Red Epic and FCP workflow: transcode Red Epic MXF to ProRes for FCP 7


Summary: If you shoot footage on a Red Epic camera, you may find the MXF format was not ‘FCP Friendly’. To be able to ingest Epic MXF to Final Cut Pro, you will need to transcode Epic recordings to FCP’s native format using third party software. This post displays the best way to transcode Red Epic MXF to Apple ProRes for FCP 7

A Quick Question
“Hi all, a quick question regarding Red Epic and FCP 7 workflow. I attempt to edit Epic MXF footage in FCP 7 and my camera master format was not ‘FCP Friendly’. I understand being able to ingest Epic MXF to Final Cut Pro, I will need to transcode Epic recordings to Apple ProRes, which is the native format of FCP. In this way, Epic files saved to the ProRes codec do not require any rendering when importing to FCP. My question is that does anyone know the easiest way to convert Epic MXF files into ProRes QuickTime files for editing in FCP7? My concerns are simplicity of importing original material, ease of settings and ease of exporting into FCP. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.”
Epic and FCP workflow

A Quick Answer
Considering simplicity of importing original material, ease of settings and ease of exporting into FCP, HD Video Converter for Mac is a great choice to rewrap Red Epic footage to ProRes for using in Final Cut Pro 7, or the former version FCP 6 and the later version FCP X.

Download a free trial of Red Epic Video Converter for Mac
free download

The best way to transcode Red Epic MXF to Apple ProRes for FCP 7

Follow these steps:
Step 1: Install this HD Video Converter for Mac software on your computer, launch it as a Red Epic Video Converter for Mac and click ‘Add File’ to ingest your source media from your camera or from an achieved folder on your Mac HDD that contains your Epic footage.

Step 2: Select output format for FCP 7
For the purpose of converting Red Epic MXF video to ProRes for FCP 6/7 or FCP X, from Profile bar, navigate to ‘Final Cut Pro’ catalogue, and select ‘Apple ProRes 422 (*.mov)’ as target format. Apple ProRes is the best suited editing code for FCP 6, 7 and FCP X. When loading them into FCP, you needn’t wait for a long time for rendering.

This Mac format converter program offers a couple of ProRes formats for users to choose from, including Apple ProRes 422, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), Apple ProRes 422 (LT), Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy), and Apple ProRes 4444, you can select one as target format depending on your requirement in post production.

Apple ProRes 422 – Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422 (LT);
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) – Keep original video quality for editing in FCP;
Apple ProRes 422 (LT) – Get a smaller file sizes than Apple ProRes 422;
Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) – SD levels – 480i/p and 576i/p. Used in offline workflows.
Apple ProRes 4444 – Edit and finish 4:4:4 material.

Step 3: Custom video and audio settings (for advanced users)
Click ‘Settings’ button, the ‘Profile Settings’ window pops up, on which you are allowed to custom video and audio parameters like bit rate, frame rate, resolution, sample rate, and audio channels.

Step 4: Start transcoding Epic MXF footage to ProRes (Also read Avid and Red Epic workflow)
When ready, click ‘Convert’ to transcode Red Epic MXF files to Apple ProRes format that is well suited for editing with FCP 7.
Tips:
You can tick off ‘Shut down computer when conversion completed’ and go away to do other things instead of waiting around in front of the computer for the entire conversion process.

Step 5: Click ‘Open Folder’ button to locate exported ProRes QuickTime files
As soon as the conversion process finished, simply click ‘Open Folder’ button to get the generated QuickTime files that encoded with ProRes for using in FCP 7.

Also read:
E1 Plugin not working for Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D in FCP 7 L & T
Encoding Canon EOS C500 MXF for FCP and Avid on Mac Mavericks
Sony NEX FS100/FS700 AVCHD and Final Cut X workflow