Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.1.2 User Guide

							 Glossary 4 91
roles  Metadata text labels that you assign to clips in the Browser or the Timeline. Roles provide 
a flexible and powerful way to manage your editing workflow. You can use roles in Final Cut Pro 
to organize clips in your events and projects, control the appearance of the Timeline, and export 
separate video or audio files (also known as media stems) for broadcast delivery, audio mixing, or 
post-production.
roll edit
  An edit that affects two clips that share an edit point. For example, if Clip A cuts to Clip 
B, a roll edit simultaneously adjusts the end point of Clip A and the start point of Clip B by the 
same amount. The overall duration of the project stays the same.
rough edit
  The first editing pass. The rough cut is an early version of a movie that pulls together 
its basic elements. Often, a rough edit is performed prior to adding transitions, titles, and 
other effects.
saturation
  A measurement of the intensity of color in the video signal.
scene  A series of shots that take place at the same time in the same location. A series of scenes 
make up a program.
Select tool
  The default arrow-shaped pointer that allows you to select items in the Timeline. For 
example, you use it to select a clip or edit point. You can select the Select tool by pressing the 
A key.
sequence
  See project, Timeline.
shortcut menu
  A menu you access by holding down the Control key and clicking an item on 
the screen, or by pressing the right mouse button. Sometimes called a contextual menu.
shot
  A segment of continuously recorded video. A shot is the smallest unit of a program.
skimmer  The skimmer lets you preview clips in the Timeline and the Browser without affecting 
the playhead position. You use the skimmer to skim, or freely move over clips to play back at 
the position and speed of the pointer. The skimmer appears as a pink vertical line as you move 
the pointer over the area you’re skimming. If you have snapping turned on, the skimmer turns 
orange when it snaps to a position.
slate
  A shot at the beginning of a scene, which identifies the scene with basic production 
information such as the take, date, and scene number. A clapper provides an audiovisual cue for 
synchronization when video and audio are recorded separately.
slide edit
  An edit in which an entire clip is moved, along with the edit points on its left and 
right. The duration of the clip being moved stays the same, but the clips to the left and right of 
it change in length to accommodate the new position of the clip. The overall duration of the 
project and of these three clips remains the same.
slip edit
  An edit in which the location of both start and end points of a project clip are changed 
at the same time, without changing the position or duration of the clip. This is referred to as 
slipping, because you slip the clip’s start and end points inside the available footage. The portion 
of the clip seen in the project changes, but its position in the Timeline stays the same.
Smart Collection
  When you search for clips in an event using the Filter window, you can save 
your results by creating a new Smart Collection that gathers clips matching the search criteria. 
Whenever a new clip that matches the Smart Collection’s search criteria is brought into the 
event, the new clip is automatically added to the Smart Collection. Clips that appear in Smart 
Collections are not duplicates. Smart Collections filter clips in an event to help you focus on the 
clips you need to use for a specific task.
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snapping  When the snapping feature is turned on in Final Cut P ro, items you move in the 
Timeline (including the playhead, the skimmer, and selected clips) appear to jump, or “snap,” 
directly to certain points in the Timeline. This can help you quickly line up edits with other 
items in the project. Snapping affects the functions of many of the editing tools in Final Cut Pro, 
including the Select tool, the Trim tool, the Position tool, the Range Selection tool, and the Blade 
tool. You can disable snapping when frame-by-frame precision editing is required.
sound effects
  Specific audio material, such as the sound of a door closing or a dog barking, from 
effects libraries or from clips you recorded. Sound effects can be used to replace sounds in the 
location audio of a program, or to add sound that wasn’t originally recorded.
source media files
  The original files (video, audio, and still images or graphics) that you import 
into Final Cut Pro. A clip you use in Final Cut Pro points to the location where the source media 
file is stored (either on a disk or on a camcorder, camera, or device). Changes made to clips 
within Final Cut Pro do not affect the source media files.
special effects  Visual effects applied to clips and projects, such as motion effects, compositing, 
keying, and retiming effects.
spill suppression
  Spill suppression is a color correction operation that applies the 
complementary (opposite) color of the color that’s being made transparent to neutralize any 
green or blue fringing or light bounce that’s tinting the subject being keyed. The Spill Level slider 
controls how much spill suppression is applied to the keyed subject.
split edit
  Final Cut Pro allows you to set separate video and audio start and end points in an 
individual clip. These edits, known as split edits, are a common technique in most dialogue scenes 
in films and television shows. You can use split edits to introduce the sound of a new shot or 
scene before cutting to the video of that shot or scene. Conversely, you can use a split edit to 
extend the audio of a shot over a subsequent shot.
standard-definition (SD)
  Refers to the original NTSC and PAL video frame sizes. NTSC uses 480 
or 486 active lines per frame, and PAL uses 576 active lines. See also high-definition (HD).
stereo
  Short for stereophonic, in which audio contains two different channels. Audio level 
changes are automatically made to both channels at the same time. 
storylines
  All instances of the Timeline contain a primary storyline, which is the main sequence 
of clips that you build to create your movie. Storylines are sequences of clips connected to the 
primary storyline. You can use storylines for the same purposes as connected clips (such as 
creating cutaways, compositing titles and other graphics, and adding sound effects and music).
straight cut
  A cut in which both the video and audio clip items are cut at the same time.
subframe  A subframe has 1/80 the duration of a video frame and is thus a more precise unit of 
reference when editing audio at the sample level.
sync (synchronization)
  The relationship between the image of a sound being made in a video 
clip (for example, a person talking) and the corresponding sound in an audio clip. Maintaining 
audio sync is critical when editing dialogue. In Final Cut Pro X, connected clips and compound 
clips help maintain sync in your program.
Themes Browser
  A media browser in Final Cut Pro that provides access to all transitions and title 
effects supplied with Final Cut Pro, grouped into related themes.
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three-point editing  An editing technique in which three out of four edit points are set in a 
source selection and a project. When the edit is performed, the fourth edit point is calculated 
automatically by Final Cut Pro.
through edit  An edit point in which the video or audio content on either side of the edit 
is continuous.
TIFF ( Tagged Image File Format)
  A widely used bitmapped graphics file format, developed by 
Aldus and Microsoft, that handles monochrome, grayscale, 8- and 24-bit color. Can have alpha 
channels. See also alpha channel.
timecode
  A signal recorded with your video that uniquely identifies each frame. By default, 
timecode appears in Final Cut Pro in the format hours: minutes: seconds: frames. Timecode 
supports a variety of functions in Final Cut Pro, including Timeline playback, synchronizing 
video and audio clip items, navigating through projects in the Timeline, and moving and 
trimming clips.
Timeline
  The bottom portion of the Final Cut P ro window contains the Timeline, where you 
create your movie project by adding and arranging clips and making all your edits.
Timeline Index
  You can view a text-based, chronological list of the clips, keywords, and markers 
in a project using the Timeline Index. When you select an item in the Timeline Index, the 
playhead jumps to that item in the Timeline.
tint
  A color shade added to an image, usually to create an effect, such as sepia.
Titles Browser  A media browser in Final Cut Pro that provides access to all the title effects 
included with Final Cut Pro.
toolbar  The toolbar is a collection of buttons and tools located in the middle of the Final C ut P ro 
main window. The toolbar also includes the Dashboard, which displays the timecode for the clip 
selected in the Browser and for the playhead’s position in the Timeline.
transcode
  All media files use a format. Video format examples include DV, H.264, and MPEG-2. 
Video files also have a variety of properties, such as video frame size and frame rate, data rate, 
and audio sample rate. When you need to convert a media file to a different format or change its 
properties, you transcode it to the new format or properties. Compressor, an Apple application 
designed to work with Final Cut Pro, makes transcoding media files a fast and easy process.
transitions  Effects that are applied to edit points to smooth out a change from clip to clip. In 
Final Cut Pro, you can choose from a variety of video transitions, such as a dissolves or wipes, or 
you can add an audio crossfade between audio clips.
Transitions Browser
  A media browser in Final Cut Pro that provides access to all the video 
transitions included with Final Cut Pro.
trim  After you’ve assembled your clips in rough chronological order in the Timeline, you begin 
to fine-tune the cut point (or edit point) between each pair of contiguous clips. Any time you 
make a clip in a project longer or shorter, you’re trimming that clip. However, trimming generally 
refers to precision adjustments of anywhere from one frame to several seconds. If you’re 
adjusting clip durations by much larger amounts, you’re still trimming, but you may not be in 
the fine-tuning phase of editing yet. In Final Cut Pro, you can use a variety of techniques to trim 
Timeline clips and edit points, including ripple edits, roll edits, slip edits, and slide edits.
Trim tool
  The editing tool that allows you to trim items in the Timeline. You can select the Trim 
tool by pressing the T key.
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uncompressed 8- and 10-bit 4:2:2  These video formats can be used to store 8-bit or 10-bit 
4:2:2 Y’CbCr video without employing data compression. Bypassing compression reduces the 
computer’s processing load but increases the data rate considerably. A large-capacity RAID 
storage system is typically required to work effectively with uncompressed video. In many cases, 
Apple ProRes is a better choice. The data rate of uncompressed 4:2:2 video varies according to 
frame size and frame rate. As an example, at a frame size of 1920 x 1080 and a frame rate of 29.97 
fps, the data rate is 1.0 Gbps for uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:2 video and 1.3 Gbps for uncompressed 
10-bit 4:2:2 video.
Upstream  Refers to clips that are to the left of the current clip in the Timeline. When you 
perform actions that ripple the project, upstream clips are not affected.
value slider
  A value slider is a type of numerical slider control that appears as a number, often 
to the right of a basic slider. There are two ways to adjust a value slider: by dragging over the 
number to decrease or increase the parameter value, or by double-clicking the number and 
entering a new value.
variable speed
  Speed that varies dynamically, in forward or reverse motion, in a single clip.
VCR  Abbreviation for videocassette recorder. Generally refers to consumer equipment used for 
recording video from various sources. Sometimes referred to as a VTR. See also VTR.
Vectorscope
  A video scope in Final Cut Pr o that shows the distribution of color in your image on 
a circular scale. The Vectorscope is useful for comparing the hue and intensity of colors between 
two clips for the purposes of color correction.
Video Animation Editor
  You can show the Video Animation Editor for clips in the Timeline 
to adjust effect parameters, create fade-ins or fade-outs, or change effects over time 
using keyframes.
Viewer
  When you play clips selected in the Browser and the Timeline, they appear in the Viewer.
VTR  Abbreviation for videotape recorder. Generally refers to professional equipment used for 
recording video from various sources.
watermark
  A visible graphic or text overlay applied to an image or video clip to indicate that it 
is protected by a copyright. Watermarks are used to discourage the use of images or video clips 
without the copyright holder’s explicit permission.
WAVE (or WAV )
  An audio file format most commonly used for storing uncompressed linear 
pulse code modulation (LPCM) audio data.
Waveform Monitor
  A video scope in Final Cut Pro that displays the relative levels of luma 
and chroma in the clip currently being examined. Spikes and dips in the displayed waveforms 
correspond to light or dark areas in your picture.
widescreen
  Any movie presentation that has an aspect ratio wider than 4:3. In movie theaters, 
1.85 is considered standard and 2.40 is considered widescreen. For video, 4:3 is considered 
standard and 16:9 (which is almost the same aspect ratio as 1.85) is considered widescreen. See 
also 4:3, 16:9.
wipe
  A common type of video transition. In a wipe, the screen splits, moving from one side 
of the image to the other to gradually reveal the next shot. A wipe is more obvious (and 
customizable) than a fade or cross dissolve.
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XDCAM  Sony optical disc format for recording DVCAM and IMX video within MXF container files. 
See also DVCAM, IMX.
XDCAM EX
  A member of the Sony XDCAM product family that uses MPEG-2 video compression 
with 4:2:0 chroma sampling. In contrast to XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX supports 720p and records 
full HD resolution (either 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720). Its maximum bit rate is 35 Mbps. Instead 
of optical discs, XDCAM EX camcorders use solid-state memory cards known as SxS cards. See 
also HDV .
XDCAM HD422
  A member of the Sony XDCAM product family featuring 4:2:2 chroma sampling 
and a video bit rate of 50 Mbps. Like XDCAM EX, it uses MPEG-2 video compression at full HD 
resolution (either 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720). See also HDV .
Y’CbCr
  The color space in which many digital video formats store data. Three components are 
stored for each pixel—one for luma (Y ) and two for color information (Cb for the blue difference 
signal and Cr for the red difference signal). Also referred to as YUV. See also pixel.
Zoom tool
  The editing tool that allows you to zoom in to or out of the Timeline. You can select 
the Zoom tool by pressing the Z key.
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