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Imagine I made a bunch of changes to a project, I have a bunch of videos lined up like [clipA][clipB][clipC]. Now I want to tweak clipB's start/end times without changing it's duration such that the audio for all the other clips is still aligned properly.

I know I can drag the left/right edges of clipB, but that'll mess with the audio and where all the other clips start/end. All I want to do is adjust the start time of clipB.

I'm assuming there is a way to specify the timecode for the start via typing it in, but I want a way to do this with the UI.

iMovie has this feature. You just go to Window > Show Clip Trimmer. Then you drag the clip left and right to change its start time while keeping the duration intact.

I couldn't find a way to do this in Final Cut Pro. The closest I could find is I can go Clip > Open Clip, and then there is an interface that looks like it would allow me to drag the clip to adjust the start time, but the text always shows +00:00.00, and after dropping it, it resets back to the default.

How can I adjust the start time of a clip via the GUI without affecting its duration?

Update: Here is a screengrab from iMovie that shows exactly what I'm trying to do. Notice how I can tweak the start/end times of the clip without affecting the clip's duration:

enter image description here

How do I do the same thing in Final Cut Pro?

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3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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With the Open Clip option, the reason that it's not taking any of the changes is because the Arrow tool is selected. Hit the tool icon and choose Position and it'll start taking your changes.

enter image description here

The Clip Trimmer feature in iMovie does not seem to have an equivalent in Final Cut Pro.

This is unfortunate, because one of the other really cool features of the clip trimmer, is that it shows you the start/end frame as you drag the clip which saves you time.

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I needed this feature and had not found it. I ended up finding out on the web with no answers.

  1. Choose the video that is already cut.
  2. Choose the TRIM option from the timeline menu
  3. Click on the corresponding clip and drag to the left or right that will do the same option.

PS: FCPX 10.4.6 but I believe the option is common.

Good luck.

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I'm not 100% sure I understand the question, but one possible solution is to select clipB and press option+cmd+uparrow to lift it from the Storyline. Then use the position tool (P) to move the clip, or Trim (T) to edit the in/out points. That should preserve the video length by adding a slug in place of the clip.

enter image description here

Edit: looks like you just need to select all the clips (or group together as a compound clip) and use the position tool to move the sequence to the correct place on the timeline.

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  • It seems like a slug is essentially a blank screen. I don't want to add a blank screen. Your gif starts out exactly like what I'm trying to do. You pop out the video in question. But then you tweak the end time and shorten the clip. I want the exact same duration. I want to just adjust the start time of the video (e.g. instead of going from 2:04-3:04, I want it to go from 2:14-3:14) just by dragging the video. Just like I can do in iMovie.
    – Senseful
    Feb 5, 2019 at 20:16
  • Ah, I see! Then the position tool seems like the best bet. Select all the clips then move to the correct position on the timeline. Make sure snapping N is turned off.
    – Alan Kael Ball
    Feb 6, 2019 at 22:49

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