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I'm pretty new to FCE/LiveType; I've played a bit with creating titles in LifeType with a transparent background and moved them over to FCE. I have an unfinished project in iMovie 06 and was wondering if I could create a LiveType title with a transparent background and import it into iMovie?
Thanks - I just tried it, but the transparency got lost (got a black background instead) even though I did not have "render background" checked. I then thought I'd try it with checking "render background" with the same result - black background.
It may only work with a direct import of the .ipr file into FCE, but I think I figured out a workaround: I could import a background image from my movie into LiveType, then put the title over it, export as a .mov and back into iMovie. I just thought it'd be easier if I could do it directly.
Oops - I didn't even think of that (didn't know iMovie would support an .ipr file) - anyway, I just saved the same thing as .ipr, dragged it into iMovie, and I still have a black background. I'm thinking iMovie just isn't able to handle it (after all, there is only one track so I couldn't even superimpose it onto another image or clip).
I left the settings at the default:
(Presets: CCIR 601 NTSC 40:27, 720x486, 29.97 fps, background opacity 0.0%)
It's important to know which codec you're using.
I'm assuming it's the dv codec since you're editing in iMovie. If so, there will never be transparency since that codec doesn't handle alpha channels separately. Select an alpha-friendly codec like animation and see if that works.
If you are rendering the file as a movie it will always render with the animation codec. Are you using the native rendered file? Or are you converting it to DV before you import it?
I made a 3 second test title (animated), and then went to "render -> movie"; appeared on desktop as test.mov file. Dragged that into iMovie. Did not knowingly convert that to .dv.
I then created another one, simply went to "save" and it appeared as test.ipr on the desktop. Dragged that one into iMovie as well (no conversion there either).
Both played fine, both had black backgrounds. AFAIK, there are no options in iMovie to set/change the default black background color. Maybe iMovie automatically converts to .dv during import? And, as I mentioned, it occurred to me that it simply may not work because I can't "superimpose" it onto an image or clip in iMovie anyway unless I can find a plugin that will let me insert "picture within picture" or similar. It may be that I only have two options:
Either import an image/clip into LiveType, create the text, render as movie and then import into iMovie, or create text, save as .ipr, import into FCE, export and back into iMovie.
Thanks for spending all this time on this, I appreciate it!
Well, since I haven't heard anything since my last post, I'm guessing that my assumptions were correct and, unfortunately, there is no way to do a direct import into iMovie while preserving the transparent background?
So, I'm marking this as answered, but please feel free to add any comments (I'm still hoping there's a way to do this).
3.Go to your desktop and rename the extension to .mov (you'll get warning - rename anyway)
4.You should now be able to import the .mov to I-Movie.
If you need to edit the Livetype file again, just rename the .mov back to .ipr and your good to go.
IMPORTANT - the renaming can only happen while your file is on the desktop (don't know why) but if you try to do the rename in some other directory this trick wont work. Also, after you rename, you are now free to move the newly renamed file anywhere you want. Just remember, to bring it back to a functioning .ipr you have to rename that file on your desktop.
I tried your method and it imports just fine and it certainly is easier and faster than rendering it first (thanks for the excellent tip), but I still have the black background in iMovie.
Never used iMovie but it might be capable of interpreting any alpha channel, although that seem sun-bloody-likely. Pop open the iMovie help section and search for alpha? I just opened iMvoie HD and ther is no "alpha" in the help system so I'd say iMovieHD is not capable of alpha overlays. Although it's weird that there is a title tool as that requires transparency.
BTW, I meant to say iMovieHD; regardless, you're most likely correct - it just won't work in that application. So, I will need to take the long way around to get what I want - I will try two methods: one, import title into FCE, superimpose onto clip, export/import into iMovie, and two, import clip as background into LiveType, add title, save/import into iMovie. I'll see which one works better/faster.
What you "want" is not clear to me. To use iMovie as your output stage after working in FCE or FCP is, umm, silly. It's easy to export an iMovie-compatible movie from FC.
