FCPX trial version

[digipeter]

Using iMovie HD thus far, I am giving FCPX a try. I'm in the midst of its trial period, and have these beginners questions:

1. Does this trial version already offers all the benefits of the full version, or is there some limitation to it? (ex: I get a 'general' warning - not referring to some trial limitation as I would expect - that changes will not be preserved, and that I better quit the program)

2. Since old VHS tapes were professionally transferred 'in one batch' to DV tapes which I then imported in FCPX by my camera, the event and project library show all these tapes as long clips (duration 30 to 45 min).
What's the best/easiest/quickest way to 'split' them up, as camera's normally do on importing changing scenes?

3. In the various 'color correction' tools, I miss - or did not discovered yet - the way to correct wrong white balance settings.
As there is a whole tape in 'night' setting instead of 'daylight' (which in time obviously was not noticed on my elder b/w camera monitor), is there a way to turn night into day and thus get rid of that odd purple color cast?
If not, what is to recommend to use FCPX's own correction settings (color board, presets) for the best? (it's a pity to turn the movie into b/w, sepia, or whatever...)

A swift & good advise, before the trial period expires (still 17 days to go) will make my day! http://cdn.macrumors.com/vb/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

[Boe11]

2. You can preview your footage within the event browser and set in (I) and out (O) points for the clips you'd like to bring into your project.

You should also check out the "create camera archive" function within the import tool. It basically lets you capture the footage from tape and then treat the files as if they were digital files on a memory card. Then you can do your cutting and decide which clips you'd like to bring into your event right in the import tool, without having a cluttered event browser.

Another option is to preview your footage in the event browser, set in and out points for the clips you like or would like to divide up, and hit F for favorite. This will arrange the clips that were your "favorites" into a group which you can view.

I may have misunderstood your question entirely but if I didn't, I'd recommend the camera archive option. It makes for a pretty nice workflow when working with good ole tapes.

Best of luck

 

[cgbier]

1. It is a full version for limited time. Dunno if you can download the "pro" codecs though.
2. answered already. If a camera is needed is questionable. You have the files on the drive already in anyway, so I see this as extra work.
3. Use the color panel to remove the shift. You also have, very limited, tools for secondary color correction built in.

 

[mBox]

#3. I believe the FCPX Color options is pretty good for what you pay for. Check out all the options you can get using Color Grading Centrals presets. Also check out CrumblePops plug-ins for color grading. You can find all this at www.fcp.co
Have fun

P.s. I use Davinci Resolve for Mac, if you want to go further try their Lite version. Its free and works just like the 1k version. Just two nodes and HD res.

 

[BillMidwest]

#3 My decision to upgrade to FCPX from FC Express was based in large part on the much better color adjustment tools in FCPX and I was not disappointed. The one tool I wish FCPX had would be color temperature adjustment with a fine-tuning slider. It does have the eye dropper tool to create a color mask based upon a color in your clip, which is about one-third of the way there.

When you first import files into FCPX be sure to check 'Analyze for balance color' under the Video heading. Once all the files have been imported FC will analyze them based upon whatever you checked. This could take some time depending upon file size, the speed of your Mac and whether or not you're using a seperate drive to store video (highly recommended).

Once analyzing has completed and you have a clip in the timeline click on a representative scene and in either the Inspector panel of FC (Video/Audio/Info section) select Video then click the box next to 'Balanced: Analyzed' under Color or click the Enhancement Menu (under the Inspector section) and select Balance Color.

This will give you FC's best guess as to balanced color. You'll have to do any fine-tuning manually from there in the Color Board. Depending upon the original quality and the color information the originals contained, you may have to settle for converting to black & white if you can't get the color to your liking or its so far off it ruins the video.

An excellent resource to learn FCPX is izzyvideo.com. He has about 200 short tutorials on video and a package of tutorials on FCPX which includes raw footage he teaches you assemble into a finished video. Highly recommended.

 

[digipeter]

After some efforts I'm still stuck with the following problems in the timeline of my project:

1. To split/slice two fragments, the way it is so easy in iMovie, as to divide a project between a correctly color balanced image and a fragment needing correction (example: from artificial light with a purple-blue haze to daylight), or to delete unwanted footage between two good fragments.

2. After in (I) and out (O) points set, the fragment gets a yellow border. But: once that particular fragment is color corrected, I notice that afterwards the images/fragments before and after the corrected clip get corrected too!
So what's the way to preserve the correction on that sole fragment, without afflicting other clips that do not need corrections?

3. Is it normal that once a fragment is color corrected, what I see in the viewer, that fragment still remains uncorrected in the timeline? This seems annoying as to control the timeline for corrected images, since that correction does not show in the timeline itself.

Sorry if these remarks/observations are rather simple, due to not understanding this software fully. As my trial session gets to an end (3 days left), I really need your views.
Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[Boe11]

No question is too simple, that's what these forums are here for.

I'd spend a couple of hours watching the videos at this site. They're really great and helped me get the ball rolling with a lot of this stuff when I started using FCP X.

http://www.izzyvideo.com/final-cut-pro-x-tutorial/

I might be totally missing the point of your questions, but: When you do the I/O method and the clip you want gets the yellow border in the event browser (top left section), are you then bringing it down to the timeline (bottom section). You can do that by either just clicking the selected area and dragging it, or hitting Q, W, or E while it's selected. Once you do this, it should just bring the clip that was selected (within the yellow border) and once it's down in the timeline, you can apply your color correction. The shortcut to split/splice clips (once they're down in the timeline) is B for razor Blade. Again, I might be off base on the issue.

In terms of number 3, are you saying that once you've applied the color correction to clips, that there's nothing in the timeline that tells you what clips have had color correction applied to them? I'm not sure if there's any sort of indication on the clips in the timeline of this, but if you hit command-4 (or go to window>show inspector then you'll be able to see what filters and correction have been applied to each clip that you have selected.

Hope some of this rambling helped. Let us know if you continue to have trouble, and definitely take some time to watch the tutorials I linked above. They're short, and very informative.

 

[digipeter]

Thanks a lot Boe11! I will look into these tutorials.
(It would have been nice and handy if already Apple itself would have build its 'help' function around instructive videos for each chapter, which surely is more helpful than lots of words; the few videos on the web page of FCPX are no great help)

My question was based on my workflow thus far as to start the I/O method in the Timeline. If I understand your answer correctly, I first have to start within the Event browser, in selecting the clips that need color correction or the one's I intend to keep, and then starting the process to make the project in the timeline. Right?

One last question. Am I right that FCPX in itself doesn't offer a way to make chapters for a DVD? Do I really need Compressor 4 to this end?
iMovie seems to make it easier in its sharing with iDvD.

 

[cgbier]

Sadly, for Apple, DVD are a thing of the past. I miss DVDSP also.
The only way to create chapters is in Compressor, but, therefore, markers set are chapter markers automatically with the latest update.

 

[digipeter]

cgbier, thanks for your swift reaction
Is it FCPX's own recent update that allows to set "markers that act automatically as chapter markers", or do you refer to the latest update of Compressor only?
In your opinion, is - besides the chapters marking need - 'Compressor' and 'Motion' indispensable for newbies as me, since I only want my home movies at their best (color) corrected, rendered, fixed and exported to DVD in the best resolution. I probably will never make use of all the professional tools and skills of FCPX.

 

[cgbier]

Sorry, I meant the Compressor update. FCP X still doesn't know chapters.

If you only want to burn your home movies to DVD, you don't need Motion. Compressor for DVD production only makes sense if you want to create MPEG streams that you burn with DVDSP, Toast or Encore.
I'm not sure if iDVD recognizes the chapters you create in Compressor (I'd have to test it).

 

[Boe11]

digipete,

Right. You absolutely CAN just drag the entire imported clips into your timeline and cut them up from there by trimming and using the razor Blade tool. However, it's optimally (imo) setup to preview your footage and set your I/O markers/import just the material you want to the timeline, while in the event browser window.

Quick run down of the work flow I use.

1. import files into an event.
2. Preview the clips by skimming or playing them from the event browser.
3. Still in the event browser - set my in and out points (I/O) for the material I'm actually going to use in my project in the timeline, while cutting the fat and getting rid of the content I won't be using.
4. Dragging (the yellow bordered, selected clip) or hitting W, Q, or E to bring the clip down to the timeline.

Once the clips are down in the timeline in the length you want them, you can apply your CC and filters.

Best of luck.

 

[digipeter]

End of trial

To you all, thanks to the instructive - and swift - remarks that give me a lot to work on. Thanks to these helpful reactions I've been convinced to buy FCPX at the end of my trial period. I intend -evidently - to make further good use of this forum in the future.

Also, to start afresh with the whole program I bought in my bookstore the "Visual Quickstart Guide - Final Cut Pro X" by Lisa Brenneis & Michael Wohl" (Peachpit Press 2012). Although the 486 pages and 22 chapters are a bit intimidating at first, I'm convinced this 'learning curve' will be rewarding.

 

[cgbier]

If you are a more audiovisual person than a reader, check Rippletraining. It is also a good idea to subscribe to Macbreakstudio via iTunes. There are always some nifty ideas discussed.

 

[Boe11]

I think you've made a wise choice, to purchase and to get a training book. I need to do that for FCP X as well. When I switched from Sony Vegas to FCP 7, I purchased the Apple Pro Training series book and it was the best move I ever made. It really got me off on the right foot. Video tutorials are a great sort of "fast food" for training, but for some things there's nothing like a good old book .

Best of luck with your training, sir.