MacMost: Final Cut

One reason to use Final Cut Pro or a similar pro-level video editing app is to have access to a wide variety of interesting and useful filters. I'll show you how to apply a basic filter and how to make adjustments. We'll look at how to make your video look like an animation, apply a style and use effects like old film and rain.

If you want to use complex graphics or create an animation in Final Cut Pro, you can build your image in Photoshop or another advanced image editing app that supports layers. You can then import that layered document into Final Cut Pro and access the layers. You can apply changes and effects to each layer, or use them to animate portions of the images.

You can add subtitle tracks to your videos by using third-party software. This is different than imprinting a bottom-third title on to your video. Subtitle tracks can be turned on and off in QuickTime Player, iOS, Apple TV and elsewhere. You can also add more than one language. All you need to do is to create a simple text file with the subtitle information and then use the software to import it and add it to your video.

Multicam editing can be used to combine multiple angles of the same shot. But it can also be simply used to combine a video show with separate audio. You can record video from one device and audio from another and easily combine the two in Final Cut Pro.

With the 10.0.3 update of Final Cut Pro X you can now use multiple camera angles of the same scene. Final Cut Pro will use timecodes or audio to sync two or more videos and then you can switch fluidly between these shots.

Learn how to use keyframes to animate video in Final Cut Pro X. You can scale and reposition video clips between keyframes to create a variety of special effects. The example used is video shrinking to the center and then moving to a corner. You can also use keyframe animation to rotate, distort, color adjust or fade a clip.

In Final Cut Pro X you can switch back and forth between videos using a variety of methods. The video can shift from one viewpoint to another while the audio stays constant. Learn about mixing multiple video tracks and going back and forth between them.

Learn how to use transitions in Final Cut Pro X. There are several ways to apply transitions between clips, and many ways to adjust the end and start points of the two clips. You can also customize each transition.

Learn how to use multiple layers into Final Cut Pro X. You can place an image on top of a video and reposition, resize and crop the image easily. You can do with same with a second video, and even combine multiple videos and images. This gives you many more options that iMovie's ability to do picture-in-picture and cutaways.

Learn how to use the Censor effect in Final Cut Studio X to pixelate or blur a portion of your video. You can also animate the effect, moving it along a path to follow a moving subject. With this example you will also learn how to use effects and how to animate them, changing their properties gradually over time.

Learn about the basic functions of Final Cut Pro X. This video will help those familiar with iMovie to learn about the general Final Cut Pro X interface, events and projects. See how to import video, add it to the timeline, apply a transition and titles. Then learn how to export your project.