problems with rendering and re-rendering

[Ddont]

Hey,
I was just wondering if anyone could help me out here. I downloaded some footage from archive.org in mp4 format, and rendered it all after dragging it into the time line. Now everytime i move a clip or cut and move or do any form of editing at all, parts of it have to be re-rendered. Im not sure what I've done wrong but it is impossible to do anything when any step you make means re-rendering even before you preview the cut.

Please help.

 

[BenB]

FCP does not support MP4 as an editing format. You need to convert the footage to a format FCP supports. MP4 not considered a good codec for capturing or editing with, due to the Long GOP format and it's super high rate of compression.

What version of FCP are you using?

 

[Ddont]

Really? On the archive.org site they say that mpeg4 format should be chosen when downloading a video if you want to edit the video. I can play the video in finalcut I just have to re-render it every time I do anything on the time line, like move the video or cut.

Would I be better off downloading mpeg2 files instead?

I'm using Final Cut HD 4.5.

Thanks for your quick response!

 

[BenB]

MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 are NOT good formats for editing, period. They are super compressed, and will not hold up to re-compression and keep image quality, period. FCP officially does NOT support them as editing formats.

Where did you read they are good for editing? They're good for showing stuff on the web, but not for editing. If that site is making the claim that MPEG-4 is good for editing with, they're full of BS.

 

[Ddont]

Here's a link to where they say you can edit with mpeg4...

http://www.archive.org/about/faqs.php#168

So is there anyway to do my own found footage project? I was trying to do a montage of all these old Prelinger educational films from the 40's and 50's and edit them to music.

Again, thanks for the reply.

 

[BenB]

"What is an editable file?
An editable file is a file which can be downloaded and used in an editing program. The MPEG-4 are the highest bitrate versions we could do with the linux mpeg-2 to mpeg-4 conversion tools we use. These files can be read directly into FinalCut-Pro from Apple, and can be converted to mov using Quicktime-pro and read directly into iMovie from Apple."

Ok, that's their quote. First of all, I notice their definition of an "editable file" flies in the face of everything the video industry defines it as. Where did they come up with this? What bull! And "editable file" has nothing to do with downloading anything from anywhere but a camera, period!

Next, "we could do with the linux...conversion tools we use." That's their own self impossed limitation. It's not industry standard for editing, but is for web use. Those are two totally different things.

Second, the statement that they can be read directly into FCP is a half truth. Yes, FCP will open them, but will have problems handling them and they are not officially supported as FCP editing formats. Thus, they are not being totally honest in that statement.

First, are these full size files? What are the dimensions of them? I'd really want to know that for sure!

Second, convert them to NTSC-DV with Compressor, and FCP will handle them just fine, although you'll not have the image quality of the original footage before they compressed it into MPEG formats.

So, what are the dimensions of the images in these files you have?