COnverting Gopro footage into FCP7 for editing.

Do I need to convert GOPRO footage for editing in FCP 7? I had heard that it will convert it for me during the rendering? Also if i use the the MPEG 2 streamclip that I have been reading so much about.... do I have to install the playback component or does FCP 7 already have it ? Will downloading the MPEG streamclip destroy any files that I have as well or ruin anything on my computer for this project?
Thank You,
Sue

BTW, I have Snow Leopard OS X 10. 68
FCP7 10.0.3

Since that thing shoots to H.264 MPEG-4s at 30fps...yeah, needs conversion. Don't use MPEG Streamclip unless you have no choice. MPEG Streamclip handles frame rates and timecode poorly.

Downloading MPEG Streamclip does not, however, mess with your files. It's a remarkably simple application. I've even taken it from a PowerPC G5, done a straight copy to an Intel Mac Pro's non-system drive (it was a post house where the project was going on; I didn't have admin access), and it worked without visible problems, at least for the few months I was there.


www.derekmok.com

Ok, thank you for the reply. What should I use instead? ....I was editng with the GOPRO( mv4 files is what it didi when I brought iti into FCP) and it seemed to be working with me having to render all the time. But now I have to render for a really long time and cannot rewind and play in the viewer ...ball comes on andthe gopro video jumps and sticks.
I am not a pro but have been learning all this for the past year and am alot better than a year ago.
My project just consists of about 45 seconds total of gopro video...the rest is not.

Thank you,
ps, do you know anything about why external hard drives will not eject when you are trying to shutdown for the day?
thanks again it is really appreciated.

> I was editng with the GOPRO( mv4 files is what it didi when I brought iti into FCP) and it seemed to be working

Just because it "works" doesn't mean it will work well. FCP can edit with AVIs too...you'll just want to bang your head against the desk. Convert to an editing-friendly codec like ProRes 422. If you just ignore the problem, not only is your editing process much more painful, you can also end up with an inviable project only at the export stage, making your entire editing process a waste. Trust me, it happens -- you see one set of images in your timeline but get something else entirely on tape output or movie-file export, for example.

> My project just consists of about 45 seconds total of gopro video...the rest is not.

In FCP editing, you conform everything to one format if possible. The decision is not an arbitrary one; it has to do with what your final deliverables are, what your system capacity is, the scale and complexity of the project, the speed and capacity of your storage, and many other factors.


www.derekmok.com