annac
07-05-2003, 04:58 PM
DIY FCP
Do It Yourself Final Cut Pro
By Anna Craney and Mal Veitch
About 50 people attended the ASE Final Cut Pro Seminar on Sat 12 April at OTEN in Strathfield. David Mahony and Bill Lee from Apple spoke about the capabilities of FCP and the new features we can expect to see in FCP4. Then editors Laura Zusters and Nick Meyers discussed their experiences editing on FCP and demonstrated some tips they have picked up along the way.
Apple to launch FCP4
David and Bill have recently been at NAB 2003 where FCP4 was presented and won Best New Product – they couldn’t yet say when FCP4 would be available. Bill outlined the new features of FCP4.
A database for managing film projects
’Cinema Tools’ will be part of the package
Increased customisation of the keyboard and screen functions
Support for multiple video codecs with RT Extreme
8 bit uncompressed (4:2:2 YUV SD and HD); 10-bit uncompressed; DVC Pro50; MPEG2
for distribution; and HDR imaging.
XML interchange
A new format for media and file interchange
“I think we need something more than OMF and EDL,” Bill said. As well as allowing transfer of media and file (EDL) information, XML will allow transfer of effects data such as colour correction or reframing. Bill explained that XML is already used in publishing. They see it as supportable into the future “so files can still be read in 2113”. XML will also allow third parties to write filters or effects programs.
Animated titling
27 “Live Fonts” with customisable key-framed effects
A soundtrack composition program
A search engine will find royalty free loops “by instrument, genre or mood” which can then be laid and combined by changing key and beat. David said the result is “better than you might think,” although he acknowledged “I think there’s going to be a lot of really ugly music created with this”. Many editors in the room where daunted by the thought of taking on a composing role, but some thought it may be useful for corporates or temp tracks.
Compressor
For encoding (including MPEG2 encoding for streaming) with split-screen and real-time preview.
These features are of course in addition to FCP3’s current capabilities. Bill and Dave see FCP’s strengths as:
- It’s based on QuickTime so “you’re not just locked into using one companies products” -
- It can do everything you want to do – offline; compositing; effects; audio effects; titling; media management; colour correction; and finishing or EDL for online.
- It’s portable – it can be run on a laptop and configured and small or big as you like.
- “We keep Avid honest” by providing real competition.
THE EDITORS' PERSPECTIVE
Laura Zusters, who works on and teaches FCP, said she found FCP a lot more affordable.
“I’ve lusted after an editing system at home for years” she said, “and now I’ve got one.” However she has some sympathy for editors who have been working on Avid and fear that FCP will be hard to learn and not as good. She said she found it hard “for about two days, but now it’s love”.
“A lot of editors are used to working in a technically supported environment,” Laura said. FCP is often used in a more do-it-yourself environment. Producers are trying to cut costs and rather than sending the editor to a fully supported facility “they’re going to buy one of these toys themselves” she said. This can be confronting for editors who never had to deal with the technical side of things. It’s a factor that Laura has overcome. Now she’s happy to carry around her media and projects on a paperback-sized hard drive.
“One of the main differences between Avid and FCP” said Laura, “is that Avid is aimed at film editors - you turn it on and it’s Avid”. With FCP, because it’s software designed for Mac, you’re much more aware of the computer and the Mac interface. Mac users will find it easier.
Nick Meyers is also a FCP fan, using it to edit one-hour documentaries. He’s had no problem with storage, chaining hard drives together as more space was needed. One drawback is that FCP tends to slow down when working with long sequences. His solution was to work in shorter sequences then “cobble it together” at the end. There are two ways to compile shorter sequences into a long one: either cut-and-paste which will transfer all information within the sequence; or drag-and-drop which will compile sequences as blocks or subclips – these can then be double-clicked to open and make changes.
As Laura currently uses only one monitor she has to make the most of the “real estate” on the screen. She demonstrated her preferred layout – the Timeline as long as possible at the bottom of screen and the Canvas, Viewer and Browser sharing the top of the screen. For digitising she has a different layout where the Browser is large, so she can check her Digitise settings. Current Macs support two monitors and Bill said this would be the preferred set-up for ease of use.
There are differences between FCP and Avid that could confuse new FCP users, as Laura explained. Some are trivial: in FCP clicking within the timeline selects clips, in Avid it only moves the cursor. Others are more basic: in FCP audio and video are treated together unless you choose otherwise; in Avid audio and video are treated separately unless you choose otherwise.
Carryl Irik, an editor who works mainly on Avid, asked about the FCP equivalent of one of her favourite Avid functions: Match Frame. FCP will Match Frame from a sequence to the original clip in the viewer. It sources the original media only, rather than find the bin that the clip is in for you (it may be in many bins). If you want to find the clip’s original bin, say to find cutaways occurring nearby, there are a couple of ways. One would be to include the bin name or number in the clip name. Another would be to use the Find function to search for the clip name.
Nick made an observation about trimming. He said that FCP is not “modal” the way Avid is. “It’s more immediate. I work more by just grabbing things,” he said. In other words, it’s possible to trim in FCP without going into Trim Mode, although there is a Trim Mode that works very similarly to Avid. Nick usually trims in the timeline using the Roll and Ripple tools. FCP also has Slip and Slide functions.
Using a FireWire connection means inputting a digital signal, so there is no scope for changes to audio, luma or chroma levels while digitising. If digitising from other sources (by using a PCI card such as the Matrox RTMac or BlackMagic Decklink) then FCP will remember your settings in case you want to re-digitise. Nick says FCP has very good tools for colour correction and grading. He finds getting audio to broadcast quality more difficult.
If using FireWire for input and output, then a converter of some kind will be needed to convert signals between digital and analog. If you can’t use a player or camera, then the cheapest option to get analog video in is a Canopus ADVC-50 box for about $400. The slightly more expensive ADVC-100 (about $700) allows you to output analog video as well. If you’re watching analog video on an external monitor via a camera or converter (a very good idea) be aware there is a slight delay (latency). So if you’re marking In Points, they will be a fraction of a second late.
There are a number of higher end products, such as the ProMax DA-MAX+ Format Media Converter (about $4K) which converts SDI digital, component, S-video or composite video and AES-EBU or analog audio to and from the FireWire (DV compressed) format. With the new Aja Io box (about $5K or so) it will be possible to digitize and output uncompressed video from any format with 8 channels of audio over the FireWire connection. This will undoubtedly expand the scope of FCP still further.
There was some discussion about how the DIY ethic of FCP affected the editor’s role. Some editors were happy to take on additional roles and manage many aspects of a project’s postproduction. Others wanted to stick to cutting and get professional soundies to track lay and mix, composers to compose, colour graders to grade etc. Either path is possible with FCP, it’s a matter of negotiation between you and the producer. It’s important to know both the limitations and capabilities of you and your editing system.
The day finished with all questions answered and the room still buzzing. Many thanks to Dave, Bill, Laura and Nick; Peter, Philippa and Mal from the ASE Committee for organizing the day; and OTEN and Apple for their assistance.
ASSORTED TIPS
- Remember to “Set Logging Bin” in the Browser when logging, or your clips will be hard to find. (Laura)
- Pay attention to where media is being stored when you digitise so you can later identify which project media is associated with. (Mal)
- Don’t have a Reel 1, as this is the default when digitising. Then you know any Reel 1 in your EDL is a mistake and you can check it. (Nick)
- Don’t use “coalesce overlapping clips” when digitising. (Nick)
- If using “Capture Now” when digitising, press “Capture Now” before playing your tape, to allow for the delay before digitising starts. (Mal)
- If you highlight a video edit, “Go To Next Edit” function will then jump to the next video edit.
- If you have Subclips in your sequence, before making an EDL or using media manager, “Select All” then from the “Modify” menu select “Remove subclip limits”. Your sequence will then refer to original clips. (Nick)
- Back up projects frequently to CDR. To use rewritable CDs you will need a program like Toast. (Bill)
WEBSITES
www.apple.com
www.2-pop.com
www.lafcpug.org
www.creativecow.com
www.screeneditors.com
Do It Yourself Final Cut Pro
By Anna Craney and Mal Veitch
About 50 people attended the ASE Final Cut Pro Seminar on Sat 12 April at OTEN in Strathfield. David Mahony and Bill Lee from Apple spoke about the capabilities of FCP and the new features we can expect to see in FCP4. Then editors Laura Zusters and Nick Meyers discussed their experiences editing on FCP and demonstrated some tips they have picked up along the way.
Apple to launch FCP4
David and Bill have recently been at NAB 2003 where FCP4 was presented and won Best New Product – they couldn’t yet say when FCP4 would be available. Bill outlined the new features of FCP4.
A database for managing film projects
’Cinema Tools’ will be part of the package
Increased customisation of the keyboard and screen functions
Support for multiple video codecs with RT Extreme
8 bit uncompressed (4:2:2 YUV SD and HD); 10-bit uncompressed; DVC Pro50; MPEG2
for distribution; and HDR imaging.
XML interchange
A new format for media and file interchange
“I think we need something more than OMF and EDL,” Bill said. As well as allowing transfer of media and file (EDL) information, XML will allow transfer of effects data such as colour correction or reframing. Bill explained that XML is already used in publishing. They see it as supportable into the future “so files can still be read in 2113”. XML will also allow third parties to write filters or effects programs.
Animated titling
27 “Live Fonts” with customisable key-framed effects
A soundtrack composition program
A search engine will find royalty free loops “by instrument, genre or mood” which can then be laid and combined by changing key and beat. David said the result is “better than you might think,” although he acknowledged “I think there’s going to be a lot of really ugly music created with this”. Many editors in the room where daunted by the thought of taking on a composing role, but some thought it may be useful for corporates or temp tracks.
Compressor
For encoding (including MPEG2 encoding for streaming) with split-screen and real-time preview.
These features are of course in addition to FCP3’s current capabilities. Bill and Dave see FCP’s strengths as:
- It’s based on QuickTime so “you’re not just locked into using one companies products” -
- It can do everything you want to do – offline; compositing; effects; audio effects; titling; media management; colour correction; and finishing or EDL for online.
- It’s portable – it can be run on a laptop and configured and small or big as you like.
- “We keep Avid honest” by providing real competition.
THE EDITORS' PERSPECTIVE
Laura Zusters, who works on and teaches FCP, said she found FCP a lot more affordable.
“I’ve lusted after an editing system at home for years” she said, “and now I’ve got one.” However she has some sympathy for editors who have been working on Avid and fear that FCP will be hard to learn and not as good. She said she found it hard “for about two days, but now it’s love”.
“A lot of editors are used to working in a technically supported environment,” Laura said. FCP is often used in a more do-it-yourself environment. Producers are trying to cut costs and rather than sending the editor to a fully supported facility “they’re going to buy one of these toys themselves” she said. This can be confronting for editors who never had to deal with the technical side of things. It’s a factor that Laura has overcome. Now she’s happy to carry around her media and projects on a paperback-sized hard drive.
“One of the main differences between Avid and FCP” said Laura, “is that Avid is aimed at film editors - you turn it on and it’s Avid”. With FCP, because it’s software designed for Mac, you’re much more aware of the computer and the Mac interface. Mac users will find it easier.
Nick Meyers is also a FCP fan, using it to edit one-hour documentaries. He’s had no problem with storage, chaining hard drives together as more space was needed. One drawback is that FCP tends to slow down when working with long sequences. His solution was to work in shorter sequences then “cobble it together” at the end. There are two ways to compile shorter sequences into a long one: either cut-and-paste which will transfer all information within the sequence; or drag-and-drop which will compile sequences as blocks or subclips – these can then be double-clicked to open and make changes.
As Laura currently uses only one monitor she has to make the most of the “real estate” on the screen. She demonstrated her preferred layout – the Timeline as long as possible at the bottom of screen and the Canvas, Viewer and Browser sharing the top of the screen. For digitising she has a different layout where the Browser is large, so she can check her Digitise settings. Current Macs support two monitors and Bill said this would be the preferred set-up for ease of use.
There are differences between FCP and Avid that could confuse new FCP users, as Laura explained. Some are trivial: in FCP clicking within the timeline selects clips, in Avid it only moves the cursor. Others are more basic: in FCP audio and video are treated together unless you choose otherwise; in Avid audio and video are treated separately unless you choose otherwise.
Carryl Irik, an editor who works mainly on Avid, asked about the FCP equivalent of one of her favourite Avid functions: Match Frame. FCP will Match Frame from a sequence to the original clip in the viewer. It sources the original media only, rather than find the bin that the clip is in for you (it may be in many bins). If you want to find the clip’s original bin, say to find cutaways occurring nearby, there are a couple of ways. One would be to include the bin name or number in the clip name. Another would be to use the Find function to search for the clip name.
Nick made an observation about trimming. He said that FCP is not “modal” the way Avid is. “It’s more immediate. I work more by just grabbing things,” he said. In other words, it’s possible to trim in FCP without going into Trim Mode, although there is a Trim Mode that works very similarly to Avid. Nick usually trims in the timeline using the Roll and Ripple tools. FCP also has Slip and Slide functions.
Using a FireWire connection means inputting a digital signal, so there is no scope for changes to audio, luma or chroma levels while digitising. If digitising from other sources (by using a PCI card such as the Matrox RTMac or BlackMagic Decklink) then FCP will remember your settings in case you want to re-digitise. Nick says FCP has very good tools for colour correction and grading. He finds getting audio to broadcast quality more difficult.
If using FireWire for input and output, then a converter of some kind will be needed to convert signals between digital and analog. If you can’t use a player or camera, then the cheapest option to get analog video in is a Canopus ADVC-50 box for about $400. The slightly more expensive ADVC-100 (about $700) allows you to output analog video as well. If you’re watching analog video on an external monitor via a camera or converter (a very good idea) be aware there is a slight delay (latency). So if you’re marking In Points, they will be a fraction of a second late.
There are a number of higher end products, such as the ProMax DA-MAX+ Format Media Converter (about $4K) which converts SDI digital, component, S-video or composite video and AES-EBU or analog audio to and from the FireWire (DV compressed) format. With the new Aja Io box (about $5K or so) it will be possible to digitize and output uncompressed video from any format with 8 channels of audio over the FireWire connection. This will undoubtedly expand the scope of FCP still further.
There was some discussion about how the DIY ethic of FCP affected the editor’s role. Some editors were happy to take on additional roles and manage many aspects of a project’s postproduction. Others wanted to stick to cutting and get professional soundies to track lay and mix, composers to compose, colour graders to grade etc. Either path is possible with FCP, it’s a matter of negotiation between you and the producer. It’s important to know both the limitations and capabilities of you and your editing system.
The day finished with all questions answered and the room still buzzing. Many thanks to Dave, Bill, Laura and Nick; Peter, Philippa and Mal from the ASE Committee for organizing the day; and OTEN and Apple for their assistance.
ASSORTED TIPS
- Remember to “Set Logging Bin” in the Browser when logging, or your clips will be hard to find. (Laura)
- Pay attention to where media is being stored when you digitise so you can later identify which project media is associated with. (Mal)
- Don’t have a Reel 1, as this is the default when digitising. Then you know any Reel 1 in your EDL is a mistake and you can check it. (Nick)
- Don’t use “coalesce overlapping clips” when digitising. (Nick)
- If using “Capture Now” when digitising, press “Capture Now” before playing your tape, to allow for the delay before digitising starts. (Mal)
- If you highlight a video edit, “Go To Next Edit” function will then jump to the next video edit.
- If you have Subclips in your sequence, before making an EDL or using media manager, “Select All” then from the “Modify” menu select “Remove subclip limits”. Your sequence will then refer to original clips. (Nick)
- Back up projects frequently to CDR. To use rewritable CDs you will need a program like Toast. (Bill)
WEBSITES
www.apple.com
www.2-pop.com
www.lafcpug.org
www.creativecow.com
www.screeneditors.com