Quicktime Reference file question

I've just bought Pluraleyes.

In order to make Multiclip-able files, Mr. Pluraleyes, Bruce, suggests making a QT Ref File for each video angle. OK.

The overall length of my Pluraleyes sequence is about 90 minutes - that's the A CAM, if you like, to which B and C cams have been successfully synched already.

The B CAM has about 20 shots which are spread over that 90 minutes. Each shot averages maybe 1 minute.

When I go to Export the B CAM as a QT movie and un-check the "self-contained" box, It takes about 50 minutes to create this wretched reference file. Huh?

I've never, in 11 years of using FCP, made a reference movie before. Am I doing something wrong? I thought these reference files simply consisted of in & out points. Why can't it do this task in 5 seconds? I hate it.

Deeply unhappy.

Solace? Suggestions?

Best,

Harry.

PS. Furthermore, just for giggles, I tried to make a QT reference file of a 90 minute CONTINOUS/CONTIGUOUS piece of video which has no cuts in it. FCP estimated 2 hours before I exited in disgust and abandoned. Surely I'm doing this wrong, no? For a continuous 90 minute shot, it needs to record the in and out points and where the damn thing lives. Total time should be 1 second, no?

If you are going to spend lots of time during the editing stage, I would suggest that you export QuickTime self contained. Although it may take longer, it doesn't sting half as bad as when you have to move your source media files and QuickTime starts scanning your drives for your original media files.

I suspect QuickTime stores audio files in the qt wrapper, also some of it has to do with drive speed- the faster it can access your data, the faster it can generate a reference movie.



www.strypesinpost.com

Thanks for the reply, strypes. I normally do export self-contained, but simply to conquor this multicam thing and because I understood it to take very little time, I thought I'd try a "reference movie".

But it's simply not making a reference movie. It's making a full on self contained movie. I don't get it -- I go to EXPORT > QUICKTIME MOVIE, then I un-tick "Make movie self contained" and leave the "setting" as "current settings".

Then it proceeds to make a "self-contained" movie.

I can't understand what I'm doing wrong.

System and Applications drives are SSD and media is on a 7,200 rpm.

Any further suggestions would be most welcome. Have trashed prefs etc etc etc.

Best

Harry.

How are you exporting the media? Of the timeline? Does the timeline need rendering? When you export a QuickTime movie, are you exporting as current settings?



www.strypesinpost.com

No rendering necessary. I mark appropriate in and out points and, for good measure, I highlight the portion to be exported. I turn off unwanted video and audio with the green button on the left. And - yes - I'm exporting as "current settings".

I don't get it.

Harry.

Weird. What codec? No rendering as in green bar or grey?



www.strypesinpost.com

Codec is HDV 24p. Could it be wacky ol' HDV messing me around?

H.

Got it ... apparently FCP will not make a reference movie from HDV.

WTF?

I just tried some ProRes and it did it just fine in a couple of seconds.

Ah well,

thanks for the help, strypes.

Harry.

Right. The long exporting time is probably due to the GOP re-ordering. HDV and XDCAM needs a strict GOP length and pattern. Not sure if you can do ref qts at all, but long exports from XDCAM ex always stung me, so I make sure I convert in between the sessions.



www.strypesinpost.com

Native HDV is a PITA. Don't use it. Bites you coming and going for anythingbut cuts-only. get it into ProRes.

- Loren

Today's FCP 7 keytip:
Summon your Video Scopes with Option - 9 !

Your Final Cut Studio KeyGuide? Power Pack
with FCP7 KeyGuide --
now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

How do you convert XDCAM? what do you convert it to? doesn't the sequence setting convert all capture settings to whatever the sequence setting is when you render the sequence before exporting the QT reference file?