FCP use in Video Production Facilities

Is anyone on this list using FCP in a medium to large video production facility? The kind that makes commercials, corporate videos and such. I have been in the industry for 30 years and I have some questions regarding FCPs use in this specific environment.

Ooop...I answered you at the Cow.
I just got back from a party at Plastercity Post here in LA. They are FCP from the ground up. 8 edit bays...audio mixing, motion graphics, sound stage...and feature film color correction and finishing..a 2K projection theatre...nice. National ads, HBO TV series, feature film..you name it, they do it. And they know their stuff.
There is also the DR Group in Culver City, Digital Film Tree in Hollywood, West Post Digital in Santa Monica, Outpost Digital in Santa Monica...and these are only the full on POST facilities. There are hundreds of production companies in the LA area that are all FCP based. Bunim Murray...that does THE REAL WORLD for MTV and THE SIMPLE LIFE for FOX...not only are they all FCP, but they have over 100 FCP edit stations. Every Mac in the office runs Final Cut Pro...and they do national TV series. And they do the typical offline/online workflow...capturing at offline RT and recapturing at 8-bit uncompressed for final finishing.
Shane

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Capturing to FCP using old video decks....

I'm going to connect a betacam and vhs player to a video switcher. The switcher will connect to a dv deck and send video feed via firewire to my mac for capturing.
Does anyone out there know if this configuration will work? Any advice is helpful. Thanks.

It will work if the the two tape players, the switcher and the record deck are all in sync and this depends on the type of switcher you have
method A
the outputs of the two decks each go through a TBC or a frame synchroniser to stabilise the signal, which feeds the switcher ( the Beta machine usually has a buit in TBC )Additianally, a sync generator has to send a sync signal to the three decks and the switcher.
method B
if the switcher has a built in frame synchroniser on eack input, the players can be connected directly to the switcher inputs
Why do you need to use a switcher?
why not capture each tape in turn direct to the Mac, dispensing with syncing problems

I do video productions for a small local TV station. I use Final Cut Express to edit. I need a new video camera but am at a loss as to what to buy. I know I will get a digital camera but do not know the difference between just digital and digital HD.

I do video productions for a small local TV station. I use Final Cut Express to edit. I need a new video camera but am at a loss as to what to buy. I know I will get a digital camera but do not know the difference between just digital and digital HD. Also, I can not afford an expensive camera and need some advice on which of the available cameras would be best and also work well with a Mac. One last issue, I currently use a Panasonic #CCD camera that takes a tape. When I load video to Final Cut the audio and video are out of sinc. Go figure. Can anyone help with these questions. Karen

Hello Karen,
If you are using Final Cut Express, then look for camcorders that are AVCHD camcorders. Look especially for the AVCHD logo and specific mention of AVCHD in the specs. Most of the major manufacturers produce good quality camdcorders - Canon, Sony, etc.
Also, be aware that there are a lot of "not quite AVCHD" camcorders on the market (sometimes they say they record video as MPEG4-H.264/AVC) - buyer beware!
Most everything you are going to find on the market today is HD, which stands for "high-def".
Regarding your question about the Panasonic camcorder, it's best if you post that as a separate question, and please identify the specific model camcorder and the Easy Setup you are using in FCE.

Hi sir im using fcp 7 for video editing in i mac, how can i edit mts files in fcp 7 without log n transfer, is their solution for fcp 7?

Hi sir im using fcp 7 for video editing in i mac, how can i edit mts files in fcp 7 without log n transfer, is their solution for fcp 7?

>No, you are not right.
Going to question the biggest contributor to this forum? (Yes, my ego is talking). OK then...
>Install the QT-Plugin, restart your Mac and you will be able to import and use .mts files in FCP 7.
Sure...yes, that makes it POSSIBLE to read the files natively in FCP...if they come from a Panasonic camera. BUT...just try working with those files. Right away the system won't be nearly as responsive as it would if they were ProRes. First...there are no sequence settings for that format...so you'll have to use ProRes and have a green render bar. BUT, that's no big deal. The big deal is trying to work with the AVCHD format, which is VERY processor intensive...inside an application that doesn't like to work with much outside of the FCP editing codecs.
Is it possible? Sure? Will it work well...will you be as zippy and error free as if you converted to ProRes? Not by a long shot. OH, but don't just take my word for it. Go ahead...try it and see. No skin off my nose...no waste of my time. See how well this works.
I'm just here to relate real world working solutions to issues. And yes, I did try that plugin, and boy, was editing a pain.

How to improve my video productions

My wife and I do video production for her sister's musical programs at a local private school. I need tips on improving the quality of the productions. Below is a list of equipment that we use and a few questions about filming/editing these musical programs.
Camera: Sony DSR-PDX10
Tripod: Manfrotto MA055XWNB (just purchased)
Head: Manfrotto 701HDV Fluid Head (just purchased)
Tapes: Sony DVC 60 minute
Sound: Directional XLR mic that came with the Sony / XLR line-in from soundboard
on some programs
System: MacBook Pro 15" 2.8GHz 4GB ram (recently purchased)
Software: iMovie/iDVD
- Should I be using Final Cut Express for editing instead of iMovie and is there a big learning curve for it?
- Is there a better DVD software that I should be using to author the discs?
- Would you recommend a DVD burner or use the super drive in the MacBook? I'm concerned about wearing the super drive out, if we burn too many DVD's.
- I'm burning copies of the disc image at 2x speed. Is this low enough to get the best quality. I'd prefer to not have to burn them at 1x.
- The recordings sound good to us when using the directional mic, but it does pick up some of the crowd noise like coughing, etc. Any suggestions on a sound solution is also welcomed.
Our purpose is to provide the parents a copy of the performance if they choose
not to video it themselves. We only charge a nominal fee for the discs (about the price of a store bought movie) which we think is fair considering the enormous amount of time that goes into filming/editing and burning the discs.
Thanks in advance for your time and input.

nice device.. not the latest, but a good 'working horse', esp. the pro-connector XLR for an ext. mic.
iMHD6 =fine, iMovie08/09 = no good..
iM08/09 has an odd behavior handling interlaced input.. to make it short: in usual use, resolution will drop by half on export ..
*FCE learning curve* = steem! but manageable and, with the little help of a book of FC-mastermind Tom Wolfsky (amazon..) you are a pro within weeks..
with some skills and imagination, you can give your projects some 'pro attitude' - but, be warned: FCE is NO 'one click done' solution as iM! no templates, themes, ready-mades ..
*better DVD software?* - DVDSP, part of FCP=$$$$ .. but better for your needs? may I recommend my own site about 'modding' iDVD-menus: http://sites.google.com/site/idvdmodding/
*superdrive wear-out?* yes, yes, YES! these slot-ins are not meant for 'mass production'. get any ext. DVD-burner - done.
we read reports, Verbatim disks work perfectly with 4x (some say 8x) speed ..
*catching noise* - rule#1 in audio-recording: you never can come too close.. consider 'poor man's 2nd unit': get any cheap miniDV-camcorder with a good/excellent ext-mic; put this as 'audio recorder' as close as possible to subjects; use the audio-track only of that device ..
professional solution: mics attached to each performer, mixer.. = $$$$

Hints for resource to create video production compatible photoshop graphics

Could someone please recommend a good website or information resource for creating graphics in Photoshop that are compatible with video production. 720x540, square vs non-square pixels, alpha channels, etc. I have Googled for an hour and am not finding what I need.
I want to make images, graphics, titles, menus, etc for DV production that will be finished in DVD Studio Pro. I do not wish to use Final Cut or DVD studio apps for any of the graphics, I much prefer to design in Illustrator and Photoshop!
I am concerned about sizes, NTSC colors and pixel shape as I mentioned above. There must be a good site with reference material and basic how to's.
Thanks!

How do people make high quality graphics ready for FCP? Re-sampling to a different size is never a good idea. Thanks for pointing me towards LAFCPUG - there's lots of other great stuff on the site, as always, but the Photoshop tutorial is from 2001. Much too old to be of any current use what so ever. Photoshop CS3/4 now handles all the pixel sizing automatically or so I am told.
I'm not sure why I am having so much trouble finding out about this. Custom graphics are imported into FCP all the time. I just need a basic idea of how to properly create a new file in Photoshop CS3 that will not be re-sized and therefore look like trash! (images are only 72 dpi so resampling is not a good idea!)
At the moment my only option is to do a test, and re-sample the width until it looks about right, then just make everything weird and distorted to start with? Same goes for Illustrator I guess... except I could import to Photoshop and stretch my graphics until they look similarly "weird and distorted"... seems very odd to me that there's no up-to-date solution for this very common situation.
Also RGB monitor colors are no good for TV. I used to use my Hollywood DV and an actual TV to get colors right, but again, I am tired of guessing at all this!
I am hoping someone will know where to direct me.
Thanks

XSAN and Video Production

Hello! Has anyone ever set-up an Xsan System for Video Production? I am building a new program and want to run FCP Server along with FCP Studio 2. Is there any information on production companies I could use as a model?
Mac Book Pro Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Information on FC Server is scarce at the moment. It's not shipping until this summer ("Summer" typically means the very last day of summer i.e. September 21st
As far as Xsan setups for video production -- there are hundreds or thousands of folks doing that.
Look at www.apple.com/xsan there are diagrams of example setups, and there are many reference pages on Apple.com if you look.

In my first iPhone 5, the speaker didn't work and people could not hear me on Speaker phone when I used it. When I used the video recording it did not record sound at all only a hissing/static sound, no voice.

In my first iPhone 5, the speaker didn't work and people could not hear me on Speaker phone when I used it. When I used the video recording it did not record sound at all only a hissing/static sound, no voice. I wished for a software fix. I did a hard reset, nothing. I did a full restore to factory settings not putting my backup on and the problem persisted.
i have been provided with this info
You can find troubleshooting tips, how-to articles, and moderated
> > discussion forums on our support website:
> >
> > www.apple.com/support
> >
> > iPhone: Basic troubleshooting
> > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1737
> >
I did every step in the link that i have been provided with (thank you), but I’m
still experiencing the same issue. My experience with Apple has been
excellent and this has been the first time I have experienced something
like this with an Apple product. I hope we can find a quick solution.
In order to get the iPhone 5 as soon as it launched (being a major fan of
Apple products!), I purchased my iPhone 5 from the UK through a friend of
mine who lives there.
My question is: can I have the faulty device replaced within Saudi by one
of the official resellers here (we have 3: STC, Mobily and Zain)? I want to
avoid the disruption, complication and expense of sending it back to the
UK.
Could you advise whether this is possible or not, and if not how should I
go about having the device replaced?
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Nice try! Take a hike.

Server Setup advice for a video production house

Hello Forum,
I recently started working for a small video production company, I need advice on the type of server and other hardware and services that will allow my co-workers to work efficiently. Here are some details:
Currently we are going to buy a new server, I am not sure what we should look at getting,
currently we use a mini mac running OSX server and have 6 iMacs that the editors and other staff use.
We also have a 15 TB Drobo network storage device which is attached to the mini-mac server we are going to replace.
The production team uses Final Cut and Motion to build documentaries.
The other issue is that need a way to connect the office in Baltimore to the office in Washington DC and ideally share files between each location, currently they cannot access the network from Baltimore and have to have a copy of the unedited footage on their own Drobo.
What type of server setup do you recommend? Quad core? speed?
Should we set up a VPN to connect offices or does someone have a better idea, if so what applications do we need?
I know windows networking pretty well, but Mac is totally new to me.Currently editing files from the server is really slow and files are usually pulled to the iMacs to do editing, burning DVDs from files on the server hardly ever works- they pull them local then burn the DVD and it works.
I would love to hear suggestions to help us get up and running.
Anyone know of a good website for server setup- Since there is no Domains in OSX that i know of, how can we secure the network? Links would be great.
Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions.

Well if your looking for performance. You could get a Promise VTrak E-Class RAID with 32TB of storage, later on you can add more chassis to the raid for more storage space. The raid can be expanded up to 160TB. (80 drive bays, each drive 2 TB)
Using fiber you could attach the raid to an xServer or Mac Pro (running mac os x server). You'll probable want at least 8 or 16 GB of ram on the server.
The server can run a copy of final cut server. Witch makes it easer to work as a group. Mac OS X server, when properly configured, can also be used to create a VPN between both locations.
Final Cut Server will let editors check in/out specific parts of the documentaries. So the project lives on the server; instead of scattered over every ones computers. Part of this is you can pull down thumb nails versions of the video to work off of. Only when you do the final render do you download the HD version of the video.
If you want even better performance on the editing stations. you could also upgrade to Mac Pros. Mac Pros have upgrade slots witch you can use to add fiber networking. You could also use the upgrade slots to add a black magic real time HD capture card.
Or if you want to keep the imacs. you might want to hook the server to a switch by fiber, and have the imacs connected to the same switch by 1000-T
If you call apple i'm sure they'd be happy to help you figure this all out.
for info on Promise: http://www.promise.com/apple/
for mor info on final cut server: http://www.apple.com/finalcutserver/

Why are no video production apps included in my Creative Cloud membership?

I have signed up for Creative Cloud but I don't get the option of downloading and installing any video production apps such as AE, Premiere Pro or Encore.
Why is that? I saw nothing to say that there was any reason why these might not be included.
As a CS4 Master Collection user who produces mainly video work I'm not happy to have signed a 12 month contract for most of the parts of the MC/CC that I use least!
This is the list I am shown on the Creative Cloud app page as well as in the Adobe Application Manager....

Technial specs for each of the CS6 products can be found on the bottom half of this page http://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud/tech-specs.html.

Using your video processing computer for the web

Hello,
I've heard it from some people I really trust and respect that one should never use your video server for ANY other purpose other than video work. They say if you use other applications, including being on the Internet, it is guaranteed to mess things up in the long run.
I want to do the right thing. But I must admit, it is SO handy to be able to encounter a problem in PrPro and just go online here and ask.
What do others do? Do they adhere to the dedicated video machine point of view?
Thanks,
matt dubuque

if you follow the 'expert' advices of having a dedicated video processing computer your workflow will be impacted. At least my workflow includes a lot of research and download from templates, royality free pictures, movies, etc. and I'm using Firefox and IE on a daily basis.
Better to invest in a solid workstation as a foundiation for a real multimedia environment, in my case a i7 930, 24 GB main memory, 5 discs with 9 TB storage, etc. under Windows 7 64 bit and I run the following main suites in parallel and all are connected to the web without any problems:
* Adobe Master collection CS5 (mainly Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop and Dreamweaver)
* Cubase 6 and Wavelab 7 for music production
* Tons of plugins and support SW both for Adobe (Redgiant, Boris FX, ProDAD, Roxio, Juicer, etc.) and Cubase (Waves SSL, NI Komplete, Yamaha N12 mixer, Lexicon, Soundtoys, SPL, etc.)
If you follow also the principle to never ever install a SW piece without checking first a trial version (1 by 1 of course...). To be protected in the worst case you should use a product like Norton Ghost for data backup and recovery --> never happened to me in my current environment for emergency perposes, i.e. in the last 6 months.
hber

Can I use Streaming Video in Java Application?

Will i be able to use Streaming Video in Java Application, if yes can anyhow out there pls teach me how to do it... thanks...

read up on the Java Medai Framework http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/jmf/index.html

Upgrading PowerMac G4 to the MAX for video production?????

I need to know if I can just upgrade my Power Mac G4 (AGP graphics) to the max for video production? I'll be using 4 main programs.
1. Final Cut Studio 2
2. After Affects
3. Protools
4. Photoshop CS 3
Final Cut recommends this for all applications:
* 2GB of RAM when working with compressed HD and uncompressed SD sources
* 4GB of RAM when working with uncompressed HD sources
Here are my computer stats:
Machine Model: PowerMac3,1
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (2.9)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 450 MHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB
Memory: 768 MB
Bus Speed: 100 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 3.2.2f1
Can anyone please help? This is my first mac.

Hey DJ,
I'm thinking that, for those specific needs, dollars are better thrown at a newer model than upgrades for your existing one. Here's why:
1) You do not have native support for large hard drives, something that's nice for video work. You'd have to spend money on a PCI adaptor card to add that support. Figure US$40-100.
2) Your video card is likely not up to the task unless it's already been upgraded. Another $70-250 depending on how good a scrounger you are.
3) You need a minimum 1.25Ghz G4 processor and, if you get the upgrade, who's to say if the next version of FC will still support a G4? 1.2G processor upgrades start at over $200 and faster ones are up to $700 (OWC pricing for new gear).
4) You can't stick more than 2G RAM in your computer.
And, after all the upgrades, you still have the basic bus speed limitation inherent in all G4s.
Bottom line is that you can quickly invest enough to buy a faster used Mac. Examples of used G5 prices (usually at the top of the price scale) are here. Even an entry level G5 should be much faster than a fully upgraded G4.
Don't get me wrong--I'm an upgrader and love to do it regardless of cost. In this case, I see the potential for ending up with an upgraded computer that struggles at its intended task and could be obsoleted by the next upgrade of the software.

Selecting the best live video production set up!

I am currently an art director but have worked with television and video depts. in the past. I have been asked to head up a new dept. at my church. I am looking for the best set-up for doing live video to record and do all the media, lighting, projection and sound also. This would fall under the current "House of worship" industry but I also will be doing full video and short film, and instructional video.
I would really like to be at a professional level but keep the budget at a doable amount.
I have been having trouble searching this online.
I would really appreciate the opinions of any professionals in video production at this level.
I will be giving recommendations to purchase the necessary equipment and software for this endeavor.
Thanks.

I simply meant configurations that include Apple as the CPU and software of choice. I realize the other components involved basically but I am trying to get the biggest bang for the buck.
I am having trouble finding a consultant in my area.
My concern is buying into something that will become obsolete and not be scalable.
With Mac I know scalability is no an issue. With the other needed equipment I'm not so sure. I have to start fairly small and add to the set up as I go.
I need to start with the ability to switch between 3-4 cameras. We are using old Canon XL1's at the moment so most likely we'll run analog cable. We are looking at a Videonic M4 digital switcher. (I'm not sure of it because it's prosumer and maxes out on sources fast. What I would like to do is be able to switch between 4-6 cameras and have a worship music presenter with the ability to run mpegs and control lighting.
Any ideas on getting this up and running at a smaller level and then working up? I could start with 3 cams but would like to do the rest as stated.
Thanks.

Can I use ION VIDEO 2 PC on my iMac?

Can I use ION VIDEO 2 PC on my iMac? .....OR what can my friend use instead?
My friend has an iMac, she used to have Tiger 10.4, then upgraded to I think the Leopard, Snow Leopard, or even to Lion...she doesn't even know. The one thing that I think gave it a way was the PC part of Video 2 PC.....Apples are NOT PC's...right? An apple is an Apple, and a PC is everything else?
My friend bought this ION VIDEO 2 PC, but she has an APPLE iMac, not a reg. PC.
Not sure what Apple O.S. she has. She did have Tiger 10.4 OS, but may have upgraded to LION or at least Snow Leopard 10.6... ???
My Main question is this.....Can she use this ION VIDEO 2 PC device to capture video from either her HD Camcorder or analog camcorder? I don't know if she has iMovie or iDvd, then use the ION device to capture, then use her apple software to maybe edit/burn DVD's.
Thanks for any help! OR, does she need to return this, and then get something a little more iMAC friendly? ( ‘Grass Valley’ or ‘Pinnacle Studio’ software?)
She doesn’t know much about computers, not Apples nor PC’s. She doesn’t even know if she has the iMovie or iDVD installed on her iMac. I’m just trying to help her capturing video from both her Analog or digital camcorders, then burning to DVD.

shldr2thewheel wrote:
Apples and every other brand of computers are PC's (short for "personal computer"), but Apple wanted to differentiate themselves from the other manfacturers.
OT: That is not quite correct. The term "personal computer" (common noun) emerged in the 1970s to distinguish microcomputers from minicomputers and mainframes.
There were a variety of architecture and platforms; great names from that age (Commodore, Wang) are now largely forgotten. Apple emerged in the second half of the decade with the Apple I personal computer.
At the beginning of the 1980s, IBM, dominant in the mainframe business, decided to enter the personal computer market, and it did so with the IBM 5150, or the IBM PC ("Personal Computer" -- proper noun). Due to several factors (including IBM's size and power) this platform became a virtual industry standard. While other platforms fell by the wayside, various manufacturers began to build "IBM PC-compatible" products; the terms then became "PC-comaptible", and, nowadays, just "PC".
As long as Apple's computers were based on a different processor architecture, they were personal computers, but they were not PCs. After Apple switched to the current Intel processor line, it became debatable whether its computers are PCs, or a different type of personal computer. I don't have the intimate understanding of the PC hardware platform necessary to have an opinion on the topic. For a good many people a "PC" actually means a Wintel machine, ie, a personal computer based on the Intel x86 (or compatible) architecture, designed to run under Windows; a Mac complies with the former, but not with the latter, so it's still not a PC in that sense.

FCP use in Video Production Facilities

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