Final Cut Pro HD Basics

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Final Cut Pro HD - Basics
Kameliya N

• Setting Scratch Discs
• Logging In and Capturing

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Step 1 Set Your Scratch Discs
Before beginning to work on a project in FCP
(whether creating a new one or opening an
existing one), you first need to set the scratch
discs to a particular location (in most cases
this is your external hard-drive or if it is your
own computer, a project folder in any location on
your computer - but make sure you remember the
path to it). By setting the scratch discs, you
tell the program to save all the files associated
with FCP - audio, video, render files, etc. in
the same space on your computer/external
hard-drive - you dont want lose them, believe
me! It is advisable that you create a project
folder beforehand and save your project files in
it.
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1 Setting The Scratch Discs - Step by Step
Upon launch, FCP automatically detects if the
previously set scratch discs are available and if
not, it will prompt you to Reset your Scratch
Discs. However, if it does not, this is
how you can do that Launch FCP Go to Final
Cut Pro ? System Settings (fig.1)
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1 Setting The Scratch Discs - Step by Step
Fig. 1
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1 Setting The Scratch Discs - Step by Step
A window pops up with a number of different
settings (fig. 2) (at first sight it remotely
resembles a switch in the control room but do not
let its complex look mislead you). Go to Set and
select the path to the folder/location where you
want FCP to keep your project files (fig. 3).
Make sure you set the same folder for Waveform
Cache, Thumbnail Cache, and Autosave Vault.
(fig.2) If you intend to Capture and need to
limit your capture file size to specific
length/size, you have the option to do so by
specifying it in the fields below.
Fig. 2 Setting the Scratch Discs
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1 Setting The Scratch Discs - Step by Step
Fig. 3 Selecting the File Path
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Step 2 Adjust the Video/Audio Settings
After setting your scratch discs, the next step
before opening up your project in FCP, is to
adjust the Video/Audio Settings. This is indeed,
very important, as the person before you may have
been working in a different Video format (such as
PAL) and if your project is in NTSC format, you
DO need to change the settings before beginning
your work. Failure to do so often results in, in
two words, big issues with your project after. So
make sure you check that You do so by going to
Final Cut Pro ? Video/Audio Settings (fig. 4)
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2 Adjusting the Video/Audio Settings - Step by
Step
Fig. 4
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2 Adjusting the Audio/Video Settings - Step by
Step
After selecting Audio/Video Settings from the
File Menu, youll get a window where you can
select Sequence Preset, Capture Preset, Device
Control Preset and other options. If your project
uses footage shot in NTSC (the North American
standard), select this from the drop-down menus.
If it is PAL (continental Europe parts of the
Middle East/Asia), select that (fig. 5). If your
camera filmed it in HD format, this is also among
the options for the presets. Just make sure, like
with scratch discs, that you select the
appropriate specification for each of the
Sequence Preset, Capture Preset, and Device
Control Preset (fig. 4, 5, 6)
Fig. 4. Adjusting the Audio/Video Settings
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2 Adjusting the Audio/Video Settings Step by
Step
Fig. 6
Fig. 5
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Step 3 Log and Capture (finally!)
After adjusting all these settings - Scratch
Discs, Audio/Video Settings, you are finally
ready to Log and Capture! Open your project or
create a new one File ? New Project From here,
select Log and Capture from the File Menu (fig.
7)
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3 Logging and Capturing - Step by Step
Fig. 7
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3 Logging and Capturing - Step by Step
After selecting Log and Capture from the File
Menu, a Log and Capture window pops up. You need
to have your camera (or whatever media device you
are capturing from - e.g., DVD or videocassette
player) connected to the computer. If its shows
up like on this screen displaying No
Communication - check your connection and re-try.
Fig. 8 The Log and Capture Window
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3 Logging and Capturing - Adjusting Clip Settings
In the Log and Capture window, you can set the
Clip Settings - e.g., capture only video or only
audio, Video Scopes and Input Audio Channels. If
you want to listen to the Audio while capturing
from the computer (and not from the camera/media
device), make sure you select the Preview box in
the Audio section. (fig. 9)
Fig. 9 Adjusting the Clip Settings
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3 Logging and Capturing - Log Clip Settings
Fig. 10
You can also include some information about the
clip you are logging, such as Name, Log Note,
etc. (fig. 10)
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3 Logging and Capturing - Capture!
Once all this is done, you are ready to capture
- Press the Capture Now button at the lower right
end of the Log and Capture window (fig. 9) and
enjoy! When you are ready to terminate the
capture process, just press Esc on your keyboard.
It is advisable that you do not log in an entire
tape in one clip because of the risks of getting
the Audio and Video out-of-sync. It is a good
idea to break it into smaller pieces of 15
minutes or less.
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3 Logging and Capturing - Drag Captured Clips to
the Timeline and Edit
Fig. 11