THE definitive EX1 & EX3 training videos?

[Paul Zwicker]

Thanks Curt,

I never knew Sony was helping us out and never even thought to look there! Duh.

Since I started on the Sony F-900 7 years ago, I know it pretty well. Which leads me to easily move into operation of the EX3 I bought last July.
I do not know what you mean when you say Apple does not want us to edit EX native?
That’s all I’ve been doing. Is it the render time?

Workflow has been sticky for many of us-especially guys like me who are shooters and now have to relearn edit software.

FCP has been, as we all know, a pain in the butt for guys like me. When I bought it, FCP seemed to be the software everyone had so that’s what I got and for now I’m stuck with it.

My latest project was quite a learning experience. Many DVD’s were burned and different settings used. Final output was great: FCP – Compressor in DVD Best Settings Mpeg2 6.2Mbps 2 pass – Studio Pro SD (same settings as Compressor). We also went h264 out for better quality files to display the video from a computer at a trade show.

I bought Noah’s DVD Studio Pro tutorial disc which delves very well into chapters and markers and many useful authoring issues. Noah did a great job cranking out the many thing Studio Pro can do.
Hindsight- I wish I has purchased the EX1 or EX3 DVD first.

Paul

[Brian Emery]

Hi Curt,

Thanks for the information you’re posting. It’s very helpful. I use FCP to edit EX1 footage and have always edited natively, not knowing enough to use the ProRes formats and, frankly, not understanding why they’re necessary. For speed? Quality? I haven’t had a problem editing natively in FCP but perhaps I’m completely missing something? I shoot and edit my own work but also manage a small film program, with five new EX1’s, editing on FCP. Can anyone help explain the difference and/or the necessity of ProRes? Thanks so much!

Best,
Brian

Film Tech Manager
Filmmaking and New Media Arts
Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville, NY

Sony EX1
Final Cut Pro 6.0.5
MacPro (2007 Version)

[Curt Pair]

Brain,

I’m glad you are not only using your EX1 camcorders, but able to work with them and enjoying the experience.

Until NAB 2009, I have been under the impression, from those at Apple(I won’t mention names to protect the guilty!), that FCP would first have to transcode a clip shot with an EX1/3 to quicktime BEFORE you could edit with that file! That is what I mean by “editing natively”… FCP didn’t allow the editing of MXF files or EX1/3 files without a transcode to QT first. Now, I do know from several of my buddies using the system, and my own VERY limited use, that the trancode process went fairly quickly, but the fact that it had to happen at all didn’t sit well with me…

Sony now has a third party vendor/partner that has a program called (please forgive me if this is inaccurate, again, I migrated AWAY from FCP for various reasons 4 years ago!) “CineMon.” It is a “plug in” that runs “invisibly,” that allows FCP users to use and edit MXF files and those created by EX1/3 cameras WITHOUT having to transcode to a Quicktime file. In fact CineMon works with other formats inside FCP too! Now, FCP users won’t have to create or transcode MOST common file acquisition types to QT to edit them! That’s fantastic.

I too often wonder why one would take a recorded file, inflate it to “ProRes” and then work with that file. If it was shot 4:2:0, how on Earth is ProRes making it better, really? Material is only as good as it is caputred… you can’t make it better by transcoding it! Now, CAPTURING material with the ProRes codec, is a different story, that I get. If you go out of your EX camera with the HD SDI, and CAPTURE it into FCP and use that codec, than I “get” the value of that.

Curt Pair
Picture This Productions
Sony ICE Team
F900/F350/700/EX1/EX3/D790/D600
Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 HD/Matrox
Phoenix, AZ

[Brian Emery]

Hi Curt,

Thanks for your response! I get it; I’m not editing “natively,” I’m transcoding first to QT files.

Perhaps most people talking about using ProRes are Capturing via the HD SDI port? If so, that makes sense. My system doesn’t support that, so, at least for now, I’ll stick with using Log and Capture and transcoding (what Apple and Sony claim is lossless) into QT. I’ll look into CineMon. Again, thanks for your quick reply!

Best,
Brian

Film Tech Manager
Filmmaking and New Media Arts
Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville, NY

Sony EX1
Final Cut Pro 6.0.5
MacPro (2007 Version)

[Noah Kadner]

[Paul Zwicker] “Who goes into edit workflow deeper?

All my friends are dealing with FLC-Quicktime Conversion-Compressor-DVD Studio Pro-(at times) Toast.
Everyone seems to be having issues of one type or the other.

Which DVD author spells out setting, codecs, etc. better?

Noah, Does your EX1 video delve into this more than the other?

I’ve owned an EX3 since last July and have years on the F900, so I know how to paint pretty well”

I confess I haven’t watched the Vortex disc in its entirety, though we do carry the EX3 version on our site. I will say I feel Doug covers production a bit more thoroughly than we do but we probably focus a bit more on post workflow as my specialty is Final Cut Studio. We also now offer our titles as downloadable content (at a lower price too) so you can get them right away. 🙂

https://callboxlive.com/products/sony-ex1-guidebook

-Noah

Check out my book: RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera!. Unlock the secrets of the 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio.
Now featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook, Panasonic HVX200, and Panasonic DVX100.
https://www.callboxlive.com