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New here; FCP 7 and a Q? about editing .mov footage that was supplied to me
Hello and quick overview to keep this short:
I am working in FCP 7.03 and usually edit raw MTS shot from a Panasonic HMC150P. I typically use the Panasonic HD preset in that type of work. I want to be sure I configure FCP correctly for this new type of project using files I typically only output. I could use a little bit of coaching so I do this correctly and greatly appreciate any advice that is offered.
I don’t have the raw footage from these edited clips only the H.264, 1920x 1080, millions AAC, 2 channels, 48000 Hz @ 29.97 FPS (from Quicktime inspector panel) files. Our company paid a person in New York to interview several people, this is what they were given in return, and now they would like me to create short sound bites of various topics of their conversations.
So, what is the best way to configure FCP 7x on the outset of this project to avoid issues when I re-output again?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can advise.
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8 Replies
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Hi,
You should ideally Transcode your H264 footage to some flavour of ProRes. Editing H264 native in FCP 7 is problematic if you have more than a handful of clips.
Use MpegStreamclip (it’s free, fast and widely used for this sort of thing) to Transcode your rushes into ProRes. It sounds like ProRes LT should be good enough for what you need to do (short sound byte vignettes)
Hope that helps,
Best,
Sandeep. -
Thank you, I appreciate your reply.
The company has supplied me with the iSkySoft conversion software which has worked well for other requests… however it only gives me an option of Xvid or H.264 when I choose Quicktime to initiate a conversion. So even if I were to convert those clips I have been reading that H.264 is not desirable in FCP, but would Xvid be better then?
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FCP doesn’t edit H.264, nor XVid. The codecs it uses are what you see in the Easy Setup list. And that’s it.
Again…use MPEG STREAMCLIP. It’s free. Don’t use that other software at all, it doesn’t give you what you need.
Or use Compressor and the ProRes 422 preset. It’s free too, and will convert to what you need.
(You edit .MTS files native in FCP? Really?)
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Hi
No Xvid is not the way to go – I think its an MPEG 4 based codec which again is a poor choice for editing.
As Sandeep says, ProRes is the best option and ProRes LT should be fine for H264 files.
Editing in any non frame based codec is going to cause you issues.best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv -
You should avoid Xvid. Like H264 it is a delivery format, and will give you problems during your edit.
I just checked out iskysoft media converter and it doesn’t seem to have a ProRes output setting. It has a generic FCP Mov option but I don’t know what that is as it doesn’t say what codec is being used.
Your best, most reliable option is to use MpegStream clip. It is simple, lets you batch Transcode your files and costs nothing. Download it at https://www.squared5.com
Best,
Sandeep. -
Hi Shane,
I am experimenting now by setting the preset to 422LT@30 & 48K to see if that works.
Yes, and I sense your disbelief… I log and transfer the PRIVATE data folder from a copied version of the files directly off the SD card (from a card reader) taken from the camera, I import the footage into the transfer dialog, choose rough cuts in that and import those into a designated bin and go from there. Why, is that unusual? Works great for me.
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I had Streamclip a few years ago and after converting files they would only run for about 5 seconds or so, so I had doubts when I read that suggestion… giving it a go so appreciate everyone’s help.
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I just hope you back up your SD card. It is so much easier to copy the SD cards to multiple hard drives then
log and transfer from the hard drive.You should really think about using CS6 Premiere or FCP X if you want a very simple workflow.
Correct workflow is extremely essential when editing with tapleless media.
Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Vice President
Chicago Creative Pro Users Group
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