… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #854: A Hidden Search Feature

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Notes can be entered in the browser or the Info Inspector. (The Inspector is easier.)

The Browser Notes field. (It’s position is shifted left by several columns.)

Topic $TipTopic

There’s a hidden feature in Final Cut that can make your searches more effective. However, it’s hidden in plain sight.

When you use the Search box at the top of the browser to look for a clip, it is actually searching in two places: the file name and the Notes field. By default, the Notes field is empty but you can add anything you want. Here’s how:

  • Switch the browser to List view (Shortcut: Option + Cmd + 2).
  • Scroll right until you find the Notes column.

NOTE: Columns can be moved left or right by dragging the column header. Reveal columns by Control-clicking any column header.

  • Click once in the Notes field. Wait a few seconds.
  • Click once, again, in the Notes field. Wait a few seconds.
  • The Notes field will open for editing. Enter any relevant text pertaining to that clip.

EXTRA CREDIT

Many asset management systems allow you to add notes to a clip before importing it into Final Cut.

I find it faster to select a clip, then go to the Info Inspector and enter directly into the Notes field there. This bypasses all the waiting for the Notes field to open.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #855: Apply Common Keywords Faster!

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

You can create up to nine common keywords, each with its own keyboard shortcut.

The floating keyword palette, with common keywords displayed.

Topic $TipTopic There’s a hidden feature in the floating Keywords palette that makes applying keywords to selected clips, or ranges, much faster. Here’s how it works.

  • Type Cmd + K to display the floating Keyword panel.
  • Twirl down the small right-pointing arrow next to the words “Keyword Shortcuts.” This displays up to nine fields that you can fill with keywords you plan to use frequently. (See screen shot.)

NOTE: A Keyword can be more than one word, but they work best when phrases are kept short.

  • To enter a keyword, simply type it into an empty field.
  • To apply a keyword, type the keyboard shortcut listed next to it. For example, Control + 1 for “Exterior”
  • To remove a keyword from either a clip or the common keyword list, select it and press Delete.
  • To remove all common keywords, type Control + 0.

EXTRA CREDIT

Remember, to apply keywords you first need to select the clip, clips, or clip range in the Browser.

You can only have nine keywords with keyboard shortcuts, but you can change these keywords at anytime without affecting any keywords already applied to clips.


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… for Apple Motion

Tip #841: A Faster Way to Preview Effects

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Grid icon duplicates the Motion Viewer to simultaneously display multiple views of your project.

A split screen with 3D text on the top, with the Top view of a camera on the bottom.

Topic $TipTopic

In the top right corner of the Motion Viewer is a small “grid” icon. Ever wonder what it does? It’s pretty helpful…!

This button divides the screen into sections so that you can preview the same project from multiple views.

A common way to use this is as a split the screen (I generally use side-by-side images because I have a large monitor) so that I can see the finished version of my project on one side, with a top view of cameras and lights on the other.

NOTE: I used a top/bottom split for this screen shot because it fits better in this webpage.

While you can easily toggle between views in Motion, seeing both at the same time makes it easier to create an effect; especially involving multiple cameras.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #834: An Even Faster Way to Change Clip Speed

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The Rate Stretch tool is a fast way to change the speed of clip.

Select the Rate Stretch tool from the tools palette.

Topic $TipTopic

When you need to change the speed of a clip, you can use the Rate/Duration window. Or… you can use this tool – which is MUCH faster!

The Rate Stretch tool (Shortcut: R) changes the speed of a clip as you drag an edge.

Select it from the Tools palette, then drag the edge of a clip whose speed you want to change. The new duration is displayed next to the tool as you drag the edge of a clip.

Dragging a clip longer slows it down, dragging a clip shorter speeds it up.

EXTRA CREDIT

The Speed/Duration dialog (Shortcut: Cmd + R) provides more options and greater precision, but for sheer speed, the Rate Stretch tool can’t be beat.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #838: A Visual Way to Animate Effects

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The timeline provides an easy way to add keyframes and animate effects.

Control-click the small Fx badge to display keyframe controls for a clip.

Topic $TipTopic

You probably know that you use keyframes to animate effects and that you can create keyframes in the Effects Panel. But… there’s a faster way, hidden in plain sight.

Control-click the small Fx badge in the top right corner of the clip you want to animate.

From the pop-up menu (see screen shot) select the parameter you want to animate with keyframes. The benefit to using the timeline to create keyframes is that you can sync them more easily with other clips located above or below the clip you are adjusting.

A thin, horizontal, white line appears in the selected clip.

  • Cmd-click to add a keyframe
  • Drag the keyframe up/down to change the value.
  • Drag the keyframe left/right to change the timing.
  • Control-click the keyframe to add curves or acceleration.
  • Control-click the keyframe to delete it.

EXTRA CREDIT

Use the Pen tool (Shortcut: P) to select and change multiple keyframes at once.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #835: Create a Favorite Import Location

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

There’s no limit to the number of Favorites you can create.

Drag the icon for a storage location on top of “Favorites” to create a link.

Topic $TipTopic

If you frequently go to the same storage location to import media, Final Cut has a handy shortcut that gets you there faster.

  • Open the Media Import window (Shortcut: Cmd + I).
  • In the center panel, navigate to display the drive or folder you want to make a favorite location.
  • Drag the icon for that location in the center panel on top of the word “Favorites” in the sidebar on the left.

Poof!

I use this technique all the time.

EXTRA CREDIT

  • There is no limit to the number of favorite locations you can create.
  • You can create a favorite folder which is buried layers deep on any attached storage.
  • To remove a favorite location, Control-click it and select “Remove from Sidebar.”

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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #837: A Simply Useful Shortcut

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Double-clicking the title enlarges or shrinks the Inspector.

Double-click the title at the top of the Inspector to expand to full height.

Topic $TipTopic

This is one of those techniques that, if you know it, you say “Everyone knows that!” And, if you don’t, you say: “How come nobody ever told me about this?”

By default, the Inspector displays to the top of the timeline, so you have lots of room to view your edit.

However, if you double-click the name of whatever is displayed at the top of the Inspector, (“Youth Culture,” in this screen shot), the Inspector expands to full height.

Yeah, once I learned this, I use it ALL the time.

EXTRA CREDIT

Double-click the top of the Inspector to shrink it back to half-height again.

SO useful!


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #823: Voice-Over Recording Settings

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The secret is to Control-click the mic icon for the track you want to record in.

The Voice-Over Recording dialog window.

Topic $TipTopic

Another hidden feature inside Premiere is the voice-over recording settings. Most of the time, when you need to record audio, you’ll do that outside Premiere. But, to quickly create narration scratch tracks, nothing beats recording directly in Premiere. Here’s how.

  • Control-click the small, white mic icon in the track header for the track you want to record on.
  • Select Voice Over Recording Settings from the pop-up menu. This displays the dialog shown in the screen shot.

OPTIONS

  • Name. This names the clip you are about to record. As always, you can change the clip name later.
  • Source. The specifies which mic to use. I use an external headset mic, digitized using a Scarlet 2i2 A/D conveter.
  • Input. This specifies which channel the mic is on. A stereo input has two channels.
  • Sound cues. When you start recording, Premiere displays a countdown. If you also want the countdown to beep, check this box.
  • Preroll. When you start recording, this determines how many seconds to back up before starting recording.
  • Postroll. If you set an Out to determine the end of a recording, this determines how many seconds after the Out to continue recording, in case the voice talent’s timing isn’t perfect.
  • Click OK to accept the revised settings.

NOTE: The audio meters at the bottom display the input level of your mic. In general, set levels so that you are recording around – 12 dB. You can adjust these later during the final mix.

RECORDING

  • You can mark an In and Out in the timeline to specify where the recording will start and end. Or simply place the playhead where you want the recording to start.
  • Click the Mic icon again to start recording.
  • Press the spacebar to stop.

EXTRA CREDIT

I rarely set an In or Out, most voice talent, including me, wants the freedom to make mistakes. It is easy to edit a recording later to clean up mistakes, or configure it to hit a specific time.


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… for Apple Motion

Tip #804: The Secret Identity of a Drop Zone

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Drop zones are used for both image manipulation and transitions.

The Drop Zone Type menu in Motion 5.

Topic $TipTopic

Drop zones are objects created in Motion that allow us to include video when using a Motion template in Final Cut. However, there’s more to drop zones than first meets the eye.

To add a drop zone to a Motion project, choose Object > New Drop Zone (Shortcut: Shift + Cmd + D).

Next, select the drop zone in the Layers pane and go to Inspector > Image.

Notice, as you can see in the screen shot, that a drop zone is considered an Image. What you may not know, however, is that you can select between three different states for a drop zone:

  • Drop zone. Displays video added to the template from Final Cut.
  • Transition A. Displays the end of the out-going clip when added as a transition in Final Cut.
  • Transition B. Displays the start of the in-coming clip when added as a transition in Final Cut.

Converting a drop zone to a transition image gives you more flexility in designing templates and transitions. However, you can only have one Transition A and one Transition B drop zone per project. (Sigh… it would be cool if we could clone them.)


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #799: A Faster Way to Remove Keyframes

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The Pen tool does more than draw, it can also select… keyframes, for instance.

The Pen tool is selecting audio keyframes to modify or remove.

Topic $TipTopic

I discovered this tip while researching a recent webinar covering the basics of editing in Premiere.

During my demo, I found myself with a number of audio keyframes that I needed to remove. While I could – and did – Control-click each keyframe to remove it, I wondered if there was a faster way.

And there is!

  • Select the Pen tool (Shortcut: P), then drag a selection rectangle INSIDE the clip. It will select any keyframe that it touches.
  • Then, press the big Delete key to remove them.

Done!

NOTE: The cool thing about this process is that you can quickly remove one, several or all the keyframes in a clip. This isn’t an “all-or-nothing” technique.


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