Simon Hustings
Forum Replies Created
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Or use Graeme Natress’ Standards Converter.
It’s an FCP plugin, which does an excellent job converting from either PAL or NTSC. I have done tests with both this plugin and using Compressor’s Advanced Format Conversion.
Compressor was a little faster in the rendering, when using the standard settings, but Graeme’s plugin, in my opinion, looked better.
On the other hand, Compressor can give a better result than Graeme’s plugin if you set all the parameters to their highest settings, but your render could take about 40 times longer. -
Hey Bob,
Check out the crop option on the Motion tab of the clip. It allows you to crop any of the four sides of the clip. Have a play with the parameters and you should get the answer you need.
Simon. -
Yeah it’s all to do with the shooting of the footage.
Simply enough, lock the camera off on the tripod so it’s nice and steady, then just shoot the respective scenes; one clip, with the action to the left of centre, the other to the right of centre. Just make sure you don’t move the camera, lights, props etc between takes. That way when you bring it into FCP, the background is exactly the same and static in both shots, then and all you have to do as discussed before, is to crop the two images together and apply the time change. The BG should match perfectly between the two shots. Just consider what is going on within the shot, make sure the action stays on it’s respective side of the centre otherwise you might lose some of the action when you crop them together.
If you want anything more intricate than that, you may be looking more at shooting on a green screen then comping it together. -
Field dominance for PAL DV should be set as default on the timeline as Lower Field. FCP may be altering this to match the first clip you lay down on the timeline.
I’ve never had to alter this myself within FCP so wouldn’t like to comment on whether adding a filter or changing the field order is better, but if you bring in the footage again from MpegStreamclip as interlaced, then you shouldn’t have any problems or need to apply any filters.
Streamclip does a great job of converting to DV, but as with any conversion, there is only so much you can do considering how compressed your original footage is! -
Hi Leah,
Can you expand a little on this? Are you talking about merging two separate clips on the timeline so they be managed as one clip, or are you talking about taking two separate clips and being able to view a portion of each one at the same time? (Like a split screen effect?)
The latter option is doable from the Motion Tab by changing the crop and basic motion parameters of the respective clips.The speed option will allow you take one of the two clips and reverse it.
Thanks
Simon -
Rafal,
The easiest way would be to rip the video from Mpeg Streamclip again and export it with the deinterlace video option left unchecked.
Then you should be able to bring it into FCP without any need to render. What is your final delivery format for this project? If it’s for web then you don’t have to worry about interlacing, but if the output is to tape or DVD, then just follow the steps above.
There is also the issue to consider that if you are ripping from a DVD and upscaling to DV PAL then editing and then compressing to Mpeg2 again, there will be a noticeable difference in quality compared to the footage that started out at DVPAL48Khz. Do you have access to the original footage to work with?
Cheers,
Simon -
The shortcut for matchframe is the F key. Just position the playhead over the appropriate clip on the timeline first.
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Hey Sean,
What is your intended delivery format? 16×9 HD? If that’s the case, the camcorder footage (which I’m assuming is DV NTSC or PAL) and the flash footage which is going to be about 320×240 aren’t going to look too good if you are upscaling them to HD. Too add more quality loss, if the camcorder footage and flash footage are both 4×3 and the sequence you are adding them too are 16×9, then you will either have to scale up the footage to lose the pillar box effect down the sides of the footage, or arc it, which again is going to affect the quality of the pictures.
What QT format did you convert the camcorder and flash footage to?
Again it all depends on your final delivery format.
Can you give a little more information on the formats you have used, the QT conversion and the hardware/software you are using?
Cheers
Simon -
Oh yeah and I forgot to mention: the training menu option top right of the COW site. There’s a DVD tutorial in there by a chap called Shane Ross. He’s one of the FCP Forum Leaders.
And there is always the Apple Pro Training Series books from Peachpit Press. -
http://www.lynda.com has a good section on Setting up FCP. It’s great resource. It costs $25 a month to watch as many videos on as many subjects as you like. I’d have a look there.
Was there any specific part of setting up FCP that was giving you trouble?
Cheers,
Simon