Final Cut Pro X Weynand Certification Lesson 2

1. Lesson 2:
Importing
Media
Apple Pro Training
Series
Final Cut Pro X
2nd Edition
Professor: Sam Edsall

2. 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
Loading Content
• 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

3. 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
Loading Content

4. 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.

5. 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

6. Import Media into a
New Event
In the name field, enter
Fairly Legal, and
press Return.

7. 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

8. Import Media into a
New Event
With Fairly Legal
selected in the Event
Browser, click the
Import Media button.
-- The Media Import
window opens

9. Import Dialogue Box
Sources
Favorites
Preview
Selected
Source
Selected
Clip

10. 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…

11. Importing Options
• Menu of importing
options that
copy, organize, optimiz
e, 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

12. Import Options
Make 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’

13. 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

14. 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

15. More Import Options
There 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.

16. 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

17. Check Out Your Media on
the Hard Drive
1. 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.

18. Spring Cleaning?
• This is probably the reason
• Throw out Events you no longer need
Hard drive running out of space?

19. 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

20. 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

21. Make the FCPX Book
Files Folder a Favorite
Click 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.

22. 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.

23. Import Folders as
Keyword Collections
With the Interviews folder
selected, click Import
Selected
1. Select „Create new
Event‟
2. Enter Zero to Hero in the
new Event field.
3. Create optimized media
4. Import folders as
keyword collections
5. Click Import.

24. 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

25. Import Another Folder as
a Keyword Collection
Control-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.

26. Import Another Folder as
a Keyword Collection
Use 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.

27. 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

28. Looking Around
Click 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.

29. 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

30. 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

31. Import with Auto
Analysis
In the Library, Control-click the Macintosh HD icon and
choose New Event.
Name the new Event I Think

32. Auto Analysis
Click the Import button.
In the FCPX Book Files folder select the “I Think” folder and
then select Import Selected..

33. Import Options
1. Add to existing event „I
Think‟
2. Create optimized media
3. Analyze for balance color
4. Find people
5. Consolidate find people
6. Create Smart Collections
7. Press Import

34. 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”

35. 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

36. 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?

37. The Analysis
• During
analysis, stabilizatio
n and color balance
effects are ready to
It is, but is
isn’t

38. Analysis
In 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).

39. Analysis
Below 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.

40. 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

41. 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

42. 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

43. 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

44. 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

45. 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

46. 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/f
How about my
camera?

47. 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

48. 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

49. 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.

50. 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.

51. 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

52. 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.

53. Importing from a Camera
Choose to add these
clips to the existing
Camera Import Event.

54. 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.

55. 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

56. 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.

57. 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.

58. 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

59. 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.

60. 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

61. 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.

62. 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.

63. 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

64. Homework Assignment:
7. Send an email to me at SH-
Edsall@wiu.edu 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.

65. Shortcuts
• Create a new eventOption N
• Select all items in the current folder or
location
Command A
• Select a group of contiguous itemsShift click
• Select a group of non-contiguous itemsCommand click
• Open the Preferences windowCommand , (comma)

66. Shortcuts
• Open and close the Background Tasks
window
Command 9
• Open and close the InspectorCommand 4
• Close an active windowCommand W
• Import MediaCommand I

67. Lesson 2:
Importing
Media
Apple Pro Training
Series
Final Cut Pro X
2nd Edition
Professor: Sam Edsall