Syncing clips in the timeline…

[Tom Wolsky]

Put the two clips in the timeline one on top of the other. Turn on the timecode overlays in the canvas and slide the clips the TC numbers line up.

All the best,

Tom

Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 2 Editing Workshop” Class on Demand “Complete Training for FCP5” DVD

[Parke Gregg]

Thanks for the timecode overlay tip. That will definitely help.

So there is not a way to auto sync the clips? Or a way to split apart a MultiClip?

-Parke

[David Smith]

What Tom suggested is really very easy so with only two camera angles I don’t know what great advantage “auto sync” would be. You could set in points on both clips to the same timecode frame, and then place them in the sequence on on top of the other.

As for splitting apart multiclips, you can collapse the multiclip after rough cutting the two clips (Modify menu). At that point each sub clip in the sequence shows up full frame in the viewer when you double click on it in the timeline. You can even “uncollapse” it later if you want to go back to seeing them together again. Once you get used to it the multiclip feature is really pretty handy.

It seems to me though that when cutting a two camera interview, I always end up moving stuff around timewise anyway. Getting rid of stumbles, changing the order of sentences, etc. So I’ve never bothered to worry too much about perfect sync between angles. One useful method is to build a multiclip in once sequence just for viewing and choosing angles, and then actually building the interview in another sequence using the original clips.