Working in final cut pro, Setting the editing timebase for sequences, Outputting to videotape when editing at 24 fps – Apple Cinema Tools 3 User Manual
Page 32: Using effects
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Chapter 1
Before You Begin Your Project
Working in Final Cut Pro
Decisions you make regarding the telecine transfer and how you work with audio affect
how you use Final Cut Pro during the editing process.
Setting the Editing Timebase for Sequences
In Final Cut Pro you must set the editing timebase for sequences to match the frame
rate of the captured clips.
Important:
Do not place clips into a sequence if the clips and sequence have different
frame rates. If you do, the resulting film list is likely to be inaccurate. For example, if you
want to edit at 24 fps, make sure your clips’ frame rates are all set at 24 fps (either by
using the Reverse Telecine or Conform features).
See the Final Cut Pro documentation for details on setting the editing timebase
for sequences.
Outputting to Videotape When Editing at 24 fps
One of the benefits of editing at 24 fps is that you get a one-to-one relationship
between the film and video frames, allowing for very accurate cut lists. A drawback is
that you need a 24P VTR to directly record video as 24 fps—you cannot easily record
the video on standard NTSC or PAL video equipment. This can be a problem if you
want to record a videotape of the edited project, either to show others or to give the
negative cutter a visual reference to use along with the cut list, but there are solutions:
 If you’re working with NTSC video, you can use the pull-down insertion feature in
Final Cut Pro to apply a pull-down pattern to the video, thus outputting it at
29.97 fps. See “
Pull-Down Patterns You Can Apply to 23.98 fps Video
details. There are also third-party cards and applications that can perform a 3:2 pull-
down on the video, allowing it to run at the NTSC 29.97 fps rate.
 If you’re working with PAL video, and you know that you will want to record a
videotape when finished, it’s easiest to edit at 25 fps (with the film having been sped
up to maintain the one-to-one relationship).
Using Effects
Final Cut Pro provides extensive effects capabilities, including common film effects
such as dissolves, wipes, speed changes, and text credits. Keep in mind that the video
output of Final Cut Pro is not intended to be transferred to film, and these effects must
be created by a facility specializing in opticals, or created digitally using high-resolution
scans of footage to be composited. See “
more information, including an outline of the basic workflow for including effects and
transitions in your digitally edited film.
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