Trim Source files with Quicktime 7

Hey Guys,

fcp.co has been a source that has helped me on many occasions, I thought I'd share this info to help anyone that had to trim source video for whatever reason.

Skip to the end for the summary without the full story.


I recently had to trim the start of some videos for a client, so they could pass it on to their editor (who wasn't using FCPX) with every thing synced up.
We had 3 sources, 2 cameras and a .mov file feed from a Powerpoint presentation. All the sources had a different starting time.


So I imported all the files into FCPX and made a Multicam clip, synced via the audio track on all the files.

I changed the timeline setting to display frames (in FCPX Preferences)

Identified a starting point where the presenter starts, added a marker

So, each file needed to be trimmed to that point.

I used the range tool to select everything before the presenter starts on a given track, and used Control + D to get the duration in frames.

Then I opened a copy of the source file with Quicktime 7

In the bottom left corner, changed the display to FRAMES

Then double click on the 0 frames, and type in the requried frame number to trim to

Then press Shift + Enter to go the that frame

Use the I key to make that the IN point

Option + Right Arrow to go to the end of the video

O key to set the OUT point

Edit - Trim to Selection

Save


The original video is trimmed perfectly to that frame.

Did the same on each of the other videos & the client has files with the precise starting times.

I could have exported them out of FCPX, but that would take more processing time & the client was insisting on original files.

The biggest key was the Shift + Enter key to move the playhead to a specific frame in QT - 7

Cheers



Summary

Move the playhead to a specific frame in Quicktime 7

Open a file in QT 7

On the far left edge of the timeline, click on drop down option and change the timecode display from Standard to Frames

Double Click on the frame number (ususally 0 if you've just opened the file)

Type in the reqired frame you want the playhead to move to

Use Shift + Enter(return) and the playhead will jump to that frame.