Problems with Apple ProRes 422

[Jeremy Garchow]

Open one of your converted movies in QuickTime, then hit command-I. Take a screen shot of the window that pops up and post it here.

[Gary Adcock]

[Don McVey] “he download files are compressed H.264. I imported them into FCP and tried to find a suitable timeline.”

Ummm
this is what one uses FCP’s log & transfer for. It allows FCP to properly convert the files to ProRes for you.

By just importing the file, you did not allow FCP to internally handle any issues during the conversion.

gary adcock
Studio37

Post and Production Workflow Consultant
Production and Post Stereographer
Technology Development
Quality Assurance Assistance

Chicago, IL

https://blogs.creativecow.net/24640

[Don Mcvey]

Thanks for your help guys. Here’s a snapshot of the quicktime info after I’ve converted it in Compressor:

Gary – I’m quite new to log and transfer as I’ve mostly edited with tape in the past. I thought you needed to transfer from a card for this to work, like an SxS or SD card? I actually tried to do the log and transfer with the clips I downloaded, but they are just files in a folder. Here’s the message I get when I try:

Thanks for all the great help!!!

[Tom Brooks]

The files are provided on a web site. Not something you could L&T.
They are all 720×432, which is not a standard aspect ratio. I guess I’d use Compressor to convert them to a standard Prores sequence format. Probably in the PAL 720×576 16:9 format, since they are 25fps files.

You will need to copy the Advanced Format Conversions/Apple ProRes for Progressive Material preset in Compressor and customize it to do what you want. Change the audio from Apple Lossless to Linear PCM at 48kHz. Frame Controls ON. Geometry tab, change the output size to 720×576 and the Pixel aspect ratio to PAL CCIR 601 16:9.

This will distort the picture slightly, but it looks like they are squished to begin with, so this won’t hurt.
Once the converted clips are in your bin, you will probably have to manually click on the Anamorphic check box (Select a clip, CTRL-click, Item Properties, Anamorphic, click the check ON.

The conversion should work as 16:9 anamorphic with no rendering required in the timeline.

[Don Mcvey]

Thanks for the great response Tom. I’ll try that and get back with results.

[Don Mcvey]

Thanks Tom. That seemed to work great. Quick question. Why change the audio and what does changing the Fram Controls to ON do? Also is this method better than using the media manager in FCP itself?

Have a few other questions. If I shoot on a Sony EX1, am I best to edit with this format natively or convert it to ProRes. If I do edit natively and want to add some canon 550d H.264 footage to the timeline later, will this be a big problem. Basically, can you edit EX1 native footage and Prores in the same timeline?

Final question. I’m going to back up any raw footage from cards on external drives but what’s the best way to back up the actual FCP project once I start to edit? I don’t need to back up that often, just every few hours or so. Can I just copy the entire project across onto an external drive if I’ve put all media, waveforms, autosaves etc in one project folder?

Sorry for all the basic questions but I’m a cameraman first and only just got my own editing setup.

[Tom Brooks]

Why change the audio.
I guess it may not be strictly necessary, but Apple Lossless is not a standard format for any camera or broadcast specification, so I think it’s wise to convert all of the media to the specs of a format that is known to work in Final Cut’s real-time framework. Not converting would be asking for trouble.

Media Manager vs. Compressor
I feel I have more complete control over the process in Compressor. I believe turning frame controls on results in a better quality transcode in this case. I’d set the resizing to Better.

I don’t really know the EX-1 workflow. It’s a long-GOP format, right? If you can transcode to ProRes during Log & Transfer, by all means do it. Then the 550D footage will mix very well.

If you need to work in a native EX-1 workflow, the ProRes clips from the 550D should also work with it. Just keep an eye on how the clips scale. I’d work with the same frame rate on both. When you’re done, you can change the compressor on the finished sequence to ProRes to reap the full benefits on the 550D footage and any titles and graphics in the timeline. Basically you’d be forcing all your EX-1 clips to render to the higher quality ProRes codec. You won’t gain anything on those clips but you will on the Canon clips and titles/graphics.

Your backup strategy is basically sound. Backup the things you can’t easily replace.

[Don Mcvey]

Great Tom! Really appreciate the advice. I do have one more question that just popped into my head.

If I’m shooting with an EX1 at 1080/25p and also want to do some slow motion at 720/50p, will both those pieces of footage go into the same timeline if I set the timeline to 1080p?

Also will FCP automatically make the 50p clip slow motion if the timeline is set to 25fps?

This stuff really confuses me 🙁

[Jeremy Garchow]

While Tom’s advice is good, I would keep the files letter boxed. I would add padding. That will keep the weird aspect ratio of the files (albeit with letterbox). You can always crop that out at the end.

[Tom Brooks]

The 720p50 footage will probably drop right in and will work to an extent. Final Cut will scale the 720 up to 1080. It will not slow-mo. I believe it drops every other frame to make the p50 play at 25fps. Try it and see how it looks.

To get slo-mo you need to use Compressor to conform the p50 to p25. You use the Retiming pane and set duration to 200%. Can’t think of a better way unless Sony makes their own Frame Rate Converter like Panasonic does. The Fast/Nearest Frame setting should be OK.

BTW, I jump in on things I know about, but I always welcome backup or corrections from guys like Jeremy. His advice to leave the aspect ratio of the clips alone is probably a good rule of thumb to start with. Your call.