[Martin Nelson]

[Stephen Smith] ” Yes you can change the Motion Templates Font and color to a matte or whatever, if you save the new Motion Template as the same name as the old one so it replaces the old template”

OK, so I put that to the test, Stephen. We’re doing the Title line in all caps, all the same height. I had been doing it by filling it in with the caps lock on, but, since I think sooner or later someone will decide they don’t like that look (I don’t like that look, but I’m not the decider), I figured I would take advantage of the All Caps button in the Text Format palette. I opened the project, highlighted the appropriate text in the appropriate group, clicked the button, and set All Caps Size to 100. I previewed and it looked exactly as I intended.

I then Saved as Template and pasted the exact name of the previous version. It did, as promised, replace the previous version, but now the text in the Title line is huge, fully twice the size it was before. The Text Size in the Control panel claims it is the same size it was before (which is 6 points smaller than the Name line).

Here’s a clue though: the Name line is in 70 pt and the Title line is in 64 pt. These seem huge to me, as far as point sizes go and, prior to now, they’ve appeared much smaller. I’ve started another thread (https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/170/866538) on the font size issue as it seemed off this topic, but now it’s all tying in together.

Sorry these postings are so long; not sure how to be clear and any more concise.

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20

[Martin Nelson]

[Andy Neil] “When you create your Template, you should be working in a full raster HD Preset. 1920×1080, square pixels, at whatever framerate you need (29.97, 23.98, etc.) If you build your Motion project with those settings, you should be fine in FCP.”

That did it, Andy, thanks so much.

I’ve got a new question on this issue, but I’ll start a new thread. Sure hope you and Stephen haven’t called it quits for the weekend.

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20

[Martin Nelson]

Thanks Stephen, that’s a great piece of news.

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20

[Martin Nelson]

Ah man, Stephen, that was great. Showed me just what I needed, thanks.

So here’s the bonus question. Using this perfect little template I’ve made with your guidance, I cut 8 million (or so it seems) thirds into my show. Then, three weeks from now, my producer decides she really likes blue instead of red and Futura instead of Helvetica. Can I open the Motion project from which the template came, change red to blue and Helvetica to Futura and save it as a template with the exact same name as the previous one —replacing the old template— and go back into fcp and relink? Will that work?

That would be cool,

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20

[Martin Nelson]

[Andy Neil] “Build the L3s as an HD Motion Template that can be accessed in FCP. Add all your CGs and render for screener. Presumably you are working in an anamorphic DV sequence (if you’re ending up in 16×9 HD), so the L3s will automatically size down”

Yep, that all makes a huge amount of sense, Andy. And I’ve now built a happy little L3 template with your advice and the help of Stephen Smith’s tutorial. But here’s what throws me: as far as I can tell, none of the HD Pixel Aspect Ratios in Motion deliver 16×9 (16/9=1.778, but 960/720=1.333, 1440/1080=1.333 and 1280/1080=1.185). And, in addition to Pixel Aspect Ratio, there’s also settings for width and height. Doesn’t Pixel Aspect Ratio establish size? When I bring any of these in to my anamorphic DV sequence, they don’t fill the screen properly.

My brain hurts,

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20

[Martin Nelson]

Thanks Andy. Ah man, the amount of time I’ve wasted in FCP on thirds.

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20

[Martin Nelson]

[Andy Neil] “really, you should think about losing a few) :-)”

You have no idea, Andy. The client (which is to say the producer’s client) wants a third to show up every time someone appears on screen, even if the last time was only seconds ago. And there are an endless number of characters, some of which require three lines of text despite being on screen for only a few seconds.

This is one of those unfortunate shows being built for the funder rather than the audience.

[Andy Neil] “Build the L3s as an HD Motion Template that can be accessed in FCP. Add all your CGs and render”

Do you suggest I just do one name in Motion and then edit the text in FCP?

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20

[Martin Nelson]

[Michael Gissing] “I once recorded narration into FCP using the Log & Capture (uncontrolled device) and i had no problem monitoring.”

Yeah, I couldn’t manage to find a way to monitor audio that way either.

[Michael Gissing] “Not sure how you have your monitoring setup.”

I typically monitor audio through the Built-in Line Output running to analog speakers. For narration, the app, wisely mutes the speakers to avoid feedback. I would like to monitor the narration through headphones, but perhaps I need more equipment than I have to do so. I’m having a hard time getting a clear answer. The Headphones Volume control in the VO tool would make me think there’s a way to do it.

[Michael Gissing] “There is also the option of using Sound Track pro to record narration, especially if you wanted to record to picture.”

I’m really just trying to collect the scratch narration first and then cut it in. I often grab a line quickly and move on so I’d prefer (if possible) to do it without leaving FCP.

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20

[Martin Nelson]

Sorry, I swear, I’m looking in the online manual first.

How do I monitor though? I’ve got headphones plugged into my Mac’s headphone jack and I’ve got the Headphones Volume control on the VO tool all the way up, but nothing comes through my cans. I hear the countdown beeps through my speakers, then nothing. If I switch the Output setting in my System Settings from Line Out to Headphones I hear the countdown beeps through my headphones and then nothing when it starts recording. Levels read on the mic fine and the audio is recorded when I check it after.

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20

[Martin Nelson]

Thanks for the workaround, guys

Martin

2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20