Getting Footage into Your Computer

Capture Your Footage

Capturing video with Final Cut Express is quick and easy. Simply connect a supported camcorder or deck to your Mac using a FireWire or USB cable, then select Capture (or Log and Transfer for AVCHD content). The single FireWire cable carries the video and audio data and manages all device control. When capturing from DV cameras using FireWire (IEEE 1394), Final Cut Express transfers the data directly from the tape to the computers hard drive. HDV and AVCHD are transferred over Firewire or USB and converted into the highly efficient and frame-accurate Apple Intermediate Codec format.
DV Log and Capture Controls When you capture footage from a DV tape, the Capture window helps you scan through the videotape to select good shots, label them for future reference, and add notes about each clip. Use the mouse and jog button or JKL keyboard commands to control playback from the camcorder. Set In and Out points, then click Capture Clip to capture the footage to your hard disk.
Preview area. View video as you log or capture it. This area contains playback and marking controls and a timecode field. Clip description. Log relevant information about clips so that you can manage and organize your video resources. Capture buttons. Capture Clip captures video one clip at a time from a DV camcorder or deck with device control. Using Capture Now, you can capture live video, video from camcorders or decks that lack device control, or video from a device-controllable camcorder or deck. Final Cut Express splits the video into individual clips at scene breaks and names them sequentially. With the Capture Project button, you can capture all items in your project from a camcorder or a deck with device control.
Working with HD movies High-definition video support in Final Cut Express 4 lets you be a part of the HD revolution. Final Cut Express is able to edit the HDV and AVCHD files that comes in over FireWire or USB by means of the Apple Intermediate Codec, Apples encoding technology designed specifically for editing HDV and AVCHD content with iMovie 08 and Final Cut Express 4. You can use the table below to estimate how much disk space you need for your project.

Width Height Frame rate Megabits per second Gigabytes per hour DV Output QuickTime 29.97 3.Apple Intermediate Codec30p 1080 60i 14 49
HDV Capture Control Capturing video from an HDV camcorder or deck is a quick and easy process. Final Cut Express prompts you to name the clip, then you simply click the Capture button. Capture begins from where the tape is queued and continues until you choose to stop.
Final Cut Express then places the video in your project bin, separating the video into clips where appropriate.
AVCHD Log and Transfer Control Capturing video from an AVCHD camcorder or deck is slightly different from DV or HDV, because AVCHD movies are stored on a hard disk drive or memory card. The Log and Transfer window is used to scan the files on the camcorders hard drive and select the ones you want to transfer over to your Mac. In this window, you can name the clip and add notes. Scanning the clips on the AVCHD hard drive and logging the ones you want on your Mac saves time and disk space.
Final Cut Express then places the video in your project bin, so you can start editing.

Easy Asset Management

Most users have more footage than they can easily manage. Video shot at different times can be useful in more than one movie or in a different order. Final Cut Express provides complete management of captured and imported clips in the Browser window. Clips can be placed in bins or folders so that you can create a logical structure for projects. Different bins can be used for different stages of a project or to separate original and modified footage. All of the media can be sorted and searched by a number of criteria. Keeping media organized makes handling even the longest project simple.
A Tour of the Editing Environment
The Final Cut Express editing interface is based on the same drag-and-drop approach that makes using Mac applications a simple and intuitive process. While the window layout is arranged to provide a smooth and logical workflow, you can customize the interface to meet your particular needs. Making your movie is accomplished through four main windows: the Browser, the Viewer, the Timeline, and the Canvas. Each window has multiple functions, logically grouped in tabs. You can drag tabs out of their parent windows to customize your workspace. While each window has specific capabilities and functions, Final Cut Express gives you great flexibility in determining how you work.

The Viewer

Tabs. Tabs provide access to different functions and controls. Editing and marking controls. These controls let you set markers, In and Out points, and keyframes, and match audio and video for clips and sequences. Transport controls. These buttons let you play clips and sequences. Playhead, clip, and sequence controls. These three controls are used to navigate through and play clips and sequences at speeds other than 100 percent playback speed.
The Timeline: Put the Pieces in Place
The Timeline is where you choose the order of clips in your movie, determine the relationship between those clips, and perform various editing operations. Clips are arranged in tracks according to when they will play in time. Support for multiple tracks means that multiple clips, both audio and video, can play simultaneously. Add clips to the Timeline by dragging them directly to a track or by using the overlay controls in the Canvas. Position clips at a time value to specify exactly when the clips will play in the video. Rearrange clips until they are exactly the way you want them. Final Cut Express uses an Open Format Timeline, which allows clips from DV, HDV, and AVCHD camcorders to be edited together in the same movie. Final Cut Express will automatically correct the frame rate and frame size to match the sequence settings.

The Timeline 1

1 Tabs. The Timeline displays a chronological view of an open sequence. Each sequence has its own tab. You can have multiple sequences open at once. 2 Video tracks. Video tracks are displayed in descending order. The order in the Timeline determines the layering order when you composite multiple tracks of video.
Audio tracks. A sequence can have up to 99 audio tracks. Markers. Add markers to indicate important events, to create chapters for DVD navigation, and to optimize video encoding. Solo and mute controls. Use these controls to enable and disable audio playback on individual tracks for monitoring purposes.
The Canvas: See It All Come Together
The Canvas displays the results of your editing decisions, including effects and Timeline arrangement. All edited clips on the Timeline are played back in the Canvas. Anytime a change is made, a clip added, or an effect created, the Canvas can be used to preview or view that edit; the Canvas represents your final project output. Controls to play, stop, fast forward, and rewind the projects Timeline are built into the Canvas window.
The Canvas also provides one-step transition and superimpose when adding clips to the Timeline. Drag a clip from the Browser or the Viewer onto the Canvas, and edit options become available as an overlay graphic. Simply drag the clip onto an option to implement that edit in the Timeline. Options include insert, insert with transition, overwrite, overwrite with transition, replace, fit to fill, and superimpose. Insert editing places the selected video or audio so that everything after the insertion point, on any unlocked track, shifts forward in the Timeline. Overwrite editing places the clip in the Timeline at the playhead and overwrites any clips that exist in the space needed for that clip to fit in the Timeline. Replace editing replaces the clip under the playhead or a gap in the Timeline with the new clip. Enough of the clips material, starting at the beginning or at the In point, is used to fit the space exactly. Fit-to-fill editing replaces the clip under the playhead or fills a gap in the Timeline with the selected clip. The new clips speed changes to fill the space exactly. Superimpose editing places the new clips video and audio onto tracks adjacent to the clip under the playhead in the Timeline.

Customize the Interface: Work the Way You Want
Final Cut Express is extremely flexible, allowing you to work in the manner that suits you. Wherever possible, the user interface is context sensitive and provides multiple ways to accomplish a given task: by mouse (drag and drop), with a button in the interface, through a menu command, or with contextual menus (accessed via Controlclicking or right-clicking).
You can add any of the 400-plus commands and functions directly to the user interface as buttons. These buttons can be placed in button bars in the top area of the Browser, Canvas, and Timeline windows. You can search for commands by name or by functional group, then drag commands to the button bars from the Button List window. You can then click any of the shortcut buttons in the button bar to perform commands, instead of entering key combinations or using menus.
This flexibility lets you create organized groups of buttons that can be spaced and color-coded for easier navigation.
Managing windows is also flexible and easy, so you can tailor the workspace to suit your needs. Windows can be rearranged to create custom layouts, which, along with the button bars, can be saved for user-specific setups. Controls located near the bottom left of the Timeline include a submenu of options for adjusting track heights and turning on filmstrip view, audio waveforms, and solo and mute controls. A Timeline command, Shift-Z, resizes the Timeline sequence to fit in the available space.
The Autosave Vault: Save Your Stuff
Being able to save work on a regular basis is an important component of the editing processand being able to go back to a previous edit can be even more important. The Autosave Vault gives you the option of stepping back to previous stages of a project. Enabling this feature ensures that Final Cut Express will periodically save copies of open projects as separate files after a specified duration. The original project file is not touched until you choose the Save command. With up to 32 levels of undo available with the Undo command, you can also undo individual actions.
Powerful Editing with Final Cut Express
Final Cut Express puts professional-style editing controls in your hands, allowing you to drag clips directly to a track or use the overlay controls in the Canvas. And because editing in Final Cut Express is nondestructive, you can experiment with changes without modifying your source footage. The editing palette contains tools to cut and modify clips in the Timeline: Cut clips into two pieces, change the duration of a clip, change the duration of two clips simultaneously, move In and Out points, reselect a new range of frames within a clip, and resize or extend an edit.

Smooth out your transitions
A transition is a visual effect used to change from one clip in your edited sequence to the next. Transitions, especially dissolves, generally give the viewer an impression of a change in time or location. Final Cut Express comes with a variety of transitions from which to choose, including cross-dissolve, page peel, cube spin, and gradient wipe.
Use color to create better images
The color correction filters in Final Cut Express provide precise control over the look of every clip. You can adjust the color balance, hue, saturation, black levels, mids, and white levels on individual clips. Check flesh tones and other key elements for consistency and accuracy in color. Evaluate and manipulate the brightness and color levels of clips in preparation for output to tape. All the tools needed to analyze and color-correct clips are included.
You can use the two-way color corrector to adjust the angle of hue and overall balance of an image. This filter can be combined with Image Control filters as well as Matte and Key filters. The assortment of filters makes Final Cut Express exceptionally powerful and flexible for corrective finishing work. The Color Corrector has numeric controls as well as visual user interfaces. All parameters can be changed over time through the use of keyframes. Both interfaces have Limit Effect controls, allowing you to isolate color correction operations to specific areas of an image based on chrominance, luminance, saturation, or any combination. There are a number of reasons to use the color correction filters included with Final Cut Express: Ensuring that a projects key elements look the way they should. The color correction tools let you make whatever adjustments are necessary to ensure that the colors and the flesh tones of people in the final edited piece look the way they did in reality. Balancing all the shots in a scene to match. With careful color correction, all of the clips in a scene can be balanced to match one another so that they look as if they happened at the same time and in the same place, with the same lighting. Correcting errors in color balance and exposure. The color correction filters provide an exceptional degree of control over the color balance and exposure of clips, allowing you to perfect your adjustments. Achieving a look. With color correction, you have control over whether your video has rich, saturated colors or a more muted look. Such subtle modifications can alter the perception of the scene being played, changing its mood. Creating contrast or special effects. Using color correction, you can subtly accentuate differences. You can also create more extreme effects, such as manipulating the colors of an exposure to achieve a day-for-night look. You can even keyframe color changes over time; for example, gradually changing a clip from sepia-toned to full color.

FxPlug filters and effects
Final Cut Express comes with more than 200 transitions, filters, and effects, including over 50 new FxPlug plug-ins that use GPU-accelerated rendering. Bundled filters and effects range from standard items like dissolves, wipes, and blurs to more stylized FxPlug effects like Light Rays, Line Art, and Insect Eye. When you need even more creative options, Final Cut Express lets you expand your effects palette with optional third-party FxPlug support, the same plug-in architecture used by Final Cut Studio.
Copy, paste, and remove attributes
When working with large projects or sequences that contain repetitive effects, filters, and motion, it is often convenient to copy and paste the attributes from one clip to another (or others). Similarly, you can remove attributes from a clip or clips. You can paste keyframes as is or scale them to fit the duration of the clip on which they are being pasted. The following attributes can be copied, pasted, or removed from any clip.

Compositing and Titles

Final Cut Express provides powerful tools to manipulate, animate, or combine images. You can achieve impressive results by layering video clips or graphics files, such as multilayered Adobe Photoshop files, to create rich visual images and animations. You can also create outstanding titles with filters, effects, and compositing.
Use Multiple Video Layers
Using multiple video layers is one of the simplest and fastest ways to add a professional look to your projects. By combining two or more video tracks, also called compositing, you can create excitement with sophisticated special effects and visually rich imagery. Using the virtually unlimited number of video tracks, make dynamic, composited videolike picture-in-picture, split-screen, and video collages. A sequence can be nested as a clip in another sequence, and any changes in a nested sequence ripple through all sequences that contain it. Edited sequences are fully changeable and can be nested for reuse again and again in multiple Timelines. Seeing your effects and compositions in real time instead of waiting for them to render lets you experiment more and spend less time editing. The RT Extreme engine intelligently scales to the capabilities of your hardware, providing dramatically more real-time effects, transitions, and video layerseven when you are using HD footage or editing on a laptop computer. Dynamic RT adjusts frame rate and resolution on the fly, so you always get the maximum real-time performance.

Professional compositing results
Final Cut Express supports a virtually unlimited number of video, text, and graphics layers. You can import Adobe Photoshop files directly into Final Cut Express either as a flattened image or with all layers maintained on separate tracks. You can then combine your Photoshop graphics with video, apply animation and effects to the layers, and add additional titles and animated elements from LiveType.
Complete control of all effects, including motion
All video layers in Final Cut Express can have motion attributes added to them for dynamic compositing. Bezier and numeric controls enable you to change the position of layers, create motion paths with or without a curve, and adjust the acceleration of objects along a path, ensuring smooth, highly sophisticated results. To create motion for an object or video layer, you create a keyframe by clicking the Add Keyframe button, move to a new point on the Timeline, and then drag the object to a new location. A path is automatically drawn. Changing the spacing of the points along the path adjusts the acceleration of the item. Adjustments are made right on the path itself, providing direct feedback on how the animation will work. All parameters of an objectsuch as size, rotation, corner distortion, and any applied effects are also controllable using keyframes.

Speak with Titles

Titling provides a finishing touch, and Final Cut Express has all the tools necessary to create beautiful titles, using the built-in tools or the bundled LiveType application. Keyframe and animate titles like any other object. Make text crawl, scroll, or appear in the lower third of the screen. You can even create animated type on effects or spin text in 3D space using the Boris 3D title generator.

LiveType

LiveType 2 is a full-featured, professional-quality titling application that allows you to create dynamic, animated titles quickly and easily. With LiveFontsfonts with their own animated behaviorsplus full support for all system fonts and a way to create new effects, LiveType is simple enough for the first-time user and powerful enough for the professional. LiveType comes with integrated LiveFonts, as well as easily adapted project templates, customizable keyframed effects, and a library of animated content. It also includes alpha channel support, dynamic individual character control, and frame-accurate registration with Final Cut Express projects. Professionally designed templates get your project off to a fast start (you can build and save your own templates as well). LiveType templates combine the various elements available in the application, including LiveFonts, system fonts, and animated textures and objects, into ready-touse, customizable projects for your video.

Canvas Text entry box Inspector Media Browser

Live wireframe preview

Project tab Track grouping buttons Timeline
Zoom slider E nable/Disable Track Effect Keyframe Timecode

LiveFonts

Developed specifically for video and designed by professional animators, LiveFonts let you type out sophisticated animated font styles as easily as youd type out a system font. And because theyre created with an alpha channel, LiveFonts key right over video.

Royalty-free content

LiveType comes with broadcast-quality animated textures and objects that you can use in your projects, allowing even nonanimators to produce professional-level content right out of the box. The textures can be used full screen, matted inside text or objects, or scaled down for use in lower thirds.

Customizable effects

Effects in LiveType are like digital building blocksmodular behaviors that include movement, transformation, and timing parameters. The more than 200 prebuilt effects that come with LiveType give you the power to add fades, zooms, rotations, and motion that ripple through your letters, and you can create your own styles by adjusting these effects in the LiveType interface. You can also use LiveType to create effects dynamically on the fly and even save them for use in future projects. Its unique approach to keyframe animation makes creating effects quick and easy.

Timing is everything

With LiveType, animation is easier than ever before. Each keyframe in an effect contains all the parameters for that moment in time, eliminating the time-consuming hassle of long keyframe stacks. And since LiveType treats every character of the word as a separate layer, powerful timing features such as sequencing give you the creative freedom to move single characters in a text block with individual timing elements, so youre not limited to blocks of text that fly around the screen as one image. The wireframe preview lets you see your work in real time.

Flexible and compatible

You can import clips from Final Cut Express complete with markers, so its easy to synchronize your titles to important video and audio transitions in your video projects. LiveType also imports and exports all QuickTime-supported file formats, including Adobe Photoshop, JPEG, TIFF, and PICT.

A wide range of options

Final Cut Express supports direct Timeline file placement of LiveType projects, for a smooth and easy workflow. LiveType can create a QuickTime movie that you can import into your Final Cut Express bin like any other file, and creates files with or without an alpha channel, making them available to your Final Cut Express projects. In addition, LiveType allows you to set up your own project size and resolution, so you can work in a custom setting of your choosing. It also supports all of your system fonts, including PostScript and TrueType fonts, making it possible to create an even wider spectrum of titling effects.

With Final Cut Express, you can edit, enhance, and adjust a videos audio tracks. Final Cut Express can mix up to 99 tracks and play back up to eight audio tracks in real time. You can add multiple tracks of music, sound effects, or voiceover quickly and easily.

Real-Time Audio Filters

Audio filters can be adjusted in real time as the track is playing, so you can hear your work in progress. This helps you experiment more and exercise more creative control over your projects. Final Cut Express includes a number of filters for adjusting your audio clips to be as strong, clear, and noise-free as possible. Filters can also be used to blend the clips in your audio mix to prevent the sound quality or tone of a particular clip from standing out. Soft normalize filter. This nondestructive filter scans the audio for the peak (loudest) sample level, then applies a gain filter that brings the peak to the level you request. This is ideal for achieving consistency in your audio soundtracks. Equalization filters. Use equalization filters to correct unnatural-sounding audio recordings by adjusting specific frequencies. For example, if your audio was recorded in a room that accentuates treble or bass, you can reduce those frequencies. Compressor/limiter and expansion filters. These filters allow you to adjust an audio clips dynamic range after it has been captured. The compressor/limiter filter lets you adjust the dynamic range of an audio clip so that the loudest part of the clip is compressed to within a specified range of the softest part of the clip. The expansion filter raises parts of a clip that are too low. Hum remover. The hum remover lets you get rid of cycle hum (a low buzzing) that may have been introduced into your audio recording by power lines crossing your cables or by a shorted ground wire. Vocal DeEsser. This filter is essentially a specialized equalizer that reduces the ess sounds produced by a speaker with pronounced ss or a microphone that accentuates high frequencies. Vocal DePopper. The Vocal DePopper lets you attenuate the harsh p sounds that result from puffs of breath bursting into the microphone. Echo and reverb filters. These effects filters help you match foreground audio clips to the background in which they appear. Noise gate. The noise gate eliminates all sound below a specified volume threshold.

Precise Controls

Theres no fumbling when trying to edit audio with Final Cut Express. Subframe audio editing down to 1/100 of a frame gives precise control over audio edits. Dynamic audio level meters provide instant visual information on the range of an audio track as it plays, and audio pan controls make it easy to work with stereo tracks during playback. In the Timeline, solo and mute controls allow you to isolate individual audio tracks. And no re-rendering is required when muted tracks are reactivated, so you save an incredible amount of time as well.

Voice Over Tool

Capture audio directly to the Timeline from a built-in or external microphone with the Voice Over tool. Create quick scratch tracks or voiceover work while editing a project. The Voice Over tool provides a countdown cue, and records before start and after stop to provide the recorded sound with handles.

Finding Your Audience

Youve used Final Cut Express to put the finishing touches on your movie. Youre done with editing, compositing, and color corrections. Youve added effects, transitions, and titles, and youve created professional audio tracks. Now you have several options for sharing your finished project.

Print to Video

The Print to Video command sends your project out to videotape. This is useful when you want to record back to DV, create backup copies of your video project or connect your device to your home or other theater system for direct playback.

Create a DVD

Create named chapter markers in your video project. Use these markers to divide your video into navigable chapters in iDVD. Final Cut Express includes a workflow document that outlines the simple one-step process of bringing your movie into iDVD.

Export Video for the Web

Export projects using a wide range of QuickTime-supported codecs, including MPEG-4, for distribution via email or the web. Whatever your chosen method of distribution, Final Cut Express has the features and power you need to advance your DV, HDV, and AVCHD moviemaking.

Product Features

Input/Capturing video Plug-and-play support for most DV25-format camcorders and decks: MiniDV and DVCAM (NTSC or PAL) Plug-and-play support for most HDV-format camcorders and decks: 720p, 1080i Plug-and-play support for most AVCHD-format camcorders and decks: 720p, 1080i1 FireWire device control of most FireWire-equipped MiniDV camcorders from leading manufacturers like Sony, Canon, Panasonic, and JVC Capture window lets you name, add comments to, and organize your clips as you capture them Incremental clip naming during capture when a recording break is discovered Imports a range of still image formats: PSD, BMP, JPEG, PICT, PNG, SGI, TARGA, and TIFF Imports iMovie 08 files complete with cuts and dissolve transitions Bins allow you to organize your files and sequences in a project Clips can be organized in the Browser using the extensive search, sort, and sift capabilities Clip labels help organize and sort clips Master and affiliate clip relationship automatically updates certain properties of a clip, such as clip name or reel name, within the current project 32 levels of undo Editing and Timeline Nondestructive editing references the original video so the source footage is never altered Drag-and-drop editing Editing on the Timeline Mix NTSC and PAL as well as HD-size movies on a single Timeline Three-point editing model 99 video tracks with support for nesting tracks together Support for multiple sequences and projects allows you to create alternative edits or break projects into smaller pieces Insert and overwrite with or without transitions Replace, fit to fill, and superimpose edits

Edit overlay for insert, overwrite, replace, fit to fill, and superimpose gives you control over how clips are added to the Timeline Blade and Blade All tools allow you to add edit points to your sequence Extend and split edits provide additional editing options Sync detection and correction compensates for audio and video tracks that slip out of sync Active track targeting lets you specify individual or multiple tracks to apply edits to or protect from being edited Enabling the Auto Select controls of specific tracks in the Timeline allows the contents of those tracks to be selected via In and Out points in the Timeline or Canvas Adjacent (through edit) indicators in Timeline Dupe detection in Timeline Keyframe graphs Track locking Clip, sequence, scoring, chapter, and compression markers Clip and sequence marker export to LiveType for titling Chapter marker export for iDVD Custom, independent track heights Autosave Vault saves project at specified intervals, so you can return to any point in your edit without losing your work Trimming Ripple, roll, slip, and slide Asymmetric, multitrack trimming Dynamic JKL trimming Trim Edit window Timeline trimming Keyboard and numeric trimming Media management Extensive search, sort, and sift capabilities in Browser Clip labels Custom comment fields Master and affiliate clips Move, copy, and transcode items at sequence or project level Autosave Vault Transitions, filters, and effects More than 200 transitions, filters, and effects Support for third-party FxPlug filters and transitions Unlimited effects favorites Copy and paste of motion and effect attributes Bezier curves for motion paths
Keyframe capabilities for precise effect and motion parameter control Precision numeric controls for effects and animation RT Extreme provides scalable, software-based, multistream real-time effects Safe, Unlimited, and Dynamic RT modes let you customize performance versus quality tradeoffs RT Extreme quality settings: low, dynamic, high. Low setting provides maximum simultaneous real-time streams and effects; high setting provides full-resolution output for finishing directly to DV or HDV device; Dynamic RT adjusts settings on the fly Overlays in the Timeline let you adjust and keyframe opacity and audio levels Direct-to-Timeline drag-and-drop integration of LiveType projects Auto Render option Broadcast-safe filter Composite and transfer modes Compositing Use nesting to build virtually unlimited compositing layers for complex video effects Import Adobe Photoshop files complete with layers and alpha support to create effects and motion graphics Use Bezier curves with movable motion paths to apply and control animations Apply ease in/ease out motion paths to smooth compositing animations Use time effects, including slow motion with frame blending, to create smooth, time-altered playback Rendering with accurate subpixel interpolation applies effects smoothly to produce a high-quality result Use transfer modes such as multiply and lighten Use the flicker filter to incorporate still frames from video Color correction Secondary (two-way) color corrector Image control filters Broadcast-safe filter Make sure flesh tones and other key elements are accurate Mix colors to achieve a visual style Match footage from different sources for consistency Correct errors in color balance and exposure Audio Sequences can include up to 99 audio tracks More than 25 audio filters, including normalization, three-band and parameter equalizer, compressor/limiter, 60/120Hz hum remover, and noise gate, give you control over the quality of your soundtrack Real-time fader automation Variable keyframe thinning Real-time audio filters and effects

Real-time audio filter adjustments during playback Subframe audio keyframing to 1/100 of a frame Sampling at 8kHz to 48kHz and 8 to 24 bits Audio level meters (per track) Mac OS X Audio Units plug-in support Pan controls Mute and solo controls Audio waveform display in Timeline Logarithmic audio fades Scrubbing with or without pitch shifting Voice Over tool for adding narrations directly to Timeline Audio level overlays can be viewed in the Timeline Isolate audio tracks with solo and mute controls No re-rendering is required when muted tracks are reactivated Titling Use standard and scrolling text generators to create titles that crawl, scroll, or appear in the lower third of the screen Combine titles with other filters, effects, and compositing for unlimited creative expression Include non-Latin alphabet characters and symbols with full Unicode support LiveType Animated title and motion graphics creation Unicode system font support Royalty-free animated content, including LiveFonts, background textures and objects Sophisticated project templates for DV and HD Over 200 customizable effects Keyframe animation Custom effects creation Real-time wireframe preview Canvas RAM preview Import wide variety of formats Resolution independent and scalable Dynamic individual character control Animation for rolls and crawls Type on a curve FontMaker utility for creating custom LiveFonts Drag and drop to the Final Cut Express 4 Timeline with auto-updating
Output Print to Video command lets you record a sequence or clip back to your DV or HDV device Footage can be looped if you want to output your program multiple times on the same tape Sequence, scoring, chapter, and compression markers Marker exports to iDVD for chapter settings Projects can be exported using any QuickTime file format, including MPEG-4, for distribution via email or the web Digital Cinema Desktop allows full-screen, real-time preview playback Streamlined workflow Full Unicode support Dynamic window resizing Mode-free interface for workflow efficiency Multiple sequences and projects open simultaneously 99 audio and 99 video tracks with support for nesting video tracks together System and user preferences Easy setups for quick configuration Customizable real-time effects settings Customizable render settings Customizable window arrangements Customizable user interface buttons Customizable Browser layouts Customizable track layouts Custom, independent track heights in the Timeline
Product Availability and Support

Pricing

The estimated U.S. retail price of Final Cut Express 4 is $199.3

Availability

Final Cut Express 4 is available worldwide in English, German, French, and Japanese. It can be purchased through the Apple Store online (www.apple.com or 800-MY-APPLE), Apple retail stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers.

System Requirements

Macintosh computer with 1.25GHz or faster PowerPC G4 processor; PowerPC G5; or Intel Core Duo or Intel Xeon processor1 1GB of RAM Display with 1024-by-768 (or higher) resolution An AGP or PCI Express graphics card compatible with Quartz Extreme or an Intel GMA integrated graphics processor in MacBook or Mac mini4 Mac OS X v10.4.10 or later QuickTime 7.2 or later 500MB of disk space for applications; additional 500MB for LiveType content (can be installed on separate disks) DVD drive for installation

Support

Final Cut Express comes with 90 days of toll-free telephone support. In addition, Apple offers a full range of professional support options. For details, visit www.apple.com/ support/products.

For More Information

For more information about Final Cut Express, visit www.apple.com/finalcutexpress.
1AVDHD is supported on Intel-based Mac systems only. 2Data rates for the Apple Intermediate Codec are variable. These figures
are approximate and may vary according to the complexity of your footage; images with a lot of detail have a higher data rate than those with less detail. 3Prices are as of November 2007, are subject to change, do not include taxes, and are listed in U.S. dollars. 4Some FxPlug filters effects are not supported with Intel GMA integrated graphics. 2007 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Final Cut, Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Studio, FireWire, iDVD, iMovie, iPod, LiveType, Mac, MacBook, Macintosh, Mac OS, Quartz, QuickTime, and TrueType are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc. Apple Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Adobe and PostScript are trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the U.S. and/or other countries. Intel, Intel Core, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corp. in the U.S. and other countries. PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. Product specifications are subject to change without notice. This material is provided for information purposes only; Apple assumes no liability related to its use. November 2007 L353892A

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Final Cut Express HD Getting Started
Apple Computer, Inc. 2005 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Apple. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement. The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Use of the keyboard Apple logo (Option-Shift-K) for commercial purposes without the prior written consent of Apple may constitute trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of federal and state laws. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. Apple Computer, Inc., is not responsible for printing or clerical errors. Apple Computer, Inc. 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014-2084 408-996-1010 www.apple.com Apple, the Apple logo, Final Cut, Final Cut Pro, FireWire, iMovie, iTunes, Mac, Macintosh, Mac OS, PowerBook, Power Macintosh, and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Finder and iDVD are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. AppleCare is a service mark of Apple Computer, Inc. Helvetica is a registered trademark of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, available from Linotype Library GmbH. Other company and product names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective companies. Mention of third-party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the performance or use of these products.

Contents

Preface
An Introduction to Final Cut Express HD What Is Final Cut Express HD? Editing Your Movie With Final Cut Express HD Final Cut Express HD Onscreen Help Apple Websites Setting Up Final Cut Express HD Connecting Your Camera Choosing Your Initial Settings Tip for Optimizing Performance Getting to Know Your Editing Environment Organizing Your Clips in the Browser Working With Clips in the Viewer Working With Clips in the Canvas Working With Clips in the Timeline Tool Palette Capturing Your Video Making a New Project and Saving It Working in the Capture Window Determining How Much Disk Space You Need Capturing Capturing Tip Basic Editing Before You Begin Opening Your Project Adding a Clip to Your Sequence Adding a Storyboard of Clips to a Sequence Locking Tracks Using the Razor Blade Tool Deleting Clips From a Sequence Assigning Destination Tracks

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

68 Chapter 141

Most Commonly Used Edits Editing With Audio About Linked Clips Resyncing Clips Adding Music Using the Voice Over Tool Editing With Audio Tips Fine-Tuning Your Edit Where You Can Perform Trim Edits About the Tool Palette Doing a Ripple Edit Doing a Ripple Delete Doing a Roll Edit Tips on Editing Adding Transitions About Adding Transitions Adding a Transition to the Center of a Cut Adjusting a Transition Deleting a Transition Copying and Pasting a Transition Adding Effects Applying a Filter to a Clip and a Range of Clips Adjusting a Filter Disabling a Filter Removing a Filter Filter Tips Creating Titles and Credits Creating Opening Titles Using Lower-Thirds Creating Rolling Credits Tips for Making Terrific-Looking Titles Sharing Your Movie Exporting for DVD Exporting for the Web Making a Videotape Importing an iMovie Project Importing Stills

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Appendix A Appendix B

Appendix C Appendix D

151 155
Preparing for Your Next Project Solutions to Common Problems and Customer Support Solutions to Common Problems AppleCare Support

To specify one or more scratch disks and associated settings: Choose Final Cut Express HD > System Settings, then click the Scratch Disks tab.
For additional information about scratch disks, see Final Cut Express Help, Chapter 4, Specifying User Preferences, System Settings, and Easy Setups.
Tip for Optimizing Performance
In most cases, the default values set in Final Cut Express HD System Preferences will be sufficient for your needs. However, you may choose to change certain settings to accommodate the requirements of your project. Limit Capture Now To: In the System Settings Scratch Disks tab, change this value from 30 minutes to 62 minutes. This will allow you to capture an entire 60-minute DV tape.
Getting to Know Your Editing Environment
There are four main windows in Final Cut Express HD: the Browser, Viewer, Canvas, and Timeline. Each window plays an important role in the editing process.
If you want to get familiar with the windows and tools in Final Cut Express HD, read through this chapter. If youd rather jump right in and begin editing, move on to Chapter 4, Basic Editing, on page 49, and refer back to this chapter as needed.
Use the Viewer to preview your clips before you place them in your sequence in the Timeline.
Use the Canvas to play back changes you make to your sequence in the Timeline.
Use the Browser to organize the source material in your project.
Use the Timeline to edit and arrange your sequence.
Organizing Your Clips in the Browser
The Browser is the central storage area where you organize all of the source material youll use in your project. To organize your media so you can work efficiently, you need to understand the basic organizational elements of Final Cut Express HDprojects, sequences, clips, and binsand how they relate to the Browser.

Project Sequence Clip

What Is a Project?
A project contains all the clips, sequences, and file references you use while editing your movie. All of these appear in a projects tab in the Browser. Although the source media files for your project are actually stored on your computers hard disk in a location different from the project file, you use the Browser to help organize and manage the clips and sequences used by your project.

My Project

Audio clip
Still image Sequence Video clip
There is no limit to the number of items that can be stored in the Browser. You can have multiple projects open in the Browser at one time. Each project appears in its own tab.

Chapter 2 Getting to Know Your Editing Environment

What Is a Clip?

A clip is the basic unit of media that you use to create sequences in Final Cut Express HD. Clips can be movies, still images, generators, and audio files. A clip is not the actual media file, but a reference to the media file stored on your computers hard disk. Clips are the building blocks from which all sequences are created. The three kinds of clips youll see most often are audio, video, and graphics clips, but there are other kinds of clips that can be created within Final Cut Express HD. You can also subdivide a clip into separate pieces, called subclips, to further organize your footage.

What Is a Bin?

A bin is a folder inside of the project that can contain clips, transitions, effects, and generators. You use bins to organize these elements, sort them, add comments, rename items, and so on. This creates a logical structure for your projects, making your media easier to manage. Bins exist only in project files. Changes you make to the contents of a bin, such as deleting, moving, and renaming clips or renaming the bin itself, have no effect on the original files or folders on your computers hard disk where the source material is stored. If you delete a clip from a bin, it is not deleted from the disk. Likewise, creating a new bin does not create a new folder on your disk. You can create separate bins for different stages of your project or to separate your original and production footage. You can organize bins hierarchically and open them in their own windows. You can even put bins inside other bins. To add a new bin to a project: 1 In the Browser, click the project tab where you want to add a bin. 2 Do one of the following:
Choose File > New > Bin. Control-click the Name column, then choose New Bin from the shortcut menu. Press Command-B
A new folder appears in the Browser with Bin [number] highlighted. 3 Enter a name for the new bin.

What Is a Sequence?

A sequence is a container where you edit together a series of clips to create a new movie. Sequences can be a maximum of four hours in length. A sequence can contain your entire movie, or your movie can be composed of several sequences. You can have multiple sequences within a project; sequences can also be used as source clips and edited into other sequences. You cannot save sequences outside a project, but you can export them as movies or clips.

Selecting a Browser View

There are two ways to view your media in the Browser: icon view and list view. Icon view allows you to view your media as thumbnails. There are three icon views: Small, Medium, and Large. In list view, the Browsers scrollable columns provide information about your files in an easy-to-access hierarchy. List view also allows you to sort and search for items within the Browser. For more information about list view, see Final Cut Express Help, Chapter 7, Using the Browser and Managing Projects and Clips. To display Browser items as icons or in a list, do one of the following: Choose View > Browser Items, then choose an option from the submenu. Control-click in the Name column (or any place in the tab other than an icon), then choose a view option from the shortcut menu. Press Shift-H to toggle through all four views. Tip: To view a thumbnail of each clip while remaining in list view, control-click on a column title, and choose Show Thumbnails from the shortcut menu. Note: In this book, the Browser is shown in icon view.
Deleting or Removing Items From the Browser
You can remove items from the Browser at any time. To delete a clip, sequence, or bin from a project, do one of the following: Select the item, then press Delete. Control-click the item you want to delete, then choose Cut from the shortcut menu.
Note: Deleting a clip from a project does not delete that clips source media file from your hard disk, nor does it delete any other associated duplicates of that clip appearing in that project, including sequence clips.
Working With Clips in the Viewer
To view a clip, you select it in the Browser, then open it into the Viewer by doubleclicking. The Video tab of the Viewer acts as your source monitor; there, you watch your selected clip and mark the In and Out edit points, which define how much of the clip you want to edit into your sequence.

Viewer Controls

There are many controls in the Viewer. (Some of these appear in other areas of the interface, as well; for example, the playhead controls also appear in the Canvas.)
Tabs Clip name and the project its in.
Timecode Duration field Zoom pop-up menu
Current Timecode field View pop-up menu

Preview area

Playhead In point Scrubber bar Shuttle control Out point
Jog control Generator pop-up menu Marking controls Transport controls Recent Clips pop-up menu
The following is a quick summary of the Viewer controls:
Tabs: There are five tabs in the Viewer: Video, Audio, Filters, Motion, and Controls. Each
tab in the Viewer provides certain editing functions. The Video and Audio tabs appear only if the clip currently opened in the Viewer contains video or audio media. For example, you only see the Audio tab when you open an audio clip or a video clip that includes audio. The Filters tab appears for all clips, and the Motion tab appears only for video and graphics clips. The Controls tab only appears if youve added a generator. For more information on generators, see Chapter 9, Creating Titles and Credits. Playhead and scrubber bar: These controls let you locate and move or jump to different parts of a clip quickly and easily. Transport controls: You use these controls to move the playhead within clips and sequences. The position of the playhead corresponds to the currently displayed frame. Jog and shuttle controls: You use the jog and shuttle controls to navigate more precisely within your clip. Marking controls: You use these controls to set a clips edit points (In and Out points), markers, and keyframes. Zoom pop-up menu: This pop-up menu lets you enlarge or shrink the image that appears in the Viewer. View pop-up menu: This pop-up menu allows you to change the viewing format and control the display of various overlays that can appear in the Viewer. Generator pop-up menu: You use this pop-up menu to select and open generators in the Viewer for modifying and editing into your sequence. Generators are special clips that can be created by Final Cut Express HD; for example, they can be used to create color mattes and text of different types. Recent Clips pop-up menu: This pop-up menu allows you to open recently used clips in the Viewer for modifying and editing into your sequence. Timecode fields: The Current Timecode field displays the timecode of the frame at the current position of the playhead. The Timecode Duration field lets you view and change the duration of marked clips.

Opening Clips Into the Viewer
You can open clips into the Viewer from either the Browser or the Timeline. Clips appear in the Viewer with the last selected Viewer tab displayed. If youre opening an audio-only clip, the Video tab disappears and the Audio tab is displayed. Although the Viewer can display only one clip at a time, you can open multiple selected clips into the Viewer, and they will appear in the Recent Clips pop-up menu. To open a clip from the Browser, do one of the following: Double-click the clip. Drag the clip from the Browser to the Preview area of the Viewer. Select the clip with the Up and Down Arrow keys, then press the Return key. Control-click the clip, then choose Open in Viewer from the shortcut menu.

m m m m

Clips opened from the Browser have a plain scrubber bar.
To open a clip from the Timeline, do one of the following: Double-click the clip. Drag the clip from the Timeline to the Preview area of the Viewer. Select the clip, then press the Return key. Control-click the clip, then choose Open [Clip Name] from the shortcut menu (where [Clip Name] is the name of the clip).
Clips opened from the Timeline have a dotted scrubber bar.
Playing Clips in the Viewer
You use the transport controls in the Viewer to play clips forward, backward, between In and Out points, one frame at a time, and looped.
Previous Edit Play In to Out Play
Next Edit Play Around Current
To play a clip in the Viewer: 1 Double-click the clip in the Browser to open it into the Viewer. 2 Do one of the following:
Click the Play button. Press the Space bar. Press L. Choose Mark > Play > Forward.
To stop playback, do one of the following: Click the Play button again. Press the Space bar. Press K. You can navigate backward in your clip at 1x (normal) speed if you want to search for precise locations to set your In and Out points.
To play a clip in reverse: 1 Double-click the clip in the Browser to open it into the Viewer. 2 Do one of the following:
Shift-click the Play button. Press ShiftSpace bar. Press J. Choose Mark > Play > Play Reverse.

Using In and Out Points

See Setting In and Out Points on page 51.
Working With Clips in the Canvas
The Canvas is the Final Cut Express HD record monitor, showing what your edited sequence will look like when its played. There are many controls and displays in the Canvas. Before working with the Canvas, make sure its the currently selected window. Otherwise, your keyboard shortcuts might trigger the wrong actions. To select the Canvas window: Click in the Canvas (or press Command-2).
Name of the currently selected sequence and the project its in

The video between the two points you set will be captured.
7 Click the Capture Clip button.
Click here to capture a clip.
Tip: Press Esc on your keyboard if you need to abort capturing. Final Cut Express HD captures the clip. The newly captured clip is automatically saved to the scratch disk, and is placed in the log bin of the Browser.
The new clip appears in the Browser assigned to your project.
8 Save your project by clicking the projects tab in the Browser, then choosing File > Save Project (or pressing Command-S).
Capturing an Entire Tape or a Group of Clips
If you want to capture an entire tape or group of clips, use the Capture Now button. Important: Make sure you have adequate disk space for the length of your DV tape. See Determining How Much Disk Space You Need on page 39. To capture your tape: 1 Make sure your video equipment is properly connected and turned on. See Make Sure Your Camera Is Properly Connected and Turned On on page 41. 2 Insert a tape that includes the clips you want to capture. 3 Choose File > Capture (or press Command-8).
4 In the Capture window, enter any appropriate information in the Logging tab. In particular, make sure that the reel number is properly set to reflect your current tape. For more information, see Logging Tab on page 38.
5 Do one of the following:
Rewind the tape to the beginning using the camcorder or decks controls. Locate the footage you want to capture using the camcorder or decks controls.
If youre not rewinding the tape to the beginning, rewind the tape about ten seconds prior to the material you want to capture. This will give the camcorder or deck enough time to remove slack in the tape. 6 When youre ready to begin recording, press the Play button on your equipment. 7 A few seconds before the first frame of the clip you want to capture, click Capture Now (or press Shift-C).
Click here to start capturing your tape.
Camcorders and decks dont begin playing instantaneously. A few seconds of pre-roll will ensure that you capture the entire amount of the desired footage. 8 To stop recording, press Esc, then press the Stop button on your video equipment. Tip: Its a good idea to capture several seconds beyond the point where you want to end the clip. The newly captured clip is automatically saved to the scratch disk, and is placed in the log bin of the Browser. 9 Save your project by clicking the projects tab in the Browser, then choosing File > Save Project (or pressing Command-S).

Overwrite edit

Before edit
To do an overwrite edit: 1 Specify the necessary In and Out points and destination tracks. 2 Drag the clip from the Viewer to the Overwrite section of the Edit Overlay (or press F10).
Overwrite section of the Edit Overlay in the Canvas
The clip overwrites all items on the destination tracks from the playhead position through the duration of your edit. No items are moved.

Before an overwrite edit

After an overwrite edit
New clip overwrites existing clips

3 Save your project.

Insert Edits
An insert edit places the source clip into your sequence so that all items after the insertion point in your sequence are moved forward in the Timeline, to make room for the clip being added. No clips are removed from your sequence. You can perform an insert edit with one or more clips. If you perform an insert edit in the middle of another clip, that clip is cut at the insertion point and the second half pushed, along with the rest of the footage in the Timeline, to the end of the newly inserted clip. For more information on insert edits, see Final Cut Express Help, Chapter 15, Basic Editing. Insert edit
To do an insert edit: 1 Specify the necessary In and Out points and destination tracks. 2 Drag the clip from the Canvas to the Insert section of the Edit Overlay (or press F9).
Insert section of the Edit Overlay in the Canvas
After the edit, all clips on all unlocked tracks (including non-destination tracks) are moved forward in time, from the playhead position to the right, to make room for the clip or clips being inserted.

Before an insert edit

After an insert edit

New clip inserted

Superimpose Edits
Superimpose edits are used to overlay titles and text onto video, as well as to create other compositing effects. You can use a superimpose edit to quickly stack a source clip (the originally captured clip) on top of any clips already edited into your sequence in the Timeline in preparation for further editing. If there isnt an available track in your sequence, Final Cut Express HD creates a new one for the source clip. You can set the In and Out points in the Canvas or Timeline so that the superimpose edit spans multiple clips, as long as theres enough media in your source clip to cover the specified area.
If you perform several superimpose edits in the same location, all new source clips are edited into the video track directly above the current destination track, and all other previously superimposed video clips are moved up one track to make room. If your superimposed clip contains audio, the source audio will be similarly placed on new audio tracks immediately below any occupied audio destination tracks already in your sequence. Likewise, if you perform a superimpose edit with several source clips at once, all of those clips will be stacked on top of one another. The first clip in your selected group will be on top, with each successive clip appearing underneath. For more information about superimpose edits, see Final Cut Express Help, Chapter 15, Basic Editing. Superimpose edit

To do a superimpose edit: 1 Do one of the following:
Position the Timeline playhead over a clip where you want to superimpose your
source media. The beginning and end of this clip will be used as edit points for your source clip. Set sequence In and Out points by setting an In point where you want the clip to begin and setting an Out point where you want it to end. 2 Set In and Out points in the Viewer to define the part of the source clip you want to edit into your sequence.
3 Drag the clip from the Viewer to the Superimpose section of the Edit Overlay in the Canvas (or press F12).
Superimpose section of the Edit Overlay in the Canvas
The clip in the Viewer is placed on the track above the destination track, starting at the beginning of the clip that intersects the Timeline playhead, or at the sequence In point. If there is no track above the destination track, one is created.
Before a superimpose edit

After a superimpose edit

4 Save your project.

Editing With Audio

Final Cut Express HD lets you mix up to 32 tracks of audio with the flexibility to add music or your own voice.
As long as you pay attention to the principles of linked clips and sync relationships, adding music or narration is easy.

About Linked Clips

When you capture video and audio together, theyre linked by default, appearing in your sequence as linked items. When you turn on linked selection in Final Cut Express HD (by clicking the Linking control), it ensures that if you select one linked item in the Timeline, all other audio and video items linked to it are also selected. Adjustments you make to one item are applied to the others.
Click here to turn linked selection on and off. Green indicates linking is turned on.
This linking is especially important when working with clips in which the video and audio need to remain in sync.

Resyncing Clips

Even when linked selection is turned off, Final Cut Express HD keeps track of the relationship between the audio and video items constituting a single clip. If you move the audio or video item of a clip independently of the other items its linked to, Final Cut Express HD keeps track of the resulting offset, displaying it as a timecode duration in a small red box at the head of each clip. This box is called an out-of-sync indicator.

As you can see, defining only three pointsthe In and Out points in the Viewer and the sequence In point in the Canvasgives you total control of the edit thats performed.
Example: Editing a Clip Into a Gap in Your Sequence You can also do the reverse of the previous edit. For example, you might have a space in your edited sequence and you want to fill it up entirely with a new clip. You know where you want the source clip to start, and you dont particularly care where it ends. You can specify an In point only in the Viewer, and specify both In and Out points in the Timeline to cover the gap: 1 Open a clip into the Viewer. This is your source clip. 2 Specify an In point for the source clip in the Viewer.
3 In the Timeline, move the playhead to the middle of the gap you want to fill.
Move the playhead into the gap.
4 Choose Mark > Mark Clip (or press X) to set In and Out points around the gap. Note: The gap must be within the destination track.

Set In and Out points.

5 If you do an overwrite edit, youll see that your clip, defined by the In and Out points in your sequence, has been edited into the sequence.
The new clip fills the gap.
Three-Point Editing Rules in Final Cut Express HD
Final Cut Express HD uses the following rules to determine what constitutes an edit point: If no edit points are specified: If no edit points have been set in the Viewer, the In and Out points used are the beginning and end of the clip. If no edit points have been set in the Canvas or the Timeline, the playhead location in the Canvas is used as the sequence In point. If only one edit point has been specified: If only an In point is set for a source clip in the Viewer, Final Cut Express HD uses the end of the clip as the Out point. Likewise, if only an Out point has been specified in the Viewer, Final Cut Express HD uses the beginning of the clip as the In point. If youve only set an Out point in the Canvas or the Timeline, Final Cut Express HD assumes you want to backtime the edit, matching the Out point of the source clip with the Out point specified in your sequence. Exceptions to these rules: There are two exceptions to the Final Cut Express HD three-point editing rule: Fit to fill edits: This type of edit requires four specified points, because Final Cut Express HD adjusts the speed of the source clip, slowing it down or speeding it up to fill the specified duration in the sequence. Replace edits: For this type of edit, any In or Out points you set in the Viewer are ignored. If no In or Out points have been set in your sequence, Final Cut Express HD uses the boundaries of the clip currently at the playheads location in the Canvas as sequence In and Out points. The replace edit is used to replace all or part of a single clip in your sequence. Also, sequence In and Out points and destination tracks dont always apply when you drag a clip directly into the Timeline to perform an edit. For more information on fit to fill and replace edits, see Final Cut Express Help, Chapter 19, Advanced Editing and Trimming Techniques.

Creating Title Text

You use the Text generator to create the text for the title clips in your movie. To create text: 1 Open the Generator pop-up menu, choose Text, then Text again to open the Text generator. 2 Click the Controls tab in the Viewer to view the Text generators controls. 3 Enter the text for your title in the Text field, then specify your settings in the Controls tab.
Enter title text in this field.
Parameter controls for the Text generator
4 Save your project. You are now ready to add your title to your sequence.
Adding a Title to a Sequence
You add a title to your sequence the same way in which you add a clip. To add your title to a sequence: 1 In the Timeline, set your Destination track to V3 by dragging the V1 Source control to the Destination control on track V3.
Drag the Source control to destination track V3.
2 Set the In and Out points where you want your title to begin and end by pressing I where you want the title to start in your sequence and O where you want the title to end.
Set the In and Out points for the duration of the title clip.
3 Place the playhead at the In point. 4 Click the Video tab in the Viewer. 5 Control-click the scrubber bar, then choose Clear Out to remove the Out point on the title clip.
Removing the Out point ensures the title clip has enough content to fill the space between the In and Out points set in the Timeline.
6 Perform an Overwrite edit by dragging the title clip from the Viewer to the Overwrite section of the Edit Overlay in the Canvas.
The title track appears in track V3.
Your new title appears in track V3 over your video. 7 Save your project.

Using Lower-Thirds

When youre watching the news and the reporters name is displayed at the bottom of the screen, thats an example of lower-thirds. Lower-thirds provide information about a person or location displayed on the screen. The text is presented at the bottom-third of the screen so as not to cover up the persons face or draw undue attention from the location on display.

Tips for Making Terrific-Looking Titles
DV was designed for real-world images that blend together, and it is not optimized for the rigid lines of text. Therefore, apply the tips below to achieve better-looking fonts. Only use san serif fonts, such as: Arial Futura Gill Sans Helvetica Impact Use the bold font style. Do not use white or black as a font color. Do not use a font smaller than 25 point. Reduce opacity of the text clip to 90%.

Sharing Your Movie

When your video and audio are ready for playback, its time to make your movie available to others.
There are three easy ways to share a Final Cut Express HD project: export it for use on a DVD, distribute it over the web, or make a videotape.
Preparing your Final Cut Express HD movie for use in a DVD authoring tool such as iDVD is easy. Final Cut Express HD uses the QuickTime.mov file format and feature set for export. QuickTime is Apples cross-platform multimedia technology widely used for editing, CD-ROM, web video, and more. To export a QuickTime movie for use in iDVD: 1 Select a clip or sequence in the Browser or open a sequence in the Timeline. 2 Make sure to clear all In and Out points in the Timeline by Control-clicking in the Timeline, then choosing Clear In and Out. 3 Choose File > Export > QuickTime Movie.
4 Choose a location and enter a name for the file. Tip: To easily find your movie when exporting is finished, its a good idea to choose the Desktop for the location. Its also a good idea to verify you have enough disk space before exporting your movie. See Determining How Much Disk Space You Need on page 39.
5 Choose Audio and Video from the Include pop-up menu. 6 Choose Chapter Markers from the Markers pop-up menu. Note: For information on how to set DVD chapter markers (targets for DVD chapter separation), see Final Cut Express Help, Chapter 17, Using Markers and Subclips. 7 Make sure the Make Movie Self-Contained checkbox is selected. 8 When youre ready to export, click Save.
To cancel your export, press Esc or click Cancel. When Final Cut Express HD has finished exporting your movie, open it in iDVD and begin authoring your DVD.
Chapter 10 Sharing Your Movie

Exporting for the Web

If you want to stream your movie on the web, use QuickTime to create an MPEG-4 movie. MPEG-4 is an open standard video format intended for cross-platform, Internet, and multimedia delivery of video and audio content. For more information about MPEG-4, see Final Cut Express Help, Chapter 37, QuickTime Export of Video, Images, and Sound. To export a QuickTime movie for the web: 1 Select a clip or sequence in the Browser or open a sequence in the Timeline. 2 Make sure to clear all In and Out points in the Timeline by Control-clicking in the Timeline, then choosing Clear In and Out from the shortcut menu. 3 Choose File > Export > Using QuickTime Conversion. 4 Choose a location and enter a name for the file.

Problems Playing a Reference Movie
This section deals with issues encountered while playing a reference movie and the solution to these issues. Youre having problems playing a reference movie. If you encounter playback problems with a reference movie, export the media as a selfcontained movie (which includes all its media files), and not as a QuickTime reference movie. To do this, make sure there is a checkmark in the Make Movie Self-Contained checkbox in the Export dialog. For more information, see Final Cut Express Help, Chapter 37, QuickTime Export of Video, Images, and Sound.

AppleCare Support

Included in yourFinal Cut Express HD package is the Apple Software Service & Support Guide that provides information about the support options available from Apple. Several levels of support are available, depending on your needs. In addition, there are numerous online resources within the Apple Service & Support website that provide valuable information and instruction. Find answers to support questions and share and exchange valuable information with a community of experienced users at http://www.apple.com/support. Whatever your issue, its a good idea to have the following information immediately available when contacting AppleCare Support. The more of this information you have ready to give to the support agents, the faster they will be able to address your issue.
The registration number that came with Final Cut Express HD. This number is different
from the software serial number that is used to activate your copy of Final Cut Express HD. Which version of Mac OS X you have installed. This information is available by choosing Apple menu > About This Mac. The version of Final Cut Express HD you have installed, including updates if applicable. The version number can be viewed by choosing Final Cut Express HD > About Final Cut Express HD. The model of computer you are using How much RAM is installed in your computer, and how much is available to Final Cut Express HD. You can find out how much RAM is installed by choosing Apple menu > About This Mac. The amount of RAM available to Final Cut Express HD can be found in the Memory Usage section in the Memory & Cache tab of the System Settings window. What other third-party hardware is connected to or installed in the computer, and who are the manufacturers. Include hard disks, video cards, and so on. Any third-party plug-ins or other software installed along with Final Cut Express HD
AppleCare Support can be reached online at http://www.info.apple.com/usen/ finalcutexpress.
audio clip A media clip containing audio samples. Auto Render A feature that allows Final Cut Express HD to render open sequences whenever a specified number of idle minutes has passed. batch capture A process in which information stored in clips is used to control the deck or camcorder to automatically capture, or digitize, the video or audio material that corresponds to each clip. bin A folder inside of the Browser that can contain clips, transitions, effects, and generators. You use bins to organize these elements, sort them, add comments, rename items, and so on. capture To move NTSC or PAL video or audio from tape to a digital format for use by Final Cut Express HD. Also called digitizing video. Captured video clips appear on the specified scratch disk as a series of QuickTime movie files. capture rate Used to describe the number of times per second that a picture is taken or captured in an imaging system. In a progressive system, the capture rate is equal to the frame rate. In an interlaced system, the capture rate is double the frame rate because at each capture interval, only one field (a half resolution image) is acquired. It takes two fields to make a complete frame. It is standard practice to refer to the capture rate of an image as well as how it is captured when describing it instead of the frame rate. Examples include: 60i (60 captures, 30 frames per second), 30P (30 captures, 30 frames per second), and 60P (60 captures, 60 frames per second). See also interlaced video. Capture window The window used to enter information about clips from source tapes, and to capture clips so you can edit them. clip A media file containing video, audio, graphics, or any other content imported into Final Cut Express HD. editing The process of combining and arranging audio, video, effects, transitions, and graphics in a sequence to produce a program.