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Final Cut Pro X Cookbook

Chapter 1. Importing Your Media

In this chapter, we will cover:

Importing from a tapeless video camera
Importing MTS, M2TS, and M2T files
Importing DSLR video
Importing music from iTunes and GarageBand
Importing still images
Importing from a tape-based camera
Importing and working with layered Photoshop files
Importing iMovie projects
Importing Final Cut Pro 7 projects
Working with your already organized media
Relinking media files

Importing from a tapeless video camera

Chances are, if you've bought a video camera in the last few years, it doesn't record to tape; it records to some form of tapeless media. In most consumer and prosumer cameras, this is typically an SD card, but could also be an internal drive, other various solid-state memory cards, or the thankfully short-lived trend of recordable mini DVDs. In the professional world, examples include Compact Flash, P2 cards (usually found in Panasonic models), SxS cards (many Sony and JVC models, Arri Alexa), or some other form of internal flash storage.

How to do it...

1. Plug your camera in to your Mac's USB port, or if you're using a higher-end setup with a capture box, plug the box into likely your FireWire or Thunderbolt box. If your camera uses an SD card as its storage medium, you can also simply stick the SD card into your Mac's card reader or external reader. If you are plugging the camera directly in, turn it on, and set it to the device's playback mode. If FCPX is running, it should automatically launch the Import from Camera window. If it does not, click on the Import from Camera icon in the left of the toolbar. You will see thumbnails of all of your camera's clips. You can easily scrub through them simply by passing your mouse over each one.
2. You can import clips one at a time by selecting a range and then clicking on Import Selected... or you can simply highlight them all and click on Import All... . To select a range, simply move your mouse over a clip until you find the point where you want to start and hit I on your keyboard. Then scrub ahead until you reach where you want the clip to end and hit O.
3. Whether you chose to select one, a few, or all your clips, once you click on the Import button you will arrive at the Import options screen. Choose what event you want your clips to live in, choose if you want to transcode the clips, and select any analyses you want FCPX to perform on the clips as it imports them. Click on Import. FCPX begins the import process. You can close the window and begin editing immediately!

How it works...

The reason you can edit so quickly, even if you're importing a massive amount of footage, is thanks to some clever programming on Apple's part. While it might take a few minutes or even longer to import all the media off of your camera or memory card, FCPX will access the media directly on the original storage device, until it has finished its import process, and then switch over to the newly imported versions.

There's more...

Creating a camera archive

Creating a camera archive is the simplest and best way to make a backup of your raw footage. Tapeless cameras often store their media in really weird-looking ways with complex folder structures. In many cases, FCPX needs that exact folder structure in order to easily import the media.

A camera archive essentially takes a snapshot or image of your camera's currently stored media and saves it to one simple file that you can access in FCPX over and over again. This of course also frees you to delete the contents of the memory card or media drive and reuse it for another shoot.

In the Camera Import window, make sure your camera is selected in the left column and click on the Create Archive button in the bottom left corner. The resulting window will let you name the archive and pick a destination drive. Obviously, store your archive on an external drive if it's for backup purposes. If you were to keep it on the same drive as your FCPX system and the drive fails, you'd lose your backup as well!

The process creates a proprietary disk image with the original file structure of the memory card. FCPX needs the original file structure (not just the video files) in order to properly capture from the card. By default, it stores the archive in a folder called Final Cut Camera Archives on whatever drive you selected.

Later when you need to reimport from a camera archive, simply open the Camera Import window again, and if you don't see your needed archive under Camera Archives on the left, click on Open Archive... and find it in the resulting window.

To import all or not to import all

If you've got the time, there's nothing to stop you from looking at each and every clip one at a time in the Import from Camera window, selecting a range, and then importing that one clip. However, that's going to take you a while as you'll have to deal with the settings window every time you click on the Import button. If you've got the storage space (and most of us do today), just import everything and worry about weeding out the trash later.

But what about XYZ format?

There are two web pages you should bookmark to keep up to date.

One is www.apple.com/finalcutpro/specs/. This web page lists most of the formats FCPX can work with. Expect this list to grow with future versions.

The second site is help.apple.com/finalcutpro/cameras/en/index.html. This web site lets you search camera models for compatibility with FCPX.

Just because a format isn't listed on Apple's specs page, doesn't mean it's impossible to work with. Many camera manufacturers release plugins which enhance a program's capabilities. One great example is Canon (www.canon.com), who released a plugin for FCPX allowing users to import MXF files from a wide variety of their cameras.

Importing MTS, M2TS, and M2T files

If you've ever browsed the file structure of a memory card pulled from an AVCHD camera, you'll have seen a somewhat complex system of files and folders and almost nothing resembling a normal video file. Deep inside you're likely to find files with the extension .mts, .m2ts, or .m2t (on some HDV cameras). By themselves, these files are sitting ducks, unable to be read by most basic video playback software or imported directly by FCPX. But somehow, once you open up the Import from Camera window in FCPX, FCPX is able to translate all that apparent gobbledygook from the memory card into movie files. FCPX needs that gobbledygook to import the footage. But what if someone has given you a hard drive full of nothing but these standalone files? You'll need to convert or rewrap (explained in the following section) the clips before heading in to FCPX.

Getting ready

There are a number of programs out there that can tackle this task, but a highly recommended one is ClipWrap (http://www.divergentmedia.com/clipwrap). There is a trial, but you'll probably want to go ahead and buy the full version.

How to do it...

1. Open ClipWrap. Drag-and-drop your video files (ending in .mts, .m2ts, or .m2t) into the main interface.
2. Set a destination for your new files under Movie Destination.
3. Click on the drop-down menu titled Output Format. You can choose to convert the files to a number of formats including ProRes 422 (the same format that is created when you select the Create optimized media option in FCPX). A faster, space-saving option, however, is to leave the default setting, Rewrap (don't alter video samples):
4. Click on Convert. When the process is done, you will have new video files that end in .mov and can be directly imported into FCPX via File | Import | Files.

How it works...

In the previous exercise, we chose not to transcode/convert the video files into another format. What we did was take the video and audio stream out of one container (.mts, .m2ts, or .m2t) and put it into another (QuickTime, seen as .mov). It may sound crazy at first, but we basically took the birthday present (the video and audio) out of an ugly gift box that FCPX won't even open and put it into a prettier one that FCPX likes.

There's more...

Other alternatives

ClipWrap is far from the only solution out there, but it is definitely one of the best. The appendix of this book covers the basics of Compressor, Apple's compression software which can't convert raw AVCHD files in most cases, but can convert just about any file that QuickTime can play. The software company, iSkySoft, (www.iskysoft.com) makes a large number of video conversion tools for a reasonable price. If you're looking for a fully featured video encoding software package, look no further than Telestream Episode (www.telestream.net) or Sorenson Squeeze (www.sorensonmedia.com). These two applications are expensive, but can take just about any video file format out there and transcode it to almost anything else, with a wide variety of customizable settings.

Rewrapping or transcoding

As mentioned in step 3 in the previous section, we could have chosen to transcode to ProRes 422 instead of rewrapping. This is a totally fine option, just know the differences: transcoding, takes much longer, it takes up much more file space, but on the plus side, it is Final Cut Pro X's favorite format (because it's native to FCPX, made by Apple for Apple) and you may save time in the actual editing process by working with a faster more efficient codec once inside FCPX. If you chose to rewrap, you still have the option to transcode when you import into FCPX.

Importing DSLR video

With each passing day, more and more advanced enthusiasts, prosumers, and even some professionals are turning toward digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) still cameras for their video-making needs. DSLRs offer a few unique features at a reasonable price range that typically cost thousands more in dedicated video cameras. Two of these most prominent features include interchangeable lenses, as well as much greater control over depth-of-field than most low-to-mid-range video cameras offer. DSLR video does come with its own set of drawbacks, however. Many models offer vastly inferior on-board microphones, limited non-stop recording time, and little to no stabilization options. If you go the DSLR route, FCPX is perfectly suited to work with your camera's media as the majority of DSLRs create ready-to-edit H.264 files. And as your DSLR is NOT an actual video camera, we bypass the Import from Camera window entirely!

How to do it...

1. Connect your DSLR to your Mac via USB or simply insert the camera's card into a memory card reader.
2. Select File | Import | Files... .
3. Locate your storage device for your camera's media, likely located in the DEVICES list in the left side column of the Import Files window.
4. Once selected, find the folder with the media. This is usually a folder labeled DCIM. Select your following import settings to your liking and click on Import:

How it works...

As you can see, the process is very straightforward, and even easier than importing from a regular video camera! The part that often confuses new FCPX users is why we don't go to the Import from Camera window. A DSLR is a camera, right? Well, the Import from Camera window is strictly used for dedicated video cameras. A DSLR is a still camera that happens to also be able to record video. The individual files it creates (H.264) are immediately ready for import into FCPX and do not require being processed/transcoded.

There's more...

Transcoding H.264

As always, when you import files into FCPX, you have the option of transcoding. If H.264 is readily accepted by FCPX, why transcode to ProRes? Well, while H.264 is a space-efficient video codec, it's not particularly edit-friendly. It takes a lot more processing power to modify and render H.264 files as they are heavily compressed. If you're creating a very simple or short project with H.264 files that is simply a series of cuts with maybe a few transitions and a title or two, you're probably fine to save time and skip the transcoding process. However, if your project is going to become more involved with lots of extras, including effects and color correction, take the time to transcode upfront. You'll save yourself a lot of time in the editing process and your computer will thank you for not stressing it out!

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Busy Filmmaker Feb 14, 2013

I've not used a NLE system other than PremierePro. Everything I knew about PP and everything so far that I've learned about FCP X has been through either trial and error or looking at a tutorial or guidebook like this.Unlike a lot of books that assume you already know everything there is to know about the program and then tell you how to do it anyway, this book assumes nothing. The index and the table of contents along with chapter names actually help guide you to exactly what it is you're looking for.Perfect for a self-taught novice to amateur or beyond.

Amazon Verified review

Karl Buehrens Jan 31, 2013

Wow - Jason Cox has outdone himself on this Final Cut Pro X book! Over 400 pages of helpful instructions, wonderful full-color screen illustrations, and step-by-step breakdowns of very complex processes. Final Cut Pro X is hard to learn, but Jason makes it easy with simple to follow recipes.New user? No worries, Final Cut Pro X concepts are introduced at the beginning of each section. Upgrading from a previous version? Jason carefully provides comparisons between earlier software, primarily Final Cut Pro 7. And, the fact that Jason wrote this book in a cookbook style means that you can either start from the beginning or you can jump right into the section that you want to learn more about. Information is easy to find and put to immediate use.I particularly enjoyed the approach Jason takes in laying out each process; he sets the stage with a section he calls "Getting Ready", where he explains the pre-steps needed. He then walks you through each step of the process. Finally, he completes each section with a great follow-up, discussing related items and uses for each function. Jason even lists many helpful outside resources he's collected over the years.This is a must read for Final Cut Pro enthusiasts. Even seasoned users will get a boost from some of the valuable workarounds in this book.

Alberta Mar 10, 2017

This is just the book I have been looking for. Having trained on and used FCP 7 for several years I was finding the transition to X challenging. This book has made all the difference. I can move forward confidently knowing that if I have a problem I will be able to solve it using the book. Easy to understand and use. Only slight issue is that the pictures are very dark but I wouldn't even consider it a drawback.

mortoni Jan 28, 2013

Likes:1. The Chapter overviews are very helpful.2. Offers many levels of learning for everyone from the new user, through people who are switching from other editing software, all the way up to the professional video editor.3. Has some great workarounds for what initially appeared to be 'issues', which turned out to be just different ways of working.4. Does everything honestly and thoroughly in depth with a 'helping hand' mentality.5. Understands and pushes the positive aspects of the software....sure, there are missing features in FCPX at present but this book makes the best of what it has to offer.The FCPX Cookbook is full of sensible, easy to follow tips and ways of working that make the movie making process smooth, quick and manageable.Starting with the essential 'importation' of media, the book runs through a myriad of file-types that can be imported.Multi layer PSD files can be brought in as separate layers and stacked as a compound clip.Within the clip the layers can be manipulated and edited at will, a great step for various animated text, image and background projects.As well as explaining how to import the files, the book goes that bit further and offers you advice and practical tips as to how this feature can be used creatively instead of just leaving you to get on with it like the FCPX help menu.One important section of the first chapter explains how to import projects that have been created in FCP7, this a definite bonus that Apple never cover.Using 7toX for Final Cut software, the book helps you through the process, a vital set of instructions to get around one of Apples' greatest omissions from FCPX.Chapter 2 is entitled 'Customising your workflow'. We all work in different ways and have different preferences so it's nice that this book acknowledges this and helps you set up your ergonomic ideal.From the first time, leisure user to the full time, professional editor, FCPX is shown to be a versatile and comprehensive tool.All aspects of the software are explored and the tone of the book is informative without being too 'techy' or dumbed down.I would heartily recommend this book for anyone who either plans to use or is currently using FCPX, it is a great reference book too and should always be kept to hand.Now that FCPX is, at last, stable and feeling more and more 'up for the job' with each update, here is a book that explains all the ins and outs, leaving you to edit, create, backup and innovate.

Vanessa Durand Jan 31, 2013

In Final Cut Pro X, Apple redefined the editing process in such a way that editors who start working with it need to keep their mind open. Sometimes this can lead to real frustration. And that's when this COOKBOOK comes in.This COOKBOOK is meant for editors who had previous experience with editing software that's available in the market. The author uses an easy to understand "recipe" format to describe every useful aspect of the editing process, from ingest to export. Each proposed recipe's steps are straightforward so the reader get's to the point and achieves his editing goals. It's "Food for thought", sort of. And as such it is a welcome addition in every editor's library of books he should own.Martin DurandFreelance offline/online video editor

Final Cut Pro X Cookbook: Edit with style and ease using the latest editing technologies in Final Cut Pro X! with this book and ebook.

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