How to insert a black space at the beginning of a timeline

The quickest way is to click the P key which will turn the cursor into the Place Tool.

You can then select the clip in your timeline and drag it to the right as many seconds as you want black.

If you have a timeline full of clips you will have to select them all and drag the first.

When finished click the A key to return the cursor to its normal Select setting.

The quickest way is to move the playhead to the beginning and press Opt-W for a gap clip. Ripple it to make it however long you want.

Trust you to always know the best way Tom!

Actually, if there is only one clip in the timeline, which admittedly is less likely, my way is marginally faster but if there's more than one, yours wins hands down.

Apologies, it's not because having finished you have to hit the A key again . . . probably neck and neck with just one clip.

Except that I have just noticed you also have to put the playhead at the start!

I'll shut up.

Message was edited by: Ian R. Brown

slobberingdog wrote:

I have figured out how to drop an audio file into the timeline and add some title effects to the beginning. But now i want to add a black space at the beginning.

Is there an easy way to do this that I have simply missed - I have spent several hours trying to find a way to do it...

In my opinion, Tom deserved the 'Correct answer' because the question was not about altering the Gap Clip, just how to insert it - but Ian's way is great too.

Don't you just love FCP X when it's going well.

Andy

Don't worry Craig. Both answers are correct so you didn't do anything wrong. I was splitting hairs!

It was good of you to mark the answers - many don't bother.

Andy

But now i want to add a black space at the beginning.

Maybe I am misunderstanding the whole thing, but is he not asking for: Edit - Insert generator - Gap ?

Yes - and the quickest way to do that is as Tom said:

Press Option (the Alt Key) +W.

Andy

You are right Andy, I am still learning to use the keyboard commands more.

Best

Innicentius

Also, what I have found is really fast, (and again, if you have a full timeline you need to select all the clips) is just hitting the nudge tool, which is < for left and > for right (comma and period) and it automatically creates black space in the void you created. Hope this helps!