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Multiple FCP X exports...

mfparcher

mfparcher

Just wondering if exporting a file in final cut (or any program) will degrade the quality of the file.

I have been exporting as .mov and only do this because my computer tends to get gummed up by too many projects in final cut...so...i normally export and delete after finishing a scene, and then just drag the exported file back into fcp if i need to fix or change something...then, of course, i have to re-export...just wondering if this is working for me...haven't noticed an issue yet...
 
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mfparcher said:
Just wondering if exporting a file in final cut (or any program) will degrade the quality of the file.

I have been exporting as .mov and only do this because my computer tends to get gummed up by too many projects in final cut...so...i normally export and delete after finishing a scene, and then just drag the exported file back into fcp if i need to fix or change something...then, of course, i have to re-export...just wondering if this is working for me...haven't noticed an issue yet...
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I'm just a music/audio guy.... but, having worked with lots of editors...

This is a terrible workflow. You never finish a scene until you've finished the film... and deleting your project files is a horrible approach to solving this problem. Most professionals NEVER delete anything... even keeping multiple versions of the same scene... definitely never deleting their work.

Technically speaking... you need to learn about codecs. Yes exporting can degrade the quality of the file... depending on which codec you use and what those settings are. For example "exporting as .mov" is devoid of any meaning. Which compression codec were you using? h.264? Prores 4.2.2? Any of these answers could lead to more questions about settings... and ultimately the answer could be "YES" you have been degrading the image quality every time you export.
 
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Just wondering if exporting a file in final cut (or any program) will degrade the quality of the file.

I have been exporting as .mov and only do this because my computer tends to get gummed up by too many projects in final cut...so...i normally export and delete after finishing a scene, and then just drag the exported file back into fcp if i need to fix or change something...then, of course, i have to re-export...just wondering if this is working for me...haven't noticed an issue yet...
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Technically, it'll depend on what the export is. Since you don't seem to be familiar with the fact that .mov is only a container and has no relevance to the question at hand, I'm going to say that you're probably at a point in your career where you're not going to notice that much of a difference in quality in the work you're doing.

What Joe said is so true. Deleting the project files is plain and simply dumb. They're such tiny files. Even if you're including the source files, external hard drives are so cheap these days that there's really no excuse to delete projects that aren't yet complete/signed off.

This is a terrible workflow.
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It's the kind of workflow I'd expect from newer actors.
 
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