Importing QT into FCP

[Greg Ball]

Just import the footage into FCP and drag it to the timeline. FCP will set the sequence for you. Just click yes when it asks.

[Shane Ross]

FCP 5.1 doesn’t do that. Ask to make a sequence match the footage.

Well, FCP also doesn’t do ProRes. That option came about in FCP 6. So you are not going to find sequence settings that match. HDV is the WORSE POSSIBLE choice you could make.

Uncompressed 10-bit would be your best option, for quality sake. But again, you will have to render the footage when you add it. And that has a HIGH data rate, and will require very fast drives to play back.

If I were in your shoes, I’d use DVCPRO HD 1080p with a frame rate to match your footage. The quality won’t be as good (DVCPRO HD is anamorphic…1280×1080 not full 1920×1080…so less horizontal resolution), but it will be 4:2:2 color space and I Frame…opposed to HDVs 4:2:0 (1440×1080) long GOP format.

You will still need to render, although maybe not to just work with it. If you get a green render bar you might be fine. But because you lack the ProRes codec on the system, I wonder if it will appear RED.

What happens if you do that?

Shane
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[Will Brown]

Yea, I tried the direct import. It didn’t work. So I need FCP 6 or higher?. Is that the consensus?
Thanks

[Will Brown]

I get the red bar!

[Shane Ross]

Either that or convert all your ProRes files to DVCPRO HD. or Uncompressed HD if you have fast drives (firewire won’t cut it…talking Fibre or SAS connections.)

Shane
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Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Will Brown]

Thanks Shane,
I’ll try to have them converted. Thanks!
Will

[Greg Ball]

Sorry I didn’t notice the you were on FCP 5.1

[Will Brown]

Shane,
How do I convert them? Can I import them to FCP, render them and then export them via compressor? Would that work? If so, what settings?