Newbie workflow question...

[Aiden K.]

Ok, so I just got my camera, and I'm curious, what workflow would I choose if I wanted to accomplish the following.

My final delivery is 720p, however in the future I may want to deliver at 4k. How would I go about editing in FCP for 720p, but with 4k in mind for a future delivery resolution. Not out to film. Strictly digital based.

Thank you.

 

[I Bloom]

You would want to edit with proxies and then find a way to link back to the raw files to re-render your finishing media. Easy to do with Scratch for example.

IBloom

 

[Aiden K.]

then find a way to link back to the raw files to re-render your finishing media. Easy to do with Scratch for example.

Find a way? Would "using" Scratch be one of those ways then? Just confused a bit. Thanks.

 

[Snow R. Shai]

Or

Or

Hi
You can use Scratch or Ian's great Crimson Workflow.
Check out his website!

 

[Hans-Georg Daun]

There are several issues to consider

4K support
Final Cut does not currently support 4K, the maximum horizontal resolution is limited to 4000 pixels. This means you cannot produce final 4K output from FCP but will have to generate some kind of Edit Decision List from your rough edit in FCP and do the online in some other tool. This in turn means that you cannot use any FCP-only effects, filters, etc.

Color Correction
When aiming for high end output (theatrical screening, ads) you will want to do color correction with a specialized tool and with the help of a colorist. For less ambitious projects you may be able to get by with the correction tools in FCP or, much better IMO, plug-ins such as Magic Bullet Looks or Magic Bullet Colorista (see www.redgiantsoftware.com). This would allow you to do the finishing in FCP (just not in 4K, as explained above).

For a smaller project with a tight budget you will want to look at Ian's Crimson workflow and my own Clipfinder application (see an explanation of a possible workflow for smaller projects here: http://www.daun.ch/software/ClipfinderHelp2.1/conformingafinal.html)

I hope this helps
Cheers,
Hans

 

[Aiden K.]

There are several issues to consider

4K support
Final Cut does not currently support 4K, the maximum horizontal resolution is limited to 4000 pixels.

Thank you, I didn't know that. That helps a lot.

 

[Aiden K.]

I do have another question though about proxies and FCP, when I load my proxies into FCP Studio 2, I can view them fine at all the different proxy sizes, and when I make SOME color corrections in Red Alert, I can make new proxies and I see the changes in FCP, some of the Red Alert corrections that don't pass over to FCP are Curves, why is that?

Also, if I make any speed adjustments to the proxies, like slowing down footage I shot at 120FPS, then I render the clip, it just turns all grey. What am I doing wrong?

 

[mikeburton]

Personally, I rarely work with the proxies anymore. For editorial overhead and just plain ease of use I choose to transcode to ProRes first. You can make 720p prores files, edit (make speed adjustment etc) use Crimeon to Conform your edit in Redcine and match back to FCP so long as you don't change the clip names in your transcoded prores files. Or you could go through a Scratch via EDL/XML if you have the budget for it.
The proxies are fine if you are only doing straight cuts for the most part and although many are using them to cut their movies I have had to end up fixing more post struggles for clients on long form projects from the proxy workflow than I would like to admit. Transcoding files to ProRes does take some time away from editing in the begininng but I feel it saves you time in the end when it counts!