Topic: Newb Final Cut Multicam editing Q's

[firmdragon]

So recently I've been trying to learn how to do multi-cams using Final Cut Pro 5 (previously I was using PC based Vegas).  Whats the best way to synch up two vids in the multiclip function?

[wilsonedits]

bring in your two clips into your assets box.... rename them  MC1-filename ..then MC2-filename for the other
(so you don't get confused between other tracks)

then simply pick a spot anywhere in the song... preferable a light change or a camera flash and set the in point at that spot on both clips.....  then you go to modify > make multiclip....

then you get a multiclip file with both of your files synced... then set your in point to the front of the multiclip if one cam starts before another if not just leave it ......

the drag your multiclip into the timeline and sync your DAT audio up via drum hit or guitar rift and your all set...

let me know if that doesn't make sense...congrats on make the switch to apple... once you get it down you will be amazed how good a program is... I love it... doing a six cam mix on it right now 

[firmdragon]

thanks for your help.  yea i ended up figuring it out and using the audio to figure out in points to synch things up.  yea it seems like pretty pimp program.  definitely different than the open/closing envelopes that i'm used to in vegas. 

[firmdragon]

wow doing it in fcp is a lot faster than i thought it would take? 

i'm trying to put it on dvd.  is compressor the best proggy for compressing? and what should i be using for dvd authoring?

[hummat]

FCP/Compressor/DVD Studio Pro is a workflow.  They are all engineered to be used together.  So, yes, compressor is what you'll want to use.  Then DVD Studio Pro for the DVD creation.

[firmdragon]

Cool. Time to start learning a new program.

[hummat]

Hit the Compressor forums over at Apple's site.  There were some problems with compressor 2, but they may have been fixed in a point update.

[willndmb]

you don't ned to use compressor though you can just export to m2v and dvd studio pro will then work

[wilsonedits]

you don't ned to use compressor though you can just export to m2v and dvd studio pro will then work

you could if you didn't care about quality... which most people do

using dvd studio pro to compress is lossy....  and it doesn't take that much time to it the correct way.... plus if you let compressor do its job your back to running final cut or dvd studio pro and not tying those programs up with your compressing.....


article that explains the best way to go from final cut to dvd -
http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_dvd_export.html

article that explains compressor settings
http://www.larryjordan.biz/articles/lj_bit_rate.html

[willndmb]

that article is exactly what i am talking about however instead of selecting self contained movie you select m2v out of the expert settings
(dvdsp does none of the compressing this way)
all of the same settings are there to select, it just bypasses compressor

edit-you see it says reasons why you would want self contained and not--so yes you may want to use self contained and compressor but you can still get good results without compressor and without DVDSP doing it

[wilsonedits]

but you can still get good results without compressor and without DVDSP doing it

you can get good results without compressor... but if you want GREAT results (best possible) then you would use compressor

compressor is the best program to compress.... hence its name

[willndmb]

but you can still get good results without compressor and without DVDSP doing it

you can get good results without compressor... but if you want GREAT results (best possible) then you would use compressor

compressor is the best program to compress.... hence its name

true

side question for you, one thing i have never used
how do/can you lock the start of a audio file at the start of a video file then "stretch/smoosh" the audio so that the end is lined up too?

i have always done it track by track but working with one long file i know can be fatser and easier at times
thanks

[wilsonedits]

but you can still get good results without compressor and without DVDSP doing it

you can get good results without compressor... but if you want GREAT results (best possible) then you would use compressor

compressor is the best program to compress.... hence its name

true

side question for you, one thing i have never used

how do/can you lock the start of a audio file at the start of a video file then "stretch/smoosh" the audio so that the end is lined up too?

i have always done it track by track but working with one long file i know can be fatser and easier at times
thanks

I never really have that issue ...but if i do I just clip the long file and adjust... or if anything... just do a quick fade out in between songs....

the only time i had that problem was when I used to do VHS transfers.... if thats the case I would do any audio compressing in a seperate program... final cut lacks in that department

[willndmb]

I never really have that issue ...but if i do I just clip the long file and adjust... or if anything... just do a quick fade out in between songs....

the only time i had that problem was when I used to do VHS transfers.... if thats the case I would do any audio compressing in a seperate program... final cut lacks in that department

damn
yeah its a vhs, friggin slp mode seems to give me probs all the time
i tried to cut it up but there are so many of them
oh well back to trying to cut it up
thanks

[wilsonedits]

yea last VHS source project I was doing was already off like 11 frames 3 minutes in I gave it up for good .... and really cant stand to watch VHS transfers they look like shit on widescreen tvs...