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Specific Workflow
Hi there. I am a relative newbie. I need some help sorting out a lot of information.
Here it is
I am shooting on a Canon FS100 (standard Definition)
I am editing on a new Imac
I use AE cs4
I then put my final project together with Premiere ProHere is what i am desperately seeking. What settings do i use to move my original footage to the mac (from an SDHC card), What settings do I import into AE with, What settings do I render the final AE comp with, and what settings do I render the final Premiere Pro movie with. The end goal for me is 16:9 DVD.
I tried to figure this all out for myself but I get really bogged down with all the options. I’m looking for the best image quality that I can get out of my FS100.
Thank you SOOOO much in advance for any help I can get!
Mycal
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5 Replies
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These cameras are a nightmare, not only because they have a tiny sensor, but from what I’ve read the captured files are some wacky, nonstandard format (it’s not DV). To make matters worse, it seems this ridiculous format doesn’t play well with macs without some form of conversion.
Google it, and I’m sure you’ll find some answers to help you through it.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
Thanks. I appreciate your candor. Do you have a suggestion? Lets say that I have about 1000 (CDN) to spend (850 US). What would you suggest for a camera? Why? Much appreciated.
Mycal
Mycal Barrowclough,
Fat Monkey Media, Owner -
Unfortunately everything I know of within that price range is going to suffer from the same core issues:
– Small CCD – anything smaller than 1/3″ is going to yield more blocky, blurry images lacking in clean detail
– Odd Shooting Formats – The problem with all of these wacky formats is that they don’t adhere to any standard, the manufacturers are all creating their OWN standard and hoping the industry follows. What you, the consumer, get, is poor support in your favorite apps and clunky workflows. HDV is no exception, especially since it’s the same basic specs as mini-dv yet passes itself off as “High Definition.”– Poor Optics – Any camera that cheap is, without fail, going to have a very cheap lens attached to it. The lens contributes substantially to the overall image quality, but it also limits low-light performance, etc.
– Build Quality – It goes without saying that a cheap camera is cheaply built. Not really a huge problem if you store and transport it in a nice Pelican case, but it doesn’t bode well for overall camera reliability.
Now, you just have to decide if these are all factors you can live with, and a lot of it depends on what you are DOING with the camera. If you are just using it for basic testing/hobby, then you might not mind these issues. You do need to consider that any footage pulled from these sub-$1K cameras is going to be more difficult to manipulate or “enhance” in apps like After Effects, so they might not be the best choice for testing. Garbage In, Garbage Out.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
Again, I appreciate the quick response.
Primarily I would use the camera for
Making special effect demos (IE Lightsaber fights, superpowers ect) [I know… geek]. These are just for myself and friends. I do all my manipulating in AE and Premiere.
I would consider something more pro, but I’m not making any money off my videos (just for fun) and I would like to have the option of taking the camera on vacation (and I don’t want my wife killing me! )Mycal Barrowclough,
Fat Monkey Media, Owner -
IF it’s all for personal use and fun, then it’s probably not worth dropping a big chunk of change on the camera. My assumption on these forums is that it’s being done for pay, which introduces a totally different set of requirements and needs.
That said, the Panasonic DVX100b is a top choice in the mid-priced prosumer market. Brand new it’s going to be out of your price range, but you might find a used one on Craigslist or Ebay within your budget. The problem is you have a slightly conflicting set of goals – quality and ultimate portability (vacations etc.). The DVX100b offers great quality, but like most other prosumer cameras it is much larger than a “handicam” type camera making a bit too bulky for vacationing.
The camera you currently have is probably just fine once you figure out how to use the files on your mac. I have heard of people having success with the .mod files that come out of these cameras by manually changing the file extension to .mpg so that Quicktime recognizes it (do this on a test clip first as it may ruin the file if it doesn’t work), others have used software that converts the format for you without actually transcoding the file. Google search “mod files mac” or something and I’m sure you’ll find what you need.
To answer your original question about what format to use throughout production, I would convert the files to Quicktime Animation codec. The files are going to be way larger, but since this is for short-form work that shouldn’t be a big problem. The Animation codec is lossless, meaning that it won’t lose quality no matter how many times you output it. This makes it ideal for multiple round trip activity such as pulling clips into AE for effects work and back into Premiere for output, editing, etc.
Good luck!
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com
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