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FCP7 crashes before project opens – Is Prores 422HQ culprit?
Hello,
I am hoping I can find some good answers to my issues.I have been running my FCP7 feature doc consistently fine on a Mac OSX 10.6.8. Because it is expected to grow into a complex project, I had divided it into 3 projects, all under 70 MB.
Today, I tried to open these projects and none opened, they crash either at 40,50,60% or right at the start. The computer doesn’t crash.
The only thing differently I did before opening the project today was at the finder, to replace a group of clips (that were by mistake converted to Prores444 long ago but played fine without problems) that I recaptured from the native h264 to Prores HQ in another computer and another media drive via Adobe Encoder, then, brought that duplicate media drive to the Snow Leopard machine, and copied them all to the main media drive I have been using with this machine.
Now, all the associated projects for FCP don’t open and crash.I have done a safe boot, repaired the computer start up disk, trashed all FCP7 preferences. Also made sure the media drives have turned off the option for “Ignore Ownership for this Volume”. The problem persists.
However, I see that when I open a few other FCP7 projects that may have just a little bit of footage from the main project, they open fine.
I don’t understand how suddenly the FCP7 projects could be all corrupted at once?
Autosave vault copies don’t open either.Any thoughts on what to do next? I am worry about losing all my hard work.
Wait.. As a test, I have just opened FCP7 without opening the documentary project. FCP7 opens finds, any footage I throw in is imported fine but it crashes as soon as I import the newly converted ProresHQ footage…
Why would this be? Is it because it was done via Adobe Media Encoder? I use it because the Adobe Media Encoder actually doesn’t shift the luminance or color of the clips, while I have noticed that Compressor seems to do that.
Do you think the files are corrupted? They open and play fine in Quicktime. They also open and play fine in Premiere CS 6.
Should I recapture the clips from the native h264 format again but this time just to prores 422?Thank you for any advice. Much appreciated
Mabel Valdiviezo
Editor -
3 Replies
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I think I heard of other people having issues with ProRes encoded with Media Encoder. Try using MPEG STREAMCLIP (free) or Compressor or Squeeze.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thank you, Shane!
I reconverted all the footage in question to Prores 422 using FCP7 Log and Transfer and my FCP7 project opens fine now. Sight of relief!!
A couple of questions:
– My original footage comes from a Canon DSLR Mark2, Mark3, 7D – all h264. Since h264 is compressed and I am having to convert to prores to edit in FCP7, does it matter whether the prores flavor is 422 or 422HQ? I intent to create a feature documentary for broadcast (PBS)and wonder if I need to even convert future footage to Prores 422HQ or just keep it in Prores 422.
– Which proven tool does not shift/change luminance and color when converting footage? Adobe Media Encoder doesn’t change that but created issues in FCP7 project in my Mac Pro from 2008. I think compressor does change the luminance/color slightly so I am concern about how would this affect during finishing — I am guessing I will have reconvert my footage again then? Or this point doesn’t matter at all in finishing?Thank you so much!
Mabel
Mabel Valdiviezo
Editor -
[Mabel Valdiviezo] “Since h264 is compressed and I am having to convert to prores to edit in FCP7, does it matter whether the prores flavor is 422 or 422HQ?”
No. ProRes 422 is plenty fine. The only thing gained by using ProRes HQ would be 50% larger file sizes. No more quality. That’s really intended for 10-bit camera masters, like RED or ALEXA.
[Mabel Valdiviezo] “I intent to create a feature documentary for broadcast (PBS)and wonder if I need to even convert future footage to Prores 422HQ or just keep it in Prores 422.”
Keep it ProRes 422. Sometimes the network wants a ProRes HQ export…just give them that. But you’ll be just fine with ProRes 422 to convert the files to and edit.
[Mabel Valdiviezo] “- Which proven tool does not shift/change luminance and color when converting footage? Adobe Media Encoder doesn’t change that but created issues in FCP7 project in my Mac Pro from 2008. I think compressor does change the luminance/color slightly so I am concern about how would this affect during finishing”
I haven’t noticed that, but if it shifts slightly, it doesn’t really matter to me. Because I color correct everything anyway. So a slight shift would be compensated for. Now, people have suggested that 5DtoRGB is the best option for this, and it really is. ZERO shift. It just takes a LONG TIME to do the conversion. But it is the best tool, if it’s still available.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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