Final Cut Pro X Beyond the Basics

Advanced Techniques for Editors

Tom Wolsky

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351736695
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Film & Video

Going beyond where introductory books leave off and written for experienced editors, especially those new to Final Cut Pro X, this new and revised edition of Final Cut Pro X Beyond the Basics is brimming with cutting-edge methods to bring your editing skills to the next level. Explained in jargon-free language by a seasoned teacher and digital editor, Tom Wolsky's text has been fully updated to address the new Final Cut Pro X 10.3 interface and changes to the software. This full-color workshop features tutorials that provide firsthand experience on the art and technique of editing at an advanced level with Final Cut Pro X, as well as in-depth information and time-saving tips that will allow you to master the application's interface elements, tools, and nuances. Wolsky covers all the bases, including:

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• Library workflows and collaboration;

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• Media organization and metadata customization for different genres;

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• Editing techniques for projects of various lengths and types;

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• Using markers and the timeline index;

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• Audio tools;

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• Multicam editing;

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• Audio and video effects;

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• Color correction, including secondary corrections and isolated color adjustments;

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• Compositing and complex animation.

An accompanying eResource features downloadable Final Cut Pro X project libraries for the tutorials discussed in the book, offering readers hands-on examples of the techniques and practices covered.

Chapter 1
Back to the Basics

Welcome to Final Cut Pro X (pronounced ten) version 10.3, referred to simply as FCP or FCPX. Like the operating system OS X, which began as Mac OS X 10.0 and eventually moved through to 10.12, so Final Cut Pro X started out as version 10.0 and has now, after more than six years, moved on to version 10.3. This is not to say that there have not been significant upgrades since it was introduced in 2011. There were three major upgrades: version 10.1 introduced libraries, version 10.2 brought great 3D titling, and version 10.3 substantially redesigned the interface. The libraries and media that accompany this book are based on this version and cannot be opened by older versions.

Version 10.3 is designed to take advantage of the newest technologies included in macOS 10.12 Sierra. For some time FCP has worked with what Apple calls Timer Coalescing and Compressed Memory, which speeds up low-level system events. Timer Coalescing allows these system events to be grouped, to happen in bursts when there is available processor time, allowing the system to be more efficient when it’s doing application tasks. Compressed Memory allows the system to compact background memory usage and allows more free memory for active applications like Final Cut Pro. These features made a huge improvement over earlier versions of OS X, which had significant memory problems when many applications were open simultaneously, building up large amounts of inactive RAM, which would not be released quickly when suddenly needed by an application. In previous versions of the OS, I could regularly run up this inactive memory state that brought FCP to its knees. This problem went back as far as Mac OS X Tiger in 2006. El Capitan and Sierra have been amazing improvements, and for this alone it makes sense to require at least 10.11.4 for the latest version of Final Cut Pro.

Another important OS feature significant to FCP is the operating system’s ability to use multiple monitors, including Air Display, to wirelessly use multiple monitors. It also has integrated notifications to tell you background tasks like sharing have been completed. The OS also allows access to multiple graphics cards for processing, and FCP has taken advantage of that, allowing it to harness the full power of the new Mac Pros.

Optimizing Your Computer for FCP

Like most high-end professional soft ware, FCP requires the best possible hardware you can afford, computer, monitor, and drives. The Apple FCP requirements are really the absolute minimum needed and should not be considered anything more than barely adequate. In addition to having the best possible hardware you can afford, there are some steps you can take to make your system run netter.

If you are still using the last versions of OS X El Capitan, one of the most important is to check on Prevent App Nap in the Finder information box. This should be done for all professional applications, especially FCP, Motion, and Compressor. To do this, select the application in the Applications folder and press Command-I or Command- click to select multiple applications and use Option-Command-I. In the Finder information window, check on Prevent App Nap . The function has been removed in macOS Sierra and is now no longer necessary. You do not want your video editing application falling asleep while it’s rendering or exporting in the background. As long as the application is in the foreground, this isn’t a problem, but as soon as you go off to answer e-mail or surf the web, the application is likely to take a nap. That said, you really shouldn’t be using your computer for anything else while it’s working in FCP. You will just slow down the processes and create potential for encoding errors. If you just have to check your e-mail, use your phone or get an iPad.

Next, there are a few steps you can take to improve performance and make it easier to use the application. Many users who aren’t familiar with recent versions of macOS find the use of hidden scroll bars disconcerting. This functionality is hidden by default but can be switched on in General System Preferences, as in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1 Scroll Bar Preference

In System Preferences, you can switch off a few items that might interfere with the application’s operations while it’s running.

For the Desktop, most professionals recommend switching off screen savers and working in a neutral, usually medium-gray desktop, because it is more restful for the eyes and does not affect the color rendition of your eyes. (You’ll see this tonal display in the application—mostly gray shades.)

In Security File Vault make sure it is switched off if it was enabled when the system was installed. This can slow down the system while working with the application.

The Displays should be set at the resolution settings the system recommends for your monitor, which should be a minimum of 1280 × 768. The application will not run properly at lower resolutions. In Displays, the Color tab should be left at the default. Do not use custom calibrations. FCP uses ColorSync to maintain consistent color reproduction through the production chain. A different calibration will alter ColorSync and produce unwanted results.

If you’re using multiple monitors for working with FCP, make sure mirroring is switched off so that you can put portions of the FCP interface on a selected monitor.

The Energy Saver should be set so that the system never goes to sleep. It’s less critical, however, that the monitor doesn’t go to sleep. I usually set it around 10 minutes, but the system and the hard drive should never shut down. If you’re using a recent MacBook Pro, mid-2010, or later, you’ll see an option at the top of the Energy Saver panel that is on by default. This switches between graphics systems used by the computer. It tends to go to the low-powered, lower performance battery setting to lengthen battery life. I generally leave this off on systems using FCP to improve graphics processing performance....

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Back to the Basics
• Chapter 2 Preferences and Importing
• Chapter 3 Orqanization
• Chapter 4 Editing
• Chapters 5 Working with Audio
• Chapter 6 Multicam Editing
• Chapter 7 Adding Titles and Still Images
• Chapter 8 Adding Effects
• Chapter 9 Color Correction
• Chapter 10 Animating Images
• Chapter 11 Compositing
• Chapter 12 Outputting from Final Cut Pro
• KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS INDEX
• INDEX