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Varicam Film Help
I am currently in the process of shooting a documentary film using the Varicam. We have decided to use the 720p setting instead of the 1080i. My question is this: if we capture the footage via firewire using DVCPRO HD codec (or maybe using Kona later on when we can fit that into our budget!!), could we later upconvert the footage to the full 8-bit uncompressed codec using compressor? We would like to submit the film to various film festivals and want it to look as film like as possible. Any and all suggestions are would be more than appreciated. One last thing, I noticed that the Varicam we are using has a couple of pixels burned out — is there a quick fix to that? Maybe in one of the menus or something? THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! WE LOVE THE CREATIVE COW!!
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8 Replies
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It can be put out to the Uncompressed Codec- but it won’t be an upconvert. That is you’ll be adding no new information on top of the DVCPROHD compression you have in the camera. But anything you add in your edit- titles, compositing, transitions, filters, etc will benefit from going uncompressed. That said- just about any film festival will be more than pleased with Varicam footage- provided of course it’s shot and lit well and has been decently color corrected.
Noah
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In what format are you supposed to submit this to film festivals as? Noah is right, you will gain nothing going uncompressed for if you captured via firewire then you have the maximum information available to you. BUT, if you have a Kona 3, or go to a post facility that has one, you can upconvert to 1080p 23.98 on the fly…in real time. And the picture looks fantastic.
Shane
Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net -
Okay here’s the deal — there are a numer of formats that festivals allow, so we are still unsure as to what format we will be submitting the film. As far as picture goes, we just want to get the best picture possible, while getting the most bang for our buck. I know much more about the art of making a film, than I do the technical aspects of making a film — so, this is sort of like baptism by fire!
If we use the the DVCPRO HD codec to capture the footage into FCP, we would definitely save space, but how much picture quality would we lose by not buying a Kona card and using the 8-bit uncompressed codec? Would there be a big difference in quality between the two codecs when projected on the big screen? I am also confused with the upconvert idea – how exactly does that work? Could the project be captured and edited in the DVCPRO HD firewire codec, then later upconverted to look even better? I keep finding confllicting answers to this question. Thanks for your patience and help!
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Okay here’s the deal — there are a numer of formats that festivals allow, so we are still unsure as to what format we will be submitting the film. As far as picture goes, we just want to get the best picture possible, while getting the most bang for our buck. I know much more about the art of making a film, than I do the technical aspects of making a film — so, this is sort of like baptism by fire!
If we use the the DVCPRO HD codec to capture the footage into FCP, we would definitely save space, but how much picture quality would we lose by not buying a Kona card and using the 8-bit uncompressed codec? Would there be a big difference in quality between the two codecs when projected on the big screen? I am also confused with the upconvert idea – how exactly does that work? Could the project be captured and edited in the DVCPRO HD firewire codec, then later upconverted to look even better? I keep finding confllicting answers to this question. Thanks for your patience and help!
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Edit you show in DVCPRO HD. When you are completed, master your show back out to DVCPRO HD. Take the master and transfer it to D5 at 1080p. This route will give you the best picture quality.
Chris Bell
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we are in the process of doing exactly what you wnat to do. We have finished cutting our filma nd plan to do a film out soon. I am runnign a bunch of tests with a post house next week. If you shoot me your e-mail I can let you know how it turns out. Our footagwe was taken in via firewire and cut using FCP5.0. We are trying three tests:
1) spit out uncompressed quicktime 10bit 4:2:2
2) lay back to tape
3) lay back directly to D5 from FCP (we have a Kona LHE…great )we do not have many disolves or effects so either way we are going to dump out of FCP we are plannign on doing diolves by spititng out an AB roll and then doing them in the Nitris or Smoke.
if interested shoot me your e-mail and I will let you know how it goes.
Sean
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Upconverting to uncompressed won’t get you any better quality. It will, however, ensure that when you color correct and render then you render into a less lossy codec. However, I have had great luck editing DVCPRO HD native then outputting via a Kona to D5…upconverting from 720p to 1080p. But, rendering out the project 8-bit uncompressed HD is a good ideas too. If you lay back to anything other than DVCPRO HD, you will need a capture card.
Shane
Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net
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