Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com
I’d been using Final Cut Pro X for years before I discovered this tip.
To reset any setting in a color wheel back to its default, double-click it.
So simple! And it took me so long to discover.
Sigh…
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Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com
The chroma-key filter, also called a “green-screen key,” in Motion and Final Cut Pro X is excellent at creating a clean key, generally without needing to touch any settings.
Here’s how.
EXTRA CREDIT
Generally, to make a key look really believable, you’ll also need to add some color correction to the foreground. But, in terms of creating the key, these are the steps you need to know.
Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com
Figuring out the best way to manage media in Final Cut is always a challenge because there are so many options. As a recent example, Ron wrote:
I have a challenge with Library’s in FCP X. I have a client that we shoot 4 videos a month. They are only about 5 minutes each. We do this every month and I have one Library (for the year) that has all the months in it along with the usual assets.
This Library is now 450 GB and my question is: would it be more effect if I had a Library for each month rather than a yearly Library.
The short answer is: “Yes.”
If you are not sharing media from one library to the next, putting one month in a library simplifies file management and improves performance. (Keep in mind that libraries need to be open to be accessed.)
There’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, it simply becomes harder to manage the media.
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Here’s the general rule: Put the media you need to access into a single library.
Keep in mind that the bigger the library, the more RAM you’ll need.
Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com
After shooting and editing hundreds of interviews, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is: Don’t do everything at once. Rather focus on completing very specific tasks. This allows you to better concentrate on the story, rather than the construction.
Specifically, I build an interview in four stages:
The benefit of this approach is that you are intently focusing on one element at a time, without wasting time creating, say, an effect for a shot that you ultimately decide not to use.
Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com
Editing a documentary, or even a simple interview, can quickly get overwhelming with all the different sound bites and B-roll you need to deal with. Especially if the story is still evolving as you edit.
Here are three tips to help you focus:
Feel free to share your own tips in the comments.
Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com
Let’s say you need to create a new open every week for a program. While each open has the same elements, a few things change. While you could simply copy and reuse an existing project, templates are a better way to work.
Why? Because they store all the elements you need and prevent you from accidentally saving a revised project with the wrong name, thus erasing the older project.
Here’s how this works.
NOTE: While you can change project settings in Motion at any time, it is always best to set the duration before adding any elements. Changing the duration after elements are added is surprisingly tricky.
NOTE: You can store multiple templates in the same category. You only need to create a category once.
To access a template, look in the Compositions section of the Project Browser when you create a new project for Motion. Double-click the template you want to use.
Done.
Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com
Most of the time, once we create a project, we don’t need to change its properties.
But, all too often, I find myself needing to change something in a project after I’ve started editing.
While you could choose Window > Project Properties, here are two faster ways:
In both cases, the image you see in the screen shot appears in the Inspector.
Click the blue Modify button to display the Project Properties window. At this point, you can make whatever changes you need to make.
NOTE: You can change any project setting at any time except frame rate. The only time we can change frame rates is when a project is empty.
Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com
Alex Macleod, writing in the Nov/Dec 2019 issue of KitPlus, pointed out this super-quick way to review and edit clips.
First, keep these keyboard shortcuts in mind:
Second, remember you can load multiple clips into the Source Monitor by:
Third, as you review these clips in the Source Monitor:
Everything you need to edit your clips without once touching the mouse.
NOTE: Learn more about the KitPlus Magazine here.
Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com
A faster way to apply an existing keyword to multiple clips in the Browser is to select all the clips to which you want to apply the keyword, then, drag them on top of the keyword in the Library List.
Poof! Instant keywords.
EXTRA CREDIT
This also adds those clips to any relevant Keyword Collections.
Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com
The folks at PremiumBeat recently published the basics of on-set walkie-talkie etiquette. (Smile… back “in the day” we used megaphones. Walkie-talkies are MUCH cooler.)
Here are some common radio codes you may hear during production:
Share your own favorite codes in the comments below.