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import FCP project into encore
Hey
longtime reader, first time user
So I’m working on FCP Studio and just finished editing a project which was shot on HD 720 24pn. I now want to create a blu-ray using Encore cs4 but Encore is on a separate system (a PC to boot)
1- what file type should I be exporting from FCP ( a regular self contained QT?)
2-This is a large project, will Encore automatically “compress” the footage to fit on the disk?
3-should i be worried at all about the frame rate?
4- will encore recognize chapter markers set in FCP or will I have to re-create them?
Thanks for any feedback
C -
13 Replies
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[Chris Alsop] “So I’m working on FCP Studio and just finished editing a project which was shot on HD 720 24pn. I now want to create a blu-ray using Encore cs4 but Encore is on a separate system (a PC to boot)
1- what file type should I be exporting from FCP ( a regular self contained QT?)
2-This is a large project, will Encore automatically “compress” the footage to fit on the disk?
3-should i be worried at all about the frame rate?
4- will encore recognize chapter markers set in FCP or will I have to re-create them?”Unfortunately neither Encore or Premiere will recognize a Quicktime. I would export a self-contained Quicktime of your project @720p24 and then use Quicktime to export to AVI. Encore will recognize an AVI.
Encore will not automatically compress to fit the Blu-disc, but you will have all the transcoding options in Encore for bitrates and audio settings that will determine the size of your final build. In the build window, it will estimate the size of your current project so you can determine whether it will fit on a 25GB disc. I would suggest getting Dolby SurCode as a plug-in from Minnetonka Audio or transcode your audio to ac3 in Compressor to allow more data room for the video.
The encoding bitrates for your video depend on the length and content of the video as far as motion and complexity goes. You usually don’t want to exceed 30MBPS as a max..You probably want to be in the mid-20’s as a max if the program is really long. This you’ll have to dial in on your own.
Don’t worry about 24fps..That will be fine in Encore and on a finished Blu-ray.
I don’t know of any way to get FCP chapter markers into an Encore project unless there is some MXF workflow I don’t know about.The easy way we do this is we have FCP and Premiere workstations with SDI video capture cards on both ends. So, we can just play SDI from FCP into Premiere and then it goes right into Encore as an AVI.
We do this all the time as we are an FCP based facility, but utilize Encore for Blu-ray.
If anyone else has other advice for you, hopefully they’ll chime in.Chad Brewer
Senior Tape Operator/Engineer
TeleVersions -
[Chris Alsop] “1- what file type should I be exporting from FCP ( a regular self contained QT?)”
You send your QT file into Compressor to make the MPEG-2 and AC-3 file for BluRay Disc and bring THOSE into Encore. We’ve been doing this for years for “Play Only” BluRay discs.
[Chris Alsop] “2-This is a large project, will Encore automatically “compress” the footage to fit on the disk?”
A BluRay disc will hold 25 or 50GB depending on whether it’s a single or Dual layer disc. Our documentaries run 90 minutes and come in around 18GB so they fit no problem.
[Chris Alsop] “3-should i be worried at all about the frame rate?”
I conform everything to 1080 / 60i before creating the MPEG-2 file in Compressor. I find that makes the best looking BluRay discs. Supposedly Encore supports 720p BluRay files, but it only works some of the time here. 1080 / 60i always works.
[Chris Alsop] “4- will encore recognize chapter markers set in FCP or will I have to re-create them?”
Nope you’ll need to re-set your chapter markers in Encore. We don’t do any sort of chapters in Encore. We never create menus in Encore. They just hardly ever work so we use NetBlender’s DoStudio when we have to create a fully authored BluRay disc.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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Thanks for the speedy response and great info guys.
So my plan is to put the project through compressor and then bring the mpeg 2 file into Encore. My last question is with regards to creating menus for Encore. This is not a ‘play only’ disc and I will need to have menus. Not sure about Chad, but Walter, I know you’re not a big fan of encore and it sounds like you’re telling me that it’s a toss up as to whether or not menus and chapters will work.
Any advice for creating menus in encore? There has to be a way. (and no templates or Toast, too limiting)
Thanks again guys!
C -
My method would have worked, but Walter’s workflow is better going through Compressor first. We’ve done it that way too with success. There are some that suggest using Compressor to go to H264 instead of MPEG2 for Blu-ray in terms of higher quality, but that might involve transcoding again in Encore where the Compressor MPEG2 way is cut and dried once you are in Encore.
As far as menus go, I create complex menus in Photoshop for Encore all the time. I don’t like Encore, but we don’t have DoStudio. I actually hate Encore, but my menus have always worked fine…Chad Brewer
Senior Tape Operator/Engineer
TeleVersions -
That’s good news about the menus Chad! My menus aren’t even that complex, I just wanted to import basic jpegs and assign buttons to the chapter markers. And I had heard about the possibility of using H264 but since both you and Walter have had success using mpeg2 then that’s the route I will be taking!
I’ve got another question which is exactly what Compressor settings should I be using with the aforementioned footage which runs just over an hr. in length? I’ve always just used the mpeg2 widescreen (time based on project time) with an aiff audio. Is the AC-3 just a Dolby 5.1? This is my first blue ray and I just want to get it right
Thanks for all the help Chad and Walter
Cheers
C -
I agree with Walter except for the 60i thing. You now have a 720p 24..correct? You never want to interlace a progressive source. Export a 1920×1080 23.98 QT and compress an AVC stream 1920×1080 23.98 in Compressor. You really need to control the up conversions as much as you can since that will be up converted by the player anyway.
As always though, I say stay far away from Encore. Its a piece of junk. Personally (and this is just my opinion) I think you should hire an experience authoring house to do this work but thats just me. Example – if I were to shoot some nature footage, I’d hire an experience nature photographer.
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[Chad Brewer] “Unfortunately neither Encore or Premiere will recognize a Quicktime.”
Huh??? Not true, but for authoring longform content it’s better to go thru compressor or AME rather than let Encore handle your conversion to MPEG2
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Well I’m new to Encore but we’ve made 4 Blu-ray discs with it using h264, the quality is great. I know Encore isn’t loved by some because of past issues, but our experience with CS5 has been very good. We’ve sent out hundreds of Discs to customers with no issues at all so far.
Steve Connor
Adrenalin TelevisionHave you tried “Search Posts”? Enlightenment may be there.
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[Chad Brewer] “As far as menus go, I create complex menus in Photoshop for Encore all the time. I don’t like Encore, but we don’t have DoStudio. I actually hate Encore, but my menus have always worked fine…”
Glad you can get your menus to work. For DVDs the menus have always worked fine. I’ve yet to have a menu to work correctly for BluRay disc despite all the assurances I’ve received from Adobe.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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Well I guess my point is you’re much better off using a tool like Do Studio if you need to include menus. The list of benefits are long for under $3k. Buying CS5 just because it offers BD isnt much of a deal IMO.
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