[This article was first published in the April, 2008, issue of
Larry's Final Cut Pro Newsletter. Click here to subscribe.]

Nico Nilsen writes:

I have a question: you show how to export from Final Cut into compressor and compress according to different settings.

But I've heard about exporting as "FLV" and I understand that must be flash video. But what setting is that? Where is it in compressor. How can this be done ? In Flash ? Could you let me know or tell me where I can read about it. How can I get a "FLV" out of FCP ? Mystery !

Larry replies: Yes, FLV is a Flash Video format.

At this point, you can't do this natively with Final Cut. However, Sorenson Squeeze, On2, and Telestream's Episode can all create FLV files.

UPDATE - April 8, 2008

Ben Balser sent in the following:

Well, I almost got through this newsletter with no comments. Then, BANG! Just one. FCP will not export .FLV files, but QT Pro Player will. Save out as a native self-contained .MOV from FCP, open in QT Pro Player, Export as .FLV. And from my understanding, this is not a file you can just post to a web site, but one that would be imported into a Flash project for authoring.

Then, Ryan Mast sent this in:

Regarding the question about how to export an FLV from Final Cut, there is a very direct way -- if you own Adobe CS3. CS3 installs an FLV encoding component into QuickTime that uses the Flash CS3 Video Encoder dialogue box to export.

Here's how: File > Export > Using QuickTime Conversion, and from the Format pop-up menu, select Flash Video (FLV). The Options button summons the encoder settings window from the Flash Video Encoder.

This also works from QuickTime Player, Compressor, or any app that uses the standard QuickTime export dialogue box.

In Compressor, in the Inspector window, select QuickTime Export Components from the File Format pop-up menu, and select Flash Video (FLV) from the Encoder Type pop-up menu. Again, the Options button summons the Flash Video Encoder options.

I really haven't tested which is faster -- exporting via Adobe's QuickTime FLV encoder component, or encoding directly with the Flash Video Encoder app. Any one else have a word on that?

Larry replies: Thanks, Ben and Ryan. I didn't know this.

UPDATE - Aug. 15, 2008

Mark Triplett writes:

Just read your article on this, the QuickTime export and the Adobe FLV Encoder work at about the same speed, SLOW!

I encoded the same file as a QT MOV and used the Adobe FLV Encoder and the QuickTime export and the speed was almost identical. The FLV Encoder may be a bit faster but I'm talking seconds not minutes.

Larry replies: Thanks, Mark.

Larry Jordan is a post-production consultant and an Apple-Certified Trainer in Digital Media with over 25 years experience as producer, director and editor with network, local and corporate credits. Based in Los Angeles, he's a member of both the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America.

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