[Ron Craig]

Yes, Mark, I think this is all about testing. We’ve got 8 weeks before we start shooting so we’ll get a system and plan of action that we’re comfortable with. Thanks again for your help and advice.

Ron

[Ron Craig]

Thanks for the additional guidance. I’m interested in testing out the still camera technique. Can you folks pass along which cameras you use for that? I would expect to shoot about 3-4 frames per second for 20 or 30 minutes. I checked with my local pro rental house and they figured that their cameras could only sustain that frame rate for a few seconds. (They were advising a Nikon…maybe a D30? I’m afraid I don’t remember the camera model they had.)

[Ron Craig]

Thanks Mark. Very interesting. Now I have to figure out if my little Canon point-and-shoot can do this.

Couple of questions: Knowing that every scene is different, do you have a frames-per-second or frames-per-minute setting that is your default, or starting setting?

Also, the optics on my little Canon still camera are decent but are nowhere near the quality of the HD lens we would be using on the HDX 900. Is the resulting difference in image quality compensated for by the larger frame size that I would be shooting (and then reducing in post)?

[Ron Craig]

Thanks Chris. I appreciate the added voice of experience. Looking over the comments I was leaning toward Episode. The need for good Flash compressions is my initial need but I also would like something on the Mac that offers me more choices than Compressor, which I’m using now. I’m a little disappointed in Compressor, having come from some better apps on the PC side, so I guess now I’m looking for Flash and other choices is whatever I buy.

Is Flix so much better at Flash than Episode that you would recommend both for someone in my position? Or should I be able to do well with the Episode Flash compressions — in your opinion.

thanks.

Ron

[Ron Craig]

I appreciate the value of any experienced users’ advice. Why is Episode so much better? My main goal is high quality Flash compression. Does Episode do that as well as/better than Flix? What else does Episode have that makes it so much better?

Thanks.

[Ron Craig]

My understanding is this: It’s easy for FCP to display a still image at very high resolution. The processor just “creates” the image once on the canvas or viewer. However, in order to display a still as an element of a video presentation the processor has to (sort of) recreate that still image 30 (or thereabouts) times per second. In order not to max out the processor, and to keep the video from dropping frames, FCP lowers the resolution on the playback image on your canvas.

Don’t worry. What you see in the canvas is not the resolution at which FCP is actually working. All is well.

[Ron Craig]

Hi Trent,
Yep, I know about the third-party encoders. On2 used to be the best of the bunch at Flash encloding — even when Macromedia was still around. But I’m trying to figure out how to do the Flash export from inside FCP.

[Ron Craig]

That was changed. Use the “Log and Transfer” option. At the top left of the left hand window that appears is a small icon that you click to choose the drive/device that has your media.

Here’s all you need to know, courtesy of Shane Ross:

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/ross_shane/p2fcp6.php

[Ron Craig]

I also don’t have a Flash export option on my latest-and-greatest Final Cut. When I did the installation my intention was to install everything; no restrictions. Might I have done something wrong on that installation?

Also, I did a search online to find the right encoder to add to my system but I didn’t find one that looked right, even at the Adobe site. Can someone point me to the right place?

TIA

[Ron Craig]

My suggestion: Use the Pan & Zoom plugin that is free from Noise Industries. I used it on two projects and I think it does a great job. Just a few minutes to understand the interface and you’ll get what you’re asking for:

https://www.noiseindustries.com/fxfactory/panandzoom/index.html#download

— Ron