Final Cut Pro Export File is Huge

Question

Level 1

4 points

Final Cut Pro Export File is Huge

Hey guys,

Good morning/afternoon/evening. I was wondering if anyone could offer some much need assistance with Final Cut Pro. I decided to start a podcast about a month ago and I have been in the planning stages. I decided to go with the Rode Caster Pro 2, Shure SM7B and a smallrig setup for my iphone 15 pro max with the black magic cam. I have been practicing recording my podcast with video from the iphone and audio via the rodecaster setup. Finally decided to pull the trigger on Final Cut Pro after extensive research between Premier Pro and Davinci Resolve. I watched countless hours of tutorials on YouTube and decided to have a go at it.

I was able to kind of do something, I got the audio synce’d up I believe and added some effects with the colorboard. I am having an issue exporting what I was able to do, the size is huge at least 200+ Gigs and that one project has ate the 1tb on my mac. I am extremely lost and don’t know what to do. Also I am new to mac’s like about a few weeks new so that doesn’t help any.

Any assistance is appreciated!

MacBook Pro (2021)

Posted on Mar 12, 2024 6:38 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,825 points

Mar 12, 2024 6:45 AM in response to JussThoughts

What's the format of the media? The phone can shoot a lot of different formats and quality. How long is the project? You should probably export using H.264.

Select the library in the FCP and use File>Delete generated library files. Delete optimized and render files. In FCP settings switch off background rendering and leave it off. Switch off optimize media for multicam. Recent computers almost never need to optimize media.

For an excellent introduction to FCP start with Steve Martin’s 60 minute intro.

Learn FCP in Under 60 Minutes - YouTube

There is also Final Cut Bro getting started

https://youtu.be/L3bZ-ETKZ8U

For a more in depth introduction use the Izzy video tutorials. The version is a bit dated but the principles are the same.

Final Cut Pro Tutorial | Izzy Video

Reply

Answer 2

Mar 12, 2024 8:18 AM in response to JussThoughts

Do follow these tutorials that Tom linked to. They will save you time and a lot of head scratching.

To the question specifically about file size: it looks like you may have exported as ProRes, which produces huge files. These files are not adequate for distribution. You can export file, and select H264 and it will produce a much smaller file - and this is one format that just about anyone will be able to play in just about any device.

Reply

Answer 3

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,825 points

Mar 12, 2024 10:00 AM in response to JussThoughts

4K is a large format. 10G is very small for a file of that size and length. 30G is more normal. You could reduce the size by lowering the data rate in Compressor but the quality will suffer.

Reply

Answer 4

JussThoughts Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 12, 2024 10:25 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

Understood. Will a 30g file be able to be uploaded to YouTube? and one last question, Is there a way to record the audio from the rodecaster 2 pro straight into Final Cut Pro or I am just able to import the audio files into Final Cut Pro after I am done recording?

Reply

Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,825 points

Mar 12, 2024 10:35 AM in response to JussThoughts

Yes, you should be able to upload it, though you’ll need a fast link. It’ll take a long time for YT to compress the file.

What does the deck output? Try it. Open voice over in FCP and see if it recognizes the device. What are you recording on now?

Reply

Answer 6

JussThoughts Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 12, 2024 9:16 AM in response to Tom Wolsky

I recorded in apple pro res , 4k, color space is apple log HDR.. the project is an hour and twenty minutes long, I will definitely take a look at those tutorials.

Reply