[Matt Barone]

Ok guys,

thanks for your responses. Very insightful. I’ll specify some of your questions:

@Craig and Mike: I’m not sure why half the footage is on the drive and not the other half. The footage on the drive is xdcam straight from the camera, still with all the sony folder structures etc. It’s high definition footage.
I start doubting whether the footage on the DVCPRO tapes is SD or HD. Won’t be able to find out until I hire the deck (unless someone tells me it can only be SD?). Also, the 4 tapes have written ‘bla bla ARCHIVE'(bla bla being the name of the production).

@Craig: The quality of the footage is good, very crisp. But they used auto iris, so sometimes the highlights are hot. I think it can be tuned down.

@Burt: Thanks for the suggestions regarding software. Will definitely check out.

@Mike: I’d do a fixed rate as the clients wants to know the cost. I have done a very similar job for a less established client and out of experience the multicam editing has taken me about an hour per 5 minutes of performance, so 25 hours for editing only. Then, of course, the round trip to Apple Color and back to FCP took AGES. Will try to minimize colour correction.
Footage is definitely legal. Filming was commissioned by the production company that produced the west-end musical.
I was given DVD’s with low-res reference footage and the cams used seem to be the same. Colours match, resolution looks similar.
Again, the footage on the drive is high-def, not sure about resolution and aspect ratio on the DVCPRO tapes.
Sound is good, straight from the sound deck I believe. That’s no probs.
And lastly, equipment use would not require additional hire apart from the deck. the £450 should cover mac, screen and drive for 6 days.

uff, that should be it. Thanks again for your replies and looking forward to reading more from you.

Mattia

[Matt Barone]

Thanks for your reply, Scott. I’ve reposted the post in the appropriate forum.
I won’t be dong much to the footage. Very little colour correction and then for the edit it’s just about choosing the more appropriate footage.
But good to know that others might charge more.
When you write an estimate, do you tend to itemize where the money goes, or do you just provide one figure?

Thanks

Mattia