Final Cut Pro HD | H•O•T Hands-On Training [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

A Few Key Terms

A complete glossary of digital video terms would fill an entire book, but here are some key terms you need to know to start working with Final Cut Pro HD. You'll work with all these terms throughout the rest of the book.

Final Cut Pro HD, Final Cut Pro, Final Cut, and FCP:
These are all different ways of describing the same great editing packageFinal Cut Pro HD. (And, as you'll discover, I use all of them interchangeably.)

Project (or project file):
A Final Cut Pro project file stores pointers, or references, to all the different elements that make up your production. Video, audio, graphics, sound effects, texteverything that is in your final edit is stored in the project file. All editing is done in the project file. Generally, when you are done with a project, you archive this file for permanent storage.

Media:
I use this to mean the timecode-based video and audio files stored on your hard disk and referenced by your Final Cut Pro project. Although others might also include graphics files, sound effects and other elements, when I use the term "media," I'm generally referring to material initially stored on a videotape. Generally, when you are done with a project, you trash all timecode-based media to save disk storage space.

DV:
This is a generic term that includes three different media formats: MiniDV, DVCAM, and DVCPRO-25. Although each format writes data to the tape differently, they all have the same basic image compression and quality. For this reason, I describe all three formats using the generic term, "DV."

Clips:
These are the individual shots or elements stored inside your Final Cut project file that get edited into your finished project. A clip is anything that is stored in the Browser or located on the Timeline. (You'll learn more about these terms in Chapter 2, "Understanding the Final Cut Pro Interface.") Clips are the basic building blocks you use to create your program.

Pointers:
Final Cut Pro uses references inside a project file to "point" to the actual media files stored on your hard disk. Using pointers, rather than the actual media, in your Final Cut project helps keep the project file size small. Also, when you make changes to an edit in Final Cut, these changes affect only the pointers, not the actual media files stored on your hard disk, which enables you to easily undo your changes, without damaging quality. You don't actually see these pointers; rather, the clips you see inside Final Cut use pointers to reference the actual media files stored on your hard disk.

Timeline:
The Timeline is that part of a Final Cut Pro project that allows you to assemble all the different elements of your program from beginning to end. If clips are building blocks, the Timeline is the table that allows you to lay them all out and get them organized in the order you want to best tell your story.