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Macbook Memory/Final Cut Pro Help

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Diamonds
Posts: 4443 - Karma: 1,299
Hey,
I have a 2009 Macbook pro 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3 Ram. I recently started to edit with 720p60 HD Canon T3i footage that I got from my friend. I am constantly getting dropped frames and after hours of troubleshooting figured that the only option is to "increase the speed of my system and/or disc drives" as it tells me every time I drop frames. I have the standard 500GB hardrive that came with it and I know that you can get better ones that have a faster rpm (I believe). So I guess the question is would I have to invest in more ram (To 8GB) or invest in a better/faster hard drive?
Also, when I edit in 30FPS or less, everything works perfectly.
Sorry if I got any terms wrong or said something that is wrong, I am not an expert with this kind of stuff!

+K for help
Sep 9 2011 9:10PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
Are you converting the footage to prores?


And the dropped frames is only in playback, you can choose to have it stop saying that every time it happens.
Sep 9 2011 9:37PM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,883
Are you converting your 60fps footage down to 30fps before editing it?

Final Cut doesn't really play well with 60fps (at least for me).
Sep 9 2011 9:37PM
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Diamonds
Posts: 4443 - Karma: 1,299
I wasn't converting to prores because if I'm not mistaken it drops back to 30fps (Or close to). I like the crisp slow mo when using 60fps... :( Or is there another way? Twixtor?

I am also curious as to what FPS Level 1, stepts and more known filming companies/filmers (Including yourself) use when shooting movies/edits. I really enjoy slow edits with crisp quality

Sep 9 2011 10:21PM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,883
If I'm not mistaken, you have to convert to prores (with 30fps) in order to do anything with them since 30fps is standard (technically it's 24fps, but final cut accepts 30fps too). The point to shooting in 60fps is to slow it down smoothly (using twixtor or any other time-changing program) then during that process export it to 30fps so you can use it in Final Cut nicely. The higher the FPS, the smoother it will look when slowed down, but in the end it needs to be 30fps (and needs to be consistant with the rest of the timeline - so you can't mix say a clip that's 24fps and clips that are 30fps).

At least this was how it was explained to me, if someone better at editing has other tricks to use raw 60fps shots, I'd like to know too.
Sep 9 2011 10:31PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
there is 720p60 prores my friend. i shoot 60p at most time while im filming.
Sep 9 2011 10:57PM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,883
ok...now I'm interested...how do you prores to 60fps....I've never seen it, and once you've done so, will it work with Final Cut.
Sep 9 2011 11:03PM
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Diamonds
Posts: 4443 - Karma: 1,299
:O Really? These are my prores options when converting in MPEG streamclip:
ProRes 4444
ProRes 422 (HQ)
ProRes 422
ProRes 422 (Proxy)
ProRes 422 (LT)

I used the LT because a youtube video said to use it when I first used MPEG streamclip
Sep 9 2011 11:06PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
yeah and if you don't change the frame rate it will still be 60 if your original shot was 60fps. and LT is the best for dslr/avchd footage
Sep 9 2011 11:13PM
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plorr
Posts: 3131 - Karma: 528
Convert to Prores 422(LT)
Conform to 24fps in Cinema Tools
Edit in 24 fps timeline.
If you want the footage to play back at normal speed, change the speed to 250% and uncheck frame blending.

Sep 9 2011 11:39PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
you can just drop the 60p shot into a 24p timeline and fcp will drop 36 frames and you just have to render for preview.
Sep 10 2011 5:13AM
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alexat955
Posts: 2732 - Karma: 112
But then you can't get crisp slow mo right? Or if you slow it down does final cut put the dropped frames back in?
Sep 10 2011 12:18PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
thats why you conform it to 24p with cinema tools. Or, you can edit in a 60p timeline and you can slow shit down to 40-99%
Sep 10 2011 2:41PM
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alexat955
Posts: 2732 - Karma: 112
Yeah, normally I conform and speed it up. I just wasnt sure what would happen if you edited 60p in a 24p timeline and then tried to slow it down
Sep 10 2011 3:21PM
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Diamonds
Posts: 4443 - Karma: 1,299
Thank you to everyone that helped, prores LT was the way to go and specifically thank you to eheath. Video is looking real nice now, only problem is that it's 1.24gb for a 1:30 edit, so I need to upgrade vimeo accounts :S
Sep 10 2011 5:58PM
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alexat955
Posts: 2732 - Karma: 112
after you're done you can use FCP or compressor to compress it so it'll be smaller
Sep 10 2011 6:08PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
compress it, it should be around 100mb max
Sep 10 2011 6:46PM
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Diamonds
Posts: 4443 - Karma: 1,299
How do I compress using FCP ?
Sep 11 2011 1:00PM
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alexat955
Posts: 2732 - Karma: 112
when you export, export using QuickTime conversion. Google for ideal vimeo/YouTube settings (on my phone so can't link you to them) and the video should come out much smaller
Sep 11 2011 1:12PM
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