Streamline Your Editing: 40 Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts

Top 40 Keyboard Shortcuts for Final Cut Pro X

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

I confess I’m a keyboard shortcut junkie. Anything I can do to help me edit faster is a good thing, and nothing says “speed” like keyboard shortcuts. There are well over 600 menu options in FCP X, with hundreds of keyboard shortcuts. But, which ones are the best?

In this article, I share my Top 40 keyboard shortcuts. I use these beauties every day to help me get my projects done faster. Now, you can use them, too. Even better, I’ve categorized them to make them easier to find. Haven’t got FCPX yet? Get your 90-day free trial here.

(And, for those who take the time to count, you’ll discover this list actually includes 53 keyboard shortcuts. But using “Top 40” in the title seemed so much sexier than “Top 53.”)

Operations

Option + N	Create a new Event
Cmd + N	Create a new Project
Shift + Cmd + D	Create a Project Snapshot
Cmd + [plus]	Zoom into Timeline or image
Cmd + [ minus ]	Zoom out of Timeline or image
Shift + Z	Size the Timeline or image to fit in the window
Control + Cmd + 1	Toggle Library and Browser display on or off
Control + Cmd + 3	Toggle Event Viewer open/closed
J - K - L	Reverse - Stop - Play the playhead (Tap multiple times to change speed)
S	Toggle skimming on or off
N	Toggle snapping on or off
V	Toggle clip visibility on or off
Control + Y	Toggle skimmer info display on/off in Browser
Cmd + 4	Toggle Inspector open/closed
Cmd + 5	Toggle Effects Browser open/closed
Cmd + 6	Toggle Color Board open/closed
Cmd + 7	Toggle video scope display on/off

Editing

I	Set the In at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Shift + I	Jump the playhead to the In
Option + I	Delete the In
O	Set the Out at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Shift + O	Jump the playhead to the Out
Option + O	Delete the Out
Option + X	Delete both the In and the Out
M	Add a marker
Option + M	Add a marker and open the edit marker dialog
E	Perform an Append edit
W	Perform an Insert edit
D	Perform an Overwrite edit
Q	Perform a Connected edit
Shift + G	Create a connected storyline
Shift + 1	Edit video and audio to the Timeline
Shift + 2	Edit video-only to the Timeline
Shift + 3	Edit audio-only to the Timeline
Option + W	Insert a gap at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Control + S	Expand/collapse audio from synced video
Option + Control + S	Expand/collapse audio components (multitrack audio)
Shift + Cmd + F	Play project full screen (ESC to return)
Shift + ?	Play a few seconds before and after the skimmer/playhead position

Trimming

A	Select the Arrow (selection) tool
T	Select the Trim tool
P	Select the Position tool
B	Select the Blade tool
R	Select the Range tool
Shift + X	Jump the selected edit point to the position of the skimmer/playhead
[ comma ] / [ period ]	Move the selected clip or edit point one frame left/right
Shift + [ comma ] / Shift + [ period ]	Move selected clip or edit point ten frames left/right

Other cool shortcuts

Cmd + T	Add cross-dissolve
Control + T	Add default full-screen title
Shift + Control + T	Add default lower-third title
Cmd + E	Export master file of project

FAQ

What to do when the shortcuts in FCPX not working?

Change your input source of keyboard set to US should fix the problem.

How to modify shortcuts in FCPX?

There are two ways to open the modifying menu: choose Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize, or press Option-Command-K. Then, change the shortcuts and save.

See more FCPX editing tips here .

Above are the top useful shortcuts that I used most when editing videos in Final Cut Pro. If you want to edit videos in a much easier way and get some Hollywood film looking at the same time, you can try Wondershare Filmora . Check the video to see how to edit videos with Filmora.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

(And, for those who take the time to count, you’ll discover this list actually includes 53 keyboard shortcuts. But using “Top 40” in the title seemed so much sexier than “Top 53.”)

Operations

Option + N	Create a new Event
Cmd + N	Create a new Project
Shift + Cmd + D	Create a Project Snapshot
Cmd + [plus]	Zoom into Timeline or image
Cmd + [ minus ]	Zoom out of Timeline or image
Shift + Z	Size the Timeline or image to fit in the window
Control + Cmd + 1	Toggle Library and Browser display on or off
Control + Cmd + 3	Toggle Event Viewer open/closed
J - K - L	Reverse - Stop - Play the playhead (Tap multiple times to change speed)
S	Toggle skimming on or off
N	Toggle snapping on or off
V	Toggle clip visibility on or off
Control + Y	Toggle skimmer info display on/off in Browser
Cmd + 4	Toggle Inspector open/closed
Cmd + 5	Toggle Effects Browser open/closed
Cmd + 6	Toggle Color Board open/closed
Cmd + 7	Toggle video scope display on/off

Editing

I	Set the In at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Shift + I	Jump the playhead to the In
Option + I	Delete the In
O	Set the Out at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Shift + O	Jump the playhead to the Out
Option + O	Delete the Out
Option + X	Delete both the In and the Out
M	Add a marker
Option + M	Add a marker and open the edit marker dialog
E	Perform an Append edit
W	Perform an Insert edit
D	Perform an Overwrite edit
Q	Perform a Connected edit
Shift + G	Create a connected storyline
Shift + 1	Edit video and audio to the Timeline
Shift + 2	Edit video-only to the Timeline
Shift + 3	Edit audio-only to the Timeline
Option + W	Insert a gap at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Control + S	Expand/collapse audio from synced video
Option + Control + S	Expand/collapse audio components (multitrack audio)
Shift + Cmd + F	Play project full screen (ESC to return)
Shift + ?	Play a few seconds before and after the skimmer/playhead position

Trimming

A	Select the Arrow (selection) tool
T	Select the Trim tool
P	Select the Position tool
B	Select the Blade tool
R	Select the Range tool
Shift + X	Jump the selected edit point to the position of the skimmer/playhead
[ comma ] / [ period ]	Move the selected clip or edit point one frame left/right
Shift + [ comma ] / Shift + [ period ]	Move selected clip or edit point ten frames left/right

Other cool shortcuts

Cmd + T	Add cross-dissolve
Control + T	Add default full-screen title
Shift + Control + T	Add default lower-third title
Cmd + E	Export master file of project

FAQ

What to do when the shortcuts in FCPX not working?

Change your input source of keyboard set to US should fix the problem.

How to modify shortcuts in FCPX?

There are two ways to open the modifying menu: choose Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize, or press Option-Command-K. Then, change the shortcuts and save.

See more FCPX editing tips here .

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

(And, for those who take the time to count, you’ll discover this list actually includes 53 keyboard shortcuts. But using “Top 40” in the title seemed so much sexier than “Top 53.”)

Operations

Option + N	Create a new Event
Cmd + N	Create a new Project
Shift + Cmd + D	Create a Project Snapshot
Cmd + [plus]	Zoom into Timeline or image
Cmd + [ minus ]	Zoom out of Timeline or image
Shift + Z	Size the Timeline or image to fit in the window
Control + Cmd + 1	Toggle Library and Browser display on or off
Control + Cmd + 3	Toggle Event Viewer open/closed
J - K - L	Reverse - Stop - Play the playhead (Tap multiple times to change speed)
S	Toggle skimming on or off
N	Toggle snapping on or off
V	Toggle clip visibility on or off
Control + Y	Toggle skimmer info display on/off in Browser
Cmd + 4	Toggle Inspector open/closed
Cmd + 5	Toggle Effects Browser open/closed
Cmd + 6	Toggle Color Board open/closed
Cmd + 7	Toggle video scope display on/off

Editing

I	Set the In at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Shift + I	Jump the playhead to the In
Option + I	Delete the In
O	Set the Out at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Shift + O	Jump the playhead to the Out
Option + O	Delete the Out
Option + X	Delete both the In and the Out
M	Add a marker
Option + M	Add a marker and open the edit marker dialog
E	Perform an Append edit
W	Perform an Insert edit
D	Perform an Overwrite edit
Q	Perform a Connected edit
Shift + G	Create a connected storyline
Shift + 1	Edit video and audio to the Timeline
Shift + 2	Edit video-only to the Timeline
Shift + 3	Edit audio-only to the Timeline
Option + W	Insert a gap at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Control + S	Expand/collapse audio from synced video
Option + Control + S	Expand/collapse audio components (multitrack audio)
Shift + Cmd + F	Play project full screen (ESC to return)
Shift + ?	Play a few seconds before and after the skimmer/playhead position

Trimming

A	Select the Arrow (selection) tool
T	Select the Trim tool
P	Select the Position tool
B	Select the Blade tool
R	Select the Range tool
Shift + X	Jump the selected edit point to the position of the skimmer/playhead
[ comma ] / [ period ]	Move the selected clip or edit point one frame left/right
Shift + [ comma ] / Shift + [ period ]	Move selected clip or edit point ten frames left/right

Other cool shortcuts

Cmd + T	Add cross-dissolve
Control + T	Add default full-screen title
Shift + Control + T	Add default lower-third title
Cmd + E	Export master file of project

FAQ

What to do when the shortcuts in FCPX not working?

Change your input source of keyboard set to US should fix the problem.

How to modify shortcuts in FCPX?

There are two ways to open the modifying menu: choose Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize, or press Option-Command-K. Then, change the shortcuts and save.

See more FCPX editing tips here .

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

(And, for those who take the time to count, you’ll discover this list actually includes 53 keyboard shortcuts. But using “Top 40” in the title seemed so much sexier than “Top 53.”)

Operations

Option + N	Create a new Event
Cmd + N	Create a new Project
Shift + Cmd + D	Create a Project Snapshot
Cmd + [plus]	Zoom into Timeline or image
Cmd + [ minus ]	Zoom out of Timeline or image
Shift + Z	Size the Timeline or image to fit in the window
Control + Cmd + 1	Toggle Library and Browser display on or off
Control + Cmd + 3	Toggle Event Viewer open/closed
J - K - L	Reverse - Stop - Play the playhead (Tap multiple times to change speed)
S	Toggle skimming on or off
N	Toggle snapping on or off
V	Toggle clip visibility on or off
Control + Y	Toggle skimmer info display on/off in Browser
Cmd + 4	Toggle Inspector open/closed
Cmd + 5	Toggle Effects Browser open/closed
Cmd + 6	Toggle Color Board open/closed
Cmd + 7	Toggle video scope display on/off

Editing

I	Set the In at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Shift + I	Jump the playhead to the In
Option + I	Delete the In
O	Set the Out at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Shift + O	Jump the playhead to the Out
Option + O	Delete the Out
Option + X	Delete both the In and the Out
M	Add a marker
Option + M	Add a marker and open the edit marker dialog
E	Perform an Append edit
W	Perform an Insert edit
D	Perform an Overwrite edit
Q	Perform a Connected edit
Shift + G	Create a connected storyline
Shift + 1	Edit video and audio to the Timeline
Shift + 2	Edit video-only to the Timeline
Shift + 3	Edit audio-only to the Timeline
Option + W	Insert a gap at the position of the skimmer/playhead
Control + S	Expand/collapse audio from synced video
Option + Control + S	Expand/collapse audio components (multitrack audio)
Shift + Cmd + F	Play project full screen (ESC to return)
Shift + ?	Play a few seconds before and after the skimmer/playhead position

Trimming

A	Select the Arrow (selection) tool
T	Select the Trim tool
P	Select the Position tool
B	Select the Blade tool
R	Select the Range tool
Shift + X	Jump the selected edit point to the position of the skimmer/playhead
[ comma ] / [ period ]	Move the selected clip or edit point one frame left/right
Shift + [ comma ] / Shift + [ period ]	Move selected clip or edit point ten frames left/right

Other cool shortcuts

Cmd + T	Add cross-dissolve
Control + T	Add default full-screen title
Shift + Control + T	Add default lower-third title
Cmd + E	Export master file of project

FAQ

What to do when the shortcuts in FCPX not working?

Change your input source of keyboard set to US should fix the problem.

How to modify shortcuts in FCPX?

There are two ways to open the modifying menu: choose Final Cut Pro > Commands > Customize, or press Option-Command-K. Then, change the shortcuts and save.

See more FCPX editing tips here .

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

OS X Mavericks: The Ultimate MP4 File Editor

MP4 Editor for Mavericks: Edit MP4 in OS X Mavericks

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Wish to edit your MP4 files on Mac computer with the latest operating system OS X 10.9 Mavericks? However, you may be frustrated to find that many video editing tools don’t work in OS X 10.9 Mavericks. To solve the problems with ease, Filmora for Mac is provided for you. This Mp4 editor for Mavericks can handle all kinds of MP4 files with no trouble and varied demands. With it, you can easily get professional looking results even though the steps of improving your videos and audio. Follow the tutorials to learn how to edit MP4 files in OS X Mavericks.

Note: Besides MP4, Filmora for Mac supports virtually all popular video and audio formats like AVI, MOV, MKV, FLV, AVCHD (MTS/M2TS), WMV and more. You can also use it to edit files in these formats.

MP4 Editor for Mavericks

1 Import the MP4 files you want to edit

Open this MP4 editor for Mavericks, and import files from the built-in media library or from external devices. It handles videos and audio without hassle. You can also directly drag-n-drop the MP4 files to the editing area.

2 Edit MP4 files as you like

With Filmora for Mac, you are free to rotate, trim, crop clips and adjust color settings as well as record videos using a video capture device or the built-in iSight. To apply these basic editing effects, just click the corresponding editing buttons in the tool bar.

As magic video effects always draw everyone’s eyes, you can further edit MP4 files with offered special effects, including titles & clip effects, intro/credit & transitions, audio/music editing and more. Find these functions in the related tab and add various effects to your mp4 files. With ease, you can make your MP4 files much more brilliant and outstanding than other home-making ones in OS X Mavericks.

With increasing needs of social interaction on line, you must be eager to share your edited files with friends on YouTube. Filmora for Mac(Originally Wondershare Video Editor for Mac) is connected with it. After editing your MP4 files, hit “Export” and choose “YouTube”. Then the videos will be automatically uploaded to website, as long as you fill in your account information. Besides, Filmora for Mac(Originally Wondershare Video Editor for Mac) supports exporting formats: MOV, M4V, MP4, MKV, F4V, FLV, WMV, TS; and media devices including iPhone, iPod, iPad, PSP, Zune, Creative Zen Player etc. You can also burn discs to store the MP4 files permanently.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 Editor for Mavericks

1 Import the MP4 files you want to edit

2 Edit MP4 files as you like

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 Editor for Mavericks

1 Import the MP4 files you want to edit

2 Edit MP4 files as you like

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 Editor for Mavericks

1 Import the MP4 files you want to edit

2 Edit MP4 files as you like

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Ken Burns Effect Made Easy: Follow These Simple Steps

How to Make Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

Select the clip or picture;
See the lower left of the viewer;
Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

Click on the Swap button;
The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

Press the Play Loop button;
Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

Add the first camera movement to your image;
Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

Step 2: Check Your Settings

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

Select the clip or picture;
See the lower left of the viewer;
Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

Click on the Swap button;
The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

Press the Play Loop button;
Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Add the first camera movement to your image;
Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

Step 2: Check Your Settings

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

Select the clip or picture;
See the lower left of the viewer;
Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

Click on the Swap button;
The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

Press the Play Loop button;
Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Add the first camera movement to your image;
Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

Step 2: Check Your Settings

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

Select the clip or picture;
See the lower left of the viewer;
Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

Click on the Swap button;
The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

Press the Play Loop button;
Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Add the first camera movement to your image;
Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Final Cut Pro X Tutorial: Cropping Images for Video Editing

Final Cut Pro X: How to Crop an Image

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cropping an image means to remove a portion of the image, either to hide something you don’t want the audience to see or emphasize different elements within the image. Just as Photoshop allows us to crop still images, Final Cut Pro X allows us to crop moving video clips, as you’ll learn in this article.

This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

However, before I show how this is done, I need to explain one really important fact about video: all video uses what’s called “fixed resolution.” Fixed resolution means that high-definition video is always displayed at one of two sizes:

You May Also Like: How to Crop GIF Images >>

1920 x 1080 pixels
1920 x 1080 pixels

Unlike still images which can be thousands of pixels on a side, video clips are locked into one of these two sizes. This means that if you crop a video clip, to remove something you don’t like, the remaining pixels are often enlarged to fill the frame. Crop too much and your video clip will look blurry, blocky, and edges will look stair-stepped.

I’ll show you two ways to crop a video clip in this article, one that maintains a high image quality but reduces the size of the frame (called “trimming”) and the other that fills the frame with the image but reduces image quality (called “cropping”). You get to pick which one works the best for you.

TRIMMING

Trimming is the process of removing portions of a video clip without changing the size of the clip. This retains the highest amount of image quality.

For instance, here an image - courtesy of Pond5 (<www.pond5.com>). Let’s say that we want to emphasize the barn and not the sky.

The easiest way to do this is to click the icon in the lower left corner of the Viewer and choose “Crop.”

This displays the cropping tools in the Viewer.

Click the Trim button to turn on Trim mode. (This article discusses Trim and Crop. I’ll cover the Ken Burns effect in a future article.)

Grab one of the blue dots and drag to hide portions of the frame. I generally grab a corner, but any blue dot will do.

NOTE: Press and hold the Option key while dragging to drag opposite edges or corners. Press and hold the Shift key to constrain the trim to the same aspect ratio as the frame.

Drag other corners or edges to further trim the image.

When you have trimmed the image the way you want, click the “Done” button in the top right corner to exit trimming mode.

If no other clip is below the trimmed clip, the background will be black.

But, it actually isn’t black, it’s transparent. If you put another clip below it, you’ll see the lower clip underneath the trimmed image.

Trimming allows us to hide portions of a video clip, without changing the image quality of the clip that remains. However, trimming always creates transparent sections within an image.

CROPPING

Cropping allows us to select just a portion of a video clip, without creating any transparent sections, BUT, it degrades image quality.

There are several ways we can choose to crop an image:

Click the Crop icon, as we illustrated above

Right-mouse click (or Control-click) inside the Viewer and choose
Type Shift+C

* In the Inspector > Video tab > Crop (this option provides the most precision, but is the least intuitive to use)

If you selected any option except the Inspector, click the Crop button in the Viewer.

Now, drag a blue button in one of the corners. Because cropping, unlike trimming, fills the frame with the portion of the image we select, we can only move corners and the image is always sized to match the aspect ratio of our sequence.

Final Cut displays numbers at the top of the Viewer indicating how much the image has been cropped.

Reposition the frame by grabbing inside the rectangle and dragging.

When you are happy with the results, click the Done button in the top right corner.

Notice that the selected portion of the image now fills the frame. Even though there is a clip below our cropped clip, we don’t see it.

And, if you look closely, you’ll see that the cropped image is softer (blurrier) than the original and edges are more likely to be stair-stepped.

RESET

To reset a cropped image back to its default settings, open the Inspector and click the small curved arrow to the right of the word “Crop.”

SUMMARY

Trimming is used to hide portions of an image and superimpose it over another image.

Cropping is used to reframe an image, say from a medium shot to a close-up, but runs the risk of overly softening an image. The general rule is that cropping a little is OK, but don’t crop too much.

I use both these techniques frequently in my own editing.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

You May Also Like: How to Crop GIF Images >>

1920 x 1080 pixels
1920 x 1080 pixels

TRIMMING

Trimming is the process of removing portions of a video clip without changing the size of the clip. This retains the highest amount of image quality.

For instance, here an image - courtesy of Pond5 (<www.pond5.com>). Let’s say that we want to emphasize the barn and not the sky.

The easiest way to do this is to click the icon in the lower left corner of the Viewer and choose “Crop.”

This displays the cropping tools in the Viewer.

Click the Trim button to turn on Trim mode. (This article discusses Trim and Crop. I’ll cover the Ken Burns effect in a future article.)

Grab one of the blue dots and drag to hide portions of the frame. I generally grab a corner, but any blue dot will do.

NOTE: Press and hold the Option key while dragging to drag opposite edges or corners. Press and hold the Shift key to constrain the trim to the same aspect ratio as the frame.

Drag other corners or edges to further trim the image.

When you have trimmed the image the way you want, click the “Done” button in the top right corner to exit trimming mode.

If no other clip is below the trimmed clip, the background will be black.

But, it actually isn’t black, it’s transparent. If you put another clip below it, you’ll see the lower clip underneath the trimmed image.

Trimming allows us to hide portions of a video clip, without changing the image quality of the clip that remains. However, trimming always creates transparent sections within an image.

CROPPING

Cropping allows us to select just a portion of a video clip, without creating any transparent sections, BUT, it degrades image quality.

There are several ways we can choose to crop an image:

Click the Crop icon, as we illustrated above

Right-mouse click (or Control-click) inside the Viewer and choose
Type Shift+C

* In the Inspector > Video tab > Crop (this option provides the most precision, but is the least intuitive to use)

If you selected any option except the Inspector, click the Crop button in the Viewer.

Final Cut displays numbers at the top of the Viewer indicating how much the image has been cropped.

Reposition the frame by grabbing inside the rectangle and dragging.

When you are happy with the results, click the Done button in the top right corner.

Notice that the selected portion of the image now fills the frame. Even though there is a clip below our cropped clip, we don’t see it.

And, if you look closely, you’ll see that the cropped image is softer (blurrier) than the original and edges are more likely to be stair-stepped.

RESET

To reset a cropped image back to its default settings, open the Inspector and click the small curved arrow to the right of the word “Crop.”

SUMMARY

Trimming is used to hide portions of an image and superimpose it over another image.

I use both these techniques frequently in my own editing.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

You May Also Like: How to Crop GIF Images >>

1920 x 1080 pixels
1920 x 1080 pixels

TRIMMING

Trimming is the process of removing portions of a video clip without changing the size of the clip. This retains the highest amount of image quality.

For instance, here an image - courtesy of Pond5 (<www.pond5.com>). Let’s say that we want to emphasize the barn and not the sky.

The easiest way to do this is to click the icon in the lower left corner of the Viewer and choose “Crop.”

This displays the cropping tools in the Viewer.

Click the Trim button to turn on Trim mode. (This article discusses Trim and Crop. I’ll cover the Ken Burns effect in a future article.)

Grab one of the blue dots and drag to hide portions of the frame. I generally grab a corner, but any blue dot will do.

NOTE: Press and hold the Option key while dragging to drag opposite edges or corners. Press and hold the Shift key to constrain the trim to the same aspect ratio as the frame.

Drag other corners or edges to further trim the image.

When you have trimmed the image the way you want, click the “Done” button in the top right corner to exit trimming mode.

If no other clip is below the trimmed clip, the background will be black.

But, it actually isn’t black, it’s transparent. If you put another clip below it, you’ll see the lower clip underneath the trimmed image.

Trimming allows us to hide portions of a video clip, without changing the image quality of the clip that remains. However, trimming always creates transparent sections within an image.

CROPPING

Cropping allows us to select just a portion of a video clip, without creating any transparent sections, BUT, it degrades image quality.

There are several ways we can choose to crop an image:

Click the Crop icon, as we illustrated above

Right-mouse click (or Control-click) inside the Viewer and choose
Type Shift+C

* In the Inspector > Video tab > Crop (this option provides the most precision, but is the least intuitive to use)

If you selected any option except the Inspector, click the Crop button in the Viewer.

Final Cut displays numbers at the top of the Viewer indicating how much the image has been cropped.

Reposition the frame by grabbing inside the rectangle and dragging.

When you are happy with the results, click the Done button in the top right corner.

Notice that the selected portion of the image now fills the frame. Even though there is a clip below our cropped clip, we don’t see it.

And, if you look closely, you’ll see that the cropped image is softer (blurrier) than the original and edges are more likely to be stair-stepped.

RESET

To reset a cropped image back to its default settings, open the Inspector and click the small curved arrow to the right of the word “Crop.”

SUMMARY

Trimming is used to hide portions of an image and superimpose it over another image.

I use both these techniques frequently in my own editing.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

You May Also Like: How to Crop GIF Images >>

1920 x 1080 pixels
1920 x 1080 pixels

TRIMMING

Trimming is the process of removing portions of a video clip without changing the size of the clip. This retains the highest amount of image quality.

For instance, here an image - courtesy of Pond5 (<www.pond5.com>). Let’s say that we want to emphasize the barn and not the sky.

The easiest way to do this is to click the icon in the lower left corner of the Viewer and choose “Crop.”

This displays the cropping tools in the Viewer.

Click the Trim button to turn on Trim mode. (This article discusses Trim and Crop. I’ll cover the Ken Burns effect in a future article.)

Grab one of the blue dots and drag to hide portions of the frame. I generally grab a corner, but any blue dot will do.

NOTE: Press and hold the Option key while dragging to drag opposite edges or corners. Press and hold the Shift key to constrain the trim to the same aspect ratio as the frame.

Drag other corners or edges to further trim the image.

When you have trimmed the image the way you want, click the “Done” button in the top right corner to exit trimming mode.

If no other clip is below the trimmed clip, the background will be black.

But, it actually isn’t black, it’s transparent. If you put another clip below it, you’ll see the lower clip underneath the trimmed image.

Trimming allows us to hide portions of a video clip, without changing the image quality of the clip that remains. However, trimming always creates transparent sections within an image.

CROPPING

Cropping allows us to select just a portion of a video clip, without creating any transparent sections, BUT, it degrades image quality.

There are several ways we can choose to crop an image:

Click the Crop icon, as we illustrated above

Right-mouse click (or Control-click) inside the Viewer and choose
Type Shift+C

* In the Inspector > Video tab > Crop (this option provides the most precision, but is the least intuitive to use)

If you selected any option except the Inspector, click the Crop button in the Viewer.

Final Cut displays numbers at the top of the Viewer indicating how much the image has been cropped.

Reposition the frame by grabbing inside the rectangle and dragging.

When you are happy with the results, click the Done button in the top right corner.

Notice that the selected portion of the image now fills the frame. Even though there is a clip below our cropped clip, we don’t see it.

And, if you look closely, you’ll see that the cropped image is softer (blurrier) than the original and edges are more likely to be stair-stepped.

RESET

To reset a cropped image back to its default settings, open the Inspector and click the small curved arrow to the right of the word “Crop.”

SUMMARY

Trimming is used to hide portions of an image and superimpose it over another image.

I use both these techniques frequently in my own editing.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Smart Video Editing

In 2024, Streamline Your Editing 40 Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts

Streamline Your Editing: 40 Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts

Top 40 Keyboard Shortcuts for Final Cut Pro X

Benjamin Arango

Operations

Editing

Trimming

Other cool shortcuts

FAQ

Benjamin Arango

Operations

Editing

Trimming

Other cool shortcuts

FAQ

Benjamin Arango

Operations

Editing

Trimming

Other cool shortcuts

FAQ

Benjamin Arango

Operations

Editing

Trimming

Other cool shortcuts

FAQ

OS X Mavericks: The Ultimate MP4 File Editor

MP4 Editor for Mavericks: Edit MP4 in OS X Mavericks

Liza Brown

MP4 Editor for Mavericks

1 Import the MP4 files you want to edit

2 Edit MP4 files as you like

3 Export and share your MP4 files

Liza Brown

MP4 Editor for Mavericks

1 Import the MP4 files you want to edit

2 Edit MP4 files as you like

3 Export and share your MP4 files

Liza Brown

MP4 Editor for Mavericks

1 Import the MP4 files you want to edit

2 Edit MP4 files as you like

3 Export and share your MP4 files

Liza Brown

MP4 Editor for Mavericks

1 Import the MP4 files you want to edit

2 Edit MP4 files as you like

3 Export and share your MP4 files

Ken Burns Effect Made Easy: Follow These Simple Steps

How to Make Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Liza Brown

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Liza Brown

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Liza Brown

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Liza Brown

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Final Cut Pro X Tutorial: Cropping Images for Video Editing

Final Cut Pro X: How to Crop an Image

Benjamin Arango

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

TRIMMING

CROPPING

RESET

SUMMARY

Benjamin Arango

How to Crop an Image in Final Cut Pro X

TRIMMING

CROPPING