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Trying to do Monty Python animations in FCP
I used to do little animations in the style of those shown on the Monty Python Flying Circus TV show using Premiere Pro and I was quite good at it. It was easy to use the Premiere Pro motion, scale, rotate features on a clip in a very visually direct way and add keyframes for exact timings.
Now I am using Final Cut Pro and I am having a lot of trouble because I am so unfamiliar with the way it works.If I have a clip on the timeline I can use the image plus wireframe setting in the canvas window to allow me to grab the material and move it around and add keyframes with the little radio button of that window, but it doesn’t show me the keyframes anywhere and I can’t adjust them for better timings.
If I double click on a clip already in the timeline and it loads into the viewer window, I can access the motion features window that is nested in the viewer window to add keyframes and make adjustments to the timings, but it seems rather clumsy and more fiddly than the method used in Premiere Pro, especially if you don’t have a huge monitor and screen space is tight.
It doesn’t even seem to have a plain motion control, although it appears that the center control acts as a way of making an element move around on the screen, but it is also fiddly in that it creates lines for each movement and it’s easy to activate a line and pull it or distort it without meaning to.
There doesn’t seem to be any effects editing workspace in FCP that might make things easier either.
One thing that FCP does nicely is that when I create a layered file in Photoshop in preparation for use in FCP it automatically distributes each of the layers in the file to a different video track so it’s all set up and ready to be worked on.
I think that FCP is a very well featured editor so I am wondering if there is a better way to manipulate this sort of work so that it’s easier to do and more visually direct.
Am I using the correct approach or is there another way to be able to move, scale and rotate elements on the timeline and keyframe their timings that is visually clear?
Thanks for any advice.
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9 Replies
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Luis,
Let’s just say that keyframing is not the strength of FCP. In fact, you will go nuts over time trying to do controlled complex keyframing in the FCP Motion tab. Its fine for simple moves on stills and such, but for multiple objects that need simple but precise adjustments, it’ll kill ya.
I would suggest AE, Combustion, or an inexpensive dedicated animation app.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
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Try Motion…comes as part of Final Cut Studio…
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD now for sale!
http://www.LFHD.net
Read my blog! -
I couldn’t help but add this:
https://www.biscardicreative.com/sampleworks.htm
Check out “Cortez and Tortillas”
While I would go with After Effects all the way for this, I’ll let Walter say how he approached it.
-Russ
Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT -
Do yourself a favour. Use After effects, and not finalcut. It is so much better..
Xraid-Xserve-Xsan-Xeverything
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[Russell Lasson] “While I would go with After Effects all the way for this, I’ll let Walter say how he approached it.”
Very good guess. Yes, After Effects and Photoshop all the way, along with particles from Motion. All of our animations are created in AE as Final Cut Pro is just not a good tool for this style of animation.
For Cortez I had about 400 layers of stuff in various precomps. I would never do that in FCP, plus we add the 3D camera as an element they never used in Monty Python.
History of Cocktails
History of Okra
Major Pepper 2
Peach AnimationThose are all done in AE. We’ve probably done about 30 of these by now for Good Eats and I’ve done probably hundreds in the past.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!
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[Luis Ortega] “I think that FCP is a very well featured editor so I am wondering if there is a better way to manipulate this sort of work so that it’s easier to do and more visually direct.”
Yep, you’re correct FCP is a very well featured editor, but not an animation tool. For editing video or film, it’s fantastic. For animation and fine controls, you’ll need to step over to Motion if you want to stay in the Studio suite or After Effects.
I’ve thought about switching my workflow to Motion, but it’s just so much easier for me in After Effects, especially when you get up over 100 layers which is really easy for me. We average about 250 layers per animation.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!
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Puppet Tool in AE CS3
It’s simply, Awesome!
https://www.adobe.com/designcenter/aftereffects/articles/aftcs3it_puppettool_print.html
Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Board of Directors
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group -
I remember looking at those samples on your website and thinking how cool they are. Once again, nice job on those.
-Russ
Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT -
[Russell Lasson] “I remember looking at those samples on your website and thinking how cool they are. Once again, nice job on those.”
appreciate the kind words Russ! Alton Brown is a very very cool guy to work with, that’s for sure!
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!
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