Search Results for: final cut

On June 30, 2026, Apple released Final Cut Pro 12.3. Based on Apple’s Release Notes, here’s what’s new.

This is a conversation I’m having with more and more editors today. It seems like Final Cut Pro has lost its way. While still the fastest NLE, Apple seems to have lost interest in actually making it better. This may be the reason why.

Here’s a comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of Final Cut’s Magnetic Mask, Premiere’s Object Mask and Resolve’s Magic Mask 2 – all AI-based masking tools. Each works, but they don’t deliver the same results.

Sequence is a native macOS app that combines on-device transcription, text-based editing, audio cleanup, globally indexed search, and finally the hand-off to Final Cut Pro. Larry Jordan interviews James Setton, CEO, to learn more.

Two new menus were added in Final Cut Pro 12. Here’s where they are and what they do.

The new Beat Detection feature in Final Cut Pro 12 is both simple, elegant and effective. With it, you can not only highlight specific beats in music, you can use these to cleanly edit it as well. Here’s how this new feature works.

Apple introduced two new search features in Final Cut Pro 12 – Transcript Search and Visual Search. But, they don’t work for existing projects, because Apple’s Help files are missing key details on how to use them. Here’s what you need to know to use these effectively.

This week, Apple updated Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, and Compressor, along with other non-media Apple apps. Here’s a list of what’s new and links, including almost 200 bugs in Logic Pro – a mind-bending number of fixes!

Here are detailed instructions on how to optimize storage and media for editing large projects in Apple Final Cut Pro.

This article came from a question emailed by Jim Williams who asked: “I’m wondering how to mark the clips for a dissolve in [Final Cut Pro], using 2 tracks, one fading out, the other coming in?”

Depending upon how many, and what kind, of monitors you have connected to your Mac, here are several ways to zoom the Viewer full screen, and back.

Trimming is where the real magic happens in editing. It adjusts where two clips touch. Generally, you can drag the edges of a clip to change where an edit occurs, but Final Cut provides a wide variety of other tools that make trimming faster and, most often, more accurate. Larry Jordan demos how these work.

In this short video, Larry Jordan shows how to optimize preference settings, which options to choose, and what they do. He also explains the settings in the Media Import window, which can make a major difference in how easily you work with the media you are importing into your project.

A common support question that Larry Jordan gets is how to work with media in Final Cut Pro. In this short video, Larry Jordan provides a background on where to store media, which format to use, when to optimize it and other media questions.

Auditions make it easy to compare multiple audio or video clips to see which works best for your projects. In this short video, Larry Jordan illustrates how to create, preview, select and finalize Auditions in Final Cut.

In this short video, Larry Jordan illustrates how to use Apple Final Cut Pro to display and read audio meters, where to set audio levels, and how to adjust the volume settings for multiple clips at the same time.

3D text is built-into Final Cut Pro. In fact, ANY text can become 3D text. It is easy to create and modify, with customizable lights and surfaces, as this short video hosted by Larry Jordan illustrates.

In this one-hour session, Larry Jordan starts at the beginning and takes you through the entire editing process – from import to export – to create a finished video in Apple Final Cut Pro 11. (Now includes closed captions.)

Whether you love it, hate it, or simply accept it as “the way things are,” vertical video is everywhere – especially on social media. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to create vertical video projects in Apple Final Cut Pro 11.

There seems to be a problem in Final Cut Pro 11.2 which prevents exports if deinterlacing has been enabled. Learn more here.

This illustrates different workflows for transferring media between Apple Final Cut Pro and Axle AI, a popular media asset management system. It also provides recommendations on which will work best.

Unlike any other NLE, there are two ways that media can be stored and referenced by Apple Final Cut Pro: Inside or outside the library. This tutorial explains how to move media, and provides a fast, emergency method to access media locked in a library.

A detailed, illustrated tutorial on adding and modifying animation keyframes in Apple Final Cut Pro 11.2.

Here are all the latest features and bug fixes in the Sept. 25, 2025 release of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor and Final Cut Camera.

There are two new effects in Apple Final Cut Pro which have a variety of uses: Callout & Picture-in-Picture. Here’s what they do, how they work and the differences between them.

In Apple Final Cut Pro, when you only apply one effect to a clip, you get exactly the results you expect. However, when you add multiple effects to a single clip, the order in which those effects are “stacked” in the Video Inspector directly affects the results you get. Let me illustrate this.

Sometimes, we just can’t do what we want to do. Here’s the problem: We want to scale a clip smaller, then blur it so both the clip and its edges are blurred. However, unless you know the secret trick, Apple Final Cut Pro won’t let you do this. Here’s the secret.

Auditions are a little-understood feature in Final Cut Pro that can simplify and speed-up selecting the best B-roll clip or graphic. Here’s how to create and use them to speed picking the right sound effect or music clip for your project.

While you probably wouldn’t pick an NLE based upon its export speeds, performance tests are always interesting. This time, I compared render and export speeds ad storage bandwidth between Apple Final Cut Pro 11, Adobe Premiere Pro 2025, and DaVinci Resolve 20.

For something that’s supposed to be fast and accurate, adding captions to video could not be more cumbersome – regardless of which NLE you use. None of them do a great job and all of them will require FAR more time to get it right than you expect. Here are the details.

Scott writes: “I’m desperately trying to embed CEA-608 captions into a .MXF for broadcast television using Final Cut Pro. Everything says I should be able to but neither Compressor nor FCP let me select captions to embed. What am I missing?” Here’s what you need to know.

The new Magnetic Mask in Final Cut Pro 11 is a powerful tool to separate the foreground from background – without a green screen key – so you can alter the look of each layer independently. In this short video, Larry Jordan illustrates how to create a mask that includes multiple subjects.

There are two principal ways to create moves on stills for a video: the “Ken Burns Effect,” and keyframes. Both have benefits, both have weaknesses and both are used every day. Watch as Larry Jordan shows how to use each technique to create effective moves on a still image.

In this short video, Larry Jordan illustrates the differences between duplicating a project and creating a snapshot. There are CLEAR differences and one big winner.

In this session, we go deep inside Apple Final Cut Pro 11 to discover tips and techniques that can help you work faster, understand the interface better, and use effects more, um, effectively.

All three NLEs – Final Cut, Premiere and Resolve – provide AI-powered audio tools to remove background noise. Final Cut Pro 11 offers three different options. Here’s how they work.

The Channel EQ effect (filter) replaces the Fat EQ effect in Final Cut Pro. You use this to shape your audio, warm voices and make them easier to understand. Here’s how this effect (filter) works for men and women.

The Magnetic Mask in Apple Final Cut Pro provides fascinating ways to separate foreground from background, then manipulate each separately. In this tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to use the Magnetic Mask to isolate the foreground, change the background, adjust color and add text effects.

Slow motion is as much a trick of the eye and brain, as it is a trick of technology. Nothing in a video actually moves, it’s our brain that adds the movement. Here’s what you need to know to make your slomo look as good as it can.

This is such a powerful tool that, if you don’t know about it, then now is the perfect time to learn. Apple has built a single-click, automatic color corrector that works exceedingly well in fixing color problems essentially instantly.

Recently, my social media team asked me to create several vertical videos with captions. Since I can only shoot horizontal video, here’s how I did it, using Apple Final Cut Pro 11.1.1.

Sigh… the worst just happened. Your Final Cut Pro library is corrupt and won’t open. Now what? There are a number of options you can use to restore your library and get back to work quickly, as Larry Jordan explains.

DaVinci Resolve is an industry-legend as color grading software. In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to transfer projects from Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro into Resolve, then how to transfer them back.

Generative AI is commanding all the fear and attention in media today. But, there are a wealth of AI-assisted tools in Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve that are enabling editors to do more, rather than replacing them en masse. In this presentation to the Los Angeles Creative Pro User Group, Larry Jordan highlights nearly two dozen AI-assisted tools across all three of these applications.

A big challenge in color grading is how to handle a lighting color change during a shot. A typical example is walking indoors on a sun-lit day. In this short video, Larry Jordan shows how to keyframe a color change, along with how to make sure the actor’s skin tones remain correct.

Apple Final Cut Pro provides three different ways to quickly adjust the look of a clip: Looks, Color Board Presets, and Color Grading Presets. In this short video demo, Larry Jordan shows what these are, where they are located and the differences between them; including one very big advantage!

Comparison view quickly allows comparing the look of any timeline clip to the clips preceding and following it. Even better, it supports building a collection of “looks” you can use to compare any timeline clip to up to 30 timeline images. Larry Jordan shows how this feature works.

The color capability of Final Cut continues to expand. If you’ve been wondering how to read the video scopes, what the color tools do, or how to make your images look better, this session, hosted by Larry Jordan, is for you. 

AI is everywhere – but it is not the same everywhere. In this session, discover the seven AI-assisted tools that Apple added to Final Cut Pro 11. (Including one to avoid.)

While Final Cut does not allow displaying more than one project in the timeline at the same time, it does make switching between projects easy. Here are some secret tips.

One of the tasks editors are increasingly asked to do today is convert a horizontal timeline to vertical to post to social media. Apple Final Cut makes it easy using Smart Conform. Here’s how.

I spent this last week immersed in editing in DaVinci Resolve Studio 19. Here’s how it compares to Final Cut and Premiere, along with features that drive me nuts.

Apple released the latest version of Final Cut Pro (11.1) last week, with several helpful new features Here are the details on what they are and how they work.

Today, Apple updated Final Cut Pro (v11.1), Motion (v5.10) and Compressor (v4.10). Lots of bugs got fixed, FCP added adjustment layers, and Image Playground is now a feature inside Final Cut and Motion. Here are all the details and related links.

Finding the exact media clip that you need is only the first step. Now, you need to get that clip loaded into your video editor from wherever it’s stored. In this short video, Larry Jordan, shows exactly how to transfer files from Axle AI directly to remote clients, or into Apple Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro.

Francesca asks: “I need to move a library between two different versions of Final Cut Pro. How can I do this?” Larry has the answer, and a workaround.

Jason manages multiple editors and needs to transfer sequences from Adobe Premiere Pro to Apple Final Cut Pro. In this demo, Larry Jordan shows exactly how this is done.

Richard needs to change the size of his images, but is worried about them getting blurry. In this tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to safely scale images in both Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, without losing image quality.

Siamack is new to Final Cut and struggling to organize her media. In this video, I provide a variety of organizational tools she can use, with a special emphasis on keywords.

In answer to Dave’s question, here are several trouble-shooting tips for Apple Final Cut Pro.

This video showcases how to improve a gray, washed-out image using the color wheels in Final Cut, as well as applying different LUTs.

Paul asks: “Is there a way to always import files into a Final Cut Pro library by default?” The answer is that storing files in the library IS the default, but it is easy to change accidentally. Here’s how to reset and verify your storage locations.

A somewhat hidden feature in Final Cut Pro 11 is Smart Conform. Apple describes this as an easy way to “make social media-friendly versions of projects in square or vertical formats.” Apple Help states: “Smart Conform analyzes the contents of …

Earlier this month, while I was on vacation, Apple updated Final Cut Pro to version 11.0.1 to fix four bugs. Here’s the list.

Last week, I demoed how to create a magnetic mask to remove a background. Later, I exported a still frame from FCP to promote the webinar. At which point, the weirdness started. Still frame exports don’t come close to matching Final Cut. Here are the details. NOTE: Fixed in FCP 11.1.1.

Editing may tell stories, but visual effects make those stories eye-catching. In this short video, Larry Jordan explains what video stabilization does, the options available, and how to apply stabilization to your own video.

Editing may tell stories, but visual effects make those stories eye-catching. In this short video, Larry Jordan what visual generators are in Final Cut, how to modify them and ways to use them.

Editing may tell stories, but visual effects make those stories eye-catching. In this short video, Larry Jordan illustrates how to use blend modes to fix image problems, enhance an image or create a surreal effect.

Editing may tell stories, but visual effects make those stories eye-catching. In this short video, Larry Jordan illustrates how to create and format 3D text. Plus, how to convert 2D text into 3D.

Editing may tell stories, but visual effects make those stories eye-catching. In this session, Larry Jordan highlights the wide range of effects available in Final Cut Pro 11 while he demos more than 55 specific effects across all effects categories.

Twelve years ago I wrote a detailed article on how to use blend modes in Final Cut Pro. But there is more we can do now and, in this tutorial, I want to showcase four different ways to use blend …

Apple changed how adjustment layers for Final Cut are created in Motion with FCP 11. An adjustment layer in Final Cut Pro is a special clip to which you can apply effects that affect all layers or clips below it. The only problem is that it doesn’t exist. Here’s how to create it.

The Ken Burns effect provides automated image animation and it works for both horizontal and vertical projects. But there are several cases where keyframes work better. Larry Jordan illustrates both in this short video.

Drop zones are areas in a Final Cut Pro effect into which you can insert an image or video. But, there’s a key “gotcha” that you need to know to use them effectively. Larry Jordan explains.

Backups are basic to protecting your media. But what should you use for hardware, or software, and how many backups are “enough.” Larry Jordan explains the basics.

In this short video, Larry Jordan demonstrates how to import timelines from Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro for color grading, then export them back out again.

Over the last week, I tested Apple Final Cut Pro 11, Adobe Premiere Pro 25 and DaVinci Resolve 19.1 using a variety of computers from 2018 to the new M4 Pro Mac mini. This article summarizes what I’ve learned with an emphasis on the M4 Pro Mac mini and M2 Max Mac Studio.

The new Transcribe to Captions automatically generates text captions from clips in the Final Cut timeline. It fast and dead easy to use… except, there’s one small problem: It creates captions in the wrong format. In this demo, Larry Jordan shows how it works and how to change caption formats.

The new Magnetic Mask is nothing short of amazing. Whether you want to remove a background, improve a color grade, or apply an effect to only a portion of the clip, the Magnetic mask is your new tool of choice. This video shows how it works.

Separating actual performance from all the marketing hype and reviews by people who don’t know anything about video editing is a challenge. Larry Jordan tests FCP, Premiere, & Resolve using Intel and M-series computers. The results will surprise you.

Watch as Larry Jordan demos every new feature in Apple Final Cut Pro 11 – including the amazing Magnetic Mask.

The new Transcribe to Captions Feature in Final Cut Pro – the first, big step toward speech-to-text. Here’s an illustrated tutorial on how this works AND an essential workaround that you need to know.

Here’s an illustrated, step-by-step tutorial to Apple’s Magnetic Mask, new with Final Cut Pro 11. This can create amazing results quickly – once you know how it works.

This review looks at the performance differences in video editing running Apple Final Cut Pro 11 on a variety of Macs from the 2018 Mac mini to the new 2024 Apple M4 Pro Mac mini. The results may surprise you!

Today, Apple updated Final Cut Pro – Mac to version 11, along with updates to Final Cut Camera, Final Cut Pro – iPad and Logic. Here are the details and more links.

Paul is creating a compilation video and asks: What happens when I copy clips from one Final Cut Pro library to another? And how can I keep my library sizes small? The answer? It all depends upon how you initially import your media.

There are several reasons why you might want to send a project from Final Cut Pro to DaVinci Resolve: For example, to mix the audio in Fairlight or do more detailed color correction on the Color page. If you do, you also need to know how to get those files there and back.

I was thinking about multicams this morning. I had just finished editing my DaVinci Resolve Multicam webinar, so multicam editing was on my mind. I was pondering the differences between multicam in the three NLEs I know the best – Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. It probably won’t surprise you that the answer is: “It depends…”

Your project is complete – except you need to burn captions into your video. This process is surprisingly easy in Apple Final Cut Pro – but darn hard to find. Here’s how to do it.

Sometimes, creating a custom effect can save you a lot of time – especially if you need to use it over and over. So, here’s an example of how to create a template in Motion, using a variety of useful Motion effects, that you can use directly in Apple Final Cut Pro. (I included both the movie and the Motion project.)

This was a fun project! I decided to compare how accurately Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve handle tracking shape masks used for color correction. I also included movies so you can judge the results for …

Joel asks: “I want the logo to enlarge, eventually getting to the point where a single letter fills the screen, and at the same time, the logo area gradually becomes the concert video. How do I do this?” There are at least three ways. Here’s an illustrated approach to all three.

Earlier this week, I wrote an article on how to move media stored in a Library out of that library. But, since writing it, I discovered a much faster way to do this – and one that works both ways. Here’s what you need to know.

Final Cut provides four interface workspaces, and supports an unlimited number more. In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to access workspaces, how to customize them, then how to apply a Finder shortcut to make them instantly accessible.

There is a LOT you can do to customize the Viewer in Final Cut Pro. And it all starts with discovering what the View menu can do.

In this video tutorial, discover how to make the most of Browser settings, including better ways to organize files, create custom metadata, and create projects faster and more easily.