What role does a keyframe serve in Final Cut Pro?

A keyframe in Final Cut Pro is essential for marking specific points in time where a change occurs in a clip's attributes, such as effects, animations, or transitions. By placing keyframes at different points on a timeline, editors can smoothly transition between different values of effects or properties over time. This allows for dynamic changes to be animated, providing a smooth shift from one state to another, whether it's altering opacity, scale, position, or other visual effects.

For instance, if you want a clip to gradually fade in, you would set one keyframe at 0% opacity at the beginning and another at 100% opacity where you want the fade to complete. The software then interpolates the values between these keyframes, creating a smooth fading effect.

In contrast, while video exports and project timelines are vital aspects of the workflow, they are not directly linked to the function of keyframes. Similarly, keyframes are not limited to audio adjustments; they are universally applicable across both audio and visual elements in a project.