NLE Mac / Final Cut questions from 2004

[Matt Elias]

Anyone use products like this:

Movie Archive 1.0 for Mac OS X

Movie Archive enables you to capture, compress, browse, and organize a multi-tape video library. Movie Archive requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later and a DV camera connected via FireWire.

http://lqgraphics.com/software/moviearchive.php/

[Sharif Zawaideh]

Okay so, I've recorded all of my media with the 16:9 mode on my Canon XL1s. I logged and captured it into FCP4 with the anamorphic button clicked. My sequence presets are for anamorphic 16:9 as well.

However, a handful of my clips are letterboxed. Why is that?

I created an initial sequence with all of the interview footage for my film. Here the clips appear as 16:9 and are not letterboxed. After I pasted portions of this sequence into other sequences (to construct different scenes), they alone were letterboxed, but none of the other clips added to the new sequences were.

Why would some clips be letterboxed and others not within a given sequence? And, why would those same clips not be letterboxed in another sequence? Furthermore, how do I get them back to normal anamorphic 16:9 without letterboxing without redoing each of my edits?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I apologize if this was handled in a previous thread.

[Matt Elias]

Do the clips appear this way in both the viewer and the canvas?

[Sharif Zawaideh]

yes, the offending clips appear letterboxed in both the viewer and the canvas. But thier source clip in the browser is not letterboxed, when brought into the viewer.

[Sharif Zawaideh]

If I open the letterboxed clips in the viewer and click on the motion tab, then distort and change the aspect ratio from -33 to zero that removes the letterboxing. Will this degrade the video quality? Is there a way to do this for multiple clips at once? Would it be better to re-edit the clips back in from the browser (very time consuming)?

Also, why would those few clips aspect ratios have been changed to -33.33, and thus be letterboxed if I never changed them.

Sorry for all the questions, I am a newbie with FCP.

[Boyd Ostroff]

I think it's probably very simple. Check the sequence settings on the letterboxed clips. If you drop a 16:9 clip into a 4:3 sequence then FCP will automatically letterbox to fit. All you should need to do is go to the sequence settings dialog and check the anamorphic box. However, any clips that have been dragged to the sequence will probably not "de-letterbox" by themselves. You will need to drop those back into the sequences. If that gets complicated (such as existing edits you don't want to lose) you should be able to open the clip by double-clicking it on the timeline, click on the motion tab in the clip's viewer window and select the distort property. Set the aspect ratio to 0 and I think that will restore the clip to the proper proportion such that it fills the 16:9 window.

In the future, just make sure the clip and sequence settings are in agreement before proceeding!

[Shane Ross]

The only advantages of the class are better knowledge of the software. It might help a little on the resume, in terms of letting your prospective employer know that you know FCP very well, but it won't make them hire you outright. Nor will it increase your billing rate.

Just because you are certified on the equipment, doen't mean you can edit. What I mean by that is that just becuase you know HOW to use FCP, doesn't mean that you know how to edit a story. That part is all creativity and imagination...and something that you won't get from the course.

You can know everything there is to know about Microsoft Word and formatting a document, but it doesn't mean you can write.

You will get hired because of you storytelling ability. Your demo reel or showcase of past projects will big the biggest asset in selling yourself, and able to bill more for yourself.

[Tom Aellis]

Thanks Shane.
That's what I was looking for. I have the creative talent for still
photography, imaging but want to unleash some creative talents
on the vid side.

I will assume that learning FCP with a solid base will be the
way to start and then see if some talent can be applied.
No doubt it will take a great deal of commitment which I
can apply.
Thanks again.
Tom

[Matthew Biro]

Is there no loss if the codec is set to "DV -- NTSC" in Video Settings or does one have to select "none" for the codec?

[Laurence Maher]

I'm working in FCP HD and need to make that effect you see on so many low-budget video shows where they blur out just a portion of the screen (like when they need to remove someone's face or hi-profile logo or whatever). Can I do that in FCP HD? Or do I need something like After FX?

Thanks!

[Mike Hanlon]

Yes you can do it. There are probably several ways, but this is how I would go about it.

(I don't have my editing system in front of me so this is from memory).

You need two copies of your clip, one on V1 and one on V3. Temporarily hide V1.

On V2 you need to place a matte that is the shape (and at the location) that you want the blur to appear. Use the shape generator to create a white oval, then adjust the parameters to get the size, shape, location, and edge softness about right. Place that shape on V2.

Select the clip on V3 and set the composite mode to Travel Matte - Luma (Modify->Composite Mode->Traval Matte - Luma). Now all you should see is an oval "window" of your clip on a black background (if you hid V1 as suggested above). At this point you can fine tune the location, shape, size, and edge softness of the matte shape on V2 to zero in on the area you want to apply the blur.

Now add a blur filter to the clip on V3 and adjust the blur as desired. Turn V1 back on and you should see a blured oval with the rest of your image nice and clear.

Often the area you want to blur will be moving in the frame, making it necessary to keyframe the location (and sometimes the size) of your matte shape to keep it over the area you want to apply the blur.

Again, this is from memory. Sorry if I got a detail wrong or missed a step. I'm sure someone will post a correction. ; )

[Laurence Maher]

I'll give it a shot!

Thanks so much!

[Matt Woodson]

any suggestions?

[Paul Figgiani]

A few questions...first, would I be able to send audio and video from a dv deck through composite/analog to my AJA io and have it routed to the computer via firewire, using one of the 8 or 10 bit uncompressed capture settings, and secondly, at the same time have the DECKS firewire going directly to my G5, and set FCP up to use this connection solely for deck control? My deck does not have serial deck control. I know that the capture/deck control presets in FCP are independent. I feel that I cannot take advantage of the uncompressed captured options with the a/v not being routed through the IO. And I might add that right now I have my IO firewire and the decks firewire connected to my G5 at the same time on different buses with no problems.

thanks.

-paul.

[Jeff Donald]

You need to capture at 29.97 fps then let FCP remove the pull down and change your timeline to 24 fps.