CDToaster

Q: Now that my FCP project's complete, I burned a dvd and all's well but I want to upload the .mov file to YouTube but can't determine WHICH of the many is the one to upload.  Too many folders are named, "Untitled" and I can't find any with a .mov ext.

Now that my 5 minute FCP music-video project is complete, although I'm a complete and total novice to the iMac, I nevertheless successfully burned a DVD through the File>Share menu option and all turned out well but now I want to upload the .mov file to YouTube but can't determine WHICH of the many files created in this project is THE one to upload!  It seems many folders are named, "Untitled" and I don't seem to know how to find ANY with an .mov extension.

 

At the top left of my FCP screen is the "Libraries" list which after I expand all the arrows to point downwards looks like this:

 

Libraries

 

Untitled

     Smart Collections

     6-30-16

     T.V. Age

 

If you haven't guessed, my project's name is "T.V. Age" and I expected to find a file somewhere on this computer named, "T.V. Age.mov" or somethjng like that for me to upload to YouTube but I can't find ANY .mov files.  Perhaps I just don't know how to switch on the Finder's option to display file names WITH their extensions?

 

I'm hoping someone with enough time on their hands and understanding in their heart will take the time to help me locate the .mov file as well as help me properly name this Untitled library in the Libraries box without of course disrupting the integrity of the completed music-video which is still open on the timeline although I don't need it there anymore since my working with it is complete but the only "CLOSE" button I see is the "Close Library Untitled" button under the File menu.  I don't even see a Close (the ****) Project button!  The only way I see how to close my project is to close the whole program but I doubt if that's right.  All help will be greatly appreciated.

Tony

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Aug 11, 2016 5:47 PM

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Q: Now that my FCP project's complete, I burned a dvd and all's well but I want to upload the .mov file to YouTube but can't determin ... more

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  • by BenB,Solvedanswer

    BenB BenB Aug 12, 2016 9:13 AM in response to CDToaster
    Level 6 (9,836 points)
    Video
    Aug 12, 2016 9:13 AM in response to CDToaster

    If all you did was burn a DVD, then all you did was burn a DVD, you didn't export any useable file.  Share > Master File > Audio+Video and upload that resulting ProRes file.  Or use the built-in YouTube option to upload directly to YouTube.

     

    You don't "close" anything in the Timeline pane, that is unnecessary.  You'd simply open a new Project or other media container type, into the Timeline pane.

  • by CDToaster,Helpful

    CDToaster CDToaster Aug 12, 2016 9:13 AM in response to BenB
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 12, 2016 9:13 AM in response to BenB

    Thanks for trying to help me, BenB.  I solved my problem before receiving your help but what you told me makes perfect sense and is what I should have done from the beginning.  What I didn't say in my original question (in order to reduce the size of my inquiry) was that I did already attempt to use the Share to YouTube option but it didn't work for me.  Not until much later did I discover that yes, a .mov file WAS generated (where I did not know at the time) but it did NOT get transferred to YouTube.  That was because this was my very first YouTube upload and I hadn't yet set-up an account or "Channel" yet so the .mov file was stuck in limbo.  After I straightened out all my YouTube account business which involved establishing a Google account as well, it was then that I finally needed to locate the .mov file of my project which was the gist of my inquiry - I needed to locate THAT file which FCP created after I first attempted to send the project to YouTube.  I needed to learn all FCP projects are stored in a library the user chose to keep all the clips and data used in their project which in my case was a library named "Untitled" which is how it comes out of the box and nobody told me nothing about renaming it.  Within that library was a sub-folder called 6-30-16 which FCP automatically created upon installation.

     

    My entire project including all clips and the elusive .mov file had to be somewhere within the Untitled Library "container," and after searching through the contents of the container, the only folder with data that could possibly be the data I needed was the folder 6-30-16.  Other than some backup "Snapshot" files taken during my project's creation, there were only FOUR (4) sub-folders within 6-30-16: "Original Media" which had nothing useful, "Render Files" which also had nothing useful, a "T.V. Age" folder which only had a single small file called, "CurrentVersion..." , and "Shared Items" so it was easy to see the ONLY folder that contained what I might need was the "Shared Items" folder.  Here's where FCP got tricky:

     

    Within "Shared Items," FCP created a folder called, "qBQwFmkRaK2FQ" which meant nothing to me but to FCP, THAT was where the video file was and FCP modified its name according to certain rules I wasn't aware of so instead of looking for a file named T.V. Age, I should have been looking for "T_V_Age - Large 540p.mov which I discovered later FCP created by combining a T_V_Age.m2v file with an .ac3 audio file.  So when I first tried to share this video on YouTube, the first thing I did was I used FCP's File>Share>YouTube menu option which was when FCP actually first created the QuickTime .mov file, placing the resulting .mov file right there in the "Shared Items" folder.  And THAT BenB was where and how I found the elusive .mov file.  After I found it, the YouTube page told me to simply drag and drop it into an open YouTube upload window.  The upload went perfect and you can now enjoy seeing my project on YouTube by simply searching for "T.V. Age music-video by CDToaster."  Enjoix and thanks again for your assistance.  This is the first video I ever produced, my first time using an iMac, my first time using FCP, my first time uploading to YouTube, and I'm 64 years old and 75% blind so I appreciate your patience and I hope you view the video I created and I hope you share it with others and leave a positive review about it on the YouTube page as several other folks already have.

    Tony

  • by CoralVision,

    CoralVision CoralVision Aug 12, 2016 8:28 AM in response to CDToaster
    Level 1 (38 points)
    Video
    Aug 12, 2016 8:28 AM in response to CDToaster

    Hi Toaster,

    If you made your DVD from the share button you probably haven't yet made the file you need to upload to YT - you won't find it in the Library. The current FCPX "share" defaults make it unclear how to do anything other than export publish directly, so here is how you set up the export so you can make a h264 .mov for publishing without going straight to automatic-land.

    • Click on the share button and choose "add destination."
    • On the panel that comes up, choose "compressor settings."
    • In the resulting panel, unfold "built-in" and scroll down to the last subordinate folder "video sharing services," then choose the option that matches the pixel dimensions of your project.
    • Then when you complete that process come back to the share button and use your new setting to give your output a unique name (e.g. "TV_age_YT_FINAL") and put it in a deliberately chosen location (preferably NOT on the same volume where your FCPX Library is stored.)
    • The file should be good-to-go for any video upload site.

    Good Luck and feel free to post the link here is you want to share your success!

    Eric D - CoralVision

  • by CDToaster,

    CDToaster CDToaster Aug 12, 2016 9:12 AM in response to CoralVision
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 12, 2016 9:12 AM in response to CoralVision

    Thank you so much Eric for taking the time to describe the steps so accurately.  I will use this information at some point in the future because just a little while ago I have already solved my problem and I can see that posting my problem on this Help Community Board was a good idea but I was wrong to leave out the fact that I did in fact try using the Share to YouTube option but nothing happened as far as I could tell so to save words in my post, I neglected to say I did try that first.  So what happened was FCP DID create a QuickTime .mov file to upload but because I never uploaded anything to YouTube before, I hadn't yet established an account or "Channel" so when FCP finished creating (then hiding) the .mov file, I was left high and dry.  Then after spending the time to create an account, then create a Google account, then create a "Channel," only then was I able to upload the file to YouTube but WHERE WAS THE FILE which was the gist of my original question.  Once I locate the .mov file, I'd be able to simply drag and drop it into a YouTube upload window but I couldn't find the file. That was when I posted my question on the message board but I couldn't wait for an answer so I kept digging and searching and this is what I found:

     

    I needed to learn all FCP projects are stored in a library the user chose to keep all the clips and data used in their project which in my case was a library named "Untitled" which is how it comes out of the box and nobody told me anything about renaming it.  Within that library was a sub-folder called 6-30-16 which I presume FCP automatically created upon installation.

     

    My entire project including all clips and the elusive .mov file had to be somewhere within the Untitled Library "container," and after searching through the contents of the container, the only folder with data that could possibly be the data I needed was the folder 6-30-16.  Other than some backup "Snapshot" files taken during my project's creation, there were 4 sub-folders within 6-30-16: "Original Media" which had nothing useful, "Render Files" which also had nothing useful, a "T.V. Age" folder which only had a single small file called, "CurrentVersion..." , and "Shared Items" so it was easy to see the folder that contained what I might need was the "Shared Items" folder.  Here's where FCP got tricky:

     

    Within "Shared Items," FCP created a folder called, "qBQwFmkRaK2FQ" which meant nothing to me but to FCP, THAT was where the video file was and FCP modified its name according to certain rules I wasn't aware of so instead of looking for a file named T.V. Age, I should have been looking for "T_V_Age - Large 540p.mov which I discovered later FCP created by combining a T_V_Age.m2v file with an .ac3 audio file.  So when I first tried to share this video on YouTube, the first thing I did was I used FCP's File>Share>YouTube menu option which was when FCP actually created the QuickTime .mov file, placing the resulting .mov file right there in the "Shared Items" folder.  And THAT, Eric, was where and how I found the elusive .mov file.  After I found it, the YouTube page told me to simply drag and drop it into an open YouTube upload window.  The upload went perfect and you can now enjoy seeing my project on YouTube by simply searching for "T.V. Age music-video by CDToaster."  Enjoix and thanks again for your assistance.  This is the first video I ever produced, my first time using an iMac, my first time using FCP, my first time uploading to YouTube, and I'm 64 years old and 75% blind so I appreciate your patience and I hope you view the video I created and I hope you share it with others and leave a positive review about it on the YouTube page as several other folks already have.

     

    Now all I have to do is figure out how to mark this issue as resolved so I don't bother others with my nonsense.

    Tony

  • by BenB,

    BenB BenB Aug 12, 2016 12:16 PM in response to CDToaster
    Level 6 (9,836 points)
    Video
    Aug 12, 2016 12:16 PM in response to CDToaster

    Those files it makes for social media upload, are inside the Library itself, I believe.  Right-click the Library, select "Show Package Contents", and be VERY careful digging around in there.

  • by BenB,

    BenB BenB Aug 12, 2016 12:20 PM in response to CDToaster
    Level 6 (9,836 points)
    Video
    Aug 12, 2016 12:20 PM in response to CDToaster

    I'm 56 and 50% blind.  I know where you're coming from, man.

     

    One thing to do on occasion, is select your Library in FCPX's Libraries pane, go to the File menu, and use the "Delete Generated Library Files".  It'll clean up misc stuff you don't really need, free up drive space.

     

    The built in YouTube function is buggy, I never used it.  I export out a Master File (Video+Audio) as ProRes 422, and upload that.  Long uploads, but you get great quality stuff in YouTube.

  • by CDToaster,

    CDToaster CDToaster Aug 12, 2016 12:43 PM in response to BenB
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 12, 2016 12:43 PM in response to BenB

    Those are a couple of great tips, BenB (Deleting Generated Library Files and exporting out a Master File which contains both audio and video). Thanks a lot and I'll definitely take your advice and use them.  While on the subject, how do you recommend I set up my Library?  First, as I earlier stated, it was originally Untitled and I never changed it though I wish I had, but to what?  Do you suggest my creating additional libraries, say one for each project I create?  Or do you think I should keep just ONE library, give it a title, then keep my projects apart by placing them in sub-menus?  I suppose either way has its advantages but I've only done this one video so I can't foresee the future.  I suppose it would be nice to have an individual library for each project so they remain completely isolated from one another, allowing the complete deletion of an entire project just by deleting its associated library.  I don't suppose I'll be making too many videos since they're quite difficult and time consuming, so I don't foresee Library after Library after Library forming but I do expect maybe to see myself making 20 more videos before I die...  So what do you think, keep just one library and put projects in sub-folders or create a whole new Library for each project?  Btw, did you get a chance to view the T.V. Age music-video?  If not, please do before replying because maybe what you see as my work will influence your answer.  I'm sorry to hear of your disability.  I had a stroke caused by untreated high blood pressure.  I'm lucky in that I still have half of one eye functioning well.

    Tony