Editing Video

All of the clips you have imported should be displayed in the Browser window. The first step you should take when editing your clips is to name them. Click and hold on Untitled until a blue text edit box pops up around Untitled.
Editing clip names in Final Cut Express

A named clip in the Browser window…
A named clip in the Final Cut Express browser window

…will have the same name in the Timeline.
A named clip in the Final Cut Express timeline

  1. To begin editing a single video clip, click and drag your first clip into the Timeline. You will notice three colored bars pop up into the Timeline. The top blue bar is your video and the lower two green bars are your audio. When deleting part of your video clip you will also be deleting the audio, because for now you don’t want video without audio or vice versa. But don’t worry, Final Cut Express automatically groups your video clips with your audio clips.
    The timeline in Final Cut Express.

  2. If you have imported your clips properly, you should have an excess of video at the beginning and the end of your clip. Now you can clean-up your clips using the playhead in the Timeline. You will want to find the exact frame that you want your clip to start on. You can do this by clicking and dragging the triangular playhead to the approximate starting frame, and then using the left and right arrow keys on the keyboard to find the exact starting frame.
    The timeline playhead in Final Cut Express

  3. Once you’ve found the exact frame you want to start on (or end on) click on the blade tool in the tools palette.
    The blade tool in Final Cut Express

  4. Move your mouse cursor over the clip where your playhead is located. The cursor should snap to the playhead. (If your cursor does not snap, click View -> Snapping) Once the cursor snaps to the playhead click the mouse. Your video clip has been sliced into two pieces.
    Turning snapping on and off in Final Cut Express

  5. You now need to go back to the arrow tool in the tools palette.
    The arrow tool in Final Cut Express

  6. With the arrow tool selected click to highlight the portion of the video clip that you want to delete. Once the excess portion of your video clip is selected, hit the delete key.
    Deleting a video clip in Final Cut Express

  7. Repeat steps 1-4 for every video clip you want to use in your final video project.

  8. If for any reason you want to re-extend one of you video clips, you can do so. With the arrow tool selected, move your cursor to the beginning (or the end depending on what you want to re-extend) until your arrow turns into a double-ended arrow. You can now click and drag your video clip.