"Auditions" in Final Cut Pro X

Monday Nov 7, 2011 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

With its magnetic timeline, FCPX locks each clip in position relative to other clips rather than relative to a specific point in the Timeline. This means some parts of the creative process come more naturally—like testing out takes of a particular shot in the context of the surrounding shots. Final Cut smooths that process with an advanced clip type called an Audition.

There are several ways to create an Audition, but the simplest starts in the Event Browser.

Select two or more clips that you want to try out in an Audition.
Right click either clip and select Create Audition (or press Command+Y).
A new clip appears in the Event Browser, with a spotlight icon in the top left corner. This icon always represents an Audition clip type. Edit this clip like a normal clip. For example, we've edited the Audition clip into the Timeline between two other shots in this sequence.
To activate the Audition, click the spotlight icon at the top right corner of the shot in the Timeline. An Audition window appears, with each of the takes side by side in a Cover Flow arrangement. Click on any shot to swap it out in the Timeline. Notice that the neighboring clips slide down in the Timeline to make room for timing differences between Audition shots. Also, the name of the clip in the Timeline changes to reflect the shot that's currently selected from the Audition.
You can also swap between Audition clips using Control+Left Arrow and Control+Right Arrow while the clip is selected in the Timeline.

Learn all about this and FCPX's other advanced clip types in our four- and eight-day intensive Final Cut X courses. We teach them monthly here in Orlando, and the rest of the time, our Geniuses are traveling to studios just like yours for fully customized on-site training and consulting.