[Colin Mcquillan]

Duplicate the video track and place on top of the original.
****shortcut: SHIFT+ALT and drag source clip to layer above

Add a circle mask to the upper video clip.
(Effects-> Video Filters -> Matte -> Mask Shape)
change shape to an oval, set the centre point and adjust the oval to cover the face you want to blur.
Now add a Gaussian Blur effect to the upper video track and adjust the blur strength to your liking.

If the head/object is moving, you will need to key frame the centre parameter of the mask to follow the face. Best way to do this is set a centre parameter key frame on the first frame, then again on the last. Then set one in the middle, then in the middle of each of those, repeat as many times as necessary. Right click on the keyframe points in the canvas and set to “Ease in/out.”

Add a Mask Feather to the clip as-well (found in the same place as the Mask Shape)
Also, it will difficult to see what you are doing to the top layer, as it is the same video displaying beneath it, so while you are playing with the mask, change the lower clip’s opacity to say 50% so you will better see what you are doing to the top layer, and once done bring it back up to 100%.

Masking things like this are far better done in Motion or AE, especially if there is any movement. But this method is quick and easy, and uses all free effects that ship with FCP.

Colin McQuillan
Van BC
Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe, JVC DT-V24L1UA, Mackie 1202-VLZ3, KRK Rokit5’s….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….

[Colin Mcquillan]

You should try to always convert to .mov’s that match your sequence settings before bringing them into FCP. Even though, if you have the correct codecs installed that match the one that the avi was created with, it can play as is in FCP.

If you can’t watch the .avi’s in QT player, then you don’t have the right codecs installed on your computer.
Find out what program/codec was used to create the files.

Colin McQuillan
Van BC
Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe, JVC DT-V24L1UA, Mackie 1202-VLZ3, KRK Rokit5’s….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….

[Colin Mcquillan]

HAHA [Ed Dooley] ” It didn’t stop them from ads showing a MBP hooked up to the MXO either. (Insert grumble here)”

Yeah I bought one…. after waiting over a month for an update that wold make it work on my nvidia MBP, i sent it back. And I’m glad i did…

The mxo2 on the otherhand does look nice!

Colin McQuillan
Van BC
Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe, JVC DT-V24L1UA, Mackie 1202-VLZ3, KRK Rokit5’s….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….

[Colin Mcquillan]

…………

[Colin Mcquillan]

Would installing an eSata controller card in the second suite work? Once the project is ready to go, walk the eSata raid into the second suite, plug it in and away you go.

If you don’t want to walk the RAID over, again with a second eSata controller card, get an eSata drive, like a D2 Quadra, or WD MyBook, and use that as a jump drive between the 2 suite. The faster eSata connection will save you a tonne of time over USB or FW.

Colin McQuillan
Van BC
Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe, JVC DT-V24L1UA, Mackie 1202-VLZ3, KRK Rokit5’s….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….

[Colin Mcquillan]

Wow,
Well, that definitely trumps the Horita I was looking at! ’bout the same ballpark price for so much more!

Very nice,
Cheers!

Colin McQuillan
Van BC
Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe, JVC DT-V24L1UA, Mackie 1202-VLZ3, KRK Rokit5’s….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….

[Colin Mcquillan]

I just got one last week. Have mainly been editing HD the passed few days and bang for buck this thing is great. I have run SD through it, and for an HD Monitor it does a great job up-scaling, far better than the average consumer HDTV. You will notice some softening of fine lines, but it is not the ugly blocking you’ll see on a consumer set, more like a slightly feathered edge. It also has a 1:1 Pixel button on the front that you can push to see the finer detail. It does however show SD in full frame (Beyond action safe). When shown full screen there is a selectable safe zone overlay, but not when in 1:1 mode. I keep a consumer CRT on my desk as reference in addition to this monitor.

Colin McQuillan

Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….

[Colin Mcquillan]

[Devin Crane] “digibeta is better but in end your broadcast is going to be compressed and your resolution limited to 300 anyways”

Yes Devin, perhaps true

But I’d know, and that would make it hard for me to sleep at night.

In my opinion, the show needs to look as good as humanly possible in my NLE long before broadcast when the guy with the checkbook is sitting beside me signing off on it! I’d prefer not be explaining compression and 300 lines, how once to air it will all smooth out and so on!

Colin McQuillan

Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….

[Colin Mcquillan]

[Michael Sacci] “Sometimes trying to safe a few bucks in production ends up costing you more in post.”
I hear you there.

As my gut said when they first mentioned this, I’ll definitely be advising they stick to one format.

Thanks guys,

Colin McQuillan

Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….

[Colin Mcquillan]

My old CRT I’m sure is just about to fold over,, might be a nice economical replacement!

However, a little more than half my work is still SD. Anyone know how well this monitor displays SD?

Colin McQuillan
Vancouver BC

Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….