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MC V6.0 AMA workflow headspin GH2 rushes
Hi .. I have some basic issues re workflow for editing AVCHD files shot on a Panasonic GH2 .. there seems to be a lot of conflicting advice and I have my first long form project and want to get it right at the start …
Like I say, please note I’m shooting on GH2 and editing with MC V6.0
I’m delivering on PAL DVD, with online approval copies (vimeo)
I’m shooting in 24P cinema mode, which I believe is actually 23.976 fps. This is recommended for film like quality, so
Question 1 Is filming in 23.976 making a rod for my own back? Would I be better off shooting 25p or 50i? (I have already shot this in 23.976, but for future ref?)
Question 2: The raw footage is 23.976 fps, but the delivery spec will be 25P (PAL DVD) should I set my avid project up as 25P to match the delivery spec, or 23.976 to match the footage spec?
Question 3: Conflicting advice online about this, please advise if this is the correct workflow –
Start Avid project (23.976 or 25P?)
Make New bin – Card 1
File – Link to AMA Volume – allow to populate bin
Make new Bin – Call it Card 1 transcode
Copy contents of 1st bin to this then close 1st bin
Highlight contents of “transcode” bin.
Clip – Consolidate / Transcode – in dialogue box hit transcode – assign target drive – choose DNxHD36
*** At this stage a dialogue box tells me that “Some clips do not match the edit rate of the current project” – presumably therefore my avid project settings need to match the raw footage ie 23.976??Hit transcode … damn it ! getting this message now “AMA Producer Task::Execute AMA Plug-in Unable to Provide Sample” ..
Is it making sense so far??
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7 Replies
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Aside from the AMA issues for now, I think you might want to rethink your whole 23.976 for PAL 25fps delivery. Note that every “studio” type film or program that originates here as 23.976 or 24.000 gets pulled up to 25fps as part of the conversion process – it is a frame for frame conversion essentially resulting in a program that for all intent and purposes looks like it was shot 25p to start with. Subtle differences is that motion is now 4.1% faster that the original program.
Now, you should also know that most if not all DVD players in Europe can play back a 23.976 disk – the player and/or television can do the conversion on the fly. This is most likely some combination of pulldown insertion and interlace to progressive conversion depending on quality of player.
If you have the opportunity and capability to shoot 25p, and the PAL DVD is your only deliverable, then it is something to consider.
Now – to the project type – if shooting 23.976 I would offline, online and master at 23.976 especially in an offline (DNxHD 36) and relink back to camera originals – you’ll have to open your files in a 23.976 anyway, transcode there, then move that to a PAL project, yadda yadda yadda – too many hoops with potential for errors. Take the final 23.976 master and deal with it from there for your PAL as a single pass transcode/conversion.
I’ll be posting a blog one of these days/weeks about how to do a file based universal mastering within Media Composer (no need for Symphony) with audio and pitch correction for audio. Just have to find the time. This allows for frame for frame rate conversion resulting in a much higher quality conversion than Media Composer’s mix & match. It takes a few steps, but worth it, quality wise if you have the time, and not the budget. 😉
Michael
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That’s great, thanks Michael, thought the convert at the last stage would be best option…. FYI re the “Unable to provide sample” error, I’ve decided to just import at DNxHD 175 and have a lot of drive used up .. I have about 4 hours of footage and about 1.7 TBs of drive… that should use approx 200 GBs ??
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4 hours is roughly 310GB of DNxHD so you should be good there.
Michael
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I presume that your camera is shooting avchd files, like my g3.
I have terrible trouble transcoding AMA linked clips into my avid mc 6.0.1.1, getting a different error
” upstream pipe stall error”
I’ve never found an answer, yet!
PeterPost Production Dubbing Mixer
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Hi Peter,
I first attempted to edit using “link to AMA” and soon learnt my lesson … (I also have premier pro which does this no problem!)
I now just import clips at DNxHD 175 because anything else is just a nightmare… do you shoot at 23.976 ?? -
HI Alan
Im in the UK so 25 fps. Iv enever edited using ama, always just to allow transcode, but ama linking to avchd (especially spanned clips) is just a no go for me.The strange thing is i dont see thousands of other people across all avid forums complaining of the same, so it conclude it must be something in my workflow, but its not
1) to old an avid. Im on 6.0.1.1 (about to install 6.5)
2) because my camera files are no good. I have had same issue across 3 cameras now all shooting avchd
3) because my processor is too fast and the hard drives cant keep up. Ive adjusted the avids access to cpu cores from 8 down to 2 in the core affinity settings to no avail.
4) because my material is on usb. Ive tried accessing from the cards from the camera via usb AND transferring them into the hard drives.Im at a loss.
PeterPost Production Dubbing Mixer
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Sorry to hijack this thread, but it deals with some issues I may be involved with.
I’m shooting a doc theater feature, which I started in 2007, shooting with a Sony Z1 in HD PAL. This a very low-budget, usually one-person band project, so I’m usually shooting wide-angle.
As a result DOF is wholly to infinite most of the time.
So I was thinking of getting a Pana GH2, which is affordable enough for my budget, and make it my Camera 1, the Z1 downgraded to Camera 2, shooting wide angle and recording the audio.
That should get me a shallower DOF, improve the general image quality for theater release and also a second camera to cut to.
The question is the post. I got some mixed opinions on the AVCHD format, being not so reliable. Would it work fine mixing the Z1 and GH2 formats? What other issues might I have?
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