Editing temp clips feature?

Hello all,

Is there any way in which I can edit some clips "on the side" before attaching them to the main timeline?
Meaning, is there a secondary timeline/workspace in the same project for temporary edits?

Thanks in advance

One way I work on clips before adding them into a storyline is to go to Clip > Open Clip which will open the clip in a Timeline by itself. I will usually do "cleaning" (image enhancement) and color balance as well as lens distortion corrections if required.

— I recommending creating a keyboard shortcut - something like command-option-O to Open Clip - very convenient. —

Once a clip is edited in its own timeline, then when added to the storyline, it comes in as edited and the Effects I applied to it are "hidden" from the storyline version (they do not appear in the Effects Inspector). Adding new effects in the storyline is like adding them to a "fresh" clip.

At any time, you can re-edit a Clip in its own timeline by selecting it in the storyline going to Clip > Open Clip. Changes made at this stage will not change edits made in the Event Browser version.


Clips added to the storyline AFTER an Event Browser clip edit will display the edits, but all those added BEFORE you made changes will not be automatically updated! This means you can do one set of edits in the Event Browser, add the clip to the storyline, then do another round of edits for the next addition to the storyline and the first one does not update to the last changes.

Another option you have is Auditions. Selecting a clip in the storyline and typing Option Y will allow you to duplicate the currently selected clip and allows you to make a completely different set of adjustments to as many different auditions you want. When you get ready to publish/export, pick the auditions you prefer [click the "mark" on the upper left corner of the clip in the storyline and you'll get a "slider" of revisions to choose from]. If you want to make edits to a copy of the original clip in the Event Browser, you can type Command-Shift-Y instead.

shimonamir wrote:

...Is there any way in which I can edit some clips "on the side" before attaching them to the main timeline?...Meaning, is there a secondary timeline/workspace in the same project for temporary edits?...

In general, FCP is designed to first curate your clips in the Event Browser using ratings and keywords. Unlike other NLEs, these are range-based, not clip-based, which gives more control. Then use filters to produce a much smaller set of data, e.g, filter on "hide rejected", or "show favorites". Used that way, it strips away all the "deadwood", and it's often easier to find material for the timeline.

This significantly reduces the need to produce "stringout" timelines. With other NLEs, you are forced to use multiple timelines for organizational purposes because their organizational and query tools are limited.

That said, even with FCP you may need to assemble some clips in provisional sequences, separate from the main timeline. One method is just adding a secondary storyline connected to the main timeline -- in the same project. Here is a 60 sec tutorial from Ripple Training:

Another method is creating a compound clip with the sequence you want. That becomes a skimmable object in the Event Browser. You can create a Smart Collection to show all the compound clips you created. See this tutorial "8 ways to use compound clips in Final Cut Pro":