Luminoir

Multiple Versions of FCP

I keep with me on my portable harddisk, at all time these copies of FCP application files.

1. v5.0
2. v5.0.2
3. v5.1
4. v5.1.2
5. v5.1.4
6. v6.0
7. v6.0.1
8. v6.0.3

There are many reasons for doing so.

Recently, I encountered an error for FCP v6.0.2, which I covered in the end of this post (Be Replaceable, Have a Life).
Essentially, what I needed was to use v6.0.1 instead so that I wouldn’t keep losing my work due to corrupted project files and autosaves.

In addition, you might have people working on earlier versions of FCP that send you their project and you would definitely want to avoid “upgrading” their project file and preventing them from opening the file with your changes. XML export is getting better but some motion effects and transitions are still lost in the translation.

Keyboard Settings

This goes without saying. Look at this article (Get Fast FAST) for some recommendations on keyboard bindings, favorites and general efficiency hacks.

Window Layout

We’ve all got our preferences for our window layouts. Here are some of my recommendations.

Overlap the button bars of the viewer and canvas windows with the timeline
You need the vertical resolution of the timeline and you shouldn’t be using the buttons on the Viewer/Canvas.

Tear off the Effects tab from the Browser window.
It is annoying when you hit the command for either one and it’s the most recently activated tab that remains on top.

(Hint: Drag windows by holding cmd shift clicking them. You won’t need to use the titlebar and can drag them clicking on any part of the window.

Have your audio mixer readily available for mixing
Mix by recording keyframes and always have a clear indication of the your audio level settings on playback.

Save your settings with the particular monitor setup in the filename
For example, Dual-20′ Cinema Display x 2.fcwnl or Dual-LG22LWT & Phillips L17WGT.fcwnl

Create a custom Column Layout

Have only the information you need for your particular workflow.
Eliminate the irrelevant columns so everything that is in the window is useful to you.

Save a project with all your favorites

Keep your favorite motion path templates,effects,transitions and audio plugins in a project and save them on your thumbdrive to import them wherever you go.