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H264 & Prores Workflow in FCP7
I have a quick question regarding a workflow when editing H264 HD footage from a Canon DSLR. I understand the best way to edit is to Log & Transfer (using Canon Plugin) and transcode to a ProRes timeline. After editing, I want to export direct from the timeline to Compressor for SD (DVD Mpeg2) or HD (BluRay).
Question is: Will I loose quality of the original H264 footage by following this process, or should I use the Media Manager to re-ingest the original H264 source files into the edited sequence (not sure exactly how to do this anyway) before exporting direct to compressor for the DVD or BluRay encode??
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2 Replies
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There is no added value in re-linking your H.264 files to your sequence. In fact, I don’t think anyone would recommend that at all. Plus, H.264 is really more of a deliverable than editing format – and you’ll find that it’s unwieldy to cut with that in FCP.
Once you’ve transcoded the H.264 files from your CF/SD cards, you could just work with the ProRes footage like you’re working with any other HD formats and go through the usual Compressor > desired deliverable format. For that step, I would recommend exporting a Quicktime .mov to encode in Compressor, rather than sending straight through – faster and also frees up your machine for more edits.
Kai
FCP Editor / Producer with Intuitive Films
https://kai-fcp-editor.blogspot.com
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NEVER edit h264 files. Doing so is like asking to have kidney stones.
**Hindsight is always 1080p**
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