Final Cut Pro handles proxies more automatically than most NLEs: you mark clips for transcoding, FCP builds the stand-ins in the background, and you flip playback with one menu. The two facts that matter: proxies come in exactly two formats - Apple ProRes 422 Proxy or HEVC, at frame sizes from 12.5% to 100% of the original per Apple's guide - and Apple's own guidance is explicit that you should switch back to optimized or original media before sharing your project so the exported file is the highest quality. Here is the full loop, plus the review handoff at the end.
Create proxy media
Select clips in the browser and choose File > Transcode Media (or control-click the clips and pick Transcode Media, or use the Transcode Media button in the Info inspector). Tick Create proxy media, pick the proxy format - ProRes 422 Proxy or HEVC - and a frame size from 12.5% to 100% of the original. FCP transcodes in the background; the same dialog offers Create optimized media for when you want a full-size, edit-friendly ProRes 422 version of hard-to-decode source instead of a small proxy.
Original vs optimized vs proxy
| Media mode | What it is | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Original | The camera files, untouched | QC, color, and any pass where you judge image quality |
| Optimized | Full-size ProRes 422 transcodes of hard-to-decode sources | Smooth editing at full resolution when you have disk space to spare |
| Proxy | Small ProRes 422 Proxy or HEVC stand-ins at 12.5-100% size | Weak hardware, big multicam, remote editing, fast drafts |
The smaller the proxy frame size, the lighter the playback - 50% is a common starting point for 4K work, and the proxy workflow explainer covers why the stand-in never touches your render.
Switch playback to proxies
Playback mode lives in the View pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the viewer: choose Optimized/Original or Proxy, with a Better Quality / Better Performance option alongside. FCP flags proxy playback in the viewer, so glance at it before a color or QC pass - judging proxies when you think you are judging originals is a classic review-time surprise.
Before you share: switch back
Apple's user guide puts an Important note on exactly this: if you play back with proxy media, switch back to optimized or original media before sharing the project. It is a one-click habit at the top of the share checklist - put it before "check audio levels" on your export list, because forgetting it is the one way the proxy workflow can quietly cost you quality at delivery.
The review handoff
The proxy mode has no effect on what you send clients - you share from your originals either way. For the round itself, share a master-quality file to storage and a smaller H.264 review copy for upload; the review-export guide has the settings. The review loop for Frooty's FCP side runs through FCPXML delivery - the FCP client-review workflow covers it - and burning in timecode before export makes round notes unambiguous. Pair this with the Premiere sibling, the Premiere Pro proxy workflow, if you cut across both NLEs.
FAQ
Should I pick ProRes 422 Proxy or HEVC proxies?
ProRes 422 Proxy is the safer default - intra-frame, uniformly light to decode, and gentle on older machines. HEVC proxies are smaller on disk but cost more CPU to decode, which can defeat the point on the same weak hardware you made proxies for.
Do proxies end up in my export?
Not if you follow Apple's guidance: switch playback back to optimized or original media before sharing, and the export renders from your real media. The View menu in the viewer is the switch to check.
How much smaller are proxies than originals?
Substantially. Apple's ProRes documentation puts ProRes 422 Proxy at roughly 45 Mbps for 1080p29.97 - a fraction of a 4K camera original - and you can shrink it further with the proxy frame-size picker, down to 12.5% of the original.
Can I proxy only some clips in a project?
Yes. Transcode Media works on any selection, so you can proxy just the heavy 4K material and leave lightweight graphics or screen recordings on originals. Playback uses whichever mode you choose per media that exists.
Why is playback still slow with proxies enabled?
Three usual suspects: the viewer is actually in Optimized/Original mode, your timeline is carrying heavy effects or titles that decode regardless of media mode, or you picked HEVC proxies on the exact machine that cannot decode HEVC quickly. Check the View menu first.