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I’ve got a BIG problem….
Hey guys,
So I’ve been working day in and day out for months on this highlight video of my favorite mma fighter. It certainly is epic, and I intend to submit it as part of my portfolio for Film School by December.
HOWEVER
I just learned that the online service that I must use to submit it to the school only allows videos UP TO 60 MB each…
This is a big problem, not only because my video is pretty long (it will be around 20 minutes), BUT the sequence settings have been set on Apple ProRes 422. All of my footage has therefor been converted to ProRes 422 as well — AKA, the file sizes are HUGE. We’re talking like 2.5 gigs for converted youtube clips that are only a couple minutes long.
My question is, WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?? I feel it’s much too late to turn back and re-convert all my footage to a more efficient codec…is it possible to publish the movie and then convert the entire movie into another format (and if so, what should I convert it to??)
I can always split the whole video up and upload it in sections, but I dont want to do this too many times. I’m guessing that when I publish this video using ProRes, its going to be like 60 gigs or something rediculous, but I’m not sure.
Also, I have a program that came with my FCP studio called Compressor…havent touched it yet, but would it be of any use to me for this issue?
Please, if anybody has any tips or suggestions, let me know! I’m desperate here!
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7 Replies
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The editing codec is not a problem. You always want to edit in the highest resolution possible.
You’re just going to have to play and tweak in Compressor to get the final file size down. We have to deal with this all the time, as does anyone who has to post to the web.
Send your video to Compressor and then….
Reduce the frame size.
Reduce the frame rate.
Reduce the audio settings (like dropping down to 22khz)
Add more compression
and so on, keep repeating until you have the highest quality and the proper file size. 20 minutes down to 60MB is going to be HEAVILY compressed.
I would consider shortening the video if there’s no reason for it to be 20 minutes.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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Do you not know that you always work in full or native resolution, and then COMPRESS the final file to a viewable format? Was this not mentioned? You don’t work in the smaller sizes, rather you work in a supported editing codec, then compress that for whatever purpose you need. DVD, Web, YouTube.
Export a self contained QT file, using sequence settings. Take that into Compressor. Use one of the QT 7 presets…try the LAN one first, see if it is too big. If so, use the next one down.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Hi Kyle. I second the advice given to you by Walter and Shane. I’ve produced a number of videos for the web that started out as large ProRes files, but even after lots of compression they ended up much larger than 60MB. Here’s a VERY rough rule of thumb, based on my experience. A 640×360 video at 30 fps runs about 4MB/minute in Flash and 10MB/minute in H.264 Quicktime (the latter encoded in Compressor). So, getting your 60 minute video within a maximum of 60MB means a very small display size and/or a low frame rate.
My advice is to reduce the length of the video substantially. Otherwise, you’re going to be driving yourself crazy meeting the size limitation, and the quality of the video image is going to be very unsatisfactory to you. I’m sorry that that’s not what you wanted to hear–especially after having spent months working on the project–but I think you’ll ultimately be glad you did. The work you’ve done isn’t wasted. Just think of your short version as being a trailer for the full one, showing only the best content and in the most concise way.
Good luck!
Jim
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The advice you have already been given is good. Just one other thing.
[Kyle Cox] “I intend to submit it as part of my portfolio for Film School”
[Kyle Cox] “converted youtube clips”
You may want to think twice before submitting something that is full of stolen youtube footage. It might reflect poorly upon you unless you have obtained the proper copyright permissions and note them properly in the credits.
**Hindsight is always 1080p**
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60 MB, 20 minutes. That’s 3MB/minute or 24 mbit/minute which is 0.4mbps or 400 kbps. About 300kbps for video, let’s say. Doable but not pretty.
Are you sure no limits were placed on the overall length of the project? If not, you will have to explain why it looks less than stellar (besides containing YouTube clips) or, as suggested, cut it down. Did anyone at school suggest what codec to deliver?
Anyways, in order to do it you’ll need something to compress it with. May I suggest MPEG Streamclip (MPS).
Open your movie in MPS, and select file -> export to MPEG4. Compression will already be set to H.264 .
Check the “Limit Data Rate” box to 256 Kbps (strictly speaking it should be “kbps” since “kilo” is indicated by a lowercase k, but since the uppercase K means Kelvin, I’m pretty sure he means “kilo”).
Sound: mono, 24 kHz and 64 kbps.
If you have any interlaced video, now would be the time to deinterlace it, but ProRes is progressive so that’s not a problem here.
Make MP4. This will be a slow process.
Check the quality. If the quality really isn’t good, there’s 2 parameters you can adjust: frame size and frame rate. Drop frame size by 50% (in both dimensions – MPS doesn’t have a “keep proportional” checkbox).
Make MP4. This will be a slow process.
Hope this helps, or at least fails to confuse further.
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[Martin Curtis] “but ProRes is progressive so that’s not a problem here.”
No, that’s not correct at all. ProRes is just a codec.
You can have interlaced ProRes (SD, 1080i, etc.) and you can have progressive ProRes (720p)
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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Might I also suggest exporting a small portion of the film – say a minute long, to test compression on, until you figure out what settings you’re going to use? That way you’re not compressing all 20 minutes worth to 400kbps, just to decide that nope, I shouldn’t have gone 1920X1080 – maybe I’ll do something at 640X360 instead, and have to re-compress the entire video. The 300kbps setting is probably where you’ll want to start, which leaves room for audio. Or if you can upload in pieces, I would cut it in half and go up to 600kbps at 640X360.
Let us know what you end up with, and good luck!
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