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Final Cut Timecode Please Help!
Hello,
I have just moved over from using Avid to Final Cut Pro and have now started working for the first time in a tapeless environment.
To burn timecode onto a quicktime in Final Cut doesn’t seem to be as simple as it should be.
I had to create a new sequence and put my working sequence into the new sequence so that it acted as though it were all one clip. Then put the timecode onto that so it ran the full length of the film as one continuous timecode.
I then noticed you can’t get the timecode to start at whatever you want it to start at. You have to start it on the hour!!! Terrible!!
I then exported a quicktime and it doesn’t appear on the quicktime.
So how do I get timecode burn in on my exported Quicktimes???
Thanks
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5 Replies
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I just read that you can add timecode using compressor when you make a quicktime, instead of adding timecode in final cut.
Does anyone know if this is true?
If so, which way would you recommend?
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You can do what you want to in FCP, I swear!
In Final Cut, when you right click on the sequence that you’ve nested, and say open in Viewer, click on the Filters tab and you can offset the Timecode by hour and by frames. You can also specify the timecode type.
Alternatively, you can export a reference or self contained movie from FCP, and once in Compressor, whatever format you’re compressing this to, click on the Filters tab, and the bottom of the Video Filter list is Timecode Generator. However, you can’t specify when it starts.
Sounds like what will work best is to do it inside of FCP. You’ve got way more control over it there than in Compressor.
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Thanks Nicole,
It wouldn’t let me. I typed in a specific timecode to start at and all it did was start on the hour that I typed!!!
Also when I exported the quicktime, without using compressor, the time code I added was not burnt in on the final quicktime. It just wasn’t there!!! I could see it in the final cut monitor, but not on the final quicktime!!!
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Have you trashed the preferences? Sounds like FCP is just being dumb. If you put the filter on and exported, there’s no reason for it not to be there.
This is a nice little app that tosses the preferences for you- https://www.digitalrebellion.com/pref_man.htm
Just to idiot check… if you change the timecode start in FCP, did you hit the Tab key to advance to the next changable box? The tab key will often put the changes into the browser window. If you can’t see the changes there, then something fubar’ed. Worked fine on my system last night (PBG4, OS 10.5.6, FCP 6.0.5).
Also, after you paste the timecode filter on your nested sequence, you’re exporting a self-contained file of that sequence, yeah?
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Not sure if I’m missing something in what you’re trying to do, but try going to:
Sequence–>Settings (the sequence must be open and the timeline window selected) –>Timeline Options (tab)
–> and choose your Starting TimecodeYou can make the Starting Timecode whatever you want.
Hope that solves your problem. As Nicole stated, Final Cut allows or a lot of customization, but you have to know how to do it first!!! I can’t imagine they left something sort of basic like that out.
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