Introduction to facecam adjustments

When we last left off, our demo document had the facecam positioned in the top right. It hadn't been fine-tuned yet, so let’s dive into how we can quickly adjust it and then use these adjustments across multiple clips. This process will speed up your workflow significantly. We'll also touch on saving presets to streamline your editing process.

Adjusting the facecam settings

The initial position of the facecam might not be ideal — it often requires some adjustment to look neat and professional. I have many opinions on facecam placement and most have been covered in our main screencasting course. Here's a quick guide on adjusting the facecam:

1. Move and Crop: Begin by moving the facecam to your preferred location on the screen. You can crop the image using options that turn the screen into adjustable rectangles, allowing you to center your image.

2. Fine-tuning Placement: Even if you sit in a specific spot during recording, slight movements often mean manual adjustments are necessary. You can do this by creating presets for various positions or by manually adjusting settings.

3. Matching Corners: To make the facecam visually blend with the underlying UI, adjust corner roundings accordingly.

4. Add a Drop Shadow: Enhance visibility and aesthetics by adding a drop shadow. Adjust blur and opacity to suit your taste.

Once you've fine-tuned everything, further inset and position the facecam to your liking.

Copying and pasting video properties

After completing the adjustments, it’s crucial to apply them across other clips without repeating the entire process manually. This is where copying and pasting video properties come in handy:

1. Select and Copy: Click on the well-adjusted clip and use command C to copy.

2. Paste Properties: Instead of pasting the clip, use command option I to paste only the video properties. This transfers adjustments like cropping, shadows, and position to your other clips.

Practical use-cases for video properties

This method is beneficial for maintaining consistency throughout your project, especially when facecam settings vary between videos. Common scenarios include:

• Facecam Adjustments: Create a preset for general use, and adjust it manually when different placements are needed.
• Freeze Frames: Utilize the same properties to seamlessly cover different areas within your video.

Using video properties ensures uniformity and efficiency, while preserving the unique requirements of each edit.

Unlocking the power of presets

Another invaluable tool for editors is the ability to save adjustments as presets. This prevents unnecessary repetitive work, especially when needing identical setups across different projects.

1. Set it and Forget it: Create a preset for tasks like facecam settings, so future editing requires minimal adjustments.

2. Diverse Applications: Use for specific tasks like framing techniques, where consistency is key.

By combining presets with property copying, you’ll streamline your workflow and maintain high-quality, consistent outputs across your screencasts.