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Need help with FCP4

Jovian9

Jovian9

macrumors 68000
Original poster
My friend (who recently just bought an iMac G5) just picked up FCP4 (actually the production suite). We've been using Cinematize to extract Music Videos from our massive collection of Music Video DVD's so that we can create a Master DVD (or 2) of the favorite Music Videos. We've got these videos sitting in the timeline in FCP (around 1hr45mins) and are done putting them in the order we want to view them in. We want to export them so we can begin working on this in DVDSP but we cannot figure out how to add chapter markers at each specific video. I even have a book, 'Final Cut Pro and the Art of Filmmaking'....but it hasn't been able to help us. I've used FCP3 and 2 before but have never done videos in it that are long enough to need chapters....so I can't figure it out. We're probably overlooking something obvious....so that's why I'm posting here for help.
Thanks!
 
First, you have to be joking with this question.

Do you realize how big and at times complex FCP can be, pick up a book or a VTC or play with the program for a few hours you will at least figure out some of the basics.

There are too many questions and ways of doing a task its like PS.

Buy a book and read it over the weekend you might prefer it that way better. 🙂
 
You don't need to put chapter markers in using Final Cut Pro. If you export the sequence as a QuickTime Movie File and import it into DVD Studio Pro, you can set chapter markers there. I've heard problems where people have set markers in FCP, but they didn't carry over to DVDSP. So you import the file into DVDSP and onto the timeline there in a track. Then you click directly above the clip in the timeline and that will create a chapter marker that you can move back and forth until you get it to the right spot. Good luck...it took me 4-5 years to master FCP and DVDSP, so it's definitely not something you can learn over night.
 
Yea you should add the chapter markers in dvdsp. But your biggest problem is that there is no way you are gonna fit 2 hours of video on a 4.7 gb single layer DVD.
 
filmmaker2002 said:
Good luck...it took me 4-5 years to master FCP and DVDSP, so it's definitely not something you can learn over night.
Click to expand...

Exactly my point. 🙂

The learning curve is steep. Why else do you think they have classes at the NAB and MacWorld shows for FCP, DVDSP, Motion, etc....
 
Chill out you guys 🙂

he wants to add a chapter to a video not master fcp overnight and take your jobs 😉

anyway, questions answered so ima outta here ------>
 
m a y a said:
First, you have to be joking with this question.

Do you realize how big and at times complex FCP can be, pick up a book or a VTC or play with the program for a few hours you will at least figure out some of the basics.

There are too many questions and ways of doing a task its like PS.

Buy a book and read it over the weekend you might prefer it that way better. 🙂
Click to expand...

Sheesh- he said he read a book & it didn't answer his question- he also stated he's upgraded from previous versions of FCP but never did this particular task so he didn't have that experience to fall back on with THIS situation... I don't get that he's trying to learn the basics- sounds like he's already learned more than the basics & understands the complexity of the program he's working with...
 
in fcp4
move timeline indicator to where you want a chapter marker.
go to Mark menu.
go down menu to markers then click on add marker.
a marker appears.
go back to mark menu.
go to markers.
click on edit.
a box appears.
click on add chapter marker.
you can name the marker and chapter if you want to.
if you are naming the chapter make sure you leave <chapter>, don't delete it.
click ok.

you can do the above with keystrokes
place timeline indicator where you want the chapter marker.
press the ` key for a marker
then press "option" "apple" and the "m" keys and follow above instructions to make it a chapter marker.

it's easier to set your chapter markers in fcp.
they will "go across" to dvdsp if the markers are made into chapter markers. a common mistake is to add markers in fcp and not convert them to chapter markers. dvdsp doesn't know what standard fcp markers are.
 
The above poster is correct in how to add a chapter mark. But FCP4, and even FCE is an amazingly complex program that can take a while to even learn, much less master. The manual is something like 700 pages. If you and your friend are going to seriously consider doing more FCP work, take a class on it or attend a seminar. Its just too hard to teach via a forum like this.
 
To be honest, IMO you'd be better off exporting each clip to DVD Studio Pro seperately and dealing with them as individual files in DVDSP, it's much easier to deal with smaller files in the creation of a DVD.

You can set the DVD to play through all of the clips from a single "play" command, and set up individual start points in your menus to go to each clip.

Export to MPEG2 via QT if you can, as you have better control over the quality of your clips. DVDSP3 gives you the same level of control.

iDVD won't let you import MPEG2, you'll need QT ot DV Stream files (I think there are others).
 
markjones05 said:
Yea you should add the chapter markers in dvdsp. But your biggest problem is that there is no way you are gonna fit 2 hours of video on a 4.7 gb single layer DVD.
Click to expand...
How do you figure that? iDVD fits 2 hours on a single layer DVD, so why can't DVDSP?
 
In order to fit 2 hours on a 4.7GB DVD you need to export at a lower MPEG2 bitrate. The best way to do this is to choose export via compressor from final cut, and set that to MPEG-2 120 minute high quality encode. You will be able to import this into DVD SP without DVD SP needing to convert it (ie dvd build time will be about 20 years less) and it will fit up to 120 minutes. Some quality is lost though.

-Peter
 
Sorry for the delay in a reply. I live in Indiana and we have been buried in floods so my phone line/internet connection has been out for a week. Thanks for the help. I am trying to eventually 'master FCP' but not right now. All I wanted was to be able to add some chapter markers and export this so I can burn this Music Video DVD and enjoy it now (kind of like making a mixed tape but of music videos).
So thanks to those who have provided helpful info and no thanks to those who always wait in the wings to attack anyone who asks a question they do not like🙂
 
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