• Avid Media Composer

  General Setup recommendation for Multi-cam HD

  Posted by Dennis Mcelroy on June 9, 2011 at 3:00 am

  Ok, I’m waiting on final confirmation of what’s coming to me. Here’s what I do know.

  -Multi-camera (probably 4). I’m guessing a two hour shoot, so basing this off of 8 hours of footage.
  -HD footage (not sure if it’s HD quicktimes, or stuff off a P2 camera, if it’s 720 or 1080). Or even if it’s digitized DVCPro HD. I will just be getting media on a drive. In which case, if the people do the digitizing for me, and give me the option to choose, what media format should I ask for with the hardware/software listed below?

  Here’s what I have.

  -THree year old Mac Pro with 3.0 GHz processor quad core, 5 GB of RAM.
  -A Blackmagic Intensity Pro HD card
  -And the 2008 version 3.0 of Media Composer (I have access to system upgrades but don’t want to skip a version that could potentially work better with what I want to do.)
  -I also have about 2TB of internal media storage, that I installed myself into the Serial ATA slots.
  -I haven’t worked in multicam HD for a while, is a safe rough estimate of 1GB/min of HD material on average?

  My goal:
  I’d like to be able to cut in multi-cam, at full HD resolution and then output a final HD Quicktime or digital media file, that I can have laid off to tape at a later time.

  Questions:
  -What version of MC would you recommend for a project such as this?
  -If so, what version of OSX should I be running? (Right now this computer is running 10.5.8, but I can uninstall and start fresh if recommended.
  -Can I even do this at full rez? Do I even have the option to work at a lower resolution, and then uprez at a later time, once the sequence is cut? I’m assuming I do, and am fine with doing so, but in the event I get uncompressed media files, I would then ask the next question:
  -Is there a recommended process/program for decreasing the size of your media files (i.e. “Offline RT” from FCP days) so that workflow can be incorporated. (MPEG Streamclip?)
  -Would a RAM upgrade from 5GB be necessary/helpful at all?

  I’m sure I’m not asking all necessary questions. Just want to be a little more up to speed on what people are doing nowadays in the world of Multicam-HD.

  Thanks,
  Dennis

  Dennis Mcelroy replied 14 years, 11 months ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  John Pale

  June 9, 2011 at 5:50 am

  [Dennis McElroy] “-THree year old Mac Pro with 3.0 GHz processor quad core, 5 GB of RAM.”

  this is fine. add more ram, if you can.

  -A Blackmagic Intensity Pro HD card
  This is useless with Avid. You can only use Avid hardware, the AJA io Express, or Matrox MXO2 mini.

  [Dennis McElroy] “-And the 2008 version 3.0 of Media Composer (I have access to system upgrades but don’t want to skip a version that could potentially work better with what I want to do.)”

  Upgrade to the current version 5.5. The older version will not be kind to you or your intended workflow.

  [Dennis McElroy] “I’d like to be able to cut in multi-cam, at full HD resolution and then output a final HD Quicktime or digital media file, that I can have laid off to tape at a later t”

  If you want to multicam 1080 at full resolution, you are gonna need a fast raid. Your internal drives, especially not RAIDED will probably not be up to the challenge.

  Your Avid can transcode the footage to a lower resolution. You don’t need 3rd party software for that.
• 

  Brendan Maghran

  June 9, 2011 at 9:23 pm

  Media Composer 3.0 will work just fine (as long as you’re cutting your multiclips at a lower res, but this is true of any version), I just finished cutting a music video, up to 18-split multicam workflow on 3.0.

  I’d cut at a lower compression ratio, maybe (10:1-28:1) or just work at DNxHD 36 (depending on the resolution).

  “Where that light source is coming from?”
  “The same place as the music.”
• 

  John Pale

  June 10, 2011 at 3:31 am

  [Brendan Maghran] “Media Composer 3.0 will work just fine (as long as you’re cutting your multiclips at a lower res, but this is true of any version), I just finished cutting a music video, up to 18-split multicam workflow on 3.0. “

  I suggested upgrading, as he indicated he wants to work with a variety of codecs, presumably natively…which means AMA would be of some benefit to him. Avid MC 3 does not have AMA.

  But yes…if you are going to work with native Avid resolutions, then definitely Avid MC3 will do.
• 

  Dennis Mcelroy

  June 10, 2011 at 3:46 am

  Thanks guys. It looks like I’m going to be doing this on someone else’s Adrenaline system now. MC 2.8.3. Having them transfer three DVCPro HD cameras to media files with the AVID DNx115 codec. I’ve been told this should hold up adequately. Will run tests on it tomorrow. Thanks again for all the input. I will definitely ask more questions if needed as the cow has been a great resource for me over the years!

  DM

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