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Media Manager recompress problem….
Hi,
I am working on a show that has a mixture of HD and SD footage in it. The final codec we are using is DVCProHD1080i29.97. For the SD footage in the timeline, which was captured at uncompressed 8bit, we are resizing and then need to convert to the DVCProHD codec. I have just come onto this job and the process they are using involves exporting each clip with the DVCProHD codec, then reimporting and overcutting the clips. I think I should be able to use media manager to do this. However when I tell media manager to recompress with the DVCProHD codec, (with the options “Delete unused media” and “Project – Duplicate selected items and place into a new project” both deselected), nothing happens to my clip in the timeline. A new media file is created, however the current clip in the timeline does not reference this new media – it still references the old media clip. I do not want to bring in this new clip and overcut it, or have to reconnect the media manually – this would defeat the purpose and not make my workflow any quicker. Does anyone know why when I use the media manager to ‘recompress media referenced by selected items’ it does not in fact look at the new media, as the command implies???
Thanks in advance,
AZ
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10 Replies
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The media manager will do a poor job of upconverting. Seriously…not good.
I use Compressor, and in fact made 3 droplets for this (center extraction, top extraction, bottom extraction)
Go to http://www.proapptips.com…sign up (free…no spam) and then go here:
https://proapptips.com/tips/filemgmt/viewcat.php?cid=19
Shane
Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net -
Further to Shane’s suggestion: make sure that the files you create in Compressor have excactly the same filenames as the original media files in your capture scratch. Render them all to a single location, so you don’t have to waste time pointing FCP to a bunch of different places. You can even make a default codec & destination in Compressor so all you have to do is import the files, change the names and press the ‘submit’ button. If I remember correctly, Compressor is supposed to pass through the timecode by default, so if you’re changing the frame rate on any of your media files you should be able to reconnect pretty easily.
Arnie
Now in post: Peristroika, a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com/blog -
Adrian,
I have to ask… Why didn’t you just capture all of your footage using DVCProHD? What capture card do you have?
Anytime you use software to upconvert or downconvert, you are asking for problems. Keep this in mind when starting a new project. This is the reason why I try to tell people when they are upgrading their equipment and their work can encompass anything, buy an AJA Kona 3. This card will do anything that you need on the fly in realtime.
I work with SD footage alot that I have to upconvert to DVCProHD. The upconvert looks stunning. Yes, you can still tell that its upconverted but the footage looks much much better than software conversion and it sure takes alot less time.
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com -
Hi Wayne,
I have come onto this project about %70 of the way through…everything has already been captured and a lot of work has already been done…..so I am stuck with certain compromises etc from what happened before I got involved…..
Thanks for the suggestion for next time though…..
AZ
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[Adrian Zehn] “everything has already been captured and a lot of work has already been done…..”
Can you explain what you mean by alot of work has already been done? Has editing begun yet?
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com -
Hi Wayne,
The offline editing is complete. We are in the process of onlining – almost everything has been captured at hi res – but the standard def stuff was captured at 8 bit uncompressed – and so we are manually resizing it in the motion tab, then converting to the DVCProHD codec by exporting as a quicktime movie with that codec and reimporting. We are doing this because if we simply make the changes with the motion tab and render in the DVCProHD timeline, the results are inconsistant – sometimes it looks ok, sometimes the movement is all jittery. If we do this extra step, and overcut the new movie, the results are better – I know this process is not the best, but it is what they were doing when I started work on the project – hence I am trying to devise a better workflow…
AZ
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Hi Shane,
I take it these droplets are for converting DV footage only??? (ie – not 8 bit uncompressed SD – which is what I am dealing with)?
AZ
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Let me ask… Is the SD footage anamorphic? If so, you’re best bet would be to let Compressor do all of your work for you. When you upscale in FCP, your footage looses resolution alot more than it would going through Compressor.
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Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com -
Here’s another option. You can scale & recompose the footage in either Shake or After Effects, then render out int whatever format is native to your online timeline.
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The SD footage is 4:3. However we are resizing so it fills the screen – hence we are obviously losing a lot of resolution – as well as effectively cropping a lot out – but like I say, this process was already well underway before I got here…and the thing is we are not going to re-do work that’s already been done…..so I was just trying to work out a workflow that replicates the end results already achieved (for consistancy of look etc), but requires less steps….
Like I say…..the process is very compromised from a technical / quality point of view…..but the producers seemed satisfied with the look – so I have been trying to figure out a slightly more efficient way to get there…..
AZ
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