Output from FCP for projection

[Kris A. wotipka]

I think Don summed up the answer pretty well. If it is done through FCP, then it for all practical purposes is a video project. Just because it is made of up stills and there is no moving video it is still a “video” timeline. Compressing it to something like h.264 or any other motion compression codec will make it a bit smaller because of all the redundant frames but it is still video. Also, since it is being directly played out of the computer, 30, 25, 24, 15 fps shouldn’t technically matter. However if you are going to a NTSC DVD, you will need to make sure that your pullup from 23.97 to 29.97 looks good.

kw

kris@wotipka.com
Image maker

[Dorit Grunberger]

Thank you kind sirs. I am wiser through your efforts. 🙂

[Dorit Grunberger]

Good Morning

We’re done with the FCP part and wearily did a quicktime movie and everyone is fat. I know it’s a setting issue, but I’ve never been clear how that works. Even though my timeline is in the correct 720 x 480 when I export, the H.264 codec sees it as 640 – 480. I don’t know why.
So the steps I’m taking now are:
1. Export using Quicktime conversion
2. On the bottom left of the setting page choose Options
3. Choose H.264
4. In the size tab choose Custom then 720 x 480, I also tried 640 x 480
and under Export Size Settings, if I leave the dimensions box on
current, it fills in 640 x 480. If I input Compressor native, it
also fills in 640×480.
5. Bottom line, all of the above settings wind up with fat looking
people…
6. HELP!!!!!

[Dorit Grunberger]

Good Morning

We’re done with the FCP part and wearily did a quicktime movie and everyone is fat. I know it’s a setting issue, but I’ve never been clear how that works. Even though my timeline is in the correct 720 x 480 when I export, the H.264 codec sees it as 640 – 480. I don’t know why.
So the steps I’m taking now are:
1. Export using Quicktime conversion
2. On the bottom left of the setting page choose Options
3. Choose H.264
4. In the size tab choose Custom then 720 x 480, I also tried 640 x 480
and under Export Size Settings, if I leave the dimensions box on
current, it fills in 640 x 480. If I input Compressor native, it
also fills in 640×480.
5. Bottom line, all of the above settings wind up with fat looking
people…
6. HELP!!!!!

[Don Greening]

Are you viewing the final product on your computer monitor or a television? Computer screens use square pixels and televisions/projectors use more rectangular pixels, so if you’re watching a QT export on a computer that’s actually destined for a TV it will indeed not look quite right. I believe that the pixel aspect ratio for DV NTSC is .9:1, which means that the picture is slightly taller than it is wide. For comparison, square pixels have a ratio of 1:1.

Export with a PAR of 720×480. It will look somewhat distorted on a computer screen but will display properly on a projector or television.

– Don

[Dorit Grunberger]

Hi Don

I was looking at the QT movie I generated on the computer monitor and everyone looked wide. I did a H.264 conversion with the following settings:
1. current (it saw current as 640 x 480)
2. Custom and 640 x 480 in the size tab
3. Custom and 720 x 480 in the size tab
4. NTSC 720 x 480 and the result of that was a perfectly well proportioned QT movie on the computer monitor.

Unfortunately, I might not have access to a projector prior to departure (From San Francisco to Portland Oregon, where the event is being held) and would really like to be sure of the correct way of getting the project viewable.

Don, I don’t know what you mean by PAR 720 x 480. Could you please explain? Or what would be best is to tell me exactly how to export it step-by-step in FCP 5.
If you still have patience for this, you’re a prince 😉

[Don Greening]

[dorit grunberger] “Don, I don’t know what you mean by PAR 720 x 480. Could you please explain?”

PAR is an abbreviation for Pixel Aspect Ratio, which refers to the the size or shape of a single pixel.

This is a pretty simple task, Dorit. Simply export your movie using current settings but with the compressor set to H.264. The resulting movie will look a little squashed on a computer monitor but will look fine on your projector screen. This is how it’s supposed to work.

If it was me I’d just export a self-contained DV NTSC movie using current settings and use QT Player to play back the movie on the projector. As a test you can hook up a TV to your laptop using the DVI connector and play your movie back using the TV as a second monitor. If that works and looks good the projector image will look just the same.

As with anything to do with FCP there’s always 3 or 4 ways to do the same thing.

– Don

[Dorit Grunberger]

Thanks again Don

I know this is a simple task and there are different ways to handle it. I’m concerned that the play back will be glitchy if the file is too big (i.e. uncompressed?), but what do I know…
I just got a projector so I’ll check all of it out.

great appreciation,
Dorit

[Dorit Grunberger]

Hi Don
Well, I just tried both the self contained, uncompressed movie and the H264 compression. They both play perfectly on the projector I borrowed. Thanks for your input. I learned a lot of new stuff through it.

[Don Greening]

Great! Glad I could help out. Good luck at the premiere!

– Don