Dive into FCPX

[Nikolas Bäurle]

Ripple Training is very good https://www.rippletraining.com
and check out https://www.larryjordan.biz

“Always look on the bright side of life” – Monty Python

[Nick Paonessa]

yes both ripple training and LJ are fantastic. i would also adopt what i call the 1 PROJECT Workflow which is shown here by the John Davidson and the good folks over at Magic Feather Inc. use 1 Project entitled “Export” for EVERYTHING. use compound clips and smart folders on import:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFMiKc2YHcQ&list=PLFL2mNWwki8fpFzlmFDDBVaAVBqrFxG6c

Within each new event you create, create a ‘smart folder’ set for compound clips:
> create new smart folder
> entitle it ‘comps’
> double click the settings icon next to ‘comps’
> change the properties of ‘comps’ in the HUD that will open
> select ‘clip type’
> set to ‘compound clips’
Now every time you create a compound clip it will be in this ‘comps’ smart folder

Build your edit in the ‘EXPORT’ project. When you are ready to export your project…:

Select all/ highlight everything in the timeline, then:
> right click
> create new compound clip
> ‘save as’ v1 (or whatever you want)
> share/export to appropriate destination
> ‘save as’ whatever you want

When you return to FCPX, DELETE whatever is in the EXPORT project (it is already saved in the ‘comps’ smart folder within your event as v1)

When you’re ready to revise v1 you simply duplicate it:
> highlight it in your ‘comps’ smart folder
> duplicate it (command d)
> rename it v2, v3 etc etc
> double click the respective ‘comp’ and it will open in the ‘EXPORT’ project

Repeat this process for every version you creacte and you will build a list of versions in your ‘comps’ smart folder — within the respective event

Best part about this workflow is you can easily switch between v1 v2 v3 etc while working on v4 etc in the EXPORT timeline. You can scrub through v1 in the event browser while scrubbing through a later version in the timeline.

1 project for everything. No switching in/out of projects. No duplicating projects. No hassle.

Simple. Easy. Organized.

nick paonessa
creative director
LOWERCASE productions
lowercaseprods.com

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[David Eaks]

If you’re just picking up FCPX for the first time, I’d say that watching some of those more basic, introduction type videos is a good idea. There are some key concepts that if you don’t understand, simple tasks will become very frustrating. For example, connected clips and their clip connections and when and how do secondary storylines come into play? And overriding clip connections? There are so many little things that are different and new in FCPX.

While John Davidsons “compounds as projects” method may be great for some people, I don’t think it’s a good way to start out when learning FCPX. To me it seems convoluted and unnessecary, but thats just me working with attached/internal storage and not in a multi editor environment (thats not to say John isn’t innovative in making FCPX do all kinds of things he wants it to do and I’d recommend watching more of the Magic Feather FCPX videos). Instead I would suggest to start off learning the way FCPX “expects” you to work, creating a new event for each job, and a project for each timeline, duplicate project as nessecary for versioning and organize projects into folders in the project library. Use Event Manager X to “hide” events/projects you don’t want to load unnecessarily when you open FCPX (I keep everything I’m not currently working on hidden from FCPX).

The macbreakstudio episodes on YouTube have lots of good tips.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL607BE2B2BFE9BE1A

The first FCPX related episode is #129, lots of good Motion-for-FCPX stuff mixed in there too. Look through and watch a bunch of them. Also izzyvideo is good, I’d go watch several the teaser tutorials from each site and decide which one you like the most.

I’m very happy with FCPX, now that I’m fluent, going back to Legacy is painful.

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[Sascha Engel]

Thanx a lot for all the good tips!!!!

Sascha Engel
TIME BANDITZ Productions
http://www.youtube.com/taikang

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Also check:

https://themovieswemake.com/tutorials/

Of Sam Westman. He has some really good tutorials about Audio Workflows, and RED Material.

I also agree about what other people said: watch some basic stuff. There are a lot of new concepts, and if you don’t get them, you will be frustrated.

Scrap that, you will be frustrated anyway! There is much new to learn, a lot of times you will think: ‘I’ll just do this in 7!”
And there are of course some features that FCPX still misses.

That being said, I had all the same motions, and kept going on. Now I wouldn’t like to edit on anything else then X, although I still have a long wish list.