Final Cut Studio: October 2011 Archives
FCPX makes it easy to selectively adjust the audio of a specific portion of a clip. You'll find this useful often, like when you need to remove a swear word or audio pop, or fade down a spot's background music when its voiceover starts. This article uses the Range Selection tool to very quickly adjust a clip portion's volume, but first, some basics:
- If a video clip contains audio content, the audio waveform appears by default in the bottom half of the clip's silhouette in the Timeline.
- By default, all audio tracks display a black line. This line, or envelope, represents the volume of that track's audio: the top of the bar is louder, the bottom of the bar is quieter.
Step-by-step instructions after the jump...
Continue reading Ducking Audio in Final Cut Pro X.
In the new Final Cut Pro X, composite modes, including Alpha and Luma Mattes, are applied from the Compositing section of the Video Inspector. You use these types of Blend Modes to "cut out" one piece of video using information from a different piece of video—for example, to fit video into specific shapes, to apply texture to video, or to transition from one clip to the clip underneath.In previous versions of Final Cut Pro, a section of video using a Travel Matte would generally look like a stack of three layers: the layer to be "cut out," the matte layer providing the shape information, and a background layer to composite on top of. We did a tutorial to this end; Apple did too.
The FCP7 approach (image from Apple)
The FCP7 approach (image from Apple)The old approach will NOT work in Final Cut Pro X. Travel Mattes differ in two main ways in Final Cut Pro X:
- The Matte blend mode is applied to the shape layer, NOT to the layer to be masked
- If any clip in your Timeline is set to a Matte blend mode, it will cut through all of the layers in your Timeline, including the background layer.
Briefly, an effective matte workflow looks like this (need an introduction to mattes? Try our textual or video tutorials):
- Arrange the layers to be matted in the correct order:
- Click the shape layer to select it, then click the Inspector icon (
) to display the Inspector window. In the Inspector window, click the Video tab at the top, then click the Compositing category to display its contents. Change the Blend Mode to the appropriate Matte mode (we're using Stencil Alpha for this example). The shape layer will cut through all of the video in the Timeline; we'll fix that next.
- In the Timeline, click and drag to select BOTH of the top two clips, the shape layer and the to-be-cut layer. Right-click on the clips, then click New Compound Clip (or press Opt+G).
Mattes like this are especially useful for compositing video into text—conveniently, we've got a step-by-step video tutorial detailing that process for you. Want more? Come take a comprehensive FCPX training class with us at our Orlando classroom, or bring us to your studio for personalized training!
In case you haven't notice, we are in the process of re-creating many of our famous Final Cut Pro 7 tutorial's in Final Cut Pro X. Enjoy.
Here's a short tutorial on how to create a camera flash effect using Final Cut Pro X. This tutorial demonstrate three basic fundamentals of Final Cut Pro X.
Here's a short tutorial on how to create a camera flash effect using Final Cut Pro X. This tutorial demonstrate three basic fundamentals of Final Cut Pro X.
- Creating and adjusting a freeze frame
- Adding a camera flash transition
- Adding a sound effect from the built in sound effects library
Continue reading Camera flash effect using Final Cut Pro X.
Since Apple is still selling Final Cut Studio 3.0, GeniusDV has decided to re-cycle and update some of our more popular tutorials. If you're curious, that's over 4 hours of some of the best Final Cut Studio tutorial's out there. And they are FREE! So enjoy.
Here's a short tutorial on how to create a camera flash effect using Final Cut Pro. This tutorial also demonstrates how to use the 'built-in' sound effects provided by SoundTrack Pro.
Special thanks to Mattias for providing this free Camera flash plugin for Final Cut Pro.
Continue reading Camera Flash Effect in Final Cut Pro 7.
The Final Cut Pro X Synchronize clips function is a great tool for getting your clips aligned before you ever go into the timeline. When working with a Canon 5D with a Zoom H4N audio recorder, the Synchronize Clips function will get the externally recorded audio in sync with the video in two clicks of the mouse. This function is also very useful when working in a multicam situation.
For example to sync a two camera shoot together;
Select the clips to sync together.
Continue reading Synchronizing Clips in Final Cut Pro X.
It's easy to create dynamic custom title templates using Motion 5. If you also own Final Cut Pro X, these templates will automatically show up in your title browser window.
Check out this short tutorial on how to use the sequence text behavior in Motion.
Check out this short tutorial on how to use the sequence text behavior in Motion.
Continue reading Sequencing Text Behavior in Motion 5.
Learn how to create a customized lower third using Apple Motion 5.0. Motion 5 is a must have for those wanting to learning Final Cut Pro X. If you find this tutorial useful, be sure to check out our Final Cut Pro X training packages that include Motion 5 training.
Continue reading Animated Lower Third in Motion 5.
