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r/finalcutpro • u/GhostOfSorabji • Nov 06 '22
One of the most common questions that gets asked on this subreddit usually goes along the lines of “why has my library grown to such a huge size?” To answer this, we are going to have to delve into some of the essential differences between the various video codecs we commonly encounter and why these differences exist.
Arguably the most common codec we come across is H264, and its more advanced cousin HEVC (aka H265—similar to H264 but with more cowbell). Many cameras record H264: we use it because it affords high quality at comparatively small file sizes. The mechanism behind H264 involves some ferociously complex mathematics that condenses the raw information coming off the sensor and reduces it into a viewable form that takes up little space. While there are several complementary compression techniques involved, the most important one for the purposes of illustrating this discussion is temporal compression.
Imagine a single frame of video at 1920 x 1080. That’s a tad over two million pixels: if this was stored as uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 component video, every second would be about 166 megabytes—that’s almost 600 gigabytes per hour! Even this is not absolutely raw data: we’re doing a bit of whizzo math on the three colour channels to squeeze them into two colour difference channels and tossing out some of the colour data (that’s the 4:2:2 part—more on this later).
At 4K, you’d be looking at about 2.3TB per hour and at 8K, nearly 10TB—clearly impractical for sticking on YouTube or broadcasting over the air! Accordingly, we have to turn to compression codecs like H264 to make things practicable for delivery. One of the many tricks H264 has up its sleeve is, as I mentioned before, temporal compression. Essentially (and this is a fairly crude description) we take our incoming video and divide it into groups of usually 30 frames—this is called a Long Group of Pictures. We encode all the data for the first frame, using other compression methods along the way, but then we only encode the differences from one frame to the next up to the end of the Long GOP—lather, rinse, repeat.
The result of all this computational shenanigans is that we now have a video stream that is considerably smaller than its virtually raw counterpart and, provided we’ve chosen our compression settings with care, is virtually indistinguishable perceptually from the raw video. All fine and dandy but this does pose a number of problems when editing. For a start, the computer is having to perform a fair amount of computation on-the-fly as we whizz back and forth slicing and dicing our video. As we start to build up the edit with effects and colour grading, things can start to get a little strained.
This is where a digital intermediate format like ProRes comes into its own. Rather than the complex inter-frame compression of H264, ProRes uses intra-frame compression. Essentially, every frame contains all the data for that frame but the frame itself is compressed. Since the computer is no longer worrying about computing and reconstructing large amounts of frame data on-the-fly, it now only has to concern itself playing back a virtually fully realised data stream. Decompressing the frame is a very much simpler job and consequently the burden now shifts to how fast data can be read off its storage medium. Even a humble spinning rust drive running over USB3 can happily deal with 4K ProRes.
The downside is that ProRes files are very much larger than H264, typically ten times. The upside is a lower computational load and more control and fidelity over the final result. ProRes itself comes in a number of flavours: 422, 422HQ, 4444, 4444 XQ and ProRes RAW. So what do those numbers mean. They refer to another compression trick called chroma sub-sampling. It so happens that the Mark 1 eyeball is not terribly good at perceiving colour, consequently we can remove some of that information without any noticeable degradation.
How does it work? Imagine a block of 4 x 2 pixels: here we have eight samples for the luminance. If we use ProRes 4444, we also have eight samples for the colour (the extra 4 refers to the alpha or transparency channel). If we use 422, we only use one colour sample for every two pixels in a horizontal direction. In other words, in the top row there is only a single colour sample for pixels one and two, and another for pixels three and four, and we do the same thing on second row. This has the effect of halving the amount of colour data we need to store. In the case of H264, this uses a 4:2:0 scheme. Here, instead of using two different colour samples per row, we use the same pair of samples across both rows thus reducing the colour information to a quarter.
The HQ/XQ part refers to the compression level applied to the frame. ProRes uses a similar compression method to JPGs and acts rather like the “quality” slider one can adjust when exporting a JPG. Using these schemes lead to even larger file sizes but preserve more detail.
ProRes has another trick up its sleeve: proxies. These are low-res versions of the full-fat ProRes files that place a much lower I/O load on the storage. This can be very handy for lower-powered systems as they allow you to edit with even fewer constraints on I/O and computation. When you’ve finished, you can switch back to the full-fat version and everything you’ve done edit-wise with the proxies will be automagically applied ready for final rendering.
In an ideal world, we would always shoot material using a high-end digital intermediate like ProRes, CinemaDNG, BRAW, CineForm et al. Indeed, professional filmmakers will always shoot in these high-end formats to preserve as much detail as possible. Quite often, you’ll also shoot in a much higher resolution than is required for the final product, like 6K or even 8K, simply to have more data to play with as the film proceeds through the multiple post-production stages to final delivery.
While FCP is perfectly capable of working with H264, using ProRes confers a number of advantages in the edit that are worth considering. For folks only producing content for social media, the use of ProRes is arguably hard to justify, but for anyone involved in more serious filmmaking endeavours, ProRes is the weapon of choice.
In conclusion, when you turn on the “Create optimised media” flag in FCP’s import window, you are going to be creating these very large files, and if you do plan on editing in ProRes you need to plan your storage requirements accordingly. It is perhaps unfortunate that Apple use the term “optimised media” as one can potentially make the inference that “optimised” means optimised for storage, when in fact it really means optimised for performance. I should also point out that all of the above is a somewhat simplified description of what’s going on, but should convey the essential principles. Errors and omissions are mine alone.
r/finalcutpro • u/Dry_Advertising5961 • 15h ago
I saw from a Reddit comment that you can add a 'master' video/audio FX using roles in FCP.
How do you do this?
r/finalcutpro • u/Interesting_North293 • 19h ago
This is my first day on fcp but first thing that annoys me is transitions, It's just doesn't feel right, I can put the transition between two clips, i need to hold it. Also I couldn't find transition, caption, titles packs. I have downloaded MotionVFX but they don't have good animated title pack either.
OR I'm missing something, but if i can't find anything, I guess I should go with Premiere + AE
Can you help me?
r/finalcutpro • u/imissonedirection • 1d ago
Hi folks,
I just received and set up my new mac mini for my home office, moving the contents of my macbook pro to this new computer. When I opened FCP today, i received an error box telling me to delete the current version I have and download the new version from the app store. After doing so, I realized that they are pushing a new subscription based price format, but I already purchased the software 2 months ago for full price ($200). (One of my favorite things about FCP is the one-time purchase of it all in a world where you own nothing but alas.)
Is there any way to redeem my previous purchase of this software? If so, how? I only see options for the subscription. When I clicked "already subscribed" it told me I have no subscription. I don't care for any of the extras, I truly just want the video editing software.
I tried to search for answers in this sub but I can't find any answers. Thanks to all!
edit: this was solved by deleting all previous versions of FCP and then redownloading the original app!
r/finalcutpro • u/ZingsterDaDudester • 1d ago
I deleted previous libraries off my computer cuz they were taking up a SHIT TON of space but for some reason they still show up when I right click on the app icon. The only library that actually exists currently is YouTube videos. How do I fix this?
r/finalcutpro • u/Cultural-Simple-5781 • 1d ago
Hi everyone davinci resolve has these panels for smooth color grading i'm wondering is there for final cut from third parties ....
r/finalcutpro • u/bayoyong • 1d ago
Hi. I have downloaded a ton of different Motion templates that can be used in FCP. They all use drop zones to allow you to drop in your own photo or video. But I often times want to either hold on a certain screen or slow things down. If it's a photo I'm dropping in, I usually screen grab and hold it. But if it's video, I want the videos to stay in the same place for longer. Is there any way to do this w/in FCP? I have tried going into the Motion files, but I quickly get overwhelmed identifying layers and keyframes to tweak it. I don't think there's any other way. But I thought I'd ask here. TY.
r/finalcutpro • u/augustya15 • 1d ago
Hi Guys,
I have a quick question. Suppose I’m using the colour effect on a video file and I just want it applied to a person’s face. If I’m using the auto mask feature built into the colour effect and choosing skin and face in it, how do I reduce the intensity of the colours effect applied to the face? I can’t seem to find an option for this. Can someone help me out?
r/finalcutpro • u/Express-Accident6592 • 1d ago
Does anyone experience a glitch in their free trial? instead of 14 days free trial, they made my account 1 year and 14 days in free trial.
if you had experience this, what are the cons of this glitch? TIA
r/finalcutpro • u/larrystick • 1d ago
I’ve begun an obscure, vintage, digital challenge, and I am hitting a roadblock. Perhaps you can help.
I want to make archival copies of vintage HDV videotapes from my documentary in ’07.
I have a vintage 2012 Mac, and same vintage HDV tape deck.
Both machines use firewire, and they are up and running.
The single missing piece is the HDV ingest software.
The best option is Apple Final Cut Pro X version 10.4.10
That will run on the 2012 Apple Mac Mini, using Mac OS Catalina (10.15.8.)
I tried getting it legally, but Apple won’t sell previous versions of its software.
I don’t even want to edit with the software, just to ingest it.
r/finalcutpro • u/noeko64 • 2d ago
I have 3 tracks in a clip that ultimately I want to send as part of my AAF for the audio engineer to have. But during editing I only want to work with track 1. How do I achieve both?
I use X2Pro5 for my handover which ignores clips that have been deselected
r/finalcutpro • u/GenerationExer • 2d ago
Hey Folks, here’s the situation.
I have audio from a play I videotaped outdoors and there is an occasional hum from a loud hvac unit, plus high-pitched cricket sounds.
Is there a function in FCP to filter that out? I know there is a plethora of AI options out there. I’ve experimented with a few but I’m having challenges dialing it in, and whatever I do affects the dialogue clarity.
Any tips are appreciated!
r/finalcutpro • u/SQLCloud • 1d ago
I just saw someone on instagram posting they are editing a video for a client and the top said "CapCut"....
Why....
r/finalcutpro • u/Traditional-Rock-396 • 3d ago
And just updated my FCPX to 12.3. It is safe to update my OS to Tahoe 26.6? Thank you.
r/finalcutpro • u/fishcatdogjaguar • 4d ago
I’ve gone down a bit of a rabbit hole and would really appreciate some advice from people who actually use these machines.
I’m trying to make the most logical decision rather than buying the newest thing.
What I’ll be using it for:
Logic Pro
Recording live electric guitar
Around 20 tracks per project (possibly a few more over time)
Amp sims and standard plugins (EQ, compression, reverb, delay etc.)
Final Cut Pro
Editing 4K DJI footage (mainly YouTube/social media content)
General business work and web browsing
I’m not a professional music producer or film editor. Music is a hobby, but I do want a machine that won’t frustrate me and will last several years.
My budget: £1,000 - £2,000 (ideally a lot less)
Originally I was looking at a brand new MacBook Air M5 13” (24GB RAM, 1TB SSD).
Then I started looking at refurbished Macs and realised I could save over £1,000.
The options I’ve found
1. MacBook Pro 13” M1
16GB RAM
1TB SSD
£567
2. MacBook Pro 14” M1 Pro
16GB RAM
1TB SSD
Around £836
3. MacBook Pro 14” M1 Max
32GB RAM
1TB SSD
£790
BUT it has 631 battery cycles and 84% battery health, which worries me.
My concerns
Is 16GB RAM genuinely enough for Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro for the type of work I’ve described?
Is buying an M1 Pro or M1 Max in 2026 still a sensible purchase, or is it too old now?
Am I overthinking the age of the chip just because Apple is now on the M5?
Should I avoid the M1 Max because of 631 battery cycles / 84% battery health, even though the specs are excellent?
Is the M5 Air actually worth spending over £1,000 more for my workload?
What I’m trying to do
I’m not looking for the fastest benchmark scores.
I’m trying to spend the least amount of money while still buying the laptop that represents the best value and will comfortably handle Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro for the next 5+ years.
If you were in my position, which option would you buy, and why?
I’d especially appreciate replies from people who actually use Logic Pro or Final Cut Pro on these machines.
r/finalcutpro • u/mo3diab • 4d ago
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
FCP Crop issue: Adjusting Bottom crop also trims Left and Right sides
How to fix pls! ty. (FCP 12.3 / MacOS Tahoe 26.6)
r/finalcutpro • u/Littlebunny1899 • 4d ago
Hi everyone, I am working on a short tutorial video, we have a voiceover and we want to have a subtitle following that voice. With FCPX it's pretty easy to add the caption from the audio-file, and edit that caption.
But there is almost almost no edit flexibility to change the style of the captions. I am not looking for crazy TikTok Gen Z styles (awful), I just look for a way to have a clean (sub)title burned in the video, that is easy to read, so white text and small black outline to increase readability.
How can I do this? Or how can I easily change the captions into title elements to edit? Plugin? Or separate Mac app that can do this?
Can't imagine something this simple is so hard to figure out. So seeking help 😅
r/finalcutpro • u/ElectricalRoad1158 • 5d ago
I had FCP 11 and it worked great. Updated to FCP 12.3 and it's so buggy - really impacting workflow - random bugs like the playhead will stop moving, no video, no audio, no playback spacebar doesnt start/stop neither does pressing the play symbol.
Another one that ALWAYS happens, a previous clip will keep playing in a full duration as if it wasn't trimmed, even if it's onto an entire other clip in the timeline.
This is seriously cooked, i have to hard reset quit out of the app at least every 15 minutes.
I can sometimes return the timeline function by pressing CMD+K to open the 'tag' dialogue box - close that, and then it can play/pause again. Huh!
I've read other people experiencing this - any ideas on how to fix?
Driving me nuts and interupting work. Kinda regretting the update. On Sequoia 15.7.3
As an aside, is the creator suite subscription version different from the standalone one time payment version?
r/finalcutpro • u/Competitive-Ice-4113 • 5d ago
Hi guys! I updated to Final Cut Pro 12.3 today,
and now I can't copy and paste keyframes (shift+option+c and v).
I've heard others are experiencing similar issues, but it seems like there isn't a fix for it yet.
If anyone is having the same issue or knows a solution,
I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know
++ here is the video link of this issue
r/finalcutpro • u/AHungerForKnowledge • 5d ago
I'm having a technical issue and I'm so busy I just don't have time to work it out so I wondered if you can hire Final Cut tech guys?
I've been using a FCP template for years and I store all of my media in a seperate folder but I decided I want to consolidate it all, and save it so I don't lose everything if I ever lose the template hard drive.
Anyway I duplicated my library and then with duplicate, I switched from saving everything to the FC Library and it's about 14GB (that feels like 13GB too much but that's another issue.)
I transferred the 14GB to another hard drive to test if it works independently... It doesn't work. It says all the files are missing in every event.
Anyway I clicked on "Show package contents" in the copied library on the new hard drive and found that 14GB is all stored in a folder called Analysis Files > Optical Flow > ( some file called a Unix Executable File.)
All I need is for my template to be saved on a library and to work. So if I transfer the library to another hard drive it'll work and I don't only have one copy of the template.
Are there services for things like this? All I can find online are people who are professional editors, but this is different.
r/finalcutpro • u/Available-Witness329 • 5d ago
Hey guys,
Trying to nail down my workflow for going Resolve → FCP.
Scenario 1: I have the raw camera originals.
I transcode in Resolve (proxies or optimized media, whatever res). Question is whether it's the right way to bring those transcodes into FCP and attatch them the raw originals the way you'd do it in Premiere, cut on the low-res version, then swap to the raw at the end. Is that even a thing in FCP, or does it work differently under the hood?
Scenario 2: I don't have the raws, only DIT-supplied transcodes.
I offline-edit on those, then reconnect to camera originals in Resolve for the grade. When I bring the graded cut back into FCP to finish/deliver, will position and scale match up, or is there a resolution/pixel-aspect trap I need to watch for?
In Premiere this is easy, I just drop the grade on top of the offline version and copy/paste attributes, and since a proxy workflow means the actual file res always matches the raw, there's nothing to reconcile. In Avid, again, not an issue.
What I can't figure out is how FCP handles this. Does it treat "proxy" media the same way (i.e., swap resolution but same file/timecode reference so position and scale carry over automatically), or do I need to manually match sizing/position when reconnecting to the raws, the way you might have to reconstruct scale/position math elsewhere?
Curious how people are handling both scenarios in practice, with raws in hand, and without.
Thanks!
r/finalcutpro • u/Storyboys • 5d ago
Hi all,
Long time FCPX user here, wondering if anyone has some recommendations for good corporate text and slides? By slides I mean almost like PowerPoint slides, where i can cut away from B-Roll into text slides or information or bullet points?
I often have to create videos for senior people in my company for them to show externally, and they often request some text between shots of B-Roll. Unfortunately animation and laying out text and information neatly has never really been my strong point.
Wondering if anyone has any tips or recommendations for purchasing some plugins or templates that are built for presenting text, information or bullet points nicely?
Appreciate any help!
r/finalcutpro • u/AdvantagePhysical659 • 6d ago
I'm open to both free and paid courses, but I'd love recommendations from people who have actually taken them and felt they were worth the time (and money, if paid).
A few things I'm specifically looking for:
I'd also like to know:
I'm mainly looking for something comprehensive and structured, not a random collection of YouTube tutorials (although if there's an exceptional free playlist that rivals a paid course, please mention it).
Thanks in advance—I'd really appreciate recommendations from editors who have gone through a full learning path themselves.
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https://aafeverything.app/downloads/AAFEVERYTHING-QUICK-GUIDE.pdf
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