Using Final Cut Express with After Effects

[tigrosupremo]

I want to apply some After Effects to parts of my short film that I've edited in FCE. Any advice?

Anyone know how to move a project from Final Cut Express to After Effects? There's no export to XML!

What is the best way to make a movie using both tools? Start in Final Cut Express and then move to After Effects for polishing or using After Effects on your scratch material and putting it all together with FCE?

Thanks in advance!

 

[natlinxz]

I would recommend taking the source video and editing that in After Effects. Export from After Effects to a quicktime file (in the highest quality possible), and edit into Final Cut. But that's just what I would do, other people might have their own suggestions.

 

[tigrosupremo]

I would recommend taking the source video and editing that in After Effects. Export from After Effects to a quicktime file (in the highest quality possible), and edit into Final Cut. But that's just what I would do, other people might have their own suggestions.

Thanks for the reply. I'll give it a shot that way. It is a lot easier to move footage to Final Cut Express than it is away from it for some dumb reason.

 

[CaptainChunk]

You need Final Cut Pro for exporting to XML.

But for FCE, the easiest thing to do would be to export a full-quality QT movie (File --> Export --> Quicktime Movie... and use "Current Settings") and then bring that into After Effects.

If you only want to bring certain portions into AE, you can use in/out points in FCE and export those pieces (I would recommend leaving 5-10 frame handles on either side of each clip just in case) individually. As long as you keep the codec, frame size frame rate, etc. the same prior to rendering out of AE, you should be able to drop your finished work back into your FCE timeline just fine.

 

[tigrosupremo]

You need Final Cut Pro for exporting to XML.

But for FCE, the easiest thing to do would be to export a full-quality QT movie (File --> Export --> Quicktime Movie... and use "Current Settings") and then bring that into After Effects.

If you only want to bring certain portions into AE, you can use in/out points in FCE and export those pieces (I would recommend leaving 5-10 frame handles on either side of each clip just in case) individually. As long as you keep the codec, frame size frame rate, etc. the same prior to rendering out of AE, you should be able to drop your finished work back into your FCE timeline just fine.

You mean I should cut the portion out of my timeline, move it into AE, do whatever I want to it there and then drag it back into place? That sounds pretty cool.

 

[Sdashiki]

its called AFTER effects for a reason.

its not exactly a NLE

So its best to take the portions of your video which require AE treatment, cut them out of your project and export just that video file to AE. When done, reimport the .mov saved export from AE back into FCE.

You cant do any sort of non-linear cutting in AE.

 

[handsome pete]

You mean I should cut the portion out of my timeline, move it into AE, do whatever I want to it there and then drag it back into place? That sounds pretty cool.

Yes, that's the most common way of doing it.


There are solutions out there for bringing in Final Cut timelines into After Effects. Automatic Duck is one example. I'm not sure if it would work with FCE though.

But most of the time you really only need to apply VFX/graphics to small parts of your project. So the best way there is to isolate your clip with in/out points, export a high quality clip, bring clip into AE, add your effects/motion, render, then bring in rendered clip to Final Cut.

 

[tigrosupremo]

its called AFTER effects for a reason.

Haha fair enough. Thank you thank you!