Bounce to Quicktime alternative workflow

[Rich Breen]

I've been basically ignoring the end of Quicktime functionality in Pro Tools with Catalina as none of my machines nor any of the studio rigs I'm on will be on Catalina anytime soon, but it's starting to crop up with clients.

Just looking for some input on an alternate workflow for quickly generating ref movies with audio from the Pro Tools timeline, selecting only a small portion of the video to be bounced. I assume we're going to be stuck with exporting audio and marrying to video in a third party app (shutter encoder? Optimus?) - anybody have any thoughts on current best/fastest/simplest ways to handle this workflow?

TIA,
rich

[its2loud]

Hey Rich.
Assuming you’re working with DNx video in Pro Tools?

What I do is create an h.264 version of the clients reference video. When it comes time to making my “mix for approval” I’ll import the h.264 version into my timeline and then bounce to quicktime using that video. I’ve never had any issues or complaints from clients.

Alternatively, you could use a streaming platform such as Vimeo but those services cost extra money. However, if the video you’re sending out for approval is large it’s most likely you’re already using an FTP server or something like it.

[minister]

Originally Posted by its2loud

Hey Rich.
Assuming you’re working with DNx video in Pro Tools?

What I do is create an h.264 version of the clients reference video. When it comes time to making my “mix for approval” I’ll import the h.264 version into my timeline and then bounce to quicktime using that video. I’ve never had any issues or complaints from clients.

Yes, this is pretty standrd for now, but this won't work in Pro Tools in Catlina as Quicktime is a 32bit Application.

I don't know (yet) how to do this in Catalina. Not sure what the MXF options are, but interested in learning.

[BScout]

For now (and I find it a bit convoluted) using FF works (an FFmpeg gui) to wrap picture in an MXF wrapper and then bringing it into Pro Tools. For short segments/audio clips, bounce audio on frame boundaries (grid mode) and then replace audio and segment video again in FF works. FFworks/ffmpeg is fast and I can let it batch process anything in the background.

But Pro Tools will drive me to VideoSlave soon if they can't sort out an export method by the time I move completely over to Catalina (luckily not yet but that will happen with the new machine coming this year.) Though still not in the timeline, it removes a few steps and can export clips with replaced audio without having to leave a synced picture system.

[Rich Breen]

Originally Posted by BScout

...then replace audio and segment video again in FF works. FFworks/ffmpeg is fast...


But Pro Tools will drive me to VideoSlave soon if they can't sort out an export method by the time I move completely over to Catalina....

Thanks to all who responded. Pretty much as messy as I feared - I guess I'll get familiar with the ffmpeg workflow and probably will consider the VideoSlave option also if nothing changes soon.


thanks!
rich

[D'Animation]

I use QT Pro to do this all the time completely ignoring bounce to quicktime so I'll hit that problem soon. Bounce the audio the exact length of the qt and paste it on to the video in QT pro. Delete the old audio track, save as and your done

VideoSlave seems to be useful on all fronts for the future

[Irl Sanders]

Originally Posted by BScout

and then replace audio and segment video again in FF works.

Can you elucidate on that part of the process?

[Cheesehead]

Shutter Encoder will also do this.
I find it easier than FFMpeg and its donation-ware.


Export audio the same length as your mp4.
Drop mp4 and audio into Shutter Encoder and choose 'add audio to video'.
Done.


Since most people seem to send me the video as mp4 that I have to convert for PT anyway, I usually have one already.

SE is also a great video converter and will even rip a you tube video, lots of other stuff too for the price of a coffee!

[its2loud]

Originally Posted by minister

Yes, this is pretty standrd for now, but this won't work in Pro Tools in Catlina as Quicktime is a 32bit Application.

I don't know (yet) how to do this in Catalina. Not sure what the MXF options are, but interested in learning.

I don’t understand. h.264 is a supported format for Catalina. You asked how clients with Catalina can watch review videos. If you don’t like that option use Apple ProRes


Formats compatible with macOS Catalina
These video, audio, still-image, and container formats are compatible with iMovie on Mac computers with macOS Catalina:

Video formats
Apple Animation Codec
Apple Intermediate Codec
Apple ProRes
AVCHD (including AVCCAM, AVCHD Lite, and NXCAM)
DV (including DVCAM, DVCPRO, and DVCPRO50)
H.264
HDV
HEVC
iFrame
Motion JPEG (OpenDML only)
MPEG-4 SP
Photo JPEG
XAVC-S
Still-image formats
BMP
GIF
HEIF
JPEG
PNG
PSD
RAW
TGA
TIFF

Audio formats
AAC
AIFF
BWF
CAF
MP3
MP4
RF64
WAV
Container formats
3GP
AVI
M4V
MOV (QuickTime)
MP4

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by its2loud

I don’t understand. h.264 is a supported format for Catalina. You asked how clients with Catalina can watch review videos. If you don’t like that option use Apple ProRes

Not its not a problem for the clients. According to Avid we won't be able to a Bounce to QuickTime at all because that component of PT was 32 bit and relied on legacy QT. So until they rewrite video export we're stuck relying on external solutions.

It's been said before but worth repeating - it's a little embarrassing that Avid, the leader in video, hasn't worked this out by now. I just hope that while they're shoehorning the MC rendering into PT that they dumb it down enough so it's a few clicks and not the massive amount of settings in MC. And we really need to be able to import and transcode video without relying on external software. I think I requested that 10 years ago.