Editing Footage from iShowU HD Pro
by Nate Hanson
on
Feb 6, 2009 at 8:50:52 pm
I captured a video tutorial for my multimedia class using iShowU HD Pro.
Capture Settings Size: 720x480, 4:3
Video: Apple ProRes 422, Max quality, 29.97 fps
Audio: Linear PCM, 48000 Khz, 2 channels
Capture area: I drew a box, slightly larger than 720x480 in the top left corner of the screen.
Mouse mode: Fixed
In FCP I imported my clips, and dragged them into a new sequence which prompted FCP to ask me if I wanted to change the sequence settings to match the clip settings. I clicked Yes.
Now that I have finished editing, I am unable to export. Compressor says, "Failed." with no explanation or report that I can find.
Two questions: 1) Is there an obvious problem with my steps from what I've explained?
2) Does anybody use this program and, if so, can you shoot me an outline of your workflow and settings?
Re: Editing Footage from iShowU HD Pro by Dave LaRonde on Feb 6, 2009 at 9:28:04 pm
[Nate Hanson] "1) Is there an obvious problem with my steps from what I've explained?"
Yup. Here it is, right here:
"In FCP I imported my clips, and dragged them into a new sequence which prompted FCP to ask me if I wanted to change the sequence settings to match the clip settings. I clicked Yes."
When you did that, the sequence became slightly bigger than 720x480, just like you captured it.
Simply try nesting your completed edit into a sequence that really IS 720x480, and you ought to be good to go.
Dave LaRonde
Sr. Promotion Producer
KCRG-TV (ABC) Cedar Rapids, IA
Re: Editing Footage from iShowU HD Pro by Nate Hanson on Feb 6, 2009 at 9:40:37 pm
Hi, Dave
Ok, I tried nesting the edit in a new 720x480 sequence, but I got the same result from compressor: "Failed."
Now you are correct in that I did select an area for capture that was larger than 720x480. However, my output settings from iShowYou HD Pro were for 720x480, so the end product should have been in the right format, right? I wonder if there is a compression problem with the iShowU software.
Re: Editing Footage from iShowU HD Pro by Dave LaRonde on Feb 6, 2009 at 9:49:50 pm
Try sidestepping the whole issue: export a self-contained quicktime movie. It'll make a QT in the codec used in the edit sequence, and presumably its still the codec you wanted. You can then use the file in Compressor.
If it's NOT in the codec you wanted, you'd better go back to that capture softrware and figure out what you did wrong.
Dave LaRonde
Sr. Promotion Producer
KCRG-TV (ABC) Cedar Rapids, IA
Re: Editing Footage from iShowU HD Pro by Terry Mikkelsen on Feb 6, 2009 at 11:07:52 pm
This may help. I often use a firestore firewire recording system along with a tape in the camera. However, when I use the camera start/stop button and the firestore is already recording, it will cause a 1 frame glitch in the firestore's video. If I don't edit this 1 frame out, FCP will post the error you are getting upon output. (If the frame does not need rendered and you select "reference movie" it will export. However, then when you transcode in Compressor, it will fail with a general error that is not very helpful.)
So, all this to say, see if you have any funky frames and edit them out, then try the export again.
Re: Editing Footage from iShowU HD Pro by Nate Hanson on Feb 7, 2009 at 6:46:35 pm
Terry,
Thanks for the suggestion. I think there was definitely something similar happening. I trimmed a few frames off of the heads and tails of my clips, and the whole file exported successfully as a self-contained quicktime movie.
Now in Compressor, I am still unable to send that file out in any h.264 format because it still gives me the entirely unhelpful "Failed" error. However, I can push it out successfully as an MPEG-4, so that is what I'm doing.
