How to Covnvert Video Formats

Many video clips downloaded are in the MPEG2 format and Final Cut will not be able to use them until they are converted to a compatible format first.

VisualHub is an ideal video converter program. It is compatible with a range of video formats, including iPod, PSP, DV, DVD, Tivo, AVI, MP4, WMV, MPEG and FLV.



To convert a video in MPEG2 format, for example, simply drag it onto VisualHub. Then select the DV tab. Be sure to select the Ready for Final Cut check box, and click the Start button.

The conversion time will depend on file size and format. VisualHub will convert a typical 5 min MPEG2 clip to DV format in one minuter and a half.

Does the SmoothCam Filter work?

When I was shooting my friend's wedding in April, I tried to create some "dolly effect" shots. Some of them were successful, but others were too bumpy. So, according to the suggestion of Chris Mello, my fellow classmate, I tried to fix these shots with the SmoothCam Filter.

The SmoothCam Filter can be easily found under the Video folder in the Effects tab of the Browser.



I dragged the SmoothCam filter and dropped it onto the clip I wanted to fix. Then a window popped up, saying the clip was being analyzed.



However, the outcome turned out to be disappointing. The clip didn't seem to be "smoother" as I had expected, but rather, it looked more shaky.

I talked with Chris about this problem. The conclusion we came to, although we are not sure, is that I had performed slow motion on the same clip I planned to fix before the SmoothCam Filter was applied, which could cause the failure of the SmoothCam.

Has anyone encountered the same problem before? Any suggestions or comments will be welcome.

Wedding Clip Part II

In the second clip of the wedding video. friends of the bride and groom show a film they made in honor of the newlyweds. They also sing a song to celebrate the event, which moves the couple to tears.

Record Voice-over in Final Cut Pro

I used to record my voice-over on tape and then import it into Final Cut until Jake Kassen, the engineer at my school's editing lab, told me there was no need for the extra step and I could record into Final Cut directly. I find that using Final Cut to record voice-over saves me a lot of time.

To record directly, you need your Mac, an audio board, a USB audio interface, and a hand mic.

First, hook them up: hand mic=>audio board=>USB audio interface=>Mac
Then, choose Voice Over, which is in the Tools menu.



Next, choose the audio interface input your microphone is connected to from the Input pop-up menu, as well as the sample rate that matches your sequence sample rate.



Then, select the sequence to which you want to add voice-over. Remember to set In and Out points, which is very important, or Final Cut won't record.

Finally, click the red "record" button on the Voice-Over window and you will have a five second countdown before the recording starts. Once you finish recording, just hit the space bar to stop.

Converting Footage from 16:9 to 4:3 in Final Cut Pro

I encountered a problem with aspect ratio when doing a project last semester. The project was supposed to be in 4:3, but I had some footage in 16:9. How to convert the footage from 16:9 to 4:3 confused me for some time. But it turned out to be an easy job in Final Cut.

First, as usual, double click the video clip that you want to alter in your sequence and it will be shown in the Canvas window. Then click the button in the Canvas indicated below, and select Image+Wireframe mode.



Now there will be handles attached to the clip that allow you to perform different geometrical manipulations. See image below.



Simply drag the edges or the corners to scale proportionally.



Congratulations! You get the 4:3 footage!

An easy way to make video clips black and white in FCP

Many video makers like to use black-and-white in post production, and it's easy to apply in Final Cut Pro.

First, double click the clip that you want to change to black-and-white and make sure you can see it in the Viewer.



Then, find the Effects tab in the Browser. Click the Video Filter bin, in which you can see the Image Control bin.



Click it and find the Desaturate filter. Then drag the Desaturate filter and drop it onto the Viewer.


And DONE~~~~

Bad DV Tapes Ruin Your Work

DV camcorders are popular with student video makers because they are cheaper than camcorders with storage capability, such as memory cards or blue-ray discs.

A lot of events people shoot are on a one-time basis and there is no chance to reshoot. In this case, high quality DV tapes make sense. Although they may cost more, there are likely to be much fewer errors on these tapes than on the cheaper ones. My friend Seth encountered this problem when he was shooting an important interview with the head coach of BU's men's basketball team. He purchased an off-name brand tape at a local CVS and the video he got turned out to be totally unusable.

The engineering staff at BU's editing lab strongly recommend that students avoid buying Radio Shack DV tapes, Fuji DV tapes or other off-brand tapes.