Offline to Online

[Shane Ross]

Tape based? Tapeless? How was the footage imported initially? AMA linked and transcoded? Converted with Resolve? Imported? How will you finish? IN Avid or in Resolve or Scratch?

There is so much involved, I’m not sure a single post can cover this. It is a full profession, and there are lots of ins and out. The basics can be laid out, but nothing too in depth.

Shane
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[Lena Gregorian]

Shane thank you for your comment,

Imported as XDcam EX 35 (1080p/25)
Shot with Cannon
was not transcoded yet. the online I want to do in avid – color correction.
the project is relatively light.

codec of the footage: H264 – MPEG-4 AVC

[Shane Ross]

[Lena Gregorian] “Imported as XDcam EX 35 (1080p/25) “

Please tell me that you mean AMA linked and transcoded. Direct Import makes this a tad more involved. Basically you’ll need to batch import the FULL clip of every piece of media you used in the cut.

[Lena Gregorian] “Shot with Cannon”

Canon DSLR? Since you say H.264, I am guessing so, but I don’t want to assume.

[Lena Gregorian] “was not transcoded yet. the online I want to do in avid – color correction. “

Yes, it was. The source is H.264, the footage in the Avid is XDCAM…transcoding happened. ODD transcoding…but transcoding nuntheless. By odd, I mean, very odd format to choose to offline edit in.

Typical workflow:

AMA link.
Transcode to offline codec, DNxHD36, 14:1, DV…whathaveyou.
Edit with the low res media. Lock picture.
Open all the bins with the original AMA footage. Connect the drives containing the AMA media.
Relink the sequence to the AMA footage…so you then have a sequence that’s linked to the raw originals.
Transcode to a high res codec, DNxHD 175x, 220X.
Color correct
Deliver.

Shane
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[Lena Gregorian]

Shane,

My editing teacher told me to always import… so nope… have to batch import them all… OMG.. what does that mean?
wait, can’t I transcode them as they are?

I shot with two cameras of cannon DSLR and EOS M

[Lena Gregorian] “was not transcoded yet. the online I want to do in avid – color correction. ”

[Yes, it was. The source is H.264, the footage in the Avid is XDCAM…transcoding happened. ODD transcoding…but transcoding nuntheless. By odd, I mean, very odd format to choose to offline edit in].
– you definitely blew my mind here…

[Shane Ross]

[Lena Gregorian] “My editing teacher told me to always import…”

Sorry, but they need a lesson in how the current Avid (the versions that have been released over the past 3 years) operate. Needs lessons in current workflows.

[Lena Gregorian] “OMG.. what does that mean?”

That means that you’ll have to BATCH IMPORT all the clips used in the sequence, and that will import them ALL…the full clip, and not just the part used in the sequence…but the full clip. That’ll take time and a more space than the AMA workflow.

So you’ll have to take your offline media…well…offline, Change the name of the MXF folder, add a letter. Put the sequence in a bin and in the SET BIN DISPLAY option in the bin menu, have it SHOW REFERENCE CLIPS… and then you need to batch import those clips. And import them at a DNx175X or so resolution…if you want REALLy high end.

OR……

You might not need to at all. the XDCAM setting you chose is a full resolution one. It’s just…odd. Because you converted H.264 to a LOG GOP (not full frame) codec. It is high res, and if this is a school project, that will be fine. Broadcast….should import differently. But for the web and school, what you have could work fine.

[Lena Gregorian] “wait, can’t I transcode them as they are? “

No. That’s recompressing the footage, and recompressing will always lower the resolution. Especially going from H.264 to XDCAM to DNxHD. You don’t suddenly gain quality by transcoding. Transcoding is converting the footage that is already converted. Like copying a VHS tape to Digibeta, or HDCAM. The image won’t look any better, it’ll just be on a higher quality tape.

Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Lena Gregorian]

The project is to be on the web.
I think maybe in export because it’s not so high end, do it in a better quality.

[Shane Ross]

XDCAM is high enough quality for finishing for the web. I work with sources that are shot in that format, and I have delivered broadcast spots in that format.

Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def