Final Cut Pro is adding interlacing to my progressive footage.

[Scott Bush]

I tried doing it in the order you mentioned but it’s not fixing the problem. I’ve gone through all the sequence settings, all the compressor settings, and all the footage settings and the problem is still there.

After you set it to none in the browser you have to remove and then replace it in the timeline. If your edit is long or complex this can be tedious. I’ve been having this problem myself lately – have learned the hard way to check everything before I start editing.

The real question is why is FCP misinterpreting the footage?

[Kevin Murray]

I’ve been trying to figure out this for myself on a show I’ve been working on.

I’ll render 24p footage out of AE to DV50 480p and when brought into FCP or even back into AE, the file is seen as interlaced.

My theory is that, like standard DV, the DVCPro50 codec is not flexible… in other words, cameras use hardware algorithms to “fake” progressive but that interlacing is hardwired into the codec. I haven’t found any workflow that leads to truly non-interlaced DV50.

Anyone out there to comment on this?

Kevin

[Mike Edge]

I’ve been starting to think that exact same thing, Kevin. Although I have no facts/evidence to explain the reason why it’s that way. I’ve tried everything I (or anyone else) could think of in both FCP and AE with no luck.

[Gary Adcock]

WOW

OK guys, there is some disconnect with some of the explanations.

A couple of clarifications.

SD content is always interlaced, it is the format.
SD (US) is always 29.97 so if you shoot 24, pulldown is added to make it fit.
This is the SMPTE specification for SD video content.

True Progressive stays progressive all the time.
PAL and 1080 HD can play as Progressive Segmented Frame( both fields are from the same frame)
NTSC content must play as interlace.

Lastly – why in the frack are you going from 10bit ProRes to 8bit DV50 then to the web?
thats a whole lot of extra processing that is not necessary.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows

Inside look at the IoHD
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php

[Bobby Rangel]

First note that After Effects(CS5.5) and Final Cut Pro do not recognize the metadata for field dominance the same way when creating their respective renders. More importantly, many factors will determine how field order data is written to the file in AE. I’ve discovered that Frame rate(comp settings) and Gamma Correction(codec settings in render output module) will affect this data the most.

To simplify this explanation for fixing the issue I am only referring to AE comps formatted for 1920×1080 square 29.97fps or 30fps only. (Comps set to 24fps or 60fps do not experiences this problem–perhaps someone who knows more about pulldown, drop frame etc can explain why)

NOTE!!! THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR BETWEEN AE AND ADOBE PREMIER!!

THE FIX! – to ensure all AE renders retain the progressive field order(NONE) when imported to FC:

1. Add to Render Queue. Select Output Module preset(highlighted in orange).
2. In Video Output settings click on ‘Format Options’ and change Video Codec to any one of the Apple ProRes codecs…you will notice that ‘Codec Settings’ will now go from being grayed out to white text.
3. Click ‘Codec Settings’ and change GAMMA CORRECTION to NONE

Voila!! Now your rendered file will import to Final Cut with a progressive field dominance(NONE) as it should.

Again, this FIX only pertains to AE comps set up with 1920×1080 square 29.97fps or 30fps settings (HDTV 1080 29.97 preset)
If your workflow is either set up for 24fps, 60fps you will not have to use this fix and can use any Video Codec without Final Cut misinterpreting fields upon import.

Alternatively you can always check the FIELD DOMINANCE for each footage clip upon import to FINAL CUT – which should be part of every editor/compositor workflow when using multiple platforms. AGAIN THIS PROBLEM DOESNT EXISTS WHEN USING AE WITH PREMIERE!

Good Luck!

[June Newberry]

Hi Bobby,

Thanks for the fix. I am creating content in AE (animated illustrations created in AI and PSD with a little bit of video) and when I exported from AE (either animation codec or Apple Pro res 422(HQ)) the footage ended up reading as lower field in FCP. I was then outputting it all from FCP and deinterlacing it that way and bringing it back in which was a real pain.

I did what you suggested and made the codec settings gamma to none and it shows up in FCP as field dominance as none.

You are my hero today- thank you so much!