Understanding the Basics of Editing

How to edit in Final Cut Pro

Importing footage:

1. Right click on the upper left hand box (the bin), then click Import - Files.

OR

Click File - Import - Files

2. Select which files you want to import by navigating to their saved destination via the window, and then click Choose.

3. Now your file(s) are imported into the bin. To use the footage all you have to do is drag it into the timeline below.

4. OR click on Log and Transfer in the File menu (if you want to import files directly from the camera)

Select the clips that you want to transfer from the device of your choice. Drag the into the Transfer Queue area and click okay. These clips will be added to your bin.

How to cut/slice/trim and add cross fades:

1. There are 3 ways of cutting your clips. The first way is to double click on your chosen clip, which brings up a menu like this:

Navigate to the place in your clip (using the play button etc.) that you want to start from and click the button at the bottom of the screen that looks like this:

This will trim your footage to this point. Now navigate to the point where you want your video to end and click to the button next to the button you previously clicked.

Now you can drag your footage from the bin to the timeline and it will be trimmed.

2. Or you can drag your footage from the bin straight onto the timeline and drag the end inwards (cropping).

So this would change to this:

3. Or you can use the razor tool on the footage in your timeline

The razor tool is in the toolbar on the far right of the screen (the 6th one down).

Choose where you want to cut your clip into two and, with the razor tool selected, click on your clip to separate it.

4. Now that you've separated your clips, you can add a cross fade. Drag the second clip further up the timeline.

5. Double click the second clip and navigate to the following menu (click motion)

Click the opacity option.

Drag the slider from the right (100) to the left (0), making sure that your cursor is on the beginning of the second clip, and click the diamond button to the right of the 0 to set a keyframe.

Move your cursor along to when the second clip and first clip stop overlapping and set another keyframe - this time at 100 (drag the slider all the way back to the right). Note: You don't need to click the keyframe button twice, it will automatically set a keyframe once you've changed the opacity value.

OR

Navigate to the Effects menu above the bin.

Then go to Video Transitions - Dissolve - Cross Disolve and drag said effect onto the clip(s) you want to cross dissolve.

Now when you watch your video clip 1 should fade into clip 2.

Exporting:

1. Navigate to File - Export - Quicktime Movie

Make sure to name your video and choose the appropriate settings (usually Current Settings, Audio and Video and None). Then click 'save' and your video will be exported.