Sequences (like FCP 7)

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Level 1

4 points

Sequences (like FCP 7)

It seems Projects are quite simpler to FCP 7 sequences but if I have a load is there a quick way of switching between them. Watched a FCP 10.1 tutorial and they used the Real icon to get a list but this does not seem to exist. Or Do I use compound Clips?

In FCP7 7 a lot of editors used sequences to collect together footage (not bins as you cant quickly scrub through them). So I may have all the exterior fairground shots in a sequences and when I need a exterior fairground cutaway I would go to this sequence to find one. I am trying to find the best way to do this type of tasks in FCP X?

Posted on May 27, 2015 11:34 AM

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Answer 1

Russ H

Level 7

22,432 points

May 27, 2015 2:25 PM in response to funkytwig

Double-click.

Russ

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Answer 2

funkytwig Author

Level 1

4 points

May 27, 2015 2:43 PM in response to Russ H

Thanks, it turns out compound clips are a lot more like sequences, mainly because you can next them.

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Answer 3

BenB

Level 6

12,103 points

May 27, 2015 4:07 PM in response to funkytwig

If you try to use FCPX like you did FCP 7, you're going to run into a LOT of problems. I've taught it more than I can remember, and to be successful, use the media management tools in FCPX, don't use it like 7, don't use Sequences as clip collections. That will slow you down, was never a good idea IMHO. In X, you use keywords, smart collections, events, libraries. Way faster, way easier, way more intuitive.

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Answer 4

funkytwig Author

Level 1

4 points

May 28, 2015 7:59 AM in response to BenB

OK but don't forget about markers, they seem to be the only way of labelling a section of clip with something unique. For example I want to not down that a character is talking about his time in Sheffield, he may be the only time that anyone talks about this so creating a keyword specifically and adding the section of it to it is a lot more fiddly than Commant+M and typing 'talks about Sheffield'. I sometimes have 30+ comments on a interview, I don't want 100s of keywords all with one thing in them.

Are you teaching editing or how to use FCPx. I have vary rarely seen them taught together (I am talking long form procedures and processes, not the technical aspects of how to use the software)?. Thinks get a lot more involved whn you go from a 5 minute short to a long form feature.

On the Compound Clip side of things I don't think FCPx (unlike avid) allow you to colour code clips (i.e. using colour coding so you can see where scenes start etc).. Within a act you may sequences (not to be confused with the technical term used in editing, where are scenes that live together and generally are moved together). Marking and labelling them is very useful so you can easily see where things are on the timeline and how long they are. Its a great way of managing and moving things around a long time-line, the compound clips can always be expanded later for fine cutting.

Also if you have a number of clips from the same media file and you rename one it renames them all (in the library). Again it may be a unique name for the clip so keywords are not appropriate. Markers seem the only way of labelling them.

Ben

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Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,082 points

May 28, 2015 8:14 AM in response to funkytwig

Don't use keywords for this. Use favorites. Markers are frame specific. Favorites have durations. Change "favorites" to "talks about Sheffield" or just "Sheffield"

(Cmd-M is minimize.)

Nested sequences had major problems in 7 in output and in collaborative environments. Compounds unfortunately have similar problems and should be broken apart.

Skimming clip filmstrips in a large browser window is really a much more pleasant, creative, and efficient way of working than scrubbing a gray bar in a timeline. I've never seen the great benefit of compounds in the browser in FCPX, though cutting sequences for clips in 7 was really necessary because there's no way to actually see the material without opening the shots.

FCPX takes time to get used to, but as BenB said, trying to make is work like other applications generally just leads to high levels of frustration.

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Answer 6

funkytwig Author

Level 1

4 points

May 28, 2015 9:11 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

OK, thanks, so you can label favourites, that will do (although it is kind of subverting what they are used for as its just logging stuff, not saying it is good, but this is fine. Did a bit of gooogeling and read some stuff and watched some tutorials but how do you label the favourite?

Dont understand what you mean by "(Cmd-M is minimize.)".

Skimming does not work if lots of stuff looks smeller, compound clips (expanded after used) works great for me, everyone has there preferences. It has the advantage that I can see written what each section of the timeline what it is about and I can move them about.

Thanks,

Ben

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Answer 7

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,082 points

May 28, 2015 9:16 AM in response to funkytwig

YYou don't have to skim in the browser, you can play at normal or high speed just like anywhere.

(In the message above you wrote Cmd-M for marker I think. Cmd-M is minimize; just m is the marker shortcut.)

In list view you can change the name Favorite to something else.

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Answer 8

funkytwig Author

Level 1

4 points

May 28, 2015 9:43 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Wow, that is very fiddly. With markers I can stomp through the footage doing Cmd-M to add markers very quickly, press return and hit space to continue. To rename favourites I have to move the mouse down to the favourites and double click on it and rename.

Would work if there was a shortcut to mark and name them like there is with markers but without that is would really slow me down.

Ben

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