10 things you might not know about fcpx (last night's notes 2011-11)

10 things you might not know about fcpx

1. number of licenses of fcpx is unlimited only on devices you personally own & registered.
reference based from a conversation at Apple about fcpx

2. yes fcpx will import tape from a firewire device
choose File > Import from Camera
HDV, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVCPRO 50, & DVCPRO HD
yes, these are pro workflow (maybe not the highest quality workflow but well entrenched)

3. Color correction during import
? can take place if it is selected prior to the import (can be performed after import also). the analysis takes place but is off by default & can be activated in the Video Inspector

4. the skimmer
the skimmer can be turned off by select "s" or go to menu/view/skimmer or select the skimmer icon
shift-s for the audio skimmer

5. Color correction reset of individual controls:
select clip, in the color adjustment inspector, select the individual control you want to reset & hit delete

6. where's overwrite?
Edit/Overwrite or position the skimmer & select the d key. you can also overwrite edit so that the skimmer is the end point by selecting shift-d

7. placing slugs as a placeholder for text or clips
Position playhead & Choose Edit > Insert Placeholder
or,
Open the Generators Browser by clicking the Generators button in the toolbar, and double-click the thumbnail named Placeholder
Notes for text
or,
Choose Edit > Insert Placeholder (or press Command-Option-W)
or,
Option-W
to change the duration Control D

also, replace with gap -- shift delete
replace with gap -- forward delete


8. customizing project start time via timecode for bars & tone, slates, two-pop, so that the project begins at 01:00:00:00 is set in Project Properties (Command - j)
go to Properties Inspector
Project Properties button (wrench icon)
Change settings like Starting Timecode

although, i have not tested/verified this feature in fcpx so as to print to video via firewire with modified timecode. with legacy versions of fcp an editor had to use SimpleVideoOut to export modified timecode via a firewire device.
reference: [www.victorfoto.com]

thank you to shane ross for clarifying this!

9. changing the speed of a clip
to clarify what i mistakenly said last night, there isn't a feature in fcpx to ripple or not to ripple the storyline when the speed of a clip is change.
a speed change of a clip will extend or shorten the storyline (i guess you can always trim it)

an editor can modify the default speed changes by selecting the end of the speed change handle after the speed change has been applied & dragging it left or right
(command-r to view handles)

10. where's full screen?
shift command f

odds & ends from last night:
-- where's bars & tone? i was surprised at the overwhelming show of hands from editors who still place bars & tone, slates, two-pops in their projects, so where are the bars & tones in fcpx?
i downloaded mine from Mark Spencer's site within Ripple Training here:
[www.rippletraining.com]

-- there is no EXIF or Metadata that is automatically imported from video camera lens, for example, lens aperture to search via depth-of-field, but you can always add it yourself in the metadata inspector (Info inspector)

-- metadata reference information to get you started (who, what, when, where):
[www.iptc.org]
[www.defenseimagery.mil] (this pdf page was offline last night)

-- hey I want to delete my OSX 10.7.x cache or the fcpx preferences but where is my Library in Lion OS X 10.7.x?
in the Finder go to the Go menu & select the modifier key Option to see the now hidden Library.

-- keywords can be created within a range of a clip

-- edit titles/text in the Viewer, yes, fcpx can edit titles/text in the Viewer
position the playhead & select the Titles buttons, choose a title feature & double-click it. select the new title & input the text inside the viewer, presto!

-- where are the chapter markers?
sorry, no more chapter markers within fcpx, you'll have to use Compressor for this.
in Compressor's Preview window position the playhead where you want the chapter marker & select m to make a marker then go to the Marker edit popup button & chose edit marker (command e) Type: Chapter marker
to remove the marker select the marker & choose m

-- hey, I want to export between in & out points?
no export between in & out points you'll have to "Share/Send to Compressor" & do it in Compressor's Preview window

-- what, no more "Erase Free Space" with non-Apple SSD? ?stay tuned

amor y paz,
victor
[www.victorfoto.com]

No one questioned FCX's ability to capture from FIREWIRE tape sources. Although I will grant that a few people didn't know about that. No, what we are all up in arms about is the inabillity to capture other professional tape formats: BetaSP, Digibeta, HDCAM, HDCAM SR, BetaSX, D5. All the stuff we could do with FCP 7 and a capture card.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Yes, you can turn of the skimmer, but try scrubbing footage with that.

And yes, 90% of the time, the tapes I use are Digital Beta, HDCAM or HDCAM SR.



www.strypesinpost.com

>
> -- what, no more "Erase Free Space" with non-Apple
> SSD? ?stay tuned


If you want to preserve your SSD, make it live longer and (re)-speed it up on a non "Apple supplied SSD" you need to activate Trim, ok, you all know this.

fewer people know that you can do it with a few lines in the terminal.... basically fooling the system

here is a little app ( a script) that will do it for you. It is published by the notorious French site MacBidouille. English version HardMac

Find TrimEnabler

although named : Trim Enabler_Lion I guarantee that it works perfectly for OS 10.6.8 Snow Leopard.

Quote
-- there is no EXIF or Metadata that is automatically imported from video camera lens, for example, lens aperture to search via depth-of-field, but you can always add it yourself in the metadata inspector (Info inspector)

Last Month Steve Martin stated that when Camera makers need to include this meta data in the video files it is supported in FCPX when they do.

I can't wait.

------------------------
Dean

"When I see you floating down the gutter I'll give you a bottle of wine."
Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica.

"yes fcpx will import tape from a firewire device
choose File > Import from Camera
HDV, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVCPRO 50, & DVCPRO HD
yes, these are pro workflow"


Victor,

These are mainly prosumer formats, and ingesting from tape itself is quickly disappearing from the pro world.
Shooting is mostly file based to hard disc.
The tape issue is more about "output" to tape, because it's still a standard master deliverable.

Firewire is not viable in my world, nor are the prosumer versions of HD like DVCPro HD.
We need to use HD SDI and HDCam SR, as we can with FCP 7.

Paul Buhl
774-521-9000
Feature Film Editor
www.paulbuhl.com
Editorial Staff
www.hydraulx.com

DVCPRO HD isn't Prosumer. It was the main format used in the BBC series PLANET EARTH, and the standard professional HD format for many many many years. And it is still considered a professional format by many cable networks like Discovery, History and NatGeo.

But HDV is not. They specifically say to NOT use HDV.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

With all due respect, there is little point in discussing DvcproHD capture/exports via FW. Panasonic does not even make tape based DvcproHD cameras anymore, and I'm not sure if anyone uses DvcproHD tapes as a mastering format- it is always to HDCAM or HDCAM SR or digital beta (or Beta SP in older markets) if it goes out to tape at all. None of these do FireWire.



www.strypesinpost.com

Mastering...no. Origination format...SHOOTING format...yes. There are still a LOT of DVCPRO HD tape cameras out in the field...shooting. And more than a few P2 cameras shooting DVCPRO HD. I still see that format in my area of production.

And it doesn't matter if it is NO LONGER the dominant HD format...there was a time it was. And it was used on major high end productions. So it isn't "prosumer."


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

DvcproHD isn't prosumer. Old, maybe, but still in use. I just used it not long ago, but they were P2 cameras. DvcproHD tape cameras are rare here, especially the varicams, as I heard they are a little sticky in the PAL world. But yea, there isn't a widely accepted tape mastering format that uses FW. And what about houses that need to recapture old projects?



www.strypesinpost.com

Shane,

didn't mean to imply that DVCPRO HD was never used to shoot professionally produced projects, and I respect the legacy of the format.
My point is that in my current environment, HD formats moving through Firewire are not relevant to the FCP X discussion.

So while it may be technically inaccurate to classify DVCPRO HD as prosumer, next to 10 bit 4:4:4 400mbps RGB true 16x9 HDCAM SR
moving through HD SDI, the term draws a fair comparison to make a point.

Paul Buhl
774-521-9000
Feature Film Editor
www.paulbuhl.com
Editorial Staff
www.hydraulx.com

As the others have noted, DVCPro HD is not Prosumer, not by a long shot. All the HD seasons of Good Eats were done on the Varicam in DVCPro HD, all of our feature documentaries and pretty much every HD project we've done since 2003 have all been DVCPro HD shot on Panasonic Varicam or similar cameras. We're gearing up to do up to 13 original series in 2012 that will all be shot with Panasonic Varicam cameras in DVCPro HD.

Definitely cannot lump that into the prosumer fold with or without Firewire control / capture. Hell it's difficult to throw HDV into the prosumer category as you can't watch an episode of Mythbusters or Dirty Jobs without seeing those cameras. And how about all those seasons of Deadliest Catch? Those sure look like little Sony Z cameras and HDV VTRs when they show the behind the scenes episodes. I'm pretty sure those are NOT prosumer camera operators running around on those boats. Sure they have some nice Pannys and other cameras for the helicopter and some land stuff, but not on the boats that I can tell.

For our series we're going to shoot to DVCPro HD and either edit natively in Premiere Pro or convert to DNxHD for Avid Media Composer 6 depending on the series and who our production partners are.

So HDCAM SR is the "top of the line" for today, that doesn't make it "true HD" and the others "prosumer HD." It just means that format you're used to working with. We don't use SR and have absolutely no need for SR but we're delivering "professional broadcast television" with our systems.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
biscardicreative.com