How to Trim Video in Final Cut Pro - 4 Easy Steps Guide

One of the most frequent and essential tasks you'll perform in Final Cut Pro is trimming your video clips. Trimming allows you to adjust the start and end points of your clips, ensuring that you include only the most relevant and impactful footage in your final project.

Trimming in Final Cut Pro refers to the process of making a clip in your project longer or shorter. This is achieved by adjusting the cut point or edit point between each pair of contiguous clips. Trimming generally refers to precision adjustments of anywhere from one frame to several seconds. If you're adjusting clip durations by much larger amounts, you're still trimming, but you may not be in the fine-tuning phase of editing yet.

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Techniques for Trimming Clips

In Final Cut Pro, you can use a variety of techniques to trim timeline clips and edit points. These include ripple edits, roll edits, slip edits, and slide edits.

A ripple edit adjusts a clip’s start point or end point without leaving a gap in the timeline. The change in the clip’s duration ripples outward, moving all subsequent clips earlier or later in the timeline.

Roll edits, on the other hand, adjust the point between two clips, effectively trimming one clip while extending the other. This doesn't affect the overall duration of your project, but it does change the relationship between the two clips.

Slip edits and slide edits are slightly more complex. A slip edit moves a clip's in and out points simultaneously, keeping the clip's duration and position in the timeline the same but changing the content of the clip. A slide edit moves a clip within the timeline while keeping its in and out points the same, effectively changing the adjacent clips' out and in points respectively.

Trimming Clips in the Timeline

To trim a clip in the timeline, you can use the Select tool. Move the pointer to the start point or the end point of the clip you want to trim. The pointer changes from an arrow icon to a trim icon. Drag the start point or the end point in the direction you want to trim the clip. As you drag, the clip shortens or lengthens, and any clips to the right of the edit point are rippled accordingly.

Using Timecode to Trim Clips

You can also use timecode to trim clips. Select one or more clips in the timeline, then choose Modify > Change Duration (or press Control-D). Enter a new duration for the selected clip. The end point of the clip is moved to the duration you entered, and any subsequent timeline clips ripple accordingly.

Trimming to a Selection

Another method of trimming involves making a range selection in the timeline. Select the part of a clip that you want to keep, then choose Trim > Trim Selection. Final Cut Pro trims the clip start and end points to match the range selection. The unwanted sections are removed from the clip and the project, and the subsequent clips in the project ripple accordingly.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Trimming

Keyboard shortcuts can also be used for trimming. Select the start or end point of the clip you want to trim. To move the edit point left by one frame, press Comma (,). To move it right by one frame, press Period (.). You can also move the edit point by 10 frames by adding the Shift key to these shortcuts.

Cutting Clips in Two

In addition to trimming, you might also need to cut a clip into two separate clips. To do this, use the Blade tool. Move the skimmer to the frame in the clip where you want to cut, then click. An edit point appears where you clicked, and the clip is divided into two clips.