If you’re an editor working with multi-camera setups, or various angles in Final Cut Pro, you know how crucial it is to have a streamlined workflow. The Option-Shift-M keyboard shortcut is a handy tool that can improve your editing efficiency when managing multiple camera angles. But what exactly does it do, and how can editors use it effectively? Let’s break it down.
What is the Option-Shift-M Shortcut in Final Cut Pro?
The Option-Shift-M keyboard shortcut in Final Cut Pro is used to Set Monitoring Angle. This allows editors to quickly switch between different camera angles or perspectives during playback while editing a Multicam clip. It’s not an essential feature when working with multi-camera footage but can make syncing angles easier.
Why is this Useful for Editors?
In video editing, especially when working with a variety of camera angles, the ability to quickly switch between different perspectives while maintaining view of another is essential for making the right creative choices. Whether you’re editing a live event, a music video, or a documentary, you’ll often need to review shots from multiple cameras before settling on the perfect cut. The Option-Shift-M shortcut allows you to do this with ease, saving you time and improving your workflow.
How to Use Option-Shift-M While Editing in Final Cut Pro
Pressing the Option-Shift-M shortcut keys is simple but actually seeing what it does can be difficult at first. Here’s how to use the shortcut:
- Prepare Your Multicam Clip Before using the shortcut, make sure you have your multicam clip created Final Cut Pro
- Open the Multicam Clip From the Browser or Timeline, double-click on the Multicam clip to open it
- Skim Video Locate the current monitored angle, which has a blue screen icon in the upper left of the clip. Skim the video of any other angle that is not the currently monitored angle
- Press Option-Shift-M Whenever you want to switch the monitoring angle, simply press Option-Shift-M while skimming the clip
- Continue Editing After previewing different angles by setting them as the monitored angle, continue your editing process. This may mean dragging the clip to sync it or making other edits.
The Option-Shift-M shortcut for setting the monitoring angle in Final Cut Pro is a powerful tool for editors working with Multicam clips. By enabling you to switch between different camera angles to monitor them an compare them to other angles, it can enhance your editing workflow, allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of your project without getting bogged down in the interface and switching clips.
Whether you’re working on a live event, or a multi-camera music video, mastering this keyboard shortcut is an easy way to improve your editing speed and keep your project moving forward.
