P2cam vs 5D 24 fps question

Hi there-
I shot footage for an EPK on the weekend with my 5D Mk2.
Needed a second camera. All I could find with short notice was a guy with a Panasonic AG-HVX200 DVCPRO HD P2 camera.
2 questions:
I shot at 24 fps. He mistakenly shot at 30 fps. He was recording the concert sound via xlr (which I want to sync up to in FCP with my 5D footage).

Also, I have received his files and am wondering how I can convert them to ProRes HQ (as is with my 5D footage) for editing (24p)... the files that I have received from the P2 camera are basically Greek to me and I can't even open them.
Please help :/
Thank you!!

To import P2 footage into FCP, you need to use Log and Transfer...like I lay out in this tutorial:

[library.creativecow.net]

You need to do the same workflow with the Canon 5D footage. The H.264 format it records, while you can import that directly, FCP doesn't like it that much and editing can get sluggish.

Also note, that P2 footage comes in as DVCPRO HD, not ProRes. And there is no need to convert...just edit it in a ProRes sequence. There is zero benefit to convert it. But, getting the frame rates to match will be the tricky part. Gotta use Compressor and adjust the Frame controls.


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Shane... I watched your tutorial earlier today, it's awesome. I have done up my 5D footage as normal (using Log and Transfer) and have it Prores HQ.
And have also transcoded the P2 footage in Prores HQ. Should I now take that P2 Prores footage and convert it to 24 fps? I really need the sound from the P2 to use with the 5D footage... ?
Thanks again... the tutorial is fantastic!

How did you convert the DVCPRO HD via Compressor? How did you convert? If you did via Compressor, you should convert the frame rate at the same time, to avoid re-compressing twice.


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I just went through Log and Transfer ( P2 AVC Intra --> Prores 422 HQ)
It looks great, sounds great etc... But if you think I shoudl just redo it through compressor, converting all on one pass I will do that.
Also, it's weird but the original P2 files (Contents/Video) have 23 .MXF files, but only 19 show up when I drag the entire folder over to FCP L&T .. And only 19 therefore were created in Prores. ?

AVCINTRA P2! I'm stuck on P2 being DVCPRO HD. Yes, Intra comes in as ProRes. Duhhhhhhhh.

And you might have some spanning files that when imported, combine into one clip. P2 has a 4GB file size limit, so one shot might be broken into multiple parts.

Now...yes, you convert the frame rate with Compressor. Using ProRes again.


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Haha no prob! That's great about the spanning, and that surely must've happened because there are some long takes/large files etc. Cool.
So, as a last question ... shall I take the new P2 footage aka Prores files (30fps) and convert to 24 in Compressor? Or like you mentioned before, just use the original 30fps .MXF files through Compressor (into 24fps Prores HD)?
I'd also while I'm at it love to match the aspect ratios prior to editing, but maybe it's better to do it while editing(?)
As it sits now the prores footage is: 5D=1920x1080 (24fps) and P2=1280x1080 (30fps) ..
Thanks again Shane, this is SO helpful!!!!

Wait...AVCIntra should be full raster 1920x1080. Unless it was shot 50mb/s instead of 100mb/s. Then it would be 1440x1080. Only DVCPRO HD is 1280x1080. That is odd. It shouldn't matter. Make a full raster ProRes sequence using the 5D files, and then add the Intra. it will stretch to fit.

And you convert the IMPORTED files. Compressor doesn't work with the MXF file format.


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Okay ... yes I am confused about the 1280 as well. The P2--> Prores converted files in FCP are 1280x1080, DVCPRO HD, 1080i60, 14.1 MB/Sec, 4 mono, ... but yes, when I put them into a 5D timeline it looks okay, just a green render.

Then it is DVCPRO HD. There are two flavors of P2...DVCPRO HD and AVCINTRA. Only AVCINTRA can be converted to ProRes. You set the L&T preferences to import AVCINTRA as ProRes...but, the P2 files you got are DVCPRO HD.

They will work fine on the timeline. But, if you want to convert the frame rate, you can convert to ProRes at the same time.


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Sorry Shane... think I'm pretty much there...
So. 'But, if you want to convert the frame rate, you can convert to ProRes at the same time.'
Do you mean via Compressor? As in: Take the NEW P2 prores files into Compressor and convert them to 24 FPS / Prores? Or do you mean take the P2 original and convert it /change framerate somehow etcetc?

You don't have ProRes files...you have DVCPRO HD files...as you just said. "The P2--> Prores converted files in FCP are 1280x1080, DVCPRO HD, 1080i60, 14.1 MB/Sec, 4 mono,"

Take THOSE files...and use Compressor to change the frame rate, and convert to ProRes at the same time. Change the dimensions to 1920x1080 as well. Do a test on a small clip, or mark IN and OUT in Compressor and do small sections, until you get it right.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

You know. ... I just lined up the 30fps P2 material (for sound only) and the 24fps 5D material, and it is perfectly in sync (and stays that way)...
Not going to mess with it too much more, will just get to cutting... whew, relieved.
Thanks again Shane, HUGE help!