Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.1.2 User Guide

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Add and adjust clip effects
Clip effects overview
In addition to the built-in effects, Final Cut Pro includes a wide variety of video effects that 
you can apply to your project’s video clips. Many of the effects modify the look of your video, 
from adding a blur or glow to severe distortions. Some effects overlay camcorder or timecode 
graphics. There is also an effect for keying one video clip over another.
Final Cut Pro also includes a broad range of audio effects that you can apply to your project’s 
audio clips. Many of the effects modify the sound of your audio, from subtle echoes to severe 
pitch distortions.
Once you have added an effect, you can adjust its parameters. Some effects have few 
adjustments, while others provide a comprehensive set, allowing you a lot of control over how 
the effects look. Effects can even be animated, with their settings changing as the clip plays.
You can apply multiple effects to your clips, creating a stack of effects. The order that you apply 
the effects, however, can affect how the final video looks.
Additionally, many of the video effects can be opened and changed in Motion, allowing you to 
create specialized versions for use in your projects.
Add effects to your project
You add effects to clips in your project using the Effects Browser.
Add an effect to a project clip
 1 Select a clip in the Timeline and click the Effects button in the toolbar.
 2 In the Effects Browser, select an effect, using any of the following to help you make the selection:
 •To preview what the effect looks like using the video from the currently selected Timeline clip:  Move 
the pointer over the video effect thumbnails.
 •To preview changing the effect’s primary control: Hold down the Option key while moving the 
pointer over a video effect thumbnail.
 •To filter the list of effects that appear: Type text in the Effects Browser search field.
 3 Do one of the following:
 •Drag the effect to the Timeline clip to which you want to apply it.
 •Double-click the effect thumbnail to apply it to the selected clip.
You can now adjust the effect.
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Adjust effects in Final Cut Pro
Most effects have one or more parameters that you can adjust using the Video inspector or 
Audio inspector, the Viewer, or the Video Animation Editor or Audio Animation Editor. You can 
also control how the effect is applied to the clip, either gradually or constantly.
Adjust an effect in the Video inspector and Viewer
 1 In the Timeline, select the clip with the effect you want to adjust.
 2 Locate the effect in the Video inspector or Audio inspector.
Click to turn the effect on and off.
Click to reset the 
effect’s adjustments.
In the above example, there are several settings for the Censor effect. Many effects also have 
adjustments that appear in the Viewer, known as onscreen controls.
Tip:  For audio effects, you can click the Controls button (to the right of the effect’s name) to 
show a custom control window.
Click to show the effect’s custom control window.
 3 Select effect parameters and adjust their settings as needed.
To return the effect’s values to their default settings, you can click the effect’s Reset button .
Adjust an effect in the Video Animation Editor
Many effect parameters can be adjusted in the Video Animation Editor. Additionally, you can set 
these parameters to fade in and out, allowing you to gradually apply the effect’s settings.
 1 Select the clip with the video effect in the Timeline.
 2 Choose Clip > S how Video Animation (or press Control-V ).
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The effect appears as one of the animations in the Video Animation Editor above the clip. You 
can click its checkbox to turn the effect off and on. Effects that have more than one adjustable 
attribute also have a pop-up menu for you to choose the attribute to show and adjust.
Double-click 
effects with this 
icon to vertically 
expand them.
Choose a specific 
effect adjustment from 
this pop-up menu.
Click to turn the effect on and off.
 3 To vertically expand the effect’s adjustment area, choose a specific effect adjustment from the 
pop-up menu (if present) and double-click it.
This applies only to effect adjustments that have a single value. An icon appears on the right side 
of the effect’s section if the adjustment can be expanded.
 4 To have the effect’s setting fade in and out of the clip, drag the handles on either end of 
the effect.
Drag the fade handles to gradually apply the effect.
Drag this line 
to adjust the 
selected value.
You can also drag the horizontal line up and down to control the effect’s selected setting 
(Amount, in the above example). Any keyframes you add also appear.
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Show the audio effects applied to a clip
 1 Select the clip with the audio effect in the Timeline.
 2 Choose Clip > Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A).
The audio effect appears as one of the animations in the Audio Animation Editor. You can click its 
green checkbox to turn the effect off and on.
Change clip effect order
You can apply multiple clip effects to a Timeline clip. The order that you apply them can affect 
the final output. For example, applying the Artifacts effect, which by default adds random white 
circles to the video, before the Aged Paper effect results in the white circles also being aged; 
applying it after Aged Paper results in the circles remaining white.
You can easily change the order of the clip effects in the Video inspector, Audio inspector, Video 
Animation Editor, or Audio Animation Editor.
Note:  You cannot change the order of the built-in effects or color correction.
Change video and audio clip effect order using the Video or Audio inspector
 1 Select a clip in the Timeline that has multiple video or audio clip effects applied, and do one of 
the following:
 •To see the video effects: Open the Video inspector.
 •To see the audio effects: Open the Audio inspector.
 2 In the Video inspector or Audio inspector, drag the effects to change their order.
Built-in effects and color 
correction cannot be 
rearranged.
Drag clip effects to 
rearrange their order.
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Change video and audio clip effect order using the Video Animation or Audio Animation Editor
 1 Select a clip in the Timeline that has multiple video or audio clip effects applied, and do one of 
the following:
 •To see the video effects: Choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V ).
 •To see the audio effects: Choose Clip > Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A).
 2 In the Video Animation Editor or Audio Animation Editor, drag the effects to change their order.
Built-in effects 
and color correction 
cannot be rearranged.
Drag clip effects to 
rearrange their order.
Copy effects and attributes between clips
Final Cut Pro offers two ways to copy effects between clips. The Paste Attributes command lets 
you copy selected clip attributes to another clip and provides more control over individual 
effects, settings, and keyframes. The Paste Effects command lets you copy all of a clip’s effects to 
another clip and is the fastest way to copy effects and attributes.
You can also copy and paste individual keyframes from one parameter to another. See  Copy and 
paste keyframes
 on page 246 .
Copy selected clip attributes to another clip
You can copy a clip’s attributes, such as settings and effects, from one clip to another. For 
example, you can copy video crop settings, audio pan settings, or any effects you’ve added to a 
clip, including any keyframe adjustments.
The Paste Attributes feature allows you to select which clip attributes you want to apply.
 1 Select a clip in the Timeline, and choose Edit > C opy (or press Command-C).
 2 Select the clip or clips to which you want to apply the attributes, and choose Edit > P aste 
Attributes (or press Shift-Command-V ).
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 3 Do any of the following:
 •To apply all video or all audio attributes from the source clip: Select the Video Attributes or Audio 
Attributes checkbox.
 •To apply individual attributes: Select the checkbox or checkboxes for each attribute you want 
to apply.
 4 If you made any keyframe adjustments to the source clip, choose either Maintain Timing or 
Stretch to Fit from the Keyframes pop-up menu. If you choose Stretch to Fit, Final Cut Pro adjusts 
the keyframes in time to match the duration of the destination clip.
 5 Click Paste.
Copy all of a clip’s effects to another clip
 1 In the Timeline, select the clip you want to copy the effects from, and choose Edit > C opy (or 
press Command-C).
 2 Select the clip or clips to which you want to apply the effects, and choose Edit > Paste Effects (or 
press Option-Command-V ).
All the source clip’s effects and their settings are applied to the destination clip. For more control 
over individual attributes, follow the instructions in “Copy selected clip attributes to another 
clip,” above.
Copy and paste keyframes
You can copy and paste individual keyframes from one parameter to another. This allows you to 
move or duplicate a specific effect (or part of an effect) from one clip to another. For example, 
you can copy and paste an animated color correction effect or an audio filter adjustment.
You can also move or copy keyframes from one parameter to another within the same clip. For 
example, you can copy the center point keyframes from a kaleidoscope effect and paste them in 
the center point of a radial blur effect so that both effects follow identical paths.
You can even copy and paste keyframes within a single parameter, allowing you to create a 
repeating pattern, or to move an animation from the beginning of a clip to a point later in time.
Keyframes can be copied from any parameter, including parameters in clip effects (such as 
opacity, position, and audio volume), parameters in effects applied from the Effects Browser (such 
as Gaussian Blur or Channel EQ), and even published parameters for a title. Any keyframes you 
can select can be cut, copied, and pasted.
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Note:  Some parameters’ keyframes can be pasted only onto a similar parameter. For example, 
you can paste audio volume keyframes from one clip to another clip’s volume animation, but you 
cannot paste those keyframes to a clip’s opacity animation.
Keyframes are always pasted beginning at the location of the playhead or skimmer, and a 
specific parameter must be selected before you choose the Paste command. If the playhead or 
skimmer is not currently over the selected clip, no keyframes are pasted.
Note:  Pasted keyframes replace any keyframes already applied to the destination parameter 
within the time range of the pasted keyframes. Keyframes outside the time range being pasted 
are not affected. For example, if you select a range of opacity keyframes covering a 5-second 
range, and paste them to a new clip’s opacity setting, keyframes within the 5 seconds beginning 
at the playhead or skimmer are replaced with the copied keyframes. Any keyframes before or 
after that range remain the same.
Copy or move keyframes from one clip to another
 1 Select the clip in the Timeline containing the keyframes you want to copy.
 2 To display the specific parameter you want to copy from, do one of the following:
 •To show the Video Animation Editor: Choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V ).
 •To show the Audio Animation Editor: Choose Clip > Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A).
 3 Double-click the graph of the parameter containing the keyframes you want to copy. 
The graph expands, revealing keyframes arranged along a curve.
Note:  Some parameters allow you to select keyframes without expanding the graph.
 4 Shift-click the keyframes you want to copy or drag a selection rectangle around them.
The selected keyframes are highlighted in yellow.
 5 Do one of the following: 
 •To duplicate the keyframes: Choose Edit > Keyframes > Copy (or press Option-Shift-C). 
 •To move the keyframes: Choose Edit > Keyframes > Cut (or press Option-Shift-X).
The keyframes are copied to the Clipboard.
 6 Select the clip into which you want to paste the keyframes, and show the Video Animation Editor 
or Audio Animation Editor for that clip.
 7 Click the name or keyframe graph for the parameter you want to paste the keyframes to. 
When selected, the graph becomes highlighted.
 8 Position the playhead or skimmer on the frame where you want the new keyframes to begin.
 9 Choose Edit > Keyframes > Paste (or press Option-Shift-V ).
The keyframes are added to the selected parameter.
Copy or move keyframes from one parameter to another
 1 In the Video Animation Editor or Audio Animation Editor, select the keyframes you want to copy. 
Shift-click to select multiple keyframes or drag a selection rectangle around the keyframes you 
want to select.
 2 Do one of the following:
 •To duplicate the keyframes: Choose Edit > Keyframes > Copy (or press Option-Shift-C). 
 •To move the keyframes: Choose Edit > Keyframes > Cut (or press Option-Shift-X).
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 3 Select the parameter to which you want to paste the keyframes. 
If Solo Animation is turned on, click the parameter pop-up menu and choose the graph for the 
parameter you want to copy or move the keyframes to. For more on using Solo Animation, see 
Adjust video effects using keyframes
 on page 259.
Note:  Some parameters’ keyframes can be pasted only onto a similar parameter. For example, 
you can paste audio volume keyframes from one clip to another clip’s volume animation, but you 
cannot paste those keyframes to a clip’s opacity animation.
 4 Position the playhead or skimmer on the frame where you want the pasted keyframes to begin.
 5 Choose Edit > Keyframes > Paste (or press Option-Shift-V ).
The keyframes are added to the selected parameter.
Turn off or remove an effect from a clip
When you apply an effect to a clip, you can either turn off the effect (but retain its settings) or 
remove the effect from the clip.
Turn off a clip effect
 1 Select the clip with the effect in the Timeline.
 2 Do one of the following:
 •Choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V ) to see video effects or choose Clip > 
Show Audio Animation (or press Control-A) to see audio effects, select the effect, and click 
its checkbox.
 •Select the effect in the Video inspector or Audio inspector, and click its blue checkbox.
The effect no longer affects the video or audio. You can click the checkbox again to turn the 
effect back on, with its settings still intact.
Remove an effect from a clip
 1 Select the clip with the effect in the Timeline.
 2 Do one of the following:
 •Choose Clip > Show Video Animation (or press Control-V ) to see video effects or choose Clip > 
Show Audio Animation to see audio effects, select the effect, and press Delete.
 •Select the effect in the Video inspector or Audio inspector, and press Delete.
Create specialized versions of the video effects in Motion
Many of the supplied video effects were created using Motion, an Apple application designed 
to work with Final Cut Pro. You can open any of these effects in Motion, make modifications, and 
save the changes as a new effect that appears in the Effects Browser.
Important:  The following steps require you to have Motion 5 installed on your computer.
Modify a video effect in Motion
 1 Click the Effects button in the toolbar.
 2 In the Effects Browser, Control-click the effect you want to modify, and choose “Open a copy in 
Motion” from the shortcut menu.
Motion opens and the effect’s project appears.
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 3 Modify the effect’s project.
For more information, see Motion Help at http://help.apple.com/motion.
 4 Choose File > Save As (or press Shift-Command-S), enter a name for this new effect (referred to 
as a Template in Motion), assign it to a category (or create a new category), choose a theme (if 
needed), and click Publish.
Note:  If you choose File > Save, the effect is saved using the same name with “copy” appended to 
its end.
Add generators
Generators overview
Final Cut Pro includes a number of video clips, called generators, that you can use in your project 
for a variety of purposes. For example, you can use generators to add the following elements:
 •Placeholder content: If your project is missing content that hasn’t yet been shot or delivered, 
you can add a placeholder clip. The placeholder generator allows you to add a clip to the 
Timeline with a suitable silhouette to represent the missing content. See Use a placeholder
 on 
page 249 .
 •Timecode counter: You can add a generated timecode clip to your project to superimpose 
a timecode counter over a portion or the entire project. See Use a timecode counter
 on 
page 250 .
 •Shape clip: You can choose from a wide variety of shapes for adding graphical elements to 
your project. See Use a shape
 on page 2 51.
 •General-purpose background clip: Final Cut Pro includes a variety of still and animated 
backgrounds over which you can superimpose titles or keying effects. See Use a 
background
 on page 252 .
All of the generators are added as clips to the project, using their default duration. You can 
change their duration and position the same way you would any other video clip in the Timeline.
Note:  Generator clips do not appear in the Effects Browser.
Use a placeholder
Generated placeholders are useful in many situations where you want to fill a gap in the project 
with something that provides a hint about what the final content will include. You can configure 
placeholder clips to represent a wide variety of standard shots, such as close-ups, groups, wide 
shots, and so on.
Insert and configure a placeholder clip
 1 Drag the playhead in the Timeline to the point where you want to add the placeholder clip.
 2 Do one of the following:
 •Choose Edit > Insert Generator > Placeholder (or press Option-Command-W ).
 •Open the Generators Browser by clicking the Generators button in the toolbar, and double-
click the thumbnail named Placeholder.
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 3 Select the placeholder clip in the Timeline.
 4 Configure the shot for the clip to represent using the settings in the Generator inspector.
 5 Select View Notes to add a text area in the Viewer where you can type text that pertains to 
this clip.
If you prefer to fill a gap in your Timeline with a blank clip, you can insert a gap clip. For more 
information, see Insert clips in your project
 on page 101.
Use a timecode counter
When sending your project for review, it can be useful to superimpose timecode over it, making 
it easier for the reviewer to precisely specify sections when providing feedback.
Insert and configure a timecode counter
 1 Open the Generators Browser by clicking the Generators button in the toolbar.
 2 Drag the Timecode generator above the primary storyline.
Usually the Timecode generator clip is placed at the start of the project, but you can place it 
anywhere you want it to appear and adjust its length to match the project’s length.
 3 Configure the Timecode settings in the Generator inspector.
You can click the Reset button  to return the generator to its default settings.
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