Final Cut Pro - Module III

I. NAT sound: Page 1 of 5

Most video camera operators capture sound along with the pictures they are taking for their projects. The sounds that naturally occur through the course of taping are considered natural sound, which is abbreviated NAT in shooting scripts. Natural sound at parades, for example, can include crowd noise and marching bands.

Natural sound is probably the most widely used form of audio for video projects. It requires no special work other than the use of a microphone at the scene of taping, and it usually provides balance to the visuals. In some cases, such as in interviews, the audio is essential to the rest of the piece.

Up until this point in the tutorial, video clips without sound have provided a visual reference point for learning about how to organize and work with clips. In this step, however, clips with audio will be imported and organized. Along the way, audio terms and concepts as connected with Final Cut Pro 3 will be explained.

1. From the File menu, choose New Project. A new project will load into Final Cut Pro 3.
   
2. From the File menu, choose Save Project … The Save Project As… dialog box will open. Find the local storage folder, rename the file "Soldiers," and click Save.
   
3. From the File menu, choose Import, then Files …
   
4. Find the Files march.mov, musket.mov, cannon.mov, fort.mov, and fife.mov. They should all have been downloaded into the same folder. Holding the Shift key down, click on each file, then click Open. All the files should load into the Final Cut's Browser window.

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