TEXT IN FCP

Hello,
I'm doing a project using red text and green text every other shot. The shots are just text over black. The initial size in the motion tab is 50, although depending on the amount of text, I use the wireframe in the Canvas to change the size. The font is BiauKia. After rendering, the green graphics are clean, but the red graphics seem to have jagged edges and the letters do not reproduce very well. The graphic are center screen and about two to three lines long. Any help you can give me will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Ray

First of all, you've probably got illegal chroma. Red is a terrible colour to work with on TV. Reduce the saturation and possibly the brightness and it will improve.

Second of all, don't work in a NTSC or PAL timeline if you can avoid it. Prores will give better results for graphics.

That you for the help. Not sure what you mean by doing it in a Prores timeline instead of NTSC. How would I do that?
Thanks,
Ray

those jagged lines are pretty much standard for bright red, as Jude points out.

when using FCP's text it is better to do the re-sizing with the Text Controls themselves, not with the Wireframe
using the wireframe will reduce quality, and exacerbate jagged lines.
if you MUST use the wireframe then go into your Sequence Settings > Video Processing, and turn Motion Scaling to "Best"

re NTSC, Jude may be suggesting you go with an HD sequence.

what are your current sequence settings? (codec / frame size)
what do you have to deliver?

in SD sequences, i have had some luck in the past using the flicker filter set to Max on text.
it can remove some of the jaggies on finer text
(my text has been white, i don't think it'll help too with a bright red)


nick

I find that ProRes gives much cleaner graphics than NTSC or PAL (which are about the worst choices) Go to Sequence > Settings > and change the 'compressor' to Apple ProRes 422 (or ProRes HQ if you have the space and prefer that).

This will not solve the problem if it's out of spec saturation-wise though. You have to reduce how 'red' it is to get it to work cleanly.

Thanks for the help. For now i've decide to use just green fonts which reproduce well. It's a short Christmas video. Thanks again.
Ray