Video Editing Shortcuts

The video editing process can be a cumbersome task at the best of times, but our video editing experts in Chicago have given us the inside scoop with their shortcuts and tips on Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro. Last year we took a look at Adobe Premiere Pro’s 2015.3 update and in February we examined the Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2017, detailing what was out with the old and in with the new. Today, we’re looking at all the handy shortcuts and giving out tips for video editors, whether you’re operating on Windows or Mac.

Video editing shortcuts & tips Adobe Premiere Pro & Elements

• Learn to Work Off Your Keyboard
  Yes, it’s comfortable to use your mouse, and perhaps it’s even slightly speedier to navigate your way around your screens, but at the end of the day, you’re cutting yourself short (excuse the pun). Adobe Premiere Pro becomes that much more usable and effective when using the keyboard for its shortcuts.

• Create Shortcuts Yourself
  While there are plenty of default shortcuts already built into the Adobe Premiere, this is a very nifty tool considering that you can assign a shortcut to a key with their Drag-and-Drop function. Video editors can add shortcuts that they’re likely to use more often because of the type of editing they do the most of.

• Copy Shortcuts with the Cloud
  If you’re working off multiple devices, you can easily sync your keyboard shortcuts from your one device onto the other with the cloud.

• Keep a Printed Copy of Shortcuts nearby for referencing
  Whether you just want to have a copy of the standard tricks for faster editing on Adobe Premiere Pro or if you need to keep note of what your custom-made shortcuts are, it’s a good idea to keep a pdf / printed copy on hand for easy referencing.

Video editing shortcuts & tips for Final Cut Pro 

• The Key is the Keyboard
  Final Cut Pro is all about making use of your keyboard, whether you are navigating your timeline by frame or by second, the left and right arrow keys are your friends. Use them to move left and right in your frames and hold down shift and then use your left/right arrow keys to move backwards and forwards in your timeline.

• Find your favorites
  After a hard day filming, the editing process can feel like a looming mountain to climb, but a simple run-through and favoriting of your favorite shots will ensure that you never lose your best moments on film while hacking away at the rest of it. To do this, bring up your keywords pop-up first (Command-K) and predefine footage according to your needs (it could be ‘people’, ‘interview’, ‘animal’ and the like) and return to your editing event with nothing selected. Scroll through your shots, select what you want to keep, and press F to catalogue them as favorites.

• Export like a Pro
  After all your hard work, it’s time to export, which is another process that can take a while. To hurry this process along, simply make use of Final Cut Pro’s ‘Faster Encode’ option. Yes, the alternative is ‘Better Quality’, but the difference between the two is not that noticeable to the naked eye.

• The Key is (still) the keyboard
  There are several hidden keyboard shortcuts available with Final Cut Pro that will have video editors breathing a welcome sigh of relief. However, these shortcuts won’t come into use unless you actively assign keys to them and what’s even more intriguing (or frustrating, take your pick) is that they’re not in the menus either. Most notable is the ‘color correction’ edit. To assign a keyboard to this effect, select Final Cut Pro, then Commands, then Customize before searching ‘color’. Once there, you can assign keys.