FCPX hiccups during transitions - help!

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Level 1

19 points

FCPX hiccups during transitions - help!

Please have a look at this movie - http://vimeo.com/34601706

First, you must know I am a complete novice and am fairly sure this problem is with me not doing something right.

This was created in my trial version of FCPX. Every place there is a transition, the movie gets hung up. This is apparently not a Vimeo problem because the exact same thing happens when I burn the movie to a DVD (which is how I initially found the problem). Here is what I am doing:

Bring clips in (via FCP import) directly from my XA10 to an event
Create a new project, link it to the event and let FCP decide the format based on the format of the first video clip brought into the timeline (1080i, 60i - FCP converts 60 to 29.97 and I would love to know just how it does this and what the ramifications are)
Drag in my clips and transitions, and bring in a music track
Render the entire thing (which seems redundant because FCP seems to begin rendering automatically whenever I make a change in the timeline)
Play the timeline from beginning to end within FCP, and note that it runs perfectly
Then, using the "share" pulldown, either send it to Vimeo (as 1080i, 29.97) or burn to DVD (automatic settings)
See that the exact same problem occurs with each one

OK, where am I going wrong? If you need more info, just ask for it. I am not sure what you might want to know, so I am being lazy and not listing every detail I can think of. Thanks a bunch for your time considering this.

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Jan 5, 2012 11:08 AM

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Answer 1

Whiteshirt Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 5, 2012 1:31 PM in response to Whiteshirt

Update - I just exported the movie (using share in FCP) to a quicktime movie, and it plays perfectly on my computer. So now I am completely confused. Any ideas what is going on? I'm lost....

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Answer 2

Jan 5, 2012 2:50 PM in response to Whiteshirt

Whiteshirt wrote:

Bring clips in (via FCP import) directly from my XA10 to an event

Create a new project, link it to the event and let FCP decide the format based on the format of the first video clip brought into the timeline (1080i, 60i - FCP converts 60 to 29.97 and I would love to know just how it does this and what the ramifications are)

Drag in my clips and transitions, and bring in a music track

Render the entire thing (which seems redundant because FCP seems to begin rendering automatically whenever I make a change in the timeline)

Play the timeline from beginning to end within FCP, and note that it runs perfectly

Then, using the "share" pulldown, either send it to Vimeo (as 1080i, 29.97) or burn to DVD (automatic settings)

See that the exact same problem occurs with each one

1 Select the option, optimize media when importing
2 Don't let FCPX choose the project setting, try setting it manually by selecting the custom option
3 Is your video siiting in the primary storyline? can you upload a screen grab of your timeline?
4 Switch rendering off in your preferences. You really don't need to render, I find it a waste of time
6 Try not sending it directly to vimeo, instead share your project, and choose the export media option. Once exported, bring the file back into a new project, then choose share - vimeo option.

Tony

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Answer 3

Whiteshirt Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 5, 2012 3:27 PM in response to blimpmedia

Hi Tony - sounds like some good pieces of advice. I will grab a screenshot and upload that tonight, and will try the suggestions you offer.

Thanks

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Answer 4

Jan 5, 2012 3:48 PM in response to Whiteshirt

Forgot to mention, you can optimize your current media in your event by selecting all your video clips, right mouse clicking and choosing Transcode Media. Tick the Create Optimized Media, and let FCPX transcode. Once the transcoding is done, FCPX will automatically connect the media in your event to the new optimized files.

I keep saying this in all my posts, BUT THAT I LOVE ABOUT FCPX 😉

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Answer 5

Whiteshirt Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 5, 2012 3:55 PM in response to blimpmedia

Newbie question for you - what does optimizing the media do for me? It might help to add that at this point I am interested in the highest quality video and audio (or at least that is what I am trying to work towards, hence the abandoning of iMovie).

I would love an explanation of what optimizing actually does and the pros and cons of it.

Thanks!!

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Answer 6

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,004 points

Jan 5, 2012 4:24 PM in response to Whiteshirt

Optimizing transcodes the media to high resolution production format using the ProRes codec. The pros are it's an excellent format to work with, especially with effects. The cons are it will take a lot more drive space and require fast drives.

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Answer 7

Jan 5, 2012 4:29 PM in response to Whiteshirt

Whiteshirt wrote:

I would love an explanation of what optimizing actually does and the pros and cons of it.

Pros: The Optimized Media option is a Apple ProRes 422 codec. 422 is a uncompressed codec which makes it easier for your CPU to work with, as opposed to the native codec like H.264, AVCHD etc...

From what I've been noticing in this discussion group, a lot of the problems people are experiencing is that there trying to work with native formats, which seems to be causing havoc. I strongly suggest for the time been you work with Optimized AKA: ProRes 422 till Apple iron these minor issues out.

Cons: Unfortunately the down side to ProRe is that it ends up being double the file size when transcoded too, which means larger HD, and the time it takes to transcode. Apart from that, personally I don't believe there are any other downsides, more positives than negatives 😉

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Answer 8

Whiteshirt Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 6, 2012 2:42 PM in response to blimpmedia

Thanks for all the helpful information folks. I messed around with this last night and will have to mess around more tomorrow. It seems that if I switch out of the H264 codec and into the Apple codec, a noticeable bit of resolution is lost. But by now I may have royally screwed everything up, so tomorrow I will start this all over from scratch, following your suggestions and see what happens.

Here is my thought that goes against the concept of optimizing (if I have things right). The native codec of the XA10 is H264, which FCP seems to import unchanged (is that right?). Vimeo, for example, asks for uploads to be in H264 format, and so I would think sticking with H264 throughout the life of the project from import to export would be least likely to be buggy, drop frames and/or lose resolution. But again, I am an amateur, so please school me on this. I am drooling to learn this stuff and learn it the right way. I want to make nice clear movies - bottm line.

Oh one more thing, the footage I am using from the camera is actually 60i, but FCP is stating it is 29.97. Somewhere along the line I read an explanation of this (although the explanation was unsuitably terse), but would love it if you guys could touch on this concept as well.

Thanks again! This place is quite helpful.

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Answer 9

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,004 points

Jan 6, 2012 3:07 PM in response to Whiteshirt

the footage I am using from the camera is actually 60i, but FCP is stating it is 29.97.

60i is 60 interlaced fields or 30 frames, which is shorthand for 29.97.

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Answer 10

Whiteshirt Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 6, 2012 3:22 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Tom, thanks - I was hoping you'd chime in. This is where I get confused. I *thought* 60i meant 60 frames, even though they are incomplete frames. That is, e.g., Frame 1 contains lines 1, 3, 5, etc. and Frame 2 contains lines 2, 4, 6 etc. If I am correct, then deinterlacing I assume would yield 30 (or actually 29.97 as you point out). So in reality, 60i means 30 "complete" frames, but isn't the rate still 60 fps? What is FCP doing to make the rate 29.97? Or am I just thinking about this all wrong?

Thanks again - I would love to know how this works.

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Answer 11

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,004 points

Jan 6, 2012 3:48 PM in response to Whiteshirt

Each frame of interlaced video is made up of two fields as you described. So video that's 29.97fps is made up of 59.94 fields. This is designated as 60i. The video is 29.97. There is no interlaced 60 or 59.94 format. 59.94fps media is designated 60p.

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Answer 12

Whiteshirt Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 6, 2012 4:04 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

OK, think I got, it, but one more question on that - the XA10 gives the user the following options for recording:

60i, pf30, pf24 and native 24p. What is the effective difference between shooting in 60i and pf30? The manual explains that pf30 and pf24 are actually created from 60i.

Thanks a ton. Very helpful

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Answer 13

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,004 points

Jan 6, 2012 4:11 PM in response to Whiteshirt

Pf30 is 24 media recorded at 29.97 with pulldown added. It's horrible. Don't use it. Only use 60i or 24 native, which is probably 23.976.

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Answer 14

Whiteshirt Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 6, 2012 4:18 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Finally understand. Thanks so much. Now back to the originally scheduled programming, exporting....I will give an update on my learnings after tomorrow.

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Answer 15

Feb 9, 2012 2:20 PM in response to Whiteshirt

Ok, so I just made a 35 min. movie with pictures, transitions, and video shot on my canon t2i. I am having the same glitch, skip, hiccup problem as you are. So much so that it will get about 2-3 min. in and it will freeze up and stutter. I was wondering if you found a solution to the problem.

Thanks,
Micah

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