format for youtube/facebook/vimeo?

[Finnegan]

I'm using final cut pro 6.0.1 (in final cut studio 2) and since I'm relatively new to macs and final cut studio in general, I'm just wondering what format I should be exporting to if they're going to go up onto a website like youtube, or facebook, or vimeo. I have a five minute framing exercise for my film production class and in addition to youtube and other websites of the like, the video will be posted on our class website - so it's got to be pretty small.

I shot the film on an xh-a1 in hdv @ 24F and 16:9 aspect ratio, and I exported it as a quicktime movie (.mov) so in full form it's 1280x720 and 700mb. obviously, that's way too big. I fiddled around exporting it as a few different options under quicktime conversion, and while I did get a smaller file (600mb) it's still way over the top. I'm used to exporting as .wmv in adobe premier where I can make things as small as 50-60mb while keeping at least some of the quality.

at any rate, I'm just wondering if you guys could help me out. what file types should I be exporting to? what size should I be aiming for? I think youtube has a 100mb limit, facebook at 300mb. also I have compressor, but I don't know how to use it yet - gotta break out the manual on that one.

 

[Michael T]

People here use many different encoders with many different settings but YouTube tells you to encode to H264 at 480x360 and audio is 256k if I remember correctly. Some say make flv files but those will still get encoded to flash 7 files by youtube. I have tested a lot in the past but things have changed lately so you should go to youtube and read what their up to at the moment. I believe that they now do so HD with higher settings. The stuff I encoded from was 3.5 min clips at 480x360 and my audio was in the 300k range which will go down to 128k. I came from a uncompressed timeline so my graphics stay clean and sharp. Most of the stuff that I post up is made from stills into slideshows for clients and using uncompressed is the only way to go but makes a large file. Output size of these files are between 5 and 7 gigs. H264 files and around 60 to 70 megs.
These files look great on youtube. For short clips of 5 mim or less I would bite the bullet and make them uncompressed if you have enough graphics to warrant the time hit. If your not useing any than I would just out put To H264 as close to 100megs limit as possible. I did test puting up a much larger file but it didn't look any better after they converted it than the 60 meg file but I came from uncompressed which helps.

Good Luck

 

[bkgarceau]

Yeah Use Compressor. That will help tremendously - a lot of easy presets. I recomend using the AppleTV codec. Files render out at 1280x720. (Side Note I believe the Canon XH-a1 does 1440x1080 (1920x1080 with the rectangle pixels - you may want to check your source footage/sequence settings - I use the A1 a bunch). Anyway the files are small for a HD internet format. Now you can only upload theses m4v files on Vimeo as far as I know. So you may have to come up with another render out format for Youtube/Facebook. Anyway the files are like 110mb for like a 5min video. And Vimeo gives you 500mb a week.

In FCP go to File > Export> Using Compressor

Compressor pops up. You should see the title of your sequence in the top left box with a 'Drag Settings and Destinations Here'

So go the the box below that one, marked Settings and you should see some folders. Click the triangle to open the Apple Folder and then the Apple Devices folder - top one is H.264 for Apple Tv.

Drag the Apple TV option onto the blueish bar above and it will now be a render out method. So for like other export methods you can drag and drop their various encoding methods onto this box and then render them all out at once. So you can leave and go do something.

Now you have to set the Destinations. Its the tab next to settings.
In here you have 2 folders you can use preset ones to go to the desktop or create your own path. Just drag the path up to the bar that is now in your box with your sequence and drop it onto the Source part of the bar. You can rename it in the box next to that. Then just hit submit. You can check your status in the bottom right hand box.

After that it'll render out. And if you getting files that are too big you can change the AppleTV settings to smaller 960x540 and still have some great quality. or even smaller. Once you've dragged the settings into your sequence box click on it and in the Inspector you can change the settings. Just click the Encoder box (2nd one) and go down to Aspect Ratio - click the mechanic wheel to adjust - or the Device box has Apple TV HD and Apple TV SD... so a bunch of options.

We use this stuff in my film classes - Compressor is a great tool and just takes practice. I also recommend adjusting your contrast before you export. Automatically encoding will take some of the pop out of your video (not that most people notice or care - but as an editor - its tough to at images when you begin to notice a slight difference) so just in case, its the 4 box in the Inspector window marked Filters. Right now I just bump the Brightness and Contrast - Contrast between 4 and 9 depending on the video. Again the preview monitor will show you the difference.

Good luck!

 

[Finnegan]

thanks a lot bkgarceau, that's really helpful. I'm rendering out a few different versions at the moment through compressor and hopefully they turn out well. I am getting so sick and tired of uploading low quality versions of films I shot, especially when the films look absolutely gorgeous at their full quality. I'll let you know how it goes.