Add video effects in Final Cut Pro for Mac

You add video effects to clips in your project using the Effects browser.

Select a clip in the Final Cut Pro timeline, then click the Effects button in the top-right corner of the timeline (or press Command-5).
In the Effects browser, select an effect.
You can do any of the following to help make your selection:
- Filter the list of effects that appear: Type text in the Effects browser search field to search for an effect by name.
  You can also click to select individual effects categories, such as Blur or Color.
- Preview the effect: Skim the video effect thumbnail.
- Preview changing the effect’s primary control: Hold down the Option key as you skim the video effect thumbnail.
  As you skim left and right, the video thumbnail shows a still-frame preview of the effect of dragging the slider for the effect’s primary control. For example, the primary control for the Radial effect is the Amount parameter.
Note: If you don’t see the effect you’re looking for, you can use the Filter pop-up menu at the top of the Effects browser to check for it in other locations. See Filter Motion content stored in a library.
Do one of the following:
- Drag the effect to the timeline clip you want to apply it to.
- Double-click the effect thumbnail to apply it to the selected clip.

You can now adjust the effect.

Download this guide: PDF

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Final Cut Pro User Guide for Mac