You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

📢 Newsroom Update

Final Cut Pro 11 begins a new chapter for video editing on Mac. Learn more >

Alert from FCP with QT Movies

I am a total beginner with FCP, have just downloaded the demo. I wanted to start practicing with a few files from a recent vacation taken on an iPhone. Those files have been transferred to my Mac and show up as "Quicktime " files on my external drive. They import into Final Cut OK (though I never found the dialog that is supposed to ask me whether I want to copy or use SOURCE file).....but when I drag one of the movies onto the timeline, I get the attached alert....any advice?


Posted on Oct 21, 2024 11:38 AM

Reply
6 replies

Oct 22, 2024 7:04 AM in response to Tom Hartman1

When you use the Import command via the File menu, or tool bar, you get the dialog window for Import settings.

When you drag-and-drop files into FCP, it relies on what is configured in the Settings > Import pane.

I find it totally baffling why these two are separate, and it confuses every beginner I've ever taught in a class, but Apple seems to have made this process more complicated than necessary.

Oct 21, 2024 11:51 AM in response to Tom Hartman1

It’s trying to set up a project for you at the correct specs.


For an excellent introduction to FCP start with Steve Martin’s 60 minute intro. 

Learn FCP in Under 60 Minutes - YouTube

There is also Final Cut Bro getting started 

 https://youtu.be/L3bZ-ETKZ8U

For a more in depth introduction use the Izzy video tutorials. The version is a bit dated but the principles are the same.

Final Cut Pro Tutorial | Izzy Video

Oct 24, 2024 10:57 AM in response to BenB

Thanks Ben. Since you have taught this program, you are probably a great person to ask the following:


I am a music producer and am wondering what the best procedure is to score videos I make in FCP.

I need to export an edited video so I can import into Pro Tools or Cubase, then take the music I record there and import it back into FCP. Great image quality is not important for the temporary video I would need while scoring.

Thanks much!

Oct 24, 2024 3:05 PM in response to Tom Hartman1

You can export a reference video as a small H.264 movie. The Apple Devices 720p output could work well (1280x720) and wouldn't take up too much screen real estate, or you could go with a smaller frame size using the Export File default output and set the codec to H.264 Single pass and a frame size that you like. ProTools might want you to rename the Apple Devices .m4v output to .mp4.

Alert from FCP with QT Movies

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.