• Apple Final Cut Pro

  Applying keywords to long clips

  Posted by Bob Franco on April 19, 2013 at 6:36 am

  I’m editing a feature length documentary with many interviews. Most of the interviews go for the max amount a time a Canon 7D will record; about 12 – 15 minutes. During that time the interviewer asks questions on many subjects. I’ve been using markers to ID where the subject changes. But when I assign a keyword, it applies it to the entire clip. I don’t see how to assign a keyword to a specific region of a clip. Is there a way? A Smart collection groups clips with the same keyword but I still have
  the problem of going through the whole clip to find where they talk about a specific subject. It’s all talking heads so there are no visual cues. I don’t see how to break a long clip into smaller pieces in the event window.
  Here’s my workaround. I put a long clip in it’s own timeline and as I watch, I’ll cut it into small subclips with each one referring to one subject. I put a note on that subclip that shows up in the timeline index.
  When I want to find out what that person said about a specific subject, I’ll do a search the index search filed for the keyword I assigned to the subclip and I find it right away, already roughly trimmed. I can copy and paste that clip into my main timeline where I’m assembling footage. Using this method means I’ll have around 30 timelines. Is this a problem for FCPX? Is there something I’m missing to do the same thing in the event browser?

  Bob Franco replied 13 years, 4 months ago 4 Members · 8 Replies
• 8 Replies

• 

  Patrice Freymond

  April 19, 2013 at 5:34 pm

  Mark In mark out defines a range that you can keyword. You can have multiple ranges too: shift-cmd-I and shift-cmd-O for subsequent ranges; keyword them once.

  I would strongly recommend a light read through the manual and/or some training like Ripple’s. You will save time in the end. Lots.

  hope this helps.

  Patrice Freymond

  Editor  Certified Trainer FCP7/X
  Post Consultant

  Always learning…
• 

  Bob Franco

  April 19, 2013 at 7:05 pm

  Thanks Patrice. I’ll give it a try.
• 

  David Eaks

  April 19, 2013 at 10:47 pm

  Here’s a good one from macbreak studio, “Lightning Speed Organization”, they get to the point at 2:30 and show keywording ranges at 7:00 (they favorite the ranges, but you can apply your own keywords just the same)-
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilupsw68JPY

  Here’s one on batch renaming clips that may be helpful too-
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1ql241Qytg

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• 

  Bob Franco

  April 19, 2013 at 11:50 pm

  Thanks David. Good tutorials but unlike the clips in the tutorials, mine are very long and I need to apply different keywords in different parts of one clip. There was a reply about selecting multiple ranges within a clip and assigning keywords to those ranges and I’m going to try that. I think it’s just me being dense about how to do it!
• 

  David Eaks

  April 20, 2013 at 2:15 am

  No problem, you just need to combine what Patrice said with what you see in the video.

  Although you really don’t even need to keep the previous range selected as you set the next one, either hit I/O or click and drag to set a range, apply keyword, select new range, apply keyword, repeat. The keyword collections will have those ranges saved, which appear like individual clips.

  Be aware that selecting the event itself will show all original clips, selecting a keyword collection within the event will “filter” to show only those parts of your clips with that keyword. It’s non destructive and very powerful.
• 

  Bob Franco

  April 20, 2013 at 2:20 am

  I finally realized that I could simply hold down the command key and drag to create a range, apply keywords, and repeat. And the multiple ranges appear to remain in the long master clip. Thanks again for the help.
• 

  T. Payton

  April 20, 2013 at 11:00 pm

  Bob,

  We do projects like this very often. In fact a couple of months ago I did a project with the same specs as yours. 7D footage. 10-12 minute clips. 75 subjects for a total of about 50 hours of footage. Ben Consoli actually uses the same technique that we do for marking and editing interviews in FCP X:

  Unlike this technique we don’t record everything verbatim in our favorites. And we review interviews at 2x speed (it takes some getting used to, but if you concentrate your brain can handle it.) We therefore are able to typically log in real time.

  ——
  T. Payton
  OneCreative, Albuquerque
• 

  Bob Franco

  April 20, 2013 at 11:54 pm

  Thanks T. Payton. I appreciate the tip! Good video.

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