Option-D
Apply Effects subroles to the selected clip’s components	Roles: Apply Effects Role	Control-Option-E
Apply Music subroles to the selected clip’s components	Roles: Apply Music Role	Control-Option-M
Apply the Titles role to the selected clip	Roles: Apply Titles Role	Control-Option-T
Apply the Video role to the selected clip	Roles: Apply Video Role	Control-Option-V
Select all clips	Select All	Command-A
Set the range selection to match the boundaries of the clip below the skimmer or playhead	Select Clip Range	X
Set an additional range selection end point at the playhead or skimmer location	Set Additional Range End	Shift-Command-O
Set an additional range selection start point at the playhead or skimmer location	Set Additional Range Start	Shift-Command-I
Set the end point for the range	Set Range End	O
Set the end point for the range while editing a text field	Set Range End	Control-O
Set the start point for the range	Set Range Start	I
Set the start point for the range while editing a text field	Set Range Start	Control-I
Remove ratings from the selection	Unrate	U

Organization

Action	Command	Shortcut
Create a new event	New Event	Option-N
Create a new folder	New Folder	Shift-Command-N
Reveal the selected clip in the browser	Reveal in Browser	Shift-F
Reveal the open project in the browser	Reveal Project in Browser	Option-Shift-Command-F
Sync the selected event clips	Synchronize Clips	Option-Command-G

Playback and Navigation

Action	Command	Shortcut
Turn audio skimming on or off	Audio Skimming	Shift-S
Play the pick in context in the timeline	Audition: Preview	Control-Command-Y
Turn clip skimming on or off	Clip Skimming	Option-Command-S
Turn on audio-only mode for multicam cutting and switching	Cut/Switch Multicam Audio Only	Option-Shift-3
Turn on audio/video mode for multicam cutting and switching	Cut/Switch Multicam Audio and Video	Option-Shift-1
Turn on video-only mode for multicam cutting and switching	Cut/Switch Multicam Video Only	Option-Shift-2
Go to the next item (in the browser) or the next edit point (in the timeline)	Down	Down Arrow
While editing a text field, go to the next item (in the browser) or the next edit point (in the timeline)	Down	Control-Down Arrow
Move the playhead back 10 frames	Go Back 10 Frames	Shift-Left Arrow
Move the playhead forward 10 frames	Go Forward 10 Frames	Shift-Right Arrow
Move the playhead to the beginning of the timeline or the first clip in the browser	Go to Beginning	Home key
Move the playhead to the end of the timeline or to the last clip in the browser	Go to End	End key
Display the next bank of angles in the current multicam clip	Go to Next Bank	Option-Shift-Apostrophe (’)
Move the playhead to the next edit point in the timeline	Go to Next Edit	Apostrophe (’)
Move the playhead to the next field in an interlaced clip	Go to Next Field	Option-Right Arrow
Move the playhead to the next frame	Go to Next Frame	Right Arrow
Move the playhead to the next audio subframe	Go to Next Subframe	Command-Right Arrow
Display the previous bank of angles in the current multicam clip	Go to Previous Bank	Option-Shift-Semicolon (;)
Move the playhead to the previous edit point in the timeline	Go to Previous Edit	Semicolon (;)
Move the playhead to the previous field in an interlaced clip	Go to Previous Field	Option-Left Arrow
Move the playhead to the previous frame	Go to Previous Frame	Left Arrow
Move the playhead to the previous audio subframe	Go to Previous Subframe	Command-Left Arrow
Move the playhead to the end of the range selection	Go to Range End	Shift-O
Move the playhead to the beginning of the range selection	Go to Range Start	Shift-I
Turn looped playback on or off	Loop Playback	Command-L
Turn on or turn off audio monitoring for the angle being skimmed	Monitor Audio	Shift-A
Enter a negative timecode value to move the playhead back, move a clip earlier, or trim a range or clip, depending on your selection	Negative Timecode Entry	Hyphen (-)
Go to the next item (in the browser) or the next edit point (in the timeline)	Next Clip	Control-Command-Right Arrow
Move the playhead to the next marker	Next Marker	Control-Apostrophe (’)
Play around the playhead position	Play Around	Shift-Question Mark (?)
Play forward (press L multiple times to increase the playback speed)	Play Forward	L
Play from the playhead position	Play from Playhead	Option-Space bar
Play full screen from the skimmer or playhead position	Play Full Screen	Shift-Command-F
Play in reverse (press J multiple times to increase the reverse playback speed)	Play Reverse	J
Play in reverse while editing a text field (press J multiple times to increase the reverse playback speed)	Play Reverse	Control-J
Play in reverse	Play Reverse	Shift-Space bar
Play the selection	Play Selection	Slash (/)
Play from the playhead to the end of the selection	Play to End	Control-Shift-O
Start or pause playback	Play/Pause	Space bar
Start or pause playback while editing a text field	Play/Pause	Control-Space bar
Enter a positive timecode value to move the playhead forward, move a clip later, or trim a range or clip, depending on your selection	Positive Timecode Entry	Equal Sign (=)
Go to the previous item (in the browser) or the previous edit point (in the timeline)	Previous Clip	Control-Command-Left Arrow
Move the playhead to the previous marker	Previous Marker	Control-Semicolon (;)
Set the angle being skimmed as the monitoring angle	Set Monitoring Angle	Shift-V
Turn skimming on or off	Skimming	S
Start or stop recording audio from the Record Voiceover window	Start/Stop Voiceover Recording	Option-Shift-A
Stop playback	Stop	K
Stop playback while editing a text field	Stop	Control-K
Go back one level in the timeline history	Timeline History Back	Command-Left Bracket ([)
Go forward one level in the timeline history	Timeline History Forward	Command-Right Bracket (])
Go to the previous item (in the browser) or the previous edit point (in the timeline)	Up	Up Arrow
While editing a text field, go to the previous item (in the browser) or the previous edit point (in the timeline)	Up	Control-Up Arrow

Share and Tools

Action	Command	Shortcut
Share the selected project or clip using the default destination	Share to Default Destination	Command-E
Make the Select tool active	Select (Arrow) Tool	A
Make the Blade tool active	Blade Tool	B
Make the Crop tool active and display onscreen controls for the selected clip or the topmost clip under the playhead	Crop Tool	Shift-C
Make the Distort tool active and display onscreen controls for the selected clip or the topmost clip under the playhead	Distort Tool	Option-D
Make the Hand tool active	Hand Tool	H
Make the Position tool active	Position Tool	P
Make the Transform tool active and display onscreen controls for the selected clip or the topmost clip under the playhead	Transform Tool	Shift-T
Make the Trim tool active	Trim Tool	T
Make the Zoom tool active	Zoom Tool	Z

View

Action	Command	Shortcut
Depending on the clip name setting, display timeline clips with clip names, role names, or active angle names only	Clip Appearance: Clip Labels Only	Control-Option-6
Decrease the size of audio waveforms for timeline clips	Clip Appearance: Decrease Waveform Size	Control-Option-Down Arrow
Display timeline clips with large filmstrips only	Clip Appearance: Filmstrips Only	Control-Option-5
Increase the size of audio waveforms for timeline clips	Clip Appearance: Increase Waveform Size	Control-Option-Up Arrow
Display timeline clips with small audio waveforms and large filmstrips	Clip Appearance: Large Filmstrips	Control-Option-4
Display timeline clips with large audio waveforms and small filmstrips	Clip Appearance: Large Waveforms	Control-Option-2
Display timeline clips with audio waveforms and video filmstrips of equal size	Clip Appearance: Waveforms and Filmstrips	Control-Option-3
Display timeline clips with large audio waveforms only	Clip Appearance: Waveforms Only	Control-Option-1
Decrease the browser clip height	Decrease Clip Height	Shift-Command-Hyphen (-)
Increase the browser clip height	Increase Clip Height	Shift-Command-Equal Sign (=)
Show fewer filmstrip frames in browser clips	Show Fewer Filmstrip Frames	Shift-Command-Comma (,)
Show or hide the Audio Animation editor for the selected clips or components	Show/Hide Audio Animation	Control-A
Show or hide clip information when skimming in the browser	Show/Hide Skimmer Info	Control-Y
Show or hide the Video Animation editor for the selected timeline clips	Show/Hide Video Animation	Control-V
Show more filmstrip frames in browser clips	Show More Filmstrip Frames	Shift-Command-Period (.)
Show one frame per filmstrip	Show One Frame per Filmstrip	Option-Shift-Command-Comma (,)
Switch the browser between filmstrip view and list view	Toggle Filmstrip/List View	Option-Command-2
Show or hide clip names in the browser	View Clip Names	Option-Shift-N
Zoom in to the browser, viewer, or timeline	Zoom In	Command-Equal Sign (=)
Zoom out of the browser, viewer, or timeline	Zoom Out	Command-Hyphen (-)
Zoom the contents to fit the size of the browser, viewer, or timeline	Zoom to Fit	Shift-Z
Turn zooming in to audio samples on or off	Zoom to Samples	Control-Z

Windows

Action	Command	Shortcut
Show or hide the Background Tasks window	Background Tasks	Command-9
Make the Audio Enhancements inspector active	Go to Audio Enhancements	Command-8
Make the Color Board active	Go to Color Board	Command-6
Make the browser active	Go to Browser	Command-1
Make the current inspector active	Go to Inspector	Option-Command-4
Make the timeline active	Go to Timeline	Command-2
Make the viewer active	Go to Viewer	Command-3
Go to the next pane in the inspector or the Color Board	Next Tab	Control-Tab
Go to the previous pane in the inspector or the Color Board	Previous Tab	Control-Shift-Tab
Show or hide the Record Voiceover window	Record Voiceover	Option-Command-8
Show the histogram in the viewer	Show Histogram	Control-Command-H
Show the vectorscope in the viewer	Show Vectorscope	Control-Command-V
Show the waveform monitor in the viewer	Show Video Waveform	Control-Command-W
Show or hide the angle viewer	Show/Hide Angles	Shift-Command-7
Show or hide the audio meters	Show/Hide Audio Meters	Shift-Command-8
Show or hide the browser	Show/Hide Browser	Control-Command-1
Show or hide the Effects browser	Show/Hide Effects Browser	Command-5
Show or hide the event viewer	Show/Hide Event Viewer	Control-Command-3
Show or hide the inspector	Show/Hide Inspector	Command-4
Show or hide the keyword editor	Show/Hide Keyword Editor	Command-K
Show or hide the Libraries sidebar	Show/Hide Libraries Sidebar	Command-1
Show or hide the Photos and Audio sidebar	Show/Hide Photos and Audio Sidebar	Shift-Command-1
Show or hide the sidebar	Show/Hide Sidebar	Command-Grave Accent (`)
Show or hide the timeline	Show/Hide Timeline	Control-Command-2
Show or hide the timeline index for the open project	Show/Hide Timeline Index	Shift-Command-2
Show or hide the Titles and Generators sidebar	Show/Hide Titles and Generators Sidebar	Option-Command-1
Show or hide the video scopes in the viewer	Show/Hide Video Scopes	Command-7
Switch between the half-height view and full-height view in the inspector	Toggle Inspector Height	Control-Command-4

Using Optical Flow to Slow Down Footage in FCP X

2011-08-04T09:03:00-04:00

Final Cut Pro X has a feature called "Optical Flow". When slowing down footage with Optical Flow, your footage will appear like it has been shot with a high speed camera.

Optical flow works by creating frames in between the actual frames of your footage. Instead of repeating frames or blending them together, FCPX creates new frames based on the content of your footage, thus making playback smooth.

Using Optical Flow

1) Select a clip in the timeline and click the "Retime" icon. Then select one of the slow presets.

An orange bar will appear above your clip indicating it has been slowed down (Orange = Slow, Green = Normal, Blue = Fast)

2) Click on the "Retime" icon again. Go down to "Video Quality" and select "Optical Flow".

Your machine now has some work to do, it's best to just let it sit for a while before you try to preview the results.

3) If you you'd like can slow your footage down even slower than 10%. Click on the retime handle (the vertical black line at the end of the orange retime indicator bar) and drag to make your clip longer. You'll probably want to zoom out before and while doing this to make room for your longer clip (Command+Minus). If you don't see the retiming indicator bar, select a clip and press Command+R to bring it up.

How to share and/or copy a Final Cut Pro X Project to an external hard drive

2011-07-24T17:15:00-04:00

With the release of Final Cut Pro 10.1, Apple changed the way projects and media are managed by introducing the "Library".

Watch this video by Larry Jordan:

Still using 10.0.9 or earlier? Here's how to share a project:

Plug in the external hard drive & launch Final Cut Pro X.

Navigate to the Project Library and right-click on the project you'd like to share. Then select "Duplicate Project..." or press Command-D:

Select the correct location of the external drive from the drop down menu and make sure to choose "Duplicate Project and Referenced Events". Select OK.

Handy tip: To save space and reduce the size of the folders being copied, uncheck "Include Render Files".

Thats it, you're done! When Final Cut Pro X is launched on another machine with that drive connected, your project will be ready to go in the Project Library.