Yes, Apple Color is connected to Final Cut Pro...but not exactly integrated. Creative Cow leader Walter Biscardi, one of the world's most respected experts on the connection between the two, will help guide your sequences safely from FCP to Color -- and show you why it's worth the effort.
Click on the link above to find Walter's tutorial.
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by Michael Sandness on Feb 1, 2008 at 2:32:32 am
Even less prep work need be done using Color version 1.02.
From the Color 1.02 release notes: "Motion templates, Motion projects, and LiveType projects all appear as offline shots in the Color timeline, instead of as gaps as in previous versions of Color. These media types, although unsupported in Color, reappear when your sequence is sent back to Final Cut Pro." No problem there. Also, no need to remove GFX, generators or unsupported media from the FCP sequence. Apple fixed that up in v 1.02.
Using some track management in FCP, its easy to organize elements that Color doesn't support like lower 3rds etc. This way you can hide these tracks in Color and focus on the shots you need to grade. Saving the need to copy-paste back into your (from Color) sequence.
Also, you can choose to not grade or render certain clips in Color. If you render only the shots you've graded in Color, Color tells us it will point to original source files as it sees no rendered clip from Color. Simply load and render the shots you need to the Render Queue, save after rendering and send to FCP. And your in business.
As far as speed-efx go, I agree on "baking". Motion is good there with Optical Flow, sometimes I see Twixtor used there. It's a good idea to keep an eye on how FCP does its frame blending. Some times it is ....yuk. Filters I don't have much trouble with. And pictures that need to be graded into self-contained movies is spot on.
Good tutorial Walter. But, quit giving away all the secrets to success. ;-)
Michael Sandness - Colorist
Splice Here, Minneapolis MN USA
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by walter biscardi on Feb 1, 2008 at 3:07:40 am
[Michael Sandness]"No problem there. Also, no need to remove GFX, generators or unsupported media from the FCP sequence."
actually, Slugs and Text cause issues in the Color timeline. They show up as garbage in the timeline and cause issues dragging Grades from one shot to the next. Removing the Slugs and Graphics keeps this from happening. Even in Color 1.0.2.
If you apply a Grade to a shot right before a Slug, you can't drag that grade to any shots after the slug. REALLY annoying. So remove them.
[Michael Sandness]"Using some track management in FCP, its easy to organize elements that Color doesn't support like lower 3rds etc. This way you can hide these tracks in Color and focus on the shots you need to grade. Saving the need to copy-paste back into your (from Color) sequence."
Again, I still run into issues with Graphics, so I prefer to remove them. My tutorial is to show the path of least resistance in the round trip. Yes, you can leave some things in the timeline, but I have found the most reliable way to work efficiently in Color is to prep a timeline the way I show. As with anything else in FCP / Color, there are 99 ways to do everything. This is how I do it.
[Michael Sandness]"Good tutorial Walter. But, quit giving away all the secrets to success. ;-)"
Judging by the amount of DVDs we've sold already, there are going to be a lot more folks diving into Color in the coming year.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by walter biscardi on Feb 1, 2008 at 12:26:46 pm
[Jason P]"Great tutorial, Walter and particularly useful as I'm about to start my first serious grade on Color - a 95 minute doc. Should be fun.
Your DVD was priceless too - very succinct and to the point. Really useful for an old(ish) hack like me, to be shown by a fellow editor!"
Much appreciated Jason! I'm just really thankful to all the folks who have found this DVD useful. I honestly can't believe how many were purchased, I'm very humbled by the response.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by walter biscardi on Feb 3, 2008 at 4:06:07 pm
[Michael Sandness]"Well Walter, I guess my experience doesn't count."
Never said or implied that. I was just saying that the tutorial is my way of doing things that gets me a foolproof workflow every time.
That's why I said there's 99 ways to do everything. You have your workflow, I have mine. They both work and everyone can take what they need from everyone's input.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by Michael Sandness on Feb 4, 2008 at 2:08:16 am
Actually Walter, I only took exception to the "My tutorial is to show the path of least resistance in the round trip." comment. I don't agree this to be the case. I made my point. I felt as if you dismissed it.
At the end of the day, this is your forum. I respect that.
Michael Sandness - Colorist
Splice Here, Minneapolis MN USA
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by walter biscardi on Feb 4, 2008 at 4:05:34 am
[Michael Sandness]"Actually Walter, I only took exception to the "My tutorial is to show the path of least resistance in the round trip." comment. I don't agree this to be the case. I made my point. I felt as if you dismissed it."
As I explained in my response to you, leaving graphics and especially still graphics or slugs in the FCP timeline, causes Color to show garbage where those images are. This, in turn, causes issues when trying to drag Grades from one shot to the next. As in, you just can't do it. It causes some weird issues with the Color interface where it will just not allow me to drag any Grades once I hit my first Slug or still image in the timeline.
I have no idea why this is, but it's there. That's why I said my tutorial is the path of least resistance in the round trip. Yes, it takes more time than your way, and your way works just fine.
[Michael Sandness]"At the end of the day, this is your forum. I respect that."
Nope, it's the Cow's forum, they just let me hang out here. You'd also be dis-respecting the other hosts who are volunteering their time and knowledge to the betterment of the Cow community. No one person is responsible for any of these forums. We all give freely of our time and knowledge.
I would love to have you join us as a host given your long history with Final Touch HD and your work as a colorist for so many years.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by Tracey Dunn on Feb 1, 2008 at 6:50:40 pm
Walter,
I have no doubt this little gem will be watched many times.
I might be wrong but I seem to recall that, deep within the bowls of the Color manual it does suggest the option of using self-contained files; as it does elsewhere throughout the FCS literature, although the term, "bake" isn't used. Seems to be the de facto way of getting around "incompatibility" issues, (for lack of a better word).
As you say, some people paid a lot of money for it, way back when; but I still feel like I've been handed a set of racing wheels, but I have to fix the punctures before I can use them.
Your tips are always worth the time.
Keep 'em comin',
T.
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by walter biscardi on Feb 1, 2008 at 7:52:11 pm
[Tracey Dunn]"I might be wrong but I seem to recall that, deep within the bowls of the Color manual it does suggest the option of using self-contained files; as it does elsewhere throughout the FCS literature, although the term, "bake" isn't used."
Yep, it's in the manual and we've repeated it here many times. Seems folks better understand when you actually show it to them, hence the little tutorial.
[Tracey Dunn]"Your tips are always worth the time.
Keep 'em comin',"
Thanks! I'll be here all week. Be sure to try the veal!
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by walter biscardi on Feb 6, 2008 at 1:08:44 pm
[mike faulkner]"how about I grade in color then speed clip us once I jump back to FCP?
trying to save space :-)"
If that works for you. Not sure how it saves space though. You're going to have to render the speed change. FCP will create a Render File that's equal to what you would have created by exporting a self contained movie. Color will still create a Grade File.
I don't honestly see where you're saving space, but if you want to do that workflow, that will also work.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by Dean Sensui on Feb 14, 2008 at 3:27:18 am
Walter...
Thanks for the tutorials. They're invaluable.
I just started working with Color and these gave me a good start with what was a strange and perplexing user interface.
This application gives me the controls I wanted the most and, while all the oddball steps of exporting and importing between FCP are a pain, I'm certain Apple will better integrate this application as they have with others that were added to FCP Studio.
Re: COW Tutorials: Apple Color Preparing Your Sequences to Go From FCP to Color by Dean Sensui on Feb 14, 2008 at 10:58:01 pm
[walter biscardi]"I'll make a deal. Pay for my wife and I to visit you and I'll hand deliver a signed copy free of charge! That's a real steal, no?! :-)"
There was a special discounted fare last week but you had to bring your own paddle! :-)
