Final Cut Pro X: Batch Rename Clips

For many projects, the original media file names are just fine. And, for those that aren’t, we can quickly change a file name by selecting the clip in the browser, then pressing Return to open a file name for editing.

NOTE: File names that are changed in Final Cut are NOT changed in the Finder.

However, sometimes we need to convert a whole bunch of files given meaningless names by the camera into something that is more useful for the edit.

Hidden inside Final Cut is a batch clip renaming feature that makes this easy. We can rename a selection of clips as a batch in the browser, after the media has been imported. Final Cut Pro provides four customizable naming presets that make renaming large numbers of clips efficient and easy. We can create as many more templates as we need.

Here’s how this works.

• In the browser, select the clips you want to rename.

• Go to Modify > Apply Custom Name and choose the preset you want to apply.

NOTE: You can also go to Info Inspector and click Apply Custom Name at the bottom of the pane, but the Modify menu is faster. (And, yes, you can assign a keyboard shortcut to this menu item as well.)

The clips are instantly renamed according to that template.

NOTE: If you’ve taken the time to fill out any of the the Scene – Take – Camera Angle metadata using the Info Inspector > General, you can instantly convert those labels into file names using the Scene/Shot/Take/Angle preset.

CUSTOMIZE FILE NAMING

If the existing presets don’t meet your needs, you can create a new preset easily. Since the naming options are extensive, the easiest way to start is to duplicate an existing preset, then change it.

To duplicate a preset:

• Choose Modify > Add Custom Name > Edit

• In the Naming Presets window, Control-click the preset you want to duplicate. (Scene/Shot/Take/Angle in the screen shot above.)
• Give the duplicate preset a name, the press Return.

• Place the cursor at the end of the Format field at the top and press Delete to delete items you don’t want.
• Drag items from the list below to create a new custom name template. Add your own punctuation by typing the characters you need. In this screen shot, I typed ” – ” between the blue fields.
• Drag blue fields into the Format field using an order that makes sense to you.

• When you are done, click OK, at the bottom.

SUMMARY

Batch renaming can take a flock of incomprehensible file names and turn them into something that makes sense. Play with this feature to see if it can help you on your next project.

EXTRA CREDIT

• Renaming files in Final Cut does not change file names in the Finder.
• If you don’t like how clips look after being renamed, simply Undo (Cmd + Z) and clip names revert. I’ve found it generally takes me a few attempts to find the naming template that looks the way I expect.
• To remove a preset, select it in the list on the left, then press the Delete key.
• There’s no limit to the number of presets you can create.

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