File names when importing stills into FCP--MacDV Digest #2610

[Ted Langdell]

A word or two about setting up to scan, especially when a lot of 
pictures are involved.

I've used this method when dealing with projects involving 100-300 
photos and it works very effeciently.

To save time cleaning up a lot of dust, spots and scratches, I'd highly 
recommend using SilverFast's SE or AI software. It really made a 
difference in what I had to do (or DIDN'T have to do) on the projects.

The SE version can be downloaded as a demo so you can try before you 
buy. $49 to purchase.  
http://www.silverfast.com/show/silverfast-se/en.html Works with OS X in 
most cases... but you can test with the demo.

Sort the pictures before you scan and put them into the order they'll 
end up in your timeline.  Clients can do this.

Putting little stickers pre-numbered with pencil on the back of each 
photo helps make the process go faster, and avoids damage to the 
photos. Pencil on the sticker won't hurt the face of the photo it rubs 
up against.  Pen ink can.

When scanning, save into a dedicated folder using three digit numbers, 
and then whatever text description fits the picture...  
002-GrandmaHugsCarol

Before importing into FCP... set your freeze/still duration (in 
preferences) to something under 5 seconds.  I find 2.5 works real well 
and fits most music.

When you import into FCP, select file>import>folder and choose the 
folder you saved the files into.

In the "Favorites" menu section, choose a transition to use. (Cross 
Dissolve is always a good choice)

Open the folder in your FCP browser, select ALL the pictures and drag 
them to the canvas, dropping them onto the "with transition" button.  
FCP will plop them in the timeline in numerical order... and 
automatically add your selected "favorite" transition.  My jaw almost 
dropped when I tried it the first time.

I suspect the same thing will work with iMovie.

Add your music selection to the timeline, so you can see how they work 
together.

Then all you have to do is go through each picture and set the 
beginning and ending sizes and positions... and maybe adjust the timing 
and you're ready to render, if necessary.

If you need to insert photos in between the ones already in the 
timeline... use letters.

For example... I need to add three pictures between 062 and 063.  The 
new ones become 062A, 062B, 062C.  That keeps them in order in your 
folder, in FCP and if you needed to redo putting the entire folder's 
worth of photos into the timeline for some reason.

When you're finished... you can burn the photos to CD for your client, 
and that becomes either a value-added item in your package, or 
something that brings in extra money.

Ted Langdell
Ted Langdell Creative Broadcast Services
Marysville, CA

On Feb 23, 2004, at 5:26 AM, Macintosh Digital Video List wrote:

> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 11:41:24 -0800
> From: Ray Statham <raystatham at shaw.ca>
> Subject: [MacDV] pixels
> Message-id: <194A7F1B-656F-11D8-8457-000A9578422C at shaw.ca>
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Can anyone straighten me out with the business of square/nonsquare
> pixels? I'm doing a short project in FCP which requires me to import
> still images for zooming and panning, and I'm not sure how to handle
> it. Do I need to do anything in the scanning stage to prevent distorted
> images, or does FCP have a way of automatically dealing with this?
>
> Ray
>
>
> ------------------------------