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Blu Ray Revisted
Actually, I haven’t visited blue ray yet, but thinking about using it as a format to distribute screeners of my documentary to possible distributors and film festivals. Any thoughts on this? Anybody have anything to say about the viability of blue ray as a theatrical screening format on the festival circuit? Are people using it?
My project was shot in HDV-24p and looks pretty good editing in Apple Pro Res 422 on with an HD monitor. I am thinking of getting a Lacie D2 burner. Is it possible to author from DVD Studio Pro or alternatively produce a screener version (using compresor?) and burn it in Toast 10? I also wonder if I will be able to play back video via Parallels and Windows Vista on my Mac Book?
Is this a viable path to hi-res screening format for a cash-strapped filmmaker that does not want to master to HDCAM t a post house until necessary?
Your comments are appreciated.
Thanks,
Alex Wolfe
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8 Replies
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I’d stick with DVD- far better penetration. The likelihood of someone/anyone you may be submitting to actually having a Blu-ray player, let alone expecting to see a screener on one is 20:1 or worse. I’d suggest making available a high quality H.264 720p version on a private server or a protected Vimeo. But most likely most would-be festivals would expect nicely encoded standard def DVD. Sad but that’s the current state of things… If you want to actually screen at a festival in HD, a ProRes on a Hard drive or an HDCAM tape are more likely.
Noah
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Canon 5D Mark II and 7D.
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Blu-ray is in 17% of US households, as of last September. I rekon the penetration is much higher among, well, anyone interested in viewing films in their home (eg, most people who might receive a screener).
You can’t count on this, so if you’re only able to supply one disc, it has to be DVD. If you can hand out an Ansco case (you’re certainly going to want to including all your details, anyway), why not include two discs, one of each.
-Dave
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I am in exactly this situation. I joined the ‘without a box’ site which informs subscribers of hundreds of festivals around the world. Most festivals only want DVD’s as Noah says but quite a number will accept Blu-Ray, both as submission copies and often exhibition also.
Alex, I’ve seen my BD discs projected in a cinema and they look great. Most cinemas here in London are now equipped with digital kit, some solely digital. If you have Toast 10 as you mention, provided you have the BD plug, in you can encode and burn just in Toast. As I write this my MacPro is encoding and burning a 48 minute documentary, shot on XDCAM and edited in ProRes HQ 422, on to a Blu-Ray disc. It’s taking about three hours to do the whole job. You should ask the festival what they’ll take.
Michael Slowe
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Not saying it’s not available but don’t count on it…
Noah
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Canon 5D Mark II and 7D.
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Thnks a lot for the replies. I know blue ray is not the format of the future but I think it could be a good option for some foreign festivals and as a screener. Shipping is cheaper and you are a lot less likely to get your package held up in customs. If they don’t send it back you are not losing an expensive HD-CAM tape that may have cost you a chunk of change to get duped or mastered. I think if festival reps see the blue ray they might be a little more inclined to accept the flm. Who knows? There’s always DVD to fall back on, or other hi-res options discussed here. I bit the bullet and bought the LAcie D2.
I have gotten a sens of the best workflow but there are a lot of contradictory threads. It should be interesting. One persistent question is the 24p issue. I shot in “24p mode” on a V1-U and, in the fine cut stage, upresed from hdv 29.97 via compressor conversion to 23.98 Apple Pro-Res 422. I get the vibe that this is good for Blue Ray but I am still in the dark about exactly why and if i even needed to upres in this way. If I am not going to film will i see a difference (I have not yet, although frames have definitely been removed). I get the feeling this ultimately may be moot. Anyway, back to editing.
Best,
Alex
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hi alex,
to go 23.98 probably is the best way you can go, because of cinema all over the world.only 1080p24 and 1080p23.98 is valid for progressive material… and you can present them easily in cinemas as well.
another point is, that PAL wont fir to NTSC and vise versa.
cheers
danny
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My understanding is that converting from 24p or 23.98 NTSC to PAL (which s 25) is much easier, in the tape=based domain.
And I can burn a Blue Ray Region 0 which will work everywhere, right?
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hi alex,
yes, that´s correct!it´s a common workflow to conform 23.98 to 25 for PAL-countries. it´ll run approx 4% faster, but it´s a very easy option.
and you can do it with 1 click within apple cinema tools.
I´ve did a small tutorial for 1080i50-filmers that needs to do international distribution:
https://blustreak.dvdafteredit.com/1080i50-2398p-workflow
maybe this could give you a better idea about what to do.
cheers
danny
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