FCP to PowerPoint

I have a client who wants to use several sound bites on my FCP timeline in a PowerPoint presentation. What is the best export so that the media quality is good will interface with PowerPoint? Thanks. Kathy

You need find out which platform they are using.

Which version of PPT? Which version of the OS?

For PC, it will be either MPEG1 or WMV. The actual specs are determined by their hardware & software.

A PC can have so many different options that without knowing what kind of hardware they have and which versions of the OS and PPT they have, it's nearly impossible to give you a recipe.

deb

Thanks, Deb. I'll get more info and let you know.
Thanks for your help!
Kathy

sorry....wrong thread!!

deb

Thanks, Deb. I'll get back to you.
Kathy

Okay. and in the meantime, I'll try to be more careful about being in the right threads before I answer stuff!!

Again, sorry!

deb

Flip 4 Mac is great, I have clients who drop the resulting files straight into their PowerPoint shows.

Hey Deb--
My client will be dropping the media into PPT 2007 on PC with Windows XP.
Is that enough info? I just need to know the best way to export from final cut, then I will drop the media onto a DVD which the client will use to build their own PPT project.
Thanks for your help!
Kathy

Then you'll want a WMV. Do you have Flip4Mac or another Windows Media Component encoder? The one that comes with FCP is just the demo, so you'll need to purchase an Export Component for FCP. There are also entire apps that do this, but I haven't had a client yet complain about the quality of the WMVs I get from the WM9 Export Component now sold by Telestream. (go to www.flip4mac.com for more info)

We still need to know how much RAM and whether or not it has a separate video card or if it's one that is piggybacked onto the motherboard to give you a precise recommendation. (I think the term is Integrated Video RAM or Integrated VRAM...but I'm not a PC-person, so it also could be my faulty organic memory)

My technogeek is out working a show this evening, and he'd be the one to tell me to tell you what file size(s) to shoot for. He could probably give you a range of things to try if you can't get more specific information from your client. If you can ask one more time and if the client can tell you how much RAM the computer has and whether or not it has a dedicated video card (or Integrated Video RAM) that would be swell. If not, he or she may have to try several files and see which one works best on their system. If it's a corporate client, well...many corporate-types don't know what they have or how to find out the information, and get really stressed out if pressed too hard for information...so go easy. I've found it's better to give them more options to try than to try to tailor one file to their system specs and have it fail. Tell them to start with the largest one, and if that locks up the system, try the next one down in file size until it works repeatedly. Some PCs experience "leaking RAM", which means if the PPT is left running for awhile but not being used, or started over and over many times in a day, RAM starts getting chewed up and that can crash the program. (happened to me once...it's how I found out about it)

Unfortunately, there's not a good "one size fits all" answer, because there is such a huge range of what a client's computer could be capable of. You wouldn't want to give a small file to someone with a really fast computer with lots of RAM and a good video card because it could look so much better if you gave them a bigger file. Conversely, (and more likely) you'd hate to give a nice, big, great-looking file to a client with a weaker system and have the file crash the program.

Lots of words. Hopefully lots of information.

deb

Deb,
Thanks so much for taking time to help with this question. I will continue to get info from the client re: RAM size and dedicated integrated VRAM. In the mean time I will try to get more info from the client (a large corporation) without scaring them with pressing tech questions. I did read somewhere that I can use an AVI for PC use on PPT.
One othe quesiton...I have an option format on my home computer (not sure if same at the office--new system) under QT Conversion from FCP called "FLP." Is this the Flip you mentioned?
Also, when you suggest to use a "WMV," is that the same as a "Wave" format?
I have much to learn--but I love learning and I appreciate patient teachers!
Thanks!!
Kathy

Thanks for your help. I may go ahead and purchase this.
Kathy

AVI is old technology and not used nearly as much as WMV these days, especially in a system running Office 2007. You can get nice-looking AVI files is you make them large enough, but they tend to bog down systems. Also, smaller AVI files don't look nearly as good as a comparably-sized WMV. The same goes for larger files...comparing an AVI that looks really really good to a WMV that look really really good, and you'd find that the WMV is smaller. So you get more bang for your compression buck with WMVs, so to speak.

That being said, I've never heard of someone using an AVI in a PPT. That doesn't mean it can't be done...but it's not usual in my experience. Most folks use WMVs in PowerPoint on a PC these days, unless they are running older systems, and then they use MPEG1.

I'm not familiar with the "FLP" extension you mentioned. Maybe someone can chime in an educate us both! The WM9 Component from Flip4mac makes files with the extension .wmv. That's the only thing I've ever made. Again, if there's more to it, hopefully someone in the know will help us become in the know!

"WMV" I think is the acronym for "Windows Media Video"....not sure about the "video", but it's "Windows Media" for certain. "WAVE" is also known as ".wav", and is primarily a PC-based audio file.

Glad to be of help! Hope this works out for you...and your client!

deb

I think Kathy meant FLV not FLP. FLV is of course, Flash Video.

Michael Horton
-------------------

Actually, now that you mention it, I meant to say, "FLC" in the QT conversion format choices menu not FLP. oops. Do you know what FLC is?
Thanks, K

Thanks a bunch, Deb.
Kathy

Oh. Thats an animation file format.

Michael Horton
-------------------

I'm having an Extension Headache!!

Anyone have Exten-drine?



deb

I'll jump in here as i have to create movies for PPT daily. Now the company I work for is STILL using PowerPoint 2000 so we're a bit antiquated in presentation software but it still applies as most of our outside presenters are using 2007. MPEG1 720x480 30fps works everytime, even on our older machines. It is VHS quality, but when shown on most LSC projectors looks just fine even for the extremely close up dental surgeries that I do.

Steve

Quote
I'm having an Extension Headache!!

Anyone have Exten-drine?

Would be nice to have a Universal Extension named .whateverworks

Michael Horton
-------------------

Oh, and to clarify...

I saw that you had typed "dedicated integrated VRAM" in a previous post and just wanted to make sure you knew that "dedicated" and "integrated" are the differences in the types, not part of the same thing.

In case I wasn't precise enough before, to explain in a different manner: PCs can have two types of video RAM. One is a dedicated board that is separate from the motherboard. The other is the integrated board that shares resources with the motherboard. So the difference is dedicated versus integrated. Most techno-dudes would tell you that the dedicated boards are better.( Techno-chicks probably would, too.)

My PowerPoint guy has highly-tuned PCs with dedicated boards. He sometimes has to use clients' PCs with the integrated boards, and those tend to give him a lot more trouble in a live situation. That, and the unpredictable Norton Virus scanning that can pop up during a presentation. That's happened more times than he can count using PCs not made optimum for live PowerPoint presentations.

The reality is that people think that because they can create the PPT on a PC that the same PC can also reliably present that presentation. That's hardly ever the case. Most corporate types have PCs with the lowest performance components because it would be silly to spend all that money for a high-end production machine for most folks who will use it for email, spreadsheets and word processing. Plus, those machines are packed with all sorts of stuff that may help protect the data from Internet marauders, but put the machine's performance at risk. Many dedicated production machines' drives are completely wiped clean and have pertinent software reinstalled quarterly. They are not daily-use computers and are much more reliable in a live situation.

Tell them they should really test out the machine before the event if they are supplying the PC. If it's a smaller conference room or classroom situation, have them connect it to the projector they're going to use. If it's a ballroom-type event, bring it to the company that's producing the event and test it out on the equipment that will be there. Otherwise, it's a huge gamble. Most live event companies don't just hook up any ol' PC and use it.

There...in case something goes horribly wrong and they decide to blame the video file you gave them, there's some info for the back of your noggin' to use to defend yourself!! 9 times out of 10 the computer is the problem, not the files. (as long as the files are made optimum per the computer's specs, of course!)

But nothing will go wrong! It will be splendid! It will make their day and your video file will make a huge positive impact and all will be right with their world!



deb

Thanks, Steve!
Would you mind telling me exactly where I will find that export choice from FCP export menu? There is an DVD MPEG1 choice on the compress Default Setting but don't see anything that fits the exact specs you mentioned.
Thanks again,
Kathy

Who knew this would be such a hot topic?!
K

I'd be rich woman if I could come up with that!!
K

If your clients are happy with the quality of MPEG1, that's fine, Kathy....but just know that there is a huge difference in how good an MPEG1 looks versus a WMV.

People tend to use MPEG1 because it's sort of universal, not because it's a quality format.

No disrespect intended towards Steve. What he does works for his situation, and that's fabulous. If it works, keep doin' it! I'm not about to tell someone to change a workflow that's productive and cost-effective unless that person is looking for improvement on quality.

In a large live event situation, with a 10" or 12" screen, the difference in a WMV and an MPEG1 would be very noticeable. In a smaller venue, it probably wouldn't be as big of a thing....but if they are going to use these videos on a huge screen in a ballroom, then in my very humble opinion, MPEG1 is really not the way to go.

deb

Debe, i'm with you on the quality factor... I was apporaching it as to compatability.

Steve

Hey Steve,
I hear you on the quality vs. compatability. I did some looking into Deb suggestion and it does sound like the best solution. However, for various reasons I may need a good back up and your MPEG suggestion may be the one. Would you mind telling me specifically which MPEG export you use?
Thanks a bunch!
Kathy