Documentary effect at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > Apple / Mac Post Production Solutions > Final Cut Suite
Register FAQ Today's Posts Buyer's Guides

Final Cut Suite
Discussing the editing of all formats with FCS, FCP, FCE

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old October 3rd, 2005, 09:44 PM   #1
New Boot
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 23
Documentary effect

I am making a video where I will be using still images. I don't know how to do the pan and scan effect used in a lot of documentaries, especially on the History channel. Is there a way I can do this in Final Cut Pro 4.5? Thanks.
Greg Barton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 4th, 2005, 01:55 AM   #2
Major Player
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Posts: 539
I typically use a professional house that has a camera pointed at a motion control platter who does computer controlled moves or stuff on the fly, or I use After Effects, but this is all doable in FCP, and many people are doing it just this way.

Scan the still images at a high resolution (if you are working in the DV format, 720x480 is your picture dimensions) then make your scanned image double that...1440 by whatever the height is. Bear in mind that DV footage uses rectangular pixels, where photoshop uses square pixels, so the dimensions of a full frame of DV video is 720x534. So you will have to adjust your calculations accordingly. You scan at twice the size (and at 300 dpi for good resolution) so that you can push into the picture.

Then import the picture into FCP, drop it in the timeline, and open it in the viewer and go to the MOTION Tab. There you can adjust scale, center, and angle. Use keyframes. Look this up in the manual as they are vital to this operation.
Shane Ross is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 4th, 2005, 02:45 AM   #3
Major Player
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 275
the easiest way to do this in final cut is to change your canvas settings so that it's "image+wireframe". now you can set keyframes and scale/manipulate/distort your image within the canvas window.
A.J. Briones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 4th, 2005, 11:51 AM   #4
Major Player
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 273
You can also use pixel aspect correction in Photoshop CS or later to size the image correctly for DV. This is on automatically if you use one of the DV image size presets.
Zach Mull is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 4th, 2005, 10:19 PM   #5
New Boot
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 23
Thanks for your help. I scanned the pics at double the dv resolution, and I simply keyframed it to how I wanted it.
Greg Barton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 5th, 2005, 10:05 AM   #6
New Boot
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 10
I always just do this in iMovie. The Ken Burns effect is what you are looking for. Then, export it out as DV and use the clip in FCP. This is especially nice if you have a bunch of photos to do. Saves a lot of keyframing.

However, you will obviously have more control if you use keyframes.
Otto Bartsch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 5th, 2005, 12:31 PM   #7
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Welland ON
Posts: 515
Otto, what settings do you use to export your clips, I also do my ken burns in iMovie and then take to FCP, but I can't seem to find the setting that will let me do that without having to render.
__________________
"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."
Nate Schmidt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 5th, 2005, 12:43 PM   #8
New Boot
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 10
In the Share... dialog box, one of the settings is "DV." It outputs a file with the extension.dv that is supposed to be a full quality DV clip. That is the setting I am using. I then pull the resultant clip into FCP.

The caveat is, you won't need to render it UNLESS you pull it in with sound. In my workflow, I go into iMovie to put the photos together, then put the sound in in FCP. I just accidentally tried to place that .dv clip in a timeline without disconnecting the audio patch panels, and it wanted a render. I undid that, disconnected the patch panels, and replaced just the video. Voila. No need to render.

It could be that iMovie is exporting the audio at 44.1 instead of 44.8, which would make a mandatory render. I am not sure. But I do know that it works without rendering if you do just the video stream.
Otto Bartsch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 5th, 2005, 01:57 PM   #9
Major Player
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 275
why do you need to use imovie when you have fcp? you can be your own ken burns and keyframe it yourself, with even better results than imovie.
A.J. Briones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 5th, 2005, 02:04 PM   #10
New Boot
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 10
As I said in my first post on the subject, you will have much more control over the clip in FCP. But if you are trying to put something together and time is an issue, iMovie is very fast. Especially if you, like me, have to put together 3 slideshows of 132, 133, and 67 photos. It isn't the focus of what I do, so I want to get done with it as efficiently as possible. When I have just one or two, I do keyframe it.
Otto Bartsch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old October 5th, 2005, 02:33 PM   #11
Major Player
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 275
Quote:
Originally Posted by Otto Bartsch
As I said in my first post on the subject, you will have much more control over the clip in FCP. But if you are trying to put something together and time is an issue, iMovie is very fast. Especially if you, like me, have to put together 3 slideshows of 132, 133, and 67 photos. It isn't the focus of what I do, so I want to get done with it as efficiently as possible. When I have just one or two, I do keyframe it.
fcp is perfect for this because i can perfectly keyframe a shot, then paste attributes to the other 130 images and voila, it's all keyed just like the first one. of course, what i really do is make 3 or 4 different variants of this and paste attributes in a semi-random form so that they don't turn out repetitive.

either way, to each his own. i just want to point out another way to do it.
A.J. Briones is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > Apple / Mac Post Production Solutions > Final Cut Suite


 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:10 PM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network