Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
chapter 14
Working with Effects
Pranks didn't require
much in the way of effects during post-production, but we still wanted to give you an in-
troduction to the effects that are available in Final Cut Pro for you to use in your future projects. Final Cut Pro
comes with two kinds of effects. There are the plug-in effects, which are accessible from the toolbar's Media
Browsers, and there are also several built-in effects, which are incorporated into the clips themselves once they
have been added to the Timeline. Both types of effects come with their own particular settings that are available
from the Inspector, and these allow you to manipulate the effect further. Most of the settings allow you to set key-
frames, which lets you animate any parameter changes that you make over time. Let's take a closer look at both
types of effects.
Exploring the Built-In Effects
Final Cut Pro's built-in effects allow you to directly manipulate each clip in the Timeline via on-screen controls
in the Viewer or by changing parameter settings inside the Inspector, enabling you to transform, trim, crop, and
distort the image on-screen. These kinds of effects are typically performed during compositing and can be anim-
ated using keyframes. Compositing is the process of combining several different images into one image on-
screen. This can be anything from superimposed titles to split-screen effects and generally require that a clip,
generator effect, or still image be connected above another clip in the Primary Storyline. These composites can be
merged using a variety of different Blend modes, which are available via the Inspector.
To access the built-in effects, first select the clip that you want to manipulate in the Timeline; then open the In-
spector's Video tab or click one of the first three effects buttons below the Viewer. These buttons activate the on-
screen controls, which superimpose handles and borders over the image that allow you to manipulate the image
directly with the cursor. In the Inspector, the controls for the Transform, Crop, and Distort effects are uncovered
by clicking the blue Show icon (you need to hover the cursor over this area to reveal the Show icon; see Figure
14.1). To conceal them again, just click the blue Hide icon in the same way.
