Using Favorites - can they be referenced in the storyline?

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forum and new to Final Cut Pro X! I am editing a documentary that consists of a lot of interviews. I have "favorite"d the clips I intend to use and renamed them to describe their contents. I then created several projects to distinguish the different topics of the documentary. After dropping the favorites into the appropriate project storyline, I now see there isn't any reference in the storyline to know what favorite I'm working with.

Is there any way to retain the "favorite" clip's renaming in the storyline or is there a way that when you click on a favorite in the storyline, it can be highlighted in the event library? If not, can anyone recommend a good way of quickly knowing what a storyline clip is about, without having to actually preview them?

Please let me know if you need any more information about my issue!

Thanks for your help.

Select a storyline clip, right-click and select "Reveal In Event Browser", or the shortcut Shift-F.

Thanks, Ben. I did try that, but it seems to only reveal the master clip, highlighting the favorite in and out points in the thumbnail clip preview- but it doesn't point to the description, e.g. "Grandfather's pipe story."

I am just looking for an easy way to identify what a clip is in my storyline without having to preview it.

Once a clip hits my Timeline, I really don't pay attention to names, I know what is and should be there, just my personal workflow.

But the technique I gave you brings you back to the original clip, with the segment used highlighted in a Range. You can immediately see if it matches up to a Fav range. Not as immediate as you'd like, but works fine when in List view.

You can rename the clip in the Timeline if you want, too.

Fill out the feedback page and ask Apple to give some option like that.

Unfortunately, all the clips look the same when you're working with interviews, so it's hard to identify the difference between one clip's subject and another in the timeline.

I realized I could rename each clip, but was hoping I didn't have to re-do all the work I just did with naming all my Favs.

The only problem with Revealing in the Event Browser is, like you said, that it only shows you the Fav range and not the name of the Fav- and sometimes I have up to 30 different Favs in one original clip, so just showing me WHERE it is in the original clip isn't helpful.

Thanks for your input, I will contact Apple. A simple feature that points back to the Fav's name when you have a clip selected would be nice.

Rocky wrote: The only problem with Revealing in the Event Browser is, like you said, that it only shows you the Fav range and not the name of the Fav...

It shows you the full clip, and if that range is over a Fav, a simple click of the disclosure arrow has your list. It is very workable in list view.

You may want to use Keyword collections rather than Fav ranges. Keywords being the specific subject folks are talking about. Then you can access that specific subject, and everyone talking about it in that collection.

But yes, better sub-clip management should be coming over the next several upgrades, I'd assume. Fill out the feedback page so they know more folks are needing this.

One method I have used and which we've talked about here before is to make each select a compound clip. It appears labeled in the event browser in list and in thumbnail form. On the timeline it is labelled as well. The only problem - as Ben pointed out before - is that FCPX doesn't want all those compound clips (I have 72 of them) slowing things up. Unfortunately the project is on hold at the moment and I won't be able to tell anytime soon how much it is slowed up in the edit. Maybe I'll throw some pictures in there and make it more complex and see how much it slows down. I'm kind of stuck with the work flow for this project anyway. I may as well put it through the paces. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'd never create that many CCs in one Event. That's sort of asking for trouble.