kfcp: How do I do Picture-In-Picture?

To do Picture-in-Picture (PIP), start with at least 2 video tracks with the clip/s to go inside on the upper tracks.
- Double-click an upper clip to open it in the Viewer window.
- In the Viewer, click on the Motion tab.
- Use the Crop settings to just chop the edges off the top clip until you have the portion you want to show, or Scale it to show all of the upper clip (Under 'Basic Motion').
- For multiple PIPs, repeat for each clip. Use the Center button (also under 'Basic Motion') to arrange each clip on the screen.

To change these effects over time (eg have the PIP grow or shrink or move around the screen) use Keyframing.
- In the Viewer, click on the Motion tab and place the playhead where you want to start the effect.
- Make your settings for how the effect should start out (eg Crop or Scale, adjust the Center)
- Click the Insert Keyframe button for an individual setting or hit Ctrl-k to record all the settings at that frame.
- Move the playhead to where you want the effect to ‘arrive?. For example, you might want the PIP to shrink up to a small PIP in the top corner, define the Crop or Scale settings and adjust the Center accordingly.
- Click the Keyframe button or Ctrl-k.
FCP will then calculate the PIP changes for all the frames in between these two keyframes.

Read the chapter “Animating Visual Effects using Keyframes? in Volume 3 of the manual for details on adjusting how FCP does this ‘in-betweening? using Smoothing and Bezier handles. (Try Ctrl-clicking your keyframes and select Smooth for starters...)

You could add a transition to the out-point of an upper PIP clip to have it dissappear creatively or simply cut it with the razor tool for it to dissappear.

You can watch these effects without rendering by nudging the playhead (press and/or hold the right arrow key). It’s not real-time, but you can see them changing over time.

Experiment!