[Mikiko Katsuno]

Thanks for explaining all above!

I’ve been having difficulty convincing somebody in charge of this project to edit the segment in ProRes files/sequence for a month now.
Since my company have done all our previous edits in DVCProHD sequence,
this person doesn’t change her mind.

Well, the previous projects were all shot by AVCHDCam 27.97fps,
which the original files were already like “Poo” to the footages shot by 5D.
Log and transfer those AVCHD 27.97 files, make it ProRes, bring those to a DVCProHD60i sequence timeline, and exporting it
haven’t been a problem until now, I guess.

As you explained, however, I agree that i should edit in the better quality (ProRes HQ) as I can.
Especially because the 5D footages are pretty good quality (not like AVCHD),
and the frame rates are different between 23.98 and 60i.

I wish you were my colleague or boss!

Thanks for your valuable advices!

Mikiko Katsuno

[Mikiko Katsuno]

Could you briefly explain why it’s important to edit in the better(or best) quality sequence and files, then export/down convert it at the end?
In this particular case, what’s the reason for not to edit in DVCProHD60i a.k.a. edit in ProRes when the end product file is the same DVCProHD?

Mikiko Katsuno

[Mikiko Katsuno]

Shane, it’s my mistake.
The ending products will be a DVCPro HD 60i.
Please disregard the HDCam tape part.

Having said that, should I do the ProRes edit and export as DVCProHD60i?
Or entire edit in DVCProHD?

I think it’ll be better to stick with ProRes edit then DVCPro export
because there’ll be a big down conversion only at the end, not at the beginning?

Could you give me your suggestion?

Mikiko Katsuno

[Mikiko Katsuno]

[Shane Ross]“Color correction happens after. Because you don’t have to color correct everything, only what’s used. And so you retain the original clip timecode…that might go away if you grade in AE, and then render out new files. All metadata that leads to the camera masters will be wiped out…which makes rebuilding the project, in case disaster happens, extremely difficult.”

I got the basics now, thanks to you!
As for the timecode issue, the footages are shot by 5d mark ii, so the clips don’t contain its own timecode anyway.

Also, I think below is why the editor wants to color correct everything.

There’ll be 3 people who get involved in this project, that are me (Audio/Video sync), my colleague editor who does color correction & main edit in Japan, and a freelance CG artist in Japan who makes CGs using the footages.
I think what I see is that this editor wants to color correct as many clips as possible to send those to the CG artist so he can use whatever the clips he wants to use from the color corrected clips.
(or is it usual for a CG artist himself makes the CG and color correct him self after?)

Shane Ross“Sure. When you import H.264 into FCP, and play it…often you lose sync. It drifts. Or when you edit H.264, and then export…the exported file loses sync. Simply that.

WHY? Because H.264 is highly compressed, and FCP isn’t designed to work with that format. Premiere Pro is, so it works well. Edius is, Vegas is…those work. Avid, FCP…they have issues due to the compression of the footage.”

Woa! Thanks for a lot of information!
I’ll take a note from this and consider as my new option for Canon HDSLR project.

Finally, I think I’m going to go with a workflow below.↓

Every night after the shoot while I’m on the trip, I convert the 5D footages that I need for syncing audio and video to ProRes 422 HQ 23.98fps, and do the sync in Final Cut either during or after the trip.

Meanwhile, I’ll send the original clips and converted files to my editor either online or in a external Hard-drive and mail it. (*I don’t want to convert everything for the file size purpose on FTP)

The editor can either convert all the files or use the original footages to correct the color in AE,
and send the resulted files to the CG artist in ProRes 422.
Then the editor edits with Final Cut in ProRess 422 HQ 23.98 using the audio/video syncet FInal Cut project that I sent earlier.

What do you think of the workflow?

Mikiko Katsuno

[Mikiko Katsuno]

Thank you very much for your advice, always!

The timeline for this project is here↓

Feb. 6th
I’m flying to New York from L.A.

Feb. 7 – Feb. 13
Filming in NY (including a couple of interview, event Brolls, Brolls of a town)

Feb. 13th [night time]
Sending the original footages either online via FTP or using FedEx international express to Japan.
Flying back to L.A.

Feb. 14th
I’m gonna sync audio and video of interview segments in L.A using Final Cut Pro 7.
Then, send the Final Cut Project to Japan online

Feb. 14th (after the footages get to japan
They are changing colors of original footages with After Effects.
Then, edit in Final Cut Pro 7 after the color corrected footages are ready (I mean converted to ProRes HQ 23.98).

What I think the best I can do is to convert all the footages (or at least the files needs to be used for audio video sync) each day after the shoot to ProRes 422 HQ 23.98fps
and do the audio and video sync in the ProRes HQ format in Final Cut, so they can just reconnect the medias with color collected ProRes 422 HQ 23.98fps files afterwards.

Now, is it usual to color correct with After Effects in the original h.264 format then export to ProRes 422 HQ 23.98fps to be editable in Final Cut Pro?
Or should they convert the original footages to the ProRes 422 HQ 23.98fps and do the color correct in AE?
In any way, if they are editing in the ProRes 422 HQ 23.98fps format at the end, I think it only makes sense to convert and sync the audio as well at the first stage.

Also, in other post that I made before, you answered as below.

“H.264 is not suitable at all. All sorts of issues arise, like loss of sync, either while editing or when you export…quality issues when you export, sluggishness, general errors, linking issues when you open projects on other computers…excessive render times. ”

If you have time, could you explain a little more about the loss of sync during the edit/export issues on why it happens?

My guess is original footage 24p is actually 23.976fps as oppose to final cut deals with 23.98fps, so the footages needs to be 23.98fps before it gets in the browser/sequence timeline.
Or you can say that’s just what happens if you don’t have time 🙂

Again, thank you so much for your inputs!

Mikiko Katsuno

[Mikiko Katsuno]

Thank you folks for your valuable advices!
I think I’m gonna convince my colleagues oversea.

Cheers!

Mikiko Katsuno

[Mikiko Katsuno]

Actually, I found I can solve the above issue by choosing

“Sequence Preset Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) 1920×1080 24p 48kHz”
and
“Capture Preset: HDV-Apple ProRes 422(HQ)”
in Audio/Video settings.

Thanks for your advice, anyway!

Mikiko Katsuno

[Mikiko Katsuno]

Thanks Shane, you confirmed what I was thinking was actually right.
I made this post to support what one of my director says.
She is the one who told me to edit in original h.264 format to save time.
She is the one who was stopping me to do it right.
I’m glad you told me that.

However, I have one more question to ask.
So, I converted the original clips to Apple ProRes 422 HQ 1920×1080, 23.98 fps over the night.
Then when I set up the editing sequence in Easy Setup I chose

Format:HD,
Rate: 23.98fps
USe: HDV-Apple ProRes 422 1080p24

I realized the sequence preset says
“Apple ProRes 422 1440×1080 24p 48kHz”
not 1920×1080.

Is that going to be a problem if I choose “Yes” to
Final Cut Pro 7 asking to see if I want to edit in the same format as the clip?

Mikiko Katsuno

[Mikiko Katsuno]

Thank you very much, Shane for the step by step instruction!
My opinion is basically the same as yours.
The thing is.. a director/final editor of this project says I should edit with DVCPRo HD1080i60 sequence
instead of editing it with the original format because the delivering format is the DVCProHD 1080i60 for a TV show.
I’m now asking her again which method i should choose
with the explanation that you gave me.

By the way, is there any right settings for Easy Setup when I start this project in Final Cut?
Or it doesn’t matter if I log and transfer the clips using the plug-in that you gave me the link of?

Thanks!

Mikiko Katsuno