Walter Biscardi
Forum Replies Created
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[Timothy Eck] ”
Our understanding of DVCPRO HD is that the files we will be importing will be anamorphic (960×720 rather than 1280×720… and 1280×1080 rather than 1920×1080). Is this correct?”Yes. But for 1080 it will be 1280 x 1080 for NTSC and 1440 x 1080 for PAL.
[Timothy Eck] “If so, we are not sure where to go from there, workflow-wise… Do we work on an anamorphic (960×720) sequence? or a square-pixel sequence (1280×720)? What makes things confusing is we have AJA Kona LHe cards in our Macs… and the stock Final Cut Pro sequence preset for 720p59.94 seems to be anamorphic (960×720), while the AJA preset for 720p59.94 seems to be square pixel (1280×720).”
You simply set up a standard DVCPro HD 720 / 59.94 timeline. Just use the AJA Kona Easy Setup. As DVCPro HD is an anamorphic format, the Kona is setting you up correctly.
[Timothy Eck] “Furthermore, should we create graphic elements for editing these spots in anamorphic (960×720) or square pixel (1280×720)?”
I create the graphics in 1280 x 720 and then squeeze them horizontally for DVCPro HD timelines.
[Timothy Eck] “We will be delivering the final product via Quicktime .MOV files and uploading them to our regional master control.”
Ah, well then this changes things. What you want to do in this case is edit in a ProRes 720p timeline. This is a full raster, square pixel format and you will edit in a full resolution 1280 x 720 timeline. You will need to render your DVCPro HD clips when you’re done, but everything will be in square pixel, full 1280 x 720 frame when you export a quicktime movie.
That will be the easiest for someone who is starting out in HD. I’m not sure if the Log and Transfer Tool can change the clips from DVCPro HD to ProRes yet. I know it does for AVC-Intra codec, but not sure for DVCPro HD.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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[Jason Jenkins] “I don’t know what you are referring to. Can you elaborate?”
Tools > Button List
You can drag any of the buttons down into the Sequence, Viewer, Canvas, Effects, Browser, etc…
Basically the button list is every single shortcut command in FCP. There’s something like 600 of them. You put the button where you want it to live, and when you want to execute the command, you click it. I have commands for Markers, Move to Marker, Nest, Audio Panning, Stereo / Mono, etc…. all sitting in my Sequence.
Here, look at this tutorial I created for more efficient workflow using Tabs. Look at the upper right of my Sequence window. You’ll see a bunch of colored buttons. Those are from the button list and i have them color coded so I can easily distinguish between the various types of buttons.
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/biscardi_walter/tabs/video-tutorial
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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Audio CDs are compressed to get maximum audio level throughout the entire song, same with purchased CDs from a store.
You need to drop the audio as needed for your piece. Louder if it’s stand alone music, quieter if it runs underneath narration or interviews.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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[David Roth Weiss] “Because you can’t use the built-in button list while driving…”
Sure you can, we use them all day long here. That’s why it’s there. So you can load all the buttons you need in your timeline, viewer, canvas, effects window, just about anywhere you need them. I have about 30 commands loaded and ready at all times in my Sequence alone.
So absolutely positively you can use the built-in button list while working.
[David Roth Weiss] “Studying your FCP commands on the go is just as important to safe driving as texting and emailing.”
Why? I couldn’t tell you what all the FCP commands are. The button list is so easy you don’t have to remember. That’s the beauty of it. Why remember 100 commands when you can have them at your fingertip at all times. Click and go.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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[Andree Franks] “Why not use the Build in Button List that comes with FInal Cut? ;)”
precisely.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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[Jeffrey Di Lullo] “. I generally use Colorista or Colorista II when doing any in timeline color work. It costs money and is is worth every penny.”
You can also jump into Color which used to be $25,000 and definitely worth every penny it costs with the Studio package. $0. 🙂
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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[Dawud Ali] “PROBLEM: arise when i imported the only clip with the res
1920 x 1080 H.264when i edit this footage on the time line even in the slightest it requires re-rendering (even thou it’s about 20seconds it freaking takes ages)”
FCP does not edit H.264 natively. Your best bet to avoid re-rendering all the time is to simply convert the footage to DV PAL via Compressor BEFORE editing with it in FCP.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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[john sklba] “I’m editing a program and the audio must “have an average audio level between 4.5 and 5.5 ppm” (which is like -10 thru -12 on the FCP level). Does this mean that the levels should always fall between the range of 4.5 and 5.5 at all times or am I misunderstanding this concept?”
This means that the majority of the show should fall within this range.
You should also have an absolute max and minimum level you are allowed to hit for normal dialogue. FCP is not well suited for audio compression and mixing though. For Broadcast work, we send our work out to a ProTools engineer for audio mixing, although we’ll have a ProTools rig ourselves shortly.
You can also try SoundTrack Pro and see how the mixing tools are in there.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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[paul roubicek] “the footage is 1440×1080 and time line the same”
There is part of your issue. You must have captured your HDV to ProRes using Firewire so it retained the anamorphic 1440×1080 instead of square pixel full raster 1920 x 1080 that ProRes is expecting. ProRes is a full raster codec, so when editing in an anamorphic frame size with ProRes, you can get degredation in your image.
Now if you ONLY looking at your computer screen and you see this break up with camera movement and fast movement in the action, then this is normal. You’re seeing interlace breakup on your progressive screen.
If this project is to be shown on a DVD via a regular television, then you MUST be working on an FCP system with a standard external monitor. This is a must when working with interlaced material as you absolutely can not judge interlaced material via a computer monitor.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
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[Dale Yakaites] “I do some video work in Final Cut and am currently using 4.5HD.
I am cringing at the price for a computer upgrade an am leaning toward an iMac 27″ with 8gb of memory as an upgrade.”You will have to upgrade Final Cut Pro at the same time. 4.5 won’t run on an Intel machine or if it does, it will be very slow.
iMac 27″ is an awesome machine BUT cannot be expanded nor can you use something like an AJA Kona board for output to a broadcast monitor. So if you don’t need a broadcast monitor for finishing your project (though you should have one) then you’re good.
Personally I think the iMac 27″ is the best machine going these days from Apple. Gorgeous screen and definitely powerful enough to run the suite.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.