Logging a Clip

Once you have entered basic logging information, you can log the clip, which means adding it to your project. When the clip is logged, it is stored in your project’s current logging bin.

To log a clip and add it to the current logging bin

In the Logging tab, do one of the following:
- Click Log Clip.
- Press F2.
If you selected the Prompt checkbox, a Log Clip dialog appears. Enter or change any information for this clip, then click OK.

The clip appears in the selected logging bin. It is an offline clip because no media has been captured for the clip yet. The clip’s Source property is empty—the clip does not yet contain a file path to a media file.

For more information, see Confirming Your Logging Information.

Instead of merely logging the clip, you can also capture the media file by clicking the Capture Clip button. In this case, a clip is added to the current logging bin, and the clip’s media file is captured too. For more information about capturing your clips, see Capturing Video from Tape.

Logging Media Efficiently

If you’re logging a lot of material, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the various keyboard shortcuts you can use. Here’s an example of a logging workflow.

Use the J, K, and L keys to quickly play through your tape. Press J to play the tape at various speeds in reverse, press K to stop playback, and press L to play the tape at a variety of speeds going forward. For more information, see Shuttling Through a Clip or Sequence.
When you’ve identified your In and Out points, press I to set the In point and press O to set the Out point.
Press F2 to log your clip.
If the Prompt checkbox is selected, a dialog appears where you can enter a name, and then press Tab to move down to the Notes field, if you like.
Press Return or Enter to finish logging the clip.

Repeat this sequence for other clips you want to log.

Here are additional pointers for logging your material quickly:

A new In point is automatically set at the Out point of the last logged clip.
If you’re using the automatic naming feature and the Prompt box is unselected, the Shot/Take field that makes up the clip’s name is automatically updated.

Tip: You can listen to your audio while you log by selecting the Preview checkbox in the Clip Settings tab of the Log and Capture window. When this option is selected, you hear your audio on the output selected in the Sound pane of Mac OS X System Preferences. (In the Sound pane, click Output and select a device for sound output.)