[Wes Plate]

You could use an adjustment layer, I’ve done that before when needing to effect several layers at once.

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck

[Wes Plate]

It has been our experience that a sequence that is round-tripped via XML will not be exactly the same when it comes in as it was when it went out. I can’t remember all the cases, they can be obscure, but they were like stereo pair audio becoming A1+A2 audio. There were other things too, but if its working for you that’s great. Just know that there is a possibility of this kind of thing happening.

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck

[Wes Plate]

When you email the FCP project file BE SURE you zip it first. If you don’t the file type information can get lost and then the file becomes unopenable. Another way around it is here (this is from a post I made on Apple’s discussion board)…

This happens to us quite frequently, customers send FCP project files without first Stuffing or zipping them and the files wind up unrecognized by FCP.

FCP HD 4.5 does not have an extension for its project files like FCP 5 does, so you need to fix the file’s File Type. I used to use a free program called Quick Change to change the file type to FCPF and the file creator to KeyG, but making an Applescript droplet proved to be easier in the long run.

Here’s the script, you are free to use it…
https://www.automaticduck.com/products/FCPProjectTypeHelper.app.zip

Here’s how you use it…
https://www.automaticduck.com/products/FCPProjectTypeHelper.mov

I hope that helps you.

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck

[Wes Plate]

You should be able to simply send the FCP project file back and forth. You’ll have to reconnect media each time but otherwise it should work.

The other post about using XML isn’t bad, however round-tripping via XML is not entirely lossless.

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck

[Wes Plate]

You could surely nest the 50fps comp into a 25fps comp then field render the 25fps comp. I’m just saying if it were me I would be sure that the comp I’m rendering matches exactly the end result I’m seeking (frame rate included).

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck

[Wes Plate]

If it were me, I’d have the comp set to 25fps and NOT 50fps. Give that a go.

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck

[Wes Plate]

You can certainly export a QuickTime movie from FCP then import that into AE for color correction in CF. The down-side is that your entire show will appear in AE as one layer. If you used Pro Import AE to get from FCP to AE then each clip would be a separate layer in AE, a real nice thing when you’re color correcting.

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck

[Wes Plate]

I have never had this experience. Currently I my setup is two Dual-2.0 G5s, one with FCP 4.5 the other with 5.0.3. I have an Intuous 3, it controls both computers via a Griffin KVM switch. I’ve never had a problem between Wacom and FCP.

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck

[Wes Plate]

I agree with you about skill level, that’s why my day was an 8-hour day, even though 10-hour days are more the norm.

Back when I worked for a facility there was one rate to work in my suite, and it made sense to me. Whether my suite was being used for offline editing, high-res output, rendering or whatever, the room was occupied and unavailable to anyone else.

There was another place in town that charged one price when the Avid was capturing at low-res and another when high-res media was used. That never made any sense to me.

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck

[Wes Plate]

Me, I wouldn’t charge more. My time is worth the same whether I’m cutting cool HD stuff or lame SD stuff. In fact maybe there should be a “lame” surcharge. Let’s say you invest in an HD FCP room, everyone who uses it should help you pay for it, whether they’re in SD or HD. Are you going to work less-hard on an SD project than on an HD project?

If the rest of your market is SD and you’re the hot-s**t HD boutique, then charge more, not just because you’re HD but because you’re Cool, you’re Better.

But when the SD people come in, they pay the same rate.

It comes down to talent and skill. If you suck then you should sell your gear and move on, but if you’re the stuff then charge for it. The hardware you use really doesn’t factor in so much any more.

— Wes Plate
Automatic Duck