Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and Final Cut Pro 7.0.3

[Ryan Holmes]

If you’re going to go back and forth between PPro and FCP then you’ll need to standardize on 1 codec. While PPro works natively with just about any type of footage, FCP does not. So if you want to do edits in PPro and then pass them off to a FCP workstation you need to transcode all footage to a standard codec, probably Apple ProRes would be best.

Once that’s done it’s simply a matter of passing XML’s back and forth between the apps. Keep in mind though that many filters and FX won’t translate between the two apps. If you’re simply worried about edits then you should be fine. But if you start compositing, color correcting and adding animated graphics in PPro don’t expect that to translate correctly, if at all, over to FCP.

Ryan Holmes
http://www.ryanholmes.me
vimeo.com/ryanholmes

[Walter Biscardi]

If you are going to start in CS6 and end in FCP 7 I would HIGHLY recommend you convert all the footage before you start the edit. Makes for a VERY easy transition between the two edit systems. Just XML back and forth between them and all of the footage matches.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media

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[Joao Rodrigues]

Thanks a lot, Ryan

[Joao Rodrigues]

Thanks a lot, Walter

[Devinda Fernando]

Hi Walter,

Just to clarify the work flow steps…

From what I have gathered so far is as follows:

1). Rushes from Camera (H.264 AVCHD mp4) convert to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
2). Import to Adobe CS6 Premiere
3). Export to FCP XML
4). Send to Apple Color from FCP
5). Re-import back to FCP
6). Export as Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
7). Re-import back to Adobe CS6 Premiere

If so, then just have a quick question.

If the camera footage is H.264 Mp4 (AVCHD) (I use a Canon 5D MK3) then do I need to first convert it to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) before importing it to Adobe Premiere, then export to FCP XML, then send to Apple Color, then Back to FCP, and export again as Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) and then re-import back to Adobe Premiere? Or can I just import the H.264 Mp4 footage to Adobe Premiere and go through the same process without any loss of resolution?
I guess to ask the same question another way, – does exporting Adobe Premiere files to FCP XML automatically convert the files to the same higher quality as Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) – and therefore eliminating the first step of converting the raw camera footage from H.264 to Apple ProRes 422(HQ) ?

[Ryan Holmes]

[Devinda Fernando] ” I need to first convert it to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) before importing it to Adobe Premiere, then export to FCP XML, then send to Apple Color, then Back to FCP, and export again as Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) and then re-import back to Adobe Premiere?”

It’s best to do your conversion when you ingest your footage. You can use something Prelude to bring all your footage in and do your transcode on ingest.

By the way, you’re not gaining resolution or quality by converting to ProRes. What you are doing is allowing FCP/Color to work correctly as they are centered around a ProRes workflow. h.264 files tend to cause errors in legacy FCP.

It’s also not much use to use ProRes (HQ) if you’re shooting on a DSLR. Like I said, you’re not gaining quality by converting to ProRes. You are gaining a mezzanine codec that works buttery smooth in FCP/Color and holds up very well to multiple re-encodes. When shooting DSLR footage I don’t go to anything higher than standard ProRes, and typically I’ll transcode to ProRes (LT). But if you just like using hard drive space, you’re welcome to use ProRes (HQ)! 🙂 But it really isn’t gaining you anything other than larger files. The clip cannot exceed the quality at which it was shot at…so transcode accordingly.

So you’re workflow would look like:
Prelude (convert to ProRes) –> Premiere for edit –> XML to FCP –> FCP to Color –> Export ProRes from Color –> Color to FCP –> FCP to Premiere

You may also consider switching to DaVinci Resolve as a more powerful color correcting option. Blackmagic makes it and offers a “Lite” version which handles about 95% of all color needs. The “Lite” version is free. This integrates very smoothly with Premiere. So with Resolve you’re workflow would look like this:

Prelude –> Premiere for edit –> XML to Resolve –> Export ProRes from Resolve –> Resolve to Premiere

Ryan Holmes
http://www.ryanholmes.me
@CutColorPost

[Devinda Fernando]

*** By the way, you’re not gaining resolution or quality by converting to ProRes. What you are doing is allowing FCP/Color to work correctly as they are centered around a ProRes workflow. h.264 files tend to cause errors in legacy FCP. ***

Thanks Ryan, This is pretty much what I have gathered from various blogs, I just needed confirmation.

*** But if you just like using hard drive space, you’re welcome to use ProRes (HQ)!***

Oh Gosh no! Hard drive space is what I have in the forefront of my mind when trying to work this out.

*** The clip cannot exceed the quality at which it was shot at…so transcode accordingly.***

This seems plainly logical, as you can’t create detail from thin air… But I wonder sometimes – for example… have you seen the GoPro demo video?

Here it is in case you have not:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3PDXmYoF5U

The raw footage taken by the camera (1080p H.264 mp4) looks nothing like what is shown in the video, but the final output is fantastic, with really rich colors and detail… I’m wondering how this was achieved in post production? I’m assuming they converted the files to Apple ProRes and did a great job color grading it? Any idea?

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[Ryan Holmes]

[Devinda Fernando] “The raw footage taken by the camera (1080p H.264 mp4) looks nothing like what is shown in the video, but the final output is fantastic, with really rich colors and detail… I’m wondering how this was achieved in post production? I’m assuming they converted the files to Apple ProRes and did a great job color grading it? Any idea?”

With the advent of the Hero2 camera, GoPro introduced a setting called ProTune that was aimed at professionals who wanted to use the camera but color grade the footage in post. Originally, the camera shot an image and you more or less got what you got. With the introduction of ProTune it was meant that post professionals would take it into a color correction app and adjust everything. So ProTune attempts to shoot a very flat image (low saturation, low contrast, etc) expecting that the end user will tweak everything.

Their demo video is a great example of what color grading professionals can do given an evenly exposed image. It also doesn’t hurt that they have steadicams, helicopter, etc to add motion to shots! 🙂 But as far as “the look” is concerned, this setting is available on Hero2 and Hero3 cameras, but requires post-production time and knowledge inside of a color grading app (DaVinci Resolve, Speedgrade, Apple Color, Smoke, etc.).

Ryan Holmes
http://www.ryanholmes.me
@CutColorPost

[Devinda Fernando]

I have a Hero 3 – must have totally missed that part about the ProTune stetting…will definitely check it out. Once again…really appreciate your knowledge on that Ryan.

I’m looking at the footage and it looks like mostly saturation and gamma manipulation in color grading, but who knows? I’m no expert. I just thought if they are using H.264 mp4 compression then there are real limits to what can be done being that its such a small sensor and a really lossy codec?

I’m guessing they used different lenses and Polarizer and ND filters on their GoPros… You can see towards the end of the video that there is a camera man in the surf filming and he has some sort of large housing for the goPro which must be to accommodate the add-ons outside of the standard housing of the GoPro.

I’m also guessing they used twixtor for those slow to freeze-frame holds for the jumps by the skiers and snowboarders.

*** It also doesn’t hurt that they have steadicams, helicopter, etc to add motion to shots! ***

Yeah… I tried attaching the goPro to helmets for bikes and wake-boarding… you get a very shaky shot no matter what… I’m guessing there’s some stabilization being done in post too.

By the way, I’m taking your advice and switching to Davinci Resolve Lite (till I have enough money to get the full version)… I was using Apple Color for 3 years and I got really familiar with it but the work flow is just too much effort now. Its a nice program, but as usual Apple’s futile attempt to control the market by being restrictive and proprietary with their software, is forcing me to look elsewhere.