Introduction to Final Cut Pro @ VIVO Media Arts

logoVIVO has not disappeared, it’s just gone underground while the landlord laughs and the City of Vancouver steps in to the rescue.

I’m teaching my very popular Final Cut Pro X workshop there on July 12th, now EXTENDED by one hour to fill you up with Apply goodness.

Total 4 hours (Saturday, July 12th, 1-5pm) | $42.50 for  VIVO members / $50 for non­members

Learn how to import, edit video, add effects and titles, and output to dvd, web, or master files on the once-and-future king of editing software. Stop paying for Adobe subscriptions and get back on the FCP bus!

Final Cut Pro X has finally overcome the clunky launch and now it does pretty much everything an editor needs it to do. (Beginner workshop)

Instructor: Flick Harrison

This Month | VIVO Media Arts Centre.

Toronto Library is Hiring a Filmmaker for Residency

Toronto Public Library is hiring a filmmaker for a unique and fun job: our Fall 2014 Innovator in Residence.

The six-week residency will take place October 20 to November 30 at the Digital Innovation Hub at Toronto Reference Library.
 
The recently-opened Hub is a learning and creation space that gives anyone with a library card access to a wide range of digital tech, including: Mac computers, laptops and tablets; HD cameras; a green screen; and video editing software, like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere and iMovie.
 
The Innovator in Residence’s job will include the following tasks:
 
* Meet with customers to critique and answer questions about their video projects
 
* Create and offer film-related programs and workshops for the public
 
* Post on the Digital Design and Technology Blog (this blog)
 
See the job posting (PDF) for full details – including info on how to apply. Deadline to apply is Monday, June 30.

Add audio transitions to your entire timeline in Final Cut Pro X!

95d08e2d901ae9457724d209586a56acI finally figured out how to do something that should have been a no-brainer in FCPX:

Audio-only crossfades in the whole timeline!  Or add multiple sound-only dissolves at the same time to as many clips as you select.

Almost every time I edit, I need to add soft audio transitions between cuts.  All of them.  Even a smash cut that you WANT to be jarring can create an unwanted “pop” when the playhead jumps from one digital audio file to another.

One of the first things I learned working at CBC in the early 90’s is that a 3-frame audio crossfade is the best way to smooth out a sound cut without actually making a noticeable overlap.

One of my main reasons for avoiding Final Cut X for almost two years was the difficulty of adding audio-only dissolves.  In FCP 7, you could select your whole timeline, hit command-shift-t, and there you’d have it.

FCPX official workflow is to right-click->expand audio/video, then drag the ends of the audio clips each way so that they are overlapping, then drag the fade handles inwards so that the fades overlap.

GIVE ME A BREAK!  For hundreds of edits?!  Do I have a sign on my back that says “Please give me carpal tunnel syndrome?”

SO I’ve been perfecting this workflow and thanks to Alex4D, and a little poking around, I’ve solved it.

Continue reading “Add audio transitions to your entire timeline in Final Cut Pro X!”

Long-term archiving projects for Final Cut Pro X

400I wrote this email to Larry Jordan, author of the famous + awesome training website for video editors.  I was wondering how the new Library structure in FCPX 10.1 would hobble the economical archivist in me.  Since I end up doing some explaining and pontificating, and his answer is very useful, I figure I should share it here.

It’s a big relief to know I can keep archiving projects in a way close to what I’ve been doing all along: minimizing the amount I need to backup, to the safest medium, with surest results and minimal work.

Libraries are noob-proof, but they are not power-user-proof.  That’s good.

Hey Larry,

I love your website and I’ve found it helpful as I finally switch over to FCPX.

One thing I will miss from FCP7 and my 2 years on Premiere is the ease of permanent archives.

Continue reading “Long-term archiving projects for Final Cut Pro X”