Sony EX3 HD footage - already edited in FCP but not in ProRes 422 format - How to fix now?

I've been shooting with my Sony EX3 XDCam in 1920x1080 30p and converting thru XDCam transfer to .mov format. Then I successfully have edited them in FCP 7.0.3. Well, I just found out that I really must edit in Apple ProRes 422 codec. That's the codec that apparently FCP 7 likes the best and it's the "chosen" workflow for the EX 3. What I've been told to do is take my footage into the computer via XDCAM transfer and put it into a file on my drive called RAW. (without anything done to it.) Then to take it into COMPRESSOR and convert it to Pro Res 422. And only then, import it into FCP. An online FCP editor told me that you need only use ProRes 422 HQ if you plan to project the work.

I followed all the directions except when I came thru XDCAM transfer, it produced a .mov file that I've been editing with in FCP. I didn't take the Raw, unedited footage out to Compressor.

How would you recommend that I correct for this mistake at this point? Is it necessary?

Is this a matter of finding each of 121 clips in the final assembly, tracing back to their RAW version, and taking those to Compressor? Which of the Pro Res flavors do I choose? If you could point me to a web document or Topic Thread on LAFCPUG that would be terrific.

The client wants to project it on a 20' screen in October. I'm kind of stressed. I fear that my footage will be degraded when bumping it back out thru FCP into Compressor at this point. My Project Sequence settings are 1920x1080 30p, and for rough cut approvals I've been exporting them as Pro Res 422 (plain) - as per suggested at LAFCPUG. I then use Compressor to make my Mpeg2 for DVD. It looks okay but - again, I just heard that I shouldn't have compressed it from the Raw prior to editing. I fear the 20' projection is going to show my error.

Thank you for any little insight you can give me at this point.

Jeanne

If the codec for your footage is XDCAM EX, and it probably is, since you used XDCAM Transfer, and you're done with the edit, you're fine. Just switch your sequence to ProRes HQ and render. Are you sending the project to a colorist?



www.strypesinpost.com

This is very, very good news. When I export to QT, do I save as "Current Settings", or select "422 ProRes HQ 1920x108030p"? Your advice is invaluable. As to colorist - I have color-corrected on my own (based on my intern-work for a post-production house). But now wondering about what you said - sending to a colorist. Any idea how much that would cost for a 20-min sequence?

Colorist rates will vary. You can call up a good local post house or get recs. Someone will chime in. If you ask around on the forum. I think Jon may know of a good colorist if you are in the Burbank area.

Before you export, go to sequence settings (apple 0, or click sequence>settings), under "general", change compressor to ProRes HQ, and go to video processing tab, and change to render everything in high precision YUV. This will take a while to render, because the render will be done in floating point.

If you are sending the files to a colorist, use media manager to recompress the clips with handles to ProRes HQ and export the new trimmed sequence as an XML or EDL for the Resolve to link up to.



www.strypesinpost.com

Thanks, I'll call around. Also, thanks much on the "general" and "video processing" sequence settings.

Now my last question - when I go to export, do I save as "current settings"? I would imagine so, but don't want to mess this up at this point.

After you have changed your sequence codec to ProRes HQ, export as "current settings". That "current settings" will refer to your sequence settings.



www.strypesinpost.com

Thank you!