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FCP Editor Needs Advice for PPro CS4 Project
Hi all, one client (small NGO in Nepal) just dropped of CS4 PPRO project for minor editing, subtitling, and DVD creation. It came with the macbook they used to develop the project and an external harddrive with all the footage shot on a sony hdrive handycam (https://www.sony.co.uk/product/sdh-hard-disk-drive/dcr-sr37e#pageType=TechnicalSpecs).
I created a trimmed project from Project Manager and moved the project into the editing bay (macpro with all the latest and greatest, even CS5).
The project hangs together fine, but whenever I try to use Media Encoder to get a file I can use for DVD creation, the results are funky…it just looks bad.
The project settings are thus:
Editing mode: Quicktime DV Pal
Timebase: 25
Video 720×576 4:3
Fields: Lower Field First
Audio Sample rate: 32000 Hz
Video Previews: Quicktime DV Pal
Maximum bit depth and render quality unchecked.I am pretty sure the project was set up as a pal DVD project, even though the footage from the camera is MPEG2 muxed, so I am wondering if that’s the problem, or part of it. The source size is also 720×404 (actual) so that looks to me like they had the camera set to record NTSC anamorphic?
It was the NGO’s first video project (a 15 minute talking head docu) and they did this with just minimum training from a local filmmaker.
Any thoughts on what best to try for better quality output? I have CS5 available…and have even thought of trying to create an FCP project from that and work things out in Compressor, where I am more comfortable.
Well, thx for ur thoughts!
JigsPhoenix Studios Nepal: A small A/V Production House in Kathmandu.
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3 Replies
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Your problem is your source video/camcorder.
1. It is already highly compressed to begin with…recompression makes it much worse.
2. The resolution is not NTSC…the height is too short for PAL or NTSC.
3. The camera is 100% consumer, almost a toy.Spend $300 for a new Mini DV camcorder that uses tape.
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Mike, thx – but not helpful:) we are a professional A/V studio and often get strangely shot footage, even from cell phones, but try and make do. Personally, we would not use such a cam, but the NGO did a good job with what they had in the field. Now I want to somehow get out a DVD from the project that looks at least as good as it does in the PPro preview window.
There must be some way of fixing this without having to retake the footage!
Cheers,
JigsPhoenix Studios Nepal: A small A/V Production House in Kathmandu.
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PROBLEM SOLVED – well the solution was to just convert to a CS5 project, re-render, and export using the same project settings to get a .mov file for use in DVD Studio Pro. Looks great! Must just have been the CS4 media encoder. Sorry for your troubles:)
jigsPhoenix Studios Nepal: A small A/V Production House in Kathmandu.
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