Conor Beattie
Forum Replies Created
-
Ok, thanks for the help. I’ll have a go with both methods to see which one produces the best results.
-
Thanks for the reply Gabriel. I think you may be on to something! I, on the other hand, am on a steep learning curve.
I should have clarified that all my FCP footage is 1920×1080 29.97. That is why the FCP sequence is 29.97.
The Premiere sequence is 25fps, created using the ‘New Sequence From Clip’ function in the File menu.
I prefer to work in Premiere at the minute, and all my footage in Premiere is 25fps.
What do I need to do mix the two clips in the one sequence? How should I export the FCP XML? Do I resize (Interpret Footage) once I bring it into Premiere? Or would it be more practical to export my FCP footage as QuickTime movies, then import this into the Premiere sequence?
Any help is appreciated!
-
I’ll be honest, I am a little reluctant to buy a second hand SD miniDV cam. Technically I’m not supposed to buy anything second hand but management are turning a blind eye to this as I have been pestering them for years. We’re in a recession here in Ireland, and cutbacks in education mean $3000 for something new is out of the question. Therefore I’m stuck in the second hand market. In my budget, I can afford a number of reliable SD tape cams, but I would concerned at their age: the tape loading mechanism on a 5 year old camera is bound to be more susceptible to damage. So, that is another compromise to factor in.
Regarding down converting etc, it’s not much of a problem for me to edit these files using Premiere Pro CS5.5 on our new iMacs in native AVCHD, export in full quality overnight, then encode/burn to DVD the next day or night.
As it is, I’ll trial this ridiculously cheap Sony Nex VG 10. The main problem I have with it is that there is no button/rocker for the zoom. Zoom is adjusted using the ring only. I can see problems ahead with close-ups. In addition, it’s sensor provides very shallow depth of field: not ideal for shooting action on a stage or a pitch.
The positive here is that I bought it at a price below market value. I could resell, with luck, and acquire a different model. I like the look of the xa 10 to be honest…not widely available here at the minute, so hard to get at the right price.
By the way, I appreciate all the advice you have both provided at this stage. It’s helped me work out a few things. Theres a steep learning curve when one begins dabbling in this kind of thing, and it’s good to have experienced users around who are happy to share their wisdom.
-
I’ll be honest, I am a little reluctant to buy a second hand SD miniDV cam. Technically I’m not supposed to buy anything second hand but management are turning a blind eye to this as I have been pestering them for years. We’re in a recession here in Ireland, and cutbacks in education mean $3000 for something new is out of the question. Therefore I’m stuck in the second hand market. In my budget, I can afford a number of reliable SD tape cams, but I would concerned at their age: the tape loading mechanism on a 5 year old camera is bound to be more susceptible to damage. So, that is another compromise to factor in.
Regarding down converting etc, it’s not much of a problem for me to edit these files using Premiere Pro CS5.5 on our new iMacs in native AVCHD, export in full quality overnight, then encode/burn to DVD the next day or night.
As it is, I’ll trial this ridiculously cheap Sony Nex VG 10. The main problem I have with it is that there is no button/rocker for the zoom. Zoom is adjusted using the ring only. I can see problems ahead with close-ups. In addition, it’s sensor provides very shallow depth of field: not ideal for shooting action on a stage or a pitch.
The positive here is that I bought it at a price below market value. I could resell, with luck, and acquire a different model. I like the look of the xa 10 to be honest…n
-
That’s a fairly accurate description of the situation Mark! There’s not much danger of anyone taking the work though unfortunately. I do this voluntarily, which is why I struggle to get the cash. However I’ve going to road test this Sony Nex for a few wks. If I don’t get good results with DVD with it I’ll sell and pick up a second hand SD like you suggest.
I’m currently editing in Premiere Pro and experimenting with different encodings and burning workflows, including Adobe Media Encoder, Compressor and toast. I’ve had reasonable results by exporting as H264 then dropping this in toast for the DVD conversion. It looks a bit better than using Media Encoder for the DVD.
-
My budget is low: none of the people holding the purse strings seem to think its worth shelling out. I just acquired a very cheap Sony Nex VG10E. €800 ($1000) in mint condition. I dont think it’s going to make me very happy, as it only shoots in 1080 and that’s going to continue to create problems for DVD. However I can resell, so my budget is roughly $1800.
I think I may be better off trying very hard to ignore HD (at the same time acknowledging the quality of true hd shots) and focus on a SD cam, possibly recording to miniDv. I have a small Panasonic which is great for capturing anything I might upload (HD upload to YouTube is brilliant). For the larger projects ( such as the recent school musical which I wish I had a decent camera for) which end up in parents’ DVD players (only about 1 in 5 have a Blu Ray player) I should shoot in SD, on something like an XL2
The camera you recommend is HD isn’t it? What’s your end product? Web? DVD? Blu Ray? How well does it down convert to DVD?
-
Doing it free? Depends how you look on it. I’m a teacher and get paid, so from that point of view I’m not doing it for free. However, it’s not part of my job description, so I do it voluntarily…the way I see it I get to play with lots of nice cameras and computers and things, convincing people our school would be much happier if we had a nice entry level shoulder mount HD camera, etc.
I’ll take on board your point about the Panny. However I do have a budget and it is for non-essential items, so I don’t want to push it.
-
Thanks for your input Mark. The Panasonic you mention is a little out of my budget, even second hand.
The Sony HVR HD 1000 is more achievable for me in terms of cost, but some users suggest it’s not great in low light or theatrical lighting – no good for the school musical.
The XL2 is also in the similar price range for me, but I’ve just started thinking about buying a DSLR like the T2i, but this is a whole new field of research for me…I wonder would it be practical to use something like this (any of the new video DSLRs) for jobs such as filming a school concert, or a musical. The cam would be on a tripod and there’d be minimal zooming or panning.
-
It costs around €150 for me to hire one of these, so if the cam is rolled out 3 times a year, within 3 years I’ve covered the cost of a second hand model. My geographical location also makes it inconvenient to hire. If it were that simple…also, I’d like to have the thing at my disposal.