ProPanel: Pulse Tutorial for Final Cut Pro
Learn how create a fun and exciting title sequence with the ProPanel: Pulse Lesson.
Step 1 - Preparing the Timeline
Let's begin by selecting a clip in the FCPX media library and dragging it to the timeline. Once, you have your footage in the timeline, go to the FCPX titles library to locate the Pro Panel presets. Scan through the presets and select the one that best matches the look you want. Then, drag the adjustment layer above your clip on the Final Cut Pro timeline and make it the same length as the clip.
Step 2 - Customizing the Masks
Now it is time to set-up the lines. Use the Mask Control parameters to control the position, angle, scale and shear of the cutouts. Once you have the lines set-up where you want them, use the camera controls to skew and pitch the masks in 3D space.
Step 3 - Coloring the Masks
Now that the masks are set-up, it’s time to change the color of the masks and background. Use the Color Mode drop down to choose between using a single color or a range. For this example ,we will use a color range. Click on each of the boxes attached to the gradient bar to set the colors. If you would like the gradient to include more than the default amount, you can click on the bar to add more boxes. Once you have the mask colors selected, scroll back up to the Mask Controls section and change the blend mode of the lines to achieve the look you want. Finally, Scroll back to the bottom of the control panel and use the “Inner” and “Outer” Color parameters to create gradient for the background.
Step 4 - Animating the Camera
Now let’s animate our camera angle to give the illusion that the panels are sliding throughout the clip. Place the playhead at the front of the Pro Panel title layer. Then, place a key frame on the Camera Angle parameter. Now, Move the playhead to the end of the clip and adjust the Camera Angle. Because this value is different than the previous frame … It will auto-keyframe in Final Cut Pro.
Final Touches
Now for some Final Touches. If you would like to make this a title sequence, you can use the built-in text placeholders to add your titles. If not, you can simply empty the text boxes in the Inspector window to make them disappear. For this example, we will add text to our clip. Click and drag the “Your Text Here” placeholder in the FCPX viewer window to its desired location. Then double clicking the placeholder to replace the text with your own title. Now select the “Text” tab the FCPX Inspector, to access the color, font, and size controls. Once you have your text set-up and stylized, go to the “Title” tab of the Inspector, and use the Text Zoom controls to add a framing animation to your Pro Panel sequence.