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Mixing SD and HD in documentary project
I’m editing a documentary that was shot HD 1080p 24f.
A lot of my b-roll is coming from multiple sources of varying quality, especially old VHS tapes (they’re 29.98 fps)…
This is for a standard def DVD release so do I need to bother going crazy trying to upconvert all the other elements to match my HD clips?
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12 Replies
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Lots of “depends” in there. When I’m faced with this I always work from Back to front. A standard def DVD doesn’t need all the umph of the HDCAM footage. So I pull out of the HD Deck using the 525 down-convert spigot and do it all SD. If the majority of the footage is HD I’ll do a 16:9 project (the norm for many years now). If the majority is 4:3 then that’s what the output will be and I can come out of the HD deck in the centered mode so the footage is 4:3. Occasionally an HD shot will need to be reframed and we’ll recapture it. The deck controller has and adjustment to slide the image left or right.
However, nowadays all the exports for web are coming out in web-HD. So I’m keeping everything in HD throughout post. Sucks when there’s old SD 4:3 involved. It makes me come up with a plan. Refer to the first paragraph. 🙂
Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.
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90% of the footage is HD 1080.
I’m just wondering if I throw in VHS footage, will I have frame rate issues on my final SD output? -
no reason you should, and you’d see them before the end anyway.
Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.
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[Andrew Kasch] “90% of the footage is HD 1080.
I’m just wondering if I throw in VHS footage, will I have frame rate issues on my final SD output? “Mixing frame rates in FCP is an issue. So don’t do it. Either work with the HDCAM footage as 29.97, or use Compressor to convert the SD footage to 23.98.
Personally, I’d edit HD and upconvert the SD footage. In case that SOME DAY someone will want the final piece in HD, since they shot it that way…
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
You didn’t tell us what codec and cameras were used to shoot the 90% 1080 footage. If it was HDV then the 24f is actually wrapped in a 60i frame so the frame rate would be 29.97 just like the VHS. Check the footage you have shot to see what the actual frame rate is, rather than the 24f setting.
Edit in HD. It will look better in the end going down from HD to SD. Down converting in the camera will introduce another stage of compression to DV which is not helpful when ending up on DVD.
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[Andrew Kasch] ”
This is for a standard def DVD release so do I need to bother going crazy trying to upconvert all the other elements to match my HD clips?”Yes that’s what I would do. Upconvert everything using a Kona HD so everything matches in the timeline. Then you’re free to do anything from there. Just because you’re doing an SD DVD today doesn’t mean you won’t need an HD version of it in the future.
Our current documentary has DVCPro HD, DigiBeta, BetaSX, DVCAM, BetaSP and 3/4″ tape. Everything was brought into our system at 720p/60. Final output will be a digital cinema file, HDCAM, BluRay disc and Standard DVD.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” featuring Sigourney Weaver coming soon.
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When I say HD I mean HD, not this faux size odd codec really compressed stuff, myself. But then I’m lucky, I know. And when I’m forced to use HDV, and I do mean forced, I never use firewire, it’s always from the HDSDI port into the HDSDI of the Kona Card and right into ProRes in an HD frame size. Making everything the same on the input end makes life a LOT easier.
Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.
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https://library.creativecow.net/articles/ross_shane/aja_kona3.php
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Robb Harriss] “When I say HD I mean HD, not this faux size odd codec really compressed stuff, myself”
Like HDCam 1440 x 1080 8 bit 3:1:1? or did you mean HDV which is what I thought when someone says they have shot at 24f which is how Sony & Canon label their faux progressive mode in 60i HDV.
What actually matters here is what Andrew means when he says HD because the question is about frame rates.
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yup, because he’s talking about frame size while now talking frame rates. VHS? well, we’re kinda limited on both.
Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.
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