Final Cut Pro Editing Tips needed...

[nifear4]

I'm new to Final Cut Pro and everything, but not new to importing/exporting/etc.

I'm new to AMV's. Usually I make videos with my cam-recorders for school and everything like school projects, so AMV's are a whole new thing with the music/video syncing.

To those that use Final Cut Pro, what are some video-editing tips and tricks that anyone can explain.

[JaddziaDax]

I think this would be better suited for "Other Editing Systems" than "Special Effects" as you are looking for tips on a program and not asking about a specific effect.

I suppose however a mod may or may not move it.

[nifear4]

Well there is a certain effect, sort of. Its like overlapping instead of Cross Dissolving. Cross dissolving is nice, but I like overlapping, like in iMovie you can do "overlay" which will overlay the previous clip with the next clip, which I find fun to use at a certain point in a amv.

sorry i should've mentioned this before.

Also, is it wise to get Motion for mac? will it be good for a AMV?

[Niotex]

If you don't know how to make something semi transparent in FCP then don't even bother trying Motion.. It will destroy you from the inside out.

[nifear4]

Well I know how to make something transparent, just wondering if there was an effect that I can just apply instead of going into the movie and changing the opacity.

And I was wondering about Motion, because my friend just came by with Motion and I was wondering if I should install, but it takes quite a lot of space

[Niotex]

If your not doing compositing then don't bother with motion.

[nifear4]

So there is no way huh, bummer, oh well... compositing is fun in its own way, gives you more freedom to do what you want with the video.

Anyways, haha my friend got my Motion 3, might as well install. Mess around with it, Making 2D to 3D is so fun, and sort of trippy when your up late studying for Biology.

But thanks

[JudgeHolden]

Nio has said it all .... and imagine what happens to your soul if you use shake. As for overlays, yes changing the opacity is how you do it.

[nifear4]

Thanks.

Also I have another question, is there a way to like outline a specific character and make them play in front of a background that you created yourself?

I've seen this in many videos, but I don't know what its called. Its like making every transparent while you make just the character visible, then you can make them appear in front of a background, I dunno maybe I'm just using Photoshop too much haha.

Anyways thanks.

[Niotex]

Masking, FCP has some simple 8 point masking systems but they will not do the job. You'll have to cut out the chars frame by frame in photoshop in your case. And then import and overlay them upon your other video that your using as background.

[nifear4]

ahh, for reals? haha, well thats gonna be fun lol. Well thanks for the tip. I gotta go and fix my aunts PC now. haha

[JudgeHolden]

You could always use Motion's masking tools. That's what I do, they are quick and easy to use. You can do your roto, save the file and import the motion file into FCP. Otherwise you can export it as a lossless movie (Apple Animation), this will keep the alpha channel intact. Or you could do the entire composite in Motion, then just import the final movie into FCP.

[Niotex]

My "waste" time learning motion when he is clearly capable of doing what he wants to do in PS?

[JudgeHolden]

My "waste" time learning motion when he is clearly capable of doing what he wants to do in PS?

Not saying he can't, I just think using motion for the rotoing is easier for me. I just couldn't imaging pasting together 500 frames in my FCP timeline. Knowing me, I would screw it up that way.

[Niotex]

Just import a PSD Sequence >_>