In yesterday’s post I covered the main feature changes of the 10.0.3 update
To remind you the list is as follows:
Multicam edit – up to 64 angles from many different formats;
Broadcast monitoring in Final Cut Pro X launches as a beta feature;
Layered PSD files;
Media relink;
Converting Final Cut 7 projects to Final Cut X ( 7toX from Intelligent Assistance); Only $9.99 – incredible value
Advanced chroma keying;
Improved text editing and;
Improved effects performance;
Improved keyframing in the inspector – keyframes are now automatically added when moving to a new point in time and adjusting a parameter – I really missed this feature from FCP 7 – now it is back;
Modified transition behavior so that all newly added transitions use available media and maintain project length:
BUT First
One of the my perceptions, that held me back from feeling really familiar with FCP X was the actual “feel” of the curser when selecting clips and edit points in the timeline previously to 10.0.3 edit points and adjustments just did not seem to be as smoothly selectable as in FCP 7. I must say I eventually I got somewhat used to the clunky feel of the curser, but with FCP 10.0.3 that has been tidied up and the curser now feels as responsive as FCP 7.
Now to move on to the real purpose of this tutorial.
The most talked about and the most awaited new feature is Multicam editing – let’s have a quick look at it
The following is a step by step look at the multicam editing feature in Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3
On first glance the new feature seems very detailed and has complex choices to make. In fact the workflow is able to be as detailed as you wish, while allowing for an automatic sync that will do just fine if you feel overawed with the choices.
The workflow is:
1 – Select the clips you want to sync into a multicam edit
2 – Right click (control click) on the clips.
3 – Choose new Multicam clip
4 – Name the new Multicam clip
5 – You can leave on Automatic or use the custom options:
In the Angle Assembly pop-up menu, choose how the angles in the multicam clip are created:
Camera Angle: Creates angles in the multicam clip based on the Camera Angle
Camera Name: Creates angles in the multicam clip based on the Camera Name
Clips: Creates a separate angle for each selected clip, using the Name property in each clip to name the angle.
In the Angle Clip Ordering pop-up menu, choose how angles are ordered within the multicam clip:
Timecode: orders the clips using timecode recorded in the clips. It’s the fastest and most frame-accurate method of ordering clips.
Content Created: orders the clips within each angle using the date and time information from the camera. (you may need to manually synchronize your angles in the Angle Editor to make your multicam clip frame-accurate)
You can change this setting by selecting one or more clips and choose Modify > Adjust Content Created Date and Time.
In the Angle Synchronization pop-up menu, choose how angles are synchronized in the multicam clip:
Timecode: syncs the angles based on the timecode recorded in the clips.
Content Created: syncs the angles based on the date and time information recorded by your camera.
You can change this setting by selecting one or more clips and choose Modify > Adjust Content Created Date and Time.
Start of First Clip: the first frame in each angle is the sync point.
First Marker: the first marker in each angle is the sync point.
To sync angles automatically using audio waveform data, tick the check box: “Use audio for synchronization.”
Do not change the video properties settings unless you want a specfic format used as FCP by default will use the most common clip property
6 – Click OK.
You will get a new multicam clip in the Event browser and duplicates of the selected clips in the new multicam clip. Note the 4 x squares in the top right corner
7 – Open the clip in the Angle Editor by right clicking on the clip:
8 – The multiple clips move to the timeline location in sync, lined up in time consecutive order for viewing.
9 – To look at the different angles for each clip simply click on the time line’s time code bar at the top – move your curser to the clip you want to view and it will show in the viewer: the image below shows the Kiss from the top tracks angle.
Move the curser to the track below. This second image shows the kiss from the different angle of track 2.
You can set any one angle to be the monitoring angle. This is the angle you see in the Viewer when the multicam clip is playing back in the Angle Editor.
You can adjust the Sync at any time that you open the angle editor. Any changes you make to the clips in the angle editor are also reflected in the clips that make up this compound clip. This includes basic edits and trimming as well as effects you would normally add in the Timeline, such as
corrections and transitions.
10 – Click the video monitor icon at the left of the angle: The monitor icon turns white.
11 – To select the audio monitoring, by click the audio monitor (speaker) icon or right clicking next to the angle name. (multiple audio angles can be selected but only one video angle)
12 – You can change the order of any angle track by clicking on the right side drag handles and dragging up or down. The order changes with much the same effect as the magnetic timeline – one replaces the other.
13 – you can adjust the position of any angle overtime by dragging the clip left or right or moving at single frame implements with +1 return to move to the right or -1 return to move to the left. The 1 can be replaced any any number of frames.
Editing/cut and switch the multi angles in the viewer:
1 – First select in and out points in your multicam clip while in the browser and edit into the timeline as normal. It will show in the time line with the 4 x squares at the top left corner.
2 – From the window menu select “Show Angle viewer” or click on the viewer options pop up menu in the top-right corner of the Viewer.
3 – the angle viewer shows in place of the Standard viewer, it can show up to 16 tracks in the left side and the on the right the active track is displayed.
4 – Cut and switch angles in the Angle Viewer
You can cut and switch angles “on the fly” (while playing back your project), or you can skim to specific points in the Timeline and then cut and switch. You can also use a combination of those two methods. Switching on the fly will require some practice and I suggest you get used to cutting at a specific point until you get up to speed.
To cut at a specific point
Skim the Timeline to the frame where you want to cut and switch to a different angle.
In the Angle Viewer, move the pointer over the angle that you want to switch to.
As you move the pointer over the angles in the Angle Viewer, the pointer changes to the Blade tool, indicating that a cut (and switch) will occur when you click.
Option Click will let you switch from one active angle to another without cutting.
This has been a short introduction to Multicam in FCP X
We have covered what can be done, the “In Detail” how to do it is very ably shown by Creative Cow in a 2 x part video tutorial – I can highly recommend this tutorial.
One final word: or is that two?
For those that have used Multicam editing in Final Cut 7 – you will see many similarities – I think this is much more intuitive and just plain BETTER.
Do lot’s of practice sessions to get the hang of FCP X multicam editing/switching – it will speed up – you will soon be doing it on the fly and never looking back.
I will be looking at some of the other new features of FCP X in the next day or so. As well as the other great news story Converting Final Cut 7 projects to Final Cut X (with 7toX from Intelligent Assistance – http://assistedediting.intelligentassistance.com/7toX/).Only $9.99 – incredible value.
I will be running several real world conversions using 7toX to see what happens.
Make sure you subscribe to this site so you don’t miss out on the tutorial.
Tutorials: Final Cut Pro X from $1.99
47 individual lessons over 8 hours of tutorials,
Separate Basic and Advanced sections.
