… for Apple Motion

Tip #522: The Missing Motion Shortcut

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Switch sets or create your own shortcuts to fix this problem.

Change keyboard shortcuts by switching sets in the Motion menu.

Topic $TipTopic

Of all the keyboard shortcuts that have ever existed in the history of the world, NONE have bothered me more than these two in Motion:

  • A enables automatic keyframe creation
  • Shift + S selects the Arrow tool

This shortcut combination has destroyed more student work than any other single thing I know; as well as countless projects of my own.

However, there’s hope!

While the current version of Motion supports changing keyboard shortcuts, there’s an even better solution: Changing shortcut command sets from Standard Set to Final Cut Pro Set. This resets the Arrow tool shortcut to A.

Go to Motion > Commands and switch sets:

  • The Arrow tool is now: A
  • The automatic Record Animation shortcut is now: Control + Option + Shift + Command + A

Finally.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #526: Top and Tail Trimming

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

High-speed Trims!

Use the Range tool to trim both top and tail at the same time.

Topic $TipTopic

It seems I’ve gotten lazy and always trim my clips by dragging the In or the Out. However, there is a much faster way to trim the top or tail of a clip:

  • Put the playhead where you want to move the In and type: Option + [
  • Put the playhead where you want to move the Out and type: Option + ]
  • Using the Range tool (or set an In and Out) trim to the selected range, type: Option +

High-speed trims!

EXTRA CREDIT

You can use the Skimmer instead of the playhead, but I’ve found the playhead to be better for trimming because it is less easy to jiggle out of position.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #524: Assign Multiple Shortcuts to a Menu

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Multiple shortcuts can be assigned to the same menu option.

Drag the menu option on top of a key to create a new shortcut.

Topic $TipTopic

I am a huge keyboard shortcuts junky. Except, sometimes I get confused about which shortcut goes with which application. A hidden feature in Final Cut is the ability to assign multiple shortcuts to the same menu option. Here’s how this works:

  • Open Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize (Shortcut: Option + Cmd + K)
  • In the top left corner of the Command Editor, click the Default menu and duplicate it. (Assuming you haven’t created a personal set of keyboard shortcuts already. If you have, be sure it is selected in this menu.)
  • In the Search box in the top right, search for the shortcut you want to duplicate. In my case, I’m searching for the Blade tool to create a second shortcut.
  • At the top of the Command Editor, click the modifier keys you want associated with this shortcut.
  • When you look at the keyboard, all the keys that are gray do NOT have a shortcut attached to them for that modifier key combination.
  • For this example, I want to assign a single letter to the Blade shortcut. So, I turned off all the modifier buttons at the top.
  • Then, from the Command list in the bottom center, DRAG the shortcut name on top of the key you want to create a shortcut for. In the screen shot, I’m dragging the text Blade Tool on top of “C”.

Ta-DAH! In the Command List, I now have two keyboard shortcuts for the same Blade tool.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #298: 2 Tricks to Moving Clips

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

These two tricks save time when moving clips.

Swapping a clip from one location to another. The moved clip can be placed on any track.

Topic $TipTopic

Once we have a rough cut complete, it is often necessary to move or replace clips in the timeline. Here are two tricks that make that easier.

SWAP CLIPS

To move a clip to a new position, press and hold both Command and Option. Drag the clip so the In of the clip you are moving is at its new location. While you would generally place it on the same track that it came from, you can actually place the swapped clip on any track.

As soon as you let go of the mouse, the clip shuttles into its new position and the clips to its right scurry down to fill the gap.

REPLACE CLIP

To replace a clip without losing any transitions or effects applied to it:

  • Select the clip in the timeline you want to replace
  • Drag the new clip from the Project panel on top of the existing clip while pressing Option (Alt).

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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #400: Speed Your Audio Mixing in FCP X

Carsten Ress – www.sonarixfilm.de

Faster ways to control audio levels

Adjusting an audio range in Apple Final Cut Pro X.

Topic $TipTopic

These shortcuts help to adjust audio levels in a fast and precise way. I use them all the time when I am doing some audio mixing in Final Cut Pro X.

  1. Ctrl and +/- keys: Select a whole clip or a range with the range tool and use the + / – key while pressing the Ctrl key to increase or decrease the audio level in 1 dB steps.
  2. Cmd + Drag: Hold down the Command key while dragging the audio level line up or down for “slower” / more precise control.
  3. Range-Tool: In order to change the audio levels of a section within a clip use the range tool (R). Mark the section you want to change and then drag the line within the section up or down. The necessary keyframes will be generated automatically when you start dragging.
  4. Option + Arrow keys: Select one or several keyframes. Use the up / down arrow keys while pressing the Option key to increase / decrease the selected keyframe(s) in 1 dB steps.

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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #288: How to Do a Match Frame Edit

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Match frame edits are a very fast way to find the source clip.

The Premiere Pro CC Source Monitor.
A Match Frame edit loaded into the Source Monitor, matching the In, Out and playhead.

Topic $TipTopic

Let’s say you are editing the video of a clip into the timeline, only to realize, later in your edit, that you also needed the audio. How do you fix this quickly?

The answer is a Match Frame edit.

  • In the timeline, put your playhead in the clip you want to locate and type F.

This opens the source clip into the Source Monitor, matching the position of the In, Out and playhead of the clip in the Timeline.

From there you can edit whatever you need back into the Timeline.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #254: Fix It Quick

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

A keystroke to quickly fix a file.

Topic $TipTopic

You are in mid-edit, when you discover there’s a typo in a Photoshop image. Or, a missing keyframe in an After Effects comp. Or, a still image that needs a quick repair.

Here’s a keyboard shortcut that makes quick work of fixing a file:

Cmd + E (Mac) — Cntrl + E (Windows)

The file opens in the program that created it. Save it, and it’s instantly updated in Premiere.

Cool – and quick.


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #240: See the Forest for the Trees

 

A fast way to toggle between the details and the big picture.

Topic $TipTopic

You’ve got your head buried in the details of your edit, but you need to take a quick look at the big picture of the entire Timeline. The problem is typing Plus or Minus takes forever…! What to do?

Zoom to Sequence to the rescue!

Use Zoom to Sequence in the Timeline to switch between detailed and global views of your sequence with one key press. Press once to zoom out. Press again to zoom back to where you were.

What’s the secret key? The back-slash key!


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… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #221: Shortcuts to Extend and Trim Edits

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

Power shortcuts to speed trimming.

Topic $TipTopic

It is almost always easier to drag an edit point. But it is faster and, more often, more precise to use a keyboard shortcut. Here are some trimming and playback shortcuts that can speed your work.

NOTE: With the exception of the first shortcut, all remaining shortcuts do not require you to first select the edit point. Plus, all these tricks assume you have sufficient media handles for the trim.

 

 

 

Shortcut What It Does
E Move the selected edit point to the position of the Playhead. (A roll trim.)
W Ripple trim next (downstream) edit to the position of the playhead
Shift – W Extend the next edit to the position of the playhead (no gap)
Option – W Trim the next edit to the position of the Playhead (leaves a gap)
Q Ripple trim the previous (upstream) edit to the position of the playhead
Shift – Q Extend the previous edit to the position of the playhead (no gap)
Option – Q Trim the previous edit to the position of the Playhead (leaves a gap)
Shift – K Play around the Playhead
Shift – Space Play from slightly before the In to slightly after the Out
Cntrl – Space Play from current Playhead position to the Out

NOTE: Preferences > Playback determines how far before an edit and how far after an edit the playhead will play.


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… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #199: 4 Keyboard Shortcuts That Save HOURS!

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

These shortcuts work for whatever clips you have selected.

Clip editing icons for Apple Final Cut Pro X
Editing shortcut icons (L to R): Connected, Insert, Append, Overwrite.

Topic $TipTopic

I am SUCH a fan of keyboard shortcuts. Once you start using them, you’ll be amazed at how much time they save so you can concentrate on telling your story. These are shortcuts I use in every edit.

NOTE: A key point here is that these shortcuts work with one or more selected clips in the Browser!

Shortcut What It Does
E Appends (Edits) all selected Browser clips to the end of the timeline in the order they were selected
W Insert edits all selected Browser clips at the position of the playhead/skimmer
D Overwrite edits all selected Browser clips at the position of the playhead/skimmer
Q Edits all selected Browser clips on the first available layer above (video) or below (audio) the Primary Storyline

The key point to note is that ALL selected clips are edited, in the order you selected them. If you have a bunch of selects, select them in the order you want them to appear in the timeline, type E and, poof!, instantly, they are edited in order!

NOTE: Look at your keyboard. See how E – W – D – Q all fall easily under the fingers of the left hand. This allows right-handed editors to keep one hand on the mouse and the other on the keyboard to edit clips as fast as you can decide which clip to edit next.


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