It turns out that this isn’t actually as transparent as you’d expect, presumably because of how Avid is interacting with QuickTime to write a non-Avid QuickTime codec. In theory, the easiest approach would be to simply export a QuickTime file with a target codec (like ProRes) and be done with it. My main concern was to assure that the roundtrip would be as transparent as possible. Obviously, if you are going to color grade the footage, it’s less of an issue, since the image is going to look different than the original anyway.
![fxfactory 4.0.5 fxfactory 4.0.5](https://refreshcartridges.co.uk/productimages/a_129495.jpg)
This was the critical stage in my testing, because I wanted to be sure that I could export a file that matched any FCP version. When done you would export a finished file for web conversion. During the import stage, these were transcoded to the DNxHD145 codec for editing within a 1080p/29.97 project.Īt this point you’d edit the same as with any other project. Both matched each other, so the resulting levels inside Avid Media Composer were the same whether I picked the H.264 or ProRes file. I had both the original H.264 and converted ProRes versions of these files available. This tells Media Composer that the range of levels is 0-255 and must be rescaled to 16-235 upon import, when an Avid media file is created.
#FXFACTORY 4.0.5 MOVIE#
The movie files generated by the Canon EOS 5D Mark II conform to a full RGB range, so set the color level mapping to RGB when importing these files into Media Composer. Computer files, like a Photoshop graphic, are almost always RGB. When you import a QuickTime file into Avid Media Composer you must decide whether the file’s video levels are mapped as RGB (a full 0-255 range) or 601/709 (a scaled 16-235 range). I have to make sure the process is as transparent as possible, since there is no I/O hardware between the NLE and the final product. In the case of these 5D spots, though, the web is the target. If you compare the Avid output through one of Avid’s DX units with FCP’s output through a Kona card, both would look the same on a broadcast monitor and scopes. That really doesn’t matter for most video. less contrast, than the exact same image in a Final Cut window. An image in a Media Composer window will tend to look “flatter” on the computer display, i.e. One visible evidence of this difference is how each UI displays images. Not every QuickTime conversion is equal and you may get level, gamma, saturation and hue shifts depending on where and how the conversion is done and which codec is used. FCP doesn’t really honor this scale and seems to internally use adjusted levels of 0-235 (my guess), so it makes it tricky whenever you convert clips in and out of QuickTime. This allows headroom and footroom for superwhites and “blacker than black” shadow areas. 601/709, which means that black and white equal 16 and 235 on a scale of 0-255. That’s another reason to be very sure the images match, regardless of the NLE used. When I finish editing the spot, there may be a reason to continue in FCP – such as to use Color for grading. Ultimately these are web spots, so I want to make sure what I do in Media Composer matches what I do in Final Cut.
#FXFACTORY 4.0.5 HOW TO#
In order to make sure that video levels match what I’m used to with FCP, I’ve been doing some testing of how to roundtrip files back to Final Cut. So this time, Media Composer is the right tool for the job. Avid’s FluidMotion is simply a much better slomo technology than anything in Final Cut. In addition, the creative treatment calls for some nice speed ramp effects. There are a number of reasons, including some recent stability issues I’ve had with FCP. This time I’m cutting the project in Avid Media Composer instead of Final Cut Pro. In the meantime, I’ve started on another Canon 5D commercial. That’s still coming in another couple of weeks.
![fxfactory 4.0.5 fxfactory 4.0.5](https://i2.wp.com/patchdrive.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/71nLmiIGQ4L._SY550_.jpg)
No, this isn’t the 5D workflow article that you’ve been waiting for.