Canon DSLR Avid Workflow?

[Shane Ross]

Do not IMPORT. You use AMA to access the footage, then TRANSCODE to DNxHD.

Shane
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[Bill Ravens]

Chances are, one way or another, you’re gonna have to transcode your native footage to DNxHD before you export from Media Composer.This is true for certain FX or exports to Quicktime reference. So, importing AMA and transcoding within Avid MC is just one way to do this.

There are alternatives which allow trancoding to DNxHD before importing to Avid, then when you import, Avid will do a “fast import” which isn’t transcoding, just re-wrapping the mxf file. My favorite methods incluse pre-processing in Adobe Media Encoder, TmpgEnc, or Adobe After Effects. AE is a good approach since you can do some stabilizing or sharpening in AE before the fats import to MC.

[Dustin Schmitt]

Thanks Shane,

I was just reading about the AMA work flow and one of the limitations when using it is:
-Avid does not support MultiCamera eding with AMA clips
-You should not mix workflows. Either use the AMA method or use the traditional import/batch import method

Do you know if FCP has these same issues? Is FCP a better work flow for the Canon DSLR scene.

I can do it, however I am way more fluid with Avid than I am with FCP.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

D

[Peter Groom]

Shanes suggestion of accessing via ama and then transcoding is best, then you can use multicam as youre no longer accessing the media via ama.
I do this all the time
Peter

Post Production Dubbing Mixer

[Shane Ross]

[Dustin Schmitt] “I was just reading about the AMA work flow and one of the limitations when using it is:
-Avid does not support MultiCamera eding with AMA clips
-You should not mix workflows. Either use the AMA method or use the traditional import/batch import method”

Note…I did say “Transcode to DNxHD.” Don’t work with H.264 files natively. They are highly compressed, and put a lot of strain on the system.

[Dustin Schmitt] “Do you know if FCP has these same issues? Is FCP a better work flow for the Canon DSLR scene.”

Nope…cannot edit H.264 native in FCP either. Well, you can, but things slow way down and get sluggish. Just like on Avid. For that, you convert to ProRes…either via Log and Transfer (with the EOS L&T Plugin), or Magic Bullet Grinder, or MPEG STreamclip. But gotta convert to ProRes.

Wanna work with DSLR footage native? Get Adobe Premere Pro…a beefy computer, a LOT of RAM, and a spendy Nvidia graphics card that will enable CUDA and allow the Mercury Engine to kick in and THEN you can edit H.264 native. It takes a LOT of horsepower.

Shane
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[Dustin Schmitt]

Thanks Shane.

Just to be clear, I go from H264 to DNxHD?

Thanks!

[Shane Ross]

[Dustin Schmitt] “I go from H264 to DNxHD?”

Yes. AMA to access the media. Then CLIP>TRANSCODE and use DNxHD 145.

Shane
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Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Dustin Schmitt]

Thanks for all your help Shane.

[Michael Phillips]

I also use Resolve to make native MXF/DNxHD dailies. Not only can I apply a LUT (if CineStyle is used for example), but I have a pretty kick-ass color corrector to boot… 😉

Michael

Michael Phillips

[Enrico Bartolacci]

[Dustin Schmitt] “-Avid does not support MultiCamera eding with AMA clips
-You should not mix workflows. Either use the AMA method or use the traditional import/batch import method”

In fact, i’m editing with MC 6.0 clips coming from avchd (canon hf200) and from canon 7d.

avchd was really heavy so I did a transcode after ama linking to the clip, while 7d were only linked by ama.

Then, I grouped the clips using in points (so, dnxhd 185 for avchd transcoded clips + quicktime h.264 linekd by ama) and begin editing in multicamera… and it works.
It’s a little heavy (perhaps worse because an intensity shuttle was plugged in, will investigate) but the multicamera was working as expected, even if there were mixed workflows AND mixed formats (ama linked into a multicamera group).

I am pretty sure it’s the same with media composer 5.0, as I used multicamera with 7d + p2 files, and at least the p2 (dvchd) were surely linked, while don’t remember if 7d were linked or transcoded.

—————-

regarding the workflow, you have the option to:

– work with ama linked (no transcoding, no heavier use of disk space, lower performances)
– ama link then transcode (this way the transcoding is FASTER than importing)

you can also do a rough edit with ama linked files, then a transcode to dnxhd 36 for offline edit, then do a “batch import” of the sequence to dnxhd 185 (or 185x if there is much color correction) for online.
Or work directly in 36 then batch import.
Or work in 36 then relink to original h.264 files

So, you have plenty of options as workflow, depending on you machine spec and time needed.

JUST A FINAL NOTE
As it seems you’re not familiar with ama or media composer ama linking, take care of this:
if you transcode to dnxhd 36 for offline, you SHOULDN’T transcode the sequence to dnxhd 185 for offline. This way you will get only a bigger file but will be originating from dnxhd 36 transcoded media.
To use higher quality media, you have to do a BATCH IMPORT of the sequence, this way the transcoding will be done from the original h.264 media.
right click on SEQUENCE and select batch import.

This will transcode only the clips you used in the sequence.