Apple Final Cut Express HD - Manual (Page 719)

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Adjusting Parameters
for Keyframed Effects
Automated audio level adjustments, opacity changes
between layers, shifting color values, and spinning video clips
are examples of what’s possible when using keyframes to
adjust clip parameters over time.
This chapter covers the following:
 Animating Motion Effects Using Keyframes (p. 719)
 Smoothing Keyframes With Bezier Handles (p. 731)
 Creating Keyframed Motion Paths in the Canvas (p. 735)
Animating Motion Effects Using Keyframes
The word keyframe comes from the traditional workflow in the animation industry, where
only important (key) frames of an animated sequence were drawn to sketch a character’s
motion over time. Once the keyframes were determined, an in-between artist drew all
the frames between the keyframes. With Final Cut Express HD, you can set parameters to
specific values at specific times and Final Cut Express HD acts as an automatic, real-time
in-between artist, calculating all the values between your keyframes.
Effects, such as opacity, position, and any other of a clip’s Motion tab settings, can be
dynamically changed over the course of your sequence using keyframes. Keyframes are
available throughout Final Cut Express HD for any feature with parameters that can be
changed over time, and can be used to create sophisticated motion, filter, and
transparency effects.
Many clip parameters can be keyframed:
 Opacity
 Motion settings
 Volume level
 Pan settings