FCP video editing problems

My slideshare lecture on video editing provides tips on video editing and how to use Final Cut Pro. It is also provides information on troubleshooting problems with Final Cut. One of the most difficult parts of teaching software is troubleshooting technical glitches or figuring out how the new user or student ended up where they did. My presentation presents four common problems news users face when editing in Final Cut Pro.

1. “I don’t see my video.”
   • This likely means that the computer does not recognize that the video camera is connected to the computer.
2. “I see red lines through mu clips.”
   • This means that FCP cannot find your video because it is likely stored at another location, which means you did not save properly.
3. “I can only see part of my video and the rest says needs rendering.”
   • It means that your clips need rendering before you can view them.
4. “My video is not playing.”
   • A trick that may help you is to copy and paste your video project into a new timeline, which may solve the problem.

Check out my slideshare presentation to see how to solve these problems. Tomorrow, I will talk about exporting video from Final Cut Pro to a player. A media player allows the user to play your edited video.

How to shoot b-roll video

The key to good video is shooting sequences. A sequence is a wide, medium and close-up shot of the same object or person. When shooting video, you want to mimic how humans see the world. A person will cognitively process visuals in steps. For example, if a person walks into a room looking for a chair to sit on during a public speaking event. That person will walk into a room and see the whole room (wide-shot), then they will see a few people (medium-shot), and then they will spot an empty chair (close-up).

I also limit the shooting of zooms and pans by my students. A pan is recording video as the camera horizontally moves across the room. First, movement can look pixelated online, diminishing the quality. Second, the shot lasts a long time if shot properly. Third, our eyes do not zoom. We can not look at someone and zoom to them. Thus, it is better to shoot shots when shooting video for the web.

How to shoot a video interview

I teach video in four steps in my online media class, which equals to 8 hours of class time. I am a former broadcast instructor who has spent many years teaching video to people of all backgrounds. I find that this approach works best for me. I hope that it helps you teach or learn video basics.

1. Online video trends

2. How to shoot an interview – they must practice shooting following the interview. I provide an in-class assignment on my lecture slides.

3. How to shoot broll or cover video – they must shoot a sequence and a action shot following lecture.

4. How to edit and prepare video for the web – they edit the video they shot over the past few days.

I have shared my lecture on online video trends on my blog. Today, I will share my lecture on how to shoot an interview. The following days I will share with you my b-roll shooting and editing lectures.

Training leaders to adapt with change

In the most recent issue of Electronic News, a journal dedicated to broadcast media research, University of Florida researcher Johanna Cleary surveyed television news directors and producers about the state of training in newsrooms in 2003 and 2004. Many news organizations rarely provide training to further their employee’s knowledge, however providing training may encourage organizational commitment and job satisfaction.

The results show that producers are unhappy with the amount and the content of training provided to them, however 62% of them said that the lack of professional training did not influence employee’s loyalty to the organization. On the other hand, the majority of news directors (69%) surveyed believed that it did influence their job satisfaction.

It should be noted that many new graduates professionally entering the field with online skills may desire additional training to keep up with the evolving field of online communication. A lack of guidance from leadership or from outside professionals may cause anxiety because of the current state of the business. Newsroom leaders and information organizations should consider reaching out to academia for guidance because many academics spend their careers monitoring changes occurring in the field of journalism.

The act of blogging is necessary to understand

Blogging has many benefits for students, journalists, and educators. Blogging is an easy way for students and anyone else to positively build their online reputation. It also can help them understand how to share information online. Online communication is important to learn. I would like to share with you my presentation on blogging.

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