How to Set and Apply a Default LUT with a Single Click in FCP-X

Finding new and innovative ways when performing multiple creative tasks in the editing bay can not only save you a ton of time but can also be extremely beneficial in terms of improving your overall productivity. Sometimes, even a small step such as assigning a new shortcut to a frequently used function in your NLE or just skipping a step in the final delivery process can make a huge difference.

The following tutorial produced by Steve Martin from Ripple Training covers a simple trick regarding applying a LUT with a single click on each clip on your FCP-X timeline.  In other words, by utilising one of the latest features in Final Cut Pro 10.2.3, Steven will show us how to set a certain LUT as a default effect that is applied with a keyboard command.

First things first. To be able to apply any LUT to your footage you first need to install a plug-in such as the Color Grading Central’s LUT Utility shown in the video above. Once you do that, you can quickly find the filter in the Effects Library of FCP-X. Then you can set the LUT Utility as a default effect that can be instantly accessed through the Option+E keyboard command.

However, when you trigger the LUT Utility it still won’t apply a LUT to your footage, because there is no LUT set by default. A simple workaround would be to pick the LUT that you tend to use for your project and save it as an Effects Preset in the LUT Utility section.

This way the newly created preset should appear next to the LUT Utility in the Effects Window located under the Inspector. Now, by right-clicking on the Effects Preset you can assign it as a Default Video Effect that can be accessed through the shortcut key combination. It also should appear in the Edit drop-down menu.

It’s worth noting that if you have created a custom keyboard set before you upgrade to the latest version of Final Cut, you will not see these new keyboard commands unless you revert to the default layout instead. If you like this trick, you might want to check out the other editing tutorials in the Ripple Training’s YouTube channel or visit directly RippleTraining.com

[source: Ripple Training]

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