Question: I have the latest version of Final Cut Express and want to upgrade to Final Cut Pro just to add some needed features to my editing. However, I don’t have the cash to make it happen. Any alternatives you can offer to make this cheapo editing software into something better?

Answer: Let’s face it, Final Cut Express is Apple’s gift to the poor independent media professional who could never afford Final Cut Pro or it’s just non-linear editing software crippled in just the right places to make it unfeasible for any kind of real project or maybe just a sales tool used to tease us long enough until we finally upgrade to the real deal. Whatever way you look at it, we’re going to have some fun and cheat a little with some cool workarounds, free plugins, filters and the tools you could use to take this simple $200 editing program and make it act more like its $1200 equivalent.

Here are 10 Final Cut Pro Features Express Will Never Have – Until Now

Final Cut Express doesn’t have any Cinema Tools.

This means no EDLs, no Reverse-Telecine, no advanced 30 fps to 24 fps pulldown. If you don’t know what those things mean, and you never intend to create a print of your project on actual film for a theater projector, you won’t miss any of these features. But if you know what they are and you want them in Final Cut Express, there are a few workarounds:

1. EDL

An edit decision list or EDL is a way of representing a film or video edit. It contains all the data during your editing in a sequence: timecode, edits, changes in speed, etc. so you can carry it over to another piece of software or another desktop editing with Final Cut Pro.

FCE does not allow export of XML, it can only import XML… CSV and 4 types of EDL files, and to “Scene Detector State” files. …You can however open an Final Cut Express project in FCP, assuming the FCP version is the equivalent or newer version than the Final Cut Express version.

With iMovie, putting together a great movie is as quick as drag and drop. When you want to add professional polish to your project, simply export to Final Cut Express 4 and edit like a pro.

Scene Detector

An advanced utility for the automatic detection of scene boundaries (shots) in a movie. Scene detection is performed using only the frame image data, no timecode or audio metadata is used.

Scene Detection opens a Final Cut project file (exported in XML format) OR raw video file (.mov or .avi or any other format supported by QuickTime), then asks the user what clip to detect scenes in (if input was not a raw video file).

After completion it exports the project file in FCP XML format with markers added at scene boundaries OR exports scene information in CSV, HTML or EDL files (4 types of EDL files are supported). In case input was FCP XML file, markers will be added to original file, preserving all other information (all comments, clips, tracks and so on). If input was not an FCP XML file but media file, an FCP XML file will be generated, suitable for import into Final Cut or Final Cut Express.

The User then imports the XML file back into Final Cut. In order to create subclips, user just selects all or some markers created by Scene Detector and then clicks Modify ⇒ Make Subclip in Final Cut, and a new subclip is created for each scene found by Scene Detector. It couldn’t be any easier! The clip file is not changed during this operation, so it can reside even on your read-only device.

Scene Detector can also create a separate video file for each scene found; both standalone and reference files can be created.

2. Reverse Telecine

Final Cut Express does not natively handle p24 content. That being said, neither do many cameras. Most cameras (in the amateur/prosumer realm) that offer p24 mode take advantage of something called “pulldown” or “telecine”. What this allows them to do is to store p24 mode footage (that is comprised of 24 full frames) and put it in a format of 60 interlaced frames.

The equivalent of six frames are added merely duplicating existing parts of the 24 frames. While this might

seem counterproductive, it actually is a huge benefit for those of us who want to work with Final Cut Express since Final Cut Express only supports frame rates of 25 and 29.97 frames per second. ‐ Note: If your camera has a “real 24 mode” “pure 24 mode”, where the output content is actually 24 frames per second, you’ll actually have to add pulldown to your file to work. Here is how to do it in Final Cut Express.

3. Multicam editing

While Final Cut Pro does indeed have a multicam editing feature, you can emulate it fairly easily in Final Cut Express with Piero’s QuarterPIP plugin. While it’s not exactly like using multicam editing in Final Cut Pro, it enables you to achieve that on-the-fly cut effect you want.

If you shoot with multiple cameras simultaneously, you’ll need to sync the footage manually in the timeline. This would be a drag if your entire project was one big multicam event, like a concert or play. This will make absolutely no difference at all if you only have one camera, regardless of how many takes and camera setups you shoot.

Here’s an optional workflow:

1. Create a new sequence with a video track for each camera

2. Decide which camera is going to be the main cam – call it Camera 1 (obvious, but we need to call it something) and place that camera on the top video track (if you have 3 tracks, put Camera 1 on V3)

3. Find something unique to line up your video tracks. I often use a camera flash. Put the video from Camera 2 and Camera 3 on V2 and V1 respectively. Fill in any gaps with slugs and hope that there isn’t a place where you’ve got slugs on all three tracks.

4. Now your video on V3 will play along just fine, and when you want to cut to one of the other cameras just use the little pen tool and drag the opacity to 0. If you want to cut to camera 3, then cut camera 1 and 2 to 0.

Here’s the major advantage to FCP v FCE – anytime you cut from camera 1 you are going to have to render the track, and that’ll eat time and disk space. You could, if you’re sure of your cuts, just use the razor tool to cut out the section of Camera 1 and Camera 2 when you want Camera 3… or whatever camera you want.

It really isn’t all that time consuming once you get the different cameras lined up.

And another:

1. Load all video.

2. In the canvas, resize each video track to 1/4 screen. Cam 1 – upper right. Cam 2 – upper left. Cam 3 – lower left. Cam 1 is the “base video track, i.e., video track 1… usually the wide angle, but whatever makes sense to your project.

3. Sync, or position, the three video tracks. I usually do this via audio tracks, but video works as well. Just remember that the process is tedious, and accuracy is limited to the frame rate of the video. That is not necessarily the same timerframe of the audio, but close enough, … most of the time.

4. You can now see all of your video in the canvas. Mute the audio you do not want to listen to while editing, but do not delete yet! With the razor tool you can cut and trim, from the top clip down, to your heart’s desire.

5. When editing the sequence is done you should revisit and do two things. First, resize each camera angle to full screen. A tedious process. Second, begin to trim any video on lower numbered tracks that will not be part of the full screen display. I believe this will reduce the file size of your final export.

6. Review video. If you are satisfied with the look, it is time to address audio.

7. Eliminate the audio you do not need.

8. Save your project frequently throughout the entire process.

9. Review, review, review, until you are either satisfied or sick of the whole project. Refine, refine, refine, until you are sick of the project.

10. Once you are satisfied. Export, burn, and archive.

4. Burning Timecode

Final Cut Pro has always had the ability to add a timecode window burn to a clip or sequence with a filter or extra step. Sure, if you were going to tape this is no big deal, but lets face it you really don’t need a window burn if you are going to tape anyway. Usually clients want a DVD with a window burn.

In Final Cut Express, you can see your live-updating timecode in the timeline window, but you can’t burn in the timecode so it shows up in an exported video file – until now.

Workarounds:

QuickTime came and saved the day by allowing the user to view timecode right in the player itself. This is still a great solution. But sometimes the client is just not savvy enough to use a Quicktime movie. Again, they want a DVD.

Timecode Display is a Filter that displays customizable Timecodes of a clip (including source timecodes, otherwise not available in FCE)

Luckily, a third party vendor, 1z1 Screenworks, has designed a Timecode Generator that will work in Final Cut Express. The filter, DisplaySourceTC, can be found here.

5. No Soundtrack program.

Final Cut Express does not include Soundtrack like it used to.

Soundtrack Pro helps you edit and mix faster than ever, with new multitrack editing tools and easy ways to fix common audio problems. Whether you’re enhancing a single clip or crafting a feature-length soundtrack, you’ll find all the tools you need to create perfect sound for picture.

Audacity® is free, open source alternative for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. Sure, it’s no Soundtrack but it gets the job done with some sweet features:

• Easy editing with Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete.
• Use unlimited Undo (and Redo) to go back any number of steps.
• Very fast editing of large files.
• Edit and mix an unlimited number of tracks.
• Use the Drawing tool to alter individual sample points.
• Fade the volume up or down smoothly with the Envelope tool.

Effects

• Change the pitch without altering the tempo, or vice-versa.
• Remove static, hiss, hum, or other constant background noises.
• Alter frequencies with Equalization, FFT Filter, and Bass Boost effects.
• Adjust volumes with Compressor, Amplify, and Normalize effects.
• Other built-in effects include: Echo, Phaser, Wahwah, Reverse
• and more!

6. Color Correction

Final Cut Studio comes with the program Color, which is extremely powerful, allowing real-time previews in any resolution, and an 8 stage workflow that allows you to affect the entire image first, then multiple areas of a single shot independently, along with many other high-end features.

If you occasionally want to correct an over- or under-exposed shot, or your shots sometimes look too blue, green or pink, Express should do the job. There is no Three Way Color Corrector in Final Cut Express as there is in Final Cut Pro, but all of the components are there.

7. No Batch Capture.

If you have one long tape, and you know you only need 5 small chunks of it, and you know the exact timecode in and out of those 5 small chunks, batch capture would let you import only those chunks. In Express, you can import an entire tape, and then delete the parts you don’t need, or manually surf through your tape, and only import what you need manually, or type in one timecode to import from, but you cant put in all 5 in and out timecodes and then hit ‘go’ and make yourself a sandwich.

Making Batch Capturing Easier – the workaround:

Clip Capture.

Then use Final Cut Express’ DV Start/Stop Detect function to find all the clip boundaries you filmed. If the camera was running continuously, there will not be any natural clip boundaries. In that case, you will need to open the clip in the Viewer and mark your own IN/OUT points for the sections you want to treat as individual clips.

This is actually a much faster process than using Capture Clip and having to fast forward/jog/shuttle your miniDV camcorder just to mark IN and OUT points to capture an individual clip.

Final Cut Express does not have a batch capture feature like FCP does, so you can only Capture one clip at a time.

Scene Detector can also be used to create a separate video file for each scene found; both standalone and reference files can be created.

8. Smoothcam in Final Cut Express

Have you seen how awesome Final Cut Pro’s SmoothCam feature is in removing shake from camera shots and wished you could do that in Final Cut Express? Well, wish no longer! Pixlock`s iStabilize can do the job!

iStabilize is a stand-alone software video stabilizer for MacOS. It stabilizes movies by removing unwanted shaky motion and smoothing the image path.

Shaking often originates from lightweight handheld cameras, particularly when driven at high magnification. Built-in stabilizers mostly do a good job, but can get overcharged in various conditions. Then, iStabilize can be a helpful utility. Being powerful enough to meet professional demands but also affordable for video amateurs, iStabilize is a valuable extension to many digital video (home) studios.

9. Alpha Transitions

Alpha Transition is being marketed as one of the major new features of Final Cut Pro 7. It allows you to use a third clip as a transition between two existing clips. It uses the transparent parts of the transition clip, so that makes it an alpha transition.

FCE Alpha Transition is a Transition that emulates the Alpha Transition.

10. Time remapping

Variable speed or Time Remapping, as it is called, is only available in Final Cut Pro. This feature gives us the ability to produce variable speeds within a clip. We can run the motion faster, slower or both, make the motion stop, run backwards or even produce a still frame. For example, a clip can start playing in ‘slow mo’, speed up, then run backwards, then run forwards, then backwards again, speeding up and slowing down all the while.

Time Remap is a Filter for FCE that emulates the Time Remap function of FCP

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