[Stephen Smith]

Just add markers to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. Then go to File, Send To and then choose Send to Motion. The markers and video will show up in Motion. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

I can only think of two sites that sell stock photos already cut out and neither have food shots. Take a look at some of the new Photoshop features for cutting objects out. They make it real easy, I was blown away at how awesome it is. That will save you a lot of time when cutting out the food yourself. Best of luck.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

I’ve found a good way to do that is to Add Markers to the timeline in FCP and when you send it to Motion the markers go to Motion with the clips. Then you just line the text up to the Markers.
Or you can reveal the audio waves in the Timing Pane to see the audio wave forms. Based on the wave forms shape it should show you where the words will start.
Hope this helps and best of luck.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

Do you want the text to show up when it is being song? Or do you want it to animate like the text is being effected by the volume? You know, like with a meter or something.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

Final Cut Studio can take clips of any format and place them in any timeline. The program will convert the frame rate for you. However, if you want to do the best conversion I would use Compressor. With the small amount of Pal clips I’ve worked with I thought FCS conversion was great. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

Frank, I would use Compressor. Drop your clip into compressor and choose your SD codec. If you need to change the frame rate then take a look at this article: https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/converting_frame_rates_compressor.html
It works great. Best of luck.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

If you create a new 720p project and drag the groups from the 1080 project over into the project pane or timeline of the 720p project motion will re-size the elements.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

Also,
If you are going to zoom in a big distance such as the Whole USA to the city of Boise you will need to use multiple maps. Here is how it works. You have a map of the US. Then a map of Idaho. Then a map of Boise. You take the Idaho map and lay it on top of the USA map. Create a mask around the Idaho map with a feathered edge to blend it into the USA map. Do the same thing with the Boise map. Animate the camera so it zooms from the whole USA to Boise. That will help maintain the quality when you reach the final destination that would have been lost had you just had one map to work with. Hope this makes sense and best of luck.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

I highly recommend you create a business, even if you only do free lance work. If you get sued for a project you did they can come after you. If you have a business they can only come after the assets in the businesses name. So your personal assets are protected. A business licensee in my state is only $15. You can form a company on legalzoom for really cheap. Something to think about.

But yeah, you would want your still to be bigger then 720 x 480. The further you are going to zoom the bigger you would want your image to be.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Stephen Smith]

Brad,
Are you a student and this is a student project?

As for stills, always make it 72dpi. I like to make it a little bigger then the size of the project I’m working on. If I’m going to zoom in a lot then I make it a lot bigger the the size of the project I’m working on. I guess what I’m saying is, for me it is not an exact science. I have a broadcast monitor so if it is not big enough I’ll know real quick. I’ve accidentally brought in super huge pictures and they work great except for the render in FCP time.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials