Motion

Using Motion to Create a Mask from your Final Cut Pro Project

Note: This would be the same technique to begin any Motion work from within Final Cut Pro.

• 1. Open a Final Cut Pro Project you are working on.
• 2. Find and select the clips in the timeline that you want to add a mask to. Make sure all the layers you want to use are in place.
• 3. Control or right click on your selection and select: Send To > Motion Project
• 4. A dialog box appears, give your motion project a name and location, make sure the “embed motion content” and “Launch Motion” boxes are selected.
• 5. From within Motion select the “Timing” button in the top right of your project or canvas window. *This may be hidden under an arrow if you have a small screen.
• 6. Now that your clips are exposed in a timeline select your top clip you would like to mask. Select one of the two mask buttons at the top of your canvas window near the left.
  *This is the point where you could branch off and do anything you like in Motion
• 7. Apply your mask as you wish and make adjustments such as “invert” or “feather” to it using the “Dashboard” window that pops-up.
• 8. Click the “inspector” button in the top right of your canvas window (near “timing”) you will then notice more options. Within the “Inspector” that is now available on the left of your screen you will notice that the “Properties” tab and the “Mask” tab have more options for you to manipulate, like “scale” rotation”. Many of these can be done using your “Select tool” at the top left of your canvas window.
• 9. If at some point you lose the selection of your mask and want it back click the “project” button at the top right of your canvas window. Then select the “mask” layer from your project window.
• 10. Once you have it the way you want, save your project and return to Final Cut Pro. You will notice your timeline has been updated and needs rendering most likely. Also notice that your original clips are “nested” and appear as a single clip with the name of your motion project. Your original clips are safe for future editing in a new Sequence that is now in your bin also with the name of your motion project.
• *The clips that Motion combined in your project are slightly different than the regular “nesting” feature in that you actually can double-click them to bring them to the Viewer window at which point you could apply any filter or adjustment you would like.