Apple Final Cut Express HD - Manual (Page 913)

Chapter 63 Elements of a Final Cut Express HD Project 913
XI
Clips Defined By Relationship to Other Clips
A master clip is the first instance of a clip imported or captured in Final Cut Express HD.
Master clips exist exclusively in the Browser, and they are used to manage multiple
instances of the same footage used throughout your project. This is how it works: Each
time you edit a clip into a sequence, Final Cut Express HD creates a new instance of
that clip. This new sequence clip is not completely unique and self-sufficient, but
actually gets most of its properties from the master clip it came from. This clip is called
an affiliate clip because it shares properties with its master clip. Because master and
affiliate clips share a single set of properties, changing a property in one place changes
it everywhere. For instance, if you want to change a clip name, it doesn’t matter
whether you change the name in the master clip or any of its affiliate clips. Since they
all share the same Name property, all the clips now have the new name.
Most properties are shared between master and affiliate clips, but there are a few
exceptions. The properties of affiliate clips that aren’t shared (such as In and Out points)
make them useful for editing, while the shared properties (such as Name and Source)
maintain a relationship with the master clip for easier media management. For
example, In and Out points can be different in every affiliate clip so that trimming one
clip doesn’t affect the duration of all the other affiliated ones.
The following properties are not shared between master and affiliate clips:
 Comment A–B
 In point
 Out point
 Duration
 Description
 Composite mode
 Reverse Alpha
 Thumbnail
An independent clip is a sequence clip that has no master clip, so it doesn’t share
properties with any other clips. You can make a sequence clip independent at any time,
although you usually shouldn’t unless you have a specific reason to do so. Independent
clips are not updated by a master clip, so you can’t manage your media as efficiently.