NLE Mac / Final Cut questions from 2002

B. Moore · August 12th, 2002, 05:52 PM

DITTO...

Rik Sanchez · August 12th, 2002, 06:59 PM

try this site: http://www.macosx.org/
I've had OS X installed for a couple of months but haven't really used it, I should make the jump and switch all my work to it so I'm still learning myself. hope this link helps.

Paul Sedillo · August 12th, 2002, 07:57 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by chorizosmells : try this site: http://www.macosx.org/
I've had OS X installed for a couple of months but haven't really used it, I should make the jump and switch all my work to it so I'm still learning myself. hope this link helps. -->>>

Rik,

Thank you for the assist. It appears that this site will go a long way towards helping me learn the OS. The other sites that I found have not come close to what this one offers.

Adrian Seah · August 12th, 2002, 07:58 PM

What I did when I made the switch from OS 9 to OSX was to spend a couple of hours at Borders reading OS X Bible (or some instructional book like that) I didn't think it was worth buying but just reading through the book at the bookshop, I was able to see what the OS was capable of, and made some mental notes about things to try out. I read it once and now I'm using the OS a lot more efficiently. A low/no cost tip, hope it helps.

Adrian

Rob Moreno · August 12th, 2002, 08:00 PM

Well, I didn't have time to re-encode the AC-3 audio, but I did burn a test disc with both the Dolby Digital and PCM streams on it, and here's what I've found:

The difference in quality is less noticable on my surround sound system than what it was on my studio monitors. I image there would be no noticable difference when played back through standard television speakers.

The AC-3 audio was, however, noticeably lower in volume.

I suppose I'll just put both audio streams on the final disc and let the users decide which one to use; PCM for a better audio experience, or Dolby Digital for smoother playback on some systems.

Someday I'd like to try a 5.1 surround mix and compare that with the PCM stream.

Daniel Berube · August 12th, 2002, 08:11 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Ken Tanaka : Welcome Daniel!
Interestingly, I was recently considering attending one of the workshops up in Maine (the 2 week documentary class). I think Charles Papert, one of our other moderators here, has also been an instructor up there in the woods. -->>>

Hi Ken,

The Maine Workshops is an excellent learning enviroment and community unto itself. The summer FCP classes have basically winded down now, but they will continue again next season and we will have a good time being there.

For those who want to know more, visit:
http://www.theworkshops.com

Happy filmmaking,

Dan
--
Daniel Berube
Apple Certified Trainer
Member, Apple Consultants Network

noisybrain. Productions
digital_storytelling/
www.noisybrain.com
(781)-740-5012 tel/fax
(617)-331-8991 cell
----------------------------------------
President/Apple Ambassador
Boston Final Cut Pro User Group - BOSFCPUG
http://www.bosfcpug.org
Email: dberube@bosfcpug.org

Daniel Berube · August 12th, 2002, 08:24 PM

For those who wish to learn more about the power of OS X, add these following sites to your favorites list:
Apple's OS X page: http://www.apple.com/macosx/
Apple's OS X Support page: http://www.info.apple.com/usen/macosx/
Mac OS X Hints: http://www.macosxhints.com
Mac OS X Resource Center: macos.about.com/library/blmacosx.htm

This is a good start!

Happy Filmmaking,

Daniel Berube · August 12th, 2002, 08:34 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Simon Davies : Hi there.
I was inside a room filled with fluorescents and although there was no noticeable effect through the PD150 viewfinder or screen, when I got the footage back home and watched on my PAL Tv there is a distinctive flicker.-->>>

Simon,

Many people strive to get the film look and it looks like you did it without even trying!:)

You might wanna give the Flicker Filter in FCP 3 a try, although I cannot guarantee the results without having seen your footage. In FCP 3, go to the EFFECTS menu, select VIDEO FILTERS, then select VIDEO, and then select FLICKER FILTER.

Give it a try and experiment with the values pertaining to the filter. Let us know how it works out!

Jason Bagby · August 12th, 2002, 10:34 PM

Thank you all so much!

Jason Bagby · August 12th, 2002, 10:47 PM

I went most economical way i could with 80gb laCie drive @ 7200rpm
(they have a 120GB 7200rpm now)
has worked all but one time in 6 months of heavy use.
the time it didn't i was encoding a iDVD project to the drive using files that were also on that drive because mac HD was nearly full, and it froze up,
i had to do the 5 second power-down and it crashed my imac real hard,
had to boot up w/out extensions in 9 and then boot again in osX and then mac wanted to check and repair the disk,
so now i've taken to trying to work from mac HD and transfer video files i wasn't using to the 1394.
my buddy has western digital firewire drives strung around his suite like christmas lights on Clark Griswald's house, so he must think they're okay.

also I don't know if i'd settle for 5400 rpm's- video files are so picky and if you have a segment with a couple of audio tracks the read arm has to jump from the video to the audio to the other audio track, and 7200 will surely eliminate some dropped frames, but i have no proof.

Jeff Donald · August 13th, 2002, 08:15 AM

Apple has released new desktops today! http://www.apple.com/ Also, all the iMacs are available, including the new 17" LCD model.

Jeff

Paul Sedillo · August 13th, 2002, 08:22 AM

:(

Amazing - I don't know if I should laugh or cry. Less than a month ago I bought a new G4 Dual.

Jeff - Now you have ruined my day! J/K

Jeff Donald · August 13th, 2002, 08:57 AM

Actually I think your in pretty good shape Paul. You won't need to upgrade for 2 years and maybe not even then. In 2 years Apple will on to G5s or even G6s (or the rumored Intel chips). My lowly G4 dual 450 is starting to show it's age after 2 years. I'm waiting to see how Jaguar runs on it. If it's not up to my expectations I'll be selling it and getting a new dual 1GHz or maybe the 1.25. I have a feeling the next upgrade to FCP (4?) will require more umph than the dual 450 can provide. I think multiple streams of RT Effects are just around the corner. I think your machine should handle it without a problem. I'm faced with a new machine now and then in a year or so when the new processors come out.

Jeff

Ken Tanaka · August 13th, 2002, 10:31 AM

It seems like an odd time for Apple to introduce new desktops, doesn't it? Almost like they planned to do this at the recent MacWorld but were held-up by some glitch in their supply/manufacturing chain.

Jeff Donald · August 13th, 2002, 10:42 AM

I would say that's a good possability. Motorola has had its problems lately and IBM isn't ready with their new chips yet.

Jeff

August 12th, 2002, 06:59 PM	#542
Rik Sanchez ChorizoSmells Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Osaka, Japan Posts: 424	try this site: http://www.macosx.org/ I've had OS X installed for a couple of months but haven't really used it, I should make the jump and switch all my work to it so I'm still learning myself. hope this link helps. __________________ ChorizoSmells Video Barrio Tamatsukuri, Osaka, JAPAN

August 12th, 2002, 07:57 PM	#543
Paul Sedillo Major Player Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 607	<<<-- Originally posted by chorizosmells : try this site: http://www.macosx.org/ I've had OS X installed for a couple of months but haven't really used it, I should make the jump and switch all my work to it so I'm still learning myself. hope this link helps. -->>> Rik, Thank you for the assist. It appears that this site will go a long way towards helping me learn the OS. The other sites that I found have not come close to what this one offers. __________________ Paul Sedillo Image::Studio http://www.image-studio.com Houston, Texas

August 12th, 2002, 08:00 PM	#545
Rob Moreno Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Tokyo Posts: 102	DVD audio tested and compared Well, I didn't have time to re-encode the AC-3 audio, but I did burn a test disc with both the Dolby Digital and PCM streams on it, and here's what I've found: The difference in quality is less noticable on my surround sound system than what it was on my studio monitors. I image there would be no noticable difference when played back through standard television speakers. The AC-3 audio was, however, noticeably lower in volume. I suppose I'll just put both audio streams on the final disc and let the users decide which one to use; PCM for a better audio experience, or Dolby Digital for smoother playback on some systems. Someday I'd like to try a 5.1 surround mix and compare that with the PCM stream. __________________ Media Kobo Japan

August 12th, 2002, 08:11 PM	#546
Daniel Berube Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Boston, MA USA Posts: 91	The Maine Workshops <<<-- Originally posted by Ken Tanaka : Welcome Daniel! Interestingly, I was recently considering attending one of the workshops up in Maine (the 2 week documentary class). I think Charles Papert, one of our other moderators here, has also been an instructor up there in the woods. -->>> Hi Ken, The Maine Workshops is an excellent learning enviroment and community unto itself. The summer FCP classes have basically winded down now, but they will continue again next season and we will have a good time being there. For those who want to know more, visit: http://www.theworkshops.com Happy filmmaking, Dan -- Daniel Berube Apple Certified Trainer Member, Apple Consultants Network noisybrain. Productions digital_storytelling/ www.noisybrain.com (781)-740-5012 tel/fax (617)-331-8991 cell ---------------------------------------- President/Apple Ambassador Boston Final Cut Pro User Group - BOSFCPUG http://www.bosfcpug.org Email: dberube@bosfcpug.org

August 12th, 2002, 08:24 PM	#547
Daniel Berube Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Boston, MA USA Posts: 91	Mac OS X Resource sites For those who wish to learn more about the power of OS X, add these following sites to your favorites list: Apple's OS X page: http://www.apple.com/macosx/ Apple's OS X Support page: http://www.info.apple.com/usen/macosx/ Mac OS X Hints: http://www.macosxhints.com Mac OS X Resource Center: macos.about.com/library/blmacosx.htm This is a good start! Happy Filmmaking, __________________ Daniel Bérubé • BOSFCPUG http://www.bosfcpug.org

August 12th, 2002, 05:52 PM	#541
B. Moore Major Player Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 181	DITTO...

August 12th, 2002, 07:58 PM	#544
Adrian Seah Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: London, England Posts: 87	What I did when I made the switch from OS 9 to OSX was to spend a couple of hours at Borders reading OS X Bible (or some instructional book like that) I didn't think it was worth buying but just reading through the book at the bookshop, I was able to see what the OS was capable of, and made some mental notes about things to try out. I read it once and now I'm using the OS a lot more efficiently. A low/no cost tip, hope it helps. Adrian

August 12th, 2002, 08:34 PM	#548
Daniel Berube Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Boston, MA USA Posts: 91	TRY THIS... <<<-- Originally posted by Simon Davies : Hi there. I was inside a room filled with fluorescents and although there was no noticeable effect through the PD150 viewfinder or screen, when I got the footage back home and watched on my PAL Tv there is a distinctive flicker.-->>> Simon, Many people strive to get the film look and it looks like you did it without even trying!:) You might wanna give the Flicker Filter in FCP 3 a try, although I cannot guarantee the results without having seen your footage. In FCP 3, go to the EFFECTS menu, select VIDEO FILTERS, then select VIDEO, and then select FLICKER FILTER. Give it a try and experiment with the values pertaining to the filter. Let us know how it works out! __________________ Daniel Bérubé • BOSFCPUG http://www.bosfcpug.org

August 12th, 2002, 10:34 PM	#549
Jason Bagby Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Longmont CO Posts: 39	Well that should keep me busy! Thank you all so much!

August 12th, 2002, 10:47 PM	#550
Jason Bagby Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Longmont CO Posts: 39	no problems with firewire I went most economical way i could with 80gb laCie drive @ 7200rpm (they have a 120GB 7200rpm now) has worked all but one time in 6 months of heavy use. the time it didn't i was encoding a iDVD project to the drive using files that were also on that drive because mac HD was nearly full, and it froze up, i had to do the 5 second power-down and it crashed my imac real hard, had to boot up w/out extensions in 9 and then boot again in osX and then mac wanted to check and repair the disk, so now i've taken to trying to work from mac HD and transfer video files i wasn't using to the 1394. my buddy has western digital firewire drives strung around his suite like christmas lights on Clark Griswald's house, so he must think they're okay. also I don't know if i'd settle for 5400 rpm's- video files are so picky and if you have a segment with a couple of audio tracks the read arm has to jump from the video to the audio to the other audio track, and 7200 will surely eliminate some dropped frames, but i have no proof.

August 13th, 2002, 08:15 AM	#551
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	New G4 Desktops Apple has released new desktops today! http://www.apple.com/ Also, all the iMacs are available, including the new 17" LCD model. Jeff

August 13th, 2002, 08:22 AM	#552
Paul Sedillo Major Player Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 607	:( Amazing - I don't know if I should laugh or cry. Less than a month ago I bought a new G4 Dual. Jeff - Now you have ruined my day! J/K __________________ Paul Sedillo Image::Studio http://www.image-studio.com Houston, Texas

August 13th, 2002, 08:57 AM	#553
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Actually I think your in pretty good shape Paul. You won't need to upgrade for 2 years and maybe not even then. In 2 years Apple will on to G5s or even G6s (or the rumored Intel chips). My lowly G4 dual 450 is starting to show it's age after 2 years. I'm waiting to see how Jaguar runs on it. If it's not up to my expectations I'll be selling it and getting a new dual 1GHz or maybe the 1.25. I have a feeling the next upgrade to FCP (4?) will require more umph than the dual 450 can provide. I think multiple streams of RT Effects are just around the corner. I think your machine should handle it without a problem. I'm faced with a new machine now and then in a year or so when the new processors come out. Jeff

August 13th, 2002, 10:31 AM	#554
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	It seems like an odd time for Apple to introduce new desktops, doesn't it? Almost like they planned to do this at the recent MacWorld but were held-up by some glitch in their supply/manufacturing chain. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

August 13th, 2002, 10:42 AM	#555
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	I would say that's a good possability. Motorola has had its problems lately and IBM isn't ready with their new chips yet. Jeff