[Nick Price]

50i doesn’t mean the frame rate is 50 frames a sec. It is still 25 frames a sec, its just that each frame has 2 fields, hence the feeling of a slightly smooth ‘soap opera’ style feeling to the movement of interlaced footage. But it is still 25fps. Don’t deliver to the bbc as 50fps or you will get it back for redelivery pretty quickly!

[Nick Price]

Hi Ming,
Someone feel free to correct me, but for me delivering to bbc etc its as simple as:

In your FCP sequence, change the field settings to ‘upper’, rather than ‘none’. None is progressive, upper is interlaced. It shouldn’t affect anything in your sequence with regards to timings. You will notice the difference on rendered speed changes and graphics moves. As shane said, your progressive shot footage will still look progressive.

thanks
nick

[Nick Price]

Hi Michael,
with regards to converting, i find Adobe media encoder handles lots of media and can do 2 codecs at the same time – of course you only get this app bundled with other adobe apps. Otherwise use mpeg stream clip or compressor. i find compressor hangs when loading too many clips.

With regards to naming and reel numbers, i am really really happy with the following:

qtchange – this is a great app for changing video data. I use it to add/change reel numbers for dslr footage all the time. it can do folders or individual files. Only costs $25. It can also change timecode and other things, but i find that as long as the reel names are in order, timecode can be flexible.
https://www.videotoolshed.com/product/42/qtchange

a better finder renamer – this is an amazing app that everyone should have. It can change file/document names according to all sorts of patterns, sequences, rename and replace sequences. You name it. It has saved hour and hour of my time.
https://www.publicspace.net/ABetterFinderRename/

Any filmmaker using DSLRs should have these 2 apps.

cheers
nick

[Nick Price]

Hi
I understand not wanting to alter the info inside clips but it’s only the reel name. Plus you could duplicate the clips if you were worried. If it makes you feel better I’ve never had a problem adding reel names to clips. I have had to do it many times over the past 10 years for fcp. Try the workflow with one clip on a test timeline if you are unsure.

Thanks
Nick

[Nick Price]

Hi there,
you can change all of the reel names of your existing footage using QT change – link below. Its a great little programme that can change reel names in loads of ways. Either using the clip name, or as a sequence, or a custom name just as per camera card. FCP will update your master clips to then show reel numbers.

Then do as shane says and create high res versions with stream clip or compressor. Use QT change again to give the clips reel names, the same ones as before. Import the new QT into a new FCP project to check they are exactly the same names/lengths.

You should be able to then relink them automatically in FCP, as the names/reels are the same. I would try this on one file to start with.

https://www.videotoolshed.com/product/42/qtchange

The other thing you might be able to do is use da Vinci resolve lite to do the recapturing. Media manage your timeline to an offline version. Export an XML , and import it into resolve making sure you load up your card rushes into the media pool first. Hopefully it will be able to reconnect them. You can then either grade and export in resolve or create new prores 422 clips and export them back into fcp, again using XML. Again, do a test with a simple timeline.

Cheers
nick

[Nick Price]

Hi
i presume you have been through all the menus to see if you can change the colour space to REC709. I have a dell monitor that i can use as a simple video reference monitor. It is plugged in using the same DVi cable, driven either from a blackmagic HDMI or the computer graphics card. To switch between ‘video’ and ‘computer’ there is a setting in the menu called, rather simply, ‘computer’ or ‘video’. One is pink when switched incorrectly.

thanks
nick

[Nick Price]

Hi.
you can add a plug in called andys better 3d, available for free here.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/59082689/andysplugins.zip

If you add it to the first photo and set keyframes much like in the motion tab, setting them before and after the clip ends. You can then copy that altered plug in to all the other shots and it will adjust the keyframe to match the length of the photo on the timeline. Of course it might move in and out to different points depending on the size of each photo but at least it will be on each one.

thanks
nick

[Nick Price]

Hi Lincoln,
use ProRes LT or even ProRes Proxy for your edit. They both use small file sizes but look great.
thanks
nick

[Nick Price]

Hey adam
I think that used to be true a few years ago , but now every machine i use plays NTSC and PAL, even my Sony consumer DVD

cheers
nick

[Nick Price]

Hi
most dvd players will play both PAL and NTSC. Certainly here in the UK our PAL DVD players play NTSC too. Might just be worth shooting how you usually do. Maybe take an NTSC dvd out to italy withyou and see if it plays in a DVD player there?

cheers
nick