Importing Footage into Final Cut Pro

I do not want to start duplicating the footage within FCP

If you check "Leave files in place" the data will not be duplicated.

⚫︎User guide: Import into Final Cut Pro for Mac from your Mac or storage device

@Ian

Thank you for the link!

The only difference between dragging and dropping and importing the footage is organization. It will optimized the same, create proxies the same etc. The value of importing is that it will create the keywords which will be what ever file you have the original folder in. To be more specific, you have a folder named "Cat Video" You import that folder, not the files in that folder. You just click on the folder and import. In the browser, you will now have a keyword folder ( I don't think FCP calls them folders, but I am going to call it that) called Cat video. If you just open the Cat Folder and grab all the video files and import all the lose files, no keywords will be created. So the point is, it is a great feature for organzation and finding particular files in final cut. If you just drag and drop, again, it will not create Keywords. Now, you can go through all those video clips and assigned keywords to them, but that is time consuming. I hope I explained it well enough for you the difference. Lastly, I dont know why, at least for me, some times, I am unable to drag and drop a video file into Final Cut. I should be able, but it only lets me import. I dont know why. There must be something I am missing when I can't just drag and drop. Hope this helps. Either way, I don't see any way it would duplicate footage. So you don't need to worry about that.

To correct Eric, same functions amiable both ways.

When importing what happens depends on settings in the Import window.

When drag-and-dropping, what happens depends on setting in Settings > Import.

So there is no difference between the two.

Also, if you drag-and-drop on an existing Keyword collection, that media will automatically be assigned to that Keyword Collection.

I have a massive stock footage/image collection. I made a Stock Footage Library. I have a folder on my RAID called Stock Footage. I arrange everything there in folders, all organized. When I import new media into that Library, it is always "Leave In Place." So I have easy access to that Library inside FCP and when using that media in other apps.

When I edit TV shows, I always import the media into the Library itself to be self-contained, since I'm not sharing that media anywhere else.

"Copy To Library" makes a "copy" in your Library, but then, I'm copying off of a card or from a folder that is easy to delete once the copy is made. So no, I don't lose any storage space.

Unless you need access to footage in other apps, I'd say always copy to the Library. Keep it clean, all in one place.

Final Cut Pro User Guide for Mac – Apple Support (UK)

Please read the user guide from the beginning to understand the functions of FCP. The user guide explains all the basics.

Could someone please post a link to the English user guide? ＊I keep getting redirected to the Japanese version.