[Neil Patience]

Hi Kyle

if you look in the browser window for your project you can move the columns along and you should see columns for Frame Size, Video Rate and Compressor which will tell you if you are dealing with odd frame rates or codecs etc.

In terms of yes or no with the matching sequence, you have to make sure that your sequence settings match your media or FCP will transcode it. Yours dont match – thats why it is asking you Yes/No

An Easy set up for the correct codec should get you off on the right foot. So HD 1080 (whatever frame rate you work in) ProRes HQ will be what you are looking for.

Hope that helps

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

[Neil Patience]

So presumably you are editing the 29.97 footage into a 23.98 timeline and this is where you then see the strobing ?

I think the issue is the mixed frame rates. What do you need to end up with in terms of format ?

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

[Neil Patience]

Usually this type of error is caused by the file structure not being complete or files being copied from original folders before log and transfer.

You should have a camera folder called “Private” and everything must be intact in that folder otherwise you get the kind of error you describe.

A way around it is to open the .mts files in something like MPEG Streamclip and transcode them to something FCP friendly like ProRes or another appropriate codec.
Those files can then be imported without log and transfer

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

[Neil Patience]

The clue is in the error message – it is telling you that there is a problem with a plug-in.

So I think there is a very good chance it is either Twixtor or Magic Bullet that is not happy.

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

[Neil Patience]

Couple of things that would be worth checking.

Is the recording HDV ? – you can record DVCam and DV on the Z5.

Also there is a down-convert option in the settings.
Make sure its not down-converting.

They are the first 2 things I would check – hope it helps.

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

[Neil Patience]

I keep hearing that the BBC have purchased PPro but I have not seen it anywhere.
That said the BBC is a huge place and my experience is mostly London centric.
Tom says BBC Bristol is Avid and I am pretty sure BBC Glasgow is Avid.

At Broadcasting House in London there are, as far as I know no PPro suites at all. I have worked on many programmes there and they have mostly Avid suites but some FCP suites too. Many rooms can be either.

However the BBC are moving out of London and moving to Salford in Manchester, I have yet to see what they will have there.

It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has seen PPro at the BBC and which part of the BBC they have it.

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

[Neil Patience]

The first time I saw FCP used to any degree was in Bristol at ITV.
They had FCP and Final Touch, as was, with CP100 panels. Getting stuff in and out of FCP to FT in those days was a black art. But I learnt a lot from those guys. It did seem that Bristol was using FCP more than in London at that time but there were way fewer companies down there and to an extent it was becoming a hub for new media companies in the West and SW.
I would still pick Avid as the next thing to learn. You will be more use to more people that way. Don’t try to make it like FCP though. It is different and you will get on much better if you accept that from the start.
(I made the mistake of wanting FCP to be like Avid when I first learnt it)

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

[Neil Patience]

Hi Tom

Have to say agree with David, where you are and what market you are in will, to a degree, inform your decision and shape any advice given. From a UK perspective, Premiere is currently nowhere in London too, I have been freelance for 20 years and have worked in just about every editing environment you can imagine. Never once used Adobe in anger. I work through the longest established broadcast freelance agency in London, they have been going for 25 years, and I just asked them today if they have ever been asked for a Premiere editor – the reply – “We were once a few years ago but other than that never.”
It will be very interesting to see if that changes though, it may well do.

I would advise you try to learn Avid, it is by far the most used system by broadcasters, facility houses and many production companies in London or LA by the sound of it.
Your FCP knowledge is useful though, In London there are still quite a few FCP suites around and most people who have FCP seem to be sticking with it at the moment. I am pretty sure FCPX wont get a serious look in for some time, dont ignore it but keep it on the back burner for now.

Again as an example my agency wont take anyone on who does not know both Avid and FCP, that goes for editors and assistants.

I would download the free Avid demo and have a play with it for a while before buying it though.

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

[Neil Patience]

Hi Lawrence

If you only require a DVD you could try using something like the Nattress plug in.

https://www.nattress.com/Products/standardsconversion/standardsconversion.htm
It works pretty well but it does have some limitations and could be a long render.
I have used it on short clips and odd shots and for that it can be a life saver. Never tried it on anything longform – others may have experience of that.
To be honest the only proper way to do this is by using a hardware standards convertor, certainly if you were supplying something for broadcast, I would be looking at using something like Alchemist PHC

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv

[Neil Patience]

Hi Maggie

So it seems that both the files that you need to create are for DVD use, either BluRay or standard DVD.

Well if your client is going to be making the DVD you have a couple of options. Might be worth asking them if they have a preference.

You could give then a good quality H264 HD Quicktime movie and a similar SD Quicktime movie. They can then encode the files for the DVD to their requirements using your QT files.

Or you could make files ready for use in whatever DVD authoring programme they intend to use.

Compressor 3 has presets for both options. (Not sure about earlier versions) If you look in the settings window inside the Apple folder you should find a DVD folder.
Inside that you will see various options for standard DVD which is MPEG 2 categorised by quality and duration. I would go for best quality.
For BluRay there is an option to create BluRay when you first open Compressor in the template menu, you can also access this from “file” – “new batch from template”
(Dont use the HD DVD settings, this is not the same as BluRay.)

Both of these options will create a Video file and a separate audio file.

These can then be used by a DVD authoring programme to create a DVD.

Just a quick word of warning, I have, in the past, been asked to provide similar files by clients who think that they can just copy the files onto a DVD and it will play.
They get very confused when separate audio and video files arrive and have no real clue what to do with them.

It might be worth a quick check to see if they are happy with Quicktime or want you to encode MPEG2 and H264.

best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv