[Bbalser]

My 2 cents as someone who works with DVCPRO-HD almost exclusively for the past year.

Edit native DVCPRO-HD Sequence. Either drop that into a 4:3 SD Sequence, then make your MPEG-2 with Compressor. OR go straight out to Comporessor and let it do the conversion. There is an “SD (Automatic)” setting in Compressor that works great. If you need to crop it down to 4:3 you can do that in Compressor also.

All the info you need is in the “Compressor Quick-Start Guide” that sells on-line for around $23. I consider it a MUST-HAVE for all FCP users.

It’s easy, produces better images than if I had shot and editing in SD to begin with, and takes as much time to encode the MPEG-2 files as SD Sequences of the same length do.

[Bbalser]

Yes, you can.

[Bbalser]

Tech info is on Apple’s site. A MBP should be fine, with enough RAM. I have always just done a straight upgrade with no problems. Some folks prefer to do clean installs. I find with a full, un-customized upgrade, it has always worked just fine for me.

I run Disk Repair and Disk Warrior first, then upgrade, then run Disk Repair again, and I’ve never had a problem.

Nothing wrong with a clean install if you have all that extra time.

[Bbalser]

With the HVX200 I can shoot 720p30, also. Very worth checking out. It’s not a camera for everybody and every situation, but for the work I do, it’s fantastic. I’ve had 2 VERY experienced editors, reviewing my work, comment about how digital will never look like film, and freak when I tell them what they’re looking at was shot with this camera. It is NOT a point and shoot in full auto mode camera, no, not at all! You really have to learn it and use it properly. It’ll give you garbage images as easily as it will give you great images. I highly recommend Barry Green’s books on the camera if you get it. They’re available on-line from B&H Photo/Video.

[Bbalser]

If you’re really pressed for screen space. I mix things through edits in my audio tracks a lot, so it’s not a feature that would help me, personally. I was asking what need it would fullfill to find that out. I find lots of folks as why this or that, just cause the feature was there in other NLEs, not cause it actually does anything for productivity.

I’ve never run out of screen real estate, and I may have mono tracks mixed in with those two stereo tracks, so for me, it’s a non-issue. But if you’re pressed for screen space, I can see it would help a little bit. I’m not overly familiar with Vegas or Preimere, so I have no idea how they handle changing those stereo pairs to mono tracks, and back. How does that work?

[Bbalser]

I disagree, put it in a native HD Sequence, have the extra color space to grade and manipulate, then go to SD. And SD Sequence cuts off all that extra great color space and image size to work with in post. Just my personal preference.

[Bbalser]

I shoot exclusively in DVCPRO-HD 720p24 and edit it natively. When making the files for DVD authoring, in Compressor, I select “SD (Automatic)” and let it go to town. I end up with better looking images than when I used to shoot/edit native SD all the way through. Once downconverted in Compressor (and Compressor does a super great job for my work) to SD, it’s not full HD quality, no, BUT it is better quality than if I had shot it in SD.

Just remember to shoot your HD master with the SD 4:3 size in mind. In other words, when you go to full screen SD, the left and right sides of the image will be cut out. Plan for that when framing up shots, and you’re good to go!

I moved from the DVX100 to the HVX200, did a LOT of testing of things before I decided that the straight forward method I’ve presented is pretty much the best method. Don’t worry, you’ll end up with better video images than had you shot with SD to begin with.

Oh, one last note, the book “Compressor Quick-Reference Guide” has some fantastic info in it on this conversion process, and will give you more details about doing the convertion in Compressor than I can give here. And when you can get it for around $23 on-line, I think it’s a MUST-HAVE for all FCP users.

And finally, I have done both of these, got same results either way, and great results at that. A) Drop HD 16:9 Sequence into an SD 4:3 Sequence, size and line it up for full screen (not letterbox), Render, Export. B) Use the Frame controls and such in Compressor to do the sizing (again, the “Compressor Quick-Start Guide” will be needed to learn the details of doing it). Either way, I get better images then shooting/editing native SD.

[Bbalser]

First, when I did wedding video, I always just put a lav on the groom, one on a podium where readings would be done. If the groom was chatty, that’s what they got. I found ALL of my clients loved hearing the bride and groom chat away during the ceremony. They found it more important than the actual vows. I’d just use it.

Low light, what you did is about it. But the problem with using a chip chart is that you have to be sure to set the white balance on the camera to that same chip chart everytime you start recording in such a varied environment. Anyway, to lighten up dark shots, what you did was about it. There are some more tips on doing this in more depth in the APTS book “Advanced Color Correction and Effects in FCP 5”. Very worth a look. Having done more years of professional weddings and live events than I care to admit (thank goodness I’m out of that mess, what hard work for no money), dark shots are dark shots, you can only fix them to a point, and that’s it. NTSC-DV is not the best codec for grading.

As for echoy room noise, well, you can get rid of some “noise” in STP, cut the echos are there for good. You can’t really filter them out, since they’re the same frequencies as the original voice you want to keep. A Noise Gate and Compressor filter combo could help, but only to a point.

Welcome to the headaches of wedding video…

[Bbalser]

So, being very deep south, and in the middle of a state now MASSIVE with Hollywood and Indie productions (Hollywood South), I know more than one college here who’s film/broadcast depts are switching to FCP. Most studios here are switching to FCP. I teach it here and the majority of these folks are in my class cause they’re being “forced” to switch by their bosses. We even have a highschool that is an Academic AATC. The massive switching from PC to Mac here is massive, yet totally unnoticed.

Apple still doesn’t do anything here, either, outside of a few things they do to encourage the local FCP users group. No store, no tour stops, no advertising, nothing.

I’m going to say Apple has a budget and is doing these marketing moves in areas they will get the most ROI from. At least I’d hope that’s what they’re doing.

Now my big delimma; I’m between two cities that will have the seminars, so do I drive 500 miles or 600 miles to see this seminar, and is it worth that long ass drive?

[Bbalser]

No, a stereo pair is in fact two audio channels. Premiere and Vegas do a lot of hand-holding for thier users. FCP is a pro app, and assumes you know what things really are.

I’d ask what your purpose is in combining them to one track? What need would that fullfil for you?