Click here for the most recent article.

Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #2
Using markers to quickly edit a music video
by Stephen Schleicher

Ever wish you could edit video to the beat of the music quickly and easily? In Apple’s Final Cut Pro 3, using markers to time out your shots makes editing a snap.
Read More

Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #3
Import your music the right way
by Stephen Schleicher

Need to import audio files into your Final Cut Pro 3 project? At some point you will need to, and who wants to spend valuable time flipping through four different manuals to find the answer?
Read More

Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #4
Nesting helps manage longer projects
by Stephen Schleicher

If you have used Final Cut Pro 3.0 for a while, you should be familiar with nesting. Nesting allows you to "flatten" video tracks into a single sequence that can be imported into any other sequence. Final Cut Pro 3.0 gives you up to 99 video tracks in a project, but with nesting, you have an unlimited number of tracks to work with.
Read More

SEPTEMBER 09, 2002
Final Cut Pro 3.0 Quick Tip #5
Keying explained
by Stephen Schleicher

When doing postproduction, it seems every producer/director wants to, or needs to, include a shot or two that was shot against a blue or green screen wall. Your job is to blend it in with the rest of shots. First thought might be to jump over to a great program like Adobe After Effects to pull off the composite, but Final Cut Pro 3, does a pretty good job if you stay right inside the application.
Read More

SEPTEMBER 18, 2002
Final Cut Pro 3.0 Quick Tip #6
Configuring your scratch disks
by Stephen Schleicher

Ever have Final Cut Pro 3.0 crash in the middle of an edit, and you don’t know when the last auto save was performed (or even where it is located)? Wonder why you can easily locate your rendered video files, but not your audio? Ever throw your hands up in frustration and cry out in the night, "I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!"? Okay, maybe you haven’t gone that far, but knowing how to set up your scratch disk can save you some hassle later on.
Read More

SEPTEMBER 25, 2002
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #7
My favorite effects
by Stephen Schleicher

Ever tweak a default effect (or create one of your own) that you really love and want to use over and over again? With Final Cut Pro you can save those favorites and use them to your heart’s content. Here’s how.
Read More

SEPTEMBER 30, 2002
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #8
De-Interlacing
by Stephen Schleicher

I received a DV tape the other day that was dubbed from a VHS tape. Popping the tape into my Sony deck I instantly saw something that the person who dubbed the tape over looked; the person didn’t use a TBC when making the dub and the video had jumped up approximately 50 lines. Solution? Modify the size of the image in Final Cut Pro 3.0. But that is only part of the solution. This Final Cut Pro Quick Tip explains how.
Read More

OCTOBER 07, 2002
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #9
A few Color Correction workflow tips
by Stephen Schleicher

A lot of you seemed to get a kick out of one of the previous installments of the Final Cut Pro Quick Tip series regarding how to save your favorite effects. I dropped a hint at how productive that could be when using the Color Correction filter that some of you have found to be very valuable. Here are a few more Color Correction workflow tips that might help out when you are polishing your masterpiece.
Read More

OCTOBER 14, 2002
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #10
Locating files in the Timeline
by Stephen Schleicher

Ever have a series of still images that you need to edit into a Final Cut Pro 3.0 project, and want to know if you have used the clip already in the Timeline? Here is a very short Quick Tip to show you how it can be done.
Read More

OCTOBER 28, 2002
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #11
Backing up at project end
by Stephen Schleicher

I had a reader contact me last week asking what was an easy way to back up and save Final Cut Pro projects at the end of a job. I think everyone has a different take on this subject, and while it may not be the best solution, here is my suggestion.
Read More

DECEMBER 05, 2002
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #12
Exporting to After Effects
by Stephen Schleicher

Need to get a clip from your Final Cut Pro sequence into After Effects so you can perform some razzle-dazzle? Here’s how.
Read More

DECEMBER 10, 2002
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #13
When is title safe, not title safe?
by Stephen Schleicher

I received a somewhat frantic email the other day from an editor who has discovered that the title safe boundaries in Final Cut Pro have a slight error; "I discovered that FCP's title and action safe areas are not correct. Instead of 5/10 percent borders all the way around, it calculates 5/10 percent on the width and provides a uniform border all the way around. Do you know any way to change the title and action safety dimensions in FCP?" While there isn’t a way to change the dimensions in Final Cut Pro, this Baker’s Dozen FCP Quick Tip should help clarify some issues, and give you some information to pass along to your graphics department.
Read More

January 31, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #14
Storyboard your edits and then edit in an instant
by Stephen Schleicher

The Final Cut Pro Quick Tip series adds yet another installment. This week, we look at a way to quickly layout your project in storyboard format.
Read More

FEBRUARY 06, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #15
Join Through Edits
by Stephen Schleicher

These Final Cut Pro Quick Tips are supposed to be short, and this week we may just have our shortest and possibly most helpful one yet.
Read More

FEBRUARY 18, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #16
Exporting to Pinnacle Thunder XL
by Stephen Schleicher

This is a very specific Quick Tip for a very select audience. If you are using the Pinnacle Thunder XL and want to import and playback footage you created in Apple’s Final Cut Pro, then this one is for you.
Read More

MARCH 19, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #17
Marking clips correctly
by Stephen Schleicher

When you mark a clip in your Timeline for replacement or removal, how are you setting those In and Out points? If you are doing it by pressing the I and O keys, you could be doing more damage than you think.
Read More

MARCH 26, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #18
Color Correction Freebie
by Stephen Schleicher

What happens when you don’t white balance correctly and it comes time to edit? You use Final Cut Pro’s Color Correction Filter of course. What do you do when there is nothing in your shot that represents true black and white? You panic! Don’t panic too much, here is a freebie just for you… or rather your cinematographer.
Read More

APRIL 24, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #19
Importing image sequences
by Stephen Schleicher

The easiest way to transfer files between systems is through image sequences. As codecs have become more universal, and being able to read files cross platform is nearly commonplace, the need for image sequences has greatly decreased. However, there are times when image sequences are the only available option for your system. Unfortunately, while Final Cut Pro 3.0 does allow you to import nearly every type of file including stills, there is not a built in “Import Image Sequence” feature. In this Quick Tip, I’ll show you two methods to import image sequences into Final Cut Pro 3.0.
Read More

May 19, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #20
Time lapse^2 with Fit to Fill
by Stephen Schleicher

I love the Sony PD150. It is a great DV camera that has continued to be a favorite among video professionals. One of the features it touts is the ability to do Interval Recording. For many the thought of doing time-lapse shots brings to mind rapid sunrises, the opening of a flower, showing the life cycle of an object in mere seconds! But alas, the ability to do Interval Recording on most video cameras doesn’t even allow us to come close to capturing our masterpiece… unless we use Final Cut Pro.
Read More

June 22, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #21
Time Remapping in Final Cut Pro 4.0
by Stephen Schleicher

Woohoo... The Final Cut Pro Quick Tip series turns 21! Finally legal. What better way to celebrate than with a tip covering Time Remapping in Final Cut Pro 4.0.
Read More

June 23, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #22
Fixing Boris Calligraphy in Final Cut Pro 4.0
by Stephen Schleicher

While LiveType is a huge bonus for generating cool typography in Final Cut Pro 4.0, most of us will still rely on Boris Calligraphy (aka Title 3D and Title Crawl) for most of our text needs. However, if you are upgrading from Final Cut Pro 3.0, and you use Title 3D, you’ll quickly discover that those free styles you downloaded a year or so ago no longer show up. Here’s how to fix it.
Read More

July 1, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #23
Smoothing keyed edges
by Stephen Schleicher

It’s been a fun couple of weeks playing with Final Cut Pro 4.0 – looking for all of those new features and of course doing actual work with the new upgrade. While we have touched on keying in Final Cut Pro before in our Final Cut Pro Quick Tips, this time we look at a new filter and how it aids in your keying process.
Read More

JULY 08, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #24
There and Back Again - Workflow with LiveType
by Stephen Schleicher

I had to laugh out loud the other day when someone posted on one of the various message boards that he/she didn’t know what the LiveType disc was for that came with his Final Cut Pro 4 package. It really isn’t a laughing matter, as LiveType is a separate application from Final Cut Pro 4 and does not interact directly with the editing software. However, by using the following steps, getting Final Cut Pro 4 and LiveType to work together is a snap.
Read More

July 11, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #25
Adding additional samples in SoundTrack
by Stephen Schleicher

By now you have probably had a bit of fun with SoundTrack, the music creation program that ships with Final Cut Pro 4.0. I would hope that you haven’t exhausted all of the free loops that shipped with the program, but if you are looking to use other samples, this Quick Tip tells you how.
Read More

October 14, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #26
In the Gutter
by Stephen Schleicher

If there is one piece of textual graphic in every project you do, it will be the end credits, with the rolling text the most popular kind. While most people are satisfied with left justified or centered text, some will want the classic center gutter. In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, we’ll show you how to create that center gutter.
Read More

October 20, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #27
Power Point and FCP
by Stephen Schleicher

CEOs and Presidents of companies love to use PowerPoint presentations in every meeting they have. Now that the company is starting to release videos of said head honcho presentations, you are getting requests to take their slides and use them in the presentation. Deity help you if you are asked to do this. Fortunately, there is an easy way to do this in Final Cut Pro, and this very quick Quick Tip shows you how.
Read More

November 20, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #28
Nudging – or How I Stopped Worrying and Started Editing Multi-Camera Shoots with FCP
by Stephen Schleicher

I was recently asked to edit a multi-camera interview show. One the base level it doesn’t sound like that big of a deal until I found out that none of the cameras used the same time code, talent and host audio were recorded separately on each camera, and the third camera was using the built in camera mic. This of course could lead to all sorts of headache and hassle, but a few keyboard shortcuts and some meditation before editing solved my problem, and maybe yours too in this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip.
Read More

NOVEMBER 26, 2003
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #29
Expose and keyboard remapping
by Stephen Schleicher

If you haven't already done so by now, the waters seem safe enough to jump into the latest OS from Apple. The OS is faster, stable, and has a lot of cool new features. However for those who depend on Final Cut Pro, and more importantly the keyboard shortcuts, there is a change you should be aware of.
Read More

May 09, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #30
New FCP HD/LiveType workflow
by Stephen Schleicher

While many people were blown away with the announcement of Final Cut Pro HD (FCP4.5), they may have realized that LiveType also got an update.  In fact, there is a whole new way you can work with between the two applications, and this Quick Tip shows you how.
Read More

May 9, 2004
Final Cut Pro HD Quick Tip #31
Scrolling and crawling text in LiveType
by Stephen Schleicher

In the many incarnations of Final Cut Pro, there have been ways of creating scrolling and crawling text.  The built in Scroll and Crawl type of the early Final Cut Pro system was less than stellar (and still is), Final Cut Pro 3 included much better options with Calligraphy, and now with Final Cut Pro HD (v.4.5) LiveType has the ability to create scrolling and crawling text as well.
Read More

May 24, 2004
Final Cut Pro HD Quick Tip #32
Full Screen Previews
By Stephen Schleicher

One of the great new features in Final Cut Pro HD is the ability to view the contents of the Timeline at full screen resolution.  If you are doing HD work, the results are amazing.  If you are not doing HD work, then you are in luck too.
Read More

May 25, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #33
Final Cut HD to After Effects for free
by Stephen Schleicher

Moving your Final Cut Pro HD Timeline out to Adobe After Effects 6.5 doesn’t have to be a headache.  Plug-ins like Automatic Duck’s Pro Import AE/Red do this, but can cost quite a bit to make it happen.  But what if there was a free plug-in that allows you to do this (with a bit of tweaking)?  And what if this free plug-in was available right now from Apple and Automatic Duck?  In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, I’ll show you where it is, and how to use it with pretty good results.
Read More

July 2, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #34
DV Start/Stop Detect
by Stephen Schleicher

For those of you working in the DV format, Final Cut Pro includes a feature that not only makes logging and capturing clips a breeze, but it also saves wear and tear on your deck and state of mind.
Read More

July 9 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #35
Copying and Pasting clips in FCP HD
by Stephen Schleicher

One of the new features in Final Cut Pro HD is how it handles the copying and pasting of clips in the Timeline.  This Quick Tip walks you through the changes.
Read More

July 12, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #36
Setting a Poster Frame
By Stephen Schleicher

One of the easier ways of editing a sequence in Final Cut Pro is to use the thumbnail view in the Browser Window as described in Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #14.  But what do you do when your thumbnail icons are not representative of the actual shot?  Set a Poster Frame.
Read More

July 16, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #37
Motion paths and Bezier curves
By Stephen Schleicher

In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, we take a look at motion paths and how create them in any version (3.0+) of Final Cut Pro.  In addition to looking at keyframe creation, I’ll show you how smooth the motion with Bezier Curves.
Read More

July 19, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #38
Timecode Reader for window dubs
By Stephen Schleicher

While we as editors may work in a specific format (DV, Digi, HD, etc.) and have decks capable of playing back these formats at a moments notice, chances are your client/producer only has access to that old fangled VHS deck.  While it may be simple process to record a copy for them to take home and view/critique, that person has no way of seeing the Timecode data needed to determine when and where trims and/or edits need to take place.  This is where the “window burn” comes in to play, and fortunately, Final Cut Pro has a Timecode Reader and Generator built in.
Read More

July 23, 2004
LiveType Quick Tip
Matte to Background
By Stephen Schleicher

While LiveType does a tremendous job in creating motion backs and dynamic text animations for your productions, what do you do when you need to create a hole or matte for a video layer in Final Cut Pro?  This Quick Tip, walks you through creating such an effect with Matte to Background.
Read More

August 05, 2004
Bleach Bypass
How to do it in your application
By Stephen Schleicher

Made most famous in the film Saving Private Ryan, the bleach bypass method of treating film gives a very unique look to a project. Since most videographers don’t have the luxury of spending money on film to achieve this look, they usually turn to mimicking the look in post. In this exercise, I’ll show how to do the effect in Adobe After Effects, Avid Xpress DV, discreet’s Combustion, and Apple’s Final Cut Pro 4.
Read More

September 24, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #39
Understanding the Anchor Point
by Stephen Schleicher

After wrapping up Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #37: Motion Paths and Bezier Curves, some of you may have wondered, “Why does the layer/clip always move around the middle of the layer?”  Well dear reader, it all has to do with the Anchor Point.
Read More

September 30, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #40
Recapturing a logging mistake
By Stephen Schleicher

And so we come to the big 40.  What better way to celebrate than with a Final Cut Pro Quick Tip that is easy as pie.
Read More

October 1, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #41
The Zen of Logging
By Stephen Schleicher

Ok, so you are not going to reach nirvana by simply following this quick tip, but you will understand how, by properly logging your footage, you can create a balance between your FCP editing world, and your hard drive file management.
Read More

October 2, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #42
Get a new countdown
By Stephen Schleicher

Even though Final Cut Pro can place a countdown on your tape automagically for you, that same FCP countdown can get rather boring.  In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, I’ll show you how you can use your own countdown with the Print to Tape command.
Read More

October 15, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #43
Anamorphic editing
by Stephen Schleicher

Independent filmmakers love it, the promise of HD will make it common practice, and film lovers prefer it.  The 16:9 aspect ratio gives the director a wider field of view that conveys a more cinematic feel.  Unfortunately, a lot of cameras have chips that only capture footage at a 4:3 aspect ratio.  How do we get 16:9 on 4:3?  We squeeze the video using an Anamorphic process.  Final Cut Pro has no problem working with Anamorphic video, and this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip shows you the workflow.
Read More

November 3, 2004
Final Cut Express Quick Tip
Setting keyframes
by Stephen Schleicher

I received an e-mail from a reader who was having trouble creating keyframes in Final Cut Express 2.  While the principle of creating keyframes is the same for any animation package or non-linear editing system, for those using Final Cut Express 2 for the first time, it could be a bit confusing.  In this Final Cut Express Quick Tip, I’ll walk you through the steps.
Read More

November 19, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #44
Chapter Markers
by Stephen Schleicher

If you plan on exporting your Final Cut Pro HD project to DVD (and who isn’t these days), you’ll probably want to place some Chapter Markers to help the user navigate easier.  In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, we’ll go through the process and show how easy it is to do.
Read More

November 23, 2004
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #45
Turn your brown eyes blue
by Stephen Schleicher

The Final Cut Pro HD Color Corrector 3-way effect is a great way to correct video.  In the upgrade from 4 to 4.5, the Limit Effect feature has become a bit hidden.  In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, I’ll walk you through the steps on how to isolate a particular color in your shot to turn someone’s brown eyes blue, or to achieve a Pleasantville effect.
Read More

March 6, 2005
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #46
Capturing Audio or Video only
by Stephen Schleicher

Sometimes you need to capture just the audio or just the video from your tape for use in Final Cut Pro.  In this Quick Tip, Digital Media Net’s Stephen Schleicher shows you how to do it and explains why you might need to do it for your project.
Read More

May 23, 2005
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #47
Real-time Multiclip Editing in Final Cut Pro 5
by Stephen Schleicher

One of the best new features in Final Cut Pro 5 is multicam editing.  This handy feature allows those do multiple camera productions to gang the clips together to make editing a breeze.  In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, we’ll quickly look at how it works.
Read More

May 28, 2005
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #48
Setting up Control Surfaces in Final Cut Pro (and Soundtrack Pro)
by Stephen Schleicher

In previous versions of Final Cut Pro, you didn’t have the ability to connect a MIDI controllable audio board to your system.  With Final Cut Pro 5, Mackie and Logic control has been implemented.  Never again do you need to use an unintuitive mouse to create your mix.  This Final Cut Quick Tip shows you how to set up a Control Surface in Final Cut Pro and Soundtrack Pro.
Read More

June 03, 2005
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #49
Working with HDV in a SD Project
by Stephen Schleicher

With the HDV format quickly becoming as common as DV, many productions are jumping on the bandwagon.  But not that many people actually own a HD TV, so what’s an editor to do?  With Final Cut Pro 5, there are several ways you can still use HDV footage in your SD sequence, as this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip demonstrates.
Read More

June 07, 2005
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #50
Co-located editing with iChat and Final Cut Pro
by Stephen Schleicher

The Final Cut Pro Quick Tip series is celebrating its three year anniversary, and what better way than with a milestone entry?  At NAB 2005, Apple demonstrated how you can use iChat to do co-located editing.  As amazing as the demonstration was, the actual way to do it is a bit complicated.  In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, I’ll show you how to set it up if your editor is in one location and your producer/director is in another.
Read More

June 17, 2005
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #51
Making the most of HDV Scene Detect
by Stephen Schleicher

One of the neat features in Final Cut Pro 4.5 is the DV Start/Stop Detect.  With this function, FCP quickly makes Subclips based on when you pressed the start/stop button on your camera.  In Final Cut Pro 5, this feature is automatic with HDV footage.  While this may upset some, you can actually use it to your advantage.  This Final Cut Pro Quick Tip shows you how.
Read More

August 11, 2005
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #52
In which we export FCP Chapter Markers to iDVD
By Stephen Schleicher

Chapter markers should be a requirement for every DVD created. While the motion picture industry has been using them for years, those doing wedding videos, corporate, or training videos can increase interactivity and customer satisfaction. After going through these steps, you'll smack yourself on the head and cry, "Why haven't I been doing this all along!?" In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, Stephen Schleicher shows how easy it is to use chapter markers in iDVD.
Read More

November 09, 2005
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #53
Soundtrack Pro Round Trip
by Stephen Schleicher

If you haven’t incorporated Soundtrack Pro into your Final Cut Pro workflow, you should really give it a chance.  In this Final Cut Pro Quick Tip, I’ll show you the process and show you how easy it can be to enhance your audio tracks.
Read More

November 22, 2005
Final Cut Pro QuickTip #54
Exporting video for iPod
by Stephen Schleicher

Everyone I have talked to is very excited about the latest ipod that has the ability to play video.  Even if you don’t have a G5 iPod, you can still produce video content, and in this Final Cut Pro QuickTip, I’ll show you how to export your sequence from Final Cut Pro to a format that will work with the portable music (and now video) player.
Read More

April 2, 2006
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #55
Fixing Ken Burns
by Stephen Schleicher

While many applications allow you to animate still images to create a “Ken Burns Effect”, there are going to be times when you can’t scan a photograph. These shots will need to be captured via traditional means with a film or video camera. If the photographer captured the clip to fast or too slow, you can slow it down in Final Cut Pro, but this can introduce jitter and strobing. This Quick Tip will show you one way to fix the problem.
Read More

September 04, 2006
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #56
Anamorphic footage in Motion and LiveType
by Stephen Schleicher

If you don’t have a camera that does true 16:9, your next best bet is to get yourself an anamorphic lens and shoot away.  The good thing about an anamorphic lens is it allows you to use the full imaging area of the chip as opposed to cropping the imaging area found on some cameras.  But what do you do if you need to use Motion or LiveType in an anamorphic project?  This Quick Tip explains one method that works.
Read More

September 05, 2006
Final Cut Pro Quick Tip #57
Converting .M2T to .MOV
by Stephen Schleicher

When using a device like CitiDisk HDV FireWire drive to capture HDV footage, you’ll end up with .M2T files, which Final Cut Pro won’t open.  In order to use these clips, they need to be converted.  One application that does an exceptional job is MPEG Streamclip, and best of all, it’s free.
Read More