Lesson 2: Importing Media Apple Pro Training Series Final Cut Pro X 2 nd Edition Professor: Sam Edsall
Sep 06, 2014
Lesson 2:Importing
MediaApple Pro Training
SeriesFinal Cut Pro X
2nd EditionProfessor: Sam
Edsall
Importing Media into FCP
• Final Cut Pro can import media from a variety of devices and many media formats
• SD & HD video formats• Still photos• Various audio formats including Wav, AIF, MP3
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• Select what you want to import• Select how you want to import it• Final Cut Pro works in the background to organize,
repair, and optimize media
Managing Content
Importing Media into an Event
• Final Cut Pro collects imported media into an Event
• Good habit to make a new Event when you start a new video editing project
• You can choose to copy your video clips to your hard drive or have it reference to it from another storage device like your Thumb drive• Always better to copy
content to your hard drive
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Import Media into a New Event
If the Library is not visible, click the Library button beneath the Event Browser.
In the Library, select the Macintosh HD icon for the new Event.
Choose File > New Event, or press Option-N.
The New Event• The default Event name is the current date and
highlighted awaiting a new name
The Event
• Select the disk where the new Event will be created• Select File > New Event
Making an Event
• Control-click (or right-clicking) the Event, and choose ‘Move Event to Trash’ or press Command Delete
Deleting an Event
Import Media into a New Event
In the name field, enter Fairly Legal, and press Return.
Importing Content
• Import from the button bar
• Select Import Media from the Event Browser
• File > Import Media…
• Command I• Control-click (or
right-click) the Event in the Event Library
A couple of ways
Import Media into a New Event
With Fairly Legal selected in the Event Browser, click the Import Media button.-- The Media Import window opens
Import Dialogue Box
Sources
Favorites
Preview
Selected Source
Selected Clip
Import Media into a New Event
Select the APTS FCP X disk on the left
Navigate to FCPX Book Files > Fairly Legal.
Press Command A to select all the clips in this folder
Select Import All- A new dialogue box appears…
Importing Options
• Menu of importing options that copy, organize, optimize, analyze, and fix media files as they’re imported
• After selecting the files to import, Final Cut Pro needs to confirm which Event will store the clips
Options
Import OptionsMake sure ‘Add to existing Event’ is selected and Fairly Legal is selected in the pop-up menu.
In the Organizing section, make sure that ‘Copy files into Mac HD’s Projects’ is selected.
Select ‘Create optimized media’
To Copy or Not to Copy?
• When you copy files, the original files are duplicated to the Mac HD.
• When deselected, Final Cut Pro only references to the files for this Event where the original files are stored• Always copy –
editing is faster and more responsive
That is the question
Import Folders as Keyword Collections
• If your media is already sorted into folders before you import it into FCP, you can keep it that way
• Each folder and the media inside them will be imported as a Keyword Collection (Event sub-folder) inside the Event
Sort it out
More Import OptionsThere are other options before you import like analyzing your video and audio.
- if you have the option to optimize, do it.
- up to you if you want to analyze for color and audio
For now, only check ‘Create optimized media’ and press ‘Import’ on the bottom right.
How Copied Media is Managed on your
Disk
• Movies > Macintosh HD’s projects and events
One big folder
• Right click and choose ‘Show Package Contents to see all the events currently saved
Have a look inside
Check Out Your Media on the Hard
Drive1. Click the Finder icon and navigate to Movies > Mac HD’s
projects and events.2. Right click and choose ‘Show Package Contents’3. Open Fairly Legal folder and the Original Media folder to
see the copied media.
Spring Cleaning?
• This is probably the reason• Throw out Events you no longer need
Hard drive running out of space?
Keyword Collections
• Allows you to sort similar clips into their own collection in the Event
• When you select a Keyword Collection in an Event, only the clips tagged with that keyword appear in the Event Browser
Sorting it out
Keyword Collections
How Keyword Collections
are Made
• If your media is already sorted into folders before importing and you choose ‘Import folders as Keyword Collections’ option
Automatically
• Assign keywords to clips after you import them
• Like ‘interviews’ ‘b-roll’ ‘interior’ ‘exterior’ etc.
Manually
Make the FCPX Book Files Folder a
FavoriteClick the Import button.
Under Devices, select the APTS FCP X drive.
From the File list, drag the FCPX Book Files folder on top of the Favorites category on the left.-when you see the + sign, release.
Import Folders as Keyword Collections
Select your new FCPX Book Files favorite on the left.
In the Files folder, navigate to the Zero to Hero folder.
Select the Interviews subfolder.
Import Folders as Keyword Collections
With the Interviews folder selected, click Import Selected1. Select ‘Create new
Event’2. Enter Zero to Hero in
the new Event field. 3. Create optimized
media4. Import folders as
keyword collections5. Click Import.
Keyword Collections
• Blue Key icon in the Event Library under the Event
• Blue line across each clip in the Event Browser that has a Key word attached to it
What you see
Import Another Folder as a Keyword
CollectionControl-click the Zero to Hero Event in the Event Library and, from the shortcut menu, choose Import Files.
In the Import dialog, navigate to FCPX Book Files > Zero to Hero > B-Roll, and select that folder.
Import Another Folder as a Keyword
CollectionUse the same settings as last time by adding it to the Zero to Hero Event, copy files, and Import folders as Keyword Collections and Import.
Looking Around
• See all the clips in your Event in the Event Browser
Select an Event
• See only the clips in the Event Browser that share that keyword
Select a Keyword Collection
Looking AroundClick on the Zero to Hero Event to see all the files in the Event.
Click on each keyword collection to see the different subset of clips within the Event.
Analyzing and Correcting
Imported Clips
• FCP can recognize common problems such as camera shake, color balance, shutter roll, audio hum, and background noise
• Can also determine the type of shot• Number of people• Close-up, wide shot, long shot, etc.
• Auto-analysis can be performed during or after import.
Auto Analysis
Analyzing and Correcting
Imported Clips
• Automatically finds errors in color balance of each clip by comparing the highlight and the shadow areas
Analyze for Balance Color
• Looks for the number of people within a clip and identifies the shot type or shot framing as a keyword
Find People
Import with Auto Analysis
In the Library, Control-click the Macintosh HD icon and choose New Event.
Name the new Event I Think
Auto AnalysisClick the Import button.In the FCPX Book Files folder select the “I Think” folder and then select Import Selected..
Import Options1. Add to existing event
‘I Think’2. Create optimized
media3. Analyze for balance
color4. Find people5. Consolidate find
people6. Create Smart
Collections7. Press Import
Creating Smart Collections
• FCP will now sort of your content into smart collections based on what you chose
What happened?
• Hold on – this takes some time
• Folders will start to appear in your Event Library shortly
“I don’t see anything yet”
Working in the Background
• FCP analyzes and fixes the imported clips as a background task, allowing you to continue working
• Process pauses if you move your mouse and resumes when there is no activity
Background tasks
• Click the Background Tasks button in the Dashboard above the Timeline, or press Command-9
What’s happening
Blue vs. Purple Lines
• The clip is part of a keyword collection
Blue line
• The clip was was analyzed and in a smart collection
Purple line
• Clip can have both and be in both collection folders
Blue and Purple?
The Analysis
• During analysis, stabilization and color balance effects are ready to be applied to the clips in Smart collections, but not enabled
It is, but is isn’t
AnalysisIn the I Think Event, skim through the extreme cu clip.
-- notice the yellowish tint
-- FCP analyzed the color balance, but it’s not corrected (yet).
AnalysisBelow the Viewer in the toolbar, click the Inspector button. -- Inspector appears to the right of the Viewer.
At the top of the Inspector, click the Video tab.
Enable the color balance effect by selecting the box next to Balance.
Transcoding
• Final Cut Pro can create media files optimized for better performance during both editing and rendering, and improved color quality for compositing
• If your media is already optimized, the optimized option will be dimmed out
What it is
Transcoding
• Transcodes video to Apple ProRes 422 codec
Create optimized media
• Transcodes video to Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy), a lower-resolution and lower-quality format.
• Smaller data rates and file sizes• Good for low memory or slower computers or large
projects
Create proxy media
Should I Optimize?
• Less lag (spinning pinwheel of death) and faster response time
• Optimized HD footage is easier to edit with
Yes
• Transcoding takes time, (but it’s usually worth it.)• If you are editing SD footage, you normally don’t
need to.
No
Do I need Proxy Media?
• Large HD projects need lots of memory.• If your computer is still slow using optimized
media, it will help to use proxy media for the time being
• Edit in proxy, but don’t forget to switch back to original media before you export
Yes
• If you have a fast processor and lots of memory• Your optimized media in the timeline works fine
without delays
No
Working with Proxy Media
• Select the option in the dialogue box
When you import
• Select all your clips, right click and choose Transcode Media
• Create Proxy media and OK
After importing
Switching Back & Forth
• In the Media section choose whether you wish to view and edit in Optimized/Original or Proxy
• If you choose Proxy, any clips that were not transcoded will appear offline (red) in the Event Browser
Viewer Options Pop-up Menu
Importing from a Camera
• Built-in iSight• FireWire and USB
connected cameras• Decks, hard drives, and
flash cards
Variety of sources
• Compatibility check:http://help.apple.com/finalcutpro/cameras/en/index.html
How about my camera?
Importing from Tape
• Connect the VTR to your computer with a Firewire
Connect via Firewire
• Select the VTR• Cue the tape you want to
capture using the transport controls below the preview area
• Click the Import button to capture that section of tape
Open the Import Window
Importing from the Finder
• Easy to do• Set import options first
• Media management• Keyword Collections• Transcoding video• Auto-analysis & Smart
Collections• Done through the Import
tab of the Final Cut Pro Preferences window.
Drag straight to an Event
Importing from a Camera
In the Library, create a new Event on Macintosh HD and name it Camera Import.
Select the Event and in the Event Browser, click the Import Media button.
Deselect the “Close window after starting import” checkbox.
Importing from a Camera
Press Command H to hide FCP.
In the Finder, navigate to APTS > FCPX > FCPX Book Files > Imports folder and double-click the 201107_Flowers.dmg disk image file.
Importing from a Camera
Return to FCP and select the camera mounted at the top of the sidebar.
Click the Filmstrip view- the clips from the simulated SDHC card appear on the bottom
Importing from a Camera
Skim through some clips to check them out.
Press the Command key, then select Clip 7, Clip 11, and Clip 13.
Click the Import Selected button.
Importing from a Camera
Choose to add these clips to the existing Camera Import Event.
Choose a Portion of a Clip
In Clip #2, drag the pointer from the beginning of the clip until the camera stops at the top of the flower.
In Clip #4, drag the pointer from the beginning of the clip until the camera tilt-up has stopped.
Importing Portions of a Clip
• If it’s highlighted in yellow it will be imported
Yellow
• If it’s highlighted in black, the selection is remembered, but will not be imported
Black
• Control click all the clip selection you wish to import
Selecting your selections
Grab all your Selections
Command-click within the marked range in Clip #2 to add it to the Clip #4 selection for import.
Click the Imported Selected button, check that these clips will go to the Camera Import Event, and Import.
Close the Import window.
Importing from the Finder
Open the Final Cut Pro Preferences window.
At the top of the Preferences window, click the Import button.
Select Copy files to Final Cut Events folder, check Optimize and deselect everything else.
Importing from the Finder
In the Library, create a new Event on Macintosh HD and name it Baja
Press Command H to hide FCPX.
In the Finder window, navigate to the APTS > FCPX > FCPX Book Files > Imports > Baja Whales
Importing from the Finder
Drag the Baja Whales folder into the Baja Event.
When the Event is highlighted with a white outline, and you see the green plus sign on the pointer, release the pointer.
Importing from other Applications
• Drag media files from the windows of supported applications such as:• Aperture, iPhoto, iTunes
• Simply drag the file from the application into an Event.
• Final Cut Pro Import preferences are in effect when dragging files into Final Cut Pro.
Works the same way
Homework Assignment:
1. Create a new Event on your Mac HD Library and name it Delicious Peace.
2. Import and copy all the Delicious Peace clips from the FCPX Book Files folder.
Homework Assignment:
3. Open the I Think People folder so all the smart collections can be seen.
4. Open the Zero to Hero event so the two Keyword Collections can be seen.
5. Select the new Delicious Peace Event so the clips can be seen in the Event Browser.
Homework Assignment:
5. Use the Grab utility in the Applications / Utility folder to take a snapshot of your Library and Events Browser.
6. Save the image to the desktop and name it (Your name) Week 4 HW.- (your name) Week 4
Homework Assignment:
7. Send an email to me at [email protected] with the picture attached.
8. Do not delete Delicious Peace, I Think, or Zero to Hero projects. We will use them again in Lesson 3. If you don’t have these events yet in your Library, complete this lesson so you are ready for lesson3.
9. You can delete Baha. We are done with that Event.
Shortcuts• Create a new eventOption N
• Select all items in the current folder or locationCommand A
• Select a group of contiguous itemsShift click
• Select a group of non-contiguous itemsCommand click
• Open the Preferences windowCommand , (comma)
Shortcuts• Open and close the Background
Tasks windowCommand 9
• Open and close the InspectorCommand 4
• Close an active windowCommand W
• Import MediaCommand I
Lesson 2:Importing
MediaApple Pro Training
SeriesFinal Cut Pro X
2nd EditionProfessor: Sam
Edsall