NLE Mac / Final Cut questions from 2003

Gary Chavez · October 24th, 2003, 02:25 PM

what is the SP referring to?

i have been given a dv consumer tape for a project.

Can i use the Sony dsr-45 to input video?

the subject line is a highlight feature from Sony's website.

Boyd Ostroff · October 24th, 2003, 03:04 PM

SP = standard play
LP = long play

These are just like the designations on regular VCR's . However regardless of mode (DVCAM, SP, LP) the same data format is used. The tape speed is different, and a few other things in the case of DVCAM. But will all work interchangeably in your NLE environment. The DSR-45 can handle SP fine, not sure about LP (in the rare event that someone gives you a "consumer tape" recorded in that format).

Jeff Donald · October 24th, 2003, 07:29 PM

I think you might see an FCP 4.5 within the next 6 to 8 months. It probably will be shown at NAB and released in June. But this is just my best guess.

Andrew Hogan · October 24th, 2003, 08:09 PM

Could Apple wait a bit longer, call it FCP 5 and make us pay for another upgrade?

Dean Harrington · October 25th, 2003, 05:09 PM

A friend who has Final Cut 4 just showed me an enlarged mp4 that looks beautiful!!! I unfortunately do not have enough power to use Final Cut 4 and am alas - stuck in 3!!!
If anyone has any suggestions as to how I can use this compression system with 3 --please let me know.

Glenn Chan · October 25th, 2003, 06:34 PM

Export sorenson3/mpeg4 audio under quicktime export. The sorenson3 video codec is better quality than the mpeg4 codec, but it takes significantly longer to encode.

Joshua Cohen · October 25th, 2003, 07:54 PM

Hi there. At the moment, I am only importing from my one camera. In the near future, I've been asked to film concerts, and recitials, and convocations, and other shows, requiring me to film with multiple cameras. Now, from the past, all I've done is taken the footage I liked the best from a particular angle, and just used it.

Now, I would like to actually step it up. I want to be able to view and import footage live from multiple cameras. Not only that, I would like to be able to see what each camera is viewing at a particular time.

Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks

Glenn Chan · October 25th, 2003, 08:54 PM

A- Do a live edit and edit the stuff on the spot. This takes a lot of work and experience.

B- Or you could record all the cameras seperately and edit it in post. I've found this is be very time consuming. The procedure for doing this has been thrashed out pretty well on the lafcpug.org forum.

The best procedure seems to be something like this:
A- Sync all angles and lay them down. (TIP: use a flash when you shoot)
B- Resize and reposition them so they are all tiled on the screen. A fast system will not require rendering.
C- Play through your video and lay down markers and/or record voice-over to mark your edits.
D- Make all your edits and then return all tracks to their original size.

Dean Harrington · October 25th, 2003, 10:51 PM

Do you mean export a movie? Sorensen 3 - is the "compressor" in Final Cut Pro this? I was wondering if this can be copied and then put as a plug-in into 3?

Andrew Hogan · October 26th, 2003, 01:33 AM

Compressor is almost like a stand alone program but you need FCP to get Compressor. There is an option in FCP4:File, export, using "Compressor" and choose all your options and/or make your own presets. But if you can't yet upgrade to FCP 4 and you want to use Sorenson 3 you can File, export, quicktime movie, look thru options and find soresnson 3 choose size and quality etc.

Does this make sense?

Rich Sheikh · October 26th, 2003, 07:14 AM

Hello, I'm a rookie who is using a Sony one chip camera and editing on IMovie2.1

Recently I was asked to video a freinds wedding. At first I turned it down because of my lack of experince. I had no idea as to how to video a wedding. My friend kept pushing and finally conviced me to do it. So I took my consumer camera and filmed the wedding which was outdoors. I then used IMovie and edited the footage into a 45 min movie. When I gave the wedding party a copy they were shocked because they weren't expecting much. They loved it. This whole event was very encouraging for me and gave me the idea to start a small video business. Of course, I will need to upgrade my equip and have been researching. I have a G3 Imac and considering moving up to a G4 and getting Final Cut Express. I thought FCE would be a good move from IMovie with the thought of working my way up to FCP. As for a camera, I'm thinking about the VX2000 or the new VX2100. I'm a little concerned about learning Final Cut Express. I'm hoping the learning process won't be to hard.
Anyway, I've now tried to take that 45 min video and produce a short sample video video which I can put on a new web site which I'm presently working on. Here is the sample I put together using IMovie....
http://homepage.mac.com/richsheikh/iMovieTheater14.html

Here are my questions....
Why is it that when PC users view my sample they see a much darker picture? How can I overcome this during the export process from IMovie 2.1 to Quicktime?

Final Cut Express.....How hard is the learning curve from jumping from IMovie to FCE? When upgrading my G3 Imac to a G4 what do I need sure is included in order to run FCE and FCP?

Please give you opinions. Thank you
Rich

John Locke · October 26th, 2003, 07:43 AM

Rich,

There is a gamma difference between PCs and Macs...and that's what causes your films made on a Mac to be darker for PC users. There are two easy ways around this...one would be to make a different version for PCs and Macs that is "sniffed out" automatically (Cleaner 6 allows you to do this). The user doesn't have to select between Mac and PC versions of the film, it plays automatically. Cleaner 6 allows you to alter the gamma for the PC version to make it match, or get pretty close, to the look of the Mac version.

Another way to do it is with a gamma filter in FCP. Very simple to do.

What's the learning curve for FCP? FCP is in a whole different ballpark than iMovie, but it's worth diving in and learning as you go. Look at it this way, you'll be able to create films of the same quality as iMovie immediately without having to learn hardly anything. But then as you do learn more about it...the filters, shortcuts, soundtrack, etc....you'll be glad you switched.

Dan Dorsey · October 26th, 2003, 10:59 AM

It worked out by downloading to my mac at work with a cable line (it would have been a 28hr. download on my home modem). Burned it to cd and installed at home. Thanks for your help. I really think it would have worked through the PC if I had the patience.

Gary Chavez · October 27th, 2003, 07:21 AM

thanks!
btw, what happens to tape if it is in LP?
damaged?

Glenn Chan · October 27th, 2003, 09:58 AM

Most decks will not read tapes that are recorded in LP. The camera that recorded the tape will be likely to read it but not cameras/decks from other manufacturers and perhaps not even decks/cameras of the same manufacturer.

LP mode tapes are also more prone to dropouts.

October 24th, 2003, 02:25 PM	#1216
Gary Chavez Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Antonio Posts: 355	"DVCAM Format and DV Format (SP Mode Only) Capability " what is the SP referring to? i have been given a dv consumer tape for a project. Can i use the Sony dsr-45 to input video? the subject line is a highlight feature from Sony's website.

October 24th, 2003, 07:29 PM	#1218
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	I think you might see an FCP 4.5 within the next 6 to 8 months. It probably will be shown at NAB and released in June. But this is just my best guess. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

October 25th, 2003, 05:09 PM	#1220
Dean Harrington Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tokyo Posts: 898	Final Cut 4 - compresser.... A friend who has Final Cut 4 just showed me an enlarged mp4 that looks beautiful!!! I unfortunately do not have enough power to use Final Cut 4 and am alas - stuck in 3!!! If anyone has any suggestions as to how I can use this compression system with 3 --please let me know.

October 25th, 2003, 07:54 PM	#1222
Joshua Cohen Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Roslyn Heights, NY Posts: 50	viewing and importing video from multiple cameras Hi there. At the moment, I am only importing from my one camera. In the near future, I've been asked to film concerts, and recitials, and convocations, and other shows, requiring me to film with multiple cameras. Now, from the past, all I've done is taken the footage I liked the best from a particular angle, and just used it. Now, I would like to actually step it up. I want to be able to view and import footage live from multiple cameras. Not only that, I would like to be able to see what each camera is viewing at a particular time. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks __________________ Ye who asks a question remains a fool for five minutes, ye who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.

October 25th, 2003, 10:51 PM	#1224
Dean Harrington Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tokyo Posts: 898	Glen.... Do you mean export a movie? Sorensen 3 - is the "compressor" in Final Cut Pro this? I was wondering if this can be copied and then put as a plug-in into 3?

October 24th, 2003, 03:04 PM	#1217
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,801	SP = standard play LP = long play These are just like the designations on regular VCR's . However regardless of mode (DVCAM, SP, LP) the same data format is used. The tape speed is different, and a few other things in the case of DVCAM. But will all work interchangeably in your NLE environment. The DSR-45 can handle SP fine, not sure about LP (in the rare event that someone gives you a "consumer tape" recorded in that format).

October 24th, 2003, 08:09 PM	#1219
Andrew Hogan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Canberra AUSTRALIA Posts: 169	Could Apple wait a bit longer, call it FCP 5 and make us pay for another upgrade?

October 25th, 2003, 06:34 PM	#1221
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Export sorenson3/mpeg4 audio under quicktime export. The sorenson3 video codec is better quality than the mpeg4 codec, but it takes significantly longer to encode.

October 25th, 2003, 08:54 PM	#1223
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	A- Do a live edit and edit the stuff on the spot. This takes a lot of work and experience. B- Or you could record all the cameras seperately and edit it in post. I've found this is be very time consuming. The procedure for doing this has been thrashed out pretty well on the lafcpug.org forum. The best procedure seems to be something like this: A- Sync all angles and lay them down. (TIP: use a flash when you shoot) B- Resize and reposition them so they are all tiled on the screen. A fast system will not require rendering. C- Play through your video and lay down markers and/or record voice-over to mark your edits. D- Make all your edits and then return all tracks to their original size.

October 26th, 2003, 01:33 AM	#1225
Andrew Hogan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Canberra AUSTRALIA Posts: 169	Compressor is almost like a stand alone program but you need FCP to get Compressor. There is an option in FCP4:File, export, using "Compressor" and choose all your options and/or make your own presets. But if you can't yet upgrade to FCP 4 and you want to use Sorenson 3 you can File, export, quicktime movie, look thru options and find soresnson 3 choose size and quality etc. Does this make sense?

October 26th, 2003, 07:14 AM	#1226
Rich Sheikh Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 34	Quicktime viewing on the web by PC users. Hello, I'm a rookie who is using a Sony one chip camera and editing on IMovie2.1 Recently I was asked to video a freinds wedding. At first I turned it down because of my lack of experince. I had no idea as to how to video a wedding. My friend kept pushing and finally conviced me to do it. So I took my consumer camera and filmed the wedding which was outdoors. I then used IMovie and edited the footage into a 45 min movie. When I gave the wedding party a copy they were shocked because they weren't expecting much. They loved it. This whole event was very encouraging for me and gave me the idea to start a small video business. Of course, I will need to upgrade my equip and have been researching. I have a G3 Imac and considering moving up to a G4 and getting Final Cut Express. I thought FCE would be a good move from IMovie with the thought of working my way up to FCP. As for a camera, I'm thinking about the VX2000 or the new VX2100. I'm a little concerned about learning Final Cut Express. I'm hoping the learning process won't be to hard. Anyway, I've now tried to take that 45 min video and produce a short sample video video which I can put on a new web site which I'm presently working on. Here is the sample I put together using IMovie.... http://homepage.mac.com/richsheikh/iMovieTheater14.html Here are my questions.... Why is it that when PC users view my sample they see a much darker picture? How can I overcome this during the export process from IMovie 2.1 to Quicktime? Final Cut Express.....How hard is the learning curve from jumping from IMovie to FCE? When upgrading my G3 Imac to a G4 what do I need sure is included in order to run FCE and FCP? Please give you opinions. Thank you Rich

October 26th, 2003, 07:43 AM	#1227
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	Rich, There is a gamma difference between PCs and Macs...and that's what causes your films made on a Mac to be darker for PC users. There are two easy ways around this...one would be to make a different version for PCs and Macs that is "sniffed out" automatically (Cleaner 6 allows you to do this). The user doesn't have to select between Mac and PC versions of the film, it plays automatically. Cleaner 6 allows you to alter the gamma for the PC version to make it match, or get pretty close, to the look of the Mac version. Another way to do it is with a gamma filter in FCP. Very simple to do. What's the learning curve for FCP? FCP is in a whole different ballpark than iMovie, but it's worth diving in and learning as you go. Look at it this way, you'll be able to create films of the same quality as iMovie immediately without having to learn hardly anything. But then as you do learn more about it...the filters, shortcuts, soundtrack, etc....you'll be glad you switched. __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

October 26th, 2003, 10:59 AM	#1228
Dan Dorsey Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 43	It worked out by downloading to my mac at work with a cable line (it would have been a 28hr. download on my home modem). Burned it to cd and installed at home. Thanks for your help. I really think it would have worked through the PC if I had the patience. __________________ Dan

October 27th, 2003, 07:21 AM	#1229
Gary Chavez Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Antonio Posts: 355	thanks! btw, what happens to tape if it is in LP? damaged?

October 27th, 2003, 09:58 AM	#1230
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Most decks will not read tapes that are recorded in LP. The camera that recorded the tape will be likely to read it but not cameras/decks from other manufacturers and perhaps not even decks/cameras of the same manufacturer. LP mode tapes are also more prone to dropouts.