Free Final Cut plugin: Lower Third
In which I provide a free Final Cut plugin that provides more typeface, position and design options for adding text to productions.
This plugin gives you an extra style to use in lower thirds plus a few more extra features.
This how it looks with default settings:
Here is what the controls look like. As you can see from the text entry boxes, you can have more than one line of text in each section. You can also add a graduated fill behind the text.
If you change some settings, the generator can look like this:
To use this plugin, download the ZIP document, copy the ‘Lower 3rd – Alex4D.fcfcc’ file to
Your Startup HD/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Pro System Support/Plugins
(Your Startup HD/Users/your name/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Express Support/Plugins for Final Cut Express users)
‘Lower 3rd – Alex4D’ will appear in the ‘Text’ generator category.
31 March, 2009 at 1:38 am
Very useful. TY.
31 March, 2009 at 6:44 am
nice one,thanks for that.
I will certainly we giving it a try.
Phill
[twitter: http://twitter.com/phillipgibb ]
[blog: http://synapticlight.com/ ]
31 March, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Well, that plug-in just about wraps up 97% of my tummy-tag needs! IOU beer for that one.
31 March, 2009 at 4:22 pm
[...] Alex4d has new free plug-in for tummy tags – covers 97% of my lower-third caption requirements. http://bit.ly/fR4Zr Share and [...]
1 April, 2009 at 6:36 pm
[...] de son blog. Ce type est une bénédiction ! Merci donc Alex pour cette dernière pépite : le Lower 3rd – Alex4D, un générateur de sous-titre très [...]
1 April, 2009 at 9:18 pm
thanks once more for all. A french promotion at http://videodeweb.wordpress.com/
3 April, 2009 at 12:27 am
[...] for easy creation of movie closing credis using multiple fonts and side by side Name/Title; and Lower Thirds which is perfect for an easy way to generate subtitles with shadowed backgrounds.I will endeavor to [...]
3 April, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Thanks for the info. Are there any restrictions as to operating systems (OS10.4 – pre-Intel) and version of FCP?
All the best!
Sheila
3 April, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Should be fine back to version 5 of Final Cut, and whichever versions of OS X it used.
3 April, 2009 at 3:03 pm
[...] you’re a Final Cut user (Express or Pro) this plugin is free and very [...]
3 April, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Quicker then using Live Type which I customize for same effect.
Mahalo
7 April, 2009 at 10:02 pm
[...] What’s really made my day has been his recent Lower 3rd generator: [...]
8 April, 2009 at 2:36 am
Sweet. Thanks.
25 April, 2009 at 5:44 am
[...] lower thirds title generator for it lack of features. Many of the problems have been fixed in this free Final Cut plug-in by Alex Gollner. It provides more typeface, position and design options for adding text to productions. Simply [...]
26 April, 2009 at 2:19 pm
[...] If you use Final Cut editing software, then you will love this plug in. Free, very cool, right justified “lower third” titles all with a quick little [...]
28 April, 2009 at 6:40 pm
[...] plug in for Final Cut Express. If your tired of Express’s lack of configuration options then this is for you. It provides more typeface, position and design options and best of all it’s free. [...]
28 April, 2009 at 6:41 pm
This is a beauty. Thanks Alex!
3 May, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Cool, thanks!
Ray Roman
San Diego, CA.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/raymondroman
4 May, 2009 at 1:47 am
The location you suggest for Final Express Files does not exist, or is not accurate. Can you clarify where I should put the file for FC Express?
5 May, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Excellent – really useful and an amazing ‘gift’ Many thanks!
7 May, 2009 at 1:44 pm
This is a great plugin. Is there any way you could add the ability to add a drop shadow on the text. That would make it my primary text tool. Great work keep it up.
14 May, 2009 at 3:35 am
my gradient disappears after it’s rendered in FCP6 (ProRes SD timeline). anyone else suffer from that?
26 June, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Hi Jon D, I too suffer the loss of the gradient effect when rendering in FCP6 (ref. lower thirds title generator). I cannot find any solution to this problem. How disappointing to have such a fault in such a useful and pleasing effect.
5 September, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I have the same issue on a DVCProHD timeline.
20 May, 2009 at 4:50 pm
[...] Alexandre Gollner has created a great Final Cut plugin for titles. It’s much easier to use then the FCP standard title maker and is more flexible. [...]
5 June, 2009 at 7:27 am
[...] post: Free Final Cut plugin: Lower Third « alex4d: Editing organazized Share and [...]
7 June, 2009 at 11:44 am
[...] http://alex4d.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/free-final-cut-plugin-lower-third/ [...]
17 June, 2009 at 10:10 am
Hi Alex,
thanks for this, I can confirm it works fine in Final Cut Express.
18 June, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Dude, You Rock!
Please keep them coming.
Thank You.
24 June, 2009 at 8:37 pm
This works only for Pro? I have Express (v 4), installed as outlined above but ‘Lower 3rd – Alex4D’ does not appear in the ‘Text’ generator category. When directly invoking the plugin, I get: File error : wrong type.
I am lost… Thanks!
25 June, 2009 at 9:17 am
Sorted! Did not know that I needed to tell the program where the plug-ins are:
- CONTROL-click Final Cut Express.app
- Get Info
- Scroll to Plug-ins
- Add your Plug-in folder
25 June, 2009 at 9:25 am
Do you know how to uninstall plugins? I have some that expired..
10 August, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Very cool, Alex. Saves time from going into other plug ins I have. One question, I can’t get the leading to change. I really want the two lines I have entered to be closer together. Is there something I’m missing?
Thanks!
Suzan
16 August, 2009 at 5:07 am
One question. Can you control the width of the solid background? From the example on the page it looks like you can, but I can’t find the controls. Help! Thanks!
22 September, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Great plugin but I too cannot get the leading to work, making the plugin not usable for me. I really need to get the first and second line closer.