HD Workflow: getting from 720p24 to full HDCAM

I'm cutting a doc shot at 720p24 on a PowerPC Mac G5 running FCP 5.0.4.

For some reason, I had thought that we were cutting at full online resolution, but I discovered today that in fact, we are not. Our footage is compressed using the DVCPro HD 720p60 codec.

The director and I agree that we would like our final deliverable to be HDCAM 1920x1080.

PROBLEMS:

- The film involves animation and GFX, which can be created at the correct settings, and archival footage, which will likely come in on sources no better than BetaSP.

- Our colorist informs me that to do a tape-to-tape color correction on a DaVinci (which, having had great frustration using Color, he thinks is best to do) would require either 1080/24 or 720/60.

QUESTIONS:

Does anyone have any suggestions as to an economic workflow that can get us into color correction and out at HDCAM? It looks like we are going to have to recapture our footage upon picture lock using a Kona card to bring it in uncompressed, then assemble all elements at 720p24 in FCP and put them on a drive. What's the best way to bring in the archival footage? Where do we go from there to get the project into color correction?

Thanks!
- Miranda
PowerPC Mac G5
FCP 5.0.4

Simple. Output your project at a post facility equipped with a Kona 3. It cross-converts 720p 23.98 to 1080p 23.98 to HDCAM on the fly...all you are doing is outputting.

I do this all the time at the DR Group. I capture and edit DVCPRO HD at full DVCPRO HD resolution (which is what you are doing) at 720p 23.98. I then export a self contained QT movie, using the sequence settings, and drop that onto a firewire drive (90-min is about 33 GB) and take it to the DR Group where they then output to tape. You can then take that tape to whomever and get it color corrected.

NOW...as for the BetaSP footage. You'll need to upconvert that to DVCPRO HD. The best way is via a Terranex box, a good way is to capture with a Kona 2 or Kona 3, or Decklink Multibridge or Extreme, and have those perform the upconvert. I have done this as well. I made a select reel of footage (beta, PalDV, VHS) and used a terranex to upconvert. Worked out well.

Contact Nathan Andrews at the DR Group. nate@thedrgroup.com...tell him I referred. TJ is the guy there that does all my outputs. Not one show rejected...and they all look great.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Hi Shane,

I then export a self contained QT movie, using the sequence settings, and drop that onto a firewire drive (90-min is about 33 GB) and take it to the DR Group where they then output to tape.

Interesting... so it's a FCP movie file? That never occurred to me.

edit DVCPRO HD at full DVCPRO HD resolution (which is what you are doing) at 720p 23.98

OK, confused... so am I actually cutting at full res even though it says "DVCPro HD 720p60" under "compressor"?

I worked with Nate and TJ on my last project, and we're probably going to meet with them for this one as well... thanks for the recommendation.

Thanks,
- Miranda

Yes, it is a FCP movie...one that FCP will import and open fine.

If since you shot DVCPRO HD (I make this assumption because you didn't mention what you shot on) then you are at the fullest resolution you can get...DVCPRO HD. If you shot on HDCAM, however, then you aren't at full resolution, but rather you are using DVCPRO HD as an offline codec.

What did you shoot with?


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

They shot on Varicam and HVX200.

My AE said that anything that is captured through FireWire gets compressed automatically. I hadn't heard that before. Very confused on this issue.

Your Assistant misunderstands. Anything that is captured via firewire...DV, DVCPRO HD...all that happens is a data transfer...1s and 0s. It is a FULL RESOLUTION capture. So you have been editing at full resolution.

DVCPRO HD is a compressed HD format. So is HDCAM...and XDCAM, and of course HDV. But capturing it via firewire results in the best quality you can get. No further RECOMPRESSION.

Now go scold your AE for not knowing JACK.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Can that also be done between frame rates? Say we shoot DVCPRO HD 720p24n and want to convert to DVCPRO HD 1080p60 or even DVCPRO HD 720p60?



Shane Ross Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Simple. Output your project at a post facility
> equipped with a Kona 3. It cross-converts 720p
> 23.98 to 1080p 23.98 to HDCAM on the fly...all you
> are doing is outputting.
>
> I do this all the time at the DR Group. I capture
> and edit DVCPRO HD at full DVCPRO HD resolution
> (which is what you are doing) at 720p 23.98. I
> then export a self contained QT movie, using the
> sequence settings, and drop that onto a firewire
> drive (90-min is about 33 GB) and take it to the
> DR Group where they then output to tape. You can
> then take that tape to whomever and get it color
> corrected.

Yup...

Make sure the card you get can do that. The Kona 3 can...


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

we have the Kona 3 card, does anyone know of a site that has instructions of the process described above?

Nope. That deck is one of the most COMPLEX DECKS you will ever encounter. Really requires an engineer to operate, or a machine room operator. Or one of the two to teach you what you need to do, because of the VAST variety of ways to lay off to this deck.

I think the MANUAL would help, but it might only be available to those that buy the deck and might be in engineer talk.

I take my shows to a post facility and output. You can always ask the rental place to show you what you neeed to know, or an engineer familiar with the deck.

Did I mention it was complex? I know this from first hand experience and 2 sleepless nights.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

So if HDCAM is a compressed format, what kind of tape does uncompressed HD go to?




Shane Ross Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> DVCPRO HD is a compressed HD format. So is
> HDCAM...and XDCAM, and of course HDV. But
> capturing it via firewire results in the best
> quality you can get. No further RECOMPRESSION.

I'm not sure what deck your talking about, but recently we rented a AJ-HD1400 [I think that was the model] and whoever had rented it before had changed about everything that could be changed.

Since it was late at night and we couldn't get support to help us figure out how set it up correctly, I figured that since Apple and Panasonic worked so closely together to implement DVCProHD I just reset the deck to the factory specs, rebooted the Mac and everything came up roses.

Of coarse that was after about four hours of listening to the tape op tell me to shut up it can't be that simple.

>So if HDCAM is a compressed format, what kind of tape does uncompressed HD go to?

HDCAM, HDCAM SR, D5. D5 has better compression, for sure...and HDCAM SR even more so (it does 4:4:4), but not many people have HDCAM SR decks, so I am asked to deliver HDCAM or D5. D5 is more expensive, but less compression. Depends on the budget. HDCAM looks darn good.

EVERY HD format is compressed...every one. It just depends HOW they are compressed. Even "uncompressed 8-bit" and "uncompressed 10-bit" utilizes some form of compression.

Don't get lost in "uncompressed" thinking. WORK ON CONTENT. All these formats look darn good, and by the time they are compressed and sent over the airwaves, almost all of the benefit of what format you chose is lost.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]