Rendering imported iMovie clips in Final Cut Express

I'm learning FCExpress with a previous iMovie project as my footage. The clips/edited sequences dragged/dropped to the browser from an iMovie need to be rendered, but when I click "render all" a menu appears with a list of checkmarked and uncheckmarked options that I cannot find explained in either the Help window or the hardcopy manual. Maybe there somewhere, but haven't found it. Is it detailed somewhere? Or can you briefly explain the menu options and what the checks mean? Thanks. This has gotta be a dumb question, but I'm stuck there.
ibook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6) LaCie hard drive

Dear Tom,
I did the exact thing of importing iMovie Clips to FCE HD and I had to render the clips before I could add any effects to them.
1) I did this because I had problem with capturing clips from my DV camera using FCE. I had error message like "bad source tape". Any advice for this?
2) After importing and rendered from iMovie, FCE HD could not work Real time with my rendered clips. Every transition or video effects had to be rendered. Shucks, I'm perplexed.

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There aren't any free import/export components for WMV content. F4M is the best, since it's integrated into FC, but, as you've found out, without paying the $49., the free version limits the clip to 1/2 it's duration up to 30 seconds, and puts the watermark on.
The other software that converts is Visual Hub, but it doesn't have the FC integration...it's slightly cheaper.
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Capture it as a Movie using ScreenSnapz Pro.
Saving it as a DV / NTSC quicktime movie - w/ 48 hz audio under Screensnapz options.
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Don't use ScreenSnapz Pro, anything you get from that is not going to be as good quality as simply downloading it directly from the source.
1. Use [MPEG Streamclip|http://www.squared5.com/|click here to download] to get the file from YouTube using its "Open URL (Cmd-U)" function.
2. Export to Quicktime (Cmd-E) using these settings:
Compression: Apple DV/DVCPRO - NTSC
Frame Size: 720x480
Frame Rate: 29.97
Quality: 100%
Sound: Uncompressed Stereo 48kHz
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Message was edited by: skalicki`

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I just upgraded to Final Cut Express because of the feature of being able to start a project in iMovie and then finish it in FCE. The steps look simple in the manual File / Open / etc. But when I do it, it tells me File Error: Wrong Type. Is there something I am doing wrong or some other format for the iMovie projects to make them work?

FCE 4.0.1 is the current version of FCE. There is nothing newer.
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Can I Transfer iMovie files to Final Cut Express HD?

I have just upgraded from iMovie to Final Cut Express HD.... I had captured 15 hours of world travel movies in iMovie and realized I needed a more powerful application to do the travel movies justice. But I am wondering if I can use the raw material that I imported or.... YUCK>... if I will have to re-capture the files in Final Cut. Can anyone let me know a solution that saves time?
Thanks

posted many moons ago.
apologies for naff formatting (reposted from an old blog post on an old website). Piero, do you fancy taking this on and hosting it? Improving it? I'm still out of the video editing world so I'm not really interested in reviving any of my old stuff yet.
File below is hosted on my mac so if the link is down, try again later.
This is only any good for DV stuff. No HDV stuff
=======OLD POST 1=========================
OK, here's what I'd do based on what I've tried so far in getting iMovie
.dv files into FCE and avoiding having to render.
Open your iMovie .dv file in Quicktime Pro.
Extract the audio track
Export the audio track as a Quicktime Movie, Linear PCM format, Channels Stereo (L R), 48kHz, 16bit sample size
Delete the audio track from the .dv file
Open the exported audio file, select all and copy.
Select All in the .dv file
Add the exported Audio file using Add to Movie
Export/Save As the .dv file as a self contained Quicktime Movie
Use this movie in FCE
The benefit of this approach as opposed to exporting .dv file in one go is
that the only thing that is truely exported, etc is the Audio track which is
relatively quick. The video track is left unchanged so there is no loss in
quality.
The resultant file never has to be rendered in FCE.
==========OLD POST 2====================
Download: i5m_iMovie2FCE v0.9
It's an Applescript droplet that you can drag the iMovie DV stream media files onto and it'll run away and convert them. There's also a standalone version of the script if you want to run it from the script menu on individual files, etc. It's a 0.9 release since for ease of development in Applescript it doesn't include any error handling, etc. Also I've just realised it assumes 16 bit audio.
============================
// Permanently broken mac // Mac OS X (10.4.9)

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Slides never look as good on TV because you are drastically reducing the original size of probably 1920x1200 to around 720x576 which ruins the quality.
Furthermore, the fine detail is likely to jitter and shimmer due to interlacing artifacts.
You can reduce the jitter with the De-interlace filter but it will do nothing for the sharpness.
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IMovie 08, iMovie 6, or Final Cut Express

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It is possible to export to Quicktime in full 1920x1080.
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You can play it back at 1920x1080 on your Mac, if your screen is large enough.
You can play it back on a Sony Playstation 3.
You can play it on a BluRay Disk Player.
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If you burn to a normal DVD in MPEG2, you are limited to 480i, so that is the worst option.
Message was edited by: AppleMan1958

Importing imovie project into Final Cut Pro

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First thing to do is find your original clips that you captured in IMovie. I don't have much experience in IMovie, but see if you can select a clip and control click and choose reveal in finder. If that works, open one of these clips in quicktime player and hit command-i and let us know the format of the clip.
Kind of doubt you'll be able to actually import your project into fcp, but you should be able to recreate it in fcp without too much difficulty.
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Hopefully someone with more experience in IMovie will speak up, but hopefully this will get us started.
Message was edited by: Michael Grenadier

Importing video files into final cut express

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Hello,
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Roman

It's been long discussed, but your conclusion is not fully correct:
1) If you import at FULL, no pixels are lost by iM. Thus, his Canon footage could have come in perfectly.
2) "One field is DISCARDED with 1080i." Not true. IF AND ONLY IF you use a function or FX that performs scaling, ALL video is chopped to 540p.
3) The functions that do NOT cause conversion of ALL video to 540p include SPEED, DISSOLVE, and FADE. If you use only these FX, then EVERY pixel that is recorded by your camera CAN BE exported by iM 09.
4) If you use no FX, then EVERY pixel that is recorded by your camera CAN BE exported by iM 09.
5) To export ALL pixels, you of course, must choose the correct settings in the QT dialog. They would be the same as you use with FCE or FCP.
The fact he got different sized files shows HE did something to cause the difference. Had he done things "correctly," he would have the same size file.
PS1: Page Curl is a perfect example of a scaling FX. So, by violating the #1 rule of using iM 09 you get support for your incorrect conclusion. Folks shooting with a camera like the Canon do so mostly to get a high-end film look. Very few folks making a film use anything other than SPEED, DISSOLVE, and FADE. In fact, no one making a high-end video would use anything other than SPEED, DISSOLVE, and FADE. So, it is perfectly possible to NOT use any of the "bad" FX. (Although they can be fun I admit!)
PS2: Be aware the black Background IS one of the bad FX. Unless, this bug was fixed in the last update. A static background should not need to use scaling! If this bug remains, use a black JPEG! I keep a black and white matte in iPhoto to use with "Fade TO" FX.

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Hi
I am trying to import clips from AVCHD (Canon HG10). I go to file>log and transfer and select the clip. When I click on Add lip to queue it starts and then Final Cut Express crashes. Is there an update? Am I doing something wrong?
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Hello
I'm not sure if this is relevant:
I've been using the Quicktime Conversion settings;
http://www.locationstudio.net/Settings.jpg
29.97 Frame Rate
Highest Quality
NTSC/PRO
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Mike

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Rendering imported iMovie clips in Final Cut Express

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