Please help on codec / workflow

[Adam Levine]

I would offline edit everything in DV codec to start — I’ve been using DVCam as an offline cassette format for some time now with great success. Put a label on all the S16 clips so you can identify them quickly. After you are done cutting, Media Manage the timeline and have it convert to 8-bit or 10-bit uncompressed. Then select all the S16 clips, make offline, then recapture from the D-Beta masters.

As far as the different aspect ratios go, you will have to make a decision as to whether you want a 4:3 or 16:9 show. In any event, you will have to adjust the non-conforming clips to the proper aspect ratio

[Autorecall2003@yahoo.co.uk]

Thanks Adam,

My show is 4:3, but with black bars in 1:1,77 format. Will it be difficult adjusting 16:9 anamorphic material into 4:3?

What about effects, filters, transitions and colorcorrections, will these still be the same after I convert to uncompressed? There must be a difference in quality when I apply a ex. diffusion effect, before or after turning uncompressed. When should I fielddouble the DV material – before or after turning uncompressed?

[Adam Levine]

My show is 4:3, but with black bars in 1:1,77 format. Will it be difficult adjusting 16:9 anamorphic material into 4:3?

So long as the anamorphic clips are identified as such (check the “Anamorphic” column in the browser), when you drop an anamorphic clip in a 4:3 timeline, FCP will automagically adjust the scale and aspect ratio so that it is inserted with a letterbox matte.

What about effects, filters, transitions and colorcorrections, will these still be the same after I convert to uncompressed? There must be a difference in quality when I apply a ex. diffusion effect, before or after turning uncompressed.

Use the traditional (i.e., pre-digital) online workflow — offline, online, color correct, fx. Translated to today’s tech: DV cuts and transitions (i.e., offline), do the media manager/recapture thing I mentioned previously (i.e. online). Then apply color and fx.

When should I fielddouble the DV material – before or after turning uncompressed?

I don’t understand what you mean. Are you refering to de-interlacing?

[Autorecall2003@yahoo.co.uk]

Thanks,

Yes, I mean de-interlacing. When should / can I do that, before or after converting? Will I run into any other problems with the interlace/progressive thing : I have material in 25p, s16 telecined and DV that I want to de-interlace.

[Adam Levine]

Do it after the “online”. Do not deinterlace the S16 footage

[Autorecall2003@yahoo.co.uk]

Thanks Adam.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Just a quick question regarding :

“Use the traditional (i.e., pre-digital) online workflow — offline, online, color correct, fx. Translated to today’s tech: DV cuts and transitions (i.e., offline), do the media manager/recapture thing I mentioned previously (i.e. online). Then apply color and fx.”

If I go from offline to online will I have to rerender all DV(offline) disolves and levels, and effects if they are already applied to a clip?

Thanks.

Luis

[Adam Levine]

Yes, but you should only be doing cuts/transitions in the offline stage. Save the levels work for your online.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Thanks for the info,

So if I already have some effects on the clips, will they still be attached to the clip when i media manage the whole project, or do they disappear? If they are still attached to the clip does it keep the keyframes? Also, when I set up the online, should I media manage it choosing to recompress clips to uncompressed? What settings should I use for the online? Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks,

Luis

[Adam Levine]

>So if I already have some effects on the clips, will they still be attached to the clip when i media manage the whole project, or do they disappear?

They will remain with the same settings. However, if any of them are color related, I would redo settings.

>If they are still attached to the clip does it keep the keyframes?

Yes.

>Also, when I set up the online, should I media manage it choosing to recompress clips to uncompressed?

Yes. That or Online JPEG (I use a custome preset at 100% quality). Here’s a screenshot of my typical settings for anamorphic footage:

https://www.squeezeanickel.com/fcp/fcp-screen-shot.jpg

>What settings should I use for the online? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I find 8-bit uncompressed or JPEG at 100% best for DV footage. 10-bit doesn’t see to add anything (unless you are applying graphics, or lighting effects with strong gradients), and adds to render times and file size. I only use 10-bit for capturing DigiBeta source material. Also, FCP will adjust the frames size, adding 2 lines above and 4 lines below the 480 DV lines

Also, something I left out:

I always render a DV movie with TC burn and use this as an “offline cassette” to refer back in case anything went wrong (sometimes FCP screws up clips with speed fx, especially variable speed). In the new online timeline, I create a new, empty track at V1 and 2 new empty audio tracks at A1 and A2. Then I lay in the offline, matching my 2 pops and tail pops. That way, I can always check back to make sure everything is copasetic. Make sure you turn off these offline tracks before outputting to tape. Back in the day, we’d have a 3/4″ cassette layoff with TC burn from the Avid offline which we could use to check back against if there were any discrepancies in the EDL.

>thanks,

you’re welcome. pass on the good mojo