Sequence Shortener

Sequence Shortener trims your Final Cut Pro timeline by removing a small number of frames from each clip. Drag a project in, choose how to shorten it, and get trimmed FCPXML back—ready to import.

THE PROBLEM

Your rough cut is a little long and needs tightening. You could scrub through every edit point looking for frames to shave, or you could let Sequence Shortener make nearly imperceptible edits across your entire timeline. The small time savings add up!

THE SOLUTION

Sequence Shortener removes frames from every eligible clip on your primary storyline. The trims are small and evenly distributed, so no single cut takes a big hit. It works as a Workflow Extension inside Final Cut Pro—drag your project in, choose your settings, drag the result back.

TWO MODES

• Target Duration
Tell the app exactly how long you need the sequence to be. It calculates how much to trim and distributes the cuts proportionally across eligible clips so longer clips give up more frames than shorter ones.

• Fixed Trim
Pick a number of frames to remove from each clip. Every eligible clip loses the same amount, giving you predictable, uniform tightening across the whole timeline.

SETTINGS

• Trim Style
Trim from the head, the tail, or split evenly between both.

• Minimum Clip Threshold
Protect short clips from being trimmed. Clips below this duration are left alone.

• Role Exclusion
Skip clips by role (e.g., leave all Music or Dialogue clips untouched).

• Through edits and gap clips ignored by default

WHAT GETS TRIMMED

The app trims clips on the primary storyline (the spine). Here are the rules:

• Clips below the minimum duration threshold are protected—they won't be touched
• Connected clips that match their parent clip's duration are trimmed proportionally to preserve the relationship (e.g., a lower-third title that spans an entire clip)
• Connected clips with different durations are left alone—they move automatically when the spine shifts
• Gap clips are ignored by default, but you choose
• Transitions are preserved and repositioned automatically

BEST FOR

Simple to mildly complex timelines: commercials, promos, social media cuts, rough assemblies. The app works on the primary storyline, so heavily layered compositions with lots of secondary storylines may not get the results you expect.



From Automatic Duck—helping editors work smarter since 2001.