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Converting frame size in Compressor for FCP7 Multiclip
I’ll come clean and tell you that I’m a newbie so please be gentle. I’ve got 30+ years of professional audio experience but the video side is a new “adventure” for me. Trying to edit a 2 camera shoot of some live music plus add in a direct-from-the-board audio recording. Audio will be edited in another app.
Camera 1
1440×1080 HD
Imported from SD cardCamera 2
720×480 SD
Captured via FW from miniDV tapeI’ve been attempting to convert the frame size and crop the HD file using Compressor (output to MPEG-2). What I’m confused about is that the clip from camera 2 when opened in the FCP Viewer does not appear to be displaying at 720×480. It really looks like 4:3.
When I apply cropping parameters (60px on both the left and right sides) to the camera 1 clip in the Compressor Geometry pane, the Preview window displays what appears to be 720×480.
I don’t get it. Did I not use the correct settings when the FCP project was first created such that it is only letting the Viewer show me a 4:3 aspect ratio? If so, it just cropping the left and right sides of the camera 2 clip? I would think it would be letterboxing instead…
Any help will be VERY much appreciated. Thanks!
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7 Replies
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Was camera 2 (SD) shot anamorphic/Widescreen? Then it will be letterboxed on a 4×3 monitor.
What is your delivery?
SD-DVD?
Web?If you don’t need HD, edit it all in an SD sequence.
Don’t edit mpeg in FCP.Take a DV clip and drop it into a new sequence. Let FCP match up the settings for you.
Put the HD files in the SD sequence and resize as needed.
When you edit is DONE, change the compressor in the sequence settings to 10 bit Uncompressed or ProresHQ. Render fully, export using “Current Settings” Take that file into your compression program to create your deliverables.
Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta LLC -
Thanks so much for your response, Chris!
Camera 2 is not widescreen-capable. I was thinking that 720×480 should have also displayed as slightly letterboxed in a 4:3 Viewer window. Not so?
Delivery will be both web plus DVD for archiving.
Don’t need HD.
Are you saying that I can take the camera 2 clip(s) as originally captured and drop into a new sequence – I don’t need to recapture? By the way, all of the files in my “captured” (or whatever it’s called) folder are .mov. Want to make sure that I imported them correctly to begin with.
How do I resize the HD files (within FCP?) so that I can create a multiclip with the DV clip?
Thanks again!
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Then you have 4×3 – not widescreen, not letterboxed.
You don’t need to recapture anything.
Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta LLC -
OK, thanks. Back into the studio tomorrow afternoon to try your recommendations. Much appreciated!
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I guess I may not understand what you’re telling me to do. I’ve created a new sequence in my existing project and I’m attempting to use the clips as they exist already in the Browser. They’ve been renamed and have in and out points set. Dragging them onto the “Insert” overlay of the Canvas does not prompt any format or settings dialog for FCP to “match.”
Plus, aren’t Multiclips created by selecting 2 or more clips in the Browser? If I bring clips into a new sequence (onto the canvas or timeline), I don’t have the option of making multiclips, do I?
Maybe you were suggesting that I should create a new project rather than just a new sequence?
Sorry to be such a problem child.
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Might it be significant that the video playback setting is listed as…
[Missing] Apple FireWire NTSC (720 x 480)
?
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Well, I ended up changing the frame size and cropping the HD clip (from Capture Scratch folder) in Compressor and outputting as a .mov. That finally worked. I’m afraid I just didn’t have any luck with your method, Chris. Maybe that would have been a better way to do it, but I need to get this done.
Thanks for trying to help, though.
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