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How stop compound clips from killing chapters?
I just completed a DVD (specifically required by client), which mostly went smoothly. Running FCPX version 10.2.3 (will upgrade for my next project). The Project (sequence) had many clips and quite a few chapter markers.
I had planned at the end of editing to apply video Broadcast Safe Pro and audio Limiter effects over the whole lot. Naively, my initial way of doing this was to turn the whole Project into a Compound Clip. Very standard I know, but naive because it “killed” all my chapters; their corresponding chapter-markers now being hidden away inside the compound clip.
I websearched in vain for any method or work around to be able to copy all the markers from the compound clip’s “inside” to its “outside” (in a new Project now containing only that compound clip). Manually re-placing them all was not attractive due not only to nuisance and time but also the possibility of introducing any errors (typos, placement).
In the end I decided to apply a pseudo “adjustment layer” (actually a Title), enabling me to add at least the Broadcast Safe Pro effect to the whole show. Not possible to add the audio limiter effect here – to what is a plain video element – but at least in this case I knew the audio levels were already pretty reasonable.
So that achieved a partial workaround…
However, I can appreciate that in FCPX 10.3 (when I get there) this “adjustment layer dodge” would be very much undesirable as in that version, the process of nesting within compound clips is vital to mastering audio via roles/lanes etc.
Questions:
- Is there a suitable method/workaround (that I’ve missed) for retaining/replacing chapter markers when compound clipping?
- Alternatively – and preferably – is there any support in principle for a future version of FCPX to allow markers to simply “shine through the wrapper” so as to be visible (to user, timeline index and to sharing etc.) on the “outside” of a compound clip? No need for them to be editable there – best if that is done inside the c-clip
- As a tangent – should compound clips have an “elastic” option? So when you alter their internal stuff their external durations automatically change and everything shifts along to accommodate. Elasto-CClips on a magnetic timeline!
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3 Replies
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Question 1 – Either wait until you’ve made the compound clip to add chapter markers or use a title adjustment layer. The latter is perfectly acceptable practice rather than just a “dodge”.
Questions 2 & 3 – they’d be great to have, send feedback to Apple.
As far as 10.3, compound clips, and audio lanes goes that will probably depend on what and how you edit but moving to 10.3 hasn’t mean I’m using any more or less compound clips than I would have beforehand.
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Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer & Cinematographer
Hobart, Tasmania | Twitter: @jeffkirkland -
Jeff,
Many thanks for clarifying/confirming the situation.
As you recommended, I fed each of the suggestions back to Apple – as separate “Product Enhancements”. -
Same issue here. There’s things I want to apply to the entire timeline after making it a compound clip, but I lose all of the important markers. One alternative for audio at least is to export the audio only and bring it back in and apply your limiters and filters to just that role or roles.
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