How to Do Text Over a Video in Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro provides you with a number of tools to edit, manage and add dynamic content and effects to your video projects. The software includes a text tool to assist you in creating credits and adding text directly over the video.

Instructions

1. Open the Final Cut project to which you want to add text.

2. Click the "Timeline" where the desired video clip is located. The video clip will appear in the "Canvas" section of the Final Cut interface.

3. Click the "A" icon in the "Viewer" window, point to "Text" and click "Text" in the menu that appears. Alternately, you can click the "Scrolling" option in the menu to create a credits-like effect for the text or the "Typing" option to make it appear as someone is entering the text with a keyboard.

4. Click the "Control" tab in the "Viewer" window. Type the text you want to include in the "Text" section. Click the "Font" or "Color" menu to change the type of the text. Click the "Origin" option and a red crosshair will appear in the "Canvas" section. Click the area of the video in which you want the text to appear.

5. Click the "Video" tab. Click on the image of the text in the viewer window and drag it into the "Timeline" above the video clip to place the text over a video in Final Cut Pro. The text clip will appear as a purple box above the video in the Timeline. Click the right edge of the text box and drag it to the left to shorten the amount of time the text is displayed, or drag the edge to the right to increase the amount of time the text is displayed.