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VariCam HD FCP workflow questions
I’m trying to put together a workflow for a series that I am working on for National Geographic. I’m one of the senior editors.
The series was shot using VariCam 720/30p. The Producer/Director chose 30p because he believes it’s more aesthetically pleasing!
The production company owns several Avid MC 9000’s and a unity. They have down converted and digitized everything using the 1200a. Several editors are working on each show.
We just onlined show one last week. Here is the workflow:
Offline in SD on Avid MC 9000
Online assemble on Avid Adrenaline HD
Color Correct using De VinciThe Adrenaline HD has given us some problems.
What I want to do is introduce a FCP HD system into this mix for Online Assembly Only. This company just spent 150k on a unity last year and they are NOT going to make the switch to FCP for offline purposes.
To do the online assembly, what would be the best option?
1. Capture the offline sequence from the Avid using Automatic Duck, 1200A deck through firewire.
Or
2. Capture the offline sequence from the Avid using Automatic Duck, 1200A deck through HD-SDI using a Kona or Blackmagic card.
I know the second option is UNCOMPRESSED, but how better is this route if we
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15 Replies
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JD. Buddy! This is…well, you know. The guy who sits in the bay NEXT to you…at night.
This is just the issue I was exploring for this show I am planning on for This History Channel. Except we are starting with FCP.
The biggest stumbling block I see are the effects and transitions. Since we tend to use some specialize ones (Boris) those might not transfer. Not like going from Avid to Avid, as you know. We’d have to stick to the simple dissolves and wipes And Animattes won’t really transfer either…and we LOVE our Animattes.
What I would do is export the EDL via Automatic Duck, import that into FCP, and either capture DVCPRO HD and UPCONVERT by dropping it into a 10-bit uncompressed timeline and then outputting to D5 (You’d need the Kona 2 or Decklink 4:4:4 for this…and Fibre Channel drives) or capture 10-bit via the Kona 2 or Decklink from the Panasonic deck and then output to D5.
I’d suggest calling Digital Film Tree and ask for thier advice. I bet they get Avid to FCP projects to deal with.
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DUDE!
Thanks for the reply. I was discussing this issue with JY and what could be done. But you know how CD is. I better not say anything else.
JD
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This is exactly why Avid has bundled Boris Red (Avid FX) Softimage LE (Avid 3D) and DVD Studio (Sonic) in their Xpress Studio HD….they really want you to use those effects in the offline so you will be pretty much stuck finishing on another Avid. Oh, yea, they know what they are doing.
There are a lot of features that Automatic Duck brings across, but Avid really want you to use their products throughout the post process.
This will continue to be the trend…finding ways to lock you into a given app, regardless what converters are out there…and you can bet they will not allow XML to transfer all the important stuff.
If the Avid offline editors are doing Animatte, lots of boris etc I think it will be a hard…real hard sell, to go with a FCP online. I don’t think I would even buy into it.
Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media -
Hi JD,
I’m cutting a broadcast series myself which is cut for SD on an AVID and I’m onlining the show via FCP / Kona 2.
I get the AVID OMF from her SD edit. Use the Automatic Duck to bring the OMF into FCP. Recapture from 1200A via Firewire. Edit, add graphics and Color Correct in FCP via a DVCPro HD timeline. Master out to 1080i HDCAM.
It works very well, though we spent about 4 months testing the workflow and even put in a call to Ramy Katrib at Digital FilmTree and he was just a great sounding board.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.comNow in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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Walter
“I get the AVID OMF from her SD edit. Use the Automatic Duck to bring the OMF into FCP. Recapture from 1200A via Firewire. Edit, add graphics and Color Correct in FCP via a DVCPro HD timeline. Master out to 1080i HDCAM.”
DO you render the CC sequence that you captured via FIREWIRE to a Kona sequence setting?
or
Do you recapture or render the footage so you can output via HD-SDI through the Kona?
JD
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Avid OMF? Not EDL? For some reason I have it stuck in my skull that OMF is for audio only…so you can OMF video too? I will have to test this.
Oh…except I don’t have Automatic Duck. DRAT!
I may come in a bit early tomorrow JD, just so I can add to the conversation. Have RB call me. AFTER 10 AM. I am the night shift…
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[jdeditor] “DO you render the CC sequence that you captured via FIREWIRE to a Kona sequence setting?
or
Do you recapture or render the footage so you can output via HD-SDI through the Kona?”
I render the CC using a standard DVCPro HD Sequence setting and then we can either output via Firewire back to a 1200A for transfer to HDCAM or I can edit direct to HDCAM via HD-SDI out of the system.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.comNow in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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[Shane Ross] “Avid OMF? Not EDL? For some reason I have it stuck in my skull that OMF is for audio only…so you can OMF video too? I will have to test this.”
Yep, that’s how the Duck works. OMF-2 from AVID which allows all the video tracks to come through in one project, rather than a separate EDL for each video track. Even collapsed layers in AVID come through as a nested sequence in FCP. I’m really really impressed with how the Duck makes it an almost seamless transfer.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.comNow in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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Nice thread guys… very enlightening. I like your approach Walter…
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.com
http://www.insightproductions.com -
[Mitch Ives] ”
Nice thread guys… very enlightening. I like your approach Walter…”Thanks Mitch! I’m hoping to write an article on our workflow and testing in the near future.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.comNow in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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