Outputting Your Project

After your edit is final, it's good practice to prep your sequence. You will prepare your sequence for either output to tape or an online session.

Depending on your workflow, you will typically finish your picture and audio edit then take your finished project, XML or EDL, elements, and source media, including a final output of your edit, to an online editing facility for finishing. Your booked time at a specialized online editing facility is commonly called an online session. Your online session may include increasing resolution, color correction, transition and filter manipulation, and preserving broadcast video specifications. Depending on the length and detail of your project, an online session will take from 1 to 10 days. Since your online session is utilizing sophisticated broadcast equipment, highly trained personnel, and limited time, you need to be well prepared. Organize your sequence before your online session.

You'll probably output your sequence during various stages of your project with little need for strict preparation. However, if you're responsible for your final output, you will benefit greatly by following the same principles of preparation as those of an online session. Traditionally, you output your finished sequence to a high-quality tape format and this becomes your master. You may also output a QuickTime movie or create a DVD.

Preparing for Your Online Session

Communicate with your online editor or the online facility coordinator to learn their preferred delivery specifications. Ask what format they need for your sequence. Do they require an XML or EDL export? If your online facility is running Final Cut Pro, you'll simply bring your Final Cut Pro project. In this case, ask what version of Final Cut Pro they are running. How is your session booked? Is it booked for an increase in resolution, titles, and color correction, or is it booked for just color correction? Determining these aspects prior to your session will make your time more productive and reduce costs. Use the following checklist as a rough guide:

Ask Questions

• What is the preferred sequence format (such as EDL-CMX 3600, XML-Version 2, or Final Cut Pro)?

• What information should my cut list include (levels, pan, transitions, filters, and so on)?

• What is the preferred format for the guide output? (Include window burns of your sequence timecode in your output guide.)

What You Should Bring

• All your source tapes and copies of any media you created without source timecode, including stills, music, effects, and titles

• EDL, XML, or Final Cut Pro project file

• An output of your final sequence with sequence timecode burned in

• An output of your sequence with timecode window burn

• A detailed list of which clips you want to affect and at what timecode they appear in the sequence; these could include titles, transitions, color correction, filters, and credits

• A detailed list of any text. Supply this as an electronic file, and make sure you save it as a Simple Text document. Check spelling prior to your session.

Tip

If you're completing your online session on another Final Cut Pro system, and your media drives are portable, as a precaution you could take them with you to the session. If you have difficulty locating an element of your project, doing so may save time.

Prepping Your Sequence

There are many methods of preparing a sequence for an online session and final output, but we'll focus on the most common aspects of organization.

Organizing Your Clips

Now that you have your final sequence, it's a good idea to duplicate it and add an identity. Add the word master and a date to the end of the name. At a glance you should be able to recognize which sequence is your final locked version.

Play through your sequence and place all your video clips onto the lowest tracks. For example, if you have an interview on video track 1 and some cutaways on video track 2 then move those clips on track 2 to track 1.

1.	Select 05 Organize Your Clips Sequence and press Return to load it in the Timeline.
2.	In the Timecode field of the Timeline, type 10. to move the playhead 10 seconds forward in the Timeline to position 01:00:10;00.
3.	Press Cmd-+ to zoom into the Timeline at the playhead position.
4.	Press the spacebar to play the sequence. Play just a few clips. Notice that the cutaway clips are on video tracks 2 and 3? During the offline editing workflow, it was easier to experiment and make editing decisions using a number of tracks. However, now that you are tidying up, you'll begin to move the clips from the higher tracks down into position on the lower tracks. The goal is to reduce the number of tracks and clean up the sequence so that only the necessary clips are represented in the final edit.
5.	Click to select the 001 RoyParkEXT 09 clip, hold down the Shift key to constrain the clip's movement, and click and drag the clip down to video track 1. You will overwrite the video clip on video track 1.
6.	Press Cmd-Shift-A to deselect all clips in the Timeline.
7.	Press the down arrow on your keyboard twice to navigate the playhead to the first frame of the next group of clips you will affect. The timecode should read 01:00:19;09.
8.	Click to select the clip named comp on video track 3, hold down the Shift key to constrain the clip's movement, and click and drag the clip down to video track 2.
9.	Press Cmd-Shift-A to deselect all clips in the Timeline.
10.	Lasso the three clips on video track 2 to select them.
11.	Hold down the Shift key to constrain the clips' movement, and click and drag them all down to video track 1. Your sequence is beginning to be much more concise. It's also easier to see exactly what clips constitute your edit. You can continue to reduce the number of video tracks and then delete any empty tracks once you have finished. Remember to watch for composites and titles. If you are preparing your sequence for an EDL, you'll need to re-create any composites that appear above video track 2.

Tip

To delete tracks, choose Sequence > Delete Tracks. Select Video Tracks, then select All Empty Tracks.

As with video, you need to arrange your audio so that it's clear and organized. You will usually prep your audio tracks either prior to your audio mix or online session, depending on what comes first. The goal with audio is to arrange the audio clips in a logical order. Discuss the order of your audio tracks with your audio mixer or online editor. Depending on preferred practices and the genre of your edit, the arrangement of audio can sway from simple to detailed. Use the following checklist as a rough guide:

• Dialogue: sync audio. Audio tracks 1 and 2

• Narration/voiceover: Audio track 3

• Ambience: Room tone, background tones. Audio track 4

• Sound effects: including sound effects you recorded or made or those captured from a sound effects library. Audio tracks 5 and 6

• Music: Audio tracks 7 and 8

• Foley: Audio tracks 9 and 10

The number of audio tracks for each group depends on the complexity of your project. The placement of each group may also vary, but the traditional arrangement is the order listed previously: dialog, narration, ambience, effects, music, and foley.

Note

The individual tracks that contain the dialog, music, and effects of the soundtrack are called leaves. Each group of leaves that comprise final mixdown audio is often called a stem. A final mixdown includes stems of dialog, music, and effects (DME or ME).

Take a look at the arranged audio tracks in 05 Organize Your Clips Sequence.

1.	Select 05 Organize Your Clips Sequence and press Return to load it in the Timeline if it's not already open.
2.	Press Shift-Z to fit the contents of the sequence in the window. The audio tracks have already been organized. Dialog is on audio tracks 1 and 2, sound effects are on 3 and 4, and the music is on 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Prepare Clips for Recapture

Prior to exporting your XML or EDL, or delivering your Final Cut Pro project, you will need to use the Create Offline option in the Media Manager to prepare your clips for recapture during an online session. The goal in using the Create Offline option is to trim the clips, reducing the amount you will need to recapture; to change your sequence settings to a higher resolution (if required); to duplicate your sequence; and to save the duplicated sequence in a new project.

1.	Click to select any sequence from the Browser.
2.	Choose File > Media Manager. The Media Manager dialog opens.
3.	Choose Create Offline from the Media pop-up menu.
4.	Choose your new sequence settings in the Set Sequences To pop-up menu.
5.	Deselect the check box for Include Master Clips Outside Selection.
6.	Deselect the check box Delete Unused Media From Duplicated Sequence. With this option deselected, your original media files will not be affected, and you will have the choice of adding handles. Tip When you're prepping your sequence for recapture, you do not need to create handles in the Create Offline dialog. Generally, you'll have the ability to add handles during recapture. Of course, check with your online facility if you are unsure of their process.
7.	From the Base Media File Names On pop-up menu, choose Clip Names. You can choose either existing filenames or clip names. Existing filenames will maintain the names of the original media files; clip names will change your media names to the names you assigned to your clips during the editing process.
8.	Deselect Include Nonactive Multiclip Angles.
9.	Click OK. A dialog opens, prompting you to save your new project file.
10.	Navigate to where you want to save your project, enter a name, and click Save. Tip You could keep the original project name and add as an appendage your resolution or the word Master or Final, for example, TMH_Master_052805-8bit. Final Cut Pro scans your selected elements and reconstructs the project.

Note

If your media has no source timecode track or reel name, the media file will not be affected by the Media Manager. This is a useful precautionary feature in Final Cut Pro to prevent you from altering a media file that you may not be able to recapture.

Your sequence is now ready to export a cut list, recapture in Final Cut Pro at a higher resolution, or to take to your online session.

For additional details about the Create Offline option in Media Manager, see the "Recapture Selected Source Media" section in Lesson 3.

Timecode Filters

Whenever you output a reference tape, file, or still image, it's a great idea to include a timecode window burn, which will help you identify or reference a frame of video. Depending on the purpose of your output, you will want to include a window burn of either the sequence or clip timecode. For example, if you are sending a reference output of your edit to your director for approval, include a sequence window burn by applying a Timecode Generator filter.

If you are creating a reference output of your edit for your online session, you may want to apply a window burn indicating the timecode of each clip. In this case, you will need to apply a Timecode Reader filter. The purpose of applying a window burn of either the sequence or clip timecode is to make referencing easier. Depending on which filter you apply, it'll be easy to see where a clip occurs within your sequence or know what the clip timecode is by looking at the output. This is especially important if you are outputting to a DVD, VHS, or QuickTime movie. For extra benefit, consider applying both filters.

1.	Double-click 06 Timecode Window Burn Sequence to load it in the Timeline.
2.	Click to select the first clip in the sequence: 04-01-1.
3.	Choose Effects > Video Filters > Video > Timecode Reader. The Timecode Reader filter, which visually identifies the clip's timecode, is applied.
4.	Double-click the 04-01-1 clip to load it into the Viewer. Make sure you place your playhead over the 04-01-1 clip in the Timeline so you can see the changes you make to the filter as they update in the Canvas.
5.	Click the Filters tab to view the filters.
6.	Choose Show Title Safe from the View pop-up menu on the Canvas. By choosing Show Title Safe, you can ensure that you are placing your timecode filters within the viewable field.
7.	In the Timecode Reader filter, choose the following settings: Size: 15; Center: 175, 176; and Opacity: 0. Deselect the Ignore Opacity check box.
8.	Select the 04-01-1 clip in the Timeline and press Cmd-C to copy.
9.	Lasso all other clips in the Timeline.
10.	Ctrl-click the selected clips and choose Paste Attributes from the shortcut menu.
11.	Select Filters from the Paste Attributes dialog and click OK. The Timecode Reader filter is applied to all clips in the Timeline with the same settings and parameters you applied on the first clip.

Now add the Timecode Generator filter, first nesting the original sequence so the Timecode Generator reads continuously.

1.	Press Cmd-N to create a new sequence. Name it 06 Timecode Generator.
2.	Double-click the 06 Timecode Generator sequence to load it in the Timeline.
3.	Select 06 Timecode Window Burn Sequence and drag it to the Edit Overlay in the Canvas and choose Overwrite.
4.	Click to select the nested sequence.
5.	Choose Effects > Video Filters > Video > Timecode Generator.
6.	In the Timeline, select 06 Timecode Window Burn Sequence and press Return to load it in the Viewer.
7.	Click the Filters tab.
8.	Enter 06 TWBS in the Label field. This identifies the sequence.
9.	Make the following adjustments to the filter: Format: 30fps; Hour Offset: 1; Size: 15; Center: 123, 175; and Opacity: 0. Deselect the Ignore Opacity check box. Note You should set the format to your video source. Normally, this would be 29.97 for NTSC and 25 fps for PAL. Tip You can use the keyboard shortcut Option-C to nest clips. To ensure success, when nesting a sequence for a Timecode Generator make sure you match your nested sequence settings and sequence timecode to your original sequence. Your output now identifies the sequence timecode and the timecode of each source clip.

Outputting to Tape

Perhaps the most common form of outputting information is to make a tape. You can edit to tape (ETT), print to video (PTV), or record directly from the Timeline. Whenever you master to tape, you should place bars with tone, slate, and countdown at the beginning of the tape. This is used for calibration and to identify a tape. You can either use the built-in leader accessible from the PTV or ETT windows, or you can edit a leader directly into your sequence.

Tip

Keep a copy of the sequence you used to make an output to ensure you have a record of what's on the tape. Duplicate your original sequence and add Output and a date to the end of the sequence name. Make sure you also identify the corresponding tape with the name of the project and sequence.

Leader

A leader consists of SMPTE color bars and 1 kHz reference tone, slate (also called a title card), and SMPTE countdown. Although the arrangement and duration of color bars, slate, and countdown can vary (depending on the delivery specifications of your client), the general rule is 1 minute color bars and tone, 10 seconds title card, 10 seconds black, 8 seconds countdown, 2 seconds black, then picture start.

For output, change your sequence timecode so that the first frame of edited picture begins at the first hour: 01:00:00;00. All bars, tone, slate, and countdown begin prior to the first hour frame. Traditionally, the leader will begin at 00:58:30;00. Always ask for delivery specifications and when none are given, you can use the following chart of traditional standards.

Timecode	Leader/Trailer	Duration
00:58:00;00	Black/slug	30 seconds
00:58:30;00	Color bars and tone	60 seconds
00:59:30;00	Black	10 seconds
00:59:40;00	Slate/title card	10 seconds
00:59:50;00	Countdown	10 seconds, includes 2-pop at 00:59:58;00
01:00:00;00	Picture start	Program duration
End of program	Black	60 seconds

Note

Although a countdown can be useful for any output, traditionally it's used for tapes that are delivered for broadcast or to the audio mixer responsible for your final audio mix. When delivering a tape for duplication, you will usually leave the countdown black.

If you have no delivery specifications requiring the inclusion of particular information on your slate, use the following checklist as a rough guide:

• Name: program title (or project name, sequence name, version)

• Production credits: producer, director, editor, post facility

• Total run time: (TRT) program duration

• Picture start: timecode of picture start and timebase (such as, PAL, NTSC NDF, or NTSC DF)

• Date: output date

• Transmission date: (TX) date of broadcast transmission

• Output purpose: preview, master, rough edit

• Audio channels: stereo, mono, or unmixed

Tip

Sometimes it's useful to identify the edited clip resolution on the title card, especially during a review of effects, credit scrolls, and titles. You can pinpoint the source of a problem that's due to the resolution of your effect or the effect itself.

Built-In Leader/Trailer

Final Cut Pro has built-in leader elements accessible through the Print to Video dialog and in the Edit to Tape dialog from the Mastering Settings tab. The built-in leader/trailer options are great for basic presentation, single-instance output. If you require your sequence to show visually in the Timeline, edit your slate or your entire leader directly into your sequence.

Note

Slug and bars and tone (NTSC, PAL, and HD) are available from the Video Generators drop-down menu on the Viewer.

Tip

You can use the clip name or a text, PICT, or QuickTime file as your slate. You can also choose the built-in or QuickTime file as your countdown.

Print to Video

The Print to Video command does not allow you to set In and Out points on the tape, and you do not have control over the destination timecode on the tape, so recording will start wherever the tape is currently cued. You will use the Print to Video command if you are editing HDV or if video equipment does not support device control. The most common noncontrollable devices are VCRs or DVD recorders.

Of course, you can also record directly from the Timeline, but the Print to Video command gives you more control and options. From the Print to Video window, you can insert leader and trailer elements, select to record the In to Out points from your sequence, loop, or record the entire duration.

If your deck has remote device control, either RS-422 or FireWire, you can set the Print to Video command to begin recording automatically. Simply select the Automatically Start Recording check box in the Print to Video dialog.

More Info

For further details on the Print to Video command, see the "Printing to Video and Output from the Timeline" section in the Final Cut Pro user's manual.

Edit to Tape

The Edit to Tape command allows you to perform an Assemble edit and an Insert edit, and it lets you black and code a tape. Your equipment must support device control (FireWire or RS-422) and must be capable of performing an Insert edit.

• Black and code is a process of laying down black and timecode on a tape. In order to use Edit to Tape, your video tape needs continuous timecode. You need to black and code only up to the start of your program for an Assemble edit.

• Assemble Edit allows consistent recording signal. It records all tracks on the tape including video, audio, timecode, and control track. With an Assemble Edit, the Out point ends abruptly (breaking control track), so add some trailer black to your sequence in the Mastering Settings dialog or add some slug to the end of your edited sequence.

• Insert Edit allows edits of selective tracks. The control track is not replaced. Both In and Out points have continuous control track.

Insert editing allows you to set frame-accurate In and Out points while also allowing you to edit video, individual audio tracks, and timecode. Most professional editing facilities black and code all their tapes, and most use the Insert editing command exclusively.

1.	Choose File > Edit to Tape
2.	Choose the Mastering mode from the pop-up menu. This mode is useful if you want to output your sequence with the built-in leaders accessible through the Mastering Settings tab. If you choose the Mastering mode, you only need to set an In point on the tape; the Out point will be automatically set. Choose the Editing mode when you are Insert editing one clip. The Mastering Settings built-in leader and trailer elements will not be available. Tip The Edit to Tape window appears over the Canvas and is sized proportionate to the Canvas window. If you want to increase the size of your Edit to Tape window, increase the size of your Canvas prior to choosing the Edit to Tape command.
3.	Set In and Out points on your clip or sequence if you don't need to output the entire duration.
4.	Select your edited sequence or clip from the Browser.
5.	Type the timecode in the Timecode field to set the destination In point on the tape.
6.	Select to enable video and timecode and choose your audio tracks from the pop-up menu. Note When a destination video, audio, or timecode track is enabled, it is yellow. Note Final Cut Pro can output up to eight tracks of audio when performing an Insert edit. The number of tracks available is dependent on the number of available tracks on your VTR. You also need to set the audio output presets in your sequence. For more information, see the "Working with Multiple Audio Output Channels" section in the Final Cut Pro user's manual.
7.	Click the Mastering Settings tab and enable the options you want to include, and disable the options you don't want to include.
8.	Click the Preview button to preview your edit. This is useful if you are Insert editing onto a preexisting edited tape.
9.	Select your edited sequence or clip in the Browser, then click the Insert Edit button on the Edit to Tape window.
10.	Click OK to begin recording.

Tip

Press Escape to cancel the preview or record to tape.

Tip

Although any element that requires rendering will be rendered automatically, it's an excellent idea to render and save your sequence or clip prior to your edit to tape. For quick access, you can set the render quality in the Real-Time pop-up menu in the Timeline. All audio is automatically rendered at high quality.

Exporting Media

You can export your sequence or clip as a self-contained or reference QuickTime movie, choose from all the available sequence presets, or perform a QuickTime conversion and choose from a number of QuickTime compatible formats such as MPEG-2 or AVI. You can include your markers for use in other applications such as Motion, DVD Studio Pro, Soundtrack, and Soundtrack Pro.

Export QuickTime Movie

The Export QuickTime Movie command is streamlined when you simply want to export a QT movie using one of the available sequence presets. You can export two kinds of QuickTime movies: self-contained and reference.

In self-contained movies, every frame of your original sequence is reproduced to create an independent QuickTime movie. The resulting movie file is larger than a reference movie, and the total size depends on the sequence setting and length. Use a self-contained QT movie if you plan to deliver or share your sequence with someone else, or for archive purposes.

Reference movies reference the original source media. Like a clip in a Browser, a reference movie is a pointer to the original sequence clip's QuickTime media files. In order to view a reference movie, all original QT files must be available on the same system. The resulting file size of a reference movie is very small since it contains no media. Use a reference QT movie if you are planning to use the QT movie with another application on the same machine. For example, you could use a QT reference movie in Motion, Shake, or another application. You can even share a QT reference movie with another colleague on your XSAN, as long as that person has access to the original QT source media.

1.	Select 07 Export QT Movie Sequence from the Browser.
2.	Choose File > Export > QuickTime Movie.
3.	Choose a location, and name your movie.
4.	Choose a sequence setting from the Setting pop-up menu. Current Settings uses the sequence or clip setting you selected. If you want, choose another setting from the pop-up menu. If you choose to export a self-contained movie, you have the option of choosing to recompress the media in your export. Selecting the Recompress All Frames option is useful if you choose a codec setting lower than your current sequence setting. If you choose a setting equal or higher than your current sequence setting, deselect the Recompress All Frames option so that you can export your media without exposing it to unnecessary recompression artifacts.
5.	Choose what you need to include from the Include pop-up menu. You can choose Video or Audio only, and Video and Audio both.
6.	If you have set markers in your clip or sequence for export, identify which markers you want to export or choose All from the Markers pop-up menu.
7.	Select the Make Movie Self-Contained check box and click Save. Tip Export a QuickTime reference movie and use Compressor to convert your file to another QuickTime-compatible format.

Export QuickTime Conversion

If you need to export any QuickTime compatible file format such as AIFF, AVI, MPEG-2, or still image sequences, you will use the Export QuickTime Conversion command. You can export 3G, AIFF, QuickTime movie, AU, AVI, WAVE, DV stream, still image, image sequence, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4.

There are too many configurations and choices to cover in this lesson, so the focus here is on exporting for the Web. Of course, there are many reasons to use QuickTime conversion, so for more detailed information see the "Exporting QuickTime-Compatible Files" section in the Final Cut Pro user's manual.

In this exercise, you'll export a compressed QuickTime movie file for Web distribution. This kind of compressed file is perfect for posting on an FTP site for editorial approval.

1.	Double-click 08 Export QT Conversion Sequence to load it in the Timeline.
2.	Choose File > Export > Using QuickTime Conversion.
3.	Choose a location and name for your movie.
4.	Choose QuickTime Movie from the Format pop-up menu.
5.	Choose Broadband Medium from the Use pop-up menu. Tip Base this Internet setting on who you're delivering the file to. If your director has dial-up access, choose the Dial-Up preset or simply output a low and high compression.
6.	Click Options. These are the default settings for Broadband Medium compression with QuickTime 7. You will find that all the default settings produce excellent results. However, if you want to create your own, you can use the default settings as a jumping off point.
7.	Click OK when you have finished viewing or selecting your options.
8.	Click Save to export your file.

Export Still

For many reasons, you may find it useful to export a still or still image. You might want to use them for press kits, storyboard, scene stills, log book images, or graphics. Nearly all still image formats are supported in Final Cut Pro. Two common image formats are JPEG, which is a good compression compromise with a small resulting file size but good image detail, and TIFF. (You can choose to save a TIFF file with no compression.)

Tip

Exported still images are 72 dpi. For still images that are intended for print, change the dpi in Adobe Photoshop.

Here's how to export an uncompressed still image:

1.	Open 08 Export QT Conversion Sequence.
2.	In the Timeline, find a frame you want to export.
3.	Choose File > Export > Using QuickTime Conversion.
4.	Choose a location and name for your still image.
5.	Choose Still Image from the Format pop-up window.
6.	Click Options.
7.	In the Export Image Sequence Settings dialog, choose TIFF from the Format pop-up menu.
8.	Ignore the Frames Per Second pop-up menu; it does not apply to still images.
9.	Deselect the check box for Insert Space Before Number. Click Options.
10.	In the TIFF Options dialog, choose Millions of Colors from the pop-up menu.
11.	Choose None from the Compression pop-up menu. Click OK.
12.	In the Export Image Sequence Settings dialog, click OK and then click Save.

Tip

You may find it useful to place a De-interlace filter on your clip or sequence prior to export. (Choose Effects > Video Filters > Video > De-interlace.) Since video is a combination of two interlaced fields, you can sometimes notice flickering in the image. Use the De-interlace filter to remove the upper (odd) or lower (even) field, and the remaining field is duplicated to create a whole image. This filter is especially useful if your exported QuickTime movie is intended for playback on a computer since computer screens display lines progressively.

Batch Export

You can export multiple elements with various codecs, formats, and settings by using the Batch Export command. This is a great feature that will save you time, especially if you need to export a number of clips, sequences, or bins.

Here's how to export some clips to AIFF using standard settings.

1.	Hold down Shift and select 09 Batch Export Bin and 09 Batch Export Sequence.
2.	Choose File > Batch Export. The Export Queue window launches. By default, your batch export elements are placed in a bin named Batch 1. You can rename or create new bins, and you can move, delete, and add to the Batch Queue window just like a Browser window. Tip You can also add to the Export Queue by dragging and dropping elements from the Browser. Note Make sure you export your items in the Export Queue, because anything in the Export Queue will be deleted after you quit Final Cut Pro.
3.	Select a batch folder and click Settings. In the dialog, set your Destination, Format, Settings, Naming conventions, and options for including audio and video, item In and Out, reference or self-contained movie, and recompress frames.
4.	Click Set Destination to set your export destination.
5.	Choose AIFF from the Format pop-up menu.
6.	Click Options.
7.	Choose 48.000 kHz from the Rate pop-up menu in the Sound Settings dialog.
8.	Click OK in the Sound Settings and Batch dialogs.
9.	Click Export.
10.	Click View Exported to open your exported files in separate windows in Final Cut Pro.