Major Problem Opening My Self-Contained Final Cut Pro Movie Files

MikeQuill

MikeQuill

Well-known member
Hey all,

I'm having a bit of a panic attack because I can't open my self-contained Final Cut Pro Movie Files. To this day, whenever I am completely finished with a film (shot on the DVX100a in 24pA), I export a self-contained Final Cut Pro Movie File and then blow away all of the project video files from the Capture Scratch and and Render folders. Once I've deleted my source media, I'm always able to play the self-contained quicktime file with no problem.

However, I'm in the process of cleaning out one of my hard drives, and for several of my self-contained archived files, I am unable to play them in Quicktime Player Pro Version 7.6.4 or Final Cut Pro Version 6.0.5. I right click the file and select open with Quicktime, then Quicktime freaks out for several moments. Then a Quicktime audio file finally opens, but without the associated video. I know that these files used to open and play with no problem, but now it seems the files are currupt.

When I right click and open these self-contained Final Cut Pro Movie Files with FCP, FCP freaks out a bit and finally opens a dialogue box saying: "The movie file "Sequence 1-FIN-0000001" cannot be found. Without this file, the movie cannot play properly."

Is it possible these files can only play properly with older versions of Quicktime of FCP. I'm thinking that maybe I have updated my software since creating these self-contained files.

When I right click these files and "get info" the files show the video dimensions as "720x480" with a codec of "DV/DVCPRO - NTSC, Integer (Big Endian), Timecode." So it's not as if Quicktime thinks it's just an audio file.

Does anyone know what's going on? I know for a fact these were exported with the "make movie self contained" option checked -- they are not reference files.

Thanks,
Mike
 
Those are not self-contained but rather reference video- so um sorry but you're kinda hosed on that one. It's an easy mistake to make unfortuntately.

Personally I don't think making one self-contained video output of a project is going far enough archive-wise, especially with DV which has super low storage requirements. Next time, use the Media Manager to create a trimmed down version of your final cut, with say 3-second handles. This will give you the final project in a still editable format and much smaller size than the original with all the raw media.

Noah
 
Noah: OK, but then what type of file is being created when you go to File > Export > QuickTime movie and check "make movie self-contained?" Can't you then delete all your original project files and still have your export exist?

I thought this was what you're supposed to do to archive your video, and the type of file you make all your compressions from...You're saying this is not the case?

Thanks
 
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That is what is supposed to happen when you MAKE SELF CONTAINED. You get a self contained file that is a stand alone QT. But the error you got, as Noah said, points to a reference QT, NOT self contained. Looks like a simple error...the check might not have taken when you clicked on it.
 
Hey Shane, I'm 100% positive the files in question were exported with MAKE SELF CONTAINED checked. There are several exports that are having this issue, so it wasn't like it was a one-time oversight.

Any other ideas?
 
That behavior really points to reference movies. Trash preferences and re-export? Something got messed up on export.
 
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