graphics process blog // chelsea college of art & design: Final Cut Pro/Post Production/Sound/Filmmaking

Final Cut Pro/Post Production/Sound/Filmmaking

Production and Camera Related

If you haven't got one already download this free guide to dslr cinematography - it covers many issues that are vital to getting control of your image and workflow and its free! Ideal for saving on your iphone, pad of choice/laptop etc for when you need it.

Chapter 01 Introduction 06

Chapter 02 Basic Cinematography Concepts 10

Chapter 03 Choosing A DSLR 22

Chapter 04 Saving Money 30

Chapter 05 Stuck Pixels 33

Chapter 06 Aliasing And Moiré 35

Chapter 07 Rolling Shutter 37

Chapter 08 Overheating 39

Chapter 09 Lenses: Using Primes, Choosing A Brand 41

Chapter 10 Lenses: Adapting, Purchasing 48

Chapter 11 Lenses: Focal Lengths, Depth Of Field 53

Chapter 12 Lenses: Renting, Converting 58

Chapter 13 Storage (For The Shoot) 62

Chapter 14 Support System

Chapter 15 Power

Chapter 16 Audio 71

Chapter 17 Magic Lantern Firmware 76

Chapter 18 GH1 Firmware 79

Chapter 19 Matte Box 81

Chapter 20 Filtration, Variable ND 83

Chapter 21 LCD Viewfinder 87

Chapter 22 Field Monitor 91

Chapter 23 Picture Style Editor 94

Chapter 24 Post-Production Overview 97

Chapter 25 Storage (For The Edit) 98

Chapter 26 Transferring, Viewing, Transcoding 101

Chapter 27 Audio Sync, Drift 104

Chapter 28 Noise Reduction 106

Chapter 29 Color Grading 109

Chapter 30 Thanks For Reading

Cameras..

As we have some 550d's..

Canon D550 feature set

Streamclip for converting 550d files

best setting for streamclip for final cut (422)

vimeo d550d zone

how to update your 550d firmware to the Magic Lantern system and what it does..

Audio: disable AGC and digital filters, audio meters, manual audio controls, selectable input source (internal, internal+external, external stereo, balanced), audio monitoring via USB.
Exposure helpers: zebras, false color, histogram, waveform, spotmeter.
Focus tools: focus peaking, zoom while recording, trap focus, rack focus, follow focus, focus stacking,zoom in Face Detect mode.
Movie helpers: Bitrate control (QScale or CBR), movie logging (Exif-like metadata), auto-restart after buffer overflow or 4 GB limit, clean LiveView display without any overlays, change movie position on the mode dial.
Cropmark images: user-editable overlays to assist framing and composition.
Fine control for ISO, Shutter, Kelvin white balance and other image settings.
Remote release with LCD face sensor and audio trigger, without extra hardware.
Bracketing: exposure bracketing, focus stacking.
Timelapse: intervalometer (for photos and movies), silent pictures without shutter actuation.
Astro- and night photography: bulb timer for very long exposures (up to 8h).
Info displays: focus and DOF info, CMOS temperature, shutter count, clock.
For strobists: flash exposure compensation, range up to -5 to +3 EV (depends on the camera).
Power saving: Turn off display or reduce backlight in LiveView during idle times.
Fun stuff: slit-scan pictures.

remember.. Shallow Depth of Field cannot conceal shallow depth of narrative !!!!

using a digital slr camera? - (updated) checkout this blog

black magic cinema camera for less than £2400..

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/blackmagiccinemacamera/

http://www.jigsaw24.com/product-details/g828aac/blackmagic-cinema-camera

get a lot of questions about slo mo so heres a guide..

So there's a few ways..

1. on sony camcorder use the smooth slow function which is 22fps but often doesn't look that clean.

2. using a regular dslr shoot at 50 frames per sec (720p only) and conform the footage so it plays back at 25fps and twice as slow - good option see below..

3. use a plugin like twixtor to invent new frames

5. spend a lot of money on hiring a high frame reate camera like a Phantom Flex or go and make friends wth the slo mo guys..

6. grab a go pro hero with its slo mo 720p function (720p60fps or 720p120) depending on model

7. use final cut pro x's new optical flow feature..

using the twixtor plugin for slowmotion..

'conforming' footage in cinema tools..
(shooting in 50 or 60 frames per second and playing back at 25 or 30 to slow down the footage in final cut pro) this at least gets you half speed footage which can then be twixtored etc.

Conforming footage in after effects... (ignore the 60p - in the uk we use 50p down to 25p)

The art of wire removal
http://www.fxguide.com/featured/the_art_of_wire_removal/

greenscreen/bluscreen guide to best results
http://generalspecialist.com/greenscreen-and-bluescreen-checklist/

New cs6 much better keying and 3d matchmove tutorial..

projection edge blending – very nerdy!
http://ozviz.wasp.uwa.edu.au/~pbourke/texture_colour/edgeblend/

sound engineering tips
http://emusictips.com/sound-mixing-10-essential-tips/

arduino board: controlling electronics and sensors from your mac
http://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/MacOSX

buy..
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Buy

coding language for interactive digital arts
http://processing.org/

fxphd hd video podcasts for visual effects artists to keep up on the latest ideas
http://fxguide.com/fxguidetv.html

interlacing and video fields explained (movie)
http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/player/?id=%7B2B5B7A3B-B61D-4E4E-A39A-6A6BE17A627C%7D&tc=0&height=676&width=880

hi res stock film footage
http://www.artbeats.com/
http://www.artbeatsdigitalfilmlibrary.com/clips/15482/23513

compositing using stock footage demo
http://www.artbeats.com/creative_samples/1

hack space london
http://london.hackspace.org.uk/

sound work website for audio pro's
http://soundworkscollection.com/

make your own camera dolly
http://gizmodo.com/5448749/30-camera-dolly-is-the-quickest-most-useful-ikea-hack-ive-seen-in-a-while

apple pro tips website
http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/

bloody omaha (how 3 graphic designers recreated the normandy landings for bbc timewatch)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WRS9cpOMYv0

tutorials about audio mixing
http://audio.tutsplus.com/articles/general/top-10-2009-tutorials-about-mixing-and-mastering/

here's a few links regarding apple's colour..

overview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ygMRsBYMh0&feature=watch_response

using secondary correction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsMyjP082NU

and here's a website where you can download lots of pre-done colour grades - If you use colour then this is a must..

http://www.coloruser.net/grades

(from our documentary and editing sessions)

BBCfour doc on editing

THE CUTTING EDGE: the magic of movie editing (pt1)

THE CUTTING EDGE: the magic of movie editing (pt2)

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing Part 3

(these may be abridged as the original is 90mins)

long but good film grammar web-page with reference to final cut and all the most important rules.
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/language_of_film.html

mass observation wiki link

mini doc based on the archive

the archive today

John Grierson wiki link

http://www.griersontrust.org/

Nightmail (GPO film unit)

humphrey jennings documentary 'the man who listened to britain' in parts

1

2

3

4

5

6

Humphrey Jennings wiki link

Listen To Britain
The Man with the Movie Camera, 1929, by Dziga Vertov (extract)
also here

ken burns on story (also check out his manipulation of stills here its a little more interesting than the segment actually)

Final Cut Pro X Tutorials (via Izzy Video)

how to make final cut pro x work more like fcp 7 (here)

need to take projects between fcp7 to fcpx and premiere? CAT DV9 will do this.. theres a free trial but the software costs over £300! here

more on final cut pro x..

Auto sync - yes its possible to sync clips where audio has been shot on a camera and it needs to be joined to audio which has been shot with a mic with better sound quality here's how.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iosCgBS3gac

Adding black gaps or allowing other clips to show through gaps (intercutting).

As there is a magnetic timeline you have to add black gap clips in the timeline to move things or to make it act like final cut pro 7 you can use the position tool which is under the blue arrow menu just above the timeline which allows you to drag clips around in black space.

more.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zLdqCorhT0

Changing audio levels and fading in and out..

Firstly you can set the levels on the timeline..

http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/fcp-x-audio-tutorial-part-2-using-final-cut-pro-x%E2%80%99s-audio-and-music-fading-tools/

or you can drag up an down the main level of the whole clip with cursor over the clip where a little icon pops up to do so. If you need to add keyframes so you can drag up and down audio levels through the clip its here...

http://www.nedwebserver.com/ned-web/finalcutprox105-working-with-audio&nedweb&site=MPV&asv=11&sid=kde0s8o3e9vrbmev3lvvi6h2a5

also there is a loudness option which can be added to audio but the hum removal and background noise removal are very limited for most use but heres a guide..

http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/fcp-x-audio-tutorial-part-4-enhancing-audio-using-final-cut-pro-equalization-and-analysis-tools/

Break apart video clips so the audio can be deleted..

http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/enabledisable-and-linkunlink-clips-in-final-cut-pro-x/

or right click on a clip and select break apart clip.

changing the clips colouring and balancing and lightening/darkening etc..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSkEKkZWHF4

to auto balance clips read this..

http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/how-to-perform-an-automatic-color-balance-in-final-cut-pro-x/

Importing files that wont open in fcpx

So you can transcode files in compresser or mpeg streamclip but sometimes the clips just work in imovie and not the new final cut. In this case trim all your clips roughly down in an imovie project and in final cut you can open the imovie file and turn it into a final cut document. You can also do this by exporting the timeline as an xml file from imovie and importing that into final cut.

editing clips in final cut pro x (very good)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW2NPWPXwcA&feature=related

Keep up with the rendering and clip analysis

In the middle of the screen is a round circle which where all the audio levels can be seen and fcpx shows how its getting on with rendering things if you click on this circle it will open a list of what its doing.

Final Cut Pro 7

Apples own basic training tutorials for final cut express
http://www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/tutorials/

Ripple training offers a lot of free movies showing how to use final studio software including compressor, colour, motion etc
http://www.rippletraining.com/provideoapps.html

Apples help online help library covering all their pro apps
http://documentation.apple.com/

final cut training links
http://kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/fcp_homepage_index.html#fcp

apples final cut video tutorials
http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/tutorials/

final cut/video tutorials
http://www.geniusdv.com/weblog/archives/final_cut_pro_and_avid_tutorials.php

and even more (older this time) if you have fcp5
http://www.computer-training-software.com/final-cut-pro5.htm

using pro-res
http://wpc.107c.edgecastcdn.net/00107C/ripple/fcp_prores_final.mov

output to bluray
http://wpc.107c.edgecastcdn.net/00107C/ripple/fcp_output_to_bluray_final.mov

twixtor ultra slow motion plugin for ae and fcp link to demo
http://www.revisionfx.com/products/twixtor/

final cut keystrokes
http://www.hdvisionstudio.com/blog/2007/09/05/fcp-tips-final-cut-pro-keyboard-shortcuts/

final cut creative cow video tutorials via itunes
http://cowcast.creativecow.net/final_cut_pro/index.html

also dvdstudio..

dvdstudio pro user manual
http://documentation.apple.com/en/dvdstudiopro/usermanual/

dvd studio youtube guides to the basics (press the hq button to see the movies better)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BudYuQlQ0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_iXAAcG-r4&feature=related

202 final cut pro 7 tutorials here

and below...

Apple.com

It should go without saying Apple.com should be your first stop when wanting to learn about Final Cut Pro. They have video tutorials coving all aspects of Final Cut Studio, we have included the links specific to the FCP tutorials below. Other pages of interest are: Downloads, Third-Party Plug-ins, AppleCare Support, Final Cut Support Page and Final Cut Discussions. If you intrested in more advance training you should take a look at their Apple Pro Training.

Videos

Overview of the Interface
Importing Footage
Editing
Compositing
Filters
Export

White Papers (PDF)

Native HDV Editing with Final Cut Pro 5 FAQ
Uncompressed SD Editing Using Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro and XDCAM HD

Video Tutorials

As I’m sure you know the amount of FCP videos on YouTube seems to be endless. Below we have highlighted a few of the highest rated, most relevant videos and channels. We have also included some of our favorites from Vemio.