ScreenFlow and Final Cut

Software
1

If I record with ScreenFlow, is it possible to edit that file with Final Cut?

2

As far as I can see you’d have to export it as a video file, rather than be able to access it directly.
Which would be annoying if true.

Not sure what you’re trying to do , but is ScreenFlow the right tool? (I’ve found it isn’t for what I do, which is not ScreenFlow’s fault)

3

Wouldn’t that be true for any screen recording software? Or does Final Cut offer screen recording natively?

4

I don’t think FCP has screen recording capabilities, otherwise it would put everyone else out of business.

5

I’ve only done native screen recording on iPad and Mac, and used OBS.
In each of those I’ve received a file in a folder somewhere I can just use in FCP etc.

For ScreenFlow, it seems you have to record, then export in a separate step. Not the worst thing in the world, but an extra step that may reduce quality (or not if done correctly).

I may be misunderstanding something though.

(edit: not counting really short things in Tapes, Loom, even Zoom etc)

6

You’ve got it right. I would export in ProRes with whatever is the 100% resolution option. ProRes is in the Manual tab of export in ScreenFlow. OBS has a lossless format too, right?

7

This possible reduction of quality is true, but it’s not really an “extra step” from a video processing standpoint. The same logical steps (capture, convert/export) are involved with Screenflow as with other software. It’s just that other software sometimes automates the “file export” step - and there’s no guarantee that it automates it in the “lossless” direction.

All of this is worth noting if file quality is important.

8

Screenflow is a decent video editor also. Unless you are doing pro work I would recommend just doing the edits in screenflow and then export.

2 Likes
9

I agree. My question was only meant as a discussion starter.

11

Cleanshot’s a good option. I use its competitor Dropshare for the same purpose. I have its recordings to auto-upload to a B2 bucket and auto-copy the URL because that’s my typical use case, but it’s easy to retrieve for other purposes.