Workflow help!!!! On set capturing

So they just sprung the idea that they may want to somehow downconvert on set.

Totally new territory for me, and not quite comfortable with it really.

Here's the deal.

Feature shooting with Sony F900. 6 weeks of shoot.

Is there someway to do TC accurate downconverts on set?

Is there someway to capture on set with accurate TC, or at least a TC accurate burn?

This talk is making me a bit nervous.

Tim

Cut in DVCAM 60i from 24p using the SONY JH3 via FireWire (you'll need the optional
HKJ101 iLink board installed on the JH3)

Since you use the source tapes the TC will be the same.

[bssc.sel.sony.com]

If you're shooting 24p HDCAM you can capture 60i DV from the JH3, and then remove pulldown allowing you to cut in a 24p timeline,

I've not used this process myself but have heard it works, the best thing is to do a test ASAP. Call the hire company and ask to arrange a time.

Then all you'll need is a large FW800 Hard Disk and a MacBook Pro with FCP installed.



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Get the AJA I/O HD, a MacBook Pro, and a PCI Express 34 eSATA card and a RAID on set. (Caldigit S2VR HD or S2VR DUO). The I/O HD will capture as ProRes AND capture camera accurate TC as well...so you can capture AS YOU SHOOT, not after the tape is out of the camera.


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Has anyone had success using something like the Miranda DVC-802 real time downconverter with TC burns etc. attached to a DV Disk?Then we can just shuttle drives back n forth daily.

If they are capturing audio in camera as well, will this stay in sync?

I'm really trying to convince them to go the JH-3 deck in the cutting room. But we will see.

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Has anyone had success using something like the Miranda DVC-802 real time downconverter with TC burns etc. attached to a DV Disk?Then we can just shuttle drives back n forth daily.

Not had the pleasure...

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If they are capturing audio in camera as well, will this stayin sync?

Yes if you use either the above options

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I'm really trying to convince them to go the JH-3 deck in the cutting room. But we will see.

I would, its the best cheapest option if you don't need to capture HD or capture camera in realtime.

You could even hook up a simple DVD recorder to the JH3 composite super out and the analog audio outs (whilst you digitise via firewire) and burn a DVD of the footage as you go, saving time making DVD copies from FCP with DVDSP or iDVD.

I reckon c. $1500/week to rent a JH3 in the US or $15000+ to buy



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I'm confident I'll be fine either way. These are the two methods that are now on the table. The JH3 we can get for $900 a week.

I figure worst case scenario is that if anything needs to be recaptured, they'll just have to take it somewhere. While I don't like that idea and I'd rather have my asst. do it, at least this means I'll get to cut in SD which means I won't have to upgrade my rigs just yet.

Thats a good price - have you asked for a discount as its needed for 6+ weeks?

You may want to ask what shooting ratio they are aiming for and work out how much storage you need then double it!

We just shot a feature on s16mm and I'd pencilled in 1200 minutes (12:1 ratio based on 100 minute estimated running time) of on site DV storage.

2x 400GB mirrored backup (RAID 1) but of course the director was trigger happy and shot over 2000 minutes meaning they ran over the safe 10% free mark so I had to go out and buy 2x 1TB ones to transfer it all and allow for renders, sound files, gfx, etc!

I would suggest doing the same and getting a RAID that does RAID 1 so if one of your HDDs gets damaged or goes down at least you'll have a backup saving you many hours of redigitising and being shouted at by your Production seniors and laughed at by the runners.

I'd also recommend using an FTP or .Mac account to store a remote copy of the FCP project whilst on location or at least onto an iPod or memory stick incase of system crash/data loss.

If you prepare and be extra safe hopefully nothing will happen (Sod's/Murphy's Law) but if you don't then you are asking for trouble to hunt you down like a rabid dog and put you down with a large blunt club...

...I digress.

Where was I? Oh yeah good luck!

It's really not so hard or scary just don't let anyone cut you down on what you need!



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Shane,

This config is new to me...the PCI Express 34 eSATA cards I have seen have 2 ports on them. The card that comes with the Caldigit S2VR HD has 4 ports. Does the S2VR HD RAID use all 4 ports and if so how does the RAID work with the 34 card on the laptop with only 2 ports?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

The Caldigit enclosures are port multiplied, and their eSata cards support port multiplication. So this means one cable from the enclosure to the card. Pretty slick.

I actually priced out a similar enclosure with 2.5tb while still using caldigit cards and worked it out to roughly 1500-1600 dollars. That is about a 1000 savings. While I know Caldigit has amazing customer support, this other company is quite reputable in its own right. To me that is too big of a savings, especially when I'm thinking of buying 2 of them. That 2k covers alot of upgrades. (or that Macbook Pro I really want!!!)

Besides this is all probably overkill anyway for my needs, but I figure spending money on drives will go a bit further than into a new rig. Hell, my last show our Adrenaline was running a SCSI array! lol.

...so Tim...you're saying a single port off the MBP PCI Express 34 eSATA card is all you need to feed the CalDigit S2VR HD?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

And CalDigit sells one...


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Yep. 1 cable. Just have to be sure the card supports port multiplication!

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a SCSI array! lol

Ah you can't really knock SCSI though. It was designed to move large chunks of data around very fast and didn't slow up much as they got full, whereas IDE/ATA etc are better with smaller data chunks and can slow up almost in a linear fashion to less than 50% performance from half filled to full.

Thats why we usually suggest 30% free on HDDs and 20% minimum, 10% is getting to the critical point for ATA.



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Certinaly not knocking it. Just amazing that a SCSI array bought 6-8 years ago can still cut it today. That's why I'm going overkill on drives today since they will hopefully have a longer lasting period of usefulness than a new MacPro for instance!