Final Cut Multicam Tip
I’ve gotten a lot of email questions about this recently, so I wanted to share this thought with you.
Whether you are using multicam in Final Cut Pro X or Final Cut Pro X, keep this key point in mind:
You can not mix audio tracks using multicam editing.
You can switch between tracks, but not mix between tracks.
For this same reason, you can’t dissolve or superimpose one video track on top of another video track as part of the multicam edit. While visual effects can be done after the multicam edit is complete, I recommend you mix your audio first – and remember to retain your sync points.
Sync the mixed audio with your camera angles, then, use that finished mix as the audio for your multicam clip.
The reason I suggest mixing audio first is that it is easier to retain sync points in the audio, and sync it to video, by syncing audio with the source video files.
Here’s a free video tutorial on syncing multicam clips in Final Cut Pro X.
Here’s a video tutorial on multicam editing in Final Cut Pro X.
And here’s a video tutorial that covers multicam editing in Final Cut Pro 7.
All of these are available as part of our subscription service – look for Webinars 23 and 64.
Is there a way, a workaround for/to collapse multicam clips in Fanal Cut Pro X?
Shawn:
None that I know of.
Larry
So if I understand you correctly, this means that when editing the raw footage, every time you change shots to a new camera angle in a multi-camera edit, you automatically switch to that camera’s audio as well. Correct? Which is why you need to have one master audio track that underlies all camera angles.
No, Brian, this is not necessarily correct.
You have the OPTION of switching both audio and video, but most of the time, you’ll leave the audio alone and just switch video.
Here’s a more detailed article on using multicam clips in FCP X: http://www.larryjordan.biz/fcpx-multicam/
Larry
Hi Larry,
Above you say that it’s not possible to superimpose a video on another video clip in a multicam clip – is it possible to do it if you go to the angle editor? I want to superimpose some drums playing at a quarter opacity onto another video clip of the main band play on the video underneath. Is this possible? I’ve managed to reduce the opacity of the drum video clip but don’t know how to connect the 2 clips so that they play together. Thanks! Sophia
No. It is not possible.
Multicam is EITHER / OR — either one shot or another. To do the compositing you describe, edit the multicam clip into the Timeline, then add the second shot.
Larry