[Tom Meegan]

https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/rendering_rt_fcp_4_balis.html

This is a good read if you do much of anything with rendering in FCP. About two thirds of the way down there is a bit about customizing your render options.

Even though the above article was written about FCP 4, it is still good information for the current version.

If after checking that out, you still want to change your actual keyboard short cuts go…

Help > Final Cut Pro User Manual

and then search: customize keyboard

Or if you are adventurous…

Tools > Keyboard Layout > Customize

and start playing around.

Tom

[Tom Meegan]

Hi Stefiny,

Your best bet for matching source material once it is in FCP is probably to use the Color Correcter 3-Way filter (Effects > Video Filters > Color Correction > Color Corrector 3-Way.)

Matching footage is part art and part science

[Tom Meegan]

Make sure the tape is rolling before you hit capture now.

Or change the setting to uncontrollable device and push play on the deck after you hit capture now.

Best wishes,

Tom

[Tom Meegan]

I’ve seen this problem.

My solution has been brute force. I call it, “Capture Now, ask Questions Later.”

This may not be appropriate for your situation, but when I encounter DV tapes with issues like the ones you describe, I use capture now and then duplicate the media on a back up drive. I then hope to never have to capture from those tapes again.

If I’m in a situation where someone down the line is going to use my clips to re-capture from, I build my logged clip for the length of the tape and then monitor the capture. If I encounter difficulty, I break down the size of the clip until it works. Then I document what I’ve learned about the tape for the recapture.

You maybe able to tweak your in points on the problem clips to help FCP not see the time code anomalies and still get the footage you need. If not, capture now is likely your only solution for the clips in question.

I treat “true” time code breaks (ones where the code starts over at 00:00:00:00) as separate tapes for logging purposes. Ex: Reel 001A and Reel 001B. I write a note and stick it in the box.

To deal with your question about what might be going on

[Tom Meegan]

Fix the camera. Or…

Rent a camera while your camera is fixed, if you can’t postpone the interviews.

The possible solutions to a dead pixel on footage will be time intensive

[Tom Meegan]

Adrienne Electronics makes a time code reader with vtr emulations (AEC-Box-2) that will connect to the RS-422 port of a capture card. This will allow you to do a capure now with external time code if you set your device control appropriately.

This is a major work around for you, and may not even work since your camera is unlikely to allow you to jam sync to external time code or have a time code output.

Just thought I’d add this solution for others reading the thread with slightly different requirements.

Tom

[Tom Meegan]

One more short cut.

Option double click the nest in the timeline to open it in the viewer.

Not a dumb question.

Tom

[Tom Meegan]

Use FCP for your intro movie.

Author your dvd-rom content in Director.

Bring the finished intro movie into Director (in whatever format works,) and build your disc that way.

DVD Studio Pro is for building DVD-Video discs, although it does allow you to include DVD-ROM content. Your use of the word “site,” makes it sound like you are creating DVD-ROM content, which is definitely a job for Director.

Within DVD Studio Pro you must designate your disc to be either PAL or NTSC. You can’t do both on one disc. If your audience is going to be watching only on computer screens, PAL and NTSC matters little, and you should stay with Director.

Tom

[Tom Meegan]

Hi Hornbill,

I’m just going to make a few general observations that hopefully, when combined with your experience will get you going in the right direction.

But first several questions. Is your “film footage” actually digital stills, either originally or after scanning?

Does the whole “site” reside on the DVD with the intro movie?

Are you producing the DVD as well, or just delivering the movie to a dvd author?

Are you producing in PAL or NTSC?

Regardless of the answers, a couple facts that might help you make good decisions.

Many people choose to work in DV when creating content which is destined for DVD. It has the advantage of having the same pixel dimenstions, pixel aspect ratio, and picture aspect ratio as the DVD video standard.

It sounds like this might be a good way for you to go.

Here is a little summary of how to start in FCP and a few warning signs for a project like this.

Start FCP.

Choose File > Save As…

Name your project and save it.

Go to Final Cut Pro > Easy Set up…

Choose DV-NTSC or DV-PAL (I am assuming this is a 4×3 project, not a 16×9 project. If it is 16×9 you will need to do some reading about anamorphic, letter boxing, etc and learn about how these things are all mistaken for one another…hopefully your project is 4×3…but if it isn’t choose the option that adds anamorphic.)

Delete the sequence that you have in the new project. Click on it and hit delete.

Hit Command – N to create a new one.

Name it.

You are now ready to import you stills, your music, your VO and your animations. Here are a few tips about the media I do know something about.

Import your stills as they are. Learn about using the motion tab to move them around. When you add them to your sequence they will scale to fit the dimensions of the sequence. They will look less than good in your canvas. Find a way to view on an external device that is similar to what your viewers will be dealing with. If it is a computer screen, read up on Digital Cinema Desktop Preview. It it is a NTSC or PAL monitor find out about FW converters to get this signal to a monitor (preferable) or a tv (better than nothing.)

Create or convert your music and VO at 16 bit 48 khz.

The animations are a sticking point. I’m not knowledgable about how flash works. I also don’t know enough about your project or Director to give you an opinion about what work flow would be better.

Best of luck.

Tom

[Tom Meegan]

I would consider talking to someone like ProMax for this sort of project, unless you have a specialist locally. It will save you money in the long run (and most likely in the short run as well) to hire someone.

Just my take.

Tom