Viper Camera with FCP and Blackmagic

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone can suggest any links, articles or share first hand experience as to how the workflow operates when working in Final Cut Pro with footage that was shot on a Viper FilmStream. In particular, is it a smoother process to shoot onto tape rather than recording footage onto disk and then importing that into FCP? Honestly I know so little about this camera that I'm not sure what other factors I should be aware of, if any. Any input is very much appreciated.

I'm using FCP 5.0.4 on a Mac G5 Dual 2.5 Ghz with 2 GB of SDRAM. My capture card is a Balckmagic DeckLink HD.

Many thanks.

My take on it is that if you're using the camera in FilmStream mode you are recording pure RGB 4:4:4 data (DPX) and will need to process this into an editable format first.

A production I was asked to work on a fortnight ago is doing exactly this and their proposed workflow was to shoot and record data and then bring this into a Clipster and output manageable Quicktime files for a FCP edit. We never got into the nitty gritty of the workflow such as transferring DPX header data, but this is clearly crucial in order to conform the DPX files later.

The other option is perhaps simpler - shoot with the Viper and a HDCAM-SR recorder. This will give you uncompressed RGB 4:4:4 on the HDCAM-SR tapes which you can then feed directly into your Decklink, perhaps using the DVCPRO HD codec to offline.

There are a plethora of workflow considerations and you should certainly nail it all down before you decide too much. For example the raw output of the camera in filmstream mode (don't think this is affected in HD operation) will have a harsh green tint because the image is uncorrected, so for onset monitoring its possible you will need a Truelight or similar setup to accurately monitor.

I've not got any direct experience so much of what I say is based on reading and talking to others. Check out this site for some first hand 'trench' info on workflow and setup. They were heavily involved in one of the first Viper Filmstream shot features which was cut in FCP - 'Silence Becomes You'. They cut in the room next to us and it became very apparent just how much this workflow needs to be thought out ahead of time!
[www.digitalpraxis.net]

Don't take it all as gospel, they have some great stories and tips, but they also have some strange ideas about what can and can't be achieved with both FCP and Avid systems.

Good luck
Mark



Post Edited (05-19-06 15:29)

You can probably colour correct the viper footage roughly in FCP, and then do a proper job in FinalTouch HD.

Graeme



[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X

If you end up getting a DPX file stream out of it check out AJA's free tool for DPX to QuickTime conversion: [aja.com] scroll all the way down.

Frank



--
Grand Fromage of Cinelooks
[blog.cinelooks.com] - more riveting than a blank page.

Depends on the length of the project - if its feature length then you should probably look to have a footage 'corrected' (green tint removed and colour balanced) when you make the offline edit files - perhaps do this in Clipster or iQ.

If its a short or commercial then the DPX method seems overkill anyway, but then correcting the offline footage as you work would be fine.

One piece of interesting info - I heard from the Dalsa guys that they had been working 'with' Apple to implement direct DPX management with FCP - could be an external app, could mean FCP or perhaps more importantly Quicktime will come with proper DPX support - image and metadata.

Who knows!

Frank, although that is a great tool to transfer DPX image data to Quicktime, it has zero header data support so you will have no link back to the original files. This is the reason the camera companies are so keen to see the NLE guys introduce tools to manage this link.

Avid have a tool called MetaFuze which should eventually appear later this/early next year. It is designed to do exactly this using the Avid DNxHD codec and an MXF wrapper for offline editorial.

As FCP is pure Quicktime based its only a matter of time before someone comes up with a small software app for that, but you are still going to have other considerations which is where the Clipsers and and iQ's come in so handy at the moment.

best
Mark

Yeah, zero isn't all that much. But until someone has a tool out that gives you at least the equivalent of an EXIF tag that's pretty much it.

How are the chances of Avid releasing something for less than a grand? I'd be quite intrigued by the MetaFuze thing IF it works with FinalCut.

Frank

Actually contrary to what I suggested earlier about Clipster outputting Quicktime files, the key to the current workflow's is to actually use the DPX host system as a virtual vtr.

The DPX frames are loaded in sequence and the chosen NLE controls the Clipser like a deck and captures the input. This allows you to choose the codec according to your NLE and retain TC and reel data easily.

"I'd be quite intrigued by the MetaFuze thing IF it works with FinalCut."

Well I would speak to Apple about that - Avid have broad support for the industry open standard MXF which is how this workflow is managed - Apple rely purely on Quicktime. Their P2 workflow for example has to first unwrap the MXF data and then re-wrap it in Quicktime.