question about FCPX naming conventions

[Tom Wolsky]

Timeline is a window. Project is a sequence in the window. Event is an event, more like scratch disk than folder.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Coming in 2011 “Complete Training for FCPX”
and “Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users” from Focal Press

[Herb Sevush]

Sorry Tom but I don’t understand you.

“Timeline is a window. “

Do you mean that a “timeline” in FCP7 = a “window” in FCPX? I didn’t realize that there was such a thing as a “window.”

“Project is a sequence in the window.”

FCPX project = FCP sequence, Yes?

“Event is an event, more like scratch disk than folder.”

Does this mean that there is only one Event, like there is only one “SCratch Disk” in FCP7? If so is there anything in FCPX that relates to the folders in FCP7 Scratch Disk?

And most importantly, what is your take on why they chose these names – why call the place that holds all your media an “Event” – on the surface it sounds wrong. And if a Project is a Sequence – then why not call it a sequence?

I’m not being argumentative here – I’m sure the Apple design team gave a lot of thought into re-naming these functions and I’m trying to figure out what they were trying to get at by doing so.

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions

[Craig Seeman]

My way of explaining it:

Project contains Timeline
Timeline contains Primary Storylines, Secondary Storylines and Connected Clips.

Events contains Media and Collections.

A Project has a default association with an Event but can contain media from multiple Events.
An Event can have multiple Projects.

Events and Projects “relate” to each other much as might be in a Relational Database.

If you copy/move a Project it can be the Project itself, include referenced Events, just the Media used.

[Rick Lang]

This can be confusing until you gain experience using FCP X. From the FCP X Help file glossary:
Timeline The bottom portion of the Final Cut Pro window contains the Timeline, where you create your movie project by adding and arranging clips and making all your edits.

Event When you import video, audio, and still images, or record directly into Final Cut Pro, the source media files (your raw footage) are stored in Events. An Event is similar to a folder that can hold dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of video clips, audio clips, and still images. Each Event in the Event Library refers to a folder on your hard disk that contains the original source media files, any render files related to your media, and a database file that keeps track of where everything is.

project A project provides a record of your editing decisions and the media you use. You build your project by adding clips and editing them in the Timeline. A project is also defined by its video, audio, and render properties. In most cases, Final Cut Pro manages project settings automatically based on the properties of the first clip you add to a project.

Project Library The Project Library contains all of the Final Cut Pro projects on your hard disk and on any connected external drives.

project properties A project’s default Event as well as the project’s video, audio, and render properties. In most cases, Final Cut Pro manages project’s properties automatically based on the properties of the first clip you add to a project. If you must modify the project properties, choose video and audio project properties based on how you intend to share your final movie with your audience. You set a project’s properties when you create a Final Cut Pro project, and you can change them at any time.

Rick Lang

iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB

[Herb Sevush]

Rick –

This was very helpful.

I had heard there were no timelines anymore just projects – apparently not true.

I take it each project can have only 1 timeline? And that being the case, to work with multiple timelines you would have to work with multiple projects?

Also you said that a given project starts out with a single Event folder. If you later import more material into the project, does it store it in the original Event, or does it create a new Event that is now also associated with the project?

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions

[Tom Wolsky]

Excuse the use of the word window. The Timeline is a panel in FCPX’s single window. The Event Library is another panel. The Event Browser is another panel. The Viewer is another panel. The Timeline can hold a project, or it can hold an opened clip, showing its tracks, or it can hold an opened compound clip. The project is the sequence as you would understand it in FCP classic. You can have as many projects as you want and switch between any projects you have available on your hard drives. You can copy and paste between projects. You cannot put projects inside projects. The projects and events reside on your hard drives, and any can be accessed at any time.

FCP has multiple folders that hold the media for multiple projects in a single capture scratch folder. Similarly FCPX has a single Events folder than can hold multiple events, each contained inside a folder and includes the media (or aliases to the media) and other files like analysis files, just as classic FCP did.

All the best,

Tom

Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Coming in 2011 “Complete Training for FCPX”
and “Final Cut Pro X for iMovie and Final Cut Express Users” from Focal Press

[Craig Seeman]

[Herb Sevush] “I take it each project can have only 1 timeline?”

A “project” in FCP7 does not mean the same thing as in FCPX.

[Herb Sevush] “Also you said that a given project starts out with a single Event folder. If you later import more material into the project, does it store it in the original Event, or does it create a new Event that is now also associated with the project?”

This is why I say it’s a relational database.

An Event can have any number of Projects.
A Project can have media from any number of Events.

Events contain media, not Projects. Projects have Edit Decisions (Timeline)

You can have multiple projects open but it’s awkward in that it’s not quite the same as tabbed access. You use the arrow buttons on the top left to move through them once, they’ve been opened.

[Herb Sevush]

“A “project” in FCP7 does not mean the same thing as in FCPX.”

This is what I am trying to understand. A FCP7 project has one or more timelines and a collection of media in a browser. Other than in it’s inability to have more than 1 timeline, in what way is a FCPX project functionally different than a FCP7 project. I know it has a totally different way of linking the content, but does it have different content as well? What else is different?

Also, you talked a lot about events but you didn’t address the original question

“If you later import more material into the project, does it store it in the original Event, or does it create a new Event …?”

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions

[Herb Sevush]

Thanks Tom.

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions

[David Cherniack]

I tend to believe the nomenclature comes from ‘Event’ Videography:

Joe’s Wedding and its videos and stills = an Event

Your edit of the wedding video = a Project

Your edit of the stills to Lawrence Welk’s champagne music = another Project

Get the idea of what possible inspired the new names? Because, in theory, if not in practice, the event could also be James Cameron’s next opus. Apple apparently sees the range of productions as events. A strange notion to attempt to change the standard nomenclature, but if your intent is to appeal to consumers it makes some sense.

David
AllinOneFilms.com