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AMA linking P2 and 7D footage for a documentary… transcode and workflow?
Hey there,
I’m working on a feature-length documentary, my biggest project to date, so I apologize for all the seemingly newbie questions. Also please note that I did do some searching on these forums as well as google but I wasn’t able to turn up anything that answers my question, so I figure I might as well explain what I’m doing:I have hours and hours of footage shot on the HVX200 at 720p (@ 23.976) and on the Canon 7D at 1080p (@ 23.976). For this reason, I’d like to deliver the final project at 720p, so this would mean down-rezing the 7D footage.
1. When it comes to linking to the footage, how should I go about this workflow? Should I transcode both of them? I noticed that 720 footage can be transcoded as DNxHD 60 (for offline) and 1080 footage @ DNxHD 36 for offline. What do I need to do to ensure they can rest easily on the same timeline? More importantly, some of them will be used in a multi-cam environment, where we used the HVX for the master and 7D for close-ups. If I recall correctly, there’s typically an issue with mixing codecs for multi-cam mode, yeah? And most importantly, it’s critical that all of the footage match at 720p and that I’ll be able to online both of them to a similar codec (DNxHD 115? Or better?) and do our color correction without problems. When the final deadline is close, there’s nothing more stressful than error messages regarding varying codecs from different cameras. Ugh.
2. Also, what is the typical workflow when dealing with this much footage in terms of transcoding and organization? So far, I’ve been bringing the P2 footage in, transcoding to DNxHD 60, then moving the resulting clips into organized bins by content, day, reel, subject, etc. (e.g. INTERVIEWS_DAY3_A002_JOHNSON and then takes listed inside there). Everyone has their method and I’m sure mine isn’t wrong per se, but since I’m new to such large projects (I’ve mostly done short films and commercials to date), I’m open to suggestions that you’ve found effective for handling this much material. All in all, I hate to start with something that seems to make sense in the beginning but turns out to be an organizational nightmare in the end. Ideas?
Sorry for the newbie questions, but I hope you guys can help me so I can finally get to the creative part of editing. 🙂 Thanks in advance!
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3 Replies
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A lot depends on what HD standard will be used for the final master. You said you wanted to on-line in 720/23.976P, but be aware that this is a file format only. Before you edit anything you need to settle on the HD standard for the master. For broadcast or film recording, you will want a 1080P master (with a 1080i conversion for broadcast). I would much rather see you up-rez the 720P footage, since you will most likely end up with everything at 1080P sooner or later.
Whatever workflow you decide on, test it now before you begin your cut. Cut a few shots together in multicam. Then conform them using the original video. Make sure you can color correct your sequence. If there is a problem, find out now and adjust your methods until you have a process that works.
Bill Stephan
Senior Editor/DVD Author
USA Studios
New York City -
Bill, thank you for your response. Good questions.
So, the final master will be delivered for broadcast on HDCAM SR. Is that strictly 1080p or 1080i? I know it may sound amateur, but I come from a more directing and creative editorial background, so my technical knowledge here is still somewhat limited. If the final master is for broadcast, does that mean that everything should be converted to 1080i from the start?
My concern with going up to 1080 from 720 rather than the other way around was I was thinking the footage shot on the HVX at 720 would suffer. Would the up-res be a noticeable degradation? In theory, wouldn’t the quality be better overall if the footage shot at 1080 was down-res’ed to 720? Also, on this note, I thought some broadcasters still broadcast in 720, and others in 1080; are most projects still delivered at 1080i regardless?
Also, this is my first project where I’ve mixed media and resolutions–I’ve mostly done either/or. So if the final project needs to be at, say 1080, do you recommend that I convert the 720 footage from the start? I guess ultimately then I would want that footage to be the same codec as the 1080 footage as well, so for offline example, DNxHD 36. Since this is not an option for the transcode menu with 720 footage, would I need to convert that footage first with an outside program, such as mpegstreamclip or what have you? That seems complicated, as I believe I would have to first import and then export with Avid and then re-import, mainly because it’s from P2. Is that correct?
Again, sorry for these kind of questions. Like I said, I’ve never really had to do this because previous projects have all stayed within the format they were shot in, and I’ve also only done smaller projects for primarily digital delivery. Thanks again.
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HDCAM-SR can record in the 720/59.94PsF standard, not in 23.976PsF. (There is no 720/23.976P native tape format.) It would be a whole lot easier for you to master in 1080/23.976PsF on SR than to do anything else. Besides, that is considered the universal mastering format for HD, from which any other deliverables can be created. Most likely you will need to deliver both 1080i and 720P if your project gets wide distribution. Or your distributor might want only the 1080/23.976PsF.
If your on-line process happens in 720/23.976P, you can make a Quicktime file of that, but then you need to figure out how you will distribute the final product.
720P broadcasters are the minority (Fox & ABC, their O&O/affiliate stations and cable channels plus A&E’s cable channels). Everyone else is on 1080i.
The 720P footage will hold up well blown-up to 1080P. You don’t start to notice the difference until you are looking at a 42″ or larger monitor.
I would test whether you can cut the DNxHD36 and DNxHD60. You should be able to cut them together if you don’t need to off-line using multicam editing. Then you don’t have to transcode multiple times to do your off-line.
Bill Stephan
Senior Editor/DVD Author
USA Studios
New York City
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