Starting stills-heavy proj, need set-ups

K

kron

Member
NAÏF STARTING A STILLS-HEAVY PROJECT, NEED SET-UP SUGGESTIONS

I’m an avid editor (3 oscar winning docs) – but total fcp naïf. I’m starting a new project in FC which will be a 30 min doc using many, many stills & also canon HV20 video footage (24 cine).

What’s BEST FCP SETUP for a final theatrical digital projection and some dvds along the way?

Also, how can I best prep stills (parameters) in photoshop and control their length bringing them into FCP (or is their length entirely a function of FCP?)

(Also #2, what are best tutorial videos in FC.)
 
Setup:
ProRes 23.98 if your staying in video / digital projection. (you might consider true 24p if you were going to filmout, but I don't know that workflow)

Stills:
You don't have to prep stills in photoshop, you just drag them onto your timeline and grab either end and make them as long or as short as you want.

Tutorial: Don't know of a general intro off hand, but google / find Ken Stone's FCP page. Also there should be a tutorial sticky at the top of this subforum unless I'm mistaken.
 
Ditto: Mench on the stills preference setting. Then you can adjust as my previous post. The only consideration I would say is that you don't want to set the preference too short. If, say, you set the preference to be only 1 second long and then you decide you wan to gradually enlarge the photo over 4 seconds that will be an issue. You could duplicate the photo over and over again in a separate sequence and then nest that sequence in your main sequence though, but if you think you are going to manipulate the stills a lot, color correction, motion, etc. Easiest to st the preference for longer clips and then shorten them in the timeline like you would a video clip. I think the default import length is pretty long, which is why I didn't mention it.
 
kron,

Yes, length of time is controlled in FCP. Final Cut has some pretty neat features when it comes to working with a large amount of photos. Here's what I use:

To make real-time photo sequences: If I shoot photos at 5fps, then I adjust my preferences so that each photo is 5 frames in length. This 5 x 5 approach will closely match my 24fps timeline. If I didn't adjust my preference of the default length, FCP would make the action taking place in the photo appear to be in staggered slo-motion.

Also, when it comes time to place a lot of photos in my Timeline, I select all of their icons together and drag them over my Canvas window. There, I'm met by FCPs colorful options to add them into the Timeline (with my choice of Transition effect).

Happy editing,
Andrew

kron said:
NAÏF STARTING A STILLS-HEAVY PROJECT, NEED SET-UP SUGGESTIONS.

....

Also, how can I best prep stills (parameters) in photoshop and control their length bringing them into FCP (or is their length entirely a function of FCP?)

....
Click to expand...
 
Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks Jack, Mensch and Bike -- lovely to have such expertise offered so quickly. Setting up as you all suggest, even while I learn much more of FCP and Motion. So please expect many more desperate questions down the road. MG
 
Formatting stills

Formatting stills

DJD, informative and encouraging. The photoshop formats you mention ~ I want to do a lot of panning stills and go in deep. Wouldn't your numbers limit the size and shape of my imports?
 
I would consider something like Fotomagico Pro 3 for a project.

This version makes pan/zoom/scans so much simpler than keyframing in FCP and will intercut with video.
 
You can also increase the size of cache for images: System Settings > Memory & Cache > Still Cache (default 10%).

Also, rather than constantly having to adjust the Still/Free Duration in User Preferences or changing it in the browser for each image, use slugs as place holders and replace them afterwards with images using the Fit to Fill command. You can place multiple slugs and then drag a bunch of images into the Fit to Fill on-screen Edit Overlay well in the Canvas and the images will replace all the slugs and match in duration.
 
Sorry DVDe...

Sorry DVDe...

...Didn't notice you had already answered my question. Which I could have answered myself by trying out your Photoshop parameters immediately --which translated quite well. And thanks for pointing out there are 2 different "Motion"s.

Someone suggested I use a Noise Industry plug-in called Pan and Zoom.

(Some dozen years ago and with help capable asst, I went from Steenbeck to Avid in a single day. FCP has taken me years -- less than intuitive doesn't begin to describe the learning curve.)

Wonder if Premiere/Aftereffects isn't the way to go with the kind of stills choreography I want to do.)

Enjoy the long weekend.
 
DJDecay said:
AHH.

if you want to move the still around the frame, than by all means import TIFF at whatever MAX resolution you have, just make sure FCP does not skew the aspect ratio of it.
Click to expand...

I would not suggest this.

DPI means nothing in video. Pixel grid size does.

Bringing a heavy dpi photograph into FCP is going to create issues. Bringing a 1 dpi photograph in FCP at double or triple the video dimensions will work far better and provide the same resolution.

http://www.scantips.com/no72dpi.html
 
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