[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

My main worry was the amount of recompression involved in the workflow, so I thought starting with an 8-bit Uncompressed project would help. Rafael, can you weigh in with your reason for including that suggestion along with Pro Res? Thanks!

[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

Yes, Rafael. I guessed that you were thinking 16×9 since that’s what all videos are now. This dates back to early 2000s and is 4×3 ie. 640×480. Thanks for the caveat.

Jayasri (Joyce) Hart
Los Angeles, USA
htp://home.earthlink.net/~hartfilms

[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

Thanks for the tip, Nick. Yes, I might have to do some color grading if any material from the existing trailer needs to be incorporated. I’m going to start with Apple 8-bit Uncompressed, one of Rafael’s suggestions. Never worked with that conversion in this workflow, so I want to see what it’s like. I have only 6GB RAM memory on an 8-core Mac Pro, so I’ll have to render as I go along. Will report back on my experience.

Jayasri (Joyce) Hart
Los Angeles, USA
htp://home.earthlink.net/~hartfilms

[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

Thank you, Rafael. That helps a lot.

Jayasri (Joyce) Hart
Los Angeles, USA
htp://home.earthlink.net/~hartfilms

[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

I downloaded a .pdf from Sony
https://pro.sony.com/bbsccms/assets/files/micro/hdtapelessworkflow/manuals/25644_Sony_HDV_Avid_composer_R1.pdf
and followed their workflow on MC 3.5.3. I don’t use AMA

I also remember a discussion on Avid-L2 by editors using MC 5.0
https://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/avid-l2/

Jayasri (Joyce) Hart
Los Angeles, USA
htp://home.earthlink.net/~hartfilms

[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

I wasn’t familiar with the H4N Zoom, but I like what I see:
https://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h4n/
How about using only the recorder’s built-in mics? From what I read, it will take self-powered mics, not phantom powered ones.

And my experence has been that XLR is more trouble-free if one isn’t an audio expert. XLR & TRS (tip-ring-sleeve phone jack) are both ‘balanced’ but sometimes a phone jack carries 2 unbalanced signals(like the TRS in headphones).

Jayasri (Joyce) Hart
Los Angeles, USA
htp://home.earthlink.net/~hartfilms

[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

Most camcorder manufacturers now simplify matters by giving you daylight and tungsten light presets that you can use–and even customize. I find these work better than “auto” white balance which isn’t accurate under low-light or mixed light conditions.

Jayasri (Joyce) Hart
Los Angeles, USA
htp://home.earthlink.net/~hartfilms

[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

I bought a Sony HVR-Z7U for a similar trip because it shot to both tape and CF cards. I shot DVCam for that project but it also shoots HDV which may not be your format of choice. I traveled with my Z7U and its accessories, two 970 batteries, Sennheiser ME66 and pistol grip, one Tram lav–all in a Strut bag. Ahead of time, I contacted fixers and production companies in the city I was arriving at who arranged for tripod and light-kit rental and also provided some additional services like getting permits and collecting and sending wild sound to me after I got back.

Jayasri Hart
Los Angeles, USA
htp://home.earthlink.net/~hartfilms

[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

Thanks, Shane. I had always suspected that unless it’s HDV compression, it’s better all around to edit and finish in the native format, but the larger filesize seems to please clients. The colorspace for DVCPro HD is 4:2:0, right, rather than 4:2:2 (or 4:4:4 as in HQ) as well as being 8-bit?

I have used Terranex services for standard conversion–1080i 50fps tape footage to 60 (59.94)and SD to HD for HDCam delivery (as you suggested to Rand, I asked the client, in this case PBS). If you have any thoughts or information links on hardware-based conversion, I would be grateful.

Also, the camera that Rand is using seems to allow a variable frame rate but the manual only states round numbers. I wonder where one can find out more.

Jayasri Hart
HARTFILMS
Los Angeles, USA

[Jayasri (joyce) hart]

I usually put a rough assembly together in the native DVCPro HD format and then copy the cut to a Pro Res 422 HQ timeline. When that timeline is rendered, you should have the best quality available in FCP. I don’t think Compressor is any better, but I don’t have the latest version that, I believe, was released with FCP 7.

Hardware transcoding (Terranex) is better but expensive.

As for the framerate adjustment, you might find the answer here:
https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1070402

I’ve never had to do it.

Good luck!

Jayasri Hart
HARTFILMS
Los Angeles, USA