Gary Adcock
Forum Replies Created
-
while the SDI to DVI-D converters and digital cinema desktop are great things to have EVEN apple say that you cannot do critical color correction on any apple display
https://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93797
Although this setup works for any video format, it can be particularly useful when editing high definition video that would otherwise require a fairly expensive HD monitor. Progressive video formats such as 720p are well suited for monitoring on a computer display. If you are doing critical online editing or color correction, you may still want to use an external CRT video monitor, especially when your final output is interlaced broadcast video.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
-
[walter biscardi] ” I just looked at the Capture Presets and you can create a custom setup with 25fps as the frame rate. I have 25fps footage from our independent film and plan to try this in a few weeks. “
It will not give you the proper results over FW (sorry walter) the Varicam captures the content based on 24fps and the 25fps capture is not an easy set up option because the deck is looking for 24 frame flags.your are going to have to go thru the 24 – 25 slip or use the Frame Rate Converter plugin.
the other option is a Kona Card – it will allow you to capture at 25fps direct from tape.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation -
the DVCPROHD components are NOT part of Final Cut Pro. They need to be downloaded and installed separately for use in FCP5 / QT7
Even if you had them previously been installed – make sure you re-install them with QT7
gary adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation -
[Bob Zelin] “SUMMARY –
1) hire someone to help you learn this setup.
2) use the easy setups to avoid all the audio/video settings aggrivation (you will still have to go into the Kona control panel to set SDI Audio). “No one could have said this better.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation -
[walter biscardi] ” It also shows up on the deck itself and it’s quite easy to operate from there as long as you have the book in front of you.”
comon’ Walter you have not memorized all the 020 & 600 series menu’s yet?
for the rest of you –these set the input and output settings on all current Panasonic hd decks..
gary adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
-
[Paul Mogg] “What I don’t understand is this argument that importing footage via SDI somehow results in improved quality. This goes against the basic principles of digital network file transfer protocols, which do sum checking for each packet sent, so there can be no errors in transfer.”
This argument is only valid if nothing is being doe to the file in transport, which is not the case when the files go to post. you have color correction, overlays, Lower Thirds and all sorts of graphic effects laid over your footage.
let me first say in this debate that the Varicam is unrivaled in its ability to handle the horizontal scaling issues brought on by the 1280 > 960 frame width. It’s imager was created to handle this issue. IMHO it is the best of the HD formats (the look -color – Frame rates- overall costs)
BUT the applications that you edit with are not the same None of them were ever intended to handle that same issue with gradients or motion graphics that include transparency in the way the camera’s original imager can or does.
Try it yourself – create 2 graphics that have a 50px Gaussian blur – one blurs vertically -one blurs horizontally lay that back to tape and look at the resulting image on a broadcast display ( or better yet a set of scopes) Secondly try a Lower 3rd in red or blue that gradates from 100% to something less than 25% across the bottom of a neutral image ( think sand or snow).One other point here is that all digital tape decks decompress the image back to a video stream when going out of the BNC’s on the back of a deck. This signal, if nothing else no longer maintains a 960×720 aspect ratio but is now the full frame 1280×720 size.
Compression is not a bad thing but something one must lear to work around, understanding when to stay in DV and when you will have to work in Uncompressed is a major part of the post process.That said I do a majority of my work in the DVCPROHD codec, I love it, but I am also very aware of what does and does not work in post using it as my main format. I also know where and how I can work around some of the issues. and I keep an open mind.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation -
[Uli Plank] “It’s very clear to me that any changes or additions other than hard cuts in a timeline set for the original codec will be degraded in quality. BUT: if you are on a tight budget and are aiming for any other output than HD on tape, like film transfer or HD-DVD, you can pull your stuff via FireWire to a Mac without additional cards or expensive RAIDs.”
This sounds like an HDV workflow- not something for HD. Without external boards or disk arrays you loose the ability to store your content, or view your video on a proper external display.The equipment needed for uncompressed editing in DVCProHD is only slightly more than what was needed for an uncompressed SD solution. At 720|24p the 8 bit captures are about 45mgs a second. Certainly within the feasibility of most external Sata or Firewire 800 drives. Neither of which are expensive.
How can one possibly See what they are doing on a computer display when those displays cannot be calibrated using blue guns? This even more an issue when working with interlaced footage as all computer displays view progressively. Working cheap and being frugal are 2 different things –but skipping basic professional practices makes all varicam users look bad- by association if nothing else.
[Uli Plank] “When you have finished offlining, you change the timeline to something better, like uncompressed 4:2:2 10 Bit and re-render.”
This is not a good idea – you gain nothing. things such as scaling and compression issues are not handled properly in this fashion. Lay it to tape and then redigitize.
Look this is still High Def- you need to have HD scopes & HD monitors – you will need HDSDI spec cables, you will need to get new lenses – that old ENG glass will not cut it. An FCP editing system for DVCPROHD complete with 8|10bit capabilities and storage can be had for under 20K — or less than the cost of the 1200 deck.
Being frugal does not have to impact your quality–but being Cheap just might.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation -
[Uli Plank] “the Varicam is limited to 960 by 720 pixels and the recording on tape is 100 mbps
-
Looking for tips and tricks for color correcting for film look in FCP. The Varicam HD footage we’re using is great to begin with, but I’m curious to know if anybody is pushing the footage further toward a more convincing film look using just FCP tools like basic color correction and perhaps composite techniques.
HUH? The why not do this in the Vaircam?
film look is a combo of mimicking 24 frame, RGB Film.. Using the Cine Gamma settings and shooting at 24 frames with the Varicam will achieve a Film-Look of unparalleled quality. This camera is the FCP recommended method for Film Out. ( don’t blast me – I did not right the manual) It’s ability to achieve a film look is nothing short of astonishing , I have seen a properly configured Varicam create a look so much like film that many people could not tell the difference.
get a copy of Goodmans Guide for the Varicam at the dealer that sold you the camera to learn how to set it up.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
-
Thats because the footage was never for PAL. (25hz)
if you are working in FCP / Kona 2 already why not just create some from your existing PAL content via Upconvert? or create content in Motion / AE or Livetype?
gary adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation