so i've got a few (QT) clips that are bigger than a DVD (4 GB plus). i thought i could just export shorter clips out of FCP, save them as self-contained QT's, but they end up being "FCP Movie Files" rather than actual smaller QT files...and even though they are "self-contained" they seem to want the original source file so they show up in the timeline.
what is the quick and sure-fire way to cut these large QT's down to DVD size (other than re-capturing into shorter clips?)
Re: Archiving large clips by David Roth Weiss on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:29:39 am
[mortimer heathcliff]"i thought i could just export shorter clips out of FCP, save them as self-contained QT's"
Mortimer,
You most certainly can. If you're making them self-contained they will play on any computer in a QT player. Don't confuse them with QT reference files just because they have a FCP icon instead of the blue QT logo. If you open a self-contained QT with your QT player instead of by double-clicking on them you will see that they will play just like any other QT file. To be honest, I think the fact that the icon is the same as a QT reference file is an FCP quirk (i.e. a mistake).
Re: Archiving large clips by mortimer heathcliff on Sep 13, 2006 at 6:25:44 pm
okay, here's what seems to be happening:
if i choose "Export/QT conversion" in the QT format, it takes an extreme amount of time to even encode a 3-minute clip. in fact, as it renders, the time remaining keeps shooting up to over an hour...so i cancelled that process.
if i choose "Export/QT movie/current settings/self-contained" (the one that seems the mostly likely correct candidate), it renders quickly, but does not play if i "hide" the source file on another disc (as if it had been deleted). but as soon as i reconnect with the source file, this new one plays fine (though it's defeating the purpose, as i want to get rid of the large source file).
Re: Archiving large clips by mortimer heathcliff on Sep 13, 2006 at 6:25:47 pm
okay, here's what seems to be happening:
if i choose "Export/QT conversion" in the QT format, it takes an extreme amount of time to even encode a 3-minute clip. in fact, as it renders, the time remaining keeps shooting up to over an hour...so i cancelled that process.
if i choose "Export/QT movie/current settings/self-contained" (the one that seems the mostly likely correct candidate), it renders quickly, but does not play if i "hide" the source file on another disc (as if it had been deleted). but as soon as i reconnect with the source file, this new one plays fine (though it's defeating the purpose, as i want to get rid of the large source file).
Re: Archiving large clips by mortimer heathcliff on Sep 13, 2006 at 9:04:59 pm
ok. so i've proved once again the bonehead that i am...
it is working fine...at leas when bringing these "FCP Movie Files" back into FCP without the source file they work fine. they DON'T play as regular QTs on a PC, but no big deal. i'll have all PC's purged from the premises the next time our family computer (a PC) dies.
sorry for wasting the airspace here, but thanks for listening...
Re: Archiving large clips by Bob Flood on Sep 13, 2006 at 2:06:32 pm
hey mort
I found a program called mac hatcha (love the names of some of these programs) which allows you to split up big files into smaller chunks. in this case 2gb (its kinda like win RAR)
what i do is take all the stuff i want to save and stuff it to a zip file with no compression, then use machatcha to break up the zip file. i can get 2 mac hacha "chunks" onto a dvd, and i fill up as many dvd's as i can
I found mac hacha by doing a web search for file utilities. I think there were several out there, and one or two could probably make it easier by makin 4.6 gB chunks, just the right size for a dvd
Re: Archiving large clips by todd reid on Sep 13, 2006 at 3:01:10 pm
use "export using conversion" and choose your codec (quicktime if desired) than it should be more like what you were expecting.
Those "final cut movies" should still play in quicktime by control-clicking and choosing "open with", then choose quicktime player.
