Mastering the Control-\ Keyboard Shortcut in Final Cut Pro: Roll Just the Video Edit

Keyboard shortcut: ControlBackslash

When you're building split edits, you often want to move the picture cut without touching the sound. Control-\ (Control-Backslash) selects exactly the right thing for that job.

What Does Control-\ Do?

Control-\ runs Select Left and Right Video Edit Edges. It selects the left and right edges of the video edit point when audio and video are expanded.

Selecting both edges of an edit point sets you up for a roll edit: the outgoing clip gets longer while the incoming clip gets shorter (or the other way around), so the overall timing of your project doesn't change. Because only the video edges are selected, the audio cut stays where it is.

Before You Start

Select the clips on both sides of the cut and press Control-S to expand audio and video. Without expanded clips, there aren't separate video edges to select.

How to Use It

  1. Expand the clips around your cut with Control-S.
  2. Move the playhead or skimmer near the edit point.
  3. Press Control-\. Both video edges of the edit highlight.
  4. Press the comma or period key to roll the video cut one frame left or right, or drag the selected edit.
  5. Play it back. The picture now changes at a new moment while the sound cuts where it did before.

Practical Tips

  • Rolling the video cut earlier than the audio cut is a quick way to make the picture lead the sound, a classic dialogue technique.
  • Zoom in on the timeline so you can clearly see which edges are highlighted before you nudge.
  • To work on the sound side instead, Shift-[ selects the left audio edge of an edit.

Once you're comfortable selecting just the video edges, split edits become fast and precise, all from the keyboard.

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