Cinema has been around for a little over 100 years, and for a long time, the editing process was straightforward. Each frame of film was a single image on a continuous strip of celluloid, and, to combine multiple shots in a sequence, the film was physically cut and then taped to another piece of film. Every cut took real physical effort and time, and revisiting your earlier edits could be difficult, expensive, or impossible, depending on when the decision was made. And then, the arrival of video in the 1980s made it more accessible, but also worse.

Tape-based editing meant that an editor didn’t have to physically cut film, and because it made the process much cheaper, an entire generation of teenagers could explore movie making on a budget. However, images recorded on magnetic tape cannot be easily reordered. To rearrange shots A-B-C to B-A-C means offloading the whole sequence to a second tape, then placing them back on the original tape in a different...

Here’s a quick screenshot of the main window in FCP X. On the left, I have several libraries open in the Browser, where a few media clips can be seen. The Timeline is showing a music video I worked on, and you can see a drone shot visible in the Viewer. The Effects pane and Audio Meters are open in the bottom right, and the Inspector is showing Color Wheels in the top right, as you can see here:

Figure 1.1: The main window, with several panes open

The interface is quite changeable. You can choose which panes you want to see, and how much space they each take up. There are several floating windows too, but let’s go over the basics first.

Overview

Most of the time you spend in FCP X will be working in a single window. While additional windows will be shown to adjust preferences, import media, and export, the editing process is largely a single-window experience. Within this single window there are several panes, each...

At the very highest level, every editing job is the same. You shoot — or somebody else shoots — some footage, which is then copied to your system and backed up for safety. You choose the best parts of the best clips, and then arrange them in sequence. You trim and re-arrange, tweak color and audio, and then add titles. You gain approval from the client (who could be you), and then you make further changes. When everyone’s happy, you export the final file. The file is uploaded, or otherwise sent to its destination. The original files are then archived to make room for future jobs or kept for further editing. Sounds simple, right? It can be, but often isn’t. There are several complicating factors, but it’s easy to keep it simple — and that’s what I’d recommend for many first-time editors.

Terminology

FCP X uses some unique terms, but here is a quick summary:

• A Library holds all the data...

As a final note for this introductory chapter, it’s worth looking at your computer: what do you need? Technology will continue to advance, so I’ll keep this broad, but FCP X can work on anything from a low-end laptop to a fully upgraded Mac Pro worth more than most cars. What do you need?

A Mac

This one is obvious, since FCP X doesn’t run on Windows, but what kind? There are many options, but the most obvious question is laptop or desktop?, and the answer is simple. Laptop if you need portability, or desktop for better speed, easier expansion, and a bigger screen.

An important factor for video editing is the graphics power it offers, and while only the top-end 15” or 16” laptops offer high-powered “discrete” graphics, all desktop Macs except the Mac mini include a discrete graphics card. Any Mac can deal with almost any job, but the higher the resolution you want to work with, and the more effects that...

FCP X really tries to make things look simple — and for many editors, it can be. There’s a ton of power hidden behind the scenes but you don’t have to use every feature available, and the editing process can be pretty straightforward if you follow a few rules.

Now that you know what the editing process involves and how this application can help you achieve it, you’re well on your way. You should understand the basics of the interface now, and though it might appear simple, there’s a lot of complexity behind the scenes. You know what hardware you want in an ideal world, but just about any Mac will do while you’re learning. Ready to go? Almost!

To keep everything running smoothly, a little planning and prior knowledge is needed to make sure the right content is captured in the right format. And that’s in Chapter 2, Before the Edit: Production Tips.

1. What’s the name of the area where you collect and organize your media?
2. What’s bigger, a Library or a Project?
3. What do you put in a Project?
4. Where do you change most settings about a clip?
5. What’s the name of the area where you play back video?
6. Where do you find buttons to show or hide part of the interface?
7. Can you store media files on your internal hard drive?
8. Which chapter covers color correction?
9. Where can you change or add shortcut keys?
10. What kind of timeline does Final Cut Pro X use?

1. The Browser.
2. A Library. Libraries contain Events, and Events can contain clips and/or Projects.
3. A Project contains your finished edit — it’s a sequence, or a timeline.
4. The Inspector.
5. The Viewer.
6. In the top right corner, just to the left of the Share button.
7. Yes, you can, but you might run out of space.
8. Chapter 11, Play with Light: Color Correction and Grading.
9. The Command Editor, found at Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize.
10. A magnetic timeline (no tracks).