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HD and SD in the same project
the nightmare continues....
i was handed about 20 SD DVCAM tapes. i'm in the process of digitizing 57 HDV tapes using the apple intermediate codec. i told the producer when she handed me the SD tapes that, we weren't going to be able to use these if she wanted an HD output.
I just learned a half hour ago that we are doing an HD output.
As of now, I have two XDCAM disks of footage alredy loaded.
I'm about 2/3 of the way through the HDV footage and then
I'll begin digitizing the SD footage.
Is there anyway to use all the footage in the same project and create an HD output?
Thank You,
Infinite Chaos
I guess the best way to go all HD is take those SD tapes to a Terranex equipt house and upconvert them to HD. That won't be cheap, I would guess, however.
The SD is gonna be 4:3 and that will look odd, in the 16:9 frame default.
Evidentally, using FCP 6 you CAN use all those tapes on the same timeline. Just don't know what the frames will look like??
so, when they upconvert the SD footage, it will have 16:9 Frame?
can i digitize the SD with a 16:9 ratio on our machine?
i only ask because when i tell the producer that we'll have to get the upconverted, she'll ask, "isn't there a cheaper way to do this?"
Thank you for your help.
You can also upconvert SD to HD using a Kona 3 - AJA card. I don't know how GOOD this conversion is, so perhaps a $2500 card is better cost???
wow. i mean, when i brought this up to the producer, she looked at me like i had neon orange hair (which i don't). well, they already shot everything so there's nothing we can do about it now. neither of the systems have a AJA Card. we're doing everything via firewire.
ok. well, i'm not going to bother digitizing them because that would be a collossal waste of time, correct?
cheers.
we'll have to get the upconverted, she'll ask, "isn't there a cheaper way to do this?"
Yes, but it won't look good. If you want it to look good, then you'll need to use the Terranex or Kona 3.
If you upconvert in FCP and render, it won't look good. The Compressor droplets will look good too, but they take a LONG time.
Upconverting isn't a simple or cheap process.
www.shanerosseditor.com
Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[ itunes.apple.com]
this is just a case of an hour of forethought saving thousands of dollars in post.
is that cliche yet?
anyway, thank you for the information fellas. Shane, you were helping Clayton and I out at BME last summer. thanks for coming through again. you and john.
Cheers,
al lakomskis
Oof...that's right. CAKE and DANCE REVOLUTION. I was supposed to work on that, but couldn't get out of my gig as it ran into overage.
I heard it was a...challenge...to say the least.
www.shanerosseditor.com
Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[ itunes.apple.com]
haha, yeah, we'll leave it at that but when we got a system in place, everything flowed. we figured a way to not uprez and that helped ALOT. but at the end of it, we wre finishing 4 shows a week. it was, well, a challenge.
can you treat this as the Off-line, and capture everything as DV?
then you wont need to up-res nearly as much footage when you on-line your lock off.
nick
that's a great option Nick but because I had already started digitizing(behind schedule of course) and it's a pilot of a reality-type show, we've been digitizing on two systems and we couldn't turn back because of our deadline.
we don't really have the time or budget, apparently to do an online.
could you do that and still have an HD output after briging in SD compressed to DV?
cheers,
well your SD is DV already.
as FCP6 wont be part of the equation on this, by the sound of your schedule,
you'll have to have every thing at the one format.
sounds like AIC is your chosen format
if you've already captured the XDCAM and the HDV to AIC,
can you capture the DV direct to that?
if not, then you'll have to capture as DV and up-res.
for now go with the fastest upres you can do,
later get going on a better quality one.
also think about what footage you may need first up.
they cant cut everything at once,
so you might just have to stagger your capturing and cutting.
nick
i'm the assstant editor on this project. the editor gets in monday. i've been told to get everything, well over 100 hours of footage, into the drives by monday. that's why i was saying that i don't have time too much time. i've already got the xdcam and the hdv footage in and i'm waiting to hear back from the producer if they want me to digitize the SD footage or not.
[so, when they upconvert the SD footage, it will have 16:9 Frame? ]
At best resolution it would be "pillarbox" full frame in a 16:9 rectangle. If you upconvert to full-width 16:9 you ccould use the Kona's ability to reposition framing-- inevitably cropping will be objectionable in some shots. And based on demo stuff I've seen, it's going to look a little softer. But it's a solution.
- Loren
Today's FCP 4 / 5 keytip:
Preview unrendered effects with Option-P or Option-Backslash!
The FCP KeyGuide?: your power placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com
we don't have a Kona card.
it looks like we're gonna send our stuff to Ligntning Dubs.
what are you up-resing to at lighting dubs?
can you capture that to AIC?
nick
If we do in fact go to lightning dubs, we'll be uprezzing to 1080i and then i'll use AIC when capturing as I've done with the HDV footage.
Man...this sounds like you are headed for a train wreck. You really need to get someone in there who knows HD and can do an HD workflow for you.
What format are you delivering? How will you be onlining and color correcting?
www.shanerosseditor.com
Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[ itunes.apple.com]
i've been given bits and pieces of info as were going.
according to the post super, a decision was made to shoot in both SD and HD before she was informed and they went with it.
i didn't know they used an XDCAM till I got in on the first day. Didn't know they even shot SD til the day after that.
They're supposed to deliver the show by the end of May. There's 60 hours still waiting to be digitized and we've already filled up 2 TBs of HDV footage.
We're delivering an HD show I believe, and hope, that it's 1080i
Good luck.
www.shanerosseditor.com
Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[ itunes.apple.com]
Your producer has to understand that if you dont get everything in the same format and codec, editing will suck! You'll have to render simple cuts. At least in FCP 5 this is the case. Uprezzing is a big deal in my book. It takes lots of money or lots of time and it still looks soft.
Was any of the SD shot anamorphic? That would help with the aspect ratio. HD episodes of Nova and Frontline on PBS often contain a few SD anamorphic shots and seem to get away with it.
- Christopher S. Johnson
> we don't have a Kona card.
Sounds to me like you should be getting a Kona 3 card as part of the gig for saving your client's sweet petard. If they can't pay for third party up rezzing then they have to pony up for a Kona 3. As for the deadline seems to me you have to be firm and confident in your dealings on the matter and make sure you state unequivocally the request to have stuff done by Monday is unrealistic and impossible.
-Andrew
what is the nature of the programme Sanjay?
does the producer fully appreciate that no way no how, Terranex upres or otherwise, will the SD DV footage intercut well with the HD footage?
are you planning to treat the upressed material to give it a distinct look so as to distract the viewer from the otherwise all too obvious difference in quality?
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