Master multicamera editing

Learn how to switch between angles in the timeline using Final Cut

Shooting with multiple cameras can bring life to an otherwise static scene. Cameras may record from a fixed position or be mounted on a dolly to get smoother movement. Many modern cameras, including the iPhone, feature image stabilisation so they can be used in a handheld fashion while masking the fact that the camera’s movement wasn’t as smooth as it appears.

Having multiple cameras on a set can complicate the shots you’re able to take, because you have to consider whether one camera operator’s shot will bring them into the field of view of another. You won’t want that in most cases, although for our YouTube project (pictured) we made an explicit decision to allow it so that the operator could wander into view for a closer look at the object being discussed.

Assembling a cut from multiple recordings by hand is of course possible, but creating a multicam clip from them enables you to work more efficiently. To show you how it works, we’ll look at Final Cut’s method of automatically syncing clips – although there are circumstances when this doesn’t work well.

Shooting with multiple cameras can bring life to an otherwise largely static scene

Shooting with multiple cameras takes more planning, but ultimately gives you more editing options.