Multiclip Labels

Here's a quick handy tip.

I use labels extensively in FCP. Red generally meaning bad and green generally meaning good with other colors to indicate variances thereof. However, if you create a new multiclip and then highlight that multiclip in the Browser, then assign it a label, FCP will also likewise label the clips that comprise that multiclip and are also set as Video and Audio source in the viewer (even it they aren't loaded into the Viewer).

I'm not sure how handy this is, but since you can highlight a multiclip in the Browser, give it a label, and FCP will also label the clips choosen for Video and Audio so you can see which are being used -I guess- at a glance without having to open that multiclip and load it into the Viewer. Maybe not practically handy, but fun to know I suppose.

It seems a tad buggy at times, where you have to load the multiclip into the viewer to get some kind of labeling voodoo to reset if it only labels the multiclip itself but overall it works.

P2 Log Pro

P2 Log Pro is an app which:

can instantly view all formats of native P2 (MXF) video in any format or frame rate. Insert the P2 card into a PowerBook or read it from the camera or FireStore. P2 Log Pro views the card displaying thumbnails, metadata, and links to the video clips. Enter text, sort, re-name, or delete clips. Marks clips to output what you need to Final Cut Pro via XML. Exporting automatically converts MXF clips to HD QuickTime files, ready for editing. With P2 Log Pro, you can also save new P2 Volumes of select clips for direct importing into Avid and other P2 compatible NLEs.

Sounds neat. A bit redundant, but neat.

Showing Clip Names In Your Sequence Export

Lets say you want to export a sequence from FCP but have the clip's names over the footage like supers or subtitles. You could manually add text elements over each clip and type in each clip's name but if you have a ton of clips then it would take forever. So here's a nutty way to do it.

01) Save your project or duplicate the sequence in case something goes wrong. To be really safe make a duplicate of your project save file before you do this.

02) Highlight ALL the clips that are going to be in your timeline. (highlight them in the Browser)

03) Hit Shift + D to bring up the "Make Offline" window and choose "Leave Them on the Disk" to make them offline. Don't delete or trash them though.

04) In the Canvas you'll see the big scary red offline screens but you'll also see the missing clip's name.

05) Now comes the crazy part. Export the offline sequence. It'll make a movie file with the red offline screens perfectly timed to your clips.

06) Import that into FCP.

07) Reconnect your clips.

08) Layer the offline exported clip as the top video track and set it to like 20% or less opacity.

(If you want to get a little fancy you can crop [Tap "C" for the crop tool] the offline clip so it only shows the clip's name and then reposition it towards the bottom of the screen.)

09) Export the sequence.

Nuts. But it works.

Color Labels

I like using color labels in Mac OS X and FCP. For me it's just faster seeing PURPLE and then knowing why and what it is. I usually mentally and where I can set my labels to something like this:

Green = Done
Amber = Needs Work
Red = Problems
Gray = Ignore but keep

That's mainly for labels in the Finder. Either way, if you're not color labeling your stuff you should give it a try. It helps me stay organized.