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Revision as of 03:10, 12 June 2008

The lafcpug FCP FAQ is a collaborative project to build a free guide for Final Cut Studio users. Feel free to share your knowledge with us. Just be sure to understand how to edit and/or add to the FAQ.

lafcpug Index of FCP FAQs

Getting Started FAQs

• Where can I get plug-ins for FCP?
• Will FCS run on my computer?
• How do I connect an external monitor?
• How much Ram do I need?
• How much storage do I need?
• How to set up to edit widescreen
• What is dropframe and non-dropframe timecode?
• What devices work with FCP?
• How do I register Quicktime Pro?
• Which brands of external drives are recommended?
• Should I get FCP or FCE?
• How do I calibrate my broadcast monitor?
• Can I install a single copy of Final Cut Studio on more than one computer?
• DPI: (and when to use it)
• What Codec Handles Alpha Channels?

Back to lafcpug

Log and Capture FAQs

• I can't capture (or save) files over 2GBs
• FCP says it Can't find Timecode
• FCP reports Timecode Breaks
• FCP 4.5 (and older) drops frames with 10.4.9 capture
• How do I capture and edit with anamorphic 16:9 footage?
• How do I digitize 24p 24pA?

Editing FAQs

• Video plays in Viewer but stutters in Canvas
• F9, F10, F11 keys don't work
• Why is my canvas white?
• Why is my canvas red?
• What's that green checkmark/yellow triangle?
• Why do I have to render?
• Scaling stills causes strobing
• No image in Canvas
• Where's my audio scrubbing?
• Nudging clips on the timeline
• Why are my still picts green?
• How do I insert or overwrite a sequence into timeline?
• How do I color correct my clips?
• How do I apply multiple transitions to a track?
• How do I make my 4:3 footage work in a 16:9 project?

HD Formats FAQs

• Can't capture HDV Video.
• Understanding HD
• What's the best workflow for working with HDV?
• HDV won't play on an external monitor
• Upconverting DV to DVCPRO HD with Compressor
• How does HDV work?
• How do I work with P2 media?
• 4:3 (NTSC) Title/Action safe Template in a 16:9 frame
• After upgrading to FCP 6.0.2 Log & Transfer no longer works

Exporting FAQs

• How do I get Time Code burn-in?
• How do I export to WMV?
• How do I export still images?
• How can I compress for the Web?
• Compressor 2 NTSC and Pal Conversion
• Why does my 16:9 export display as 4:3 in Quicktime?
• How do I use XML to open my project in an earlier version of FCP?
• How do I get my sound out to a CD?
• How do I upload my Movie to YouTube with Maximum Quality?
• Which XML version should I use?

Importing FAQs

• How do I import Flex of ALE Files with Cinema Tools?
• How do I get my DVD into FCP?
• How do I import P2 Footage?
• Lots of Still Picts make FCP Sloooow
• 16:9 Motion Files import as 4:3.
• How do I import PowerPoint Projects?
• Photoshop Layers not importing.
• How do I handle AVI files?

Audio FAQs

• How do I capture four (or more) tracks of audio at once?
• I hear popping & clicking sounds
• Imported songs from a CD
• Why do I hear beeping?
• Some sections of my audio are missing or sputtering
• I'm having sync problems
• No audio from movie file (MPEG) after I import
• How can I get rid of background noise?
• Boosting audio levels
• Where can I find music to use in my projects?
• How to combat mysterious audio dropouts

Effects FAQs

• How do I get good slow motion?
• How to fake a camera flash
• Can I do black and white, while one thing stays in color?
• How do I create gunshot muzzle flashes?
• How do I make my video look like film?
• My effects/titles look awful
• How do I make a telephone voice?
• How do I make a clip play in reverse?
• Changing clip speed without changing duration
• How do I light a greenscreen?
• How do I blur a face or an object like in “Cops?”
• How do I create a widescreen matte?
• How do I make my 4:3 footage work in a 16:9 project?
• How do make my video look like a cartoon?
• How do I get symbols, accents & international characters?
• My effects/titles look terrible once they are on the timeline in Final Cut.

DVD FAQs

What brand of DVDs should I use?

What brand of DVDs should I use and which are considered most reliable?

From Greg Kozikowski

Those of us with active Quality Control processes pretty much figured this out already, but it's nice to have independent verification. We were pleased to find that Sony full coat white tops use the same data coating and ID as the shiny tops unlike some other manufacturers that burned us.

Find the best and most reliable choices on DigitalFAQ.com

Why Do MY DVD's Play On My Computer but Not ON A DVD Player?

Why Do MY DVD's Play On My Computer but Not ON A DVD Player?

From John Foley

Many times this question is asked by new DVD authorers.

It is generally the bit-rate chosen to encode from Quicktime to MPEG-2 for inclusion in DVD Studio Pro. Lots of folks think the fastest bit-rate has got to be the best quality for a DVD.

The reason why the process is called encode, is because there is also a decode process involved in playback. MPEG-2 is a very highly compressed format and needs help playing back each frame of video.

While your computer is capable of decoding just about any frame rate, the DVD player you use is not.

The trick is to encode at the slowest bit-rate that gives you an acceptable picture (especially during transitions). as a general rule anywhere from 5.0 Megabitspersecond (Mbps) to around 6.5 Mbps is good. Remember this however - The faster the encode the bigger the MPEG-2 file size.

This can be critical when you are trying to put 2+ hours onto a single-sided (DVD-5) disc.

The indications that your DVD Player can't handle the content is pixelating or skipping frames of video during playback.

How do I put chapter markers in my DVD?

Q. How do I put chapter markers in my DVDs?

From Jude Cotter

Quick and dirty but very useful answer.

Read this tutorial by Ken Stone

Compression and Chapter Markers

Troubleshooting

• How do I trash my preferences? 
• FCP won't launch 
• Serial number issues 
• I'*m getting dropped frame warnings. 
• How do I reinstall/uninstall FCP? 
• FCP can't see my camera/deck after upgrade 
• I'm not getting any picture on my external monitor 
• Why does my system seem slow or unresponsive? 
• FCP 5.1.2 crashes on start up 
• What maintenance should I do? 
• How do I fix an Out of Memory alert? 
• Can't eject disk. 
• Why is my canvas/viewer bright green? 
• How do I post a screen capture of my problem?
• How do I downgrade QuickTime? 
• Quicktime Version Downloads 

Glossary of Video Terms

• Glossary of Video Terms: A to H
• Glossary of Video Terms: I to P
• Glossary of Video Terms: Q to Z

Misc. Stuff

• Configuration settings list
• MediaWiki F.A.Q
• MediaWiki release mailing list
• Test Page