oit

UMass Office of Information Technologies

Final Cut Express

Intermediate Video Editing on a Mac

Introduction ........................................................................................ 2

The Interface ..................................................................................... 3

Keep Organized ................................................................................ 4

Import Media ..................................................................................... 5

Assemble Video Projects................................................................... 7

Edit Video .......................................................................................... 9

Work with Still Images ..................................................................... 10

Transitions, Effects, Text.................................................................. 12

Work with Audio ............................................................................... 13

Export a Movie ................................................................................ 14

Appendix: Storage Space Needed for Digital Video ... .................... 16

OIT Academic Computing

Lederle Graduate Research Center
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Phone: (413) 577-0072
Email: [email protected]
http://www.oit.umass.edu/academic

This handout based on: Final Cut Express 4.0

October 19, 2009—JC Gray Sawyer
Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 2

Introduction
Final Cut Express is a user-friendly digital video editing application
for Macintosh computers. Final Cut Express is an inexpensive
consumer version of the professional video editing suite, Final Cut
Pro. The program has the capacity to assemble complex multitrack
projects, synchronize images and sound, add versatile effects,
and export projects to a wide ranges of formats. This document
introduces the interface and basic functionality of Final Cut Express.

Get Started

Click the clapboard Final Cut Express icon in your Dock. If the
icon is not in the Dock, click Finder in your Dock and choose
Applications > Final Cut Express.
The first time that you open the application select Easy Setup when
prompted, to establish the way Final Cut processes your editing.
At this time you will also be prompted to select a scratch disk (the
hard disk location where you would like to store your captured
media). You should verify your scratch discs each time that you open
a project. See page 4 for details on file organization and setting your
scratch disk.

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 3

The Interface
The Final Cut Express interface is composed of four main windows (Browser, Viewer, Canvas, Timeline),
a Tool Palette, and Audio Meter. When you open the application, go to Window > Arrange > Standard to
begin with a unifrom workspace.

The Browser is used to The Viewer is used to view The Canvas is used to
organize media files used in and isolate source material to view media assembled on
your project. be added to the Timeline. the Timeline.

The Toolol Palette contains tools

for editing
ing and navigating.

The Timeline provides a

place to assemble your The Audio Meter help you to
media into sequences. Selection Tool ----- monitor audio levels visually.

Edit Selection Tool -----

Select Track Forward Tool -----
Roll Tool -----
Slip Tool -----
Razor Blade Tool -----
Zoom In Tool -----
Crop Tool -----
Pen Tool -----

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 Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 4

Keep Organized
File Hierarchy
Begin each project by setting up a folder with your project’s name on
the hard disk where you will be storing all of your media that goes
into the assembly of the project (Ideally you will be storing this data
on an external hard drive, rather than your computer’s hard drive due
to the large storage requirements of multimedia projects.).
Within your Project Folder create a series of subfolders called:
• scratch-media
• images
• audio
• clips
• notes
• project-versions
Drag any media files that you will be using in the project into their
respective folders.

System Settings Dialog Box Set Scratch Disk & Save Location
1. Go to Final Cut Express > System Settings. The System
Settings dialog box will open.
2. Click the Scratch Disks tab.
3. Click the Capture/Render Set button, navigate to your
project’s scratch-media folder and click Choose.
4. Click the Waveform Cache Set button, navigate to your
project’s scratch-media folder and click Choose.
5. Click the Thumbnail Cache Set button, navigate to your
project’s scratch-media folder and click Choose.
6. Click the Autosave Vault Set button, navigate to your
project’s scratch-media folder and click Choose.
7. Click OK.

Save Project
1. Go to File > Save Project As.
2. Name your Project File.
3. Save the project in your project-versions folder.

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 Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 5

Import Media
Import Files from Hard Disk
1. Go to File > Import > Folder. The Choose a Folder dialog
box will open.
2. Navigate to the images folder and click Choose. The folder
will appear in the Browser window.
3. Repeat this process for other folders containing media for
your project (such as audio and clips).

Folders are called Bins in Final Cut Express.

Go to File > New > Bin to create an empty folder.
You can drag media files and folders directly into the Browser window
or Timeline from the Finder.

Import Video from a Tape-based (MiniDV)

Camcorder
Final Cut Express allows you to view footage on your digital video
camera and make logging notes about segments of video to capture as
individual clips or to capture an entire tape.

Capture Individual Clips

1. Connect your DV camera to the computer using the
appropriate FireWire cable.
Note: In most cases this is a 6-pin to 4-pin FireWire cable.
FireWire Cable — 6-pin to 4-pin FireWire may also be referred to as iLink or IEEE 1394.
2. Turn on your camcorder and set it to VCR/VTR mode.
3. Go to File > Capture. The Capture window will open.
Preview area for Log clip
cueing tape. information here. 4. Navigate to the first frame of the clip that you want to capture
using the Transport Controls (VCR-like buttons below the
tape Preview area).
5. Click the Mark In button to set the In point for the clip.
6. Navigate to the last frame of the clip that you want to capture
using the Transport Controls.
7. Click the Mark In button to set the In point for the clip.
8. Click the Capture Clip button. Final Cut Express rewinds the
Mark In Button Mark Out Button tape, captures the media you have selected, and creates a clip
icon for it in the Browser.
Capture An Entire Tape
1. Follow steps 1 - 3 from above.
Transport Controls Capture Buttons
2. Rewind the tape or cue it to a point just prior to where you
would like to begin capture.
3. Click the Play button, immediately followed by the spacebar.
4. Click the Capture Now button.
5. Press the Escape key to stop capturing. Final Cut Express
creates a clip icon for the captured media in the Browser.

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 6

Import from a Tapeless Camcorder

Browse Area Preview Area 1. Connect your DV camera to the computer using the
appropriate cable.
Note: In most cases this will be a USB cable.
2. Plug-in your camcorder to a power source.
3. Turn on your camcorder and set it to PC transfer-mode.
Logging Area 4. Go to File > Log and Transfer. The Log and Transfer
window will open and your camcorder’s media files will
appear in the Browse area.
5. Select a clip in the Browse area of the Log and Transfer
Import Settings Button window to view it in the Preview area.
6. Enter any data about the clip that you would like attached to
Status Column it in the Logging area.
Add Selection to Queue
7. Click the Import Settings button in the Logging area to select
to import just video, just audio, or both.
8. Select one or more clips in the Browse area, then click Add
Selection to Queue. The Status column in the Transfer Queue
will show the progess of the import.
9. Click the x button in the upper left corner of the Log and
Transfer window to close it, when your import has finished.

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 7

Timeline Video Tracks Assemble Video Projects

Drag Clips to Timeline
The fastest method for assembling a rough edit is to drag clips from
the viewer onto the timeline.

Add a Clip to the Timeline

1. Click-and-drag the clip icon from the Browser to a desired
position on a video track on the Timeline.
2. Release the clip icon when you see the downward pointing
Downward pointing arrow appears arrow.
as clip is dragged onto timeline. Add a Portion of a Clip to the Timeline
1. Double-click a clip in the Browser to open it in the Viewer.
2. Drag the playhead to a location where you want to place an In
point, and click the Mark In button.
3. Drag the playhead to a location where you want to place an
Out point, and click the Mark Out button.
4. Click-and-drag the clip image from the Viewer to a desired
position on a video track on the Timeline.
5. Release the clip when you see the downward pointing arrow.

Three-Point Editing to Timeline

Plahead
Mark In Button Three-point editing offers more precision in editing clips from the
Browser to Timeline.
1. Double-click a clip in the Browser to open it in the Viewer.
2. Drag the Viewer playhead to a location where you want to
Mark Out Button place an In point, and click the Mark In button.
3. Drag the Viewer playhead to a location where you want to
place an Out point, and click the Mark Out button.
4. Drag the Timeline playhead to a location where you would
like to insert the footage you have selected.
5. Click-and-drag the clip image from the Viewer to into the
Canvas window. The Edit Overlay panel appears.
6. Release the clip image onto one of the Edit Overlay options.
Your selection will be inserted into the Timeline.

Edit Overlay Panel

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 8

Arrange Clips
Move Clips
Click a clip in the Timeline, with the Selection tool, to select it, and drag
Selection Tool the clip to a new location.

Copy, Cut, Paste Clips

1. Select a clip in the Timeline.
2. Press Command-C to copy the clip, or press Command-X to
cut the clip.
3. Position the playhead where you want to insert the clip.
4. Press Command-V to paste the clip.
Delete Clips
• Select a clip in the Timeline, then press delete. The clip will be
removed, leaving a gap in its place.
• Select a clip in the Timeline, then press Shift-delete. The clip
will be removed and all clips to the right will slide left to fill the
gap.

Snapping Button Snap to Points in the Timeline

Snapping behavior helps you line-up clips with each other or the
playhead without accidently leaving gaps or overwriting media.
To turn snapping on or off:
• Press the N key.
• Click the snapping button in the Timeline.
• Go to View > Snapping. (A checkmark indicates snapping is
on.)

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 9

Edit Video
Trimming Arrow

Trim a Clip
1. Select the Selection tool.
2. Hover over the end of a clip, the pointer will becom a double-
sided arrow.
3. Click-and-drag the Trimming Arrow horizontally to shorten or
lengthen a clip.

Razor BladeTool Cut a Clip

1. Select the Razor Blade tool.
2. Skim the Razor Blade tool over a clip, a vertical line will
appear to designate the cut line.
3. Click at the location you would like to cut the clip. The clip will
be split into two pieces with a through edit.

Join Through Edits

1. Select the Selection tool.
Through Edit
2. Select the through edit.
3. Control-click a through edit, then choose Join Through Edit
from the contextual menu. The two portions of the clip will be
joined into one clip.

Adjust Opacity
1. Select the Selection Tool.
2. Click the Toggle Clip Overlays button at the bottom-left corner
of the Timeline. A black horizontal line will appear in your
video tracks, and a pink horizontal line will appear in your audio
tracks.
3. Select the Pen tool.
4. Option-click on the black horizontal line to apply a keyframe.
Make two keyframes to build a simple opacity shift. Make four
keyframes to build an isolated opacity shift.
5. Point to a keyframe, the pointer will turn into a plus-sign.
6. Click-and-drag the plus-sign vertically and horizontally to
adjust the opacity level of the video clip. The topmost level of
Toggle Clip Overlays the clip equals 100% opacity, while the bottom of the clip equals
100% Opacity 0% opacity (100% transparent).

Keyframe 0% Opacity

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 10

Zoom View Work with Still Images

Still images are added to the Timeline via the same methods as video
clips. They can also be dragged directly to the Timeline from the
Browser.

Crop an Image
1. Select the Crop tool from the Tool palette.
Image Wireframe 2. Position the playhead within an image in the Timeline so that
the image appears in the Canvas.
3. Click the View drop-down menu and select
Image+Wireframe.
4. Click the Zoom drop-down menu and select Fit to Window.
5. Click inside the Canvas.
6. Drag the edges of the the crop rectangle with the Crop tool to
Scale Slider crop the image to your desired dimensions.
7. Click the Motion tab in the Viewer, then click the Motion
disclosure triangle to reveal parameters such as Scale, Rotation,
Motion Tab and Center.
8. Adjust the Scale slider to increase the image size to fill the
Canvas window. You can click-and-drag the image in the
Canvas to reposition the image.

Pan/Zoom Images (The Ken Burns Effect)

Still image dimensions will need to be significantly larger than the fram
size of your sequence, so that the still image can move around the frame
without displaying any edges. A good rule of thumb is to make your still
image twice the horizontal and vertical frame dimensions.
Image movement is created by setting a starting and ending Center
location with keyframes.
1. Position the playhead within an image in the Timeline so that
Wireframe Corner the image appears in the Canvas.
2. Double-click the image in the Timeline to open it in the Viewer.
3. Click the Motion tab in the Viewer, then click the Motion
disclosure triangle to reveal parameters such as Scale, Rotation,
and Center.
4. Enter 100 in the Scale field (in the Motion tab of the Viewer).
5. In the Canvas, click the View drop-down menu and select
Image+Wireframe.
6. In the Canvas, click the Zoom drop-down menu and select Fit
All.
7. Position the playhead in the Timeline to the location where you
want the pan to begin.
8. Move the image position in the Canvas to the starting position
of the pan. Click-and-drag the corners of the wireframe to
adjust the zoom of the image.
Add Motion Keyframe Button
9. Click the Add Motion Keyframe button in the Canvas. The
wireframe will turn green.

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 11

10. Position the playhead in the Timeline to the location where you
want the pan to end.
11. Move/resize the image in the Canvas to its ending position. A
line will appear in the Canvas indicating the motion path of the
image.

Create a Freeze Frame from a Video Clip

1. Position the playhead (either in the Viewer or Timeline) to the
frame that you want to make into a freeze frame.
2. Choose Modify > Make Freeze Frame (or press Shift-N). A
freeze frame clip appears in the Viewer. This clip is named after
the sequence or clip that it came from.
3. Drag the freeze frame to the Browser to create a master clip for
use later in your project.
4. Drag the freeze frame from the Viewer to the Timeline.

Export a Still Image from a Video Clip

1. Position the playhead (either in the Viewer or Timeline) to the
frame that you want to make into a still image.
2. Choose File > Export > Using Quicktime Conversion.
3. Choose a Save location and enter a name for the file.
4. Choose Still Image from the Format drop-down menu.
5. Click the Options button. The Export Image Sequence Settings
dialog box will open.
6. Choose a file format from the Format drop-down menu, then
click OK.
7. Click Save.

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 Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 12

Effects Tab Browser Add Transitions

1. Click the Effects tab in the Browser.
2. Click the Video Transitions disclosure triangle to reveal Bins of
transition types.
3. Click a Bin’s disclosure triangle to reveal individual transitions.
4. Click-and-drag a transition from the Browser to the Timeline
Disclosure Triangle
and release its icon either betweeen two clips or at the end/
beginning of a clip.
To remove a transition:
Select the transition in the Timeline and press delete.

Add Effects
1. Click the Effects tab in the Browser.
2. Click the Video Filters disclosure triangle to reveal Bins of
filter types.
3. Click a Bin’s disclosure triangle to reveal individual filters.
4. Click-and-drag a filter from the Browser to the Timeline and
release its icon on top of a clip.
To remove a filter:
Filters Tab Viewer
Select the Filters tab in the Viewer, select the filter name, and press
delete.
To turn a filter off, yet leave it associated with a clip:
Select the Filters tab in the Viewer, uncheck the Filter’s selection
checkbox.
Filter Selection Checkbox
Add Text
1. Click the Effects tab in the Browser.
2. Click the Text disclosure triangle to reveal text type options.
3. Drag a text type into the Viewer.
4. Click the Controls tab in the Viewer.
5. Enter your text, font, style, size, etc.
6. Click the Video tab in the Viewer.
7. Add your text clip from the Viewer to the Timeline using the
same method as for video clips (see page 7).
Note:
If you opt to overlya text on an existing video/image clip, you may need
to adjust the text clip’s opacity (see page 9).

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 Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 13

Work with Audio

Add Audio to the Timeline
Add an Audio Clip to the Timeline
1. Click-and-drag the audio clip icon from the Browser to a
desired position on an audio track on the Timeline.
2. Release the audio clip when you see the downward pointing
Viewer arrow.
Add a Portion of an Audio Clip to the Timeline
1. Double-click an audio clip in the Browser to open it in the
Viewer.
2. Drag the playhead to a location where you want to place an In
Point, and click the Mark In button.
Arrow-hand 3. Drag the playhead to a location where you want to place an Out
Point, and click the Mark Out button.
4. Click-and-drag the arrow-hand icon from the top of the Viewer
to a desired position on an audio track on the Timeline.
5. Release the audio clip when you see the downward pointing
Playhead arrow.

Edit Audio
Audio clips are edited with the same methods as for video clips (see
page 9).
Mark Out Button
Adjust Volume
Mark In Button Volume for audio clips is adjusted via the same method as for adjusting
opacity on video clips (see page 9).

Record Voice Narration

Record Button 1. Position the playhead in the Timeline at a location where you
would like to place the beginning of a voice narration.
2. Go to Tools > Voice Over. The Tool Bench window will open.
3. Select a microphone source from the Source drop-down menu.
Name Field 4. Enter a name for the sound recording in the Name field.
5. Click the red record button to begin recording.
6. Click the red record button again to end recording. Your voice
recording will be placed in the Timeline.
7. Close the Tool Bench window.

Microphone Source

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 14

Save Dialog Box Export a Movie

Use this export process to create a full-quality, exported digital video file
of your movie to be archived on your computer (or external hard drive)
for use with various devices/locations at a later point in time.
1. Go to Sequence > Render > All > Both.
2. Go to File > Export > Quicktime Movie. The Save dialog box
will open.
3. Enter a name and Save location for your movie.
4. Select the Make Movie Self-Contained checkbox. (Leaving
this unchecked will create a movie file that references your
media files, but does not contain them —this is fine for saving
disk space, but the movie must be kept tethered to the original
media files.)
Make Move Self- 5. Click Save.
Contained Checkbox
Movie Settings
Dialog Box
Export a Movie — Custom Settings
Use this export process to create a customized exported digital video file
of your movie to be used on a particular device or application at a later
point in time.
1. Go to Sequence > Render > All > Both.
2. Go to File > Export > Quicktime Conversion. The Save dialog
box will open.
3. Enter a name and Save location for your movie.
4. Select a Format from the drop-down menu.
5. Select the Options button to modify your format selection.
6. Click Save.
For a wide range of customizations and applications, select Quicktime
Movie from the Format drop-down menu in Step 4 above, then:
1. Select the Options button to modify your format selection. The
Movie Settings dialog box will open.
2. Click the Video Settings button—the Standard Video
Compression Settings dialog box will open:

2a. Choose a Compression Type from the drop-down menu.

2b. Choose a Frame Rate from the drop-down menu.
Video Compression Dialog Box
2c. Select the Automatic radio button for Key Frames (or select
Every and enter a custom number).
2d. Adjust the Quality Slider for a balance between video
quality and file size, depending on the final viewing destination
of your project.
2e. Select the Automatic radio button for Data Rate (or select
Restrict to and enter a custom number).
2f. Click OK.

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 15

3. Click the Size Settings button—the Export Size Settings dialog

box will open:
3a. Choose a size from the Dimensions drop-down menu.
3b. Select the Preserve aspect ratio checkbox.
3c. Click OK.
4. Click the Sound Settings button—the Sound Settings dialog
box will open:
4a. Choose a Format from the drop-down menu.
4b. Choose mono or stereo from the Channels drop-down
menu.
4c. Choose a Rate setting from the drop-down menu.
4d. Click OK.
5. Click OK to close the Movie Settings dialog box.
6. Click Save to export your file from Final Cut Express.

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Final Cut Express - Video Editing on a Mac 16

Appendix: Storage Space Needed for Storing Digital Video

Minutes of Standard Size of File Minutes of AVCHD High Size of File

Definition Digital Video Definition Digital Video
1 217 MB 1 650 MB
5 1 GB 5 3+ GB
10 2.17 GB 10 6.5 GB
20 4.4 GB 20 13 GB
30 6.5 GB 30 20 GB
40 8.7 GB 40 26.5 GB
50 10.9 GB 50 33.5 GB
60 13 GB 60 40 GB

• Standard Definition video requires 13 GB of disk space per 1 hour of footage.

• High Definition video requires 40 GB of storage space per 1 hour of footage.
• When importing AVCHD footage from a High-Def DV camera it may take up to 2.5 min for each minute of video to
import and convert to editable footage.

OIT Academic Computing, University of Massachusetts http://www.oit.umass.edu/academic 091019jcgs