Apple finally made Final Cut Pro, the gold standard of video editing, available for iPad and iPad Pro a few months ago. In this article, I try to make a complete guide to using Final Cut Pro on iPad with its impressive features, discovering its easy-to-use design and video editing capabilities. In addition, I will also share some pro tips to improve your experience with the application.
How to download Final Cut Pro on iPad
- First launch the App Store app on your iPad.
- Tap the Search tab → Search Final Cut Pro.
- Press the Get button. If you have already purchased the app, you will see the Open option.
- Press the side button twice.
If you’ve turned it on, you may be asked to confirm the download using your Face ID or Apple ID password.
Create a new project in Final Cut Pro for iPad
- Launch the Final Cut Pro app on your iPad.
- Tap + New project in the lower left corner of the screen.
- Enter your project name → Set timeline settings → Tap Continue.
How to Import Media to Final Cut Pro on iPad
- Choose Photos or Files to import media from.
- Select the videos you want to edit → Press Add. You should know that you can drag your finger to select multiple videos at once to save time.
Alternatively, you can also record a new video using the iPad camera by tapping the camera icon or start with a blank project by selecting “Blank.”
Add clips to the timeline in Final Cut Pro
- Select a medium from the projects, and the drop-down menu.
- Now you can add the content to the main story, before or after it, insert it or replace it, as you want.
- Tap the button next to the dropdown that shows the selected option from the previous step.
- As you see in the image above, depending on the type of multimedia content you add to the timeline, it is displayed in one color or another, and is divided into blocks.
Editing clips in Final Cut Pro on iPad
Final Cut Pro for iPad is packed with a wide range of easy-to-use features to enhance your video editing experience. These are some of the basic editing tools you can use:
- Cutout: Easily trim your clips to remove unwanted sections.
- Division: Split your clips into multiple segments for precise editing.
- Elimination: Remove unwanted clips from your project with a simple delete option.
- Spin: Rotate the clips to adjust their orientation.
- Cutout: Trim your clips to focus on specific areas or remove unwanted parts.
- Add effects: Apply various effects to improve the visual appeal of your videos.
- Transitions: Smooth transition between different clips for a seamless viewing experience.
- Titles: Add text titles to introduce sections or provide context to your videos.
- Money: Customize the background of your video with different colors or images.
- Objects: Insert and manipulate objects within your video for creative purposes.
- Soundtracks: Add music or audio tracks to enhance the audio experience of your videos.
In addition to these basic features, Final Cut Pro for iPad also offers advanced editing capabilities to take your videos to the next level:
- Multi-camera editing: Edit images from multiple cameras simultaneously for dynamic content.
- Color classification: Adjust and modify the colors of your videos to achieve the desired visual style.
- Titles: Create visually appealing titles with customizable fonts, sizes, and animations.
- Motion graphics: Add attractive animated graphics and visual effects to your videos.
- Live drawing: Draw directly on the screen during video playback to annotate or highlight specific elements.
Image in Image mode: Overlay additional video or image content onto your main footage.
Add titles, effects, and other editing features to a video in Final Cut Pro
- Tap the titles icon (star icon).
- Select one of the editing functions mentioned below: Effects, Transitions, Titles, Backgrounds, Objects, Soundtracks
- Swipe up or down to navigate through the editing function.
- Now, long press the edit function and drag it to the timeline to use it.
Besides, You have the flexibility to customize the editing functions according to your preferences. You can modify the positions, crop them… Additionally, within the timeline section, you can long press the edit function, which allows you to select the option to delete it.
Export edited video from Final Cut Pro
- Once you are done with editing, Press the Share button on the toolbar.
- Choose one of the export types listed below: Video, Audio Only, Current Frame, Final Cut Pro Project for iPad
- Adjust other settings → Select Export in the upper right corner of the message.
Exclusive features of Final Cut Pro for iPad
Apple has introduced some exclusive features for Final Cut Pro on the iPad. Here are some of them:
- Pro Camera Mode: Use advanced camera controls to capture high-quality images within the app.
- Scene removal mask: Remove unwanted elements from specific scenes by intelligent masking.
- Auto Crop: Automatically crop and reframe your images to improve composition and eliminate distractions.
- Voice isolation: Isolate and enhance the audio of specific voices or sounds in your videos.
- Apple Pencil Support: Use Apple Pencil for precise editing, annotations, and live drawings.
- New camera modes: Explore additional camera modes and settings to capture unique perspectives and effects.
Current program limitations
While Final Cut Pro for iPad is a powerful video editing app, it has some limitations.
- File management: The video editing tool only allows you to edit files stored locally on your iPad. You can’t import files directly from external drives or cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive. However, you can import files to the Files app on your iPad and access them within Final Cut Pro.
- Export: The app provides a limited range of export options, including H.264, HEVC and ProRes. While these formats are widely used and suitable for most purposes, if you need specific formats like MP4 or MOV, you may need to use a separate conversion tool after exporting your video.
- Multitask: The software does not support multitasking features such as Split View or Slide Over, and you must switch between applications to access other content or perform tasks simultaneously.
- Keyboard shortcuts: While the iPad editing tool offers some keyboard shortcuts, the number and functionality are limited compared to the Mac version. This affects the speed and efficiency of the editing workflow, especially if it relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts.
- Personalization: The level of customization available on the iPad version is not as extensive as its Mac counterpart. You have fewer options to customize the interface or workflow.
- Performance: Due to the resource-intensive nature of video editing, the software can be demanding on your device’s hardware, causing occasional lags.
- No third party plugin support: Apple prohibits the use of third-party plugins due to security concerns and concerns that they degrade the user experience.
Top Video Editing Tips
If you’re just getting started with Final Cut Pro software for iPad, the video editing team here at iGeeksBlog has some pro tips for you including:
- Use the magnetic timeline: With just a little drag and drop, it automatically places them into place on the timeline to organize and edit your clips.
- Take advantage of the Touch Bar: Use it to access shortcuts, adjust settings, and even cycle through your images.
- Use color grading tools: You can make stunning images by using them to change the color, contrast and brightness of your images.
- Use the inspector: You can view and modify the properties of your clips in the inspector by tapping a clip in the timeline.
- Use the help documentation: If you’re having trouble, you can learn how to use Final Cut Pro with the help of documentation tutorials, articles, and videos.
You will be able to see significant differences from the Mac version of Final Cut Pro. Here are some additional tips for you:
- Use the Multicam editor: To simultaneously edit images from multiple angles, make smooth transitions and perform intricate edits.
- Use keyboard shortcuts: When editing, they can help you save time. A list of keyboard shortcuts can be found in the Final Cut Pro documentation. They are different from the Mac version and cannot be customized.
Conclusion
Remember that Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard are compatible with Final Cut Pro on iPad and iPad Pro. They can help you get the most out of your software. Additionally, Final Cut Pro on iPad and iPad Pro supports Split View and Slide Over functions.
Personally, I think Final Cut Pro for iPad is worth the money. It is an effective and flexible editing tool that can help you create professional-looking videos.
Is Final Cut Pro for iPad worth the cost? Well, it all depends on the user, let me know in the comments if you already have it on your iPad.
