Offline/Online Editing Workflows
The offline/online editing process in Final Cut Pro consists of the following steps:
Step 1:
Set up and capture media at low resolution
You can log and capture your footage directly to low-resolution, offline-quality media
files. Alternatively, you can log and capture your footage at full resolution, and then use
the Media Manager to create low-resolution media files for offline editing. The latter
method is useful if you want to have both full-resolution and low-resolution media for
two different systems simultaneously.
Step 2:
Edit with offline-quality (low-resolution) media files
You edit just as you would with any other footage. Because you are using low-
resolution footage, you can fit much more footage on your hard disk and use a
portable computer editing system.
Step 3:
Create a sequence for recapturing media at full resolution
When you finish editing your low-resolution sequence, you use the Media Manager to
create a copy with full-resolution settings. For this step, you choose the Create Offline
option in the Media pop-up menu.
Important:
It is important to understand the difference between clips and media files
when performing this step. This option only creates a new sequence with new sequence
clips at full-resolution, but no new media files are created. Once you have a sequence
with full-resolution settings, you can recapture your media files at full-resolution. Also, the
word “offline” in the Create Offline option actually refers to creating clips whose media
files are offline, and doesn’t actually relate to the offline/online editing process. For more
information, see “
Clips Described by Their Properties
” on page 33.
You can restrict your new sequence clips so that only the media necessary to create
your finished edit is required, instead of the entire length of the original media files.
This saves time and disk space when you recapture.
If you are doing online editing on a non-Final Cut Pro editing system, you need to
export your sequence to a project interchange format such as an EDL, AAF, or the
Final Cut Pro XML Interchange Format. Third-party plug-ins are available for converting
Final Cut Pro projects directly to other nonlinear editing system formats.
At this stage, you also export your audio to an audio interchange format, such as OMF,
or separate audio files for audio mixing in a separate application.
Step 4:
Recapture necessary media at full resolution
You bring your finished, full-resolution sequence to a Final Cut Pro editing system
capable of recapturing your media at full resolution, and then capture your footage.
Chapter 5
Offline and Online Editing
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Step 5:
Add final color correction, effects, transitions, and titles
Once you have full-resolution footage, you can accurately color correct and add final
titles and effects. At the end of this process, you render your effects in preparation for
output. Your final audio mix is created in Final Cut Pro or imported from a separate
audio application.
Step 6:
Output to tape, MPEG-2 (for DVD), or a QuickTime movie file
You output or export your final sequence as you would with any other project.