Mixed formats – which sequence format to use when cutting a Reel?

[John Pale]

Convert everything to D1 ProRes NTSC or 8 bit Uncompressed NTSC using Compressor.

Though you have quite a variety of formats, all of them are easily converted to NTSC D1 720 x 486. Compressor can handle the pixel aspects correctly if you know what you are doing with it. Might help to give the manual a gander if you are not up to speed with it. Its all in there.
You also might want to use Cinema Tools to conform the two 30fps clips to 29.97.

Do not do the scaling in FCP, it doesn’t do a great job compared to Compressor or AE.

Do not try to edit all of these different formats in one timeline. Convert everything to one format. Unless you like being frustrated.

Export the final sequence as Quicktime, then use Compressor to create your web video.

[Lisa Rolley]

Hey John thanks for this awesome help much appreciated

just have a couple questions – I am curious about why using compressor over AE is suggested? I know how to use both apps for creating D1 media but you allude to some specific setting for pixel aspect ratio settings…Also curious if what you are suggesting also involves adding lower fields & CCIR 601 non square pixels to everything as D1 would suggest??

Also are you familiar with AE and think that the 30 fps to 29.97 is better handled in Compressor?

I def don’t like to be frustrated which is why i posted in the first place – i know conforming is the best way to do this project.

any thoughts?
thank you
Lisa

[Lisa Rolley]

Also forgot to ask the question of why add fields to all of these progressive assets when the delivery is for web in the first place?? Could’nt i remove fields in AE for all of the already D1 assets and just have my fcp sequence be none for fields?

thank you
Lisa

[Lisa Rolley]

Another question ebgs the question as well: that is how to then remove fields of the final web delivaerable h.264 640×360 qt file??

Do I use Compressor to crop and remove fields OR do I do this process entirely in AE – ideally my goal is to get the best looking result in a 640×360 h.24 qt in the 20-30 mb file size range for a 1:00 minute reel for web.

Any info / help would be great

best
Lisa

[John Pale]

I only recommend Compressor because it is more of a tool for that kind of thing. It has presets that can help get you started, etc. AE is a compositing and motion graphics tool…but you certainly can do it in AE if you are comfortable with it.

I don’t think you actually said in the original posting whether your footage was progressive or not…or whether it was a mix.

For simplicities sake, if its a mix of interlace and progressive, I would just edit interlaced and just deinterlace in the final compression for the web. NTSC SD normally is interlaced so it might be easier to work that way with it. But if you want to work progressive, and know how to get all the settings right..by all means do it.

Don’t over think this. It usually gets you into trouble.

[Lisa Rolley]

ok well did you see the link in my original post where it shows all the info for each of the video files i am working with?? – i was just thinking maybe it might be better to remove fields from the clips that have them and just work in a D1 sequence in fcp where i chaged the fields tab to none in sequence settings…overall thank you SO SO much for the straight forward advice its been a big help ; )

if you have any further thoughts just let me know

thanks
Lisa

[John Pale]

My bad. You did include the pixel aspect in your screen shot.

Many of your clips are interlaced, so I would work interlaced.

But…I have not seen your footage at all…. If the progressive stuff is graphics, maybe it makes sense to try to work progressive all the way through. Maybe do some short tests to see if it holds up well enough.

If there is a mix of interlace and progressive, you will be compromising with some of the clips no matter what.