Final Cut and Quicktime

Anyone here go knowledge of Quicktime?

I am having problems with exporting files from Quicktime into final cut. I batch converted (same settings) all my RAW files into .mov files, but for some reason, they are not all the same?
3 of the 10 have the video content smaller in the frame and distorted, and at least 3 of the files don't fit the format of the project in Final Cut? The footage was all shot on the same cameras,
on the same day, the odd files are random in the converting process (it's not the last 3 done for example).

I am at a loss as to why this is happening, pretty sure it's a Quicktime issue, as the RAW files are fine when brought into FC, but they are too large to work with.

Can anyone help?

Have you tried using advanced settings and setting them all up the same isntead of using presets?

The video engine for FCP is Quicktime so it's all connected. By RAW what do you mean? RAW Stills format fom an SLR, or raw .DV footage straight from video camera?

I consider myself a self righteous expert on this kind of shit, but like Jon says above you need to spell out exactly what it is you are doing.

It sounds (amongst other things) that you have a pixel aspect ratio issue (?)

What is this 'RAW' movie format you speak of ?

Sorry, when i say RAW i mean they are 8oomb .mov files shot on a Panasonic HDC-SD5, mpeg 4 files.

I am currently trying to match the mic'd sound to the film footage, then delete the camera sound.
I have done it with 1 file, the very first one. But all subsequent files when brought into a sequence
are not fitting the format (PAL anamorphic) - they are squashing up to a square format.
And some of the footage appears smaller within the frame... see pics

This is an example of the imported file distorting when imported.

This is an example of the footage exporting with the format?

Do you have clapper boards? and seperate sound files in .aiff format? This is a standard but complex workflow. You should be doing it all in FCP and not in Quicktime and then importing.

I am doing it FC the movie file is a Quicktime format. We discovered we needed the clapper to match the sound efficiently when using field mic's.

I am optimizing the original files in Quicktime Pro and bringing them into FC, then matching the separate audio track with the one from the camera,
then deleting the camera audio track. My problem is that althought all the files were optimized with the same settings - when i bring them in FC some
are not fitting the format, and some seem to have scaled within the frame?

It doesnt seem to make sense that they are 800mb .mov files then you say they are mpeg4??? Did you not import them straight into final cut from your dv tapes or whatever you shot it on, this would be the easiest and best way to import footage

Youir orig files are 1440x1080, which means you need to stratch them on import from 4x3 ratio (ana) into 16x9 (so they look normal, not ana).

highlight original clip in project
press apple+9
scroll to anamorphic setting and click
then import.

Skullhead Youir orig files are 1440x1080, which means you need to stratch them on import from 4x3 ratio (ana) into 16x9 (so they look normal, not ana).

No, if they are 1080 in resolution then they are HD and will have a native ratio of 16:9.

You need to import them in FCP, then create a new bin, add all of the sound files and then match them up using in and out points and just sync them to clapper.

If you shot HD, then you need to set your capture and editing preferences to mirror this so that you are both capturing and working in the same format.

Skullhead Youir orig files are 1440x1080, which means you need to stratch them on import from 4x3 ratio (ana) into 16x9 (so they look normal, not ana).

highlight original clip in project
press apple+9
scroll to anamorphic setting and click
then import.

Its funny how theres so many ways to do exactly the same thing i just go motion-distort.the set to -33.3 then copy the clip and paste atribute to all the clips.

Conan [quote]Skullhead Youir orig files are 1440x1080, which means you need to stratch them on import from 4x3 ratio (ana) into 16x9 (so they look normal, not ana).

highlight original clip in project
press apple+9
scroll to anamorphic setting and click
then import.

Its funny how theres so many ways to do exactly the same thing i just go motion-distort.the set to -33.3 then copy the clip and paste atribute to all the clips.[/quote]

That's the pro way Conan! :-)

No, if they are 1080 in resolution then they are HD and will have a native ratio of 16:9.

hdv is 1440x1080 (4x3 frame, anamorphic image - then looks normal when converted into 1920), 'real' HD is 1920x1080 (16x9 frame, doesn't look anamorphic). I imagine we are talking at cross purposes here, i.e. we both know what we're talking about!

The first still looks very much like 1440 not properly reformatted into 1920.

Cannot import direct to FCP because the cameras are USB and you need FIrewire to import direct, this is why we are optimizing them first in Quicktime.

Found the tick setting tomiskinky?

well leave them alone in QT, straight in and straight out. Then reformat the QT on import to FCP using the method I just described?

tomiskinky Cannot import direct to FCP because the cameras are USB and you need FIrewire to import direct, this is why we are optimizing them first in Quicktime.

You need a deck - there's always a problem when you try to edit with high-end stuff not at a post production house

Skullhead - That did the trick.

Just to summise, don't do owt to the files in QT? Sorry, pretty new to FCP?

Yes, do as much as you can within FCP. In an ideal world you would just import into FCP, then sync the sound files up and away you go editing. I have sooooo many problems with HD variations, and when working at home it's even more impossible to fix some things!

woo hoo working in a post 'boutique' for 13 years has finally paid off, socially. Most of the time people ask me what I do and I say... ummm make telly and stuff look a bit nicer.

But if i have large movie files, should i not reduce the file size in QT first?
Funny how you can search all the support places and find nothing, ask on a cycling site and get the answer?

Thanks again all.

what are you playing the large files from? its best to have them on a seperate harddrive so your computer doesnt get clogged up with video files. you should just be working with the uncompressed files from your scratch disk.

If your original files are 1440x1080 HD as I was guessing, and you want only SD PAL/625 as your deliverable (i.e. Standard definition - SD, rather than High Definition - HD) yes you can resize them, preserving the ratio would be 720x576. Then use the same anamorphic button as before, they'll be 16x9 SD. Remember that when you finally output them from your 16:9 FCP session to tape, they will look anamorphic again on SD (aka PAL/625)tape, but will be good for broadcast that way. If you want to output files at the end, make them 16x9 ratio (i.e. 1024x576). Hope I'm helping, and not patronizing!

Got an separate 500gb external drive with all the big files on. saving the compressed files from QT on the server and using them.

server? keep em local dude.