Top 10: Multicam Tutorials

Multicam is a powerful tool for editing in FCP X, and can be useful in all kinds of shoots: narrative, documentary, event and tutorial work. But it's not as obvious as you might think. There are a few key things you need to know if you want to use it well, and these tutorials will get you started.

1. FCP X Multicam Tutorial by Stirling Teaches

This is a much older tutorial, from back in 2016, but don’t be put off by the older FCP X  interface. This is a useful, live, screen-recorded tutorial that covers all the basics and is a solid way to get started.

2. Multicam Editing in Final Cut Pro X in under 5 minutes by Brian King

If you only have five minutes, this more recent (and more dense) tutorial uses the current interface and covers a lot of ground — it’s more heavily edited, and tackles many more topics more quickly. 

3. Final Cut Pro X Tutorial: Multicam Workflow by PremiumBeat.com

This tutorial covers a slightly different situation, one which uses multiple takes, multiple mics on each take, and how to mash a more complex shoot into a single multicam. Again, it’s using the pre 10.3 UI, but all the content stands.

4. MacBreak Studio #153: Multi-cam Editing; Sync by MacBreak Studio

This is the first of a few videos from Mark and Steve taking a deeper look at multicam. It’s from 2012, so watch out for the FCP X 10.0.3 UI, but all the details are covered in a series of videos that start with this one. They’re all available here: https://fcpxfree.com/collections/tutorials/multicam 

5. FCP X 10.1 Multicam Syncing by FCP X Grill

This helpful tutorial covers a more complex workflow in Chris Fenwick’s friendly, approachable style, and lets you know how to deal with cameras that create spanned clips.

6. The Definitive FCP X Multicam Workflow by The Edit Room

This tutorial not only covers all the basics, but shows you what happens when you move multicam from one computer to another — maybe not what you expected?

7. Tutorial: Basic Multicam Editing in FCP X by Streaming Media Producer

A complete workflow that covers a common workflow with two video angles and one good boom mic, and first in a series of three.

8. Cutting Music Video | Workflows using Multi-Cam by Dan Allen

A few options for using multicam techniques when cutting music videos, including using an audio track as the primary storying and adding unsynced b-roll above the multicam clip.

9. FCPX Advanced Multicam Trick by DigitalCinemaCafe 

If you want to cut between camera A, camera B, and a composite of both cameras A and B, this is the tutorial you’ve been looking for. An approachable, casual tutorial from Chris Fenwick of FCP X Grill.

10. Multi-screen multicam in Final Cut Pro X by Ripple Training

So you know everything about multicam? What if you want to show more than one angle at once, in a split screen, and you want freedom to position them wherever you want? Here’s one way to do that.

Phew! Sick of watching videos? Here’s a bonus written article full of tips:

http://www.fcp.co/final-cut-pro/articles/1600-the-top-ten-final-cut-pro-x-multicam-editing-tips

Lastly, here’s the official support file from Apple:

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH12656?locale=en_US

Iain Anderson is an Apple Certified Trainer, videographer, editor, animator, writer, designer and occasional coder based in Brisbane, Australia. http://www.trainingbrisbane.com and @funwithstuff on Twitter.