Exporting footage with Alpha Channel Included

Okay…. I know sometimes the answer seems obvious.  But here it is just in case. The ONLY Apple Pro Res CODEC that supports transparency is Pro Res 4444.  But here is the the less obvious part.  When exporting footage EVEN with PR4444, you must select “MILLIONS +” under advanced to get the Alpha Channel included.

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Combining SD and HD footage

During a recent post session, I was struggling with combining footage from multiple cameras (and eras).  I had three basic formats: SD, HDV, and AVCHD.  The SD and HDV were LOWER field interlacing, while the AVCHD was UPPER.  (I also had a small amount of progressive footage from another source – though it didn’t present a problem.)  I elected to have the...

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First Look – Final Cut Pro X

About 2 weeks ago, I began post on a small project.  Since it was small and did not have a deadline, I felt it was a perfect candidate to dive into the new Final Cut Pro X.  I know, its not exactly new anymore.  But the older I get, the less interested I am in helping software companies bug test their new releases. I think…I may not have given Apple enough time...

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Burning HD video to Blu-ray with Toast 10

Below are the details of burning HD video content from Final Cut Pro to a standard DVD, using the Blu-ray format using Toast and the Toast Blu-ray plugin.  It is not necessary to have a Blu-ray burner for this procedure – a standard DVD and DVD burner are fine.  However, playback can only occur from a Blu-ray player, because the format of the disc is Blu-ray....

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Final Cut Pro Media Manager Not Working

I’ve been using Final Cut Pro since v2.0. Now at FCP 7, I’ve always had a lack of confidence in FCP’s Media Manager. First, it seems to have a mind of its own, like spell check in MS Word!  And in similar fashion to spell check, while very helpful at times…very frustrating at others. And second, projects restored from previous versions are...

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Workflow and Archiving AVCHD footage

UPDATED: Jan, 2013 I have been using my Sony HDR-SR12 camcorder for several years now (here is a link to that post). As much as I love this camcorder and storing straight to a hard drive, AVCHD footage presented some workflow challenges with my editing system – Final Cut Pro.  And since Sony’s archiving software is Windows only and I work on a MAC, archiving was no...

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Sony HDR-SR12

I’d been waiting for the right combination of features to make the plunge to a high definition camcorder for personal use. I’ve been using the 3 CCD Sony HDR-FX1 for professional use, but it is too large to carry around for personal use. Enter the HDR-SR series. I won’t cover the specs – cause it’s been done…but this version is a 120...

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