[Glenn Camhi]

Thanks for your reply, Brian.

Here’s a weirder thing: the VFX place that was sending me the image sequence tried it again adding an alpha channel, and that solved it. Which is bizarre, because it has worked before with other image sequences they’ve sent without an alpha. So I suspect something else was different too, but I have no time to investigate further, it’s solved.

Just as an aside about the codec: all my source footage is 12-bit ProRes 4444, which is how it was originally captured (on an ARRI Alexa). Even though ProRes 422 (HQ) looks great and I agree that you’d be hard pressed to distinguish the difference a lot of the time, we’re about to color grade and it’s of course always best to start with the most information possible, to minimize degradation. Moreover, this will primarily be seen digitally projected on large screens, so I want to maintain the highest possible image quality through the post process.

[Glenn Camhi]

Another late post, but it makes more sense than starting a new parallel thread.

After reading everything on the topic I could find here on CC, I could still use some expert advice on choosing an I/O card.

I’m seeking the most cost-effective card that will solely be used for outputting HD footage to an FSI reference monitor for color correcting in Color. No capturing, etc.

System is a Mac Pro (2009). Footage is 1920×1080 24p, ProRes 4444 (shot on an ARRI Alexa). FWIW, we’re not looking for 2k workflow flexibility, though if two cards are very close in price and just one can handle it, there’s a chance we’d go with that one.

Thanks!

[Glenn Camhi]

Thanks very much, Rafael. Codec is ProRes 422 (HQ), and “Render 10-Bit material in high-precision YUV” is set. I can try “Render all YUV material in high-precision YUV,” but since the crop did the trick for now, I’ll experiment later and report back. I appreciate the help.

[Glenn Camhi]

[Rafael Amador] “That happens because the Multiply mode doesn’t works like you think.
Your method will works only when the picture you overlay is B&W (Gray scale): Only Luma.”

I am working with a grayscale image. Sorry, I didn’t mean “dark” to imply color… I didn’t think to specify since I assumed B&W was a given. I’ve long worked with Multiply (and other blending modes) in PS, not as much in FCP.

[Glenn Camhi]

Thank you very much, Adam. That did it.

[Glenn Camhi]

[Jerry Hofmann] “Having open sequences that contain a lot of edits can bring your computer to it’s knees. The more sequences you keep the worse this gets too.

[…]

One thing you shouldn’t do is keep copy upon copy of your sequences. Backup your project files instead. Having a lot of clips usually isn’t what makes the project file so large, it’s piles of sequences, […]”

Thank you for this, Jerry. You just solved a vexing problem. Closed all the open sequences, and finally rendering a complex project without a hitch.

[Glenn Camhi]

One last observation: If you export an image sequence via “Using QuickTime conversion,” the image quality is pretty much identical to the original timeline. More so than using the “QuickTime Movie” export option, and much more so than using the “Using QuickTime conversion” option to export a QuickTime movie.

So… is there any way to export a QuickTime movie (with the same settings as the original), and not have the image altered? At least with the ProRes 4444 codec, which is what I’m testing?

[Glenn Camhi]

Just to clarify: in my earlier post when I said “lay it over the original,” I meant sync the clips up in different tracks, then turn one track on and off (and render).

[Glenn Camhi]

I opened it in QuickTime Pro (aka 7) and changed the aperture to “encoded pixels” and saved it, but it didn’t have any impact — still opens in QuickTime X cropped. I tried “production” as well, which is what I’d been using for this in QT7, but that didn’t have any impact on the file in QT X either. I didn’t see any way in QT X to change the aperture. Am I missing it?

Thanks again!

[Glenn Camhi]

Thanks, I’ll try that.

Though FWIW, in my tests, while Export>>Quicktime Movie using “current settings” is close, it’s not identical to the timeline. If you bring the clip back into FCP and lay it over the original, then zoom in to 800% in the Canvas, you can see that the exported clip has added a little color noise.