Quick Tip for Final Cut Pro
Video editing is often synonymous with Apple products for its user-intuitive nature and functionality. Although every Apple computer is delivered furnished with video editing capabilities via iMovie, most video hobbyists and independent filmmakers have to have a more feature-rich video editing suite. Enter Final Cut Pro (FCP). First produced by Macromedia Inc., a now maintained by The apple company., FCP allows users to log and transfer video data onto a hard drive for editing, processing and producing video content in the wide variety of formats. Using a product packed with so many features, useful processes might be often overlooked while shifting through video editing options. Below I’d like to share a tip to get a slow-motion effect using footage with some other resolutions and frame rates. Because of so many formats out there these days, it can be hard to keep a record of everything and produce this content you desire.
Slowing down video footage to get that slow-motion effect accustomed to take additional measures in previous versions of FCP. Now, in FCP X, the process is quite simple because there is no requirement to create a copy of an clip before you implement the effect as FCP now allows nondestructive editing.
To begin, let’s assume you are beginning with 720P video using 60 FPS, but want to edit in a 23.98 timeline for your online blog. You need to make sure your project is setup together with the desired frame rate and resolution and with this example you’re shooting for 720P and 23.98. Now apply your original video to the project that was recorded at 720P and 59.92. When playing it in the new desired frame rate, extra frames are removed from the video but the action remains in real-time.
The next phase is to conform your original footage to the desired frame rate for all frames in the clip, effectively setting up a slow-motion clip. First, scrub your clip then enter your “in and out” points to your timeline. Now choose the clip and then select the Retime Menu.
The Retime Menu offers options are numerous: slow, fast, normal, hold, conform speed, instant replay, rewind, speed ramp as well as an option to adjust video quality. Even though “Slow” option would effectively reduce the speed of the video’s playback, optimum results will not be achieved. To achieve the the best results choose “Conform Speed.” This approach adjusts the original video frame rate for the frame rate almost daily line. In this case, this effect cuts down on the speed of every frame from the original content by roughly 40% creating a very smooth and vivid slow motion playback.
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