Apple Final Cut Pro 6 - Manual (Page 1497)

14 Part I Media and Project Management
 Logging clip information without media: You can modify clip properties such as log
notes, comments, labels, and even In and Out points without the associated media
files. This means you can organize your clips and sequences even though your
current editing system may not have the media files.
 Trading projects without media files: A Final Cut Pro project file contains clips and
sequences, but not media files. Because a project file is so small, you can email or
post your project file online. Anyone who has the corresponding media files can
open the project file and reconnect the clips to the local media files.
Making a movie is a tremendous logistical undertaking. It’s the execution of the details
that ultimately determines the quality of the finished product. What does it matter how
good the lead actress’s performance was in the third take of scene two if you can’t find
it among a thousand other shots? And what use is a week of fine-tune editing, frame
by frame, if the final sequence is improperly assembled by the negative cutter because
of a faulty edit decision list that you provided?
Final Cut Pro has incredibly versatile media management options, allowing you to
customize your workflow to fit the needs of your project.
Reasons to Use Media Management
Computers are very effective for sorting and organizing information, much more so
than scraps of paper and handwritten notes. This isn’t to say you should dispense
with these basic tools—most editors still use them prolifically. However, mastering
management of your media, clips, and notes in Final Cut Pro is critical for an efficient
editing workflow.
 Browser: A virtual media database for sorting, categorizing, and commenting clips.
 Find command: Allows you to quickly search a sequence or project for any clip based
on any criterion.
 Media Manager: A powerful clip and media file processor for duplicating, removing,
and recompressing media files, as well as clips and sequences in your project.
 Recapturing and reconnecting: You can recapture or reconnect clips to new media files
at any time you want. The connection between clips and media files is easy to change,
making Final Cut Pro one of the most flexible media editing systems available.
 Finder (in Mac OS X): You can sort, view, and archive media files directly in the Finder
(or QuickTime Player) because Final Cut Pro works directly with QuickTime media files.