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Editing Horror Film — Questions: Video enhancement, audio probs, etc
We shot a horror movie as a student film that will be presented soon, but we made this as more than just some student film.
We are in the post production stage.
SHOT USING:
AVC HD camera, 1920×1080 (3 CCDs) at 24 frames progressiveVIDEO IMPORTED THROUGH:
iMovie (used Apple Intermediate Codec with same resolution, frame rate)EDITING SOFTWARE:
Final Cut Pro 6.1WILL BE EXPORED FROM FCP USING:
Apple CompressorFINAL DESTINATION:
Both DVD and HD-DVDIt was shot at night, without artificial lighting so there is a TON of grainy video noise on the shots. Also, the video itself doesn’t yet look as creepy as it could (as far as color levels and etc), but it started to after added a saturation increase video filter which brough out the colors and made it look somewhat creepier.
Here are my questions:
1. VIDEO ENHANCEMENT — What is the best way to enhance this nighttime footage since no artificial lighting was used? Especially to smooth the darkness instead of it being so noisy, and anything that will make it scarier.
2. MAKING HD VIDEO LOOK LIKE FILM — Is there any way to do this? Particularly in FCP? The camerawork is film-like but the screen texture doesn’t look quite like film.
2. FRAME RATE — Since it was shot in 24 frames progressive, what is the best way to put it on both a DVD and an HD-DVD? For example, Apple’s Compressor is making it into 23.97 (since it is 24 with drop-frame). Isn’t this BAD?!?!?
3. MUSIC POPS AND CLICKS — My music that I imported in Final Cut Pro for this project is 44.1 KHz, but DVD’s and etc all use 48 KHz right? Right now all my music has clicks that you can hear every second, yet there are none when I listen to the MP3’s in another program. How do I correct this and what could be wrong?
4. CONVERTING MUSIC TO 5.1 — I’m planning on having a 5.1 Dolby audio option, and I’m hoping that Apple’s Compressor’s 5.1 Dolby export option is going to automatically divide my 2 channel mix into 5.1 channels and have everything basically play what the 2 channels were originally? I do NOT want the 5.1 option to only play the Front Left and Front Right channels.Also, if you have any other tips you can think of, please let me know!!!
Thanks so much everyone who writes back!! All help is useful!!!
-Derek
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6 Replies
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[Derek Elrod] “1. VIDEO ENHANCEMENT — What is the best way to enhance this nighttime footage since no artificial lighting was used? Especially to smooth the darkness instead of it being so noisy, and anything that will make it scarier. “
Start with the 3-way color corrector. Dropping the black level will elimenate some of the noise… and probably a lot of the picture since you shot at night with no lights… Was the moon out?
[Derek Elrod] “2. MAKING HD VIDEO LOOK LIKE FILM — Is there any way to do this? Particularly in FCP? The camerawork is film-like but the screen texture doesn’t look quite like film. “
Again, shot at night with available light, you’ll have probably have to take what you can get… You can always add a “grain” effect. And there are 3rd party plug-ins that simulate film looks, but if you can’t see much anyway, how much can they help?
[Derek Elrod] “3. MUSIC POPS AND CLICKS — My music that I imported in Final Cut Pro for this project is 44.1 KHz, but DVD’s and etc all use 48 KHz right? Right now all my music has clicks that you can hear every second, yet there are none when I listen to the MP3’s in another program. How do I correct this and what could be wrong? “
Use ITunes to convert your music to 48KHz AIFF. Probably best to ingest straight off the CD, rather than recompressing MP3s.
[Derek Elrod] “4. CONVERTING MUSIC TO 5.1 — I’m planning on having a 5.1 Dolby audio option, and I’m hoping that Apple’s Compressor’s 5.1 Dolby export option is going to automatically divide my 2 channel mix into 5.1 channels and have everything basically play what the 2 channels were originally? I do NOT want the 5.1 option to only play the Front Left and Front Right channels.
“How are you planning to make a surround mix? Do you have access to a facility that has the proper monitors? If not, just make a solid stereo mix and don’t mess with 5.1. If you can’t hear what you’re doing, it won’t come out right…
Good luck!
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I just noticed that the noise is not present when I watch/view in Final Cut Pro.
However, after burning the footage onto DVD and watching at home, the noise is dreadful. What’s going on here?
Is this something to do with the 23.98 framerate for the DVD versus the footage’s original 24p frame rate? What’s going on? Maybe Apple Compressor did this when making the DVD files?!
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When you watch/view on FCP, what are you looking at? An external monitor?
What is the project setting? How are you generating the DVD?
[Derek Elrod] “Is this something to do with the 23.98 framerate for the DVD versus the footage’s original 24p frame rate? “
24p generally refers to the 23.98 (actually 23.976) framerate. Did you actually shoot 24 frame?!
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Take back the part about the video noise not being present in FCP, it is but since a computer monitor looks different than a TV, it is more obvious on TV. It’s still there in both.
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Just found out the footage is literally 24.00 fps.
The Apple Compressor application then tries to make it 23.9something fps.
But the noise issue is in both footage, both on screen and on TV.
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Well – be sure to use the TV (of course, a pro video monitor would be better) as you work on the footage.
Since you can’t eradicate the gain noise, try to stylize it using CC and other filters to get a look that you like.
Remember, horror is all about sound and pacing – stuff that you can’t see can be scarier that what you _can_ see.
And, from a former film student here, remember that this _is_ a learning process. You don’t have to strike gold (or oil) your first time out. Have fun with it and find a creative way to “fix it in post”.
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