Not a typo, but a new set of six plugins from Final Cat Pro. These are not templates, all six add extra functionality to the editing process in Final Cut Pro X.
A Monday morning and we have got excited about a new set of plugins from Final Cat Pro. (Not a typo and yes it made us laugh too.) The set of six plugins that sell for $29 are not the traditional type of template wrapped Motion files, but scripts that work in FCPX to add extra editing functionality.
Brothers Jeroen and Jan Willem from the Netherlands got frustrated by a lack of operational commands that they needed within Final Cut Pro X whilst editing their documentaries. So they decided to create their own!
So how come nobody as done this before? We have been editing with FCPX for over two years now and these guys are the first people we know of to add extra tools with scripts that work within the app. The brothers confess they are no programming experts, but they have twigged how to harness the power of Automator to make life easier.
This opens up a fantastic world of possible custom script building for FCPX and we are sure that this set won't be the last you will see. The guys win our FCPX expert badge for this week.
The six plugins are Memory Bank, Quote & Note, Affiliated Clips, Reveal Selection, Split Edits and Open in Timeline. Let's have a quick look through all of the plugins before Jeroen den Bok focusses on them one by one.
Memory Bank: With this FCPX plugin you can store five positions and visit them later when you need them. Very nice if you search through your sequence and loose your orientation. Or you can compare multiple clips. Or jump back and forth to the clips you want.
Quote and Note: With this FCPX plugin it is much easier to tag interviews with the right quotes and notes. So if you need to write out your interviews or provide more information to clips than a few words, this plugin is your solution. It saves you a lot of valuable time and makes you feel in control with big projects.
Affiliated Clips: With this FCPX plugin you can copy, paste, adjust white balance & mute audio to all the same source clips in the timeline with a shortcut.
Reveal Selection: With this FCPX plugin you reveal your selection of a clip in the timeline to its source clip in the Event Browser with the exact in and out point.
Split Edits: With this FCPX plugin you create a split edit with the click of a button. This b-split will extend the audio of the left clip under the video of the second clip.
Open in Timeline: With this FCPX plugin you can open any clip from anywhere into it's own timeline. Perfect if you want to check your clips from the Event Browser.
We would love to hear from editors who have tried these out, please use the comments section below.
I am the Editor-in-Chief of FCP.co and have run the website since its inception ten years ago.
I have also worked as a broadcast and corporate editor for over 30 years, starting on one inch tape, working through many formats, right up to today's NLEs.
Under the name Idustrial Revolution, I have written and sold plugins for Final Cut Pro for 13 years.
I was made a Freeman of Lichfield through The Worshipful Company of Smiths (established 1601). Though I haven't yet tried to herd a flock of sheep through the city centre!
Current Editing
2020 has been busy, the beginning of the year was finishing off a new property series (cut on FCP) for Channel 4 called The Great House Giveaway. I also designed and built the majority of the graphics as Motion templates. It has been a great success and the shows grabbed more viewers in the 4pm weekday slot than any previous strand. It has been recommissioned by C4 for 60 episodes, including prime-time versions and five themed programmes. The shows have also been nominated for a 2021 BAFTA.
Although both were postponed to later in the year, I worked again on ITV's coverage of the Tour de France and La Vuelta. 2020 was my 25th year of editing the TdF and my 20th year as lead editor. The Tour was the first broadcast show to adopt FCPX working for multiple editors on shared storage.
BBC's Snooker has played a big part in my life, I've been editing tournament coverage since 1997. I'm proud to be part of a very creative team that has pioneered many new ideas and workflows that are now industry standard in sports' production. This is currently an Adobe Premiere edit.
Covid cancelled some of the regular corporate events that I edit such as trade shows & events. I was lucky however to edit, from home, on projects for Amazon Kindle, Amazon Black Friday, Mastercard and very proud to have helped local charitable trust Kendall & Wall secure lottery funding.
As for software, my weapon of choice is Final Cut Pro and Motion, but I also have a good knowledge and broadcast credits with Adobe Premiere Pro, MOGRT design and Photoshop.
Plugin Design & Development
I'm the creative force behind Idustrial Revolution, one of the oldest Final Cut Pro plugin developers. It hosts a range of commercial and free plugins on the site. One free plugin was downloaded over a thousand times within 24 hours of release.
I also take on custom work, whether it is adapting an existing plugin for a special use or designing new plugins for clients from scratch. Having a good knowledge of editing allows me to build-in flexibility and more importantly, usability.
FCP.co
Now in its 10th year and 4th redesign, running FCP.co has given me knowledge on how to run a large CMS- you are currently reading my bio from the database! Although it sounds corny, I am pretty well up on social media trends & techniques, especially in the video sector. The recent Covid restrictions has enabled live FCP.co shows online. This involves managing a Zoom Webinar through Restream.io to YouTube and Facebook.
The Future
I'm always open to new ideas and opportunities, so please get in touch at editor (at) fcp.co. I've judged film competitions, presented workflow techniques to international audiences and come up with ideas for TV shows and software programs!
