Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 383)

• Scanning from a book or photograph
• Downloading from the web
Note: Be aware of copyright issues and don’t use images that you don’t have permission
to use.
• Capturing from a standard definition or high definition video camera
• Creating with a desktop publishing or graphics application
Keep in mind that the image needs to be in one of the formats supported by Final Cut Pro:
PICT, TIFF, TGA, PDF, Photoshop, or JPEG. Most of these file formats can also contain an
alpha channel. For more information about alpha channels, see
“Compositing and
Layering.” For detailed information about working with still images and graphics, see
“Working with Freeze Frames and Still Images.”
Importing Numbered Image Sequences
Numbered image sequences are the lowest-common-denominator method for exchanging
video across editing and compositing platforms. Image sequences are movies, but instead
of storing all the video frames in one file (such as a QuickTime movie file), each frame is
stored in a separate, sequentially numbered file. Although QuickTime is increasingly used
to exchange video clips between platforms, image sequences are still very common.
Note: If you are exchanging media between Final Cut Pro and other post-production
applications, you should use a QuickTime file format for your movies unless there is a
particular reason not to.
Some applications may be capable of exporting only numbered image sequences. In this
case, you can use one of the following methods to import numbered image sequences
into Final Cut Pro:
• You can first use QuickTime Pro to convert a numbered image sequence into a
QuickTime movie that can be imported into Final Cut Pro and used like any other clip.
When you do this, the numbered image sequence is not used in Final Cut Pro.
• You can import all your image files into Final Cut Pro, and then edit them sequentially
into a sequence.
Converting a Numbered Image Sequence to a QuickTime Movie
You can use QuickTime Pro to convert a numbered image sequence into a QuickTime
movie. This is useful if you want to convert all your images into a single clip. You can then
import the movie into Final Cut Pro and use it the way you use any other clip.
To convert a numbered image sequence into a QuickTime movie
1 Open QuickTime Player.
2 Choose File > Open Image Sequence.
383 Chapter 26 Importing Media Files into Your Project