Need help with 720p 24fps FCP project

T

Trigonis

Member
Hello, this is my first posting and here are my first few questions: I just bought a brand new Mac Pro with two dual-core Intel processors and I have the latest version of Final Cut Studio package. My footage was shot on an HVX200 at DVCPRO HD 720pn 24fps. When I inport the footage into FCP the files get converted to .mov. While cutting some footage I noticed that I get prompted for rendering everytime I make a change. I also get the wrong aspect ratio when I export the project to a .mov file. The image looks looks squashed. What should my setting be in the Audio/Video settings and also Sequence settings. Any suggestions regarding the twiking of the time code to reflect 24p and not 60p?

I'm very new to this editing workflow and I would appreciate any advice, especially regarding the workflow that I need to follow for my footage (DVCPRO HD 720pn 2fps). It would also help if I get any suggestions to output the video to a DVD project without losing the right aspect ratio and quality.
Thanks!

Trigonis
 
Go to SEQUENCE > Settings> make sure you have the sequence set to DVCProHD 720p. I believe there is even a preset you can load up with all the setting you need.

If you don't match the sequence settings with the settings of the captured clips FCP will need to render everything in the timeline because it's converting your footage to match the sequence (timeline) settings.
 
Welcome to the board

Welcome to the board

Well welcome to the board Trigonis.

Easy way to get FCP all in the right kind of frame set is to go to:

Final Cut Pro | Easy Setup (or Control + Q) and then select the DVCPro HD 720p24 option. This will align everything up for you nicely. You shouldn't need to render anything outside of doing any big effects/filters/etc.

Since you have Final Cut Studio that means you should have Compressor and DVD Studio Pro as well. So getting you stuff out to DVD won't be too difficult at all.

Once you've finished your cut click on the timeline to have the timeline active.
Got to File | Export | Using Compressor

I don't have time this morning to run through the whole compressor workflow, but basically you can select/create a setting to make a DVD MPEG-2 encoded at 23.98 (to preserve the look) or if you want, encoded at 29.97 (won't require a progressive scan player/tv then). You won't lose anything aspect ratio wise (if you chose/create a preset just make sure to use the 16:9 choice).

As for losing quality, well it won't look 'bad' by any means, but you will lose quality, you can't avoid that. You're going from HD to SD, so you're going to lose quality. Also you're going from DVCPro HD raw to MPEG-2. It'll be a great looking DVD I'm sure, but technically it is lower quality.

Cheers.
 
Thanks for the help. The Easy Setup seems to have done the trick to set everything up for me nicely. The only other problem I seem to be having at the moment is that in the Sequence window/viewer, there are vertical black "letterboxes" (like the ones that usually run horizontally across the top and bottom) down the right- and left-hand sides of the screen, and when I export the project into a Quicktime file for a test, it appear somewhat stretched (vertically) with those same bars on either side. I assume this is not normal. What are the proper settings for the Sequence | Settings section so that the Sequence view will match up with what I'm seeing in the Viewer? Thanks again!

- Trigonis
 
Trig,

The other kind of cropping you're talking about is called Pillarboxing.

First off, after having done the Easy Setup for DVCPro HD 720p24 create a new sequence. Then copy (or cut) and paste all the materials from your old sequence into the new one. FCP sometimes doesn't update itself so well and if you just adjust the old sequence it won't actually update things properly. So give that a try first if you haven't already done so.

Also, sounds like it could be your anamorphic settings on the sequences and clips. It sounds like anamorphic has been turned on somewhere that it shouldn't be. Though that's not how anamorphic should respond, sounds familiar to something it can sometimes do when misbehaving in FCP.

cheers.
 
Thanks again for the insight in regards to the pillarboxing. I created a new sequence and everything seems to be working just fine. I'm going to work on some scenes and then export the sequence into an MPEG-2 file with the 16:9 setting just to make sure everything is okay, output-wise. Quick question: When exporting the file, I choose the "Using Compressor" option, correct? That's were I can choose the setting for 16:9. Thanks again.

- Trig
 
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