New to Final Cut Pro X, need tips on how to organize content

December 14, 2011 10:30 AM

New to Final Cut Pro X, need tips on how to organize content. So I've got hours of interviews in large file segments, how best to cut/edit/organize them in the newest version of Final Cut Pro X?

I'm coming at FCPX from short movie editing in iMovie, so I'm almost completely new to this interface. What I've got is a bunch of 10-15 minute interview segments that might include 5-7 questions in each that I'd like to cut up and organize into single question/answer responses, so I can put them in the final movie in a better order than how I asked at the time.

So instead of having a half dozen 10 minute clips in my library, I'd like to edit those down to each individual question with a description, then work from that pile (which might be about 30 questions/answers).

I don't see any obvious way to do this in the new interface, any pointers on how to proceed?

posted by mathowie to technology (3 answers total)

A friend sent me this over email, adding it here in case someone finds this later looking for tips:

Here's my workflow:

1. Create an event
2. Import video
3. Create a project, with your event as the default event
4. Play imported clips, as I am watching, use "I" and "O" to set my ins and outs on segments I like, then "F" to mark as a favorite… do this until I have watched all imported media.
5. There is an option in the Event Browser to show only Favorited clips, select that and then select all, and then hit "E" to add clips to end of your project.
6. Fine tune your clips, re-order clips, add effects, titles, transitions, music, cowbell, etc
7. export

I just started following a similar pattern and it is working well to get the clips into manageable sizes. I'm setting keywords for each clip to make it easier to toss them into the final project at the end.
posted by mathowie at 11:51 AM on December 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

Once you've imported the clips to Final Cut Pro X, skim each clip and drag in a range. (Or play the clip and use I n and O ut to set a range). Apply a keyword to that range. As soon as you apply a keyword a Keyword collection will be created (like a Bin).

Using Favorites is less useful as they don't create Keyword Collections.
In your case the keywords would represent the question/answer combinations - one keyword (that can be multiple words long) for each answer/question.

You can have 10 Keywords that can be applied with keystrokes, but the keyword will autocomplete if you start typing a few characters. Note also that you can have multiple keywords per range, and multiple ranges per clip (with different keywords on each range).

It's an enormously powerful organizational tool. Not sure what the protocol here is but you may be interested in the $5 ebook I wrote: Conquering the Metadata Foundations of Final Cut Pro X also from Amazon in print form (for $15)
posted by PhilipHodgetts at 1:11 PM on December 14, 2011

Thanks for the explanation Philip, I went ahead and bought your PDF to see if it answers more questions down the line.
posted by mathowie at 1:24 PM on December 14, 2011