Best final cut pro settings for Vimeo

Every person who gets into videography as a hobby is going to eventually ask themselves: what video settings do I use?

Some people will be using Sony Vegas, others iMovie, I just happen to be using Final Cut Pro which has about 30+ input and output options available for importing your masterpiece from tape and exporting it for others to see.  Since this has been an ongoing question for me, I thought I’d provide a bit of clarity and a link to one of my favourite how-to videos.

Best FCP settings for importing video from the Canon Hv30

Import or “Capture” settings largely depend on the resolution and framerate of the video camera you shot the footage with. As I use the Canon Hv30 (PAL), I import using the Final Cut Pro setting “HDV” and start a sequence using “HDV – 1080i50”. This seems to be pretty standard for most high definition cameras and works well for me.

Best FCP export settings for Vimeo

Ok so this one took me a LOT longer to find. I was going out of my mind for a while. First off, realise that when I say export, I really mean “compress”.  The “Export – Quicktime Movie” in FCP will not produce a video capable of being uploaded to Vimeo. Don’t make the mistake as many times as I did. For Vimeo you’ll actually need to choose “Using Quicktime Conversion” or “Using Compressor”. Compressor is a companion product for FCP, Quicktime is well…Quicktime.

Now that you’re in the right area, you should have a look at Vimeo’s general guidelines as they are essential for the next part of your export journey. Whatever program you are using, you should see the settings mentioned by Vimeo hidden in the tabs somewhere. If you end up using Quicktime Conversion, the guidelines are pretty much all you’ll need to work it out, so I won’t go into it. Unfortunately, results from Quicktime Conversion tend to vary in quality, hence why Apple invented Compressor.

Compressor is definitely more complex, as it’s designed for professionals. I, quite obviously, am not a professional, hence why I love it when people make videos on how to do this stuff. The video below contains all the instructions necessary to make the most of Compressor for uploading videos to Vimeo. Happy exporting!

Compressor Settings for Vimeo