Final Cut Pro Question - Please Help

[Rhema]

Ok, i'm going to start this admitting that my question is a very very novice question.

I dont use final cut pro much, but at the design studio we work at, we use it sometimes and I have to get on it and do some projects every now and again and I've gotten stumped on sometime.

OK.

So, you know how in photoshop, or illustrator, or flash, when you start a new project, the first thing you do is set the size of your canvas, or work area or whatever you wanna call it. SO if you need a canvas of 500 x 500, you set it to that. Well, Can you do this in final cut? I know this is a very dumb question. Like I only use final cut very sparingly and I've never had to mess with this part, its always been set up for me.

We are building a project that will be displayed full screen on a monitor at 1280 x 1024. I dont need the movie to be that big, but atleast proportional the same size. so at 720 x 576 would be good, but like I said, i can't figure out how to make the video "canvas" that size.

Sorry again for the simple question, and any grammerical and spelling errors.

 

[Oryan]

I'm using FCP 4.5 but I assume this will be similar on other versions. On the FCP menu, choose Audio/Video Settings. Go to the Sequence Presets tab, choose DV NTSC 48 KHz then click the Edit button. There will be a prompt about copying a default. Click OK. In the popup window you can make the canvas any size you want. Be sure to give it a new name at the top of the window.

I'm not sure exactly what size you want to use because of the discrepancy between square and rectangular pixels. Could someone help out here? I'd recommend testing different resolutions full screen to make sure nothing is distorted.

 

[Rhema]

Thank you for your help. Although, its still not working exsactly like I need it to.

I went through and did all the setting you said, but when I import a "test" image that I created in photoshop at 720 x 576, which is the same size I set the video to be and it doesn't fit into my video window, There are black lines on both the right and left side of my image.

 

[Rhema]

OK, so, I have an update on my issue

so, the video size is coming out perfect. I created a video, exported it and played it in quicktime and it came out the size I needed it. But, what the problem is now, is that my images that I import into FCP are being distorted. they will be the right height but not the right width, or vise versa.

Any thoughts?

 

[LethalWolfe]

Once you place the image into your timeline double click on it (in the timeline) and it will appear in the viewer. Select the motion tab in the viewer and you can use scale to resize your image.


Lethal

 

[AviationFan]

my images that I import into FCP are being distorted. they will be the right height but not the right width, or vise versa.

Any thoughts?

This is likely due to the different pixel aspect ratios involved. The pixels on a TV image are not square. Could that be it?

- Martin

 

[Garden Knowm]

Once you place the image into your timeline double click on it (in the timeline) and it will appear in the viewer. Select the motion tab in the viewer and you can use scale to resize your image.


Lethal

not the scale but rather the "aspect ratio" in the "distort" effect (motion tab)..
scale will only change the size.. you need to change the entire imageif it is distorted....

The real problem is the sequence... go to the "final cut pro" pull down.. select "easy set-up" ... choose DV-"NTSC" ....

Then import your image into your Browser... create a new sequence (should be "DV-NTSC 48 khz"

Then drag your image into the new sequence...

presto.. it should be fine...

cheers


ps- there are no dumb questions.. just DUMB responses... which come from the ever present insecure finger pointing know-it-alls that roam the net... love

 

[L3X]

FCP or Express

I'm getting ready to get a MBP C2D and wanted to know the differences between Final Cut Express and Pro since i can get Express for $99 with my purchase.

i'm not a Video Pro but will be using it for DVD production and side projects.

Are there any "major" things that Pro has that Express doesn't? Are there any plugins available for Express?

Thanks for any replies.