Having problem with FCP 5.1.4 adding transitions. Just new to this app.

Have you rendered the transitions?

Are you using FCP 5 friendly source material?

MtD

Just to clarify, by "FCP 5 friendly source material," he means video files that are a format (codec) that FCP 5 supports. What FCP 5 supports can be found in the EASY SETUP list. If the format you are working with isn't there, say if your footage is H.264 or MP4 or some other web compressed format, FCP won't work properly. It needs to be in an editing codec if you want FCP 5 to work with it.

Also, you need to make sure that your sequence settings match the settings of the footage you are trying to edit. If you add a clip to the sequence, and immediately have to render, that's a big clue to say that something isn't right. You should edit without rendering at all.

The most important thing you need to do is properly set up your project from the start, and the best way to do this is to choose a setting from the Easy Setups, located under the Final Cut Pro menu. Once you do this, you’ll need to create a new sequence. This is because the sequence that is already in your new project is setup for the typical default setting of DV/NTSC, or for the settings of your last project, which might not match what you are currently working with. So delete SEQUENCE 1 and create a new sequence:

This new sequence will contain the settings you chose in the Easy Setup menu, and should match the format you captured

So, did you import it with the IMPORT PANASONIC P2 option? So the footage is DVCPRO HD...is the sequence also DVCPRO HD?

Yeah...wrong codec. The HVX-200 shoots DVCPRO HD...a vastly superior format to HDV. HDV is a very funky format...so putting DVCPRO HD into an HDV sequence is most likely the issue. Anything not HDV in an HDV sequence will cause issues, because the format is GOP...that is to say there are 3 real frames, and then the in-between frames are comprised of a "Group of Pictures" (GOP) that guesstimate what the other frames will be. It's odd. DVCPRO HD is a full frame format...so 30 real frames (well, 60 real interlaced fields).

Do you have sufficient handles on those clips?

http://www.larryjordan.biz/a-matter-of-handles/

MtD

Yes.

Your transition(s) cannot exceed the duration of the handles on your incoming and outgoing clips.

If you place two clips on the timeline with only 4 frames of handles on both, then your longest transition will be an 8 frame transition. If you try to place a 30 frame dissolve there, FCP will automatically shorten the dissolve to fit and make it 8 frames instead.

MtD

Yes. This is why on the set of features and TV shows, they say "Roll sound....roll camera....slate it...aaaaaaannnd...ACTION!" There's LOT of pre-roll happening. And when the shot ends, they wait 5-10 seconds before they yell "cut!"

Always start recording before you start filming the action you want, and let the camera go for a few seconds after the action ends. Get in this habit.

Yes. Record lots and lots of extra stuff. When we used to shoot film, it was expensive to keep rolling - now there is no excuse not to. My experience is that when people start out in video production, they try to shoot as little as possible - but actually you want to shoot as much as possible. When you start editing, you never know what will end up in the final piece . . . .

MtD