Video Editing - How to Crop Images in Final Cut Pro

If the format you recorded your video in is different than what you want your final project to appear, you may have to crop your video. What this means is to remove some of the image's top, bottom, or side. This can help you shape your video clip and allow you to choose just what parts of it you would like to include.

The first thing you should do is take the clip and put it into the Timeline where you would like it to be. Then double-click on it, which opens it up into the Viewer so you can alter it. Once it is here you click on the Motion tab resting directly above the image. Since you are going to be making visual alterations to the image it is best to make sure that the marker in the Timeline is over your clip so you can see the image in the Canvas. This way you will be able to see all the changes you are making in real-time in the Canvas.

In the motion tap the Crop menu is located directly below the Basic Motion menu. Click on it, which will then open to reveal options to cut off some of the top, bottom, sides, and edge feather for making soft edges. You then drag the bars over for each side to the point that you would like them to be on the image. Do this while watching the image in the Canvas because you will see how each move of the bar in the Crop tab will affect the image. With this you can put black bars at the top and bottom of the image, or try and do something unique like make the image a perfect square.

Many new video displays and monitors will conform to whatever image they are reading so you may not have to crop the image for viewing purposes. Nevertheless, this is a useful tool that you can employ for a variety of purposes.