Get Your Footage In: Importing Media into Final Cut Pro

No matter how organized (or disorganized) your footage is, Final Cut Pro can handle it, if you know how to import properly. Maybe you’re dragging files from a folder that’s been collecting dust since last summer, or plugging in a memory card fresh from a shoot. In any case, a few smart decisions now ensure you won’t be scratching your head later with missing clips or weird drive setups.

By the way, if your Final Cut Pro library is still in the “I have no idea what I’m doing” phase, pause for a moment and check out our existing guide on setting up Libraries, Events, and Projects. You’ll want that knowledge before getting into media imports.

The Media Import Window

Your media might come from a fancy camera, a dodgy old phone, or three different thumb drives. The Media Import window doesn’t care.

Accessing the Media Import Window

The Media Import window is your main entry point for organized imports. You can summon it using Command-I or by clicking the Import Media button in the toolbar. On the left side, you’ll see a list of all your storage options: internal drive, external drives, memory cards, and other connected devices. Once you select a source, you can browse its contents and pick which items to bring into Final Cut Pro.

Choosing Import Settings

Once you’ve set your eyes on the clips that deserve a place in your editing timeline, you’ll encounter some important choices on the right side of the import window:

• Event Selection: Decide which event will hold your clips.
• Copy vs. Leave in Place: If you copy, Final Cut Pro duplicates files into the library’s storage location. If you leave it in place, you rely on the original folder structure; quite dangerous if you move or unplug that drive but it will save you some space. 
• Transcoding & Analysis: Check or uncheck options for proxy or optimized media creation. You can also tell Final Cut Pro to analyze your audio for potential problems. If you prefer to do these tasks later, just leave the boxes alone.

Previewing Clips and Finalizing Import

Before hitting the big “Import All” button, you can skim and playback each clip by hovering over its filmstrip preview. Then:

1. Decide if you want the window to close automatically once importing begins.
2. Press Import Selected or Import All.
3. Keep an eye on the Background Tasks window, where you’ll see the progress of your imports and any transcoding that might be happening.

The Drag-and-Drop Method

If you’re more of a “get in, get out” person, dragging media from Finder to Final Cut Pro is a nice shortcut.

Finder Drag-and-Drop Basics

If your default import settings are exactly how you like them, you can skip the fancy window and drag files straight from Finder into your event or the main browser. Final Cut Pro uses whatever you last set in Final Cut Pro > Settings > Import for file storage, transcoding, and keyword assignment. This approach is way quicker and perfect for repeated tasks with the same configuration.

Folders and Automatic Keyword Collections

If you have “From folders” or “From Finder tags” enabled in Preferences, dragging a folder into Final Cut automatically creates keyword collections named after those folders or tags. This can be helpful if you’re quite organized in Finder. If you’re not, you’ll end up with random keyword collections that make no sense. Keep your folder labels meaningful to avoid confusion.

Managing Your Media After Import

Your media management doesn’t end the moment the import bar hits 100%.

Dealing with External Drives

Leaving files in place is great if you don’t want to duplicate data, but remember that Final Cut Pro expects the drive to remain connected. If you unplug it, the clips in your library become offline until you reconnect. If you regret this decision later, use the Consolidate feature to copy the files into the library.

Deleting or Moving Clips

When you’ve decided that a clip has no place in your masterpiece, select it and hit Command-Delete. If that file was copied into your library, it’s removed from the library storage. If it was only linked, Final Cut Pro deletes the link but leaves the original file wherever you stashed it.

Supported Media Formats

Final Cut Pro enjoys working with a wide array of video, audio, and still-image formats (ProRes, H.264, PNG, WAV, and so forth). Certain camera RAW formats like RED or Canon may need extra plug-ins, so if you see greyed-out clips, you might have to install the appropriate software. The full list, you can find on the official website.

Some Extra Tips

So, you’ve got your library set, your media is either imported using the official window or dragged in from Finder, and everything is (hopefully) right where you want it. A few final reminders:

• Check Import Settings: Make sure your library and event are correct before hitting “Import.”
• Stay Organized: Keep consistent naming in Finder so that auto-keyword collections don’t create chaos.
• Review Our Library Guide: If you need to remember how to shuffle events or rename your library.
• Test with Smaller Imports: A quick test never hurts. Watch for missing drives or settings that might sabotage a big project.
• Some devices, like iPhones or certain cameras, don’t let you choose “Leave in Place” because they assume you’ll unplug them. So if you import directly from an iPhone, be prepared for automatic copying into the library.