Final Cut Express 4 : Visual QuickStart Guide

Cover......Page 1 Table Of Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 20 Chapter 1: Welcome to Final Cut Express......Page 24 Your First Final Cut Express Project: Start to Finish......Page 25 What Is Nonlinear, Nondestructive Editing?......Page 27 Touring Your Desktop Post-Production Facility......Page 28 Useful features......Page 29 Onscreen help......Page 30 The Browser......Page 31 The Viewer......Page 32 The Viewer’s Effects tabs......Page 34 The Canvas......Page 35 The Timeline......Page 37 The Voice Over tool......Page 38 Print to Video......Page 39 Import and export options......Page 40 Do You Need Final Cut Pro?......Page 41 Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up......Page 42 Real-Time System Requirements......Page 43 What’s the Difference Between DV and Digital Video?......Page 44 Basic hardware configuration......Page 45 Recommended setup for DV/HDV......Page 46 HDV: HD for the Masses......Page 47 Storage Strategy for Final Cut Express......Page 48 FireWire Cables: Handle with Care......Page 49 FCE Protocol: Disk Names......Page 50 Connecting an external NTSC or PAL video monitor......Page 51 FCE Protocol: Controlling External Video Output......Page 52 Installation Options for Live Type Media......Page 53 Where to install FCE?......Page 54 Upgrading to Final Cut Express 4......Page 55 Registering and choosing an initial setup......Page 56 Optimizing Performance......Page 58 The Bottom Line: Running FCE on a “Base-Case” Mac......Page 59 Troubleshooting......Page 60 Chapter 3: Presets and Preferences......Page 62 How to “Trash Your Prefs”......Page 63 Modifying the Settings of an Existing Item......Page 64 How to choose an Easy Setup......Page 65 Apple FireWire vs. Basic FireWire......Page 67 Specifying User Preferences and System Settings......Page 68 Setting Editing Preferences......Page 71 Customizing the Timeline Display......Page 73 Specifying Render Control Settings......Page 74 FCE Protocol: Scratch Disks......Page 76 Specifying Search Folder Preferences......Page 79 Specifying Memory & Cache Settings......Page 80 Specifying Playback Control Settings......Page 81 Setting External Editors Preferences......Page 83 Customizing Final Cut Express......Page 84 Creating Custom Screen Layouts......Page 85 FCE’s Button List: Source of Secret Powers......Page 87 Chapter 4: Projects, Sequences, and Clips......Page 90 Project item types......Page 91 About Projects......Page 93 Using Save As to Protect Your Work......Page 95 Viewing and setting project properties......Page 97 Setting Autosave Vault location and preferences......Page 99 You Need Backup......Page 100 FCE Protocol: Undoing Changes in Multiple Projects......Page 101 Reconnecting Offline Files......Page 102 FCE Protocol: Broken Links......Page 104 Reconnecting Online Files......Page 106 FCE Protocol: Offline vs. Missing Clips......Page 107 Deleting Media......Page 108 FCE Protocol: Deleting Media......Page 109 Project Maintenance Tips......Page 110 The Last Mile: Tips for Final Assembly of BIG Projects......Page 112 Restoring a sequence......Page 113 Tracking used and unused clips......Page 114 Removing a project from your drives......Page 115 File access......Page 116 Creating and saving files......Page 117 Creating a new sequence......Page 119 Time Stamp for Sequences......Page 120 Changing the Settings of an Existing Sequence......Page 122 Nesting and Sequences: A Glossary......Page 124 Creating nested sequences......Page 125 Copying and pasting from sequence to sequence......Page 126 Editing a sequence into another sequence......Page 127 Making changes to a nested sequence......Page 129 FCE Protocol: Updating Nested Sequences......Page 130 Assembling Nested Sequences with Transitions......Page 131 About Clips......Page 132 FCE 4 Update: Master Clip Identity Now Travels Across Multiple Projects......Page 135 FCE Protocol: Clips and Sequences......Page 136 Viewing and Setting Item Properties......Page 140 Chapter 5: Capturing Video......Page 142 DV Timecode vs. FCE Timecode: What’s the Difference?......Page 143 Preview section......Page 144 Capture controls......Page 145 Capture tab......Page 146 Setting Up for Capture......Page 148 Is Your System Capture-Ready?......Page 149 FCE Protocol: What Are Offline Clips?......Page 150 The Art of File Naming......Page 151 Selecting a capture bin......Page 152 Entering clip information on the Capture tab......Page 153 Logging Tips......Page 156 Capture Strategies to Manage Project Media......Page 157 Capture Now: Capturing Video without Device Control......Page 159 Capturing analog audio......Page 161 HDV Capture Setup Checklist......Page 162 Capture Project: Batch Recapturing......Page 165 Preparing to recapture a project......Page 166 Using DV Start/Stop Detection......Page 169 Troubleshooting Capture Problems......Page 171 FCE 4 Update: Log and Transfer for Post-Tape Post-Production......Page 173 Chapter 6: Importing Digital Media......Page 174 FCE Protocol: File Location Is Critical......Page 176 New In FCE 4: Automatic Image Scaling......Page 177 Preparing a Photoshop file for use in FCE......Page 178 FCE Protocol: Updating Photoshop Files in FCE......Page 181 Importing a layered Photoshop file into Final Cut Express......Page 183 FCE Protocol: Layered Photoshop Files......Page 184 Importing Audio Files......Page 185 Converting Audio to 48 kHz on Import with iTunes......Page 186 Really LiveType......Page 188 Chapter 7: Organizing Clips in the Browser......Page 192 Anatomy of the Browser......Page 193 Browser columns......Page 194 What Does “Not Set” Mean?......Page 195 Using the Browser to Organize Your Project......Page 196 Sorting items......Page 197 Customizing the Browser Display......Page 198 Searching for Items in the Browser......Page 202 Search the Project or Search the Sequence?......Page 204 What’s That Little Doodad?......Page 205 Working with Browser Items......Page 207 Chapter 8: Working with Clips in the Viewer......Page 210 Anatomy of the Viewer......Page 211 Transport controls......Page 212 Clip-marking controls......Page 213 View selectors......Page 214 Timecode navigation and display......Page 215 Working with Clips in the Viewer......Page 216 FCE Protocol: Saving Clip Changes......Page 220 Playing clips......Page 222 JKL Keys: The Way to Move......Page 223 Other ways to move: Jogging, scrubbing, and shuttling......Page 225 FCE Protocol: Entering Timecode Numbers......Page 226 Navigating with Timecode......Page 227 Working with In and Out Points......Page 228 Other Ways to Set In and Out Points......Page 229 FCE Protocol: Subclips Are Master Clips, Too......Page 230 Using Markers......Page 233 Marking Shortcuts......Page 236 Changing magnification and window size in the Viewer or Canvas......Page 237 Viewing overlays......Page 241 Viewing Title Safe and Action Safe boundaries......Page 242 Viewing with different backgrounds......Page 243 Chapter 9: Basic Editing......Page 244 Basic Editing Overview......Page 245 Basic Editing Step-by-Step......Page 246 Many Ways to Make an Edit......Page 247 FCE Protocol: Three-Point Editing......Page 249 Specifying target tracks......Page 250 Moving the playhead......Page 251 FCE Protocol: Editing Multiple Tracks in Final Cut Express......Page 252 Using FCE’s Many Edit Types......Page 253 Insert edit......Page 254 Overwrite edit......Page 255 Hate Your Edit? Do Undo......Page 256 What’s a Backtime Edit?......Page 258 Fit to Fill edit......Page 259 Superimpose edit......Page 260 Transition edits......Page 261 Deleting clips from a sequence......Page 263 Performing Edits in the Timeline......Page 265 Performing split edits......Page 267 Tips for Quicker Split Edits......Page 268 Shortcuts for Marking Sequence Edit Points......Page 270 Locating a match frame......Page 272 Chapter 10: Editing in the Timeline and the Canvas......Page 274 Anatomy of the Canvas......Page 275 Onscreen controls and displays......Page 276 Timecode navigation and display......Page 278 Anatomy of the Canvas edit overlay......Page 279 Using the Canvas Window......Page 280 Creating and exporting still frames......Page 281 Adjusting the Canvas Display......Page 282 Anatomy of the Tool Palette......Page 283 Keyframe tools......Page 284 Using the Tool Palette......Page 285 Anatomy of the Timeline......Page 286 Onscreen controls and displays......Page 287 Color coding in the Timeline......Page 292 Customizing Timeline Display Options......Page 293 Timeline scaling and scrolling......Page 296 Best Zoom Shortcuts......Page 297 Fastest Ways to find the Timeline Playhead......Page 299 Navigating with timecode in the Timeline......Page 301 About snapping in the Timeline......Page 302 Using markers in the Timeline and the Canvas......Page 303 Working with Timeline Tracks......Page 306 FCE Protocol: Lock vs. Target......Page 310 Mapping Timeline target track assignments......Page 311 FCE Protocol: Target Tracks......Page 312 Dragging Is Different......Page 313 Selecting items in the Timeline......Page 316 Selecting items with the track selection tools......Page 317 FCE Protocol: Auto Select......Page 320 Merged Clips and Linking......Page 322 FCE Protocol: Linked Clips......Page 323 Moving Timeline clips......Page 324 FCE Protocol: Gaps and Track Gaps......Page 328 FCE Protocol: Deleting Items in the Timeline......Page 332 Copying and pasting clip attributes......Page 333 Making multiclip adjustments......Page 335 Changing the playback speed of a clip......Page 336 Working with keyframes in the Timeline......Page 338 Searching for Items in the Timeline......Page 339 Chapter 11: Fine Cut: Trimming Edits......Page 342 Types of Trimming Operations......Page 343 Tips on Tools......Page 345 Quick Navigation Keys......Page 346 All Keys: Mouseless Trimming in FCE......Page 347 Anatomy of the Trim Edit Window......Page 348 FCE Protocol: Trimming Error Messages......Page 351 Audio Monitoring Options in the Trim Edit Window......Page 355 Trimming Edits in the Timeline......Page 358 About through edits......Page 368 Trimming Edits in the Viewer......Page 369 Correcting Out-of-Sync Clips......Page 371 Chapter 12: Audio Tools and Techniques......Page 374 Audio Tracks vs. Timeline Tracks......Page 375 FCE’s Audio Formats......Page 376 About 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit Resolution......Page 377 The Browser’s audio format columns......Page 379 What’s Bit Depth and Sampling Rate Got to Do with My Audio Quality?......Page 380 Anatomy of the Viewer’s Audio Tab......Page 381 Onscreen controls and displays......Page 382 Using the Audio Tab......Page 384 Scaling and scrolling an audio file......Page 385 Lost in the Waveforms? Audio Tab Editing Tips......Page 386 Sounds Good: Scrubbing Audio with JKL Keys......Page 388 Editing Audio in the Timeline......Page 389 Editing Clips with Multiple Audio Channels......Page 391 Anatomy of the Voice Over tool......Page 393 Status display......Page 394 Input controls......Page 395 Voice Over tool setup checklist......Page 396 Cue Beep Choreography......Page 397 Setting audio levels......Page 400 FCE Protocol: Measuring Digital Audio in Decibels (dB)......Page 401 Monitor levels and mixing......Page 402 Adjusting levels and pan on the Audio tab......Page 403 Adjusting the pan position......Page 405 Adjusting stereo spread......Page 406 Real-time audio level and pan adjustment......Page 407 Adjusting Audio Filters......Page 409 Smart Filter Tweaking Tips......Page 411 Chapter 13: Creating Transitions......Page 412 FCE Protocol: Transitions......Page 413 FCE Protocol: Saving Changes to Modified Transitions......Page 415 Working with Default and Favorite Transitions......Page 417 About transition edits......Page 420 Editing Video Transitions......Page 421 Using the Transition Editor......Page 422 Editing transitions in the Timeline......Page 427 Modifying Audio Transitions......Page 428 Real-Time Transitions......Page 429 Chapter 14: Compositing and Effects Overview......Page 430 Basic Building Blocks of Effects Creation......Page 431 Locating and Applying Effects......Page 433 Effects Production Shortcuts......Page 434 Onscreen effects controls......Page 435 Tuning in Effects: Using Dial, Slider, and Point Controls......Page 438 Using Keyframes......Page 439 Precision control of a keyframe’s positioning......Page 441 Working with Keyframes in the Viewer’s Effects Tabs......Page 442 Keyframing Cheatsheet......Page 443 Smoothing keyframes......Page 445 Using keyframes to set a single parameter......Page 446 Setting keyframes with timecode entry......Page 447 Working with keyframes in the Timeline......Page 449 Keyboard Shortcut to a Quick Pair of Keyframes......Page 450 Saving Effects Settings as Favorites......Page 451 Customizing the Effects Menu Display......Page 453 Chapter 15: Motion......Page 454 Setting Motion Properties......Page 455 Locating x,y coordinates......Page 456 Motion Properties Modify an Image or Make It Move......Page 457 Using Wireframes......Page 458 Wireframe keyframe indicators......Page 459 Pressin’, Clickin’, and Draggin’: Using Keyboard Shortcuts with Wireframes......Page 460 Positioning clips......Page 462 FCE Protocol: Center Point vs. Anchor Point vs. Origin Point......Page 463 Rotating clips......Page 464 Cropping clips......Page 465 Distorting a clip’s shape......Page 467 Adjusting opacity......Page 468 Setting a clip’s opacity in the Timeline......Page 469 Adding a drop shadow to a clip......Page 470 Adding a motion blur effect......Page 472 The Best Way to Fine-Tune a Motion Sequence: Jump Around......Page 474 Setting motion keyframes with timecode entry......Page 478 Creating Motion Paths......Page 480 Editing a Motion Path......Page 484 Adjusting motion path curves and corners......Page 485 Setting a Single Motion Path for Multiple Clips......Page 486 Chapter 16: Filters and Compositing......Page 488 Useful Filters......Page 492 Always Be Color Safe!......Page 493 The Color Correction filter suite......Page 494 Monitors and Color Correction......Page 495 Anatomy of the Color Corrector tab......Page 496 Setting Composite mode......Page 500 Using alpha channels......Page 501 Working with Mattes......Page 504 Travel mattes......Page 505 Chapter 17: Titles and Generators......Page 508 Particle Noise = Generator Fun......Page 510 Complex Text: Other Options......Page 511 Assembly-Line Text Generation......Page 512 FCE 1 Projects in FCE 4: Your Text May Vary......Page 513 Tips for Better-Looking Titles......Page 515 The Wonders of Outline Text......Page 516 Creating scrolls......Page 518 Creating crawl titles......Page 521 Creating animated typewriter text......Page 522 Creating titles with Boris Calligraphy......Page 524 About LiveType......Page 525 Chapter 18: Real Time and Rendering......Page 526 About Real-Time Playback......Page 527 Controlling real-time playback quality......Page 529 Rendering protocols......Page 530 Rendering indicators......Page 531 FCE Protocol: Audio Rendering Options......Page 532 Using Render Commands......Page 533 FCE Protocol: Estimating Render Processing Time......Page 536 FCE Protocol: Track Costs......Page 537 Specifying storage locations for render files......Page 538 Deleting rendered files......Page 539 Avoiding unnecessary rendering......Page 540 FCE Protocol: Nested Sequences and Rendering......Page 542 Preserving render files......Page 543 Chapter 19: Creating Final Output......Page 546 Output Options For HDV......Page 547 Setting up for recording to tape......Page 548 Recording Timeline Playback......Page 551 Touching Up Your Timeline Playback......Page 552 Print to Video: Rendering Tips......Page 553 Print to Video settings checklist......Page 554 Exporting Sequences and Clips......Page 559 What’s a Reference Movie?......Page 561 Codec vs. File Format......Page 562 Exporting a QuickTime movie......Page 563 FCE Protocol: DVD Chapter Markers......Page 566 Exporting Other QuickTime Formats......Page 567 FCE Alert: Web Video Uses the Whole Video Frame......Page 569 FCE Protocol: Exporting Audio Tracks for Finishing......Page 573 Manipulating LiveType Projects in Final Cut Express......Page 577 Appendix A: Online Resources......Page 578 Appendix B: Keyboard Shortcuts......Page 582 A......Page 590 B......Page 593 C......Page 594 D......Page 597 E......Page 599 F......Page 600 G......Page 603 I......Page 604 K......Page 606 M......Page 607 O......Page 610 P......Page 611 R......Page 613 S......Page 615 T......Page 618 V......Page 621 W......Page 622 Z......Page 623

Visual QuickStart Guide—the quick and easy way to learn!

• Easy visual approach uses pictures to guide you through Final Cut Express and show you what to do.

• Concise steps and explanations let you get up and running in no time.

• Page for page, the best content and value around.

• Lisa Brenneis is the author of all previous editions of this best-selling reference to Final Cut Express, as well as all edition of Final Cut Pro: Visual QuickPro Guide. Her production credits range from interactive digital media to educational films, animation to live action, and documentary to poetic fantasy. Her clients have included Disney, MCA/Universal, the Getty Museum, the Library of Congress, the International Olympic Committee and Mattel, among others. Lisa has just finished her first feature-length video documentary, Eat at Bill's: Life in the Monterey Market.

Here to ensure that users start taking advantage of Final Cut Express 4's powerful editing capabilities immediately is a thoroughly updated task-based guide to the program from best-selling author and digital video expert Lisa Brenneis. Users who are eager to make effective, compelling videos but don't want to invest heavily in training or equipment will welcome Lisa's simple step-by-step instructions, strong visual approach, and sound professional advice. In short order, they'll find themselves editing video; applying special effects and transitions; mastering the program's compositing, titling, and audio tools; and outputting their finished work. Readers will also learn about all that's new in this major upgrade: importing iMovie 08 projects, open format Timeline, built-in AVCHD and more.