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Asking to render even though sequence matched clip settings – DESPERATE
I’m at the “through the Mac out the window” phase of frustration. The “why did I choose this as a living”, the “this is a complete waste of life, I will pay any amount of money to have these days back when I’m dying” phase…. I absolutely hate computers. /rant
I create timelapses. This has been my workflow for the past year:
1.) Create image sequence in QT (around 4k res – based on still photos, photo-jpeg codec)
2.) Transcode to Proxy for quick editing in FCP
3.) Edit the Proxy sequence down
4.) Create a new sequence and drag in my original photo-jpeg clip so it asks me to match sequence setting to clip – press okay. I now have a new sequence with settings to match my original sequence.
5.) Copy my proxy sequence to the new sequence. I get a render bar because the footage is ProRes Proxy.
6.) I take video offline and reconnect to original Photo-jpeg clip.I now have the edited version of my 4k photo-jpeg clip to export and bring into AE for work. I like to have the edited clip in it’s original photo-jpeg codec so I can grade it and adjust exposure (deflicker) in AE. I need 4k to do virtual zooms.
Having done it this way many months now, my current project is giving me a render bar when I take my photo-jpeg clip and drop it into a new sequence EVEN AFTER it asks me to automatically match sequence setting with clip!!!???
I do notice my RT pulldown menu only has: Play base layer; Record to tape (Use playback settings, full Quality) options… Isn’t there supposed to be more options there? Why does it say “Record to tape”? Is this my problem?
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7 Replies
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The photo JPEG codec is not a realtime codec in FCP, period, end of story. You should be using a ProRes workflow throughout your process, that’s all there is to it.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.comPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums. Formerly host of the Apple Final Cut Basics, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.
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Thanks for the response. I must disagree with you though. In the past I’ve never had a red render bar with this workflow.
If I take any photo-jpg clip (except for my current project for some reason) and drop it into a sequence with matching settings I never have the render bar. Real time or not (doesn’t matter to me) I’ve never had to render so long as my clip matches my sequence. Though you may strongly suggest ProRes is the best route, it is not true to claim one must be using it. In my circumstance and many others going ProRes is not an option.
For one ProRes doesn’t dance politely with After Effects. Plenty of people don’t use ProRes because of this reason. ProRes is certainly not the only option like you’re suggesting.
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I would suggest NOT working with Jpeg’s, really, it’s a compressed format. Convert them first.
PNG.
Tiff’s.
PSD.
Targa’s.OR, if timelapse, create a mov file out of them.
Hard drives are cheap, drop the off-line (proxy) approach and save yourself the work.Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta LLC -
I had the same problem with ProResHQ. Dropped into the sequence, the sequence changed it’s settings to match the clips but still needed render.
At first I turned off safe RT. But after I restarted my computer the problem vanished and I didn’t need to render. Strange stuff 😉
Wojtek Jezowski
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Thanks Chris. I completely agree hard drives are cheap. Which is why I have 20TBs of hard drives at home. The timelapses start RAW, get converted to TIFF, but every attempt to create a mov from a TIFF has failed. Each TIF frame is 60MB and this timelapse for example is 4900 frames. That’s why I convert to JPG and yes I already created the movie out of them with QT. When I said photo-jpg I’m talking about the VIDEO photo-jpeg codec, not actual photos.
Yes, this is compressed but much less so than ProRes and is closest to my original format.
I did a test creating a movie from just a few frames and that one drops in nicely into a timeline without a render bar. It appears QT will create a mov file from jpegs even if one frame in there is somehow different from the others. Different how, I have no idea, but it seems when bringing that into FCP (when a frame is off somehow) the entire clip needs to be rendered. In the past I’ve never had an issue like this before and never have needed to render…
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Your issues with “Play Base Layer Only” and “Record to Tape” has to do with your Photo JPEG use as well.
If you use a natively supported sequence codec, such as DV, DVCPROHD, XDCAM HD, ProRes.. then it uses FCP’s RT platback engine (Unlimited RT) … but if you use an unsupported codec, like Animation, Photo JPEG, None … then you’ll have the different drop down menu.Check a previous project to see if this issue is the same.
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[Seth Marshall] “Though you may strongly suggest ProRes is the best route, it is not true to claim one must be using it. In my circumstance and many others going ProRes is not an option.”
There are actually very few options for HD graphics and such, and even fewer good options. So, though ProRes is not the only option, and I never said it was, it is one of the best available now, if not the best. And, it’s certainly better than Photo JPEG when working in FCP.
But, feel free to go ahead and keep using Photo JPEG all you want. Just keep in mind, it’s an old codec that’s not a realtime codec in FCP and never has been, and it hasn’t been updated or improved in years.
So, I have no idea why you’re even asking for help since you’re so convinced you’re doing everything right, but good luck to you anyway.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.comPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums. Formerly host of the Apple Final Cut Basics, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.
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