This is lesson 2 from the Weyland Final Cut Pro certification text. This text is used in my production class and we work through a lesson each week.

1. Lesson 2:
Importing
Apple Pro Training
Series
Final Cut Pro X
Professor: Sam Edsall

2. Importing Media into FCP
Loading Content
• Final Cut Pro can import media from a variety of devices
and many media formats
• SD & HD video formats
• Still photos
• Various audio formats including Wav, AIF, MP3
Managing Content
• Select what you want to import
• Select how you want to import it
• Final Cut Pro works in the background to organize, repair,
and optimize media

3. Importing Media
into an Event
Loading Content
• Final Cut Pro collects
imported media into an Event
• Good habit to make a new
Event starting a new project
for you new media
• You can choose whether to
actually copy the media to
another location or have it
reference to where it came
from

4. Import Media into a
New Event
If the Event Library is not visible,
click the Event Library button
beneath the Event Browser.
In the Event Library, hide the
APTS FCP X Events if
necessary, and then click the
Macintosh HD icon to select the
internal hard drive as the
destination for the new Event.
Choose File > New Event, or
press Option-N.

5. The New Event
The Event
• The default Event name is the current
date and highlighted awaiting its new
identity
• Select the disk where the new Event
will be before creating the new Event
• Delete an Event by Control-clicking (or
right-clicking) the Event, and choosing
Move Event to Trash
• Select the event and press Command
delete

6. Import Media into a
New Event
In the name field, enter
FairlyLegal, and press
Return.

7. Importing Content
A couple of ways
• You can click an Import
button in the Event
Browser
• Choose Import from the
File menu
• Use a keyboard
shortcut
• Control-click (or right-
click) the Event in the
Event Library

8. Import Media into a
New Event
With Fairly Legal selected in the Event Browser, click the Import Files
button.
In the Import dialog in the left sidebar, select the APTS FCP X disk; and
navigate to FCPX Book Files > Fairly Legal. Select the first clip, then
Shift select the last clip in the folder. (Don’t import them just yet.)

9. Importing Content
Import options
• Menu of importing
options that copy,
organize, analyze, and
fix media files as
they’re imported
• After selecting the files
to import, Final Cut Pro
needs to know the
Event to store the
imported clips

10. Import Options
Select ‘Add to existing Event’ and make sure Fairly Legal on
Macintosh HD appears in the Event pop-up menu.
In the Organizing section, make sure that ‘Copy files to Final Cut
Events folder’ is selected. Deselect ‘Import folders as Keyword
Collections.’ (These options are selected by default.)

11. To Copy or Not to Copy?
That is the question
• When you copy files, the
original files are physically
duplicated in the Events
folder to create new source
files.
• When deselected, Final Cut
Pro creates only alias
reference files in the Event
that point to the original files
in their original storage
locations

12. Import Folders as
Keyword Collections
Sort it out
• If your media is already
sorted into folders
before you import it into
FCP, you can keep it
that way
• Each folder and their
media inside will be
imported as a Keyword
Collection inside the
Event

13. More Import Options
There are other options
before you import like
optimizing and analyzing
your video and audio.
(These features are nice, but
tie up your resources)
For now, only check ‘Copy
files…’ and press ‘Import’ on
the bottom right.

14. How Copied Media
is Managed
Movies > FCP Events
• Where your media was copied to
Original Media Folder
• Holds the copied media files Final
Cut Pro will use to create projects
Render Files folder
• Saves newly created files
throughout the editing process, like
clip thumbnails in the Event
Browser

15. See Your Media
Click the Finder icon and navigate to Movies > Final Cut
Events > Fairly Legal
Then click the Original Media folder to see the copied
media.

16. Keyword Collections
Sorting it out
• Allows you to sort
similar clips into their
own group (or
collection) in the Event
• When you select a
Keyword Collection in
an Event, the clips
tagged with that
keyword appear in the
Event Browser

17. How Keyword
Collections
are Made
Automatically
• If your media is already
sorted into folders before
importing and choosing the
‘Import folders as Keyword
Collections’ option
Manually
• Can always assign
keywords to clips after you
import them
• Like ‘interviews’ ‘b-roll’
‘interior’ ‘exterior’ etc.

18. Import Folders as
Keyword Collections
In the Event Library, Control-click the Macintosh HD icon and, from the
shortcut menu, choose Import Files.
In the Import Files dialog, navigate to the FCPX Book Files > Zero To
Hero folder, and click the Interviews folder.
Do not select the files inside this folder.

19. Import Folders as
Keyword Collections
Import dialog section:
1. Select ‘Create new Event’
2. Enter Zero to Hero in the
new Event field. Make sure
the Save To location is
Macintosh HD.
Organizing section:
1. ‘Copy files to Final Cut
Events folder’ is selected.
2. ‘Import folders as Keyword
Collections’ is selected.
Click Import.

20. Keyword Collections
What you see
• Blue Key icon in the
Event Library under the
Event
• Blue line across each
clip in the Event
Browser that has a Key
word attached to it

21. Import Another Folder as
a Keyword Collection
Control-click the_Zero to Hero_Event in the Event Library
and, from the shortcut menu, choose Import Files.
In the Import dialog, navigate to FCPX Book Files > Zero to
Hero > B-Roll, and select that folder.

22. Import Another Folder as
a Keyword Collection
Use the same settings as last time by adding it to the Zero
to Hero Event, copy files, and Import folders as Keyword
Collections and Import.

23. Looking Around
Select an Event
• See all the clips in your
Event in the Event
Browser
Select a Keyword
Collection
• See only the clips in the
Event Browser that
share that keyword

24. Looking Around
Click on the Zero to Hero
Event and each keyword
collection to see the different
views of clips within the
Event Browser.

25. Analyzing and Correcting
Imported Clips
Auto Analysis
• FCP can recognize common problems such as
camera shake, color balance, shutter roll, audio
hum, and background noise
• Can also determine the type of shot
• Number of people
• Close-up, wide shot, long shot, etc.
• Auto-analysis can be performed during or after
import.

26. Analyzing and Correcting
Imported Clips
Stabilization
• Identifies clips that
have shaking from an
unsteadied camera
Rolling shutter
• Identifies motion-
related video problems

27. Analyzing and Correcting
Imported Clips
Analyze for Balance
Color
• Automatically fixes errors in
color balance of each clip by
comparing the highlight and
the shadow areas
Find People
• Looks for the number of
people within a clip and
identifies the shot type or
shot framing as a keyword

28. Import with Auto
Analysis
In the Event Library, Control-
click the Macintosh HD icon
and choose New Event.
Name the new Event I Think
In the Event Browser, click
the Import Files button.

29. Auto Analysis
In the browser, navigate to FCPX Book Files > I Think, and
press Command-A to select all the clips in the I Think
folder.
Select ‘Add to existing Event’ to add it to the ‘I Think’
Event on Macintosh HD.

30. Import Options
Organizing:
- Copy files to Final Cut
Events folder
Video:
- Analyze for balance color
- Find people and
Consolidate
- Create Smart Collections
after analysis
Press Import

31. Working in the
Background
Background tasks
• FCP analyzes and fixes the
imported clips as a
background task, allowing
you to continue working
• Process pauses if you move
your mouse and resumes
when there is no activity
What’s happening
• Click the Background Tasks
button in the Dashboard
above the Timeline, or press
Command-9

32. Blue vs. Purple Lines
Blue line
• The clip is part of a
keyword collection
Purple line
• The clip was was
analyzed and in a
smart collection
Blue and Purple?
• Clip can have both and
be in both collection
folders

33. The Analysis
It is, but is
isn’t
• During
analysis, stabilizatio
n and color balance
effects are applied
to the clips in Smart
collections, but not
automatically
enabled

34. Analysis
In the I Think Event, skim
through the extreme cu clip.
-- notice the yellowish tint
-- FCP analyzed the color
balance, but it’s not
corrected (yet).

35. Analysis
Below the Viewer in the
toolbar, click the Inspector
button.
-- Inspector appears to the
right of the Viewer.
At the top of the
Inspector, click the Video
tab.
Enable the color balance
effect by selecting the box
next to Balance.

36. Transcoding
What it is
• Final Cut Pro can create media files optimized for
better performance during both editing and
rendering, and improved color quality for
compositing
• If your media is already optimized, the optimized
option will be dimmed out

37. Transcoding
Create optimized media
• Transcodes video to Apple ProRes 422 codec
Create proxy media
• Transcodes video to Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy), a lower-
resolution and lower-quality format.
• Smaller data rates and file sizes
• Good for portable or slower computers

38. Should I do this if I’m
editing on my laptop?
Yes
• Less ‘spinning wheel’ delays
• Editing is more responsive
No
• Transcoding takes a lot of time
• (but if you have the time, I recommend it)

39. Do I need Proxy Media?
Yes
• If original media is HD and working with original media on
the timeline is sluggish
No
• If you have a fast machine and optimized media in the
timeline works fine without delays

40. Working with Proxy
Media
As you import
• Select the option in the
dialogue box
After importing
• Select all your clips, right
click and choose Transcode
Media
• Create Proxy media and OK

41. Switching Back & Forth
Edit
• Choose ‘Use proxy
media’ in the Playback
preferences pane
Export
• Before you export
switch back to ‘Use
original or optimized
media’
• Then export your
timeline

42. Importing from a Camera
Variety of sources
• Built-in iSight
• FireWire and USB
connected cameras
• Decks, hard drives, and
flash cards
How about my
camera?
• Compatibility
check:http://help.apple.com/f

43. Import from Camera
Couple of
options
• Click the Import From
Camera button in the
Event Browser
• Click the ‘Import media
from connected device’
button in the toolbar
• Choose File > Import
From Camera
• Press Command-I.

44. Import From Camera
In the Event Library, create a
new Event on Macintosh HD
and name it Camera Import.
Select the Event, and in the
Event Browser, click the
Import From Camera button.

45. Import from Camera
Layout
Left
• List of cameras and camera
archives Final Cut Pro
recognizes
Right
• Image area
Bottom
• Browse individual clips from
your camera, camera
card, or archive when
connected

46. Import From Camera
In the Camera Import
window, Control-click in the
left sidebar.
Choose Open Archive
Navigate to FCPX Book
Files > Imports, and
select201107
Flowers.dmgdisk image.
Click Open.

47. Import From Camera
When the files have loaded,
select the camera source,
and skim through the clips in
the Clip Browser.
To play a clip, select it, and
press the Spacebar, or use
the transport controls
beneath the preview area.

48. Import From Camera
In the Clip Browser, deselect
all the clips by clicking in the
gray area around the
thumbnails
-- Shortcut: Command-Shift-
A
Select Clip 13 in the
browser.

49. Import From Camera
Click the Import Selected
button.
In the menu, choose the
Camera Import Event.
Deselect any other import
options, and click Import, then
close the import window.
When Final Cut Pro has
imported the clip, it appears in
the Event Browser.

50. Importing from Tape
Connect via Firewire
• Connect the VTR to your
computer with a Firewire
Open Camera Import
Window
• Select the VTR
• Cue the tape you want to
capture using the transport
controls below the preview
area
• Click the Import button to
capture that section of tape

51. Camera Archive
Back-up
• Makes a backup that frees your
camera or capture media for
reuse, preserves and protects
your media for future use
Procedure
• Connect the camera or device.
• Choose File > Import From
Camera.
• In the Camera Import window,
select the source device, and
click Create Archive.
• Name and save the archive.

52. Importing from the
Finder
Drag straight to an
Event
• Easy to do
• Set import options first
• Media management
• Keyword Collections
• Transcoding video
• Auto-analysis & Smart
Collections
• Done through the Import tab
of the Final Cut Pro
Preferences window.

53. Importing from the
Finder
Open the Final Cut Pro
Preferences window.
At the top of the Preferences
window, click the Import
button.
Select Copy files to Final
Cut Events folder and
deselect everything else.

54. Importing from the
Finder
In the Event Library, create a
new Event on Macintosh HD
and name it Baja.
In a Finder window, navigate
to the APTS FCP X > FCPX
Book Files > Imports > Baja
Whales folder.

55. Importing from the
Finder
Drag the Baja Whales folder
into the BajaEvent.
When the Event is
highlighted with a white
outline, and you see the
green plus (copy) sign on
the pointer, release the
mouse button.

56. Importing from other
Applications
Works the same way
• Drag media files from the windows of supported
applications such as:
• Aperture, iPhoto, iTunes
• Simply drag the file from the application into an Event.
• Final Cut Pro Import preferences are in effect when
dragging files into Final Cut Pro.

57. Homework Assignment:
1. Create a new Event named
MobilevizMinutes.
2. Import and copy all the Mobileviz
Minutes from the APTS FCPX
external drive
3. After the import process has
completed (including background
tasks), delete the two practice
Events you created:Camera
Import and Baja.
• Select it and press Command-
Delete.

58. Homework Assignment:
4. Select the new Event so the
clips can be seen in the
Event Browser.
5. Use the Grab utility in the
Applications / Utility folder to
take a snapshot of your new
Events Library and Events
Browser.
6. Save the image to the
desktop.
7. Send an email to me on
Western Online and attach
the file.

59. Shortcuts
Option N • Create a new event
• Select all items in the current folder or
Command A
location
Shift click • Select a group of contiguous items
Command click • Select a group of non-contiguous items
Command , (comma) • Open the Preferences window

60. Shortcuts
• Open and close the Background Tasks
Command 9
window
Command 4 • Open and close the Inspector
Command W • Close an active window
Command I • Import from Camera
Command Shift I • Import Files window

61. Lesson 2:
Importing
Apple Pro Training
Series
Final Cut Pro X
Professor: Sam Edsall