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Help! Export HPX-170 ftg (720p 60i) as 1280×720?
So I shot this behind the scenes video being told that it was just for use online. I used the HPX-170 and shot it on standard default 720p 60 (F1 on the scene dial just out of the box.) Everything’s great, no problem. Then they tell me that they want to use the footage as an ad in theaters (before a movie). The company where I am to send the footage has a document describing acceptable formats. This was sprung on me with only 2 days to complete and I am in way over my head (I’m a DP/director and have only basic FCP skills.)
So it says the frame size of the video must be: 1920×1080, 1280×720 or 720×480. But in my sequence settings it says the footage is 960×720 and these others don’t even show up as options. Am I screwed? I have never overseen output, especially for something this “big.” I took the job because I knew I could shoot and edit something for the web no problem but now I have to do this and don’t have any budget to have a real editor do it. Any resources/websites/tutorials and help here would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
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7 Replies
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What codec are you delivering to? Simply choose the proper codec/frame rate in Compressor and set the geometry to 1280×720 square pixels.
Easy.
Jeremy
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But shouldn’t the footage be 1280×720 to begin with? I’m worried that it was somehow shot in a 4:3 ratio? If I drop it into compressor and change the aspect, won’t that distort or at least “uprez” it and therefore degrade the quality? fcp seems to be telling me that the footage is 960×720, is it possible that a setting is wrong or that I did something on the camera accidentally? Thanks for the info!
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DVCPRO HD is an anamorphic format. 720p is 960×720. FCP automatically unsqueezes it when you edit. HDV is an anamorphic format, some formats of XDCAM, HDCAM are as well.
What do you need to deliver the final as? You can output 1280×720 to HDCAM or HDCAM SR or D5.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
the final format just has to be as high quality as possible at 1280×720 either .mov or apple pro res. I’m confused, so you’re saying the camera doesn’t actually shoot native HD? It’s squeezing it? Is 1280×720 going to be upsizing or interpolating it somehow? I’m concerned because this is for theatrical release so it will be screening HUGE, any tips on how to preserve the HD quality and keep everything clean and beautiful from the HPX? Thanks!
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What is “native HD?” People keep tossing this term about. And FULL HD! Stop it. Marketing crap! MOST of the HD cameras out there shoot anamorphic HD formats. Why? Because it compresses smaller, keeps data rates low. DVCPRO HD is an anamorphic format. HDV is, XDCAM is (XDCAM EX isn’t). There are many MANY anamorphic formats. FEATURE FILMS…shown in theaters? The are ANAMORPHIC on film! The lens unsqueezes the image.
[Brad DeCecco] “as high quality as possible at 1280×720 either .mov or apple pro res.”
.MOV is just a QT container…contains dozens of codecs, including ProRes. So if they want a data file, export out of FCP as ProRes 1280×720.
[Brad DeCecco] “Is 1280×720 going to be upsizing or interpolating it somehow?”
Unsqueezing…that’s all.
[Brad DeCecco] “I’m concerned because this is for theatrical release so it will be screening HUGE, any tips on how to preserve the HD quality and keep everything clean and beautiful from the HPX? “
OK…how does this grab you? PLANET EARTH? Remember that? BBC show, aired on Discovery in HD? Disney re-released a kid friendly version (using all the same footage) in theatres last summer. 90% of that was shot with the Varicam at 720p. 960×720, unsqueezed to fill the screen. How did that look?
It will be fine. Concern yourself with the STORY and the performance. less with quality. People care more for story. And don’t let the AVATAR exception rule your mind!
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Right right, I agree with your tirade, preaching to the choir, I have story and content down. BUT-this is a commercial – these people have no sense of story and all they care about is that the logo is sharp, the text is clear and that it “looks professional.” So my main concern is that it is the best quality that it can be because recently we had a short in a festival, I was speaking to the DP from the film before ours and it turns out they shot on an HPX as well. Theirs was gorgeous – sharp, smooth transitions, excellent saturation. Ours, on the other hand, was noisy, soft, with a horrible caste to it. We both are good with lighting and camera work, so what did we figure out was the difference? The other film worked with a professional editor – Me, I just handed the raw footage to the director who “edited” it himself. Content-wise (see where I’m going?) it was great – I mean we got into a few festivals, but he thought he knew how to export and his settings were all wack and we ended up looking like we shot it on a handycam, and while yes, i agree, it is the product and not the tool that matters, people do hold you accountable to the quality of what they perceive, and we looked like amateurs. So I guess I just want to make sure I don’t make a dumb mistake like he did because I admit, I’m in over my head with this, I’m not a good editor and I barely know what I’m doing.
Thus my last dumb question – how do I figure out if it’s 60p or 60i? (I almost always shoot in 24p, never in 60…)
Thanks, and yeah, I’ll take Star Wars models over Avatar any day! Someone needs to give Cameron that story lecture, that was a tad heavy handed and mundane to sit through for 3 hours!
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Just to be clear too…the Varicam has GREAT glass…lenses. So it looks good. The HPX has an OK lens, nothing when compared to the Varicam. So don’t expect PLANET EARTH quality with an HPX. Just saying the format was fine.
Your footage looked soft, noisy and had an odd color? Well, a lot can be said of the person operating the camera too. Give it to a Hollywood DP and another to…a PA…and have them shoot the same thing, lit the same way. Guess which will look better? All about the talent WITH the camera too. And yes, the post workflow as well.
If you shot 720p…it is 60p 720 is a progressive format only. 1080 is the interlaced format, that you can extract progressive footage from if you shoot with progressive settings.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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