[Michael Brown]

I can only confirm to follow Shane’s advice and use EditReady to convert your footage before importing to fcp7. Go for ProRes Proxy if you’re going to be using multicam angles on an iMac or lesser machine, otherwise fcp won’t handle the file size smoothly and you’ll go bananas.

The stitching mtx files only works with footage from Pro to Semi-Pro cameras, but expect several dropped frames here and there, I have had up to 24 dropped frames frequently, depending on the sd card speed!

Michael Brown

[Michael Brown]

Mark thanks. I was looking for that in QT Pro /, but you’re referring to QT 10, where I found it. Unfortunately no frame rate options and the likes. I found my share of happiness in iShowU where I have lots of options. Thanks mucho, guys!

Michael Brown

[Michael Brown]

Thanks Nick, I’m aware of that, but I’m talking 20hrs + footage covered by 5 to 7 cams that I want to present (to a producer before editing). So it really IS a lot of work. It’s a pain as it is to create the dozens of MCs I need for editing, since I don’t have synced tc in my cameras, and I didn’t regenerate TCs (perhaps I should have, had I known) 😉

Michael Brown

[Michael Brown]

Hi Mark, Shane claims it’s not possible, but I looked at my QT7 options and couldn’t locate a source video option other than the facetime camera (on Yosemite), because what you’re suggesting makes sense. Like a screen shot of a moving picture source, basically. What am I missing?

Michael Brown

[Michael Brown]

Thanks Shane, I was afraid of that. Mark said I could screen record with QT Pro, but I don’t see a video source option in QT7 other than the facetime camera. Is there a short cut to select a window and screen record in QT Pro that I’m overseeing? or am I stuck with the option of videorecording the multiclip off the screen?

Michael Brown

[Michael Brown]

Joe, like I said, there are specialists here who know a lot more about this than I do, but no matter what you think you’re seeing, NEVER EVER delete your original files, no matter what format they’re from. Depending on what original format(s) you converted from (I’d be surprised that your source footage is all .mov’s, but who knows what it was shot on), you’re likely to have anything form .mov to MTS files; now if you first converted to ProRes (straight or LT or HQ or whatever), and you then re-converted to Proxy (from your source footage or from your -mov files? in my case the latter) to discover how much smoother your FCP works, then finish all the editing, fx and coloring you can, and in my opinion stay in multi-clip as long as you can. Once you’re happy with that, reconnect your media to your best quality files (I guess in your case ProRes or ProRes HQ), uncheck all multi-cam options, and believe me, your results are MUCH MUCH BETTER than in proxy. Especially when you realy want to see what you really have, show to someone or export to QT for ex.

But for the sake of your pictures, don’t delete your source media!

Have fun and good luck 😉

Michael Brown

[Michael Brown]

Joe, Shane and Co. are the specialists around here, but I’ve been through your issue in and out, so here are my 2¢ worth:

If my original source is typical Sony .MTS files, use AVCHD encoder to convert my footage to either ProRes LT or (just recently) ProRes Proxy, the latter providing sufficient playback quality for editing but files 1/3 in size, thus gaining lots of storage room and dealing with multicams with no glitches. In the latter case, I then just reconnect my media to the format I want in the end.

If the source is MPEG4, I’ve used compressor, or if it’s GoPro footage Quicktime Pro (7) does an excellent and fast job.

I only use MPEG Streamclip when the files come from DVDs.

I have tried ClipWrap, but ClipWrap doesn’t offer ProRes LT in the menus.

Now that I’m on Yosemite I can use EditReady, works very well.

I have also frequently used Wondershare for some formats, also very good, but NOT the Ultimate version (again no ProRes LT).

But for FC7, ProRes is the way to go and you’ll spend some time converting, but then it’ll leave you alone to edit in peace 😉

Michael Brown

[Michael Brown]

That’s precisely the case, Roger. I purchased the 2-bay ICY BOX Raid enclosure and I’m waiting for the 2 WD disks to arrive, and I’ll check the speeds and keep you posted. At any rate, rezzing down to Proxy 1280×720 really did the trick with only 1 disk! Very smooth working, and the picture so more than good enough for editing 6 or 7 angles, also in 25 fps which makes the big difference.

Michael Brown

[Michael Brown]

Nick, just FYI and to the benefit of other multitrack editors who have financial aspects to consider before going for expensive raid solutions:

I followed your advice on some of the footage, downrezzed it to ProRes Proxy 1280×720, hence creating a new project that I called my Proxy version:

It works very well with up to 7 cams in 9-angles, very smoothly, no bogs or hiccups, RT set to safe and dynamic, all on a single 4TB USB3 external drive! I have the Canvas on full-screen mode above me on a 32″ LG monitor, my tools and TL to my left on the 23″ NEC, and my 9-angle viewer on the right on the 27″ iMac (close and big enough to work comfortably from).

Re-importing the TL to another project and reconnecting is child’s play, and the Proxy footage weighs in at less than a third of the ProRes LTs.

This is a very satisfactory compromise, even if you have to give your Mac the 15 hrs to re-compress the media. It’s worth it.

Nonetheless, I’ll be getting 2 2TB internal drives tomorrow and I’m going to try to rack them up in an ICY BOX 2-bay Raid 0 array – this was my affordable option.

Thanks all for so much helpful advice.

Michael Brown

[Michael Brown]

Nick, just FYI and to the benefit of other multitrack editors who have financial aspects to consider before going for expensive raid solutions:

I followed your advice on some of the footage, downrezzed it to ProRes Proxy 1280×720, hence creating a new project that I called my Proxy version:

It works very well with up to 7 cams in 9-angles, very smoothly, no bogs or hiccups, RT set to safe and dynamic, all on a single 4TB USB3 external drive! I have the Canvas on full-screen mode above me on a 32″ LG monitor, my tools and TL to my left on the 23″ NEC, and my 9-angle viewer on the right on the 27″ iMac (close and big enough to work comfortably from).

Re-importing the TL to another project and reconnecting is child’s play, and the Proxy footage weighs in at less than a third of the ProRes LTs.

This is a very satisfactory compromise, even if you have to give your Mac the 15 hrs to re-compress the media. It’s worth it.

Nonetheless, I’ll be getting 2 2TB internal drives tomorrow and I’m going to try to rack them up in an ICY BOX 2-bay Raid 0 array – this was my affordable option.

Thanks all for so much helpful advice, will keep you posted.

Best from the learner’s corner 😉

Michael Brown