Faster Time code generation

[Bret Williams]

I’m a little confused by the “add qt to the sequence” comment. Are you trying to add qt to a file and then export it from the sequence? No need. In fact, I’m not sure how you would do that.

If you have a clip that has no TC (starts at 00:00:00:00) you can simply highlight it in the bin and choose the menu item modify>timecode. You’ll get a warning that modifying the tc is going to change the ACTUAL clip on the drive. But hey, that’s what you want. Change the starting tc to whatever you need. It’s instantaneous.

BTW – video folks don’t say “bounce” – I guess we say export, composite, or render. But no need for that in this situation. Just change the tc. You might even be able to do this in QT Pro.

[Steven Gonzales]

I think he is adding visual burn-in timecode onto the image.

[Guillermo Silberstein]

thats right.. bounce is for audio folks 🙂

i think i forgot to mentioned that i need visible TC on the video. is that what you where refering?

the process for me is to import the QT/video file into FCP (or drag it in) then add the time code effect.

the clips start at 2 seconds before one hour.. so i have to offset the timcode generator to start at 59:58.

then i do export using qucktime conversion (that way it works with pro tools!. )

i tried selecting the clip and going to modify timecode but there is no visible timcode.

[Guillermo Silberstein]

yep visual

[John Pale]

Here’s an idea.
Sounds like you always have the same timecode.

Render out the timecode filter once, then export this clip as a self contained Quicktime movie.

In the future, just superimpose this over your clip, then crop it in the motion tab.
Motion tab effects usually render much faster filters and plugins.

Also, you may wish to use the DV codec instead of H.264, as it is much less processor intensive. Not sure what audio system you are using, but using the DV codec is quite common in ProTools.

As you have discovered, you should also be in a timeline that matches the codec of the video clip. I don’t think there is a preset for H264, as its not really an editing codec.

[Guillermo Silberstein]

very interesting!

and just to be clearer..

so we get the QTs in h264 with linear pcm audio (non compress) from production/ editors in another place so we get DVDs with the QT and the OMF.

for the QT i have to add visiible time code AND compress the audio (AAC) in FCP to then export it digidelivery to other countries and for close captioning.

then i have to make a mjpeg A/ with AIFF audio, for us to work with. i do this with quicktime pro by converting what came out of FCP.

how do i render just the visible timecode once? you mean on one of the movies i get or from a blank clip? if so , how do i make a blank clip or better yet, how do i export a time code clip only?

then, how do i super impose that clip on top of the QT i have to add visible time code?

and where can i find out more about motion tab stuff ?

[Bret Williams]

I wouldn’t have guessed in a million years you were talking about visual TC. They need to send you something other than h.264. You can’t effectively use that in FCP. TC generator is a fully real time effect, so if you were using a different codec, that supports real time, then you could at least render in rt or faster.

Does ProTools not display the actual tc of the clip? If so, just use my previously mentioned method. Although I’m not sure h.264 supports that either.

[Guillermo Silberstein]

yes, they need to do things differently.. sadly… we have bitch and moaned but we they have not changed anything for some reason or another.

so we get h264/ pcm audio.

pro tools doent generate visual time code of the clip. the visual time code is also to sync the clip with pro tools, that way we know that there is no syncing issues.
but the most important reason is for translations and close captioning which need TC on screen.

[Mark Maness]

Hey bud…

If I were you I would still talk with the video guys. If you can’t get anywhere… just go up the chain of command until someone will listen to you. Because, you have to waste so much time just doing what the video guys could have easily done for you.

_______________________________

Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com

[David Bogie]

Those video guys are spending a lot of time encoding to h.264. And they don’t even need to. You get the file and have to waste the same amount of time to un-encode it back to a format that you can use. H.264 is s distribution format, not an editing format.

These things were so much easier in the olden days when everyone used film.

Hope you get it figured out.

On the t/c render question:
All you need to do is apply the t/c filter to anything, ay a black slug, maybe not even that, and render it over a transparent background so you only see the numbers in a box (or the numbers only). Use a codec that supports alpha like Animation. Bringing that movie file back in and placing it on top of the video track will process much faster.

Still faster, render yellow or white t/c characters out over black. Import the movie and use the Screen blend mode. It requires no processing of the alpha channel but it might not be as crystal sharp as you want.

bogiesan

This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”