[This article was first published in the Sept/Oct, 2007, issue of
Larry's Final Cut Pro Newsletter. Click here to subscribe.]

Darren writes in:

I'm a subscriber to lynda.com and have been studying your Final Cut Pro training sessions. First, i want to say thank you as I've learned a huge amount, so much so that I'm now pursuing a career in digital film editing. Anyway, I've come to my first job and I've hit a small problem i need to add a timecode slug to the output move that's going to the client. I'm sure I've seen it in the training videos but have searched but cannot find it. its for a music video as need it just so the customer can tell reference which parts need changing. Thank you in advance

Larry replies: We can do this in about six steps:

1) From the generator menu in the lower-right corner of the Viewer (with the letter A) select Slug.

2) In the Viewer, set the length of the slug to equal your sequence length. If the length is not long enough, go to Final Cut Pro > User Preferences > Editing tab and set Still/Freeze Duration to the length of your sequence. Then, create a new Slug from the Generators menu (see Step 1).

3) Edit the slug to the top track of your sequence.

4) Apply Effects > Video filters > Video > Timecode Generator filter. (Note: this is the Generator filter, not the Reader filter. The Reader filter reads the timecode of your source clips in the Timeline.)

5) Double-click the clip to load it into the Viewer, click the Filters tab and change the Hour Offset to match the starting hour of your sequence ("0" is the default).

6) Select the slug in the top track of your Timeline and choose Modify > Composite modes > Screen. The timecode is now added to all the clips in your timeline.

7) Output or export. The sequence will need to render, but this process is both simple and fast.

As a side-note: If you need to add timecode to video that's going onto a DVD, and you have the new Final Cut Studio 2, you can add timecode using the Timecode filter in Compressor, which saves rendering in Final Cut.

UPDATE - 10/4/07

Andreas Kiel and Anders Teigen both sent in the following:

You describe a way to add a TC overlay for a complete sequence. This way is fine, but it could be done easier. Just create a new sequence. edit the "playout" sequence into it and apply the TC Reader to the nested sequence.

Larry replies: This works, too. I like the simplicity of the slug, as it avoids any problems with a nest.

Larry Jordan is a post-production consultant and an Apple-Certified Trainer in Digital Media with over 25 years experience as producer, director and editor with network, local and corporate credits. Based in Los Angeles, he's a member of both the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America.

The information in this article is believed to be accurate at the time of publication. However, the author assumes no liability in case things go wrong. Please use your best judgment in applying these suggestions.

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