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mp4
I am shooting on an EX1R and just learning the process of ingesting and editing with FCP. So far so good.
I have a client that wants MP4 files. MP4 confuses the crap out of me. My original footage recorded onto my SxS cards is MP4, correct? Can I just FTP these individual files to my client. If so, how?Also, when I bring my clips into FCP and export them to MP4 using Quicktime conversion they are very small and really poor quality. Is there another way to export them that they will look better?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
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5 Replies
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Unfortunately clients often have no idea what they want technically. It might be H.264 with .mp4 extension. .mp4 is a container.
Imagine someone goes into a restaurant and ask for a good sandwich and they are given e peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then then think that’s what “sandwich” is. They go to another restaurant and as for “sandwich” and they get ham and cheese. Then they complain that the second restaurant didn’t give them “sandwich.”
You’ll have to ask them what exactly they want to do with the file.
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yeah and they really *don’t* want an MP4 because generally it’s a container where people expect a highly compressed codec like H.264. Which is great if you want to dump it right onto the internet but kinda crap as a good mastering format. So do a bit more leg work with the client and figure out the purpose- chicken before the egg…
Noah
Check out my book: RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera!
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook, Panasonic HVX200, Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon 7D.
Watch Formosa- My indie movie shot with the SDX900 and finished with Final Cut Studio. -
MP4 can contain 2K 14b 444 RGB/YUV.
The only problem with MP4 is that NLEs are not ready yet to manage it, but better to get used to the format.
rafael -
OK…so here is what I sent them:
1920×1080
MPEG-4 Video, AAC, MPEG-4 SDSM, MPEG-4 ODSM, Hint
3:51
total bit rate 3,198
94.8MB
It looks pretty darn good to me and plays in Quicktime. I used the FCP preset Share>MP-4 and this is what it gave me. We will see what they say. If it is not right I will have to try something else.I suggested H.264 but they seem to know what they want (but I don’t think they do).
I would show you the footage but then I would have to kill you.
Thanks for all of the help.
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yeah that would be fine for a very specific playback stream but not so great for further editing because you gave them a long-gop MPEG format…
Noah
Check out my book: RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera!
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook, Panasonic HVX200, Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon 7D.
Watch Formosa- My indie movie shot with the SDX900 and finished with Final Cut Studio.
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