Master Templates in Final Cut Pro are templates created in Motion that allow you to quickly adjust design elements such as titles and opening titles. The article addresses some issues to keep in mind when creating templates in Motion and when using them in Final Cut Pro.

  • When you create templates in Motion, it's important to save them as templates, not as regular Motion projects. In Motion, select Save as Template from the menu File to save a project as a template that can be used in Final Cut Pro and Motion. Choosing Save as Template in Motion, your project will automatically sync with the Template Browser. If you selected by mistake Save or if you used the Finder to place standard Motion projects in the locations where Motion Templates are stored, the templates may not run as desired in the Template Browser, and may not open as you expect in Final Cut Pro.
  • Do not use the Finder to move or rename templates. If you do, every feature of the template you used in a project may go offline or may not perform as you expect. To rename a template or save it to a different theme, do the following:
    1. Open the template in Motion.
    2. From the menu File, select Save as Template…
    3. Type a name for the template.
    4. Select a topic where you want to keep it (click the New Theme… to create a new theme for your new or custom templates)
    5. Press Save.
  • Do not use the Finder to create thumbnails of templates or theme folders. Icons are not supported by Template Browser.
  • When a Motion template file is saved in Motion, the video standard rendered in the template is stored in a metadata tag, but this does not ensure that the resolution and frame rate will match all Final Cut Pro sequences. Make sure the master templates you create and select have the resolution and frame rate you want.

For more information about using master templates in Final Cut Pro, refer to the Final Cut Pro User's Guide, available in the Help menu of Final Cut Pro. For more information about creating templates in Motion, refer to the Motion User's Guide, available in the Motion Help menu.