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23.98fps HDCam into FCP 5.1 via Kona 3 card?
Howdy Cowpokes.
Here’s a brain buster for ya’ll.
I’ll be finishing up the installation of a Kona # upgrade to my FCP system somewhere in the wee hours of the night tonight. Tomorrow I need to try to capture some footage, shot outside our company with a Sony HDW-F900 at 23.98 psf. I have the rental deck here now, a SonyHDW-F500. Here is the problem.With the deck internally set 23.98 (in the maintenance menu) the footage plays back fine using the Downconversion SD SDI output. I made a copy onto a Digibeta tape for safe keeping. The problem is at this sync rate, the deck will not sync to regular 29.97fps sync. It shows a “no reference” error. I made the SD SDI dub by letting the HDW dec freerun on it’s own sync and switched the Digibets deck to reference to incoming video. It worked fine.
Now, tomorrow when I need to capture this footage into the FCP system, I’m wondering just how to get the deck to reference to house sync. The Kona 3 is referenced to the master sync generator. If I change the internal frame reference on the HD deck, it will lock to external sync (29.97) but the video will actually play back at 30fps rather than 23.98. Everything is running too fast and the audio will not lock and drops out on playback.All I need to do is get this 1080 @ 23.98 footage onto FCP for editing on a standard 29.97 timeline by adding pulldown to the frames. What’s the best or most accepted workflow for this? Just use the Kona easy presets? Ultimately this spot will be downconverted to standard definition letterboxed.
HD is like walking into a strange forest. You just don’t know what kind of creatures will jump out at you.
Thanks,
Tom -
7 Replies
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Why not just take the 29.97 SD letterbox downconvert right out of the HDCam deck. most HDCam decks have this option, you just need to ste it up in the menus.
Peter McAuley
Axyz Edit
Toronto
G5 dual 2.0
4 gigs ram
10.4.3
FCP 5.04
QT 7.03
Kona 2 v1.1.4 with K Box
4 X 250 gig external F800 Lacie firewire drive
2 X 23″ Apple cinema display -
Thanks Peter.
Actually, that’s just what I did for the off-line edit. Now I’m working at getting the footage into the computer at full HD resolution for the online. Even though the spot is destined for SD delivery, the agency wants it cut at full HD resolution. The original footage was shot at 23.98 and I want to edit at 29.97 (or at least end up with an HD 29.97 master) I’m looking for the best workflow solution to achieve this. It’s a bit mentally weird doing the 23.98 to 29.97 conversions.
And, of course, the “Sales” department made a few promises that are putting everyone under the gun this week. This spot wasn’t due to be edited until a few weeks from now…after the HD suite was fully completed. However, when the agency guys wanted to see a cut of the spot much sooner than that…in HD. Well of course they were told “No problem!”.
I’m sitting here in a half finished, jury-rigged edit room trying to get enough stuff up and running to actually do the HD cut and hold off the clients for a week or two. Sigh…I need more coffee…
Tom -
[Tom Matthies] “The original footage was shot at 23.98 and I want to edit at 29.97 (or at least end up with an HD 29.97 master) I’m looking for the best workflow solution to achieve this. It’s a bit mentally weird doing the 23.98 to 29.97 conversions.”
Tom
think about this, shoot at 24p edit at 24p – then deliver the master at what ever you want. Do not edit with pulldown, that will cause inaccurate edits should it ever need to be 24p again.
the Kona board is more than happy adding the correct pulldown on output for that final master.
Conversions should always the last step of the post process.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL -
Thanks Gary.
I’d kind of come to that conclusion as well this morning. After I finished getting the Kona 3 wired and checked out last night I looked at both the digital and down converted letterboxed output and it looked pretty darn good. I captured a few clips from the HDCam tape and all looks good.
I’m going to capture all of the raw footage pending approval of the ruff cut since we rent the deck and it needs to be out the door and sent to the next customer by end of day today. This way, if I need to make a change I have all of the footage available. I just hope they sign off on it quickly so I can clear the excess footage out ASAP. Then master back to HDCam and off to Digibeta at standard definition for tagging.
It’s a brave new HD world happening out there! Lots of gotchas to watch out for.
Thanks again,
Tom -
Also, it is best to have tri level sync when working with the deck in 23.98 mode. Regular black burst won’t lock since it’s 29.97. I also agree with Gary, add the pulldown later.
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I don’t have the proper sync generator for 23.98 so I’m letting the deck freerun on it’s own internal reference and I’m locking the Kona3’s reference to incoming video rather than house sync. It seems to work for now. After everything is in the computer, I’ll change the Kona reference back to house sync.
Hopefully this will work in the short term. Potential problems?
Tom -
The potential for weird video hits and sync problems is there, but it should work the way you have it set up. If it doesn’t try capturing again. 🙂
Jeremy
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