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Quick Export Verification
Hi all,
I have more of a verification question as settings/codecs/export etc. is my weakest area of knowledge (sidenote: any recommendations on good books on the matter are more than welcome).
I AMA linked a batch of Canon 60D files for a short film I’ve been working on, then transcoded to DNxHD 115 for editing purposes. I’ve relinked to the original files as of picture lock yesterday, and it worked like a charm! (I was terrified some of the horror stories I hear would be my case, but it was flawless and I’ve totally jumped on the AMA train now).
My question is: As I export these files I want them to be the full quality original files from the camera (which is what now populates my timelines), so can I simply select same as source on an export and it will be full quality? What export setting would I want to use? Avid says the canon 60D footage is H.264s, so would I just ‘Send to QT Movie” and select same as source?
I realize I may be answering my own question, I just want to verify before I get halfway sending each clip to the VFX guy and discover this isn’t full quality for him.
As a second followup: My coloring guy wants each clip individually exported in this full quality – is there any function in avid to export each individual clip on a sequence without doing it manually? Figure it can’t hurt to ask.
Thanks in advance!
Nick
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7 Replies
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Avid EXPORT SAME AS SOURCE only works with Avid codecs…DNxHD and so on. You can’t export Same as Source ProRes, for example…even if you are linked to ProRes sources. For the VFX guy, your best bet is to give them the original source files, and time code ranges for each clip, and a reference export from your sequence so they can make sure they have the right in and out points.
As for the colorist…what are they using to finish? I know that you can CONSOLIDATE your timeline and that will copy all the clips to a new location, and trim them so that only what you used in the cut will be there. But again, that only works with Avid native media. I just tried to do the same with Canon 5D footage, and it wouldn’t do it, stating “foreign compression type.” And suggested to first transcode them to a native compression type.
Now…your original footage is H.264, 8-bit. Not the best for grading. If you did transcode the sequence to DNxHD 220x, that would make it 10-bit…which is far better for grading…and Avid native media, which you can then export for VFX, and export only clips used in the cut for the colorist. Yes, it is transcoding and adding a layer of compression, but not a noticeable one. This is done all the time, DNx 220 is a finishing codec.
Or, get your colorist ALL of the raw footage (untrimmed) and supply them with an AAF so they can link to it (if they are grading with something other than Avid, such as Resolve).
H.264 is a horrible codec to use for finishing.
Shane
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Shane,
Many thanks for the informative post. Like I said, I desperately need to brush up on my codec’s etc. The transcode to DNxHD 220x sounds like a great option, my only two followups would be: Will non Avid programs have any issues with playback, and I would then want to export with a Same as Source option, yes?
Thanks again,
Nick
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[Nick Mars] “Will non Avid programs have any issues with playback”
Well, VFX might require Quicktimes (gotta ask them) and if so, you can export SAME AS SOURCE. Or, get them the originals. Online? Again, gotta ask them what they will be grading with. Resolve sees Dnx220x MXF files just fine.
[Nick Mars] “and I would then want to export with a Same as Source option, yes?”
Only for VFX. Not for online…depending on what they are using.
Shane
Little Frog Post
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Apologies for the double post:
I had to restart Avid as I was responding last, and after restart have discovered my highest red option for Transcode on the sequence is DNxHD 175x. Have I missed a step somewhere?
Thanks
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No. 175x is for 23.98fps, 220x is for 29.97fps.
Shane
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_DNxHD_codec_resolutions
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Shane,
Awesome, many thanks for all of the help
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