Visual QuickStart Guide [Electronic resources] : Final Cut Express HD for Mac OS X نسخه متنی

Exporting Sequences and Clips

If you want to convert a Final Cut Express sequence to another digital format for use in computer-based media, exporting is the right choice. You can also export sound files, snippets of clips, or single-frame images. Final Cut Express offers a variety of export formats.

When you export, Final Cut Express uses QuickTime's compression codec and file format conversion features to generate a media file on your hard drive in the format you choose.

Here's how FCE's export options are organized:

When you choose File > Export, you'll see two QuickTime media export options: QuickTime Movie and Using QuickTime Conversion. (Figure 19.14 ).

• The Export > QuickTime Movie command streamlines your export configuration chores by offering very limited settings options (Figure 19.15 ). Use Export > QuickTime Movie to export your sequence as a single movie using the same format settings as your sequence or to export a reference movie for use in another compression program, such as Apple's Compressor.

  
  

  Figure 19.15. Use Export > QuickTime Movie to export your sequence as a single movie using one of your Sequence presets or to export a reference movie for use with iDVD, DVD Studio Pro, or a third-party compression program.

  
  

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  QuickTime Movie is also the correct export choice if your export destination is iDVD or DVD Studio Pro.

• The Export > Using QuickTime Conversion command gives you access to the full range of QuickTime-supported file formats. Export > Using QuickTime Conversion is your starting point when you want to export anything from still images to compressed audio files.

  One of the QuickTime format options, QuickTime Movie format (Figure 19.16 ), is a good choice for producing highly compressed QuickTime movies or media files in full-resolution, uncompressed formats. QuickTime Movie format also offers video filters that you can apply as you export a sequence.

  
  

  Figure 19.16. One of your QuickTime Conversion export format options, the QuickTime Movie format, is a good choice for producing highly compressed QuickTime movies for multimedia or the Web.

  
  

  [View full size image]

  

• These export options' settings are preset to offer streamlined export paths to Apple's family of special-purpose applications. These export options appear in the Export menu only if FCE detects the application on your computer:

  • Export > Using Compressor opens your selected clip or sequence in Compressor as a reference movie.

  • Export > For Soundtrack generates a file optimized for use in Soundtrack by automatically including any scoring markers you've set in your sequence.

What's a Reference Movie?

The Export > QuickTime Movie feature offers the option of exporting your FCE clip or sequence as a reference movie. A reference movie is a bit of QuickTime media-handling wizardry. A small file that contains no media (except for a render file of your mixed sequence audio, plus video render files for parts of your exported sequence that haven't been rendered yet), a reference movie simply points to the original media files used in the exported sequence. Apple's Compressor program, which is bundled with Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro, or third-party media compression programs, such as Cleaner, can use the reference movie pointer information from that small file to process the compressed version of your sequence using the larger original media files. iDVD or DVD Studio Pro can also use FCE reference movies to create a DVD disk image of your sequence.

Reference movies work with any QuickTime-compatible compression application that's installed on the same computer as your Final Cut Express system. The compression program must have access to the original QuickTime source media files for your reference movie to work.

You won't see a "Make Reference Movie" option in the Save dialog box for the Export QuickTime Movie function. The only way to export your Final Cut Express clip or sequence as a reference movie is to leave Make Movie Self-Contained unchecked. Pretty esoteric, huh?

Codec vs. File Format

A codec is an algorithm, or mathematical formula, for compressing and decompressing digital media. The word

codec is techie shorthand for COmpression/DECompression. Whenever you see compression options in the QuickTime interface, you're looking at a list of codecs.

A file format is one standardized way of organizing data so it can be recognized and used by an application or operating system. You could use the same compression codec in a variety of file formats, and vice versa. QuickTime Movie is an example of a file format that supports many, many codecs.

1.

Do one of the following:

• Select a clip or sequence in the Browser.

• In the Timeline, open the sequence you want to export.

2.

Set In and Out points in your clip or sequence to mark the section you want to include in the exported file. If you want to export the entire item, clear any In and Out points from the item before export (Figure 19.17 ).

3.

Choose File > Export > QuickTime Movie.

The Save dialog box appears. This is your opportunity to review and confirm the export format settings.

4.

From the Include pop-up menu, choose Audio and Video, Audio Only, or Video Only (Figure 19.18 ).

5.

If you want to export markers along with your file, select the type of markers you want to export from the Markers pop-up menu (Figure 19.19 ).

6.

Do one of the following:

• Select Make Movie Self-Contained to export a QuickTime movie that duplicates all audio, video, and render files in one self-contained media file (Figure 19.20 ).
  
  

  Figure 19.20. Check the Make Movie Self-Contained box to create a stand-alone movie.

  
  

  
  

• Leave Make Movie Self-Contained unchecked to export a reference moviea small movie file that contains only pointers to the original audio, video, and render files.

7.

Type a name for your file in the Save As field and select a destination folder; then click Save.

• If your clip or sequence doesn't have an audio track, select Video Only from the Include pop-up menu. Even empty audio tracks will increase the file size of your exported clip.

1.

Follow steps 1 through 4 in the previous task, "To export a clip or sequence as a QuickTime movie."

2.

If you want to export chapter markers along with your file, choose Chapter Markers from the Markers pop-up menu.

3.

Do one of the following:

• Select Make Movie Self-Contained to make a stand-alone file that can be used with iDVD or DVD SP on this or another computer.

• Leave Make Movie Self-Contained unchecked to export a reference moviea small movie file that contains only pointers to the original audio, video, and render fileswhich can be used only with a copy of iDVD or DVD SP that is located on the same computer as your Final Cut Express project (Figure 19.21 ).
  
  

  Figure 19.21. Uncheck the Make Movie Self-Contained box to create a compact reference movie you can use in another processing program like iDVD 3 or DVD SP.

  
  

  
  

4.

In the Save dialog box, type a name for your file in the Save As field and select a destination folder; then click Save.

The exported movie contains any sequence markers you have designated as chapter markers (Figure 19.22 ).