Reconnect issue - timeline cuts out of sync.. re-renders cause jump cuts

ProRes120/50i Sequence

I restarted FCP to be presented with a 'media offline' message for one clip. No worries, went to locate the file, came up with a 'media start and end don't match' message. Hmmm. Click continue, check timeline cuts and everything appears to be OK.

Now as I continue editing I get occasional little red bars on previously rendered material. Select clip and render - results in a repeated section where the little red bar was (like the clip has jumped back 5 frames). Hmmm.

I now notice that, as I look at the timeline, the 'jumpback' is actually where the start of the next clip should be - i.e. next clip is shortened by 5 frames.

This is all very weird and now as I continue to edit I see this behaviour repeated at random points in the timeline. I assume it is something to do with the reconnected media (as all the problems are from that clip) but the fact was that the timeline was not an accurate reflection of the output - inconsistently.

As it was we had to crash to make air and make it work. But I'm interested if anyone has seen this sort of behaviour and can point out how I can avoid it in the future.

I would add that the offending clip was captured without an outpoint, by someone else, it just finished at the end of the tape recording. I think that may be the problem.

Thanks

"the fact was that the timeline was not an accurate reflection of the output - inconsistently. "

maybe i've seen this.
i've seen something similar.

our process: telecine direct to FCP,
capture now in FCP.
those files give weird results when exported from timeline, (my experience)
and possibly when rendered in the timeline. (friend's experience)

content shifts 2-3 frames within the boundaries of the edits.

possible issue was corrupt TC track in the capture now file
solution for me was to re-export those clips from FCP as QuickTime movies, same settings, self contained.
re-import, modify TC to match original if they didn't.

new files work ok, and can we could reconnect to them from existing timelines.



hope that helps,
nick

I had an issue recently with footage from iShowU screen capture software. When I went to look at the footage closely it played at around 15-20 fps. ProRes I think.
FCP imported it fine, editing was smooth considering it was a down to the wire afternoon cut, and ETT was smooth for a 3 minute piece.
The QT renders for DVD/WEB were completely off though. All the bits of the iShowU footage were randomly shifted and slipped by more than just a few frames. I had to convert the footage bit by bit from the iShowU file to a proper fame rate and re-insert them, matching by eye.

I would have liked to convert the whole thing before I started the cut but there was 25 minutes of unscreened websurfing footage and very little time.

While there was a better workflow for this footage than what I used, the inscrutable nature of what FCP was doing is a problem for me.
FCP imported the file, with no warning.
It was able to play the footage even though it was at a non standard frame rate in a 23.98 sequence, without any warnings.
It played them out to tape with no warnings.
It rendered the QT's with no warnings, it just changed a whole bunch of shots.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

Thanks for that Nick, I think it's a similar issue.

Unfortunately the truck has now moved onto another game somewhere else, so I won't be able to further diagnose, but I'll keep the workaround for future reference.

- T


Nick Meyers Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> content shifts 2-3 frames within the boundaries of
> the edits.
>
> possible issue was corrupt TC track in the capture
> now file
> solution for me was to re-export those clips from
> FCP as QuickTime movies, same settings, self
> contained.
> re-import, modify TC to match original if they
> didn't.
>
> new files work ok, and can we could reconnect to
> them from existing timelines.
>
>

Andrew - I think iShowU has a setting to automatically slow the frame rate whenever it can, so it compresses tighter. You can turn this off during recording so you don't get the weird ass frame rate if you need the clip for editing.

Good to know Jude.
Wouldn't have helped in this case as the iShowU clip came in from "back at the office" and was made way before they even called me to do the cut.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

SnapzPro clips have this problem as well, and a lot worse (slipping by seconds, not frames). My last job was almost all screen captures, and I basically put every clip into an FCP timeline and re-exported before even attempting to edit with them. With the original captured clip, you can't trust which frame you're on until you render, basically.


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