1. Lesson 3:
Organizing Clips into an
Event
Apple Pro Training
Series
Final Cut Pro X
Instructor: Sam Edsall

2. Event Management
Getting things organized
• Manually assigning keywords
• Rating clips
• Creating Smart Collections
The Goal
• To arrange and combine the Event clips so you
can easily find them.
• Done by using the Event Library and Event
Browser to organize, sort, filter, and find your
media.

3. Metadata
Data about data
• Provides information about your content
• Content, title, length, format, creator, etc.
• Tells you something about the clip without looking at it
How FCP uses Metadata
• Automatically logged during import
• Like in lesson 2
• Tagging keywords to clips  metadata
• Rating clips with a thumbs up and thumbs down 
metadata
• Final Cut Pro uses the metadata to organize your content
into a structure that is easy to sort, filter, search, and
retrieve.

4. 3 Types of Metadata
Camera Metadata
• Stored in the camera source files
• Date, clip duration, timecode, frame rate and size
Final Cut Pro metadata
• Clips analyzed from media source files by FCP
• People and shot detection
• Video & audio problems – stability, hum, etc.
User metadata
• Done by you
• Keywords, ratings, Smart Collections
• Personalized clip organization for a faster and easier workflow.

5. Load up the Event
Start up the APTS External
Drive.
In the Event Library, select
the Mobileviz Minutes
Event from APTS FCP X.
Beneath the Event Library,
click the List View button to
view the clips as a list.

6. Event View Settings
Set the Event Browser filter
at the upper left is set to All
Clips.
Also choose Group Clips By
>None

7. Clip Metadata in List
View
Data about your data
• Clip metadata under each
column heading
• Name, start and end
timecode, duration, creation
date
• Metadata came from the
original camera files
• You can add your own
metadata in the Notes
column and display
additional columns

8. Event, Keywords,
Smart Collections
In the Event Library, click the
disclosure triangles next to the I
Thinkand Zero to HeroEvents.
Open the I Think > People folder, to
see the clip collections listed within
those folders.

9. Color Coding
Event
• White-starred, purple icon
Smart Collections
• Purple with a purple gear icon
Keyword Collections
• Blue with a blue key

10. Event, Keywords,
Smart Collections
Under the I ThinkEvent,
select the One PersonSmart
Collection.
To see these clips in filmstrip
view, click the Filmstrip View
button.

11. Clip Coding
The Purple Line
• Purple horizontal line
across the top indicates an
analysis keyword
• „Find People‟ and „Create
Smart Collection‟ was
selected in the Import
dialog box
• FCP automatically
collected the clips with one
person and placed them in
the One Person Smart
Collection.

12. Event, Keywords,
Smart Collections
In the Event Library under
the Zero to HeroEvent,
click the Interviews
Keyword Collection.

13. Clip Coding
The Blue Line
• Blue horizontal line
across the top indicates
a key word collection
• This text-based
Keyword Collection is
named after the
Interviews folder you
imported in lesson 2.

14. Resizing the Event
Browser
Place your pointer over the boundary line between the
Event Browser and the Viewer.
When it changes to the resize pointer, drag right to enlarge
the Event Browser.

15. Resizing the Event
Browser
In the Event Library, select the Mobileviz MinutesEvent.
Drag the Clip Duration slider to All to view individual thumbnail images.
Under Clip Appearance deselect Show Waveforms.
Adjust the Clip Height slider until you see all the clips in this Event.

16. Adding Keyword
Collections
A Keyword
Collection
• Descriptive text label
you apply to a clip.
• Adding keywords helps
you organize, sort, and
finding your media
• Helps speed up your
editing workflow

17. Creating Keyword
Collections
In the Event Library, select
the Mobileviz
MinutesEvent, and then
click the List View button.
In the Event Browser, click
the __Kevin_1 clip.

18. Creating Keyword
Collections
Hide the waveforms by
choosing View > Hide
Waveforms.
Resize the filmstrip area by
vertically dragging the
boundary between the
filmstrip and the list (above
the column headings).

19. Creating Keyword
Collections
In the Event Browser, click
the Keyword Editor button.
-- or press Command-K.
The Keyword Editor opens
with the name of the
selected clip, __Kevin_1,
displayed in the name area
of the window.
-- any information entered in the
Keyword field will be added to
this clip.

20. Creating Keyword
Collections
In the Keyword field, type
Kevin
Watch the_Kevin_1_clip
filmstrip as you press
Return.
-- the keyword you entered floats
up into a blue horizontal line that
is added to the filmstrip.

21. Keyword Collection
Icons
Event Library
• New blue Keyword
collection under the
Event
Event Browser
• Blue line on clip
• Keyword collection
key under the clip in
the list view

22. Add More Clips to Your
Collection
Select the __Kevin_2_
clip.
Open the Keyword Editor
and click on the Control 1
icon next to „Kevin‟.
-- watch the filmstrip as the
keyword floats into the
__Kevin_2_ clip‟s new blue
keyword line.

23. Add More Clips to Your
Collection
Drag em‟:
Scroll through the Event
Browser, find the eight clips with
filenames that begin with
mocap.
Select all eight mocap clips
-- Select the mocaphookup
-- Shift-click the mocap strap
stilts clip
Drag the group onto the Kevin
Keyword Collection.

24. Removing a Keyword
from a Clip
Oops
• Sometimes you have
a clip in a collection
that doesn‟t belong
there
„Un-Keyword‟ it
• Select the clip with
the wrong keyword
and press Control 0

25. Remove a Clip From Your
Collection
Select the Mobileviz Minutes
Event.
Select the mocap sensor rail
clip.
In the Keyword Editor, press
Control-0
-- watch the filmstrip as the
keyword turns into a puff of
smoke, and the blue horizontal
line disappears.

26. Assigning Multiple
Keywords to Clips
More is better
• Clips with several
keywords make it
easier to find.
• As you tag clips with
additional keywords,
they will find their ways
into more Keyword
Collections.

27. Adding Multiple
Keywords to Clips
Select the Mobileviz
Minutes Event.
Click the Filmstrip View
button, and then drag the
Clip Duration slider to All.
Scroll to find the seven
mocap clips (with blue
keyword lines) you already
tagged if necessary.

28. Adding Multiple
Keywords to Clips
Select the trailer cu clip,
and then Shift-click the
trailer wsclip.
In the Keyword Editor
window, type Trailer in the
Keyword field, and press
Return.

29. Adding Multiple
Keywords to Clips
In the Event Browser,
Command-click all clips
except:
trailer int action
trailer int colorist
trailer int logo so they
remain selected.
In the Name field of the
Keyword Editor next to the
word Trailer, type Interior,
and press Return.

30. Assigning Multiple
Keywords to Clips
Speed Keys
• Create a bunch of
keywords you know
you will need
• Then select the clips
that need a keyword
and assign them
• Drag them over the
keyword in the Event
Library
• Click on the button
• Keyboard shortcut

31. Speed Keywording
In the Keyword Editor, enter
these keywords into the
keyword shortcut fields.
Press Tab after each keyword
entry to move to the next
field.
Control-4: Interviews
Control-5: Actress
Control-6: Alex
Control-7: Mocap
Control-8: Robot
Control-9: On Set

32. Speed Keywording
In the Event Browser,
select the _Alex clip, and
then Shift-click the
_Sergei_2 clip.
Assign the Interviews
keyword to all of these
clips
-- click the Keyword Shortcut
button (^4)
-- press Control-4 on your
keyboard

33. Dump a Keyword
Collection
Lose it
• Control-click (or 2-
finger click) the
offending keyword
collection in the
Event Library
• Select “Delete
Keyword Collection”
in the shortcut menu

34. Dump a Keyword
Collection
To delete the Keyword
Collection in the Event
Library, Control-click the
Interior keyword collection.
From the shortcut menu,
choose Delete Keyword
Collection
-- you can just press
Command-Delete

35. Speed Keywording
Add an On Set keyword to
the following clips:
Actress leaves car
Alex at monitor
Alex directs copters
Alex green screen
Alex talks framing
arri camera
camera focus
green screen move
James talks mocap
mocap hookup

36. Speed Keywording
Select the Interviews
keyword collection, then
select the _Alex clip and
assign the Alex keyword to
that clip.
Select the Mobile vis
Event, select all the clips
with „Alex‟ in the name of
the clip and drag to the
Alex keyword in the Event
Browser.

37. Applying a Keyword to
Part of your Clip
Mark a Part
• You may find a few
great seconds tucked
into the middle of an
otherwise uneventful
shot.
• In Final Cut Pro, you
can identify a range of
material within a clip,
and then apply a
keyword to that range.

38. Applying a Keyword to
Part of your Clip
In the Event Library, select the Mobileviz MinutesEvent.
Click the List View button, and then select the arri camera
clip.

39. Applying a Keyword to
Part of your Clip
Add some new Keywords:
In the Keyword Editor,
select Kevin in the first
keyword shortcut field.
Type Camera, and press
Return.
Click in the second
shortcut field, type Pre-
Selects, and press Return.

40. Applying a Keyword to
Part of your Clip
In the arri camera clip, skim to the point early in the clip
around 00:00:38:15
-- camera zoomed in on the camera operator attaching
mocap gear on camera.
Press I to mark a Start point.

41. Applying a Keyword to
Part of your Clip
Skim the clip to the point where the checkerboard fills at
least half of the frame at about 00:00:43:00.
Press O to mark an End point.

42. Changing Start and End
Points in Event Browser
Change your
Marks
• Once you have
selected a range
within a clip, it‟s
easy to change your
Start and End points
• Skim to new
location and press I
or O again
• Drag the edge of
your selection

43. Change your Selection
In the arri camera filmstrip, position your pointer over the
End point of the range selection, and drag right.
In the Viewer, watch as the checkerboard edge clears the
frame at about 00:00:44:00, and release the mouse button.

44. Applying a Keyword to
Part of your Clip
In the Keyword Editor, click the first shortcut button to add
the Camera keyword to the clip.
Then click the second shortcut button to add the Pre-
Selects keyword to the clip.

45. Applying a Keyword to
Part of your Clip
Check it out:
Select the Camera keyword
collection in the Event
Library and play the arri
camera clip.
-- see how only part of the entire
clip is kept here

46. Rating, Sorting &
Searching Clips
Thumbs Up /
Down
• Use a rating system
to narrow down your
content into usable
or unusable
categories
• Good clips or ranges
of clips marked as a
Favorite
• Bad stuff marked as
Rejected

47. Rating, Sorting &
Searching Clips
Who has or doesn‟t have a
keyword?
Select the Mobileviz
Minutes Event, and click the
List View button.
In the Event Browser, click
the Filter pop-up menu and
choose No Ratings or
Keywords

48. Selecting a Range as a
Favorite
Skim the actress leaves car clip and notice the
swish pans at the start and end of the clip.
-- we want to bypass the bad pans and mark the good stuff
in the middle.
This clip actually
was assigned a
keyword, so you
need to select „All
Clips‟

49. Selecting a Range as a
Favorite
Skim to where the camera
first settles on the actress, at
around 00:00:12:11.
Drag the mouse to the right
to around 00:00:15:19, just
before the second swish pan
begins, and then release the
mouse button.
-- you can also press I and O to
set start and end points

50. Selecting a Range as a
Favorite
To rate this range or
selection as a Favorite, in
the toolbar, click the green-
starred Favorite button, or
press F.
From the Filter pop-up,
choose Favorites.
Skim through the actress
leaves car clip to see if you
only have the good part of
the clip.

51. Rejecting
FAIL!
• Mark a clip or a
range as rejected
• Works like the
Favorite except now
you rejecting and
hiding content you
don‟t intend to use

52. Sorting
From the Filter pop-up
menu, choose All Clips.
In the search field, enter
green.
-- only those clips that have
green in their names or notes will
appear in the list.

53. Rejecting
Skim through the green
screen move clip and note
the bobbled pan at the start
of the clip.
-- we want to mark that part of
the clip as no good.

54. Rejecting
Drag from the beginning of
the clip to the right and
release the mouse button
when the camera settles on
the silver truck.
In the toolbar, click the red
Reject (X) button, or press
Delete.

55. Hiding Rejected Content
From the Filter pop-up
menu, choose Hide
Rejected
Select the green screen
move clip and press the
forward slash key (/) to play
it.
-- with the rejected portion
hidden, this clip now begins with
the silver truck.

56. Adding Notes to Clips
Little Reminders
• Note the content of an interview
• An idea about how to use a clip in your project
• Attach the portion of voice-over text to the clip or
clips you are considering using at that location
• Include lyric lines in clips for music video
• Perform a text search to instantly bring up these
clips when you are ready to implement your ideas

57. Adding Notes to Clips
From the Filter pop-up
menu, choose All Clips.
In the search field, click the
Reset button (X) to clear
the field contents.
Select the _Ari clip and
play just the end of this clip.
-- he says „cool concept‟
-- that‟s a good label for this
sound bite

58. Add a Note to a Range
of a Clip
Create a range in the _Ari
clip that includes all of his
statement,
“Having that on
wheels...cool concept.”
Mark this range as a
Favorite.

59. Add a Note to a Range
of a Clip
In the Event Browser,
below the clip filmstrip,
scroll all the way to the right
to bring the Notes column
into view.
Drag the Note column
heading to the left and drop
it so it is next to the Name
column.

60. Add a Note to a Range
of a Clip
Select the Favorite that you
created in the _Ari clip, and
then click in the Note
column field.
When the field becomes
active, enter cool concept,
and press Return.

61. Add a Note to a Range
of a Clip
Test it out:
In the Event Browser
search field, enter cool
concept.
-- only the _Ari clip appears in
the list.
Click on the X to clear the
search field.

62. Creating Smart
Collections
Save your
searches
• Search for clips in an
Event using the Filter
window
• Save your search
results as a Smart
Collection.
• Smart Collections
update dynamically
when a new clip
matches the Smart
Collection search
criteria

63. Prep for a Smart
Collection
Click the Mobileviz
Minutes Event.
From the Filter pop-up
menu, choose All Clips.
If necessary, clear the
search field.

64. Prep for a Smart
Collection
In the Event Browser, click
the magnifying glass icon
to open the Filter window.
Easy shortcut – Command
F – as in „find‟

65. The Filter Window
How it works
• You can use the
results of the search to
create a Smart
Collection based on
your chosen criteria
• You can search by
text, keyword, type of
media, format, and so
on.

66. Make a Smart Collection
Next to the Text field,
deselect the checkbox to
remove Text as criteria for
this search.
Click the Add Rule (+) pop-
up menu in the upper-right
corner.
From the pop-up menu,
choose Keywords

67. Make a Smart Collection
Within the Keyword filter
rule, deselect all Keyword
Collections except Kevin,
On Set, and Camera.
Click the New Smart
Collection button.

68. Make a Smart Collection
In the Event Library, a new
purple-geared Smart
Collection appears named
Untitled.
Highlight the new Smart
Collection and name it
MocapEdit, and press
Return.

69. Modifying a Smart
Collection
Add or Remove
Stuff
• Open the Smart
Collection in the
Event Library
• Use the Filter
window to add or
remove parameters
• Clips will update as
you make the
changes

70. Modify a Smart
Collection
In the Event Library,
double-click
the_MocapEdit_SmartColle
ction.
In the Filter window, select
the Text filter checkbox,
and in the Text field enter
James.
-- right now, no clips appear in
the Event Browser – hang on!

71. Little Button
Big Difference
All / Any Pop-up
• Decides how to search for clips
All
• Only clips that meet all the
filter parameters will be
included
Any
• Any clip that meets any of the
filter parameters will be
included

72. Modify a Smart
Collection
In the Filter window, from
the Filter pop-up menu,
choose Any
Now all the James and
Kevin clips appear
together, including the
_James interview clip.

73. Shortcuts
Command A • Selects all clips
Command F • Show the Filter window
Command K • Show/Hide Keyword Collection
Command Shift K • Create a new Keyword Collection
Command Delete • Move the selection to the trash

74. Shortcuts
I • Set the start point for a selection
O • Set the end point for a selection
• Move the playhead to the previous

frame
 • Move the playhead to the next frame
Slash / • Play the selection

75. Homework Assignment
1. Complete this lesson so you have
all the Keyword Collections and
the Smart Collection in the
Mobilevis Minutes event.
2. Select the Mocap Edit Smart
collection
3. Change the view of Event Browser
to filmstrip
4. Set the duration to All so each clip
is one frame long
5. Adjust the clip height and size of
the Event Browser so all the clips
in the Smart Collection can be
seen.

76. Homework Assignment
6. Using the Grab application,
select the area of your Event
Library and Event Browser so
all the clips in the Mocap Edit
Smart Collection can be seen.
7. Save the image. Email me on
Western Online with the image
as an attachment.

77. Homework Assignment

78. Lesson 3:
Organizing Clips into an
Event
Apple Pro Training
Series
Final Cut Pro X
Instructor: Sam Edsall