Best workflow for Droid .3gp files?

I've been struggling with this for a while. The files from my Motorola Droid are .3gp and supposedly 720x480. If I put those into a 720x480 DV sequence, the video is squished vertically and it takes forever to render. If I use MPEG Streamclip to convert them to DV 720x480, they are squished and the audio is out of sync. What is the best way to get these video files into Final Cut? Any help is appreciated.

smithfromboston wrote:
This is not a difficult problem. What you should do is convert your 3gp to mov or mp4, then import the converted mov or mp4 file to FCP to edit.
QuickTime .mov is not a codec, it is a container. The video inside can use any one of a number of codecs including those that are unsuitable for editing in FCP.
Mp4 is not a suitable codec for editing in FCP.
See the Easy Setup menu for a list of codecs that work with FCP.
The OP has no need to buy further software to transcode their footage.
They already have QuickTime Player 7 and Compressor, another alternative would be the free MPEG Streamclip. Any of these will do the job.

Similar Messages

Best workflow for updating CS3 files to CS5

Hi everyone,
My company is going to be purchasing CS5 in the next few months. We have been using CS3 (Mac OS 10.5.8).
I've read some threads on here that indicate opening CS3 files or templates directly in CS5 has caused some people some problems.
Since my job involves maintaining the integrity of our many templates, would it be best to recreate them from scratch in CS5 (as I did when we switched from Quark) or is opening them and resaving as CS5 files considered safe?
We have a copy of CS4. Would it be better to open/save in CS4 before opening in CS5?
This transition needs to be as smooth as possible for the art directors and editors even if it means a bit more work for me.
Thought? Suggestions?
Thanks!

Hi cj, welcome to the forum.
This advice about starting from scratch is a belt-and-suspenders safety issue for CS5. There are a dozen or so reports floating here from folks whp've had various sorts of problems ranging from very minor to complete loss of an 1100 page book when working with files converted from previous versions. I've not had a problem, nor has anyone I know who is a regular here, but the reports are enough at this point to make me think it isn't necessarily all user error. Being pragmatic, I think it's less work to start a template from scratch than to try to rescue a job gone bad.
And I said don't overwrite an older version file, as in save the new version in the same location with the same name, thus replacing the old one with no opportunity to get it back. Given that ID can only export a file that can be opened by the previous version, nothing earlier, this is just prudent workflow. If you have a disaster, you won't have lost your earlier version, too.
And in general I don't recommend a workflow that uses the same document over and over, doing a save as for each new iteration. If you used PM for that many years I'm sure you know why. Small corruptions have a way of creeping into a document over time as you work. Recycling the document not only carries the unavoidable risk for new coirruption, but also brings any old bad stuff along too. Eventually this can cause complete document failure and we get periodic reports here from (mosstly magzine or newspaper) users who have lost weeks of work when the file can no longer be opened, usually with no apparent reason -- it worked fine all the previous day. Using a template instead means each new iteration starts from the same, hopefully clean, second generation file. ID is very stable, but it does happen. I also keep a spare tire in the trunk of my car, and back up may data every night.

Best workflow for working on a project on two computers (i.e desktop and a

What is the best workflow for the following--
I have a project where I want to do some work on my laptop, then work on the desktop, then back to the laptop?
As a video guy, in Final Cut I do this by having two identical copies of my media, and simply transferring the FCP project file back and forth between the two computers.
Is there an equivalent in Aperture of transferring your selections/edits between two copies of Apeture with the original master files on both in identical projects?

I don't know what you mean by "bandwidth options". If you mean the frequencies and bands the iPad can use with cell carriers, those are listed in the Wireless and Cellular area of the tech specs. For iPads sold in the US, see:
http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/specs/
If that's not what you meant, please post back and clarify what you mean by "bandwidth options".
Regards.

Best workflow for doing a QC check?

Hi all,
A client wants me to do a technical QC check on video files I receive before editing them. The items they want checked are as follows:
o   File format (GOP structure, bitrate, wrapper, codec, chroma subsampling)
o   Macro blocking
o   Artefacts induced during transfer from VT, frame rate conversion, size or bitrate conversion
o   Field dominance issues
o   Chroma/luminance levels
o   Aspect ratio discrepancies
o   Flashing/strobing
o   Frame slicing
o   Audio levels to EBUR128 recommendation.
o   Wide dynamic range
o   Audio distortion, clipping, phasing and dc offset etc
Most of these are fine, as they can be spotted during manual playback. But what would be the best workflow for monitoring the Chroma/luminance levels? I figured I could turn on the YC waveform and play the clip back through a monitor - but the main issue is keeping an eye on both the picture & the waveform at the same time.
Can the scopes be set to give me a indication/alarm when a specified peak occurs? The same way audio does when it clips, where you get a red dot on top of the level meter?
And is there anything else Im overlooking?
Thanks in advance - cheers!

Thanks shooternz,
The client has specifically requested each file be QC checked. They will be delivering files to us for editing, which will be broadcast after we return the files.
So we need to manually watch each video we receive to check for any audio peaking or pixelation/slicing/artefacts, etc, that may have occured during the enciode - but I'm just wondering if the YC waveform can be set to raise an alarm or "peak" if the video file goes outside of legal limits at any stage. We will be viewing the video file - so it'll be awkward to also have to try to watch the YC waveform too, so hoping that part can be automated via a 'peak alarm' or similar!

Best Workflow for Deleting?

Hi Folks.
Would anyone like to suggest the best workflow for deleting files after a project? Let's assume that i have no future need for any of the captured footage or PE7 files. It would be helpful to know what the default locations are for all the footage and files that are now on my computer.
Thanks, Stan

In my book I recommend that, whenever you start a new project, you create a new folder for it. That way, all of your captured video, project files, rendered video and scratch files are in the same folder. Removing it all from your hard drive is as simple as deleting the folder.
If you didn't do that, things get a bit more complicated. Once you've backed up what you want to keep, you can manually delete the captured video, rendered files, etc., from the sub-folders -- but you'll need to do it manually. Hopefully the files will be recognizable by the names you gave your project and capture files when you created them.

Best workflow for burning Blu-ray and DVD

Hi,
What's the best workflow for effciency sake for burning both a Blu-ray and a DVD of the same project?
Essientially I'd like to export and create a menu once, then be able to downrez to DVD. However, I'm not sure that is possible since blu-ray and DVD are differnt codecs.
Thank you

The only way that you can get acceptable re-scaling of menus is to go from BR to DVD, and do the editing in Photoshop. Simply re-scaling the menu here will not give acceptable results.
I usually copy the various button layers from the BR menu to a new DVD menu file created using the provided Photoshop preset. You will still have to do some manual re-scaling and alignment. The thing that has given me the most trouble over the years is round button highlights - a segment is often chopped off. Font sizes will probably need adjusting too.
Unless you are adept with handling layers and groups within Photoshop, it may be easier to start again.
Any attempt to convert within Encore is unlikely to produce acceptable menus in my experience.

Multipage forms- best workflow for future editing

I'm struggling with understanding the proper workflow for creating and editing multipage forms. I need to create a medical history form (PDF) where patients can enter their medical history and patient info.
This form is usually 6+ pages. Each page has a header (logo and office address) and a footer (page number).
The problem I'm running into is when we need to make a change like add a question or change the wording of a question. Is there a way we can edit the form (either in Word or an Adobe product) and not have to recreate the form in Acrobat Pro?
I've hired contract workers from Odesk and each one I've hiried claims they can edit the questions after the form is created. But each time this happens, the form looks worse after each edit. I'm pretty sure this is the problem because they are editing the text in Acrobat Pro, which has very limited text editing capabilites.
I'm wasting so much time going back and forth with contractors explaining to them that the text format looks like crap.
I'm very capable of designing and editing these forms myself, but I just don't have the time. So I'm contracting this work out.
I'd greatly appreciate any advice on the best workflow for PDF forms.
Thanks!

Yes, there is a way. You need to edit the original file format (Word, in
this case), and then create a new PDF.
You then open the old version (that has the form fields in it), and use the
Replace Pages command to replace the old pages with the ones from the new
file. This will maintain the form fields in place, although you might need
to rename them and align them with the new page contents.
This is a much better approach than trying to edit the PDF directly
(although this option has been greatly improved in Acrobat XI).

What is the best workflow for Final Cut Pro X across multiple computers?

I travel on a team that is in a different location every week, so all of our video editing has to be fairly moble. We have 3 macbook pros and would like to use final cut X on all of them. What would be the best workflow for us all to work on the same project and sync it across the computers? (eg, one of us editing the footage, one editing the sound, one working on visual effects?)

My first question would be how well 5.1 would work with SL. People have reported problems.
As far as cameras are concerned, I would guess most any tape-based camera would work and so much depends on the kind of projects you work on that I wouldn't want to start guessing at your needs.
If you want broad access to tapeless and advanced formats try to locate and purchase an upgrade disk to 6 or 7.
Good luck.
Russ

Best workflow for colour grading in CS5.5

What is the best workflow for colour grading in Premiere Pro CS5.5? I don't like the 3 way colour grader in Premire I like to use Levels and Curves, so I normaly use Color Finese 3 LE in After Effects but it's hard to export an entire timeline to AE due to it not improting transitions and title text correctly.
I see in CS6 there is now Speed Grade available from Premiere Pro. can you export your entire timeline into Speed grade and it retain your titles and trasitions?
So how are most folks colour grading their finished timelines in Premire Pro?
Kevin

If I can CC in Pr, I will. What prevents me from staying in Pr is if I need to do a lot of masking, secondary type corrections. Ae is better for that, IMO.
I guess my general rule is, "The more love I need to put on my footage, the more likely it is I'll need to take the project to Ae."
When I do CC in Pr, my tools of choice are RGB Curves (which is CUDA friendly, and I have a CUDA card) for CC, and I use Three-Way or Fast CC mostly for increasing saturation. I leave the other controls alone.
The advantage to doing CC in Pr, is the CUDA accelleration. If you use CUDA effects, you can work a lot faster, due to less rendering. Once you go to Ae, you lose CUDA, but you gain flexibility. Therefore, there's not a single one-size-fits-all answer.
I also have a lot more available plugs in Ae. I like Frischluft Curves, which is an oustanding curves based plug. And the native Hue/Saturation effect in Ae is extremely useful for single hue corrections. Pr doesn't have a similar native effect.
And then as a last step, after getting all my corrections "evened out," I'll add Magic Bullet Looks to an adjustment layer for an overall treatment.
I only opened SpeedGrade once after installing it. I don't see why anybody would use it, unless they were already familiar with it. You can't go back to Pr easily. And in my world, projects are rarely finished. Clients think they can make massive changes at any stage of post, even after mastering and delivery. I've had clients make changes to spots after they've been airing for several days. I laugh at editors who name anything "final."

Best Workflow for Multicam Sequences?

I have a project that includes video from 2 cameras and audio from 2 audio recorders. I synced everything up using PluralEyes, then imported it back into Premiere. Then I opened the synced sequence, deleted the camera audio, nested the video, and enabled multicam. After that, I started going through and editing the multicam footage by selecting the appropriate camera by pressing 1 or 2 (or command-clicking on the appropriate camera in multicam view). My question is, now that I've synced everything up and finished my rough multicam edits, how do I mark the selections of the sequence that I would like to keep?
For example, part of the sequence is an interview. Instead of just cutting the sequence up, I would like to first mark and label the portions of the interview that I would like to keep. That way I can easily go through and know what the interviewee is speaking about in each clip without having to play the whole thing. I understand that to do this on the original clips in the source monitor, I would need to create subclips. But how do I do it on a synced multicam sequence? Is there a way to open the sequence in the source monitor? What's the best workflow for something like this?
I've been using Premiere for all of two days (switched from FCPX), so any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

I use comment markers for this sort of thing as I prefer to keep my project bins thin. To open a sequence in the source monitor, right-click on the sequence in the project window and select Open in Source Monitor. Position the play head at a point of interest and press M. Go to Window>Markers to view a list of markers and add comments. When you want to review a marked section click the corresponding marker in the marker window and the play head will advance to that point. Btw, you can do this within the timeline and in any monitor, not just the source monitor.

Best workflow for creating logsheets before ingesting.

I'm looking for the best workflow for creating detailed log sheets of my avchd footage before ingesting/transferring it to FCP. I have many hours of footage shot with my Sony NX5U and only want to ingest the necessary clips. I'm using FCP 6.5 on a MacPro tower. Thanks.

>I'm using FCP 6.5
NO you are not. You might be using FCP 6.0.5.
Well, the only way you can ingest only sections of tapeless media is by using Log and Transfer. And you cannot Log clips first, and transfer later. You cannot do the same thing you did with tape, make a Batch Capture list. So you would look at your footage in the FCP L&T interface, and you can send one to be transcoded while you move onto the next one to watch. That can happen at the same time.
But, there's another issue here. The Sony NX5U uses an AVCHD format that is slightly different than normal...not that there is a normal. But I discovered that importing clips up to 10 min in length work fine, but anything over 10 min, and it took 4-5 times longer to import. meaning a 30 min clip took just over two hours. It was something that ClipWrap2 addressed before FCP did...and they only addressed the issue with the FCP 7.0.3 update. FCP 6.0.5...or even the last update for that version, 6.0.6, doesn't address this. There might be issues in importing this footage into FCP 6.
And the other options...Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere...don't have a "log and transfer" type interface. They bring in the full clips only. With Premiere, you are stuck with them being full length. But with Avid, you acccess the footage via AMA (Avid Media Access), and then you'd make your selects on a sequence, and then consolidate/transcode only the footage on the sequence.
And no, there's no way to make a logging sheet for these apps either.
The best you can do is watch the footage, note the timecode, and manually enter those numbers when you go to bring in the footage.

Best workflow for creating games for pc and starling games in AIR

best workflow for creating games for pc and starling games in AIR.
I need to develop for tablets with starling and AIR as well as for pc without starling ie: downloading from a server.
In starling you have to
1. instantiate starling
2. use texture atlases for loading graphic assets - well its the recommended way
3. use juggler
etc...
ie: with all these differences is it best to:
1. create completely different projects
2. just create different classes for the starling specific parts
3. use a conditional compile constant
    eg: CONFIG::STARLING
            "then do this"
or      CONFIG::CPU
          "then do this"
I currently have the latter but it feels a little messy. I would prefer separate classes for each platform where the image loading is concerned.
There must be so many game developers out there but in large gaming companies that know exactly what to do. Perhaps you can point me in the right direction with a book or something.
CHEERS

The other thing is that I can't see the games being very different as you suggest. I have downloaded Lee Brimelows tut on creating a starling game on Lynda.com and the code is great for creating games using states for menu, play, gameover etc... The only difference is that he uses texture atlas and there is a great difference in loading them etc... so technically you would only need to handle them in a different class as collision and the rest of game play should be the same in both. I think!!!
Well, actually not exactly but near enough - maybe it might be easier to create separate projects and just cut and paste the new code introduced.

Workflow for unsupported RAW files

Aperture doesn't recognize RAW images from my Leica D-Lux 2 so I will need to use ACR to convert the files. I'm wondering what other people have set up in terms of workflow for unsupported RAW files. I'm thinking I will have to open in PS, convert, save as TIFF, and then import into Aperture--keeping the original RAW files classified somewhere on my hard drive. Anyone have a better workflow idea?

Aperture doesn't recognize RAW images from my Leica
D-Lux 2 so I will need to use ACR to convert the
files. I'm wondering what other people have set up in
terms of workflow for unsupported RAW files. I'm
thinking I will have to open in PS, convert, save as
TIFF, and then import into Aperture--keeping the
original RAW files classified somewhere on my hard
drive. Anyone have a better workflow idea?
If you like using ACR this is a great thread for how to do so easily:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=260641&tstart=0
I myself am in the same boat (unsupported RAW), what I've been doing is saving 16-bit TIFFS from my RAW editor and importing those into Aperture. I just batch convert first and load them in all at once.
When Linear PNG's are supported that is the option I will favor for import I think (until my camera's RAW format is supported, but I think linear RAW will come first).
Powermac G5 1.8GHz DP Mac OS X (10.4.3) Radeon 9800 Pro Mac Special Edition, dual monitors

Is this a sensible workflow for Nikon NEF files?

Hi,
I'm new to the world of digital SLRs having received a Nikon D40 for Christmas. After comparing Aperture 2 and Lightroom 2, I've decided to go with Aperture, as I already use Logic Pro so like the user interface and (I know a lot of people don't agree) I prefer the way Aperture renders the Nikon NEF files without extra adjustment. I'm also evaluating Capture NX 2, but am undecided as to whether I need it at this point.
Up until now I've been using Nikon Transfer to transfer the photos to my iMac, and View NX to view them. I like the automatic naming of folders in Transfer, plus being able to see Nikon's interpretation of the raw files. I've then been importing the photos as referenced files into Aperture for proper cataloguing, etc.
Is this a good approach? I'm a hobby photographer, mostly landscapes and townscapes, and deal with hundreds rather than thousands of images.
I'm a bit confused by all the options, so any advice would be very welcome!
Chris

Is this a sensible workflow for Nikon NEF files? YES!
I shoot Nikon NEF files and use Aperure exclusively with occasionally a little blending of layers made from versions of the same raw file (to improve the dynamic range a little more).
You like Nikon Transfer's "automatic nameing of folders" Check out the Subfolders drop down menu in the Import Window in Aperture; you can do that and much more too.
"...plus being able to see Nikon's interpretation of the raw files." You need to choose between the Nikon route and the Aperture route I think. You don't drive from A to B in one brand of car and then go back and do it in another brand of car just in case it might be better do you?!
"I'm a hobby photographer, mostly landscapes and townscapes, and deal with hundreds rather than thousands of images" Can you keyword images and then use them to sort and group images in View NX? You can in Aperture.
From my humble experience as a Nikon owner using Aperture for two years I suggest you use Aperture to download, organise and edit your raws. I prefer referenced so that I can archive large numbers of Raws to free disk space and for protection but still search the previews or do a keyword searches. I used to use Capture NX to process any files that needed more work but now that Aperture2 is so good and has so many plug-ins I have left the slow, clunky Nikon Prog' alone. Be brave and jump in to Aperture. It is great once you are in!

Best application for cleaning my files

Best application for cleaning my files?

How to maintain a Mac
1. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off site at all times. One backup is not enough. Don’t back up your backups; make them independent of each other. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it.
2. Keep your software up to date. In the Software Update preference pane, you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis. This is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible.
3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this stuff is useless, or worse than useless.
The more actively promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam.
As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for — such as creating, communicating, and playing — and does not modify the way other software works. Use your computer; don't fuss with it.
Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.
The free anti-malware application ClamXav is not crap, and although it’s not routinely needed, it may be useful in some environments, such as a mixed Mac-Windows enterprise network.
4. Beware of trojans. A trojan is malicious software (“malware”) that the user is duped into installing voluntarily. Such attacks were rare on the Mac platform until sometime in 2011, but are now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous.
There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it — the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness — not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable.
Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be acquired directly from the developer. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from a web page without your having requested it should go straight into the Trash. A website that claims you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, is rogue.
In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most users don't.
5. Don't fill up your boot volume. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a boot failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem. While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage consumption and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
If storage space is running low, use a tool such as the free application OmniDiskSweeper to explore your volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move rarely-used large files to secondary storage.
6. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.
The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

Best workflow for Droid .3gp files?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for