Printer-friendly version
One of the most common scenarios that every Final Cut editor will run into at one point or another is a clip collision. Its an error that's pointed out by FCP when doing certain trimming operations, specifically when doing a ripple edit that would make the sequence shorter. In the below picture, the selected edit point is trying to be dragged left to shorten the clip. But the edit point won't move because of the "collision".
First, let's briefly explore the reason for this message (and the resulting inability to make your desired trim). Whenever ripple trimming, FCP will attempt to "push" or "pull" on any clips to the right of the edit point that's being trimmed. FCP is trying to do this on ALL tracks, audio and video. In this case, it means that during the trim of the video clip FCP wants to move all the video clips on V1 after the edit, as well as the audio clips labeled Background that are after the edit.
Here's the rub- FCP will only move clips that are completely to the right of the edit point. In this case, we have a clip that starts to the left of the edit point and is adjacent to a clip that starts to the right of the edit point. If we look at the edit point to be trimmed, we see that below the clip is an audio clip labeled Background3. The yellow dotted line indicates the current position of the edit to be trimmed.
Because this audio clip starts to the left of the video clip on V1, the clip is considered "locked" in place. Only clips on A1 that start after (to the right) of this clip will attempt to move upstream or downstream with the edit. That means in this case the first clip that starts completely to the right of the video edit is Background4. During the trim, the following clips are trying to move left, but the entire edit is stopped dead in its tracks because Background4 is colliding with Background3, which isn't moving left or being trimmed.
Solution 1- Lock Tracks
The most basic solution- lock the tracks causing the collision- in this case the audio tracks.
This solution is fine sometimes, but in many cases will cause more problems than it fixes. If you lock the audio tracks during the trim, we see that afterwards, the following scene in the Timeline was thrown out of sync, as the audio clips on A1 needed to be "free" to move with their video clips on V1. Locking the audio tracks prevented that- and out of sync audio is the result.
Solution 2- Multi-track Trimming
Another way to approach this is to include the audio on A1 (and A2) in the ripple trim. With the ripple tool selected, click on the out point of the video clip to be trimmed. Then hold down the Command key and click on the out point of an audio clip to be trimmed at the same time, seen below on the picture to the left. Then, with the ripple tool, click and drag on the video edit point to make the trim- this time both video and audio clips are trimmed- and no clip collision.
This method can be used in a multitude of ways. Let's say we didn't want to trim the audio clip Background3, we simply want the audio clips to move up or down the Timeline with the trim- to prevent any clip collisions as well as keep everything in sync (especially other clips and scenes down the Timeline).
In the next picture, notice that two edit points are also selected, the video cut as well as the "out point" of the gap on A1 and A2 before the clip Background1. We don't have to trim clips- we can also trim gaps!
Still start by clicking on the video edit point to select it. Then, to select the gap before the audio clip, hold the ripple tool just to the left of the audio clip, hold down the Command key, and click in the gap to select it.
Then click with the ripple tool on the selected video edit and trim.
This time, the video clip and the gap before Background1 is trimmed. No actual audio is trimmed, just the gap before the audio. As a result, since both video and audio tracks are trimmed, all clips in the sequence stay in sync, as everything on all tracks moved left by the same amount.
Other audio edit points could have been trimmed instead, actual audio or gaps on audio tracks. As long as the audio tracks are included in the trim, no clip collisions.
Solution 3- Nesting
Another option is to temporarily nest the clips causing the clip collision. Nesting is a way to treat a group of clips as a single item. Start by selecting the clips to be nested. In the next picture, all of the Background audio clips are selected.
Then go to the Sequence menu > Nest Items. A dialog box will prompt you to name the new nest being created. Here, I've named it Background audio- Nest. Notice how the nest appears as a single clip in the Timeline.
The clips on V1 can now be ripple trimmed without a clip collision being caused by any of the edit points of the original Background audio clips. When you are done editing this section of the Timeline, and wish to restore the actual Background audio clips to the Sequence, we can un-nest the audio (which is helpful for editing the audio clips themselves, creating an EDL, doing media management or exporting your audio clips as an OMF for audio sweetening).
In the Browser, notice the new sequence that was created when the clips were nested. This sequence contains all the original audio clips as they were in the Timeline before being nested.
Drag this new sequence to the Timeline and hold it directly over the nest. Before letting go, hold down the Command key. This tells FCP that when you let go, place the original clips into the Timeline instead of another nest. This is seen below left. Once you let go, the audio clips are back in place, as in the picture below right.
I hope these options help keep you from getting stuck the next time you're in a situation like this.
Navigation for Moviola's Training, Rentals and Sales divisions is in this column below.
Click topics below to open and close the navigation windows.
.png)
