FCP-- MOTION-- FCP WORKFLOW

I've posted a variation of this question in the QT forum but I think that the MOTION experts might provide valuble input for this quandary. Here's what's happening (I've read the posts under long render times in the FCP forum but nobody has really spelled out what the problem is.):
I opened up a new project in FCP and imported a large still (TIFF pixel dimentions:2880 X 1920). I created a new sequence and then placed the clip of the still frame in the timeline. I then SEND TO -->MOTION PROJECT and embed it so that it feedsback any changes to FCP automatically. Now in MOTION I select the layer with the still image and REPLICATE so that there are 50 copies of the same obeject arranged in a stack and then adjust the scale so that the topmost object has a scale close to zero and the last object has a scale around 350%. Lastly I add a attract to behavior so that the objects become animated and kind of look like a warping vortex. Theres also a mask thrown in somewhere. So that's it:1 large still, 1 replicator, 1 behavior, 1 mask, 2 layers for about 60 seconds. Everything in Motion moves fine. I think the playback stutters a little and it does drop a couple of frames, but I get the main idea and I can monitor in real time on an external monitor. I save and then move back to FCP. Back in FCP things slow way down. It takes FCP about three minutes just to get back up to speed and display the current playhead frame. I cannot playback the clip at all because the program just kind of hangs and is not responsive at all. I have tried using QT Conversion with this clip and tried to Export to IPOD. It estimated 15 hours to do the job. A MPEG 2 export using COMPRESSOR with all settings on best and highest took 24 hours to complete. That's around 45 minutes per frame!!
Can someone detail the actual specifics of how motion and fcp differ in accessing/reading data and then how compression actually works as well?
Any takers?
Please enlighten me.
g5 dual 2.7   Mac OS X (10.4.3)   4.5 GB RAM, ATI Radeon 9650

Thanks for the tip Patrick.
The scary thing is that I've already checked out that material. I obviously need to re-read it(maybe a couple of times). The nuts and bolts section spells out really the ins and out of Motion and the way it is hardware based and and GPU dependent. I understand that it was overkill. I get that. I'm definitely looking at this as a how can I learn from my mistake angle, not a this computer *****, or this software is buggy angle.
It might sound worse than it actually was (for Motion that is). Motion was totally functional accessing and modifying the clip. I could add a MIDI behavior and modify the scale of the layer or object. It was a little slow but it was responsive. FCP on the other hand is where I ate dirt. Not only in the compression stage but also just playback. Like I mentioned before after modifying and saving the embedded .motn clip in Motion and bouncing back to FCP it takes FCP about 3-5 minutes just to read and display the current frame. Before that the pointer just pinwheels. How is it that Motion is able to read the clip while FCP almost crashes trying to read one frame?
WUDDAYATHINK?

Similar Messages

  • Reccommendation for non-overkill MacPro for my FCP workflow

    Hey-
    Looking for a reccommendation on minimal Mac Pro specs I need to pull off my FCP workflow.
    So I’m working on a big HDSLR-heavy documentary project, using FCP 7. Guessing 75-80 total hours by the end of it. At least ¾ of the media is Apple Pro Res 422 LT, transcoded from 5D/7D shot 1080 30p AVCHD footage. Remaining majority is also 422LT, transcoded from AF100-shot 1080 30p AVCHD; remaining minority is SD-original tape capture & SD res quicktimes.
    So it’s a lot of relatively beefy, digital original files living on 4 FW800-connected Gtech 2TB drives. I’ll probably have all drives up at anyone point, but not necessarily all the var. individual projects open all the time (it’s a web-only series focusing on 10 artists, so at least 10 individual projects.)
    Currently using a 2.93 “Nehalem” Dual Quad Core Mac Pro with 12GBs of RAM for the project – and though I’ll I’ve really done with it is transcode and media manage thus far, and very little actual editing or exporting – don’t have any complaints about the machine.
    Thing is, I’m getting kicked off this particular machine and need to buy another. I originally bought the 2.93 Nehalem to meet Avid Media Composer 5 specs – I know FCP7 specs are a lot less exacting, or at least a lot vaguer.
    So big question is – do I really need 8 cores? Can I go for something more modest (read cheaper) and still get the same performance? I bought that Nehalem thru Apple Store refurbished and would love to do the same thing.
    Check out this link for the current offerings (they change daily):
    http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/mac_pro?mco=MjEwNzU3Mzc
    Let me know if I’m leaving anything out that’ll help.
    Sincerely,
    Nick

    There is no reason to go deeper into debt than the work can support.
    The current version of FCS is 32 bit - which means it can only address 4GB RAM. (1.5 for the system frameworks and 2.5 for the program directly). RAM beyond this amount will be useful when running other programs or when you run Motion. It will not have any effect on FCS.
    Still, I beg to differ with my esteemed colleague, but extra cores can make a difference even in day to day use. If you multi-task (multiple apps open and active), the OS spreads the work across all available resources. More cores + more ram = more work accomplished. Whether this is a measurable speed increase over the course of a day or simply gives you more time to think is something only you could answer.
    Good luck,
    x

  • Grassvalley Turbo iDDR to FCP workflow

    Anybody have experience with a Grassvalley Turbo iDDR to FCP workflow. We need to bring recordings from the Turbo (all SD) into FCP, and finding it hard to get an export format from the Turbo that doesn't s**t itself when dropped onto the timeline in FCP.
    cheers
    -j-

    I do a lot of projection design with the iddr's and man, let me tell you, worst technology ever! Well, not worst but very clunky to be sure, but gets the job done I suppose.
    Iddr --> Final Cut, we've used streamclip simply because it works. I believe (don't quote me) that the turbos do mpeg2 but in some proprietary way. I know that anything you throw into the iddr that is pristine going in, gets mashed about by the turbo into it's own playable mpeg-ish thing.
    so, digital files from iddr -- mpeg streamclip -- final cut. But lately i've been simply having the ddr operator take the signal out from the ddr to final cut via a blackmagic intensity or mxo and recapturing it. clunky and not realistic if you don't have a ddr at your disposal, but better picture because of the signal coming out rather than another round of compress/decompress.
    my thoughts, hope they are helpful.

  • Motion to FCP Workflow

    I realize this is a quesion for both Motion and FCP, but I need a second opinion, just to be sure:
    (1) If I want to use the satin template transition between scenes, how do I do this with a large project in FCP5? Do I do the project in FCP5 and then import all the scenes into Motion, or do I export just the satin transition and put it in place in the FCP5? It's a sophisticated transition that isn't just a simple cut. I'm confused.
    (2) In FCP5, my project is 24P Anamorphic, in motion there isn't a 24P Anamorphic setting for the project. How do I set this up for a seemless import/export. IF that's in fact what I'm going to end up doing.
    I appreciate your help.

    Oh boy, I was up late last night trying to figure this out. I had a little luck, but really no big breakthroughs. I would put the Satin Sheet video on Track 4 (top), the wipe on 3 (with a matte blending setting of alpha-or the other one), the leaving video was on 2, and the coming video was on 1. Still no luck. I was only able to get partial matte through the wipe. The white part was only allowing partial transparency. And the black or transparent part of the wipe was completely blocking out the rest.
    I was able to do the whole thing in Motion, but there was no anamorphic setting and the leaving and coming clips where only the length of the transition. I know that that is changable, but it seems to be counter-productive.
    I am really confused and exhausted.

  • FCP workflow for Sony HVR A1E

    Any recommendations for a suitable workflow when capturing HD footage from a Sony HVR A1E camera onto FCP 6.0 and exporting sequence as a quicktime file. It films 1080i and is PAL.
    I've had major problems with image quality, ghosting, blurred motion etc with my exported quicktime files. i can see the interlacing clearly!
    My easy setup choices were:
    Format: HD, Rate: 25fps, Use: HDV 1080i50 Firewire basic.
    My sequence settings are the same.
    For exporting i've been simply doing 'export as quicktime file', and i've left it as current settings.
    why am i getting all these probs. Ideally someone using a similar video cam can answer this.
    many thanks.

    Dear Nick
    I've got the same camera and have not had any such problems.
    The HVR A1e can either record audio from the external rifle mic to ch1 or to both ch1 and ch2. You need to check this setting. I think the default is to record to both channels. Let me know if this is the problem.
    good luck
    Llewelyn

  • Help on FCP workflow for a shortform project shot on EX-1 with mixed media

    I am about to start the editing process on a project shot with the EX-1. It will be a recruiting video for students aimed primarily at DVD distribution and web video.
    It is a shortform project...about 15-20 minutes in duration. About 90% of the footage I am editing will be off the EX-1 (1080 24p). The other 10% is some HDV footage shot at 1080i at 29.97 and some NTSC 4:3 footage 29.97.
    I wanted to ask the best way to approach the project and get some forum input.
    There will no heavy duty video filters or manipulation. Some lower thirds to identify, etc.
    What would users suggest as the sequence settings for the editing timeline in FCP? (If it's a 24p XDCAM EX timeline (no transcoding for the EX-1 footage), then I worry about how FCP will drop frames on the HDV footage and the NTSC footage to make it 24fps). Would it be better to have a XDCAM timeline that is 1080 29.97i (and maybe that setting will better integrate all the footage? Drop everything into that timeline?
    Or should I convert all the raw footage to ProRes 422 before editing begins? If so, at what frame rate/format for the three types of material I have?
    This is my first foray into mixed media on the timeline...and that's why I am asking assistance on the best way to approach it. Trying to make for the least number of headaches!
    Thanks for any help you can offer...
    John

    NO no no no no no no no no no no no!!!!
    DO NOT USE ProRes 4444! Just because it has a higher number and higher data rate does NOT mean that it is appropriate for editing. What is it with people going "it is bigger, therefore it MUST be better." It isn't.
    Regular ProRes 422. Not HQ, NOT 444. 4444 is meant as an ANIMATION codec replacement for embedded alpha channel work, and HQ is for 10-bit and 2K workflows. The EX is an 8-bit codec, so ProRes 422 is the way to go.
    Lordy....
    Shane

  • Need help with FCP workflow

    I have a HDV mpeg2 project that uses extensive chromakeying and motion graphics. Should I transcode my native files to prores422 and use a proress timeline in FCP?
    If the answer is YES, is mpeg streamclip (freeware) a good program to use for the transcode?

    It's really not easy to do chroma keys with HDV material. Transcoding it to ProRes won't add the color information necessary for a clean key that wasn't recorded in the first place. HDV's color space just isn't set up for chroma keys. However graphics and any material NOT HDV may look a bit better if you transcode to ProRes.
    That said, there are programs out there to help.
    http://www.dvcreators.net/chroma-key-in-hd/ has some included in it.
    http://www.dvgarage.com/prod/prod.php?prod=dvmatteb is a Mac program that gets good reviews for keying with consumer formats. Been around a long time I know.
    A lot of the success of a clean key is the way it was shot in the first place... You'll find that the keyer in Motion is a bit better than the one that comes with FCP too.
    Jerry

  • Cheap camcorders for fcp - workflow - compatibility - quality

    Hello List
    I am looking into purchasing a cheap camcorder (under $500), that are compatible with Final Cut Pro. Tape or Card are ok. The important thing is that I can easily edit the footage without having to do any conversion or ripping.
    There used to be a supported cameras list for earlier versions of final cut. Is there one for Final Cut Pro 5?
    Regarding HD versus SD in the under $500.00 camcorder pricerange, what are people's experiences / opinions regarding workflow and image quality? I understand that with a cheap HD'ish camcorder you'll get more pixels but in an 'inconvenient' delievery format that needs to be converted for FCP. Is the final image quality compareable to an uncompressed miniDV image that is smaller yet not compressed?
    What about the workflow, how much of a pain is the additional conversion from mp4 or mpeg4 ( or whatever format these camcorders output ) to a dv quicktime movie?
    any advice or receommendations are much appreciated.
    Thank you.
    Regards
    -sk

    On an other list one guy recommended this camera:
    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8661959&type=product&id=1196470790 863
    The price is $250.00 which is super cheap! Will my friend be able to log and capture with this camera without any hassle?
    Is there a camera compatility list for FCP / FCE and IMovie?
    Thank you all for your help so far. I appreciate it.
    sk

  • AVCHD lite to FCP workflow

    I'm using a Panasonic DMC-TS2 camera to shoot AVCHD lite video. I need to get this video into Final Cut Pro (version 5.1.4) to edit. I'm using OS X 10.5.8 and have iMovie 8. I've looked into various transcoders so that I can get the .mts files into my Mac (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo), including Handbrake, Mpeg Streamclip, Voltaic, and various ones of the seemingly million options. At this point I can't use iMovie as Panasonic suggests, since I don't have version 9. To upgrade to that I need to upgrade my OS, and the snowball effect begins...Even more frustrating, my lovely husband who uses a PC was able to load videos on his computer no problem (of course, couldn't change them to a format that I could use in FCP).
    Before I start upgrading and buying new programs, has anyone found a current and good workflow for AVCHD lite to FCP? (Many of the posts I read on online forums are dated prior to 2010).
    Thanks.

    ClipWrap has a very good reputation and should do the trick. I've used it and it does a great job. Try the trial download and see if it works for your media.
    I prefer ClipWrap over anything you've listed. Handbrake is the wrong tool, that's for going the other way.
    http://www.divergentmedia.com/clipwrap/features

  • 35mm feature / FCP workflow... Urgent

    Hey guys,
    Sorry if there are threads about this topic already, I don't have too much time to research the entire topic list. Here is my question:
    What are the Tried and True Film workflows. I have included the current workflow and what the project is.
    Shot:35mm
    Telecined: 29.97 DVcam as well as Dbeta protection copies.
    Reverese Telecined: Cinema tools 29.97 to 23.98
    Cutting: DVntsc 23.98
    (that is 23.98 not 24, incase you were going to ask)
    System: Quad G5, FCP 5.1, Kona 3
    Everything is going fine except for the fact we can not get a frame accurate output back to DVcam or Betasp. Our sound house and Negative cutting house both need a frame accurate locked picture as chase tapes in 29.97.
    I thought KONA removed the pulldown, I also thought that I could do this no problem. Finding out now that this is a headache. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?? I need to deliver sound dubs tomorrow.
    Can I output my 23.98 project out as a self contained QT and render it in a 29.97 timeline for output?? Will that work??
    Thanks
    Todd

    Todd
    might be a stretch but if you could get your hands on a HDcam or XDcam deck in vancouver you could print your 23.98 timeline upconverting through Kona. (I would think any convert to 29.97 is going to do pulldown on the final edit as a single piece). Could they not use a 23.98Psf as a chase?
    I haven't done a filmout yet from any of our projects. there is on in the pipeline but it's originating in HD. the HD conforms I've done that originate on Sony get a dual window burn in with ORG (original)TC and PDT (pulldown)TC burned in the letterbox portion of the DV TC dub. if there are any problems conforming the edl from 29.97 to 23.98 there is a visual cue as to what TC was on the original tape. Also I've noticed when the audio is posted at 29.97 I need to clip a frame on the 23.98 conform depending on the frequency of cuts, due to transitions rendered with pulldown at 29.97 on the DV edit.
    Were I to do a film originated piece with a neg cut I'd get the keycode and TC burned in on the 29.97 dub, load the flex files into cinema tools and conform the EDL to 24fps at the end. If I had to I could then do a handwritten cut list of the keycode if all else went goofy.

  • Lastest FCP Workflow for Canon 5DM2 and 7D ??

    I recently made the decision to go 100% with Final Cut Pro over Media Composer and Premier Pro and did a search on how to get the Canon 5DM2 and 7D files into Final Cut Pro for efficient editing without native image or data losses via avoidance of transfer or trans-coding losses. I did the cumbersome task of doing a couple searching and reading some 25 to 60 pages of material on the subject only to learn that one link that supposedly had a complete "solve" is a dead link for some droplets.
    So, that brings me to this post, does anyone have an updated 2011 solution that is really been determined to be the "best" solution to achieve the above goals of getting the material into FCP without losses or complications?
    Thanks in advance to those who post input to a solve.
    Message was edited by: Penn-Ohio

    Hi there,
    in terms of best way without complications, get the H.264 into pro res before you edit.
    establish your workflow as to how to do this, Shane Ross has an excellent tutorial on the subject if you do a search here.
    In terms of best quality to use, there are many ways of looking at this - for instance if you are exclusively cutting 5D material and its for web delivery then proresLT is fine, if you are cutting 5D into high end sources then prores HQ may be more suitable for yout.
    My own experience is that 5DtoRGB provides the cleanest way of transcoding (at the expense of speed) over the others (Mpegstreamclip, compressor, EOS plugin etc) but thats just my choice - theres an article here
    http://motionlifemediablog.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/5dtorgb-color-tests/
    that talks about it in more detail, and theres a good forum here
    http://www.cinema5d.com/index.php
    you may want to peruse, particularly with reference to flat gamma picture styles,
    bottom line though is to get out of H.264 asap and make sure your sequence matches your source footage!
    have fun
    Andy

  • FCP Workflow: Automatically Add Intro and Closing

    Hi, I recently read some documentation on Final Cut workflows. It mentioned a third-party application that takes the exported clips from FCP, converts the video and automagically adds a series intro and a series closing sequence. I would like to learn what this app is (or something similar). There was no mention of what it is, but I figured someone here would be able to point me the right way...
    Thanks,
    Max

    Thanks, Shane
    Tried to download "Traffic" the site doesn't seem to be functioning anymore... I've read that this software is pretty much dead.
    Any alternatives?

  • FCP Workflow

    I'm working on a project in which I have a short 15 second Promo which consists of an artist speaking, then playing a bit of a song and ends with his a tagline for a radio station.
    He's recorded 75 taglines for all the radio stations that need the video. I've strung out copies of the promo in one sequence and I've cut in all the separate taglines.
    Now I need to export each promo as a separate quicktime movie (which will then be converted to wmv).
    Any suggestions on the best way to export into invididual movies from the timeline?
    Is there a better workflow for this kind of project in FCP 5?
    G5   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

    I think you're right -I should have made individual sequences (particularly when it is easy to batch export). I took over the project from someone who did these in Avid. He could lay them out in the timeline with markers and export as individual files. I guess it's not possible in FCP?

  • Suggestions for Prelude to FCP workflow?

    We have a project with 22 hours of footage that has been brought into Prelude and logged.  The media represents a variety of formats including 5D, 7D, GoPro, FS700, etc.  Although originally intended for a Premiere edit, we need to now pass this project over to one of our FCP suites instead.  I can't figure out any way to both export a FCP XML file AND convert all the logged media to a usable FCP format such as DVCProHD or ProRes.  Any good workflow suggestions for getting all this work out of Prelude and into FCP if I didn't already convert to ProRes when we originally imported and logged the footage in Prelude? 
    I need something like Media Manager that would let me point to a folder, move all the selected media to that folder (while renaming the clips what they have been named in Prelude), AND convert those clips ot a new format as  it copies them.  I tried sending the project to Premiere and using Project Manager from there - but Project Manager appears to give me everything but an option  to convert the footage into a different format when it copies it.
    I feel like I'm missing something simple somewhere.
    Thanks for any help.
    Don Hertz
    AC Media Inc.

    Prelude allows you to transcode during ingest, but does not have a way to transcode clips AFTER ingest. This is a great suggestion and I have it noted from the feature request you submitted in July.
    You can send all of your clips through AME to transcode them. Getting the metadata you've already created can be applied to the new transcoded clips, however it is a one-by-one operation. For original each clip choose File->Save Metadata As... to save off the XMP to a separate file. Next ingest the transcoded versions of the clips and for each you can apply the XMP metadata via the Window->Unassociated Metadata panel.

  • Shooting GreenScreen using P2 - FCP Workflow?

    Hi all,
    Okay then. I have a green screen shoot using the Panasonic HVX 200, and we are OFFLINE editing in FCP Studio 2. We will be shooting 720p @ 30fps
    I am looking for a little reassurance that I am not setting myself up for a nightmare of incompatibilities.
    I need to get the footage from the camera to a Hard Drive at the soundstage, then bring the HardDrive to my edit suite and import into FCP Studio 2.
    I understand the import process from within FCP but beyond that, I need tips regarding workflow INCLUDING sending the project to an ONLINE facility where it will be edited using Flame/Smoke.
    Any pointers, links, or just kind and reassuring words would be tremendously helpful.
    Thanks a bunch,
    Matt

    DvcProHD100 bring in the cards, set them in a sequence to the appropriate length ie 30 min if HDSDI to HD130/150 or up to an hour using HD1200 or 1400. This should be done before the edit so you are using the same numbers as the flame/smoke artist.
    the workflow for offline/online if the online machine cannot ingest P2 (DS,EQ,Flame/Smoke) is to import the footage layoff to tape, reingest , cut, make ref movie clean up sequence for edl prep and export EDL. I've used Automatic duck successfully for 29.97 and 59.94 exporting for DS as a project. footage aquired at 23.98 becomes 59.94 on reingest with pulldown in place cause the frame flags are lost going out to tape. Maybe the IO HD having an LTC out will allow the tape machine to see UB coming at it and finally be able to preserve frame flags

Maybe you are looking for