Edit Cinematic mode video in Final Cut Pro, iMovie, and Motion on Mac

Learn how to successfully import Cinematic mode clips captured with an iPhone so you can edit them in iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and Motion on your Mac.

First, check to see if your Cinematic mode clips are processed in the Photos app on your iPhone.

Then, if you’re using Final Cut Pro, set up your new library and project first, then import from your Phone or import from your Photos library. For iMovie, you can immediately start importing Cinematic mode clips. Use the import methods described in this article to preserve the depth and focus metadata in Cinematic mode clips.

When you're finished importing, enable and adjust Cinematic controls for your clips.

If you’ve already imported your clips and on-screen Cinematic controls aren't available, remove the Cinematic mode clips you imported, then follow the procedures in this article for the app you’re using.

Check to see if Cinematic mode clips are processed

The Photos app on your iPhone must process Cinematic mode clips before you can access them on your Mac.

1. Open Photos on your iPhone.

2. Tap the Albums tab, then select the Cinematic album.

3. Tap Process Now at the bottom of the screen. If Process Now doesn't appear, the clips are already processed.

4. When the Cinematic mode clips are processed, you can transfer them to your Mac.

5. If you use iCloud Photos, you can also wait for your videos to be uploaded to iCloud Photos to access them on your Mac.

Set up your library and project in Final Cut Pro

By default, iPhone captures video in HDR. For the best quality, import HDR Cinematic mode clips into a wide-gamut HDR library and (Rec. 2020 HLG) project in Final Cut Pro. If you recorded Cinematic mode clips in SDR, create a standard Rec. 709 project in Final Cut Pro.

If you want to use HDR clips in an SDR project, after importing the clips, convert them to SDR using the HDR Tools effect or by overriding the clip’s color profile.

Import Cinematic mode clips into Final Cut Pro or iMovie

You can import Cinematic mode clips into Final Cut Pro or iMovie via USB cable or with AirDrop.

Import with a USB cable

The fastest and easiest method to import Cinematic mode clips is to connect your iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable, then import the clips directly into Final Cut Pro or iMovie:

• Import into Final Cut Pro from iPhone

• Import into iMovie from iPhone

Transfer using AirDrop, then import into Final Cut Pro or iMovie

You can use AirDrop to transfer Cinematic mode clips from your iPhone to your Mac.

1. In Photos on your iPhone, open the Cinematic mode clip or select multiple clips, then tap the Share button.

2. Tap Options at the top of the screen, turn on All Photos Data, then tap Done. Turn that option on each time you transfer using AirDrop.

3. Tap AirDrop, then, in the Devices list, tap the Mac you want to transfer the clip to. Make sure the Mac you’re sharing with has AirDrop turned on. For each Cinematic clip that you transfer using AirDrop, a folder containing four files appears on the receiving Mac.

4. In the folder, locate the MOV file that does not begin with “IMG_E,” then import it into Final Cut Pro or import into iMovie.

Import from your Photos library

To import Cinematic mode clips from your Photos library from within Final Cut Pro or iMovie, check the settings in this section to make sure your Cinematic mode clips import properly.

Check privacy preferences

Final Cut Pro or iMovie might not have access to your Photos library depending on what appears in the app:

• If you don’t see the Photos app in the Photos and Audio sidebar in Final Cut Pro.

• If you see the Photos app in the Libraries list in iMovie, but don’t see the Cinematic mode clips that you imported into Photos.

To allow Final Cut Pro or iMovie to access to your Photos library in macOS Ventura or later:

1. Quit Final Cut Pro or iMovie if it's open.

2. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click Privacy and Security.

3. Click Photos

4. Turn on the setting for each app that needs access to your Photos library.

To allow Final Cut Pro or iMovie to access to your Photos library in macOS Monterey or earlier:

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click Privacy.

2. Select Photos.

3. Select the checkbox next to Final Cut Pro or iMovie to allow it to access information from Photos.

Designate a System Photo Library

If you see the Photos app in the Photos and Audio sidebar in Final Cut Pro or in the Libraries list in iMovie, but don’t see the Cinematic mode clips that you already imported into your Photos library, designate the Photos library you want to use as the System Photo Library.

Check to see if iCloud Photos is on or off

In the Photos app on your Mac, choose Photos > Settings (or Preferences), choose iCloud, then check these settings:

• If iCloud Photos and Download Originals are both selected, you can import Cinematic mode clips into Final Cut Pro or into iMovie.

• If you're not using iCloud Photos (the iCloud Photos option is unselected), you can import Cinematic mode clips into Final Cut Pro or into iMovie. If iCloud Photos is selected, don't deselect it.

• If iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage are both selected, follow these steps before trying to import clips:

  • Select the Cinematic mode video clips in your Photos library.

  • Click the Rotate Counterclockwise button in the toolbar to rotate the image. This ensures that the original files are downloaded locally.

  • When all Cinematic clips are rotated, choose Edit > Undo. This downloads the original Cinematic video clips into your Photos library and preserves the depth and focus metadata created during recording.

  • After you’ve made these adjustments, you can then import Cinematic mode clips into your project.

Enable and adjust Cinematic controls for your clips

Once you’ve successfully imported your Cinematic mode clips, add the clips to your project. Once the Cinematic mode clips are in your project, you can enable Cinematic controls:

• In Final Cut Pro, enable Cinematic mode video adjustments, adjust the focus in Cinematic mode clips, and adjust depth of field in Cinematic mode clips.

• In iMovie on Mac, adjust Cinematic mode video clips.

Work with Cinematic mode clips in Motion

To work with Cinematic mode clips in Motion, move Cinematic mode clips to your Mac before importing them into Motion, then enable Cinematic mode video adjustments.

If Cinematic controls still aren’t available

If no on-screen Cinematic controls appear on Cinematic mode clips, you might have imported the clips with iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage selected in Photos preferences. Try these options to access Cinematic controls:

• Delete all copies of the clips in the library and in any project, then import directly by connecting your device to your Mac using a USB cable.

• Import the Cinematic mode clips again from your Phone or from your Photos library.

If Cinematic controls still aren't available, you might have to update to macOS Monterey.