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FCP7 2048x854 editing and render questions

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Laura Creecy

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Apologies, I've been in Alexa/Avid world for the last year and a half, but I've worked with Red/FCP7 a lot in the past, just double checking myself again...

I just inherited a feature film project that the DIT transcoded 2048x854 ProRes422 which I thought was kind of odd for an offline, why not go down to 1920x1080 and letterbox it? So now even on my 12core, FCP7 is lagging while editing and I have to render anytime I want to use any kind of transition (even a cross dissolve) or any simple compositing. Is this due to the odd frame size or something else?

In the past, I've worked with RedCine-X and FCP to due full offline/online workflows, but even with anamorphic, or 2.35/2.40 frame crops, I've always transcoded 1920x1080 letterbox for offline, and RedCine-X to online to 2k (if going out DPX or something else), with a matte finally put on during color correction.

Any thoughts or suggestions on the lag and render times? Much appreciated.
 
FCP7 has some specific resolutions that are optimized for RT playback/editing. Any timeline at a different resolution will be much more difficult to work with. 2048X854 is definitely not one of the RT resolutions. You may (depending on the complexity of the project) have an easier time making 1920x1080 media (which IS a supported RT resolution) from your current offline media and conforming to that before continuing. How that affects final conform, or even if it's practical to do is totally dependent on the specifics of the project, but it may be worth testing.
 
Yeah, I was trying to decide about pushing the Producers to retranscode and sync, because some of the audio, which was synced with pluraleyes, has camera scratch track on it, some doesnt, so every time I want to make a cut, I have to look at the audio, the time alone just figuring out if each clip has camera scratch or location sound is enough to make me want to start over, but added with the odd frame size - it really slows down the editing process and knocks me out of that creative space. Of course, budget and time is a different story. :)
 
I have edited on my Mac a 4096x1708 Prores 422 HQ, which is the same 2.40 as yours, but 4k in my case, with no problem whatsoever. I'm not aware of any specific size for FCP project. You can set ANY size you like. I think you may confusing your information with DnxHD, which are only certain sizes. You need to allow FCP to set the project to your "native" size and codec, in your case 2048x854 ProRes422 when you drag the file for the first time into the timeline. Or you could do it manually, but I find it much easier, when FCP does it for me. Once your project settings are the same, as your files, no render will be needed.
Also, you may need to check, if you drives are capable of playing two streams of video in real time, as you'd need that for a non rendered dissolve.
 
Yes, the timeline settings are set up correctly. Dragged one clip onto the timeline to set it up like you mentioned. I'm more concerned with the fact that I have to render a simple cross dissolve or even any simple compositing etc. And over the length of a feature film, that is going to add up to a lot of render time and slowing down.
 
Laura Creecy said:
Yes, the timeline settings are set up correctly. Dragged one clip onto the timeline to set it up like you mentioned. I'm more concerned with the fact that I have to render a simple cross dissolve or even any simple compositing etc. And over the length of a feature film, that is going to add up to a lot of render time and slowing down.
Click to expand...

Please read the last paragraph.
 
AM I going crazy? That last paragraph wasnt there when I read it the first time... weird. External G-Raid connected esata. Never had a problem before. I've done a lot of 2k onlines on this machine with esata drives. No problems like this.
 
jake blackstone said:
You can stack two scenes on top of each other, change the opacity to 50% and hit play. If it's playing in real time, you're golden, if not, there is your problem.
Click to expand...
No, I cannot composite or stack with opacity changes, it needs a render. Thus its not playing in real time, and why I posted. Retranscode a whole feature (also sound issues) or just deal with a headache taking me out of the creative process?? Not sure...
 
Laura Creecy said:
No, I cannot composite or stack with opacity changes, it needs a render. Thus its not playing in real time, and why I posted. Retranscode a whole feature (also sound issues) or just deal with a headache taking me out of the creative process?? Not sure...
Click to expand...
As I said, that is you problem. Your drive is not fast enough for two streams of video, which is necessary for a non rendered dissolve in real time.
 
FCP will not let you enable "Unlimited RT" for sequences at any resolution other than "standard video resolutions", so it is perfectly normal to have to render dissolves etc. You should still be able to do cut only editing and play back without rendering.

Bear in mind it is the sequence resolution (and codec) which limits RT being enabled, not the resolution of the source footage. So you can happily edit your 2048x854 material in a 1920x1080 timeline, and get real time dissolves without rendering (assuming your drives and CPU can keep up.)
 
Laura Creecy said:
Yeah, I was trying to decide about pushing the Producers to retranscode and sync, because some of the audio, which was synced with pluraleyes, has camera scratch track on it, some doesnt, so every time I want to make a cut, I have to look at the audio, the time alone just figuring out if each clip has camera scratch or location sound is enough to make me want to start over, but added with the odd frame size - it really slows down the editing process and knocks me out of that creative space. Of course, budget and time is a different story. :)
Click to expand...

Just make a FCP batch export to down scale to 1920 wide. You do not need to make it 1080 high with letter box. I might be wrong but the "black" will give you nothing extra but slower renders. It goes quite quick. I would even do the batch render to proress LT since you are doing offline the quality drop does not make any difference for you and the trnascode will be far faster.


Edit... others here state that you do need to stay in 16:9 to keep playback so maybe you should. Keep aspect in the quicktime setting an you should be fine.
 
You could make your timeline 2048x1152, as that is a supported RT resolution. However because your clips are not a standard FCP resolution, dynamic resolution scaling will not work. So if your machine can't keep up at full rez you may still need to render.
 
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