Exporting text in Final Cut with Transparent Background

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Level 1

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Exporting text in Final Cut with Transparent Background

Hello,

I am simply trying to export some text from the Final Cut timeline with a transparent background. In Final Cut, the text has a transparent background because if I put a background under it on a separate layer, it works fine.

I want to be able to bring the text in Motion and add a background from Motion with the text overlaying on the background. I've tried several different export options from within Final Cut (including changing the sequence compressor to Animation but no matter what I try, when I bring the file into Motion and try to put a background underneath it, it won't work.

I have a feeling I'm missing something very simple.

Thanks,

Michael

Posted on Apr 25, 2011 7:38 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 25, 2011 9:50 PM in response to mpanza

In FCP, open the text generator clip in the Viewer then copy the text. Go to Motion and create a new text layer, then paste the copied text to that layer.

-DH

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Answer 2

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,805 points

Apr 26, 2011 2:40 AM in response to mpanza

Open the text in the viewer. Export to QuickTime Movie. Change current settings to ProRes 4444 at the appropriate frame size.

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Answer 3

Apr 26, 2011 6:19 AM in response to mpanza

Motion has a pretty good text tool. Why are you complicating things by trying to use FCP?

Also, if you MUST use FCP, instead of exporting your video from FCP, just send your sequence to a Motion Project.

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Answer 4

Apr 26, 2011 7:52 AM in response to mpanza

I agree with thrillcat on this one, but you could also export the background out of Motion and bring it into FCP.

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Answer 5

Apr 27, 2011 9:10 AM in response to mpanza

Might be easier to bring the background from Motion ad put that into FCP.

But exporting text video clips form FCP is easy, too. You are probably not activating the alpha channel, it's not on by default. Be sure you selected "millions of colors +" in the output settings for Animation or for ProRes4444. The + is the alpha information.

Also, we see "alpha does not work" posts often and the common explanation turns out to be the alpha is really there, the OP does not understand that a movie viewer will show black as the default background, not transparency, unless told to do so.

bogiesan

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Answer 6

Apr 27, 2011 10:32 AM in response to mpanza

From my experience of exporting text, straps etc from FCP, you also need to make sure that the clip is unrendered in the timeline for the Alpha to be created on export to Animation/4444 Millions +. If the clip in the timeline is rendered already (lets say in Prores 422) then you will not get an Alpha on exported file

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Answer 7

Apr 27, 2011 10:46 AM in response to Neil Sinclair

This was supposed to have been fixed in v7 but, yeah, it's worth checking. Unrender the clip and see if that makes any difference on the export.

bogiesan

Neil Sinclair wrote:

From my experience of exporting text, straps etc from FCP, you also need to make sure that the clip is unrendered in the timeline for the Alpha to be created on export to Animation/4444 Millions +. If the clip in the timeline is rendered already (lets say in Prores 422) then you will not get an Alpha on exported file

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