Final Cut Express help

[dpoon]

OK, to give this a break down this will be my 1st video editing project. What I am trying to do is add a title, credits and music to an avi file.

The original file I had was recorded from FRAPS and ended up as a RAW file that was 20gigs. I then used virtualdub to encode the avi file with divx to about 375mbs in which the avi was still crystal clear.

I 1st took my shot at editing using Final Cut Express for a MAC. Everything was going great, ad I was learning allot as I was going on. I liked everything about FCE as it was simple and easy to use. I added titles, credits, music and I was finished with my 1st project. But then when I try to export everything back into an avi, the quality looked horrible and I can't figure out why. Also the file was much bigger then the original 375mb, about 10x the size.

All I am trying to do is take my crystal clear 375mb avi file and add a title, credits and music. Which I don't think after adding them in should take over 500mb.


Maybe FCE can't do this. Maybe I need Premier Pro. Can anyone help? suggestions? will Premier be able to do what I want? I hae access to both a PC and MAC and both Premier and FCE

[mats.hogberg]

Don't encode to the end format (the divx) until all edits and stuff is in place. Work with your raw file all the way to he end, and don't save out a compressed version until then.

/Mats

[dpoon]

So you are saying that I should bring the raw version over to FCE and edit, add titles, credits, music?

Working with 20gigs is quite a bit of space. And does a working with a bigger file mean that the rendering process will take longer? It took me almost 7-8 hours to render the 375mb file.

And after I am done working with the RAW file in FCE, I should then encode it with divx via vdub?

[mats.hogberg]

So you are saying that I should bring the raw version over to FCE and edit, add titles, credits, music?

Yes

does a working with a bigger file mean that the rendering process will take longer?

No

And after I am done working with the RAW file in FCE, I should then encode it with divx via vdub?

Ideally, yes, if FCE can save out raw. If not, save out as DV AVI or other low compressed format, then do the final encode in VD (if the DivX encoding of FCE isn't up to par).

/Mats

[terryj]

You can use vdub or VisualHub, but Mats.is right.
Save it fromFCP as a Quicktime movie file
(the final edits) and then drag drop that into
VisualHub, set presets for your DIVX encode,
and go.

[dpoon]

Ok, I have tried working with the RAW file, however FCE can not render the avi because there is no codec

[mats.hogberg]

You mean:
FCE can't load the raw file
or
FCE can't save the raw file
?
The way I read you, FCE can't save as raw/uncompressed, but have you tried some other un/low compressed format?

/Mats

[dpoon]

Im not to sure what you are asking. But I was able to load the RAW file into FCE, along with the title and credits at the beginning and end.

However when the raw avi file is loaded into the timeline, i have an red back-round and white lettering saying codec could not be found. There for I can not render the project.

[terryj]

we need to determine what codecs are used in that is throwing off
the avi's export. Do you have VLC?

Try playing the file in VLC, and open the information window
and report back what the information is for stream0,
stream1, and stream 2 please.

[dpoon]

OK,

I found out that when I am copying whats ever on my desktop via Fraps, it has its own code thus making the raw avi not readable by a mac.

I then did a little research and found this perian.org which allows me to view the raw file on a mac.

But still when I create my project in FCE using the raw file, the output still looks pretty crappy

[terryj]

Ok, I'm scratching my head here....
So Fraps is what...? A screen capture utility
that captures gameplay on your PC?
and then you export those to the mac to use in VLC?

Do you have the game available for use on the Mac?
to play or view?
if so, why not capture it natively on the mac?
Seems what you need is the ability to capture the gameplay
DIRECTLY into FCE and thus save yourself some grief.

Describe what you are doing in more detail please, and we can help
figure this out.....

[mats.hogberg]

To facilitate the transition from FRAPS odd ball format, into something more Mac compatible, load it in VirtualDub, and save out as the more main stream DV AVI - using the Panasonic DV codec. FCE shouldn't have any troubles with that.

/Mats