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Final Cut Pro X Tutorial: L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Benjamin Arango

Aug 18, 2022• Proven solutions

If you wish to edit or create videos like a pro, you do not need to be a professional. Instead, be creative, learn new things, and think out of the box. You could draw inspiration from videos and films for their great clips and animations. If you are already familiar with video making, you would know basic editing tasks like trim, crop, transitions, filters, and so on. Ever knew the term J-Cuts, and L-Cuts?

It could be surprising, but yes, your well-known Final Cut Pro X has this powerful feature still overlooked by many people. So, today, we take it on hand and shall share what L-Cuts and J-Cuts mean. You will be able to create it on your own by the end of this article.

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

Ordinary images, text, subtitles, and GIF doesn’t work anymore to get followers or likes on a video on YouTube channel or Instagram. Thus, video creators are tired of trying the same filters, transitions on the video editor tool. To create amazing videos like the ones played on your television and favorite movies, all you need is the split edit type techniques, a powerful editing tool used by professional editors. Although called professional, it isn’t difficult for a beginner if you know J-Cuts and L-Cuts.

They are nothing but the transition between the video and audio at different times and are entirely separate from wipes and fades. Such video editing technique helps in maintaining visual continuity. These super basic cuts are a combination of dialogue and imagery, thus keeping the video flow without a monotonous feeling.

When you look at the above interface, you will see the basic phenomenon behind the two split cuts. In L-Cuts, although the first video ends, the audio continues to clip two as well.

Then, what is a J cut in Final Cut Pro? It is ultimately reverse or opposite of L-Cuts. Yes, the second clip’s audio starts a while before the scene of the first video ends.

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

As Final Cut Pro X comes overloaded with advanced, powerful tools, you can find it a little tricky. Hence, we are here to help you perform the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts in this session. And, yes, the Final Cut Pro J-Cuts as well.

Step 1: Import media files

Once you launch Final Cut Pro X on your Mac device, create a new project by tapping project under the new section of the “File” menu.

You can now import the video file to the workspace by executing “File > Export > Media” or by tapping the “Import Media” option on the welcome screen.

Step 2: Expand audio in video

Now, drag the videos to the timeline in the respective order, and expand or detach the video’s audio on the timeline for easy or precise working.

Step 3: Drag the second video to the left

To create the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts, make sure that the first clip’s edit point or audio fades out at the end.

Finally, drag the second clip’s edit point to the left so that the video gets the audio of the first video.

L-Cuts are now in Final Cut Pro X.

Note: Here, the L-Cuts added video clip has no audio and has related well enough to the first video clip. If the second video has audio, it must be detached first, and then you should drag the edit point.

Step 4: Final Cut Pro J-Cuts

In the case of Final Cut Pro J-Cuts, the process is reverse, where you need to detach the audio of the preceding or following video clip and drag the first video to the right.

When you look at the transition closely, you can see that it resembles the letter J.

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Final Cut Pro X offers specific keyword shorts to perform Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and Final Cut Pro J-Cuts.

1. As the first step, trim the clips shorter to get the media handles. To detach audio from the video clip, you need to press “Ctrl + S” which will expand the audio.

2. Now, move or place the playhead at the endpoint of both the video clips where here are the keyboard shortcuts:

To shift the playhead to the earlier edit point: press “Semicolon (;) or up arrow key”.
To move the playhead to the next edit point: press “Apostrophe (‘) or down arrow key”.

3. To choose the audio or the video edit point, you can do one of the following:

Press “**Shift-Backslash (\)**” to select both sides of the audio endpoint.
Press “**Backslash (\)**” to pick both sides of the video endpoint.

4. Here is the actual process or the keyboard shortcut that helps accomplish final cut pro-L-cuts or final cut pro-J-cuts by nudging the edit points.

To nudge or push the edit point to the left or right: press “**Comma (,) or period (.)**”.
To move the edit point to the left or right with ten frames: press “**Shift-Comma (,) or Sift-Period (.)**”.
Using timecode to add or subtract the present edit: press the “**Plus (+)” or “Minus (-)**” key with the timecode duration.

Conclusion

Are you wondering and puzzled that you are a popular Final Cut Pro X user but weren’t aware of this powerful split edit tool till now? It isn’t too late for you to start yet. Finally, as assured at the beginning of the article, we gave you detailed information on what are J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro along with L-Cuts. With practical implementation on creating Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and J-Cuts, all the best for your first video project!

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Aug 18, 2022• Proven solutions

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

When you look at the above interface, you will see the basic phenomenon behind the two split cuts. In L-Cuts, although the first video ends, the audio continues to clip two as well.

Then, what is a J cut in Final Cut Pro? It is ultimately reverse or opposite of L-Cuts. Yes, the second clip’s audio starts a while before the scene of the first video ends.

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

Step 1: Import media files

Once you launch Final Cut Pro X on your Mac device, create a new project by tapping project under the new section of the “File” menu.

You can now import the video file to the workspace by executing “File > Export > Media” or by tapping the “Import Media” option on the welcome screen.

Step 2: Expand audio in video

Now, drag the videos to the timeline in the respective order, and expand or detach the video’s audio on the timeline for easy or precise working.

Step 3: Drag the second video to the left

To create the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts, make sure that the first clip’s edit point or audio fades out at the end.

Finally, drag the second clip’s edit point to the left so that the video gets the audio of the first video.

L-Cuts are now in Final Cut Pro X.

Step 4: Final Cut Pro J-Cuts

In the case of Final Cut Pro J-Cuts, the process is reverse, where you need to detach the audio of the preceding or following video clip and drag the first video to the right.

When you look at the transition closely, you can see that it resembles the letter J.

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Final Cut Pro X offers specific keyword shorts to perform Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and Final Cut Pro J-Cuts.

1. As the first step, trim the clips shorter to get the media handles. To detach audio from the video clip, you need to press “Ctrl + S” which will expand the audio.

2. Now, move or place the playhead at the endpoint of both the video clips where here are the keyboard shortcuts:

To shift the playhead to the earlier edit point: press “Semicolon (;) or up arrow key”.
To move the playhead to the next edit point: press “Apostrophe (‘) or down arrow key”.

3. To choose the audio or the video edit point, you can do one of the following:

Press “**Shift-Backslash (\)**” to select both sides of the audio endpoint.
Press “**Backslash (\)**” to pick both sides of the video endpoint.

4. Here is the actual process or the keyboard shortcut that helps accomplish final cut pro-L-cuts or final cut pro-J-cuts by nudging the edit points.

To nudge or push the edit point to the left or right: press “**Comma (,) or period (.)**”.
To move the edit point to the left or right with ten frames: press “**Shift-Comma (,) or Sift-Period (.)**”.
Using timecode to add or subtract the present edit: press the “**Plus (+)” or “Minus (-)**” key with the timecode duration.

Conclusion

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Aug 18, 2022• Proven solutions

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

When you look at the above interface, you will see the basic phenomenon behind the two split cuts. In L-Cuts, although the first video ends, the audio continues to clip two as well.

Then, what is a J cut in Final Cut Pro? It is ultimately reverse or opposite of L-Cuts. Yes, the second clip’s audio starts a while before the scene of the first video ends.

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

Step 1: Import media files

Once you launch Final Cut Pro X on your Mac device, create a new project by tapping project under the new section of the “File” menu.

You can now import the video file to the workspace by executing “File > Export > Media” or by tapping the “Import Media” option on the welcome screen.

Step 2: Expand audio in video

Now, drag the videos to the timeline in the respective order, and expand or detach the video’s audio on the timeline for easy or precise working.

Step 3: Drag the second video to the left

To create the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts, make sure that the first clip’s edit point or audio fades out at the end.

Finally, drag the second clip’s edit point to the left so that the video gets the audio of the first video.

L-Cuts are now in Final Cut Pro X.

Step 4: Final Cut Pro J-Cuts

In the case of Final Cut Pro J-Cuts, the process is reverse, where you need to detach the audio of the preceding or following video clip and drag the first video to the right.

When you look at the transition closely, you can see that it resembles the letter J.

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Final Cut Pro X offers specific keyword shorts to perform Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and Final Cut Pro J-Cuts.

1. As the first step, trim the clips shorter to get the media handles. To detach audio from the video clip, you need to press “Ctrl + S” which will expand the audio.

2. Now, move or place the playhead at the endpoint of both the video clips where here are the keyboard shortcuts:

To shift the playhead to the earlier edit point: press “Semicolon (;) or up arrow key”.
To move the playhead to the next edit point: press “Apostrophe (‘) or down arrow key”.

3. To choose the audio or the video edit point, you can do one of the following:

Press “**Shift-Backslash (\)**” to select both sides of the audio endpoint.
Press “**Backslash (\)**” to pick both sides of the video endpoint.

4. Here is the actual process or the keyboard shortcut that helps accomplish final cut pro-L-cuts or final cut pro-J-cuts by nudging the edit points.

To nudge or push the edit point to the left or right: press “**Comma (,) or period (.)**”.
To move the edit point to the left or right with ten frames: press “**Shift-Comma (,) or Sift-Period (.)**”.
Using timecode to add or subtract the present edit: press the “**Plus (+)” or “Minus (-)**” key with the timecode duration.

Conclusion

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Aug 18, 2022• Proven solutions

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

When you look at the above interface, you will see the basic phenomenon behind the two split cuts. In L-Cuts, although the first video ends, the audio continues to clip two as well.

Then, what is a J cut in Final Cut Pro? It is ultimately reverse or opposite of L-Cuts. Yes, the second clip’s audio starts a while before the scene of the first video ends.

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

Step 1: Import media files

Once you launch Final Cut Pro X on your Mac device, create a new project by tapping project under the new section of the “File” menu.

You can now import the video file to the workspace by executing “File > Export > Media” or by tapping the “Import Media” option on the welcome screen.

Step 2: Expand audio in video

Now, drag the videos to the timeline in the respective order, and expand or detach the video’s audio on the timeline for easy or precise working.

Step 3: Drag the second video to the left

To create the Final Cut Pro L-Cuts, make sure that the first clip’s edit point or audio fades out at the end.

Finally, drag the second clip’s edit point to the left so that the video gets the audio of the first video.

L-Cuts are now in Final Cut Pro X.

Step 4: Final Cut Pro J-Cuts

In the case of Final Cut Pro J-Cuts, the process is reverse, where you need to detach the audio of the preceding or following video clip and drag the first video to the right.

When you look at the transition closely, you can see that it resembles the letter J.

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Final Cut Pro X offers specific keyword shorts to perform Final Cut Pro L-Cuts and Final Cut Pro J-Cuts.

1. As the first step, trim the clips shorter to get the media handles. To detach audio from the video clip, you need to press “Ctrl + S” which will expand the audio.

2. Now, move or place the playhead at the endpoint of both the video clips where here are the keyboard shortcuts:

To shift the playhead to the earlier edit point: press “Semicolon (;) or up arrow key”.
To move the playhead to the next edit point: press “Apostrophe (‘) or down arrow key”.

3. To choose the audio or the video edit point, you can do one of the following:

Press “**Shift-Backslash (\)**” to select both sides of the audio endpoint.
Press “**Backslash (\)**” to pick both sides of the video endpoint.

4. Here is the actual process or the keyboard shortcut that helps accomplish final cut pro-L-cuts or final cut pro-J-cuts by nudging the edit points.

To nudge or push the edit point to the left or right: press “**Comma (,) or period (.)**”.
To move the edit point to the left or right with ten frames: press “**Shift-Comma (,) or Sift-Period (.)**”.
Using timecode to add or subtract the present edit: press the “**Plus (+)” or “Minus (-)**” key with the timecode duration.

Conclusion

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

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

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

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 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

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.)

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

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

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

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

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.)

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

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.

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.

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

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download 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

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

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

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

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

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

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

Step 2: Tweaks Video

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

Color Selection
Matte Tools
Spill Suppression
Light Wrap

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

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

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

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.

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

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

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download 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

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

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

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

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

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

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

Step 2: Tweaks Video

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

Color Selection
Matte Tools
Spill Suppression
Light Wrap

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

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

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

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.

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

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

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download 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

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

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

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

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

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

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

Step 2: Tweaks Video

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

Color Selection
Matte Tools
Spill Suppression
Light Wrap

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

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

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

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.

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

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

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Filmora Hacks: Streamline Your Reaction Video Creation Process

How to Make a Reaction Video Easier Than Ever With Filmora

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

With several video-sharing platforms and billions of videos on those platforms, it is very difficult and competitive to make your mark and have an identity. There are hundreds of categories of videos that you can find on the platforms like Youtube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, and more. Among all those categories, reaction videos are one of the most popular categories. It allows a person to review another person’s opinion, view, or idea about any particular issue or instance. Most of the video-sharing platforms enable their users to make all kinds of reaction videos without any restriction. Having such a huge competition makes it hard to stand out and attract viewers.

Have you ever seen videos where the reactor has a transparent background instead of the rectangle box in the corner? They look nice and engaging, right? The process of making such videos will require so many materials such as a green screen, stand, and other materials to support it. It is difficult for everyone to afford all these and secondly, it is very difficult to carry from one place to another.

With Filmora X, you can create such transparent background reaction videos without such expensive material. Filmora has launched a new feature name AI Portrait that uses artificial intelligence to create amazing and cool effects. It uses the latest technology to separate the background and humans in the footage to help you remove the background with a single click. So, let’s get started with the process of making stunning reaction videos with Filmora’s AI Portrait.

You might be interested in:

Step 01: Open Filmora X. If it is not already installed on your PC, you can download it from here and install it on your PC.

Step 02: Import the video that you want to react to and your reaction video. If you have not already recorded your reaction, then record it first using any camera or smartphone.

Step 03: Place both of these videos into the timeline. Make sure to place your reaction above.

Step 04: Select your reaction video on the timeline and go to the “Effects”. Here you will find a new folder named “AI Portrait”, open it. Here you will find multiple AI portrait effects.

Step 05: Our goal is to remove the background of the reaction. To do that, we will use Human Segmentation. Drag and drop Human Segmentation into the reaction video. If you haven’t purchased this effect already, it will ask you to buy it to export the video. But you want to try it first, click on “Try It.”

Step 06: Once the effect is successfully applied to the video, its background will be removed automatically.

Step 07: Adjust the video by making it smaller and place it in the bottom left corner of the screen. Your reaction video is ready to be uploaded on video-sharing platforms.

Step 08: To make your video look cool and stunning, you can also add multiple other effects to your reaction. AI portrait allows you to add a border around the character to make it look more visible and separate it from another video. Go to the AI portrait and drag Human Border Effect and drop it into your reaction. It will create an outline around the character and make it look more visible.

Step 09: In some instances, you might need to change the position or size of your reaction. You can easily do that by applying the Keyframes to it. If you feel like changing the part of your reaction at some point in the video, go to that point in the timeline and click on the keyframe button above the timeline.

Step 10: Once you click on the keyframe, it will add a keyframe to the video. Now move forward into the timeline to a point and adjust your character’s position by dragging it. Let’s move it to the bottom right corner. It will add another keyframe to the video in the timeline. Now the character will change its position from the left corner to the right corner once it reaches that specific point in time.

Conclusion

AI Portrait allows you to create wonderful effects using artificial intelligence. This is one of the best uses of AI to make stunning reaction videos. It will not only save you a lot of time but will also help you save a lot of money by helping you remove the background of your video without expensive materials such as a green screen and other materials related to it.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You might be interested in:

Step 01: Open Filmora X. If it is not already installed on your PC, you can download it from here and install it on your PC.

Step 02: Import the video that you want to react to and your reaction video. If you have not already recorded your reaction, then record it first using any camera or smartphone.

Step 03: Place both of these videos into the timeline. Make sure to place your reaction above.

Step 04: Select your reaction video on the timeline and go to the “Effects”. Here you will find a new folder named “AI Portrait”, open it. Here you will find multiple AI portrait effects.

Step 06: Once the effect is successfully applied to the video, its background will be removed automatically.

Step 07: Adjust the video by making it smaller and place it in the bottom left corner of the screen. Your reaction video is ready to be uploaded on video-sharing platforms.

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You might be interested in:

Step 01: Open Filmora X. If it is not already installed on your PC, you can download it from here and install it on your PC.

Step 02: Import the video that you want to react to and your reaction video. If you have not already recorded your reaction, then record it first using any camera or smartphone.

Step 03: Place both of these videos into the timeline. Make sure to place your reaction above.

Step 04: Select your reaction video on the timeline and go to the “Effects”. Here you will find a new folder named “AI Portrait”, open it. Here you will find multiple AI portrait effects.

Step 06: Once the effect is successfully applied to the video, its background will be removed automatically.

Step 07: Adjust the video by making it smaller and place it in the bottom left corner of the screen. Your reaction video is ready to be uploaded on video-sharing platforms.

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You might be interested in:

Step 01: Open Filmora X. If it is not already installed on your PC, you can download it from here and install it on your PC.

Step 02: Import the video that you want to react to and your reaction video. If you have not already recorded your reaction, then record it first using any camera or smartphone.

Step 03: Place both of these videos into the timeline. Make sure to place your reaction above.

Step 04: Select your reaction video on the timeline and go to the “Effects”. Here you will find a new folder named “AI Portrait”, open it. Here you will find multiple AI portrait effects.

Step 06: Once the effect is successfully applied to the video, its background will be removed automatically.

Step 07: Adjust the video by making it smaller and place it in the bottom left corner of the screen. Your reaction video is ready to be uploaded on video-sharing platforms.

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Video Ai Editor

New In 2024, MOD Video Editing on a Budget Top 5 Free Options

MOD Video Editing on a Budget: Top 5 Free Options

Top 5 Best Free MOD Video Editors

Ollie Mattison

Recommended: Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor)

1. Avidemux

2. Free Video Dub

3. MPEG Streamclip

4. Any Video Converter

5. VSDC Video Editor

Ollie Mattison

Recommended: Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor)

1. Avidemux

2. Free Video Dub

3. MPEG Streamclip

4. Any Video Converter

5. VSDC Video Editor

Ollie Mattison

Recommended: Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor)

1. Avidemux

2. Free Video Dub

3. MPEG Streamclip

4. Any Video Converter

5. VSDC Video Editor

Ollie Mattison

Recommended: Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor)

1. Avidemux

2. Free Video Dub

3. MPEG Streamclip

4. Any Video Converter

5. VSDC Video Editor

FCPX Audio Editing Essentials: L-Cuts, J-Cuts, and More

Final Cut Pro X Tutorial: L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Benjamin Arango

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Conclusion

Benjamin Arango

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Conclusion

Benjamin Arango

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Conclusion

Benjamin Arango

Part 1: The Use of L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Video Editing

Part 2: Step-by-step Guide on Using L-Cuts and J-Cuts in Final Cut Pro X

Part 3: Final Cut Pro X Keyboard Shortcuts for L-Cuts and J-Cuts

Conclusion

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

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

Benjamin Arango

Getting Started

Setting up the Key

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Conclusion

Benjamin Arango

Getting Started

Setting up the Key

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Conclusion

Benjamin Arango

Getting Started

Setting up the Key

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Conclusion

Benjamin Arango

Getting Started

Setting up the Key

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Conclusion