2024 Approved From Basic to Brilliant Adding FCP X Effects in 3 Easy Steps

2024 Approved From Basic to Brilliant Adding FCP X Effects in 3 Easy Steps

Emma Lv12

From Basic to Brilliant: Adding FCP X Effects in 3 Easy Steps

Simple Guide to FCP X: How To Add Effects in 3 Steps

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

There are two broad categories of effects in Final Cut Pro X: Inspector effects and Effects Browser effects.

I’ve written previously about how to use Inspector effects to create a picture-in-picture effect, among many other effects available to us in Final Cut Pro. In this article, I want to show you how to apply an effect to a clip, modify that effect, temporarily turn that effect on or off, or delete it entirely.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


How to Apply Effects to Video in Final Cut Pro X

Find and apply an effect

Here is our clip - a fearsome polar bear.

add effects in fcp

To apply an effect, first select the clip in the Timeline.

add effects in fcp

Then, click this icon in the Toolbar to open the Effects Browser (or type Cmd + 5).

add effects in fcp

The Browser, like all the effects browsers, lists categories of effects on the left, a search box at the bottom to use for searching for the names of effects, and effects for each category on the right.

add effects in fcp

Here, for example, I’ve selected the Blur category, with my cursor near the Gaussian blur effect. (Gaussian blur is the best effect to use when you want a clip to look blurry.)

To apply an effect, do one of two things:

  • Drag the effect from the Browser onto the clip you want to change.
  • If the clip, or clips, are selected, double-click the effect in the Browser to apply it.

Modify an effect

To modify an effect, click this icon in the Toolbar to open the Inspector (or type Cmd + 4).

add effects in fcp

Click the Video tab in the Inspector. Effects from the Effects Browser are always listed at the top of the Inspector.

add effects in fcp

Grab a slider and drag it to see what happens. For example, to make an image blurrier, drag the Amount slider to the right. To lessen the effect, drag it to the left.

add effects in fcp

Disable and delete an effect

To temporarily disable an effect, without deleting it, click the blue box so that it turns gray.

add effects in fcp

To enable an effect, click the gray box so it turns blue again.

To delete an effect, click the name of the effect - in this example: Gaussian - and press the big Delete key.

add effects in fcp

The effect will be deleted from the selected clip.

Extra credit

You can apply, modify, even delete the same effect to multiple clips by first selecting all the clips you want to change in the Timeline then adding, changing the settings, or deleting an effect in the Inspector.

Summary

The process of applying effects is the same for all effects you apply from the Effects Browser. In future articles I’ll show you how to use this technique to create a wide variety of different effects in Final Cut Pro X.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

There are two broad categories of effects in Final Cut Pro X: Inspector effects and Effects Browser effects.

I’ve written previously about how to use Inspector effects to create a picture-in-picture effect, among many other effects available to us in Final Cut Pro. In this article, I want to show you how to apply an effect to a clip, modify that effect, temporarily turn that effect on or off, or delete it entirely.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


How to Apply Effects to Video in Final Cut Pro X

Find and apply an effect

Here is our clip - a fearsome polar bear.

add effects in fcp

To apply an effect, first select the clip in the Timeline.

add effects in fcp

Then, click this icon in the Toolbar to open the Effects Browser (or type Cmd + 5).

add effects in fcp

The Browser, like all the effects browsers, lists categories of effects on the left, a search box at the bottom to use for searching for the names of effects, and effects for each category on the right.

add effects in fcp

Here, for example, I’ve selected the Blur category, with my cursor near the Gaussian blur effect. (Gaussian blur is the best effect to use when you want a clip to look blurry.)

To apply an effect, do one of two things:

  • Drag the effect from the Browser onto the clip you want to change.
  • If the clip, or clips, are selected, double-click the effect in the Browser to apply it.

Modify an effect

To modify an effect, click this icon in the Toolbar to open the Inspector (or type Cmd + 4).

add effects in fcp

Click the Video tab in the Inspector. Effects from the Effects Browser are always listed at the top of the Inspector.

add effects in fcp

Grab a slider and drag it to see what happens. For example, to make an image blurrier, drag the Amount slider to the right. To lessen the effect, drag it to the left.

add effects in fcp

Disable and delete an effect

To temporarily disable an effect, without deleting it, click the blue box so that it turns gray.

add effects in fcp

To enable an effect, click the gray box so it turns blue again.

To delete an effect, click the name of the effect - in this example: Gaussian - and press the big Delete key.

add effects in fcp

The effect will be deleted from the selected clip.

Extra credit

You can apply, modify, even delete the same effect to multiple clips by first selecting all the clips you want to change in the Timeline then adding, changing the settings, or deleting an effect in the Inspector.

Summary

The process of applying effects is the same for all effects you apply from the Effects Browser. In future articles I’ll show you how to use this technique to create a wide variety of different effects in Final Cut Pro X.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

There are two broad categories of effects in Final Cut Pro X: Inspector effects and Effects Browser effects.

I’ve written previously about how to use Inspector effects to create a picture-in-picture effect, among many other effects available to us in Final Cut Pro. In this article, I want to show you how to apply an effect to a clip, modify that effect, temporarily turn that effect on or off, or delete it entirely.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


How to Apply Effects to Video in Final Cut Pro X

Find and apply an effect

Here is our clip - a fearsome polar bear.

add effects in fcp

To apply an effect, first select the clip in the Timeline.

add effects in fcp

Then, click this icon in the Toolbar to open the Effects Browser (or type Cmd + 5).

add effects in fcp

The Browser, like all the effects browsers, lists categories of effects on the left, a search box at the bottom to use for searching for the names of effects, and effects for each category on the right.

add effects in fcp

Here, for example, I’ve selected the Blur category, with my cursor near the Gaussian blur effect. (Gaussian blur is the best effect to use when you want a clip to look blurry.)

To apply an effect, do one of two things:

  • Drag the effect from the Browser onto the clip you want to change.
  • If the clip, or clips, are selected, double-click the effect in the Browser to apply it.

Modify an effect

To modify an effect, click this icon in the Toolbar to open the Inspector (or type Cmd + 4).

add effects in fcp

Click the Video tab in the Inspector. Effects from the Effects Browser are always listed at the top of the Inspector.

add effects in fcp

Grab a slider and drag it to see what happens. For example, to make an image blurrier, drag the Amount slider to the right. To lessen the effect, drag it to the left.

add effects in fcp

Disable and delete an effect

To temporarily disable an effect, without deleting it, click the blue box so that it turns gray.

add effects in fcp

To enable an effect, click the gray box so it turns blue again.

To delete an effect, click the name of the effect - in this example: Gaussian - and press the big Delete key.

add effects in fcp

The effect will be deleted from the selected clip.

Extra credit

You can apply, modify, even delete the same effect to multiple clips by first selecting all the clips you want to change in the Timeline then adding, changing the settings, or deleting an effect in the Inspector.

Summary

The process of applying effects is the same for all effects you apply from the Effects Browser. In future articles I’ll show you how to use this technique to create a wide variety of different effects in Final Cut Pro X.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

There are two broad categories of effects in Final Cut Pro X: Inspector effects and Effects Browser effects.

I’ve written previously about how to use Inspector effects to create a picture-in-picture effect, among many other effects available to us in Final Cut Pro. In this article, I want to show you how to apply an effect to a clip, modify that effect, temporarily turn that effect on or off, or delete it entirely.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


How to Apply Effects to Video in Final Cut Pro X

Find and apply an effect

Here is our clip - a fearsome polar bear.

add effects in fcp

To apply an effect, first select the clip in the Timeline.

add effects in fcp

Then, click this icon in the Toolbar to open the Effects Browser (or type Cmd + 5).

add effects in fcp

The Browser, like all the effects browsers, lists categories of effects on the left, a search box at the bottom to use for searching for the names of effects, and effects for each category on the right.

add effects in fcp

Here, for example, I’ve selected the Blur category, with my cursor near the Gaussian blur effect. (Gaussian blur is the best effect to use when you want a clip to look blurry.)

To apply an effect, do one of two things:

  • Drag the effect from the Browser onto the clip you want to change.
  • If the clip, or clips, are selected, double-click the effect in the Browser to apply it.

Modify an effect

To modify an effect, click this icon in the Toolbar to open the Inspector (or type Cmd + 4).

add effects in fcp

Click the Video tab in the Inspector. Effects from the Effects Browser are always listed at the top of the Inspector.

add effects in fcp

Grab a slider and drag it to see what happens. For example, to make an image blurrier, drag the Amount slider to the right. To lessen the effect, drag it to the left.

add effects in fcp

Disable and delete an effect

To temporarily disable an effect, without deleting it, click the blue box so that it turns gray.

add effects in fcp

To enable an effect, click the gray box so it turns blue again.

To delete an effect, click the name of the effect - in this example: Gaussian - and press the big Delete key.

add effects in fcp

The effect will be deleted from the selected clip.

Extra credit

You can apply, modify, even delete the same effect to multiple clips by first selecting all the clips you want to change in the Timeline then adding, changing the settings, or deleting an effect in the Inspector.

Summary

The process of applying effects is the same for all effects you apply from the Effects Browser. In future articles I’ll show you how to use this technique to create a wide variety of different effects in Final Cut Pro X.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Top 10 Free Video Rotators to Rotate/Flip Videos

Top 10+ Free Video Rotators to Rotate or Flip Videos

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Nowadays people tend to use high-resolution cameras in mobile devices instead of the old large video cameras to capture videos. But most of the time, you may fail to pay attention to the orientation of the video, thus the final recording is totally inverted. Don’t worry! You can make use of some free tools to turn it back to normal orientation (instead of turning your neck to watch the video). Here are some easy-to-use tools (software and online solutions) that allow you to rotate, flip or turn your videos without hassle.


The following mentioned tools may not cover all your needs when you want to do more video editing tasks. For a more vivid and presentable video, you can try some more powerful video applications like the Wondershare Filmora . It’s a more professional video editor but still simple to use. Watch the video below to find out more information and download it to try now!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

Check this step by step tutorial to find out How to Rotate Video in Wondershare Filmora


Top 10+ Free Tools to Rotate or Flip Videos

1. online-video-cutter.com

If you don’t want to install any software on your computer, you can try an online video rotator. online-video-cutter.com is a very simple and practical online video tool which allows you to trim as well as rotate a video. The max uploaded video file is limited to 500MB, and you can upload videos from Google Drive or just pasting a video link. You can rotate your video 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

rotate video with online video cutter

2. ezgif.com

Although ezgif is used as a GIF maker mainly, it also allows you to edit videos, like cutting, rotating, resizing, reversing, etc. And the uploaded video size is up to 100MB. You can rotate 90 degrees, rotate 180 degrees or rotate 270 degrees (90 counter-clockwise).

rotate video online with ezgif

3. kapwing.com

Kapwing is a comprehensive online video editor which allows you to rotate, resize, convert, trim, loop videos easily. Besides, it features the Studio tool which allows you to edit a video from stratch.

Rotating videos with Kapwing can be finished in several ways, you can use the handles in the preview window to drag it to any angle as you like, or you can use the rotate icon to rotage fast to 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

free video rator kapwing online

4. Rotate Video

Rotate Video is such a free web service that can rotate videos stored on the computer. The supported video formats include FLV, AVI, MPG, WMV and MP4. You can turn the video in 90 degree clockwise or anti-clockwise. However, like other online video editors, your video files cannot exceed a size limit of 5MB.

rotate video online

Note: Above free rotators are web-based, which means you can use these free online video rotator on desktop and mobile devices. You can check this article to find out more tools to rotate videos online .

5. Windows Movie Make

If you’re a Windows user, Windows Movie Maker can be the easiest tool to help you rotate or flip videos. This feature-rich yet easy-to-use video editing tool is able to rotate the video by 90, 180 or 270 degrees, as well as flipping (mirroring) vertically or horizontally.

window movie maker rotating video

Learn more details about how to rotate videos and photos in Windows Movie Maker

6. iMovie

Instead, if you’re a Mac user, iMovie can be the best choice. It comes bundled with every Mac so there is no need to download or purchase any additional software. Each click turns the image 90 degrees. Here is a detailed guide about how to use iMovie to rotate videos.

imovie flip video

You May also like: Learn more details about how to rotate videos and photos in iMovie

Note: Windows Movie Maker is discontinued already, if you are running Windows 10, you can try the Photos App to rotate video on Windows for free, which will be introduced later.

7. Free Video Flip and Rotate

Free Video Flip and Rotate is a fast and straightforward tool that enables you to rotate the video in different standard predefined angles. You can rotate the video by 90 degrees, 180 degrees in a clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. With it, you can also flip the video vertically as well as horizontally to make more corrections to the original video or rotated video.

flip and rotate

8. Freemake Video Converter

Freemake Video Converter is a free and all-in-one video converter. It supports 250+ video formats such as MP4, WMV, MKV, AVI, FLV, DVD and more. It also includes a basic video editor which allows you to easily rotate videos from iPhone, PC or camcorder 90, -90, 180 degrees easily.

rotate video with Freemake

9. Windows 10 Photos

Windows 10 users, who don’t have the Windows Movie Maker tool, can use the Photos app to rotate the video to 90, 180, and 270 degrees easily. Here are several ways to rotate video with Photos:

  1. You can right-click the video after importing it to the storyboard, and then click Rotate menu;
  2. Or, you can click the rotate icon in the storyboard toolbar to rotate the video.

Windows10 Photos App rotate video

10. VLC Media Player

VLC is a free media player and video editor program for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. Rotating a video in VLC is simple and free, and you can rotate the video in 90, 180, and 270 degrees, what’s more, it also provides flip options, which allow you to flip the video horizontally and vertically.

VLC rotate video


Conclusion

If you are not a Filmora user at the moment, why not giving it a try? With its powerful features, Filmora is totally free to try. Click through to see whether this video editor meets your appetites!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Nowadays people tend to use high-resolution cameras in mobile devices instead of the old large video cameras to capture videos. But most of the time, you may fail to pay attention to the orientation of the video, thus the final recording is totally inverted. Don’t worry! You can make use of some free tools to turn it back to normal orientation (instead of turning your neck to watch the video). Here are some easy-to-use tools (software and online solutions) that allow you to rotate, flip or turn your videos without hassle.


The following mentioned tools may not cover all your needs when you want to do more video editing tasks. For a more vivid and presentable video, you can try some more powerful video applications like the Wondershare Filmora . It’s a more professional video editor but still simple to use. Watch the video below to find out more information and download it to try now!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

Check this step by step tutorial to find out How to Rotate Video in Wondershare Filmora


Top 10+ Free Tools to Rotate or Flip Videos

1. online-video-cutter.com

If you don’t want to install any software on your computer, you can try an online video rotator. online-video-cutter.com is a very simple and practical online video tool which allows you to trim as well as rotate a video. The max uploaded video file is limited to 500MB, and you can upload videos from Google Drive or just pasting a video link. You can rotate your video 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

rotate video with online video cutter

2. ezgif.com

Although ezgif is used as a GIF maker mainly, it also allows you to edit videos, like cutting, rotating, resizing, reversing, etc. And the uploaded video size is up to 100MB. You can rotate 90 degrees, rotate 180 degrees or rotate 270 degrees (90 counter-clockwise).

rotate video online with ezgif

3. kapwing.com

Kapwing is a comprehensive online video editor which allows you to rotate, resize, convert, trim, loop videos easily. Besides, it features the Studio tool which allows you to edit a video from stratch.

Rotating videos with Kapwing can be finished in several ways, you can use the handles in the preview window to drag it to any angle as you like, or you can use the rotate icon to rotage fast to 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

free video rator kapwing online

4. Rotate Video

Rotate Video is such a free web service that can rotate videos stored on the computer. The supported video formats include FLV, AVI, MPG, WMV and MP4. You can turn the video in 90 degree clockwise or anti-clockwise. However, like other online video editors, your video files cannot exceed a size limit of 5MB.

rotate video online

Note: Above free rotators are web-based, which means you can use these free online video rotator on desktop and mobile devices. You can check this article to find out more tools to rotate videos online .

5. Windows Movie Make

If you’re a Windows user, Windows Movie Maker can be the easiest tool to help you rotate or flip videos. This feature-rich yet easy-to-use video editing tool is able to rotate the video by 90, 180 or 270 degrees, as well as flipping (mirroring) vertically or horizontally.

window movie maker rotating video

Learn more details about how to rotate videos and photos in Windows Movie Maker

6. iMovie

Instead, if you’re a Mac user, iMovie can be the best choice. It comes bundled with every Mac so there is no need to download or purchase any additional software. Each click turns the image 90 degrees. Here is a detailed guide about how to use iMovie to rotate videos.

imovie flip video

You May also like: Learn more details about how to rotate videos and photos in iMovie

Note: Windows Movie Maker is discontinued already, if you are running Windows 10, you can try the Photos App to rotate video on Windows for free, which will be introduced later.

7. Free Video Flip and Rotate

Free Video Flip and Rotate is a fast and straightforward tool that enables you to rotate the video in different standard predefined angles. You can rotate the video by 90 degrees, 180 degrees in a clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. With it, you can also flip the video vertically as well as horizontally to make more corrections to the original video or rotated video.

flip and rotate

8. Freemake Video Converter

Freemake Video Converter is a free and all-in-one video converter. It supports 250+ video formats such as MP4, WMV, MKV, AVI, FLV, DVD and more. It also includes a basic video editor which allows you to easily rotate videos from iPhone, PC or camcorder 90, -90, 180 degrees easily.

rotate video with Freemake

9. Windows 10 Photos

Windows 10 users, who don’t have the Windows Movie Maker tool, can use the Photos app to rotate the video to 90, 180, and 270 degrees easily. Here are several ways to rotate video with Photos:

  1. You can right-click the video after importing it to the storyboard, and then click Rotate menu;
  2. Or, you can click the rotate icon in the storyboard toolbar to rotate the video.

Windows10 Photos App rotate video

10. VLC Media Player

VLC is a free media player and video editor program for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. Rotating a video in VLC is simple and free, and you can rotate the video in 90, 180, and 270 degrees, what’s more, it also provides flip options, which allow you to flip the video horizontally and vertically.

VLC rotate video


Conclusion

If you are not a Filmora user at the moment, why not giving it a try? With its powerful features, Filmora is totally free to try. Click through to see whether this video editor meets your appetites!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Nowadays people tend to use high-resolution cameras in mobile devices instead of the old large video cameras to capture videos. But most of the time, you may fail to pay attention to the orientation of the video, thus the final recording is totally inverted. Don’t worry! You can make use of some free tools to turn it back to normal orientation (instead of turning your neck to watch the video). Here are some easy-to-use tools (software and online solutions) that allow you to rotate, flip or turn your videos without hassle.


The following mentioned tools may not cover all your needs when you want to do more video editing tasks. For a more vivid and presentable video, you can try some more powerful video applications like the Wondershare Filmora . It’s a more professional video editor but still simple to use. Watch the video below to find out more information and download it to try now!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

Check this step by step tutorial to find out How to Rotate Video in Wondershare Filmora


Top 10+ Free Tools to Rotate or Flip Videos

1. online-video-cutter.com

If you don’t want to install any software on your computer, you can try an online video rotator. online-video-cutter.com is a very simple and practical online video tool which allows you to trim as well as rotate a video. The max uploaded video file is limited to 500MB, and you can upload videos from Google Drive or just pasting a video link. You can rotate your video 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

rotate video with online video cutter

2. ezgif.com

Although ezgif is used as a GIF maker mainly, it also allows you to edit videos, like cutting, rotating, resizing, reversing, etc. And the uploaded video size is up to 100MB. You can rotate 90 degrees, rotate 180 degrees or rotate 270 degrees (90 counter-clockwise).

rotate video online with ezgif

3. kapwing.com

Kapwing is a comprehensive online video editor which allows you to rotate, resize, convert, trim, loop videos easily. Besides, it features the Studio tool which allows you to edit a video from stratch.

Rotating videos with Kapwing can be finished in several ways, you can use the handles in the preview window to drag it to any angle as you like, or you can use the rotate icon to rotage fast to 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

free video rator kapwing online

4. Rotate Video

Rotate Video is such a free web service that can rotate videos stored on the computer. The supported video formats include FLV, AVI, MPG, WMV and MP4. You can turn the video in 90 degree clockwise or anti-clockwise. However, like other online video editors, your video files cannot exceed a size limit of 5MB.

rotate video online

Note: Above free rotators are web-based, which means you can use these free online video rotator on desktop and mobile devices. You can check this article to find out more tools to rotate videos online .

5. Windows Movie Make

If you’re a Windows user, Windows Movie Maker can be the easiest tool to help you rotate or flip videos. This feature-rich yet easy-to-use video editing tool is able to rotate the video by 90, 180 or 270 degrees, as well as flipping (mirroring) vertically or horizontally.

window movie maker rotating video

Learn more details about how to rotate videos and photos in Windows Movie Maker

6. iMovie

Instead, if you’re a Mac user, iMovie can be the best choice. It comes bundled with every Mac so there is no need to download or purchase any additional software. Each click turns the image 90 degrees. Here is a detailed guide about how to use iMovie to rotate videos.

imovie flip video

You May also like: Learn more details about how to rotate videos and photos in iMovie

Note: Windows Movie Maker is discontinued already, if you are running Windows 10, you can try the Photos App to rotate video on Windows for free, which will be introduced later.

7. Free Video Flip and Rotate

Free Video Flip and Rotate is a fast and straightforward tool that enables you to rotate the video in different standard predefined angles. You can rotate the video by 90 degrees, 180 degrees in a clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. With it, you can also flip the video vertically as well as horizontally to make more corrections to the original video or rotated video.

flip and rotate

8. Freemake Video Converter

Freemake Video Converter is a free and all-in-one video converter. It supports 250+ video formats such as MP4, WMV, MKV, AVI, FLV, DVD and more. It also includes a basic video editor which allows you to easily rotate videos from iPhone, PC or camcorder 90, -90, 180 degrees easily.

rotate video with Freemake

9. Windows 10 Photos

Windows 10 users, who don’t have the Windows Movie Maker tool, can use the Photos app to rotate the video to 90, 180, and 270 degrees easily. Here are several ways to rotate video with Photos:

  1. You can right-click the video after importing it to the storyboard, and then click Rotate menu;
  2. Or, you can click the rotate icon in the storyboard toolbar to rotate the video.

Windows10 Photos App rotate video

10. VLC Media Player

VLC is a free media player and video editor program for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. Rotating a video in VLC is simple and free, and you can rotate the video in 90, 180, and 270 degrees, what’s more, it also provides flip options, which allow you to flip the video horizontally and vertically.

VLC rotate video


Conclusion

If you are not a Filmora user at the moment, why not giving it a try? With its powerful features, Filmora is totally free to try. Click through to see whether this video editor meets your appetites!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Nowadays people tend to use high-resolution cameras in mobile devices instead of the old large video cameras to capture videos. But most of the time, you may fail to pay attention to the orientation of the video, thus the final recording is totally inverted. Don’t worry! You can make use of some free tools to turn it back to normal orientation (instead of turning your neck to watch the video). Here are some easy-to-use tools (software and online solutions) that allow you to rotate, flip or turn your videos without hassle.


The following mentioned tools may not cover all your needs when you want to do more video editing tasks. For a more vivid and presentable video, you can try some more powerful video applications like the Wondershare Filmora . It’s a more professional video editor but still simple to use. Watch the video below to find out more information and download it to try now!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

Check this step by step tutorial to find out How to Rotate Video in Wondershare Filmora


Top 10+ Free Tools to Rotate or Flip Videos

1. online-video-cutter.com

If you don’t want to install any software on your computer, you can try an online video rotator. online-video-cutter.com is a very simple and practical online video tool which allows you to trim as well as rotate a video. The max uploaded video file is limited to 500MB, and you can upload videos from Google Drive or just pasting a video link. You can rotate your video 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

rotate video with online video cutter

2. ezgif.com

Although ezgif is used as a GIF maker mainly, it also allows you to edit videos, like cutting, rotating, resizing, reversing, etc. And the uploaded video size is up to 100MB. You can rotate 90 degrees, rotate 180 degrees or rotate 270 degrees (90 counter-clockwise).

rotate video online with ezgif

3. kapwing.com

Kapwing is a comprehensive online video editor which allows you to rotate, resize, convert, trim, loop videos easily. Besides, it features the Studio tool which allows you to edit a video from stratch.

Rotating videos with Kapwing can be finished in several ways, you can use the handles in the preview window to drag it to any angle as you like, or you can use the rotate icon to rotage fast to 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

free video rator kapwing online

4. Rotate Video

Rotate Video is such a free web service that can rotate videos stored on the computer. The supported video formats include FLV, AVI, MPG, WMV and MP4. You can turn the video in 90 degree clockwise or anti-clockwise. However, like other online video editors, your video files cannot exceed a size limit of 5MB.

rotate video online

Note: Above free rotators are web-based, which means you can use these free online video rotator on desktop and mobile devices. You can check this article to find out more tools to rotate videos online .

5. Windows Movie Make

If you’re a Windows user, Windows Movie Maker can be the easiest tool to help you rotate or flip videos. This feature-rich yet easy-to-use video editing tool is able to rotate the video by 90, 180 or 270 degrees, as well as flipping (mirroring) vertically or horizontally.

window movie maker rotating video

Learn more details about how to rotate videos and photos in Windows Movie Maker

6. iMovie

Instead, if you’re a Mac user, iMovie can be the best choice. It comes bundled with every Mac so there is no need to download or purchase any additional software. Each click turns the image 90 degrees. Here is a detailed guide about how to use iMovie to rotate videos.

imovie flip video

You May also like: Learn more details about how to rotate videos and photos in iMovie

Note: Windows Movie Maker is discontinued already, if you are running Windows 10, you can try the Photos App to rotate video on Windows for free, which will be introduced later.

7. Free Video Flip and Rotate

Free Video Flip and Rotate is a fast and straightforward tool that enables you to rotate the video in different standard predefined angles. You can rotate the video by 90 degrees, 180 degrees in a clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. With it, you can also flip the video vertically as well as horizontally to make more corrections to the original video or rotated video.

flip and rotate

8. Freemake Video Converter

Freemake Video Converter is a free and all-in-one video converter. It supports 250+ video formats such as MP4, WMV, MKV, AVI, FLV, DVD and more. It also includes a basic video editor which allows you to easily rotate videos from iPhone, PC or camcorder 90, -90, 180 degrees easily.

rotate video with Freemake

9. Windows 10 Photos

Windows 10 users, who don’t have the Windows Movie Maker tool, can use the Photos app to rotate the video to 90, 180, and 270 degrees easily. Here are several ways to rotate video with Photos:

  1. You can right-click the video after importing it to the storyboard, and then click Rotate menu;
  2. Or, you can click the rotate icon in the storyboard toolbar to rotate the video.

Windows10 Photos App rotate video

10. VLC Media Player

VLC is a free media player and video editor program for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. Rotating a video in VLC is simple and free, and you can rotate the video in 90, 180, and 270 degrees, what’s more, it also provides flip options, which allow you to flip the video horizontally and vertically.

VLC rotate video


Conclusion

If you are not a Filmora user at the moment, why not giving it a try? With its powerful features, Filmora is totally free to try. Click through to see whether this video editor meets your appetites!

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Mastering Green Screen in FCP X: A Step-by-Step Guide

FCP X: Create a Chroma-Key (Green-screen) Effect

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Chroma-key (also called “green screen”) effects are a staple in video production. What FCP X effect does is allow you to make the background behind an actor transparent so you can place the actor into a different environment than a studio.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Getting Started

First, the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your keys is to improve how you shoot them. Here are seven basic production rules:

  • Actors should be at least 10 feet in front of the green screen. This avoids light from the background “spilling” around their body or shoulders.
  • In general, don’t cast shadows on the green screen. Be very careful shooting feet.
  • The green background should be as smooth as possible. Paint is always better than fabric; avoid wrinkles and folds.
  • The green background should be lit smoothly, both from side to side and top to bottom. I try to have the green background display between 40-50% level on the waveform monitor.
  • There is NO relationship between how the background is lit and how your actors are lit. This article will illustrate that.
  • Light your background for smoothness. Light your actors for drama.
  • Don’t worry about having the green background fill the frame. It only needs to completely surround the edges of your actors. Garbage mattes are used to get rid of junk around the edges.

Setting up the Key

fx chroma 01

The green screen image is always placed above the background. You can place either the green screen or background image into the Primary Storyline. I find it easier to put the background in the Primary Storyline, because it makes editing the green screen image easier. But this is purely personal choice.

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

From the Effects Browser > Keying category, double-click the Keyer effect, which applies it to the selected clip. (You can also drag the effect on top of the clip, if you forgot to select the green-screen clip first.)

fx chroma 02

Don’t panic if your image looks weird – we will fix it.

fx chroma 03

Click the Sample Color icon. This allows fine-tuning the selection of the background color.

fx chroma 04

In the green-screen image, drag to select a representative section of the background. I try to get close to the face, but not so close that I accidentally select loose hair or skin.

Your key should look better immediately. Most of the time, you can probably stop here. But there are three other adjustments that can make your key look even better:

  • Cleaning up the matte
  • Edge adjustments
  • Light wrap

fx chroma 06

Click the Matte button to display your key as a white foreground on a black background.

fx chroma 07

Your goal is the make the foreground solid white, which means opaque, and the background solid black, which means transparent. Adjust the Fill Holes and Edge Distance sliders until your key looks solid. (For REALLY bad keys, you’ll need to also adjust Color Selection, mentioned below.)

fx chroma 05

If an edge is too pronounced, or needs help, click the Edges icon.

fx chroma 09

Step 2: Tweaks Video

Then, click and drag a line from the foreground to the background in the Canvas. Drag the midpoint slider (where my cursor is) until the edge looks the best it can. Different video formats make this easy (ProRes), while others (HDV, avchd) make this much harder. Perfection is impossible – do the best you can.

fx chroma 09a

Final Cut provides four additional tweaks at the bottom of the keyer filter:

  • Color Selection
  • Matte Tools
  • Spill Suppression
  • Light Wrap

The first three are designed to clean up poorly shot keys – read the FCP X Help files to learn how these work. (I used the Color Selection tools to clean up the very dark key I use an example later in this article.)

Light wrap, though, is aesthetic. What it does is blend colors from the background into the edges of the foreground, to make the entire key look more “organic,” as if the foreground and background were actually in the same space.

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

fx chroma 10

Twirl down Light Wrap and adjust the Amount slider and watch what happens. Drag the other sliders around and see what happens. The nice thing about this setting is that when it looks good to you, it is good. The amount of the effect is totally up to you. Remember, Light Wrap only affects the edges of the foreground and should be used subtly.

fx chroma 11

When you are done, you have a great looking key!

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

fx chroma 12

Sometimes, however, you don’t have, ah, perhaps, the best green-screen image to work with. Here, for example, there are lighting instruments in the foreground, with a very inadequately lit green screen in the background. (Sigh… this is just pitiful.)

Once you pull the key – which is film-speak for creating a green-screen shot, as I described above – and get it looking as good as possible, there’s one more step: adding a garbage matte to get rid of all the garbage surrounding your actors.

fx chroma 13

Once you get your key looking as good as you can – which in this case isn’t all that good – drag the Mask effect (Effects > Keying > Mask) on top of the green-screen clip.

NOTE: The Mask effect should always be added after the Keying effect, so that the Mask is below the Keyer in the Inspector.

fx chroma 14

Then, drag each of the four circles to create a shape such that your foreground image is contained inside it, and everything you want to exclude is outside. Here, for instance, we removed the light stand, the edge of the green background and the tearing at the top of the image. I’ve found this Mask effect works best when applied to a connected clip.

However, the big limitation of the Mask effect is that you only have four points to work with. That’s where a free effect comes in, which allows you to create far more flexible shapes with it. It’s written by Alex Gollner and is available on his website – alex4d.wordpress.com/fcpx/ – I recommend his effects highly.

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Chroma-key, or green screen, is an essential part of every editor to make all kinds of effects. Is there any way to make this sophisticated procedure easier way? Yes, try Filmora.

In version 10.5 for Mac, Filmora added a new feature: AI portrait. It allows you to do a green screen effect with just one click.

By adopting AI portrait, you can add those stunning effects in simple steps: How to Remove or Change Video Background in One Step?

Or: How to Add a Shake Effect to your Videos?

Conclusion

The chroma-key filter in FCP X allows us to create some amazing effects. If you want to use green screen effects more easily, here is Filmora for you. You can appaly Chroma-Key effects with just a few click. Have fun playing with it.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Chroma-key (also called “green screen”) effects are a staple in video production. What FCP X effect does is allow you to make the background behind an actor transparent so you can place the actor into a different environment than a studio.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Getting Started

First, the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your keys is to improve how you shoot them. Here are seven basic production rules:

  • Actors should be at least 10 feet in front of the green screen. This avoids light from the background “spilling” around their body or shoulders.
  • In general, don’t cast shadows on the green screen. Be very careful shooting feet.
  • The green background should be as smooth as possible. Paint is always better than fabric; avoid wrinkles and folds.
  • The green background should be lit smoothly, both from side to side and top to bottom. I try to have the green background display between 40-50% level on the waveform monitor.
  • There is NO relationship between how the background is lit and how your actors are lit. This article will illustrate that.
  • Light your background for smoothness. Light your actors for drama.
  • Don’t worry about having the green background fill the frame. It only needs to completely surround the edges of your actors. Garbage mattes are used to get rid of junk around the edges.

Setting up the Key

fx chroma 01

The green screen image is always placed above the background. You can place either the green screen or background image into the Primary Storyline. I find it easier to put the background in the Primary Storyline, because it makes editing the green screen image easier. But this is purely personal choice.

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

From the Effects Browser > Keying category, double-click the Keyer effect, which applies it to the selected clip. (You can also drag the effect on top of the clip, if you forgot to select the green-screen clip first.)

fx chroma 02

Don’t panic if your image looks weird – we will fix it.

fx chroma 03

Click the Sample Color icon. This allows fine-tuning the selection of the background color.

fx chroma 04

In the green-screen image, drag to select a representative section of the background. I try to get close to the face, but not so close that I accidentally select loose hair or skin.

Your key should look better immediately. Most of the time, you can probably stop here. But there are three other adjustments that can make your key look even better:

  • Cleaning up the matte
  • Edge adjustments
  • Light wrap

fx chroma 06

Click the Matte button to display your key as a white foreground on a black background.

fx chroma 07

Your goal is the make the foreground solid white, which means opaque, and the background solid black, which means transparent. Adjust the Fill Holes and Edge Distance sliders until your key looks solid. (For REALLY bad keys, you’ll need to also adjust Color Selection, mentioned below.)

fx chroma 05

If an edge is too pronounced, or needs help, click the Edges icon.

fx chroma 09

Step 2: Tweaks Video

Then, click and drag a line from the foreground to the background in the Canvas. Drag the midpoint slider (where my cursor is) until the edge looks the best it can. Different video formats make this easy (ProRes), while others (HDV, avchd) make this much harder. Perfection is impossible – do the best you can.

fx chroma 09a

Final Cut provides four additional tweaks at the bottom of the keyer filter:

  • Color Selection
  • Matte Tools
  • Spill Suppression
  • Light Wrap

The first three are designed to clean up poorly shot keys – read the FCP X Help files to learn how these work. (I used the Color Selection tools to clean up the very dark key I use an example later in this article.)

Light wrap, though, is aesthetic. What it does is blend colors from the background into the edges of the foreground, to make the entire key look more “organic,” as if the foreground and background were actually in the same space.

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

fx chroma 10

Twirl down Light Wrap and adjust the Amount slider and watch what happens. Drag the other sliders around and see what happens. The nice thing about this setting is that when it looks good to you, it is good. The amount of the effect is totally up to you. Remember, Light Wrap only affects the edges of the foreground and should be used subtly.

fx chroma 11

When you are done, you have a great looking key!

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

fx chroma 12

Sometimes, however, you don’t have, ah, perhaps, the best green-screen image to work with. Here, for example, there are lighting instruments in the foreground, with a very inadequately lit green screen in the background. (Sigh… this is just pitiful.)

Once you pull the key – which is film-speak for creating a green-screen shot, as I described above – and get it looking as good as possible, there’s one more step: adding a garbage matte to get rid of all the garbage surrounding your actors.

fx chroma 13

Once you get your key looking as good as you can – which in this case isn’t all that good – drag the Mask effect (Effects > Keying > Mask) on top of the green-screen clip.

NOTE: The Mask effect should always be added after the Keying effect, so that the Mask is below the Keyer in the Inspector.

fx chroma 14

Then, drag each of the four circles to create a shape such that your foreground image is contained inside it, and everything you want to exclude is outside. Here, for instance, we removed the light stand, the edge of the green background and the tearing at the top of the image. I’ve found this Mask effect works best when applied to a connected clip.

However, the big limitation of the Mask effect is that you only have four points to work with. That’s where a free effect comes in, which allows you to create far more flexible shapes with it. It’s written by Alex Gollner and is available on his website – alex4d.wordpress.com/fcpx/ – I recommend his effects highly.

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Chroma-key, or green screen, is an essential part of every editor to make all kinds of effects. Is there any way to make this sophisticated procedure easier way? Yes, try Filmora.

In version 10.5 for Mac, Filmora added a new feature: AI portrait. It allows you to do a green screen effect with just one click.

By adopting AI portrait, you can add those stunning effects in simple steps: How to Remove or Change Video Background in One Step?

Or: How to Add a Shake Effect to your Videos?

Conclusion

The chroma-key filter in FCP X allows us to create some amazing effects. If you want to use green screen effects more easily, here is Filmora for you. You can appaly Chroma-Key effects with just a few click. Have fun playing with it.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Chroma-key (also called “green screen”) effects are a staple in video production. What FCP X effect does is allow you to make the background behind an actor transparent so you can place the actor into a different environment than a studio.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Getting Started

First, the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your keys is to improve how you shoot them. Here are seven basic production rules:

  • Actors should be at least 10 feet in front of the green screen. This avoids light from the background “spilling” around their body or shoulders.
  • In general, don’t cast shadows on the green screen. Be very careful shooting feet.
  • The green background should be as smooth as possible. Paint is always better than fabric; avoid wrinkles and folds.
  • The green background should be lit smoothly, both from side to side and top to bottom. I try to have the green background display between 40-50% level on the waveform monitor.
  • There is NO relationship between how the background is lit and how your actors are lit. This article will illustrate that.
  • Light your background for smoothness. Light your actors for drama.
  • Don’t worry about having the green background fill the frame. It only needs to completely surround the edges of your actors. Garbage mattes are used to get rid of junk around the edges.

Setting up the Key

fx chroma 01

The green screen image is always placed above the background. You can place either the green screen or background image into the Primary Storyline. I find it easier to put the background in the Primary Storyline, because it makes editing the green screen image easier. But this is purely personal choice.

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

From the Effects Browser > Keying category, double-click the Keyer effect, which applies it to the selected clip. (You can also drag the effect on top of the clip, if you forgot to select the green-screen clip first.)

fx chroma 02

Don’t panic if your image looks weird – we will fix it.

fx chroma 03

Click the Sample Color icon. This allows fine-tuning the selection of the background color.

fx chroma 04

In the green-screen image, drag to select a representative section of the background. I try to get close to the face, but not so close that I accidentally select loose hair or skin.

Your key should look better immediately. Most of the time, you can probably stop here. But there are three other adjustments that can make your key look even better:

  • Cleaning up the matte
  • Edge adjustments
  • Light wrap

fx chroma 06

Click the Matte button to display your key as a white foreground on a black background.

fx chroma 07

Your goal is the make the foreground solid white, which means opaque, and the background solid black, which means transparent. Adjust the Fill Holes and Edge Distance sliders until your key looks solid. (For REALLY bad keys, you’ll need to also adjust Color Selection, mentioned below.)

fx chroma 05

If an edge is too pronounced, or needs help, click the Edges icon.

fx chroma 09

Step 2: Tweaks Video

Then, click and drag a line from the foreground to the background in the Canvas. Drag the midpoint slider (where my cursor is) until the edge looks the best it can. Different video formats make this easy (ProRes), while others (HDV, avchd) make this much harder. Perfection is impossible – do the best you can.

fx chroma 09a

Final Cut provides four additional tweaks at the bottom of the keyer filter:

  • Color Selection
  • Matte Tools
  • Spill Suppression
  • Light Wrap

The first three are designed to clean up poorly shot keys – read the FCP X Help files to learn how these work. (I used the Color Selection tools to clean up the very dark key I use an example later in this article.)

Light wrap, though, is aesthetic. What it does is blend colors from the background into the edges of the foreground, to make the entire key look more “organic,” as if the foreground and background were actually in the same space.

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

fx chroma 10

Twirl down Light Wrap and adjust the Amount slider and watch what happens. Drag the other sliders around and see what happens. The nice thing about this setting is that when it looks good to you, it is good. The amount of the effect is totally up to you. Remember, Light Wrap only affects the edges of the foreground and should be used subtly.

fx chroma 11

When you are done, you have a great looking key!

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

fx chroma 12

Sometimes, however, you don’t have, ah, perhaps, the best green-screen image to work with. Here, for example, there are lighting instruments in the foreground, with a very inadequately lit green screen in the background. (Sigh… this is just pitiful.)

Once you pull the key – which is film-speak for creating a green-screen shot, as I described above – and get it looking as good as possible, there’s one more step: adding a garbage matte to get rid of all the garbage surrounding your actors.

fx chroma 13

Once you get your key looking as good as you can – which in this case isn’t all that good – drag the Mask effect (Effects > Keying > Mask) on top of the green-screen clip.

NOTE: The Mask effect should always be added after the Keying effect, so that the Mask is below the Keyer in the Inspector.

fx chroma 14

Then, drag each of the four circles to create a shape such that your foreground image is contained inside it, and everything you want to exclude is outside. Here, for instance, we removed the light stand, the edge of the green background and the tearing at the top of the image. I’ve found this Mask effect works best when applied to a connected clip.

However, the big limitation of the Mask effect is that you only have four points to work with. That’s where a free effect comes in, which allows you to create far more flexible shapes with it. It’s written by Alex Gollner and is available on his website – alex4d.wordpress.com/fcpx/ – I recommend his effects highly.

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Chroma-key, or green screen, is an essential part of every editor to make all kinds of effects. Is there any way to make this sophisticated procedure easier way? Yes, try Filmora.

In version 10.5 for Mac, Filmora added a new feature: AI portrait. It allows you to do a green screen effect with just one click.

By adopting AI portrait, you can add those stunning effects in simple steps: How to Remove or Change Video Background in One Step?

Or: How to Add a Shake Effect to your Videos?

Conclusion

The chroma-key filter in FCP X allows us to create some amazing effects. If you want to use green screen effects more easily, here is Filmora for you. You can appaly Chroma-Key effects with just a few click. Have fun playing with it.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Chroma-key (also called “green screen”) effects are a staple in video production. What FCP X effect does is allow you to make the background behind an actor transparent so you can place the actor into a different environment than a studio.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Getting Started

First, the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your keys is to improve how you shoot them. Here are seven basic production rules:

  • Actors should be at least 10 feet in front of the green screen. This avoids light from the background “spilling” around their body or shoulders.
  • In general, don’t cast shadows on the green screen. Be very careful shooting feet.
  • The green background should be as smooth as possible. Paint is always better than fabric; avoid wrinkles and folds.
  • The green background should be lit smoothly, both from side to side and top to bottom. I try to have the green background display between 40-50% level on the waveform monitor.
  • There is NO relationship between how the background is lit and how your actors are lit. This article will illustrate that.
  • Light your background for smoothness. Light your actors for drama.
  • Don’t worry about having the green background fill the frame. It only needs to completely surround the edges of your actors. Garbage mattes are used to get rid of junk around the edges.

Setting up the Key

fx chroma 01

The green screen image is always placed above the background. You can place either the green screen or background image into the Primary Storyline. I find it easier to put the background in the Primary Storyline, because it makes editing the green screen image easier. But this is purely personal choice.

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

From the Effects Browser > Keying category, double-click the Keyer effect, which applies it to the selected clip. (You can also drag the effect on top of the clip, if you forgot to select the green-screen clip first.)

fx chroma 02

Don’t panic if your image looks weird – we will fix it.

fx chroma 03

Click the Sample Color icon. This allows fine-tuning the selection of the background color.

fx chroma 04

In the green-screen image, drag to select a representative section of the background. I try to get close to the face, but not so close that I accidentally select loose hair or skin.

Your key should look better immediately. Most of the time, you can probably stop here. But there are three other adjustments that can make your key look even better:

  • Cleaning up the matte
  • Edge adjustments
  • Light wrap

fx chroma 06

Click the Matte button to display your key as a white foreground on a black background.

fx chroma 07

Your goal is the make the foreground solid white, which means opaque, and the background solid black, which means transparent. Adjust the Fill Holes and Edge Distance sliders until your key looks solid. (For REALLY bad keys, you’ll need to also adjust Color Selection, mentioned below.)

fx chroma 05

If an edge is too pronounced, or needs help, click the Edges icon.

fx chroma 09

Step 2: Tweaks Video

Then, click and drag a line from the foreground to the background in the Canvas. Drag the midpoint slider (where my cursor is) until the edge looks the best it can. Different video formats make this easy (ProRes), while others (HDV, avchd) make this much harder. Perfection is impossible – do the best you can.

fx chroma 09a

Final Cut provides four additional tweaks at the bottom of the keyer filter:

  • Color Selection
  • Matte Tools
  • Spill Suppression
  • Light Wrap

The first three are designed to clean up poorly shot keys – read the FCP X Help files to learn how these work. (I used the Color Selection tools to clean up the very dark key I use an example later in this article.)

Light wrap, though, is aesthetic. What it does is blend colors from the background into the edges of the foreground, to make the entire key look more “organic,” as if the foreground and background were actually in the same space.

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

fx chroma 10

Twirl down Light Wrap and adjust the Amount slider and watch what happens. Drag the other sliders around and see what happens. The nice thing about this setting is that when it looks good to you, it is good. The amount of the effect is totally up to you. Remember, Light Wrap only affects the edges of the foreground and should be used subtly.

fx chroma 11

When you are done, you have a great looking key!

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

fx chroma 12

Sometimes, however, you don’t have, ah, perhaps, the best green-screen image to work with. Here, for example, there are lighting instruments in the foreground, with a very inadequately lit green screen in the background. (Sigh… this is just pitiful.)

Once you pull the key – which is film-speak for creating a green-screen shot, as I described above – and get it looking as good as possible, there’s one more step: adding a garbage matte to get rid of all the garbage surrounding your actors.

fx chroma 13

Once you get your key looking as good as you can – which in this case isn’t all that good – drag the Mask effect (Effects > Keying > Mask) on top of the green-screen clip.

NOTE: The Mask effect should always be added after the Keying effect, so that the Mask is below the Keyer in the Inspector.

fx chroma 14

Then, drag each of the four circles to create a shape such that your foreground image is contained inside it, and everything you want to exclude is outside. Here, for instance, we removed the light stand, the edge of the green background and the tearing at the top of the image. I’ve found this Mask effect works best when applied to a connected clip.

However, the big limitation of the Mask effect is that you only have four points to work with. That’s where a free effect comes in, which allows you to create far more flexible shapes with it. It’s written by Alex Gollner and is available on his website – alex4d.wordpress.com/fcpx/ – I recommend his effects highly.

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Chroma-key, or green screen, is an essential part of every editor to make all kinds of effects. Is there any way to make this sophisticated procedure easier way? Yes, try Filmora.

In version 10.5 for Mac, Filmora added a new feature: AI portrait. It allows you to do a green screen effect with just one click.

By adopting AI portrait, you can add those stunning effects in simple steps: How to Remove or Change Video Background in One Step?

Or: How to Add a Shake Effect to your Videos?

Conclusion

The chroma-key filter in FCP X allows us to create some amazing effects. If you want to use green screen effects more easily, here is Filmora for you. You can appaly Chroma-Key effects with just a few click. Have fun playing with it.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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  • Title: 2024 Approved From Basic to Brilliant Adding FCP X Effects in 3 Easy Steps
  • Author: Emma
  • Created at : 2024-05-19 05:47:45
  • Updated at : 2024-05-20 05:47:45
  • Link: https://video-ai-editor.techidaily.com/2024-approved-from-basic-to-brilliant-adding-fcp-x-effects-in-3-easy-steps/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.