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How to “on-line” an HDV project originally edited in SD?
I’m currently running Adobe PP2 on a single-core processor laptop. I’ve shot most projects in HDV to futureproof them, but have always edited in SD (downconverting in camera at capture stage).
This has been great, allowing me to give people DVD copies (SD) etc. Now I’m about to take the leap with an Intel I7 quad core + PP CS4 system so I can edit HDV and possibly HD.
SO …here’s my question.
What is the best way to go back to the original HDV rushes and recapture them in full HDV glory, but using the timeline / EDL from the original SD project?
I’ve done a few preliminary tests with exporting the project as an EDL or AAF file, but this returns a lot of errors relating to edit functions that aren’t recognised (e.g. dissolves / fades etc). This would mean I would have to replicate these manually.
So far, the most promising approach has been to copy and paste the actual timeline information (i.e. open the SD project, select all events on the timeline, copy, close project, open the new HDV project, paste). Then, if I make the the media offline, (by selecting all in the top left source pane, then right-clicking and hitting ‘make offline’), I can presumably proceed to batch digitize the same media but this time in HDV?
I can’t test this theory until I get my new system, but it seems like quite a long winded and cumbersome solution. After all, this is basically how we always used to edit in the off-line / on-line Avid broadcast world – do all the decision-making in lo res, then recapture what you need at full broadcast resolution.
Does anyone have a better way? Thoughts please!?!?
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4 Replies
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Hi….
1) Did you capture the footage as SD resolution, or HD footage on an SD timeline.
If HD footage on SD timeline, this is the best case, just copy and paste and check your settings for clip scaling. this can be mapped to a keyboard to shortcut to speed it up as well.2) If your batching your sources based on EDL…there is a BIG issue I’ve run into conforming HDV from source tape…which is it will digitize the correct time code, but every clip will visually be off +/- 5 frames in varying degrees. I think tis has to do with HDV GOP frame structure on tape, as full frame based media doesn’t suffer from this problem.
So I suggest exporting your SD project as a video file you can use on your HD timeline as a reference, it will greatly speed up slipping your HDV captures so they frame match (in clip content) with what you originally did in your SD edit.
any questions, lemme know…
Alex
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I like the idea of creating an SD file to use as a guide. My success has been as follows:
Create the new project as HDV. Import the SD project. Put the sequence from the imported project on the timeline. The video will likely be too small in dimension . That is good. Close the project. Rename the folder where the existing SD clips are to be something else. Create an empty folder for those clips. If your source material is all in one huge folder, move the SD clips somewhere else. Open the project. When it complains it cant find the source files, choose offline all. Select the now offline clips in the project window/bin and do batch capture. Capture as needed. The timeline should now show you full size clips. Any motion effects will probably need to be redone since the dimensions of the clips have changed. Other effects and trimming should be OK. I have never noticed the issue of cuts on frames within the GAP, but even that should not be a show stopping issue because you can cut on any frame even with HDV material. Possible a clip that was captured on a frame that is now a B or P frame. You may need to capture handles on that clip and adjust accordingly.
George Socka
BeachDigital
http://www.beachdigital.com -
I also like the idea of a “reference” SD copy. (Oh, and yes, I did shoot the original footage in HDV, then imported / edited at SD to spare my poor overworked single core processor).
This all makes sense, and I will report back when (if?) I’ve acquired the new system and been able to carry this out. I’m fully expecting to have a lot of fiddling to do, as I’ve used a lot of ‘track matte’ keys combined with blurred Title cards to create grads, vignettes etc, plus a few motion keyframes etc.
One thing I’ve never done (and wasn’t aware you COULD do) is import a project into another one. Thanks for this, as it’ll save qute a bit of fiddly copying & pasting.
Also, Alex, I’m not really sure what “batching my sources based on EDL” means. As I said, anytime I’ve tried exporting to EDL, I get a load of “unable to translate effect” type messages, so I’ve never used one in anger. I know where I am with copying & pasting!
Thanks for your help, and Happy New Year!
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Sorry I was using that generically to mean recapturing based on your sequence.
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