Exporting a sequence from FCP 5 to After Effects 6.0 for titles (and then back to FCP)??

[Steve Roberts]

There will be recompression going back and forth, since AE always renders, and when it does that it recompresses. So to avoid degradation during that process, export from FCP to AE using a lossless codec such as Quicktime’s Animation. Once you’ve done your AE work, render from AE using the codec of your FCP sequence.

Hope that helps,
Steve

[Tony Kloiber]

There are many ways to do this, here is mine.

Duplicate the timeline in FCP. Name this timeline something like export_open 01. Clear out the clips that aren’t part of the opening (so you have just your opening montage). Click in the timeline window somewhere, anywhere (just not on any given clip) and then export the timeline by choosing File>Export>Quicktime Movie… .
When the dialog box opens select a location for this file. The file will be named for you already.

Now you need to check the settings in the lower left corner of the window.
Setting: Current Settings (I leave this as is, I’ll explain later)
Include: Audio and Video
Makers: (I never use these and I don’t think they show in AE but you can try)
Recompress All Frames – Unchecked
Make Movie Self-Contained – Unchecked

This method assumes that your FCP and AE are running on the same computer.

If you leave the “Settings” set to current settings and have “Make Movie Self-Contained” unchecked you will create a reference file. This file (that you will import into AE) will point to all the original files from your timeline – No new compression.

In AE, import the reference file and drag the reference file onto the make comp icon at the bottom of the project window and now you have a comp that is the right size, format and length, add your titles and render out using the settings that match your comp and this file will drop right into your original timeline on a video layer above the old montage clips and your done.

Rendering out of AE would technically speaking recompress you footage but in most cases this one generation difference won’t be seen. If you really want to avoid any recompression… well I don’t see any way around that unless the FCP timeline is uncompressed.

If you want, in AE you could turn off the reference file layer (in this example it’s called “export_open 01”) and render out using the losses codec and include the alpha channel (this would be just your text). Bring this file into FCP in the original timeline on a video layer above the old montage clips. Render and your done. Of course your rendering in FCP is recompressing the video files but any time you render a fade your recompressing the video files.

Hope this helps.

TonyTony

[Pierre]

Tony and Steve-

Thank you very much! I’m in the process as I type.

Best,

Michael

: )

[Pierre]

Tony, Dave, Steve-

Hmm. Good to know. I have indeed color corrected within FCP so I guess I’ll use animation.
One question though guys… for future reference. I had no problems getting the footage (or reference) from Final Cut to AE, but ran into a snag on the way back out.

Once I’m finished with my titles I go: Composition > Add to Render Que > (and then I get lost)… I just left “Render Settings” at Current Settings and “Output Module” at Lossless.

I hit Render. AE saves a .mov on my desktop (which looks compressed) – but I couldn’t find anything in my original FCP timeline on a video layer above the old montoge of clips?

I must be missing something here guys?

Thank you,

Michael

Also- One more thing. Are better codecs available with other more “professional” programs? If so where can I get them? Someone mentioned AJA or Decklink the other day?
What is used for “full blown” feature film titling (or close to it)…. if I know that these titles are going to be projected on a huge screen and I want them to hold up?

[Pierre]

Perfecto -Thank you very much Dave!

Best,

Michael

[Elnewny]

Good response. Thanks for the help.

Hal N.