[Ben Ged low]

Hey Joseph,

Those are my brother’s films. The very fellow I’m trying to help into the digital, edit-it-on-your-laptop, world. So you REALLY know what I’m talking about: the three shots a day syndrome. Steve has a permanent grin on his face these days.

All the best,

B

The jet ski stuff was amazing. I never saw the finished film, only some of the rushes. Looked like a fun (wet) shoot.

[Ben Ged low]

Thank you JP,

I just bumped up to Resolve 11 … and there is now a choice on export, whether or not to keep the original name. Very simple. Wonderful app.

I’m going to buy the pro version today. Perfect for this office here, as they are now making IMAX flicks with 4K. Strange as it may seem. They’ve had 30 years of dragging around that big monster camera, in all its variations; the director has a grin on his face these days. He can’t believe how much fun filmmaking suddenly is. (Those IMAX shoots, one was lucky to get a half dozen shots in a day.)

Much appreciated,

Ben

[Ben Ged low]

You are an Ace Mark. Thank you for this. Most helpful. An exasperating issue … I’m amazed at how you figured this out. Genius. Perhaps they should have your working on the original coding of the app?

All the best,

Ben

[Ben Ged low]

Hello Richard,

I read your posts about EX3 backfocus problems. Quite intriguing. Thank you for posting your struggles. I just purchased an EX3 from a friend … only to discover it has one of those ‘flawed’ lenses much discussed on forums. My friend didn’t realize. They’d changed the original lens under warranty immediately after he purchased it. He shot with it 14 days, put it in storage for a year. I bought it technically only 14 days used, but beyond its warranty, and in a different country. And found out two days into a shoot on an island in the North Atlantic that the replacement lens is ALSO buggy, dust in between the elements, stuttering zoom etc. Sony is now going to change the lens (again) at cost, but no special deals.

I’m picking up the ‘new’ lens tomorrow. I’ve got your notes on backfocus problems printed out. Any advice you might have for dealing with the Sony technician so I can be sure when I walk out of there $1500 lighter that I’ve actually got a decent lens? I’m also going right into another film, and would hate to discover issues a day or two into the shoot. Any suggestions would be most appreciated – and if your EX3’s have been working fine since you solved the backfocus issues, that would be most encouraging to me!

All the best,

Ben

[Ben Ged low]

Hi Joseph,

Got it fixed six months ago. But thank you, I’ll copy your instructions to a safe place. I was helping a friend who has been happily capturing VHS tapes ever since. But one day she may call saying she has forgotten the formula. And I’ll have your instructions right here to send her.

Mucho thankyou,

Ben

[Ben Ged low]

Hi Tom,

I’m intrigued. How does one create a ‘capture preset’ to ‘controllable device’? I know I can set the option for ‘non-controllable’ device. But I’ve never seen one for ‘controllable device’ … the choices are always for a specific controllable device. But the moment I set a specific controllable device, like NTSC, run the VHS on the Sony deck and hit NOW for capture – FCP capture is waiting for a timecode, but of course there is none.

I’ve been told that I can set the VHS to dub to DV (the dub button between the doors of the DV & VHS players), and with a DV tape in the WV-DR7 DV player slot, hit the VHS button on the far right, start the VHS tape and capture using FCP’s ‘non-controllable device’. Only FCP gives me this message: “This operation could not be completed as there is no video.”

The friend I am helping has to capture hundreds of hours of VHS … so dubbing first to DV and then capturing the material would take forever and be very expensive. I swear I once captured VHS straight from the WV-DR7. I’ve heard rumours this is impossible. And yet, there is this memory; but I can’t remember exactly how we set up the deck to do this. I keep looking for someone who actually HAS this deck or has used it enough to tell me if it is possible to wild capture VHS direct from the WV-DR7.

And still looking, all the best, and thank you…

Ben

[Ben Ged low]

Yo John!

I see you posted in 2009. I’m helping a friend set up an edit suite with FCP and a Sony WV-DR7 deck. I can get FCP and the DV half the of the deck to talk to each other, no problem. I want to be able to free capture (non-controllable device) VHS from the deck. I did it once before years and years ago I swear I remember. Can’t get it to work now. I’m wondering if you’ve been capturing any VHS from the deck, and how you are getting FCP to ‘see’ the VHS?

The manual is not particularly helpful.

Any help would be most appreciated,

All the best,

Ben

[Ben Ged low]

Thank you Ron,

This is most helpful, and most appreciated,

All the best,

Ben

(The only reason I asked is that his earlier email addresses were posted there with his articles … and I do appreciate what it must be like to get a call at 3 a.m. from someone asking how to create a new bin in Final Cut…)

[Ben Ged low]

Thank you Wayne,

Yeah, I just figured that out. So that would mean that my project (timeline) is still in HDV, but my renders (dissolves, color corrections, etc.) are all in ProRes?

Would that make any difference if my final export master was still HDV?

And I’m under the impression that no matter what the rendering of the FCP timeline, when you export out all the clips are re-rendered in whatever codec you choose for the export… have I got that right?

B.

[Ben Ged low]

Hi guys,

I’m outputting a ProRes QT, which I will then import into Compressor to make my MPEG2. I’ve wanted to use ProRes for awhile. This will be a good test.

I always worry that straight HDV, when it is mastered as a QT, and THEN goes to MPEG2 … that I’ll get more artifacting in the dissolves and effects.

I’m thinking the ProRes is so much less compressed, that there will be less chance of funkiness in the MPEG2. Touch wood.

ProRes seems to export faster too.

Thanks for the help,

Ben