Mastering the Control-P Shortcut in Final Cut Pro: A Time-Saving Tool for Editors

Keyboard shortcut: ControlP

When a client sends you notes like "change the shot at 01:02:15:10," you don't want to scrub around looking for that frame. In Final Cut Pro, Control-P runs Move Playhead Position: it lets you move the playhead by typing a timecode value.

What Control-P Does

Press Control-P and the timecode display in the dashboard, above the timeline, clears and waits for your entry. Type a timecode and press Return, and the playhead jumps straight to that frame. It doesn't move or change any clips. It only moves the playhead.

How to Use It

  1. Click in the timeline (or the Browser) so it's active.
  2. Press Control-P.
  3. Type the timecode you want. You don't need to type the colons; Final Cut Pro fills them in. The last two digits are frames, the two before that are seconds, and so on.
  4. Press Return. The playhead moves to that position.

Moving by a Relative Amount

You can also move the playhead forward or back by a set amount. After pressing Control-P, type a plus or minus sign followed by the amount, then press Return. For example, +100 moves the playhead forward one second, and -10 moves it back ten frames.

Tips

  • Working through review notes? Use Control-P for each timecode, make the fix, then move on to the next note.
  • Control-P is handy when clips are selected. Typing a plus or minus number with clips selected can move those clips, but Control-P makes sure your entry moves the playhead instead.
  • Combine it with M to drop a marker at the exact frame you navigated to.

Once you start using Control-P, you'll never hunt for a timecode by scrubbing again.

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