Final Cut Pro Effects - Essay Example

Running Head: Final Cut Pro Effects Final Cut Pro Effects of Final Cut Pro Effects Introduction Final Cut Pro is a non- linear editing system specially designed for the professional filmmakers. It was developed by Apple Inc. It is a very popular program amongst the Hollywood filmmakers as well as the independent filmmakers or the semi- professional filmmakers and it gained acceptance very quickly due to its cost effective efficiency. According to Christine Bunish "It marks an important change in the industry emphasizing talent, hard work, the spirit of thrift and efficiency over [the big] organization". (Bunish, 2004) "Final Cut Pro provides non-linear, non-destructive editing of any QuickTime compatible video format. It supports an unlimited number of simultaneously composited video tracks; up to 99 audio tracks; multi-cam editing, for cutting video from multiple camera sources; as well as standard ripple, roll, slip, slide, scrub, razor blade and time remapping edit functions. It comes with a range of dissolve, iris, distortion and basic 3D transitions and a range of video and audio filters such as keying tools, mattes and vocal de-poppers and de-essers. It also has a manual 3-way color correction filter, videoscopes and a selection of generators, such as slugs, test cards and noise". (Final Cut Pro) "In Final Cut Pro, you can freely mix clips with different formats in a single sequence and play back the sequence in real time. This allows you to combine formats such as standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) video, full-resolution and offline-quality video, and video with mixed frame rates, field dominance, and scanning methods (interlaced and progressive)". (Not Available) Final Cut Pro supports FxPlug 1.1 plug-in specification and a broad range of Fx Plug plug-ins included with Final Cut Studio. The following new filters are available in Final Cut Pro which helps you thorough the effect process. For instance, bad TV, Bevel, bloom, channel blur, channel mixer, circles, color emboss, defocus, displace, earthquake, grid, indent, less flare generator, light rays, noise filter, offset, one color ray and so forth. There are many short courses introduced to attract some young talent. The people who are interested in media sciences and filmmaking can get the first hand knowledge via these courses. The course for Final Cut Pro can be for as short as one day in which the students can get hands on practice and understanding to this primary feature set. This course will teach the students how to perform the basic editing functions. As mostly the students would be novice to this concept therefore basic knowledge user interface will be given. After completion this course (1) One will gain a wide understanding of digital media and means to deliver it. (2) One will be able to create several types of digital media examples applying current tools. (3) One will be able to judge quality digital tools that can be used to produce digital media. (4) One will be able to make clear what elements are significant in digital media design. Setup, Adjustment and Customization of Preferences and Settings, Capturing of Audio and Video, Editing Techniques, Trimming Techniques, Ripple, Roll, Slip, Slide, Audio Editing and Creation and Finishing and Final Output After doing these courses the student would be quiet a lot familiarized with functioning of this editing function. This course is offered for all those who are interested in media and particularly editing but again it is a professional course and editing for professional quality videos are taught therefore it is designed for those who are serious about taking it as their career and ready to gain some concrete knowledge to fully explore the real notion of Final Cut Pro when they go out in market as professionals. In order to join this course the pre-requisite is the knowledge and practice of Computer Navigation and Macintosh Operating System. First of all Initial interface with Final Cut Pro would be provided which would be followed by the working and magnifying of Timelines, working with Canvas, Bins and different Projects. Further Quitting and Hiding Final Cut Pro will also be taught. After having sound knowledge of the initial interface next would be Marking and Editing. Marking and Editing would involve the Playing and Marking of Clips in the Viewer. Then some work will be done with the Audio Clips and the initial Preparation of Editing would be taught thereby practice of Making Overwrite Edits, Insertion of Clips and backing up of scenes would also be taught at this stage. Timeline specific lessons would be given in which how Marking is done in the Timeline will be taught. Training regarding the selection of Tracks, Deletion of Gaps and the whole Clips in Timeline would be given. Beside this there will be working with Clips like Importing, Linking and Editing Sound Effects to Video. For the Audio's also there will be a session of Editing a Track. Supplementary to this would be Drag-and-Drop Editing in which editing from this perspective would also be taught. Then the manipulation of Clips, Dragging and Changing of a Clip and Dragging of Audio to the Timeline will be taught. Overview on Trimming would encompass the Dragging to Trim, Trimming in the Viewer, Trimming One Track of a Linked Clip, Trimming and Rippling Edits. Further there will be use of the Razor Blade Tool and lesson on Enlarging of an Edit Point. Next in line would be the Adjustment of Two Edit Points, Rolling of Edit Points, Adjustment and Changing of Clip Placement Slipping Clip Content and the Usage of the Trim Edit Window. Other Editing Options include the Working with Markers, Storyboard Editing, Replacement of Edits, Making of Sub-Clips, Copying of Clips in the Browser and Keeping Linked Clips in Sync. Customization of Projects and Browser would be taught like Browser Columns; Work would be done with Master Clips, Customization of Interface, short keys and Buttons. According to Jan Ozer "working with the new Soundtrack Pro module in the suite, we focused on integration with Final Cut Pro and noise removal capabilities. In terms of integration, you can you can easily send the entire audio track to Soundtrack, but not separate clips on the timeline (useful when only one or two sections of your production need editing). Once you save your audio file in Soundtrack, it's automatically updated in FCP". (Ozer, 2005) Organization of Project Elements, Selection of the Preferences of the User, Getting all the Settings in Sequence and Viewing of Clips Properties and Choosing of an easy Setup In the Capturing of Footage, Connecting of Sources for Capture, Previewing and Marking of the connected Source, Logging of the Clips, Selecting of the Clip Settings, Selecting of the Capture Settings, Different Capturing Options and finally Setting Capture Preferences, all these would be included in the Footage Capturing. Application of Transitions would involve first the Understanding of Transitions then the Viewing of all the Options in Transition next would be the Application of Video and Audio Transitions, Use of the Transition Editor, Change in the Parameters of the Transition, Previewing and finally the Depiction of Effects. Mixing Audio Tracks organizing and Previewing Audio Tracks, Adjusting and Editing Audio in the Timeline, Changing Audio Levels over Time, Mixing Tracks Using the Audio Mixer, Recording a Narration Track, Importing CD Tracks. Motion Properties can be changed by changing the speed of the Clip, Changing and Animating Motion Parameters, Creating a Freeze-Frame, Sharing of Motion Attributes, and also by creating a Variable Speed Change. Preset application of Filters would be the next job to be undertaken which would involve the Video Filters function, correct filter selection, and then modification of the filters; Audio filters application and Composition of Clips. "With the ability to perform real-time effects and transitions on uncompressed SD video, editors gain greater creative freedom than ever before," "No longer do professional media creators have to sacrifice quality tools and optimal formats for speed and affordability". (Pinnacle Systems) Further there will be a session on the Editing of MultiCam which would involve Organizing of a Multiclip Editing Workflow, Coordinating of Angles of Camera by the help of In Points after coordinating them, then Multiclips would be properly created and viewed after this there would be a room for Adjustments and Editing of Multiclips in the Viewer then there would be Synchronization of Camera Angles by Timecode, Switching Angles with Effects and Finally Collapsing a Multiclip. Accumulation of Titles and Graphics can be acquired by the work done with the Text, Graphics and with Boris Text Options beside this the Adding of Color Mattes and Effects to Text. Finalizing by Reconnecting the Media, Finishing Video and Audio, Exporting the Finished Sequences and Outputting to get it on Tape. In all this effective Management of Project Media and Backing up of the Projects would be taught as without effective management nothing would be done orderly. It lets the editors, edit everything from uncompressed SD to HDV, DVCPRO HD, and uncompressed HD. Beside this in Panasonic P2 and Sony XDCAM HD tape less formats. "A new post-production format, ProRes 422 can be used from Apple that offers uncompressed HD quality at SD file sizes. There are wide range of formats with different mixes and matches and also there are frame rates in the open format Timeline. To give a little professional insight if one is editing a film, he can use the redesigned interface in Cinema Tools 4 to work faster with lists that are customizable and also will let the user combine timecode and keycode in one single document". (Monahan.k, 2004) Final Cut Pro can provide the user with Incredible Real Time Effects as this tool is essentially built for speed. Real-time performance and Effects can be given by RT Extreme which can be for more than 150 filters and effects but beside this work can be done for multistream video. Dynamic RT will adjust the image quality and frame rate on for gaining optimal playback on any system. "The SmoothCam feature which is another tool which will mechanically stabilize the shaky shots and at the same time would be preserving the standard camera moves". Easy swapping of video clips and editing of the text in motion graphics can be done with the use of editable Motion 3 master templates. (Monahan.k, 2004) Chroma keying is a type of keying which adds in effects in the creation toolset of the user and it does it very skillfully. The only difficulty which is in using of this tool is regarding black art as it takes a lot of skills and practices perform functions accurately with it. (Monahan.k, 2004) Chroma keying is an electronic process of "cutting out" any subject which has been shot against a solid green or blue colored screen. Once the subject which can be anything, a name, a picture etc is been removed from the background then the user would be free to put it on an upper track, for example V2. This will allow the user to place a different background at the back of the subject. Therefore it can be said that new possibilities are there in creating visual effects. (Monahan.k, 2004) When you are removing the blue or green areas of the backdrop, what you are really doing is creating an alpha channel, (or matte) which will create an area of transparency around your subject. On the completion of this course one can successfully become an Apple Certified Pro, Level 1. Conclusion Final Cut Pro is a High Performance Delivering non-linear editing tool, which can work with almost any video format. Now days it is said to be the first choice of the professional Editors worldwide. Final Cut Pro Editing tool is actually supported by Final Cut Server and Studio to make the workflow even more powerful. According to Tor Rolf Seemann "final cut pro has made it possible to use an attached Cinema Display monitor as your video preview for both standard and high definition video. This allows you to view HD video at full-resolution (1:1) or full screen with realtime effects. Presentation mode allows portable computer users to play back video using the built-in display. Either way, I found the image to be astonishingly sharp and vibrant. If only all the end-viewers could see it this way!" (Seemann, 2004) References Bunish Christine , (May, 2004), Journal Article, The democratization of post: the proliferation of tools like final cut Pro and after effects has enabled many new players to enter the post business. post's roundtable panel examines this trend's impact on their companies-and yours Post, Final Cut Pro - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Cut_Pro Accessed, May 22, 2007 Monahan.k. (2004), "Chroma Keying in Final Cut Pro HD", the Ken Stone Index Not Available http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Final_Cut_Pro_6_New_Features.pdf Accessed, May 22, 2007 Not Available 2 http://www.vennard.edu/academics/syllabus/AT%20194.pdf Accessed, May 22, 2007 Ozer Jan (June, 2005), Magazine Article, Final Cut Studio Pinnacle Systems Brings Real-Time Uncompressed Effects To Final Cut Pro - Product Development, (April 9, 2001 ) EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, Seemann Tor Rolf, (August 2004), Journal A Article, Final Cut Pro HD: It Is Now Possible To Import, Edit And Export HD Video Over Firewire Read More