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Home: Video University Forums: Mac Video:
Getting still frames in HD

 
 


brucecleveland
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May 29, 2008, 4:34 PM

Post #1 of 14 (1026 views)
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Getting still frames in HD Can't Post
Anyone know the best way to get still frames off of our fcp video? I can export via quicktime still frame and it is coming out in 4:3. Not sure what other methods there are. Please help.

Bruce
"Always over my head, but not quite deep enough to drown."


videogal
User

Jun 1, 2008, 9:45 PM

Post #2 of 14 (974 views)
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Re: [brucecleveland] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
OK, now, you're not allowed to laugh - I'll tell you how to do it, but if someone knows a better way, PLEASE do post it !! WinkWink This may seem really weird but it works.

With your FCP project open -

Make a new sequence
Go to sequence->settings and change your settings to these:
1920x1080 (HDTV aspect ration)
Pixel aspect ratio - Square

Go to the sequence or clip you want to use - put that clip into your new sequence. Say "no" when it asks if you want to change the sequence settings to match the clip.
Put your playhead where you want to pull the still fram from.
Use File->export->using quick time conversion

You can now do one of 2 things -
Change the settings to "Still Image" (rather than QT Movie) down at the bottom - this will pull one frame - or "Still Image Sequence" - this will create a still for each frame in the clip. Be sure it is a small clip as this generates a lot of fairly large photo files (5 m or so). Of course select the folder etc. you want to use for your pictures. I usually do this as I don't have to choose so exactly which frame I want - so I have a choice of pictures fairly quickly and easily.

Beneath where you change "QTMovie' to "Still Image" there is an Options button - and the pop-up that follows also has an Options button - go into each area and be sure you like the options. I'm not in front of my FCP right now but they are things like JPEG format, 29.97 fps, and a resolution setting that defaults at a "medium" setting and I always set to the highest setting.

Now ... I did make the giant assumption that you have / will use Photoshop to work with the photo you pulled -

Open the photo in Photoshop
Use the filter "Filter->Video->Deinterlace" which will get rid of the horizontal lines on the picture. I think the default settings are the ones I use but you can change them around a bit and see if you get anything better. You want the "upper or lower" choice to match the choice that your clip in FCP is (this setting can be found waaay over in a column in the browser window).

Piece of cake, huh? It actually is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Feel free to reply or PM if you need more help Wink

In Reply To
Anyone know the best way to get still frames off of our fcp video? I can export via quicktime still frame and it is coming out in 4:3. Not sure what other methods there are. Please help.

Bruce
Miriam Moran
Omaha Wedding Video
www.OmahaWeddingVideo.com


Ron Priest
Veteran


Jun 2, 2008, 12:27 AM

Post #3 of 14 (968 views)
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Re: [videogal] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
Bruce, I was just about to tell you the same thing. Tongue
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brucecleveland
Veteran


Jun 2, 2008, 8:10 AM

Post #4 of 14 (962 views)
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Re: [videogal] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
Hey thanks much Videogal. I would have never figured that out. Works great and I don't really care about the work involved. I appreciate your lengthly reply.

Bruce
"Always over my head, but not quite deep enough to drown."


GmElliott
Veteran

Jun 10, 2008, 10:08 PM

Post #5 of 14 (873 views)
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Re: [brucecleveland] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
I just resize it up to 1920x1080 in photoshop.








Glen Elliott
http://www.GmElliottVideo.com


brucecleveland
Veteran


Jun 10, 2008, 10:12 PM

Post #6 of 14 (869 views)
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Re: [GmElliott] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
In Reply To
I just resize it up to 1920x1080 in photoshop.
So does the quality stay pretty good?
"Always over my head, but not quite deep enough to drown."


GmElliott
Veteran

Jun 11, 2008, 2:03 PM

Post #7 of 14 (858 views)
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Re: [brucecleveland] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
looks perfect- you have to think, your NLE is doing this too. HDV isn't full raster so anytime you view it and it "doesn't" look squashed it's beeing conformed.








Glen Elliott
http://www.GmElliottVideo.com


brucecleveland
Veteran


Jun 11, 2008, 3:16 PM

Post #8 of 14 (846 views)
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Re: [GmElliott] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
In Reply To
looks perfect- you have to think, your NLE is doing this too. HDV isn't full raster so anytime you view it and it "doesn't" look squashed it's beeing conformed.
Thanks Glen I will give this a try.

Bruce
"Always over my head, but not quite deep enough to drown."


Scott Brooks
Veteran

Jun 11, 2008, 5:17 PM

Post #9 of 14 (840 views)
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Re: [GmElliott] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
In Reply To
I just resize it up to 1920x1080 in photoshop.
I've got to try this as well. When I first got my camera I kept cursing the fact that I couldn't get a 16:9 photo. Unsure


GmElliott
Veteran

Jun 11, 2008, 6:10 PM

Post #10 of 14 (831 views)
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Re: [Sparky] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the simplicity and resulting quality of this method.








Glen Elliott
http://www.GmElliottVideo.com


videogal
User

Jun 29, 2008, 9:44 AM

Post #11 of 14 (622 views)
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Re: [brucecleveland] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
I haven't had a chance to try some of the suggestions posted - but, found a cool thing yesterday (thanks to MacWorld magazine)

On Leopard, you can open a quicktime movie (using the space bar preview thing), pause on the frame you want, click with your mouse on the picture and drag it to your desktop, and viola, you have a still of that frame. All I could say when I tried that out was "go figure!"

I did have to right-click and select "open with" "photoshop cs3" to open the file, as it didn't have an extension identifying it as a certain file type (jpeg etc)

I also discovered by accident that if I dropped a clip into a 720p timeline, the stills I exported were the right shape and did not need the deinterlace filter applied.

So, I guess it all boils down to many ways to end up at the same destination Cool


brucecleveland
Veteran


Jun 29, 2008, 12:45 PM

Post #12 of 14 (600 views)
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Re: [videogal] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
In Reply To
I haven't had a chance to try some of the suggestions posted - but, found a cool thing yesterday (thanks to MacWorld magazine)

On Leopard, you can open a quicktime movie (using the space bar preview thing), pause on the frame you want, click with your mouse on the picture and drag it to your desktop, and viola, you have a still of that frame. All I could say when I tried that out was "go figure!"

I did have to right-click and select "open with" "photoshop cs3" to open the file, as it didn't have an extension identifying it as a certain file type (jpeg etc)

I also discovered by accident that if I dropped a clip into a 720p timeline, the stills I exported were the right shape and did not need the deinterlace filter applied.

So, I guess it all boils down to many ways to end up at the same destination Cool
That seems to save it as a small reference file with a .mov extension that does not open in Photoshop. What am I doing wrong?

Bruce
"Always over my head, but not quite deep enough to drown."


videogal
User

Jun 30, 2008, 10:51 PM

Post #13 of 14 (544 views)
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Re: [brucecleveland] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
Right-click the file, choose "open with" and select "Photoshop cs3" (or whatever your version is). I had to do "open with" then "other" then select PS. It gave a pixel aspect pop-up then opened up - I was able to re-save it with a .jpg extension. Overall, too cool!

In Reply To
In Reply To
I haven't had a chance to try some of the suggestions posted - but, found a cool thing yesterday (thanks to MacWorld magazine)

On Leopard, you can open a quicktime movie (using the space bar preview thing), pause on the frame you want, click with your mouse on the picture and drag it to your desktop, and viola, you have a still of that frame. All I could say when I tried that out was "go figure!"

I did have to right-click and select "open with" "photoshop cs3" to open the file, as it didn't have an extension identifying it as a certain file type (jpeg etc)

I also discovered by accident that if I dropped a clip into a 720p timeline, the stills I exported were the right shape and did not need the deinterlace filter applied.

So, I guess it all boils down to many ways to end up at the same destination Cool
That seems to save it as a small reference file with a .mov extension that does not open in Photoshop. What am I doing wrong?

Bruce
Miriam Moran
Omaha Wedding Video
www.OmahaWeddingVideo.com


MLiebergot
Veteran


Jul 1, 2008, 9:56 AM

Post #14 of 14 (526 views)
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Re: [videogal] Getting still frames in HD [In reply to] Can't Post
Very cool, great suggestion.

Michael

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