Final Cut Pro

THL Toolbox > Audio-Video > Technical Processing of Audio-Video - Log, Edit and Compress > Final Cut Pro Manual

Final Cut Pro Manual

Contributor(s): Eric Woelfel.

Once your tape is entered into the audio-video database, you can begin to process the footage on your physical media. Although this documentation focuses exclusively on media processing in Final Cut Pro on an Apple computer, many of the principles described here can be used with media editing software on other platforms.

TIP: Save your work often! To save in Final Cut Pro use the “Apple + S” shortcut or the “Save Project” selection in the “File” option from the top level menu.

TIP: The following websites have some great tutorials for Final Cut Pro:

A. NTSC OR PAL?

It is important to make sure you are working with the correct video format in Final Cut Pro before you begin your project. Using the wrong video format settings can result in unusable videos and lost work. Final Cut Pro will save your settings so if you are working primarily with PAL or NTSC you will not have to change the settings every time as long as you are consistently working with one format.

  1. To adjust Final Cut Pro to conform to the video format of your source media select “Audio/Video Settings” under the “Final Cut Pro” option in the top menu.
  2. Depending on the format of your source tape (PAL or NTSC) set the “Sequence Preset” to “DV NTSC 48KHz” or “DV PAL 48KHz”.
  3. Set the “Capture Preset” option to “DV NTSC 48KHz” or “DV PAL 48KHz”.
  4. Set the “Device Control Preset” option to “FireWire NTSC” or “FireWire PAL”.
  5. Set the “Video Playback” option to “Apple FireWire NTSC (720 x 480)” or “Apple FireWire PAL (720 x 560)”.
  6. Save your changes and close the window by clicking on “OK”.
  7. Finally, before inserting your tape, make sure your DV deck is set to play PAL or NTSC tapes. If your DV deck can play both NTSC and PAL tapes, there is usually a switch on the deck to set the video format of the source data.

B. Log the Source Media

“Logging” refers to the process of selecting what footage you would like to extract from the source media and deposit on your local hard drive to be manipulated further in the editing process. Logging also allows you to add descriptive comments to clips that may be helpful to editors using your logging files to recapture your project in the future when video compression standards improve.

TIP: As you become more comfortable with the entire media production process you will be able to refine your logging technique to streamline your editing work but when you are learning it is best to err on the side of including more footage than you think is necessary when you are logging to give yourself ample room for making transition and cuts during editing.

  1. Start Final Cut Pro and insert your tape into the DV-deck.
  2. From the top menu in Final Cut Pro select “File” then “New Project” then select “Save Project As…”.

IMPORTANT: THL’s naming convention for logging files is to save the project in XXXX-YYMMDD format (“XXXX” represents the unique four-digit ID assigned to the tape in the Audio-Video Database). The date entered should be the date at the time of logging Example: 0575-051215.

  1. From the top menu select “File” then “Log and Capture…” (shortcut: Apple+8). The log and capture window will open up in Final Cut Pro.
  2. Check the “Log Bin” in the log and capture window, the log bin should be the file name for your new project. Enter your tape’s four-digit ID into the “Reel” text field.
  3. In the “Description” field enter a short mnemonic for the clip. The description should be less than 15 characters long and contain only alpha-numeric characters with the exception of hyphens (-) or underscores (_). The description entered here will not be represented in the final media file (unless assign the final file name as such) but it should be as descriptive and clear as possible to ensure future staff using your logging file will be able identify the the content of the clip by glancing at the file name assigned in the description field.

IMPORTANT: Depending on your familiarity with the project, you may have to watch a clip before you can give it a description. If your project is already fleshed out in the AVDB, you can elect to assign the title ID to the description using the following format: “XXXXX_title-name” (the XXXXX refers to the unique THL ID assigned to the title in the AVDB. The complete description including the ID, underscores and hyphens cannot exceed 21 characters. As this description will be visible to the final user in the form of the compression’s file name, the title should be as descriptive and non-idiosyncratic as possible.

  1. You can now begin to play the tape by pressing the play button on the DV-deck itself or clicking on the play button in the log and capture window. You will be able to view the footage in the preview window.

TIP: Some useful shortcuts that you can use during the logging process are:

Spacebar: Plays and stops the DV-deck.

i Marks the “in point” for a clip. The “in point” indicates where you would like to begin capturing a clip.

o Marks the “out point” for a clip. The “out point” indicates where you would like to finish capturing a clip.

  1. Mark a clip for capture by setting in points and out points. You can set in points and out points by clinking on the “Set In/Out Point” buttons in the log and capture window or by typing the timecode directly into the text window beside these buttons.

TIP: In final Cut Pro the timecodes follow the HH:MM:SS;FF format (HH: hours, MM: minutes, SS: second and FF: frames per second). Note that NTSC (the video standard in the US) runs at 30 frames per second. Half a second is 15 frames (00:00:00;15) not 30. PAL, on the other hand runs at 24 frames a second. Half a second in PAL is 12 frames (00:00:00;12).

TIP: Make sure to add about 5 seconds to your in points and out points to make room for adding transitions later in the editing process. For example; if your clip ends at 00:02:54;12, set your out point at 00:02:59;12.

IMPORTANT: You must allow at least four seconds after the timecodes begin on a tape to set an in point or four seconds before the time codes end to set an outpoint otherwise Final Cut Pro will not be able to capture the clip. This means the first four seconds and the last four seconds of footage on any tape are unusable.

TIP: After capturing this footage you will have the opportunity to refine the clip during the editing process. When marking in and out points err on the side of including any footage that has the potential to be used in the final version of the title. As you gain experience in Final Cut Pro and media processing in general, you will be able to make some editing decision during the logging process.

TIP: Sometimes there are breaks in timecodes on a tape that will cause difficulties during the log and capture process. Timecodes get broken when people try to rewind and view what they are filming in the field. The best way to deal with the problem is to trick Final Cut Pro into thinking it is starting a new tape to capture the portion of the footage after the point where the timecode is broken. When a timecode is broken, the counter starts over at 00:00;00, therefore you will have a situation where there are multiple instances of the same timecode on one tape. If there are 2 timecodes the computer doesn't know which one you are referring to when you tell it to capture a clip containing that timecode. To trick the computer you have to manually cue up the tape for every break in the timecode. If you have one break in the timecode you will have to capture footage in two separate sessions. Capture the footage that falls before the timecode break in one capture session, stop, fast forward the tape so the counter is in the timecode after the break, and capture the remaining footage (the 4 second rule applies to the beginning and ending of broken timecodes as well the same it as it applies to complete tapes). If the break in the time code does not come at a natural break in the video, then you will have to make a break and try and fix the transition during the editing process. Sometimes these methods to fix the broken timecodes do not work. In this case, one possible solution is to try copying the footage to a new tape.

  1. After setting in and out points for a clip stop the tape and write a short description of the clip in the “Log Note” text field. As a rule, the more information provided the better.
  2. Click on the “Log Clip” button and check “Mark Good” then click “Ok”. You will now see your clip appear as a grey box with a diagonal red slash though it indicated it has not been captured in Final Cut Pro’s “Browser” window.
  3. Repeat steps 5 through 9 until you have captured all clips from your tape.

C. Capture Footage from the Source Media

“Capturing” refers to the process of extracting the source footage from the physical media and depositing it on your local hard drive for more detailed editing. Digital audio/video data that exists on a hard drive is more easily manipulated than the same data on a tape.

  1. Click the “Batch Capture” button and select the “All Items in Logging Bin” option from the “Capture” dropdown menu. The capture process will begin and will proceed in real time.

TIP: Make sure you have enough hard drive space to capture your footage. Every five minutes of footage usually requires about one gig of hard drive space.

D. Create Sequences to Edit the Captured Footage

  1. Create a “sequence” by right clicking in the “Browser” window under “Name” and select “New Sequence”.
  2. Use the unique 5 digit THL ID followed by an underscore (“01436_” for example) as a prefix to the title name. The file name should be in the “XXXXX_title-name” (the XXXXX refers to the unique THL ID assigned to the title in the AVDB) format. The complete description including the ID, underscores and hyphens cannot exceed 21 characters or contain any punctuation or spaces. As this description will be visible to the final user in the form of the compression’s file name, the title should be as descriptive and non-idiosyncratic as possible.

E. Edit the Captured Footage

Now that the digital footage from your source tape has been captured to your hard drive you can begin editing the titles to produce a refined product suitable for presentation to the public in the AVDB.

1. Helpful Shortcuts for Editing in Final Cut Pro

  • “up arrow” and “down arrow”: To navigate with the play bar quickly through a sequence in the timeline use the up arrow key to jump to the beginning of a segment and the down arrow key to jump to the end of a segment.
  • “a”: Change the cursor in the Timeline window back to the default “Selection Tool”.
  • “p”: Change the cursor in the Timeline window to the pen tool used to mark the beginning and end of audio and video transitions.
  • “b”: Change the cursor in the Timeline window to the Razor Blade Tool used for making cuts in the footage.

2. Add a Title Board to the Footage

The first step in editing a new title is to create a title board at the beginning of the footage. The title board integrates the title into THL by providing information from the AVDB. The title consists of three layers:

  • The title’s title from the Audio-Video Database, centered on the screen.
  • A copyright symbol and the current year. e.g. “© 2005”. Located on the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  • The information; “Title (5 digit THL ID number) in the Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library Audio-Video Database.”

TIP: You can save time by copying and pasting a title board from another title and using it as a template. Make sure to change the title, THL ID number and make sure the copyright date is correct.

  1. Double click on a sequence and it will appear in the “Timeline” window at the bottom of the screen.
  2. In your browser window select “Effects” then navigate to “Video Generators” > “Text”. Under the “Text” heading click and drag the “Text” icon into the first video track (V1).
  3. Right-click on the grey area above the “V1” label in the “Timeline” window and select “Add Track”. Repeat this step and you will have three video tracks, V1, V2, and V3.
  4. Repeat step 2 twice by dragging the “Text” icon into track V2 and V3.

TIP: Make sure the play bar in the timeline window is set to the beginning of the timeline before dragging a text bar into the timeline. You can jump the play bar to the beginning by hitting the up arrow key.

  1. The text in the video track is 10 seconds long by default so you will have to reduce each of the three text bars down to 5 seconds by left clicking on the end of the text footage and dragging left. Check the “New Footage =” pop up window and set the text footage to “00:00:05;00”.

a. Add a Fade-Out

  1. Activate the audio and video level overlays by clicking the “Toggle Clip Overlays” button in the lower left corner of the Timeline window or use the “option + W” shortcut.
  2. Manually drag the play bar to 3.5 seconds (00:00:03;15) into the footage or simply type “3;15” into the text field in the top left corner of the timeline.
  3. Change your cursor to the pen tool by hitting the “p” key or clicking on the pen tool icon in the Tool Palette on the right side of the screen. If you do not see the Tool Palette, active it by selecting “Tool Palette” in the “Window” tab of the top menu.
  4. Mark the start of the title board fade out by left clicking on the point where the play bar and the video overlays intersect. Repeat this action for all three video tracks.

TIP: If you are having trouble working with the footage, zoom in or zoom out by shortening or lengthening the bar at the bottom of the Timeline window.

  1. Mark the end of the title board fade out by left clicking on end point of the footage located at the 00:00:05;00 point. Repeat this action for all three video tracks.
  2. Finish the fade out by dragging the marker at the end of the footage down to the bottom (0) of the video track. Repeat this action for all three video tracks.

b. Add the Copyright Information

  1. Double click on the top layer (V3) of text footage then select the “Control” window in the “Viewer” window.
  2. Delete the “Sample Text” text and enter “© 2006” into the Text field (“2006” is used for example purposes here, please use the current year on your title board).

TIP: Use the “Option + G” shortcut on a Mac to create the “©” symbol.

  1. In the Control window, change the Font to “Geneva”.
  2. Change the Size to “16”.
  3. Change the Alignment to “Right”.
  4. Change the Origin to “340”, “230”.

c. Add AVDB Information

  1. Double click on the second layer (V2) of footage and select the “Control” window in the “Viewer” window.
  2. Delete the “Sample Text” text and enter “The Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library” into the text field followed by the “return” key. Then enter “Video (insert the title’s five-digit ID here) at www.thdl.org”.
  3. In the Control window, change the Font to “Times New Roman”.
  4. Change the Size to “24”.
  5. Change the Style to “Bold”.
  6. In the Control window, change the Alignment to “Center”.
  7. In the Control window, change the Origin to “0”, 24”.

d. Add the Title

  1. Double click on the third layer (V1) of footage and select the “Control” window in the Viewer window.
  2. Delete the “Sample Text” text and enter the video’s title exactly as it appears in the AVDB.

TIP: The title will often have to be broken up so it does not run off the screen. Use the “return” key to balance the title in the title board frame.

  1. In the Control window, change the Font to “Times New Roman”.
  2. Change the Size to “36”.
  3. Change the Style to “Bold”.
  4. In the Control window, change the Alignment to “Center”.
  5. In the Control window, change the Origin to “0”, “-15”.

TIP: The origin of the title will often need to be adjusted to center the text in the title board. For vertical adjustment of the text, use the text field on the left under "Origin" to enter number values. Use positive numbers in increments of 10 to adjust the title downwards. Conversely, use negative numbers to raise the title. Use increments of 5 for finer adjustment.

3. Add Fade-In to the Footage

  1. Left click and drag the captured footage from the Browser window to the Timeline window and place the footage up against the new title board.

TIP: The footage should automatically snap to the title board footage, if it does not, turn on the “Snapping” function in Final Cut Pro by clicking on the “Snapping” icon in the top right corner of the Timeline window or by hitting the “n” key shortcut.

  1. Watch the video and decide where you would like the video to begin.

TIP: The audio and video levels should be full when the speaker begins to speak or when the main footage appears on the screen.

  1. After you have decided on a starting point for the video subtract 1 second and 15 frames from the start point. For example if you would like the video to begin 8 seconds into the footage subtract 1 second and 15 frames and set the play bar at the 000:00:06;15 point.
  2. Change the cursor to the Razor Blade and make a cut point 1 second and 15 frames before the start point of your footage.
  3. Right click on the segment of foot you would like to delete and select “Cut”.
  4. Change the cursor back to the default selection tool and left click and drag the remaining footage so it snaps against the title board.
  5. Use the pen tool to create a mark on the video and audio level overlays at the 00:00:05;00 point just after the title board in the timeline.
  6. Fade up the left and right audio levels and video level by using the pen tool to mark the 00:00:06;15 point in the timeline on the video and both audio tracks and then dragging the points created in step 7 down to zero. The video and audio tracks should now reach full level 1.5 seconds (1 second, 15 frames) into the media. Note: 1.5 seconds into the video footage is 6.5 seconds (00:00:06;15) into the sequence because the 5 second title board has been added to the beginning of the sequence.

TIP: Shorten the bar at the bottom of the Timeline window to zoom in on your footage to make fine adjustments.

TIP: The vertical purple line in the track of the bar that adjusts the scale of the timeline view represents the position of the play bar in the timeline. If you zoom in too far and lose your place use this marker to reorient yourself.

  1. Make another mark at the start point on the video and audio level overlays using the pen tool.

4. Add a Fade-Out to the Footage

  1. Fade out the left and right audio levels and video level to the lowest level at the end of the footage using the same technique. The fade out should begin 1.5 seconds (1 second, 15 frames) before the end of the footage. No valuable footage or audio should fall within this time span; therefore begin the fade-out after important speech or footage.

TIP: You won’t always be able to make a fade-in or fade-out exactly 1.5 seconds long. Important footage and speech is more important than this effect, so feel free to shorten or even eliminate the fade-in or fade-out to save important material.

5. Evaluate the Audio Level

The audio level is very important for THL audio-video titles. In most cases, they will be used as language instructional units and the clarity of the speech is crucial to aid non-native listeners to comprehend the dialog. The audio level of the footage can be raised and lowered in Final Cut Pro.

  1. To avoid audio distortion in the final compression, monitor the audio level by keeping an eye on the Audio Meter. To enable the Audio Meter in Final Cut Pro by hitting “Option + 4” or selecting the “Audio Meter” option from the “Window” menu.
  2. While the clip is playing in the timeline monitor the Audio Meter level. If the audio level reaches the top of the scale or consistently stays in the red area above the ”-6” mark the audio level is too high and will sound distorted in the final compression. On the other hand, if the audio level rarely rises above the “-12” mark, the audio level is likely too low.
  3. To raise or lower the audio level, move the audio clip overlay up or down. Move the audio level line by grabbing by left clicking and dragging up or down. Please note the numerical level display that appears when the line is moved.
  4. Adjust both the right and left audio channels to equal level using the numerical display in “dB” as a guide.

TIP: You can make fine adjustments to the audio level to certain points using the pen tool if you do not want to change the global audio level. This technique is effective in reducing the level of harsh sound such as coughing or to raise the level when the sound is too low. Isolate the section in which you would like to raise or lower the sound level by using the pen tool to make a mark in both the left and right audio track at the beginning and end of the segment where you would like to adjust the audio. Then place another set of marks within those points with the pen tool for a total of 4 points on each track. Hit the "A" hotkey to switch to the general tool and manually raise or lower the sound level within the points as desired. Notice the global audio levels outside these points remains unchanged.

TIP: It is better to raise or lower the audio level before undertaking other editing tasks. If there are breaks in the footage, you will need to adjust the audio level for each segment separately.

6. Edit the Footage

Editing a THL title should focus on eliminating the pre-production (testing microphones, setting up equipment, etc.), mistakes that result in repeated takes or coughs and other interruptions. There are no clear rules for what should be included and what should be edited; the most important goal is maintain the cohesiveness and flow of the video and narrative. Because these decisions are quite subjective, the editor will have to rely on his/her judgment to effectively edit the footage.

TIP: Any biographical information should be noted and added to the credit tab of the title’s metadata in the AVDB. This footage should be edited out of the final compression.

After selecting a section of footage to be edited out of the final video, select natural breaks in the speech or footage which would allow for smooth transitions.

TIP: Although Final Cut Pro allows for many different transition styles, in general, THL editors aim for a transition that does not call attention to the break in the footage. Transitions are often simply cuts in the footage without any fancy effects. This general policy does not exclude more advanced transition effects, but it does caution against the overuse or misuse of transitions that draw attention to the break in footage and breaks the flow of the video.

TIP: If you are having trouble working with the footage, zoom in or zoom out by shortening or lengthening the bar at the bottom of the Timeline window.

  • Save the project to complete the editing process.

F. Export the Media

The process of exporting the edited videos produces a video that is more conducive to viewing over the internet. Export/compression reduces the file size (and quality) of the video footage. THL has strict standards for creating compression to assure users enjoy the best quality video possible at current bandwidths. Check back to this section often because as video compression technology and techniques continue to improve, we will adopt new standards. The documentation will describe the export process using Final Cut Pro 5 presets however some of the technical parameters are also provided to allow a media processor to create compressions that meet THL standards on a platform other than a Mac.

  1. Create the folder structure for the new compressions on your local hard drive. The three video files will all have the same file name so it is essential that there are three different folders created to receive the video compressions. See the tip below for instructions for naming the local folders for the compressions. The following instructions will assume you are using the file names suggested below.

TIP: Compressed videos are best archived on your local hard drive by creating a folder structure that mirrors the folder structure on THL’s server. The audio files exist in a folder named “audio” and the video files exist in three different folders nested in a “media” folder; high, low and super high.

  1. Select all the sequences in the Browser window by Apple + left clicking on the sequences.
  2. Right click on one of the select the “Batch Export” option.
  3. The Export Queue window will open up and your sequences will be placed in a batch, left click and drag the selected sequences in the Browser window to the Export Queue to create a second batch. Repeat this process two more times so all your sequences exist in duplicate in four batches in the Export Queue window, Batch 1, Batch 2, Batch 3 and Batch 4.

1. Set the Settings for the “Super High” Compressions

  1. Highlight the first batch in the Export Queue by left clicking on the Batch 1 folder icon then left click on the “Settings…” button on the bottom of the Export Queue window.
  2. Left click the “Set Destination” button on the settings window and navigate to the “super high” folder in the Choose a Folder browser and click the “Choose” button.
  3. Select “MPEG-4” from the “Format:” drop down menu.
  4. Select “LAN/Intranet” from the “Settings:” drop down menu.
  5. Left click on the “Set Naming Options…” button and check the “Add File Type Extension” box then click “OK”.
  6. Left click on the “OK” button.

TIP: Use the following settings to make THL-standard super high compression in a program other than Final Cut Pro:

  • Video Format: H.264
  • Data Rate: 1372 kbits/sec
  • Image Size: 640 x 480 VGA
  • Key Frame: Every 150 frames
  • Audio: AAC-LC Music, Stereo, 128 kbps
  • Streaming (hinting): none

2. Set the Settings for the “High” Compressions

  1. Highlight the second batch in the Export Queue by left clicking on the Batch 2 folder icon then left click on the “Settings…” button on the bottom of the Export Queue window.
  2. Left click the “Set Destination” button on the settings window and navigate to the “high” folder in the Choose a Folder browser and click the “Choose” button.
  3. Select “MPEG-4” from the “Format:” drop down menu.
  4. Select “Broadband – High” from the “Settings:” drop down menu.
  5. Left click on the “Set Naming Options…” button and check the “Add File Type Extension” box then click “OK”.
  6. Left click on the “OK” button.

TIP: Use the following settings to make THL-standard high compression in a program other than Final Cut Pro:

  • Video Format: H.264
  • Data Rate: 672 kbits/sec
  • Image Size: 480 x 360 VGA
  • Key Frame: Every 150 frames
  • Audio: AAC-LC Music, Stereo, 128 kbps
  • Streaming (hinting): none

3. Set the Settings for the “Low” Compressions

  1. Highlight the third batch in the Export Queue by left clicking on the Batch 3 folder icon then left click on the “Settings…” button on the bottom of the Export Queue window.
  2. Left click the “Set Destination” button on the settings window and navigate to the “low” folder in the Choose a Folder browser and click the “Choose” button.
  3. Select “MPEG-4” from the “Format:” drop down menu.
  4. Select “Broadband – Medium” from the “Settings:” drop down menu.
  5. Left click on the “Set Naming Options…” button and check the “Add File Type Extension” box then click “OK”.
  6. Left click on the “OK” button.

TIP: Use the following settings to make THL-standard low compression in a program other than Final Cut Pro:

  • Video Format: H.264
  • Data Rate: 220 kbits/sec
  • Image Size: 320 x 240 VGA
  • Frame Rate: 15
  • Key Frame: Every 75 frames
  • Audio: AAC-LC Music, Stereo, 80 kbps
  • Streaming (hinting): none

4. Set the Settings for the “Audio” Compressions

Audio is processed in two parts; first the sequences are exported from Final Cut Pro then the exported audio is compressed into mp3s in Apple iTunes.

  1. Highlight the fourth batch in the Export Queue by left clicking on the Batch 4 folder icon then left click on the “Settings…” button on the bottom of the Export Queue window.
  2. Left click the “Set Destination” button on the settings window and navigate to the “audio” folder in the Choose a Folder browser and click the “Choose” button.
  3. Select “AIFF” from the “Format:” drop down menu.
  4. Select “44.1 kHz 16 bit Stereo” from the “Settings:” drop down menu.
  5. Left click on the “OK” button.

TIP: Use the following settings to make THL-standard audio compression in a program other than Final Cut Pro:

  • Format: Linear PCM
  • Rate: 44.100 kHz
  • Sample Rate Converter Settings:
  • Quality: Normal
  • Linear PCM Settings:
  • Sample size: 16 bits

5. Export the Sequences

This step will produce the final video compression that will be used on the THL’s AVDB. The compression time will vary depending on the length of the video and the processing speed and memory of your computer. Please note you will not be able to use your computer while the videos are being compressed.

  1. Close all programs other than Final Cut Pro.
  2. Click the “Export” button at the bottom of the Export Queue window.

TIP: If you would like to export all the batches together in one batch, use the Apple+A funtion to select all the batches than click the "Export" button to begin.

6. Compress MP3’s in iTunes

  1. Navigate to the “audio” folder for your recent compressions on your local hard drive.
  2. Select all the files in the audio folder by apple + left clicking on all the files or by using the apple + a shortcut.
  3. Open iTunes and left click + drag all the audio files into iTunes.
  4. After the files have been imported into iTunes select all the files then right click on one of the selected files. Select the “Convert Selection to MP3” option.
  5. After the files finish compressing, right click on one of the new MP3 files and select the “Show Song File” option.
  6. Select all the MP3 files in the newly opened folder and copy them to the audio folder.
  7. You can now delete the AIFF audio files in the audio folder.

Provided for unrestricted use by the external link: Tibetan and Himalayan Library