CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN.

INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN

TUTORIAL 6: FINAL CUT PRO

MODULE I 2. From the File menu, choose New Project. A new project loads into the Final Cut
screen. The Browser window in the lower left hand corner is blank except for one
INTRODUCTION: LET'S SEE IT item, labeled "Sequence 1." The viewers to the left and right at the top of the screen
are black. No video has been imported for the project.
Final Cut's interface of multiple windows makes editing less complicated for novices. In one 3. From the File menu, choose Import, then Files … Find the files "tiger.mov",
window, a single clip from a video can be played, while in another, the entire project can be "dolphin.mov", "dolphins.mov", "bison.mov", "shark.mov" and "goldfish.mov" which
played once the clips are placed in order. Another window handles the sequence of clips, should have been downloaded at the start of this module. Click on all of the files, and
while the Browser window keeps track of all the clips that could be used in the project, both then click Open.
audio and video. This interface helps novices organize their material. 4. TIP: To bring in multiple files from the same location at the same time, hold the shift
key down on the keyboard and click each in turn, then click Open. All the files will
In this module, students will learn how to place clips in order and manipulate them, edit the open into Final Cut.
clips, and add transitions between clips. 5. Each file appears in the Browser window in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.
The Browser window keeps track of all the files within a video project.
I. Sequencing
II. Manipulating clips
III. Editing clips
IV. Transitions

This module uses the clip files "dolphins.mov", "goldfish.mov", "shark.mov", "bison.mov",
"tiger.mov" and "dolphin.mov". None of these clip files have associated audio files.
Download these files before proceeding.

I. SEQUENCING

Sequencing is the order in which clips are placed. Sequencing in a video provides important
cues for viewers of the finished product. In a commercial for ice cream, for example,
frequent, well-placed clips of ice cream cue viewers into the idea that ice cream is somehow
important. In a news segment, the placement and duration of an interview clip tells viewers
something about the perceived significance of the subject. The longer the clip is, the more
important the subject. The first or last interview subject in a video can also be considered the
"most important," especially when placed against other interview subjects with contradictory
views. The first and last voices a viewer hears are the most likely to have an impact.
5. A shortcut menu appears. On it, the options for viewing the clips in the Browser
This concept should be kept in mind when starting to plan a video project. Its purpose,
window are located. Its first setting is "View as List." Choose "View as Large Icons."
whether it's news, documentary, or other, should help direct the shooting of the video.
This view shows the clips as pictures, so they can be identified more easily.
Sometimes, as images appear in the camera's viewfinder, the sequence, the order in which
the finished video will be put together is clear. If the video is of a news event, for example,
the clips should go in the order in which events occurred. If the video is going to be part of a
documentary, the producer has to think about where that footage will appear within the film.
What will have the most impact? When will it have the most impact?

Another thing to consider is the choice and duration of the clips. An hour of footage might in
the end be boiled down to a thirty-second news segment. The choice of clips and how they
fit together becomes critical to telling a long story in a short amount of time. What clips will
tell this story quickly? What part of the clip is absolutely essential in telling the story?

In the end, the choice and duration of clips, as well as the order in which they're placed, is
very important. In this step, tutorial students will place clips in order.

1 2
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
6. Click on the text of "Sequence 1." The text highlights in a box. Rename the
"Sequence 1" by typing over the text. Type "Animals" and press the Enter key on the
keyboard.
7. To the right of the Browser window is the Timeline window. In this window, clips are
placed in order and manipulated to form the final project. In the Browser window,
click on the "Goldfish" file, hold the mouse button down, and drag it to the start of the
Timeline in the center of the screen. Let go of the mouse. The image drop into the
sequence where placed.
8. Repeat step 7 for the files "tiger.mov", "shark.mov", "dolphin.mov", "bison.mov", and
"dolphins.mov" Drop the files next to each other, in order, on the timeline.
9. Save the project.
10. The left viewer window plays the individual clips that are selected in the Browser
window. The right viewer window plays all the clips in order. At the top of the
Timeline box, a yellow down arrow marks the end of a sequence. Click and drag the
arrow all the way to the left, then click the Play button in the right viewer window.
11. The clips play in order.
The Final Cut Pro screen should now display the six clips listed in the Browser window at the
bottom left side of the screen and the six clips in order in the Timeline window. Above, in the
right hand viewer, the video will play the clips in order. The screen should look something
like this:
In this step, students have learned how to drag and drop clips into the Timeline sequence to
place them in order for a finished video project.
3 4
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
II. MANIPULATING CLIPS
In the previous module, six clips were added to the Timeline window creating a sequence of
several animals in water. After playing the clips as a sequence, it became apparent that the
order in which the clips were dropped into the sequence should be changed to make a more
compelling narrative. In fact, two of the clips don't appear to fit in with the sequence at all.
In this module, students will learn how to change the order of clips in a sequence and delete
unwanted clips.
1. Click on the Bison clip. Its edges turn brown, indicating that it's selected. On the
keyboard, press the Delete key.
2. The clip disappears from the Timeline, but not from the Browser window.
3. Click on the Tiger clip. Its edges turn brown, indicating that it's selected. From the
Edit menu, choose Cut.
4. The clip disappears from the Timeline, but not from the Browser window. In addition,
a copy of this clip is in the computer's memory, and can be "pasted" into a new
sequence.
5. From the File menu, choose New. A list of choices appears. Choose Sequence…
6. A new Sequence loads into the Browser window, called "Sequence 2". The text is
highlighted so it can be renamed immediately. Call this "Land Animals."
7. In the Timeline window, "Land Animals" appears as a second tab. Click on the Land
Animals tab.
8. From the Edit menu, choose Paste. The Tiger clip appears in the Timeline.
9. Click on the Animals tab. The other sequence appears. Gaps appear where the
Bison and Tiger clips used to be located.
10. Click on the Dolphins clip. Its edges brown, indicating it's selected. Point the mouse
arrow at the clip. It will turn into a cross. This is the selector tool. With this active,
click on the Dolphins clip and drag it to the gap left by the Tiger clip.
11. Play the sequence. The Dolphins clip looks better where it was. Drag it back.
12. Play the sequence again. Gaps remain where the Bison and Tiger clips were located.
Drag the remaining clips closer together.
13. Play the sequence. The narrative is more logical than it was before moving the clips
around.
14. Save the project.
The Final Cut screen should continue to display all six clips in the Browser window, but only
four clips will show up in the Timeline sequence in this order: Goldfish, Shark, Dolphin,
Dolphins. The right viewer should be ready to play the sequence. The screen should look
something like this:
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
III. EDITING CLIPS
In the previous step, four clips were left in the Timeline window to create a sequence of
about 36 seconds long. The Goldfish clip alone takes up more than 17 seconds of that time,
the Shark clip is too dark - and has shaky camera work - at the beginning, and the dolphin
clips are short compared with the rest of the sequence. In short, it needs much more work
before it can become a broadcast worthy segment.
This step will demonstrate how to cut clips short and manipulate them. The goal is to fit the
video into 20 seconds, which is a typical time allotted for video segments on newscasts.
1. Double-click on the Goldfish clip in the Timeline, and then look at the viewer on the
upper-left hand side of the screen. At the top of the viewer, two timers display. The
left timer displays the duration of this particular clip in the sequence. Play the clip by
clicking the Play button at the bottom of the viewer.
2. All 17 seconds of footage plays, which is too long for the video's purpose. Look at the
bottom of the viewer screen. A long bar, similar to a scroll bar, runs left to right at the
bottom of the screen. At each end, arrows mark the in and out points of the clip -
where it will start and where it will end. Play the clip again. Only 10 seconds or so are
needed.
3. Drag the left arrow to the start of the section you want to keep. Drag the right arrow
to the end of the section you want to keep. The amount of time used is reflected in
the timer in the upper left-hand corner. Drag until the timing - the clip selection - is
what you want.
TIP: Time can also be set by dragging the left arrow to the start of a clip and typing the
duration wanted into the timer. In this case, it’s:10. Another method to set the time is to drag
the edges of the clip as displayed in the Timeline window.
5 6
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
4. Look at the Timeline window. The Goldfish clip has shortened. Play the clip in the
right viewer. A gap now exists between the Goldfish and Shark clips. Click on the
Shark clip in the Timeline window. Its edges turn brown, indicating that it has been
selected. Move the mouse pointer over the top of the clip. It should turn into a cross.
This is a selector cursor. With that cross active, click on the Shark clip and drag it to
the left. Drop it to the right of the Goldfish clip. It should snap into place.
5. Following the directions in step 4, drag and drop the dolphin clips into place so no
gaps remain.
6. Play the sequence in the right viewer by clicking the play button. The shortened
sequence runs about 26 seconds. Another clip must be shortened.
7. Double-click on the Shark clip. This activates the clip in the left viewer window. Play
the clip.
8. The opening sequence is so dark that the shark cannot be seen. Drag the left slider
arrow at the bottom of the window to set a different In point at the first place the shark
can be clearly seen.
9. Play the sequence in the right viewer. A gap appears between the Goldfish and the
Shark clips. Following the directions in step 4, drag the Shark clip to the left, closing
the gap. Do the same with the dolphin clips.
10. Play the sequence again. It should be less than 20 seconds. If not, follow the
techniques described here to shorten the clips.
11. Save the project.
The Final Cut screen should display all six clips in the Browser window, and in the Timeline
window, the four aquarium pictures should be displayed in sequence. When the Goldfish and
Shark clips were shortened, the space they took up in the Timeline window should also have
shortened. The screen should look something like this:
So far, students have learned how to add clips to a sequence, change their order, delete
unwanted clips, and shorten clips to fit within a specific time frame.
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN

IV. TRANSITIONS

The clips have been chosen, placed in the correct order and shortened to fit the time allowed
by the project. When the sequence is played, the clips move abruptly from one to another.
This abrupt change between each clip is called a cut. A cut is one form of transition between
clips, and it is the probably the most useful. It's quick, and with good audio providing
transition, the visual will make sense.

As the clips have no sound at this point, there are no audio transitions. Viewers of this
sequence simply see the goldfish, then the shark, then a single dolphin, then two dolphins
jumping out of a tank. The story cannot be easily followed; at this point, these are random
visual images strung together. Good visual transitions, through the use of effects, can help
tell this story.

The instructions given here will demonstrate how to create visual transitions between two
clips.

Play the sequence in the right viewer. Notice the timing and pace of the cuts between
each clip. Note the time each cut occurs by looking at the timer in the upper left hand
corner.
TIP: If the sequence won't play, remember to drag the yellow arrow at the top of the Timeline
box back to the beginning of the selection first.
Following the directions in this step, students now have the tools they need to create other
kinds of effects between shots by using a little imagination and the transition effects
available in Final Cut.
In this module, students have learned how to put clips in order, move them around, delete
them, cut and paste them into other sequences, shorten them to fit an allotted time slot, and
add transitions between clips. In the next module, sound will be added to the mix.

2. In the Timeline window, click between the Goldfish clip and the Shark clip. An area
separate from the two clips, but contained between them, darkens and is tinted
brown. This is the cut area.
3. From the Effects menu, choose Video Transitions. A list of transitions appears.
Choose Fade In-Fade Out Dissolve. The Goldfish clip will fade to be replaced by the
Shark clip.
4. In order for the transition to take place, the video must be rendered, that is, put
together with the transition. From the Sequence menu, choose Render All. This
process might take a few seconds, as the entire sequence is played through and
interpreted as one clip.
5. Play the sequence. The goldfish becomes the shark in one dissolve shot, faded
through the black background.
6. Save your project.

A variety of other effects to try can be found from the effects menu. In all cases, the
procedure is the same: Select the space between clips, go to the Effects menu, and choose
an effect. It's a good idea to try these out in practice to see what they will do.

Now that the sequence has been finished, except for sound, the Final Cut screen should
display all six clips in the Browser window, and a finished, long clip in the Timeline window.
Between the Goldfish and Shark clips, a symbol displays indicating a transition effect is
located there. If other effects were employed between the other clips, those also will be
marked with a symbol. The screen should look something like this:

7 8
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN

MODULE II
INTRODUCTION: LET'S HEAR IT
In previous modules, students learned how to bring video clips into Final Cut Pro using a
digital video camera, how to load digitized files, how to order and cut them in the Timeline
area of Final Cut, and how to add basic visual transition effects. Up until this point, the
discussions have focused on video only. However, video is only part of the final project.
Sound can enhance or detract from a good quality video. For professional projects with a
reasonably good budget, the services of an audio studio are usually used in post-production.
However, Final Cut Pro does have basic tools producers can use to make include sound in
their project.
click on each file, then click Open. All the files should load into the Final Cut's
Browser window.
5. Click on the text "Sequence 1" in the Browser window. The text will turn blue, and a
faint black line will appear around it. Type: "Soldiers." This is the name of the new
sequence.
6. Click on the file march.mov in the Browser window, and drag it to the Timeline
window, placing it first in the sequence. Three tracks will appear in the Timeline
window: one visual and two audio.

In this module, students will learn how to work with natural sound and add audio files, such
as music or a voiceover, to a project. This module also discusses using audio in combination
with video as a transition between clips.

I. NAT sound
II. Adding audio: Music from video
III. Adding audio: Music from file
IV. Adding audio: Voiceover
V. Audio transitions

This module requires downloading of four video files and two audio files. The video files are:
march.mov, musket.mov, cannon.mov, and fort.mov. The audio files are fife.mov and
mtaps.wav. These files should be downloaded before proceeding.
7. If necessary, drag the yellow down arrow at the top of the Timeline window to the
start of the clip, then click the Play button in the Canvas window (the right-hand
I. NAT SOUND viewer). The clip plays. It is 13 seconds long.

Most video camera operators capture sound along with the pictures they are taking for their 8. Double-click the clip. It will also load into the left viewer. Look at the top of the left
projects. The sounds that naturally occur through the course of taping are considered natural viewer. Five tabs appear: Video, Ch1, Ch2, Filters, and Motion. The Video tab is
sound, which is abbreviated NAT in shooting scripts. Natural sound at parades, for example, where the image appears. Ch1 and Ch2 show the different sound tracks already
can include crowd noise and marching bands. attached to the video. Filters and Motion govern some of the special effects that can
be done with the video. Click on the Ch1 tab.
Natural sound is probably the most widely used form of audio for video projects. It requires
no special work other than the use of a microphone at the scene of taping, and it usually
provides balance to the visuals. In some cases, such as in interviews, the audio is essential
to the rest of the piece.

Up until this point in the tutorial, video clips without sound have provided a visual reference
point for learning about how to organize and work with clips. In this step, however, clips with
audio will be imported and organized. Along the way, audio terms and concepts as
connected with Final Cut Pro will be explained.

1. From the File menu, choose New Project. A new project will load into Final Cut Pro.
2. From the File menu, choose Save Project … The Save Project As… dialog box will
open. Find the local storage folder, rename the file "Soldiers," and click Save.
3. From the File menu, choose Import, then Files …
4. Find the Files march.mov, musket.mov, cannon.mov, fort.mov, and fife.mov. They
should all have been downloaded into the same folder. Holding the Shift key down,

9 10
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN

9. In the middle of the left viewer, a series of lines, similar to a seismograph, shows a
visual image of the sound. Taller points indicate louder or higher sounds, while
shorter points indicate deeper or quieter sounds. At the top of the window,
underneath the tabs, notice that this file has both Ch1 and Ch2 sounds listed as one.
This is because when the file was captured from video, on the Clip Settings tab in
Log and Capture, the Aud + Vid was chosen along with Ch1 + Ch2. This means both
of the tracks, or channels, have the same natural sound recorded.

10. Underneath, two slider bars appear. The first, marked dB, indicates volume by
decibel level. Play the clip. It's set to be fairly loud. Click the arrow in the slider bar by
dB and drag it to the right. Play the clip again. It's much louder. Drag the arrow in the
slider bar to the left, and play the clip again. It's much softer.
11. The second slider bar is marked by the word Pan. When sound is captured in a
stereo format, this slider allows students to swap tracks from left to right, or to adjust
volume independently by track. Try it. Since this clip was brought in equally on both
tracks, nothing significant will happen when this slider bar is dragged left or right.
12. To the right of these slider bars is a set of buttons that allows students to set a In this step, students have learned how to add clips with audio to a sequence and to adjust
specific key sound frame. This module does not use these buttons. To its right is a the volume of that sound in each channel. Students also now know how to turn the tracks off
button marked by an X. This button is the reset button. Clicking this button will reset and on in the Timeline window. The concepts that sound can function independently of
the sound to its original - natural - settings. Click the reset button. The sound goes video, and can be adjusted as such, should also now be established. In the next step, an
back to normal. outside audio file will be added, and the project will be adjusted to accommodate it.
13. In the Browser window, click on the file musket.mov, and drag it to the Timeline,
placing it next to March. It also has two channels of sound. II. ADDING AUDIO: MUSIC FROM VIDEO
14. In the Browser window, click on the file cannon.mov, and drag it to the Timeline,
placing it next to Musket. It has no sound. Music tied to visuals has a long history. The earliest cinema, for example, had only music
15. At the top of the Timeline window, drag the yellow down arrow to the start of the played live at the theater to accompany the film. More currently, music videos make specific
sequence, then click the Play button in the Canvas window (the right-hand viewer). songs the centerpieces of the experience, with visuals providing more of the story than
The sequence plays through, complete with sound. what's told through the lyrics.
16. Look at the left side of the Timeline window. Where the audio tracks are located,
small green boxes appear. When the boxes are green, the tracks will be played. Click
If carefully chosen, music also can cue viewers to what emotion is being conveyed in the
on the green boxes by the audio tracks to turn them off.
visuals. For that reason, music should be chosen carefully to reflect the mood of the video -
17. Drag the yellow down arrow at the top of the Timeline back to the start of the clip and
and in most straight news pieces, it should not be used at all except as natural sound at an
play again. No sound is heard. Click on the green box for audio track one, to turn it
event.
back on.
18. Drag the yellow down arrow back to the start of the clip and play again. The sound
has returned. In this step, students will learn how to add a file created by choosing Audio Only when
19. Save the project. digitizing video. This step uses the audio file fife.mov, which should have been downloaded
at the beginning of the module.
At this point in the module, the Browser window should show four movie clips and two sound
files, the Timeline window should have three clips listed in order, two with audio files, and the 1. Look in the Timeline window. Two audio tracks show, each with the same audio for
Canvas window in the upper right hand corner of the screen should show the final image of a the clips March and Musket. One track was turned off in the previous step. It will be
cannon firing. It should look something like this: left off. Music files will be added to the clip sequence.
2. In the browser window, click on the file fife.mov, and drag it to the Timeline window.
A third and fourth audio track will appear. Place the file at the start of the sequence
on audio track three. Fife.mov was brought into Final Cut Pro using the Audio Only
option, with both tracks, on Clip Settings tab when digitizing the video

3. Play the sequence through in the Canvas window. The music of the fife plays over
the drumbeats of the marches and the firing of the muskets. The clip is 38 seconds
long. The sequence is 45 seconds long. Some of the video should be trimmed.
4. Play the Cannon clip in the left viewer by double-clicking on the clip in the Timeline,
then clicking Play in the left viewer. This clip, which does not have sound, takes too
much time before the cannon fires, and the camera tilts at the very end of the
sequence. For these reasons, it's the best candidate for trimming.

11 12
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
5. Play the clip again. This time, drag the left arrow to the right, and the right arrow to
the left, shortening it at the beginning and end.
NOTE: For best results, trim about three seconds from the start and two from the end of the
Cannon clip.
6. Play the clip in the Timeline viewer to view the changes. If not satisfied, repeat step
5. When finished trimming the clip, click on it in the Timeline sequence to select it,
and drag it back to line up at the end of the Musket clip.
7. Drag the yellow arrow at the top of the Timeline window to the beginning of the
sequence and play through. The sound of the fife still falls short of the end of the
sequence.
8. In audio track three, click on the Fife audio clip to select it. The clip will darken to
brown. Click on it again and drag it to the right, aligning the end of the audio clip with
the end of the Cannon clip.
9. Play the sequence through again. The clips start with the rolling drums of the March
clip. The fife picks up and continues playing to the end of the Cannon clip, tying the
sequence together. Some overlap at the beginning muddles the sound.
10. Save your project.
In this step, students have learned how to add an audio file to the Timeline window and
reviewed how to trim clips in the Timeline window. The screen should look something like
this:
The audio file in this step was created from video by using the Audio Only option in the Clip
Settings tab of the Log and Capture window, and it was imported with the rest of the movie
files created in that manner. In the next step, students will learn how to import other sound
files and add them to a sequence.
13
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
III. ADDING AUDIO: MUSIC FROM FILE
In the previous step, an audio file created from video was added to a sequence in the
Timeline window. Creating audio files while digitizing video is the recommended way to bring
extra sound into a sequence. Final Cut Pro supports only .AIFF, Audio CD Data (Macintosh),
Sound, and Wave (.wav) files that can also be brought into a video sequence. Other types of
sound files may be converted using outside software.
This step demonstrates how to bring in a different audio file and place it into the Timeline
window.
1. From the File menu, choose Import, then Audio CD file …
2. Find the file mtaps.wav, which should have been downloaded.
3. Click on the mtaps.wav file, then click Open. The file will load into the Browser
window at the bottom left side of the screen.
4. Click on the mtaps.wav file and drag it to the Timeline window. Audio track five will
appear. Drop it in place so that the end of the clip lines up with the end of the Cannon
clip.
5. Drag the yellow arrow at the top of the Timeline window back to the beginning of the
sequence and click the Play button in the Canvas window (the right hand viewer) to
play it through. The music is a mess of jumbled tracks.
6. Turn the Fife tracks off by clicking the green buttons to the left of the tracks, and play
the sequence through again. The clips start with the roll of the drums and the march,
and the song "Taps" starts toward the end of the march and plays through to the end.
It's much more coherent.
7. Save the project.
In this step, students learned how to bring an external sound file into Final Cut Pro and add it
to the Timeline sequence. In the Timeline window, a single video track and five audio tracks
display, and four movie clips and two sound files appear in the Browser window. The screen
should look something like this:
14
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
Following the procedure listed here, students can bring in any supported sound file.
Prerecorded interviews, music and natural sound can all be brought in to the program using
the same steps. In the next step, recording a voiceover in Final Cut Pro will be covered.
IV. ADDING AUDIO: VOICEOVER
Voiceovers, or narration over visuals, allow producers to record someone talking about
what's being seen on the screen. In a finished video, the voice talks while other visuals scroll
in front of the viewer. Sometimes, an interview subject can provide the voiceover text. In an
interview, the video itself, usually of a talking head, is boring. But the sound is important.
Using the interview subject's speech while playing visuals that illustrate what he or she is
talking about is one way to create a voiceover. These kinds of voiceovers are prerecorded
on video and placed into the sequence on a separate track when digitized.
While the makers of Final Cut Pro don't recommend people use the built-in computer
microphone to create voiceovers because the audio quality tends to be poor, they do provide
a tool that allows them to do so.
A built-in or plugged in external microphone is required in order to complete this step.
Without them, students can still follow along and learn the process.
1. From the Tools menu, choose Voice Over. The Voice Over tool loads into the left
side of the screen, in a window called the Tool Bench.
15
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
2. Drag the yellow arrow at the top of the Timeline window to the left, just at the start of
the March clip. The voiceover will start recording there.
3. In the Tool Bench window, click the Record button. This looks like a round, red circle
just to the left of the "Ready to Record" message.
4. The recorder will count down from five before it begins to actually record. At zero,
begin speaking. Some sample text: "Soldiers at Historic Fort Snelling today
celebrated the Fourth of July with traditional marches, gun salutes and cannon fire,
all set in the year 1827. Crowds were lighter than in past years, but that didn't
dampen their enthusiasm."
5. The Record button has turned into a Stop button marked by a small black square.
Click the Stop button when finished recording.
6. The voiceover appears in audio track six. Drag the yellow arrow back to the start of
the sequence and play it through.
7. The voice is heard over the rolling drums and taps.
8. Save the project.
In this step, students learned how to record a voiceover directly in Final Cut Pro using their
computers' built-in microphones. A separate audio track automatically is created to contain
the new sound. The screen should look something like this:
V. AUDIO TRANSITIONS
Audio can serve as a transition from one clip to the next. In the work thus far on this module,
"Taps" serves as a transition from one scene to the next, as viewers follow the music. But
there are other techniques to help make sound work smoothly as transitional material. In this
step, students will learn turn down the volume on individual clips and use a silent video clip
to help smooth the transition between two audio clips. One of Final Cut Pro transition effects
will also be used.
1. Double-click on the Musket clip in the Timeline. It loads into the viewer on the left
side of the screen.
2. At the top of the viewer, click the Ch1 tab. This is the audio track that is turned on in
the Timeline sequence.
NOTE: If Ch2 is the track that is turned on, select the Ch2 tab.
16
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN

3. Next to dB, drag the slider to the left to turn the volume down on the Musket track to Other audio effects can be found by clicking between two audio tracks, going to the Effects
about -20. The loud voice of the commander talking in that track detracts from the menu, and selecting Audio. A cross dissolve - the only audio effect available - will blend two
overall mood of the piece, but the musket fire enhances it. Turning the volume down tracks together. This is used mainly for sound mixing that's more complicated than the files
slightly will help overcome this problem. used in this module, such as music stereo tracks, and will achieve no effect here.
4. Double-click on the March clip in the Timeline sequence to load it into the viewer on
the left side of the screen. In this step, students have learned how to use audio with video to create a simple transition
5. Click on the Ch1 tab. Drag the dB level to the left, again to about -20, to turn the and have learned a basic way to adjust sound by adjusting the volume on individual tracks or
volume down on that sound track alone. turning them off. All the elements of a finished video project now should be present on the
screen, which should look something like this:
6. Play the sequence through. Remember to drag the yellow arrow at the top of the
Timeline window to the start of the clip, if necessary, before clicking the Play button
in the Canvas window (the right-hand viewer). The softened volume on the clips
helps make 'Taps" stand out as the overall audio theme. The transition between the
March and Musket clips, however, is still a little rough.

TIP: If the music and the voiceover compete with each other too much, turn one or the other
down, as shown, or turn the voiceover off for this video.

7. In the Browser window, click on the Fort clip, and drag it to the Timeline above the
March and Musket clips. A new video track should appear. Drop it right above the
March and Musket clips so it bridges the two.

This step completes a module in which students have learned basic audio use in Final Cut
Pro. Throughout this module, students have learned how to add audio files from within Final
Cut, how to import other kinds of sound files, how to record a voiceover, and how to adjust
multiple audio tracks individually to create a polished final product. Students also learned
how to create a simple video transition using audio, and gathered tips on other kinds of
audio transitions.

INTRODUCTION: OUTPUT

The final step in finishing a video project is called output. In Final Cut Pro 3, producers have
the option to print their finished video on to tape, export it as a QuickTime movie file for web
streaming, or to export only the sound as an audio file.

To make the right decision for output, however, it's important to understand how two
8. Play the sequence through. The Fort clip, a panoramic shot, hides the abrupt cut concepts work together: File types, which are computer-based file extensions that tell
between March and Musket, so that viewers only hear the sound of "Taps" systems what equipment is necessary to run the file, and codecs, which are video
accelerating from the March. This is a simple video transition using audio. compression extensions for files based on mathematic models. File types determine
equipment; codecs determine compression.
TIP: Final Cut is set to snap clips into place, aligning them with clips in another track.
Snapping gives the program control of clip placement; the program will appear to In this module, students will learn about the different file types and codecs available in Final
grab the clip and place it in position. This is useful for precise alignment, but can be Cut Pro 3 before learning how to print to tape, create QuickTime movie files and to create
difficult to work with when trying to create this kind of bridge. This feature can be AIFF audio files.
turned off in the upper right corner of the Timeline window. The Snap button is
marked by a down arrow; if it displays as yellow, Snapping is on. Turn it off by I. File types and codecs
clicking on it. This will make it easier to slide the clip in exactly where it's needed. II. Exporting to QuickTime
III. Exporting audio only
9. Save the project. IV. Exporting a still image
V. Printing to tape

17 18
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN

I. FILE TYPES AND CODECS II. EXPORTING TO QUICKTIME

Video files take up a lot of computer storage space. Files used for this tutorial, for example,
ranged in size from a few kilobytes to 37 megabytes of storage space. (As a comparison, a
popular Anti-Virus software program is just over 11 megabytes when installed on a PC.) The
only way many computers can handle the large file sizes of digital video is to compress, or
shrink, them. The method used to compress a video is called a codec.
A number of codecs are available for use in Final Cut Pro, and others can be downloaded
from the web. Some can reduce the size of a file without losing image quality. Some reduce
the size of a file by eliminating parts of the clips, reducing image quality. Most use a
combination of compression methods in an attempt to strike a balance between file size and
quality.
QuickTime movies, as explained in the last step, have a file extension of .mov and can be
read by and viewed in both PC and Macintosh platforms. This is a significant advantage to
producers who are creating videos for distribution on the web, where most students are on
one of those two platforms.
In this step, the sequence Animals, created in Module II and modified in Module III, will be
made a QuickTime video.
1. If not already open, open the Zoo project.
2. Click on the Animals sequence in the Timeline window. The sequence of aquatic
animals displays.

The two primary methods used for video file compression are spatial and temporal. Spatial TIP: The sequence to be exported must be open in the Timeline window, and the Timeline
compression reduces file size by reducing every frame in the video clip at a given rate. Video window selected, in order for these steps to work properly.
files that were compressed using this method can have a blocky look. Temporal
compression adjusts size by comparing one frame of video the next one, then adjusting the 3. From the File menu, choose Export. A short submenu displays. Choose QuickTime…
frame sizes by the amount of motion present in the frame. This can result in a strobe effect, 4. A Save dialog box displays.
where keyframes - still shots of the video that can be determined by the producer - come
through clearly, with the video in between blurred. Higher numbers of keyframes can ensure
higher quality, but also increase the file size.

Regardless of the method used for file compression, the file types will be the same. File
types use extensions that tell a computer what kind of equipment and software is necessary
to run that file. For example, a Microsoft Word file has a default file extension of .doc. Files
types are displayed when saving files on a PC, and become part of the file name. This does
not always happen on Macs. A Microsoft Word document saved on a Mac will not
automatically record the file extension of .doc. To read that document on a PC, the Mac user
will have to type in the .doc extension at the end of the file name.

Final Cut Pro is used on a Macintosh system, but the file types it can use and export are
cross-platform; that is, the files exported through the program can be used or viewed on
either a Mac or a PC. These are QuickTime files, with a file extension of .mov. Unlike other
Macintosh programs, Final Cut Pro 3 automatically adds the .mov extension to files it 5. At the bottom of the box, click the Options button. A second dialog box displays,
exports. Internal Final Cut movie files and clip files, however, do not have the extension which allows students to choose the method of file compression, or codec, being
added automatically. used.

Other video file formats supported include FLC, an animation format; AVI, a PC-based
standard for digital video with a file extension of .avi; and DV Stream, a file used mainly with
iMovie for Macintosh.

This step has provided a basic explanation of file compression and file type necessary to
understanding the cross-platform nature of Final Cut Pro 3. In the next step, this knowledge
will be used to help make a QuickTime movie, which can be viewed on either a PC or a Mac,
from a finished sequence.

19 20
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN

6. Click the Settings… button. A third dialog box displays. Click the down arrow to the
right of Video. A long list of codecs appears. Each uses a different combination of
methods for file compression, and each is used for a different purpose.

TIP: In a professional setting, the codec will already be determined for use with your
equipment. Check to see what that codec is and choose it here. If none is
predetermined, experiment to see what works best for you.

11. Click the Size … button. A dialog box displays. In this box, a different size for the
sequence can be chosen. Leave it as current. Click OK.

7. Leave the codec set to Video. Underneath, the quality of video can be set using the
slider bar. Drag it to Best.

8. Below the slider bar, the number of frames per second and the number of frames
between keyframes displays. Click on the down arrow next to Frames per second.
Best should automatically be chosen. Students can also pick a number or type one in 12. Click the Sound … button. A dialog box displays. In this box, different compression
the box. Leave Best chosen. settings for the audio can be set. In general, for best quality, the sound should be
9. Change the number next to keyframes to 12. Every twelfth frame will be left as it is, uncompressed, which is the program's default setting. Click Cancel.
with the ones in between compressed. Click OK.
10. Click the Filter … button. A dialog box displays. In this box, a filter that will apply to
the entire sequence can be chosen. Click on Emboss. An example displays in the
dialog box. Click Cancel. No filter will be chosen for this sequence.

13. If not checked, click the box next to Prepare for Internet Streaming. Underneath it,
click the drop down arrow next to Fast Start. Three methods of preparation are noted:

21 22
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
• Fast Start, which allows the video to be downloaded just like any other graphic or
media file and play automatically
• Fast Start - Compressed header, which does the same thing but compresses the
header information to save disk space
• Hinted Streaming, which allows students to break down the video into small pieces
for streaming and requires special QuickTime Streaming Server software for use.
14. Choose Fast Start - Compressed header, and click OK
15. In the Save dialog box, find the folder in which the movie should be stored, generally
in the local Storage for the computer. Double check the name of the movie, which is
automatically set to be Animals.mov, then click OK.
16. The machine will take a minute before a dialog box for exporting the movie appears
on the screen. Depending on the system, this can take up to 10 minutes.
17. When the exporting is finished, the box will disappear. Find the movie file in the place
it was stored in the local Storage drive, and double-click on it to play it.
In this step, students learned how to create a web-ready QuickTime movie from a sequence
in Final Cut Pro.
III. EXPORTING AN AUDIO FILE
The ability to create sound-only files from Final Cut Pro can be useful after mixing several
audio tracks for one sequence. The finished audio can be used for other projects, or in
another example, exported for publication on a soundtrack CD.
In this step, the audio in the sequence Soldiers.mov will be exported.
1. Open the Soldiers project.
2. In the Timeline window, click on the Soldiers sequence.
TIP: To export the sound track, its sequence must be open in the Timeline
23
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
3. From the File menu, choose Export. A short Submenu displays. Choose QuickTime
…
4. The Save dialog box will appear. Choose a folder, and double-check the name of the
audio sequence, which should be "soldiers."
5. Underneath the Name textbox, the drop-down menu labeled Format appears. By
default, the clip will be saved as a QuickTime movie. Click the drop-down arrow next
to QuickTime movie, and choose AIFF. AIFF is a format most people can use on
either a PC or Mac platform.
6. Underneath the Format drop-down menu, a Settings drop-down menu appears.
Default settings are chosen; click the drop-down arrow to view the different sound
compressions and speeds available for export. Lower rates, from 8 to 22.224 kHz,
are used mainly for multimedia. The 32 and 48 kHz rates are used mainly for mini
DV, DVCam and DVCpro, while the 44.1 rate is the sample rate of a music CD.
Leave the default settings.
7. Click Save. A box will pop-up to let students know how long the process will take. It
may take several minutes, depending on the system being used.
8. The box will automatically disappear when the export process is complete. Find the
sound file soldiers.aif and double-click on it to open the sound file.
9. The sound file will load into the QuickTime player. Click the Play button to play the
sound.
NOTE: To export the sound from one clip only, select the clip in the Browser window, not the
Timeline window, before going to the File menu to Export and proceeding.
In this step, students have learned how to export the audio only for their finished sequences.
24
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
IV. EXPORTING A STILL IMAGE
Video is made up of individually framed shots, so it's relatively easy to take one of those
frames and create a still image from it. These images can be used just like any other digital
picture. However, residual motion blurring and extra digital noise may be a problem in the
resulting picture. For more on cleaning up digital noise, see the Photoshop tutorial.
In this step, students will learn how to choose and export a single still image from video.
1. If not already open, open the Soldiers project.
2. Double-click on the Cannon clip to open it in the left hand viewer.
3. At the bottom of the viewer, a yellow triangle pointing down appears in the slider bar.
Drag the yellow triangle slowly toward the right. This advances the video frame by
frame. Stop at a still image of the cannon just as it goes off.
4. From the File menu, choose Export. A short submenu appears. Choose QuickTime…
5. Choose a location and a name for the image. Under the name, the Format drop-
down box appears. Click the down arrow next to Format and choose Still Image.
6. Underneath the Format drop-down menu is the Settings drop-down menu. Click the
down arrow and choose JPEG, 27.7 fps. This is a higher resolution JPEG than the
other alternative. Notice the other still image file formats supported by Final Cut Pro ,
including Targa and Tiff. Click OK.
7. The image saves into the chosen folder. Double click on the image.
8. The image loads into a viewer window.
In this step, students have learned how to capture and save a still image from a video clip. In
the next step, students will learn how to print a finished sequence to tape.
V. PRINTING TO TAPE
Final Cut Pro has two mechanisms for printing digital video to videotape. The first allows
students to simply play their sequence in the Canvas window while simultaneously recording
on a VCR deck or camera. The second is the Print to Tape command, which also requires a
VCR deck or camera, but allows students to add some special effects as they export their
final projects.
A VCR deck or video camera with FireWire is required for either method. The equipment
must be hooked up to the Macintosh computer on which Final Cut Pro 3 is loaded, following
manufacturer's instructions. A fresh tape should be inserted into the camera or VCR deck,
and they should be ready to record. In the case of the camera, this means turning the
camera's settings to VCR.
If special effects or transitions are used in the finished sequence, it should be rendered
before proceeding, as discussed in Module II (video transitions).
1. If not already open, open the Soldiers sequence.
2. Click on the Soldiers tab in the Timeline window.
3. On your camera or VCR deck, press Record. Wait a few seconds for the recording to
run smoothly.
4. From the Mark menu, choose Play. A short submenu appears, with the following
selections:
• In to Out: The sequence will be played and recorded from marked in and out
points. If none are specified, the entire sequence will play from beginning to
end.
25
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN
• To Out: Plays from current position of the yellow triangle in the Timeline
window to the marked out point.
• Around: Plays a specified amount of time before and after the position of the
yellow triangle in the Timeline window.
• Every Frame: Plays back every frame of the sequence.
• Forward: Plays from the current position of the yellow triangle in the Timeline
window to the end of the sequence in the Timeline.
• Reverse: Plays from the current position of the yellow triangle in the Timeline
window back to the beginning of the sequence in the Timeline.
5. Choose In to Out. The entire sequence will be recorded.
6. Press Stop on the VCR deck or camera when the sequence is finished.
The Print to Video command allows students to make more advanced choices when printing
to tape. Its main advantage is the ability to add frames before and after a sequence, such as
a solid black frame or color bars. Unlike simple recording, this command also automatically
renders transitions and special effects. To use the Print to Video command:
1. Select the sequence to be printed.
2. From the File menu, choose Print to Video … A dialog box displays.
3. Here, students can choose a Leader, or space that leads into a sequence, and
choose how many seconds of lead time will be allowed. Click the box next to black to
turn it on. If any other elements are selected here, click on them to turn them off.
4. Next to Black, which should be selected, type 5 in the text box. There will be 5
seconds lead time before the video is recorded, and that lead time will record as
black on the screen.
5. To the right, click the Preview button. It will display what the sequence will look like
with the element chosen.
6. In the Media box, notice that students can choose specific parts to be printed. Leave
Entire Media selected.
7. To the right, a Trailer, or ending shot, can be selected. It's black. Click the box to
select it (if not already selected) and type 5 seconds in the text box. At the beginning
and end of the sequence, 5 seconds of black screen will appear.
8. Click OK. The program will begin to render transitions and special effects. This may
take a minute. A message will then appear asking students to start recording. When
this message appears, press Record on the VCR deck or camera. Wait a few
seconds to let the recording smooth out, then click OK to begin recording.
9. When finished, press the Stop button on the VCR deck or camera. Check the
videotape to see if the transfer occurred.
In this step, students have learned how to put their finished digital sequence on tape in two
ways: by recording off the Canvas window and by using the Print to Video command. This
step completes a module in which students learned how to export movies as digital files, as
audio files, and as still images. Students also learned about the different file types and
codecs available for use in Final Cut Pro 3.
26
CSC413 INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA PN. NURUL HIDAYAH MAT ZAIN

CONCLUSION

In this tutorial, students learned about the basic tools available in Final Cut Pro to help them
create a finished video project. A key part of the process was familiarizing students with the
Final Cut Pro interface, which consists of multiple windows, each with a different purpose.
This tutorial covered:

• Digitizing video clips

• Importing digital files into Final Cut Pro 3
• Placing clips in order
• Shortening clips
• Manipulating clips in the Timeline window
• Editing a sequence to fit a specific time frame
• Using natural sound, or NAT, in a sequence
• Adding other audio clips such as music to a sequence
• Manipulating audio tracks
• Creating transitions between video clips
• Creating simple audio transitions
• Using a filter while exporting a sequence for a unique special effect
• Printing the finished sequence to videotape
• Exporting Final Cut Pro 3 files as QuickTime movies, sound files or still images

Visual communication concepts covered in this tutorial included sequencing, which is the
process of determining the order in which video clips should be shown. Another concept
focused on learning how to associate sound with video, and how to view each as a separate
part of a video sequence or package. The use of transitions to soften abrupt shifts from clip
to clip also represents a key communication concept.

Finally, the basic concepts of input and output lie at the core of the Final Cut Pro program.
Learning how to take material from tape to digitize it, then to send it back to tape, is a
necessary step in learning how to work with a digital environment in a new media world.

27