[Nina]

Thanks for the suggestions… last time we looked at buying plugins, the render times seemed too long. Now that we’ve upgraded our systems, might be worth looking at. For this project – I ended up taking the matte from Linear Color Keyer and threw the spill suppressor from Avid Chroma Keyer on top. Not perfect, but acceptable.

[Nina]

Hi everybody,
Thanks for all the help and opinions. I have decided to do the online edit. I started digitizing yesterday and some of the footage that we’ve shot isn’t white balanced, so that alone is probably worth the time to fix. And since I’m planning to do the batch digitizing over a weekend, I’ll be able to get our best playback deck and use the SDI in on the Adrenaline. For Chroma key I’ll probably be using the BCC Chroma Keyer in the Adrenaline – not as fancy as the plugins everone else has, but a step up from using the keyer from ColorFix nested inside the spill killer from the Avid Chroma Keyer – what I’d be using on the Composer. If that doesn’t work, After Effects.

So thanks again. Stay tuned for questions about the online.
Nina

[Nina]

This is funny. Once again, thanks for the input – on the other side of the argument today!

I think in the end I will decide once I see the footage and see how much colour correction it needs. The majority of the footage is archival, except for an on-camera host who’s been shot in front of a green screen. There will be no matching cameras, and the old stuff is probably OK to look a little ugly.

However, I’m leaving the door open to do an online – I’ve mentioned it to the producers and put an email in to our engineering company to see how much it would be to rent drives and re-calibrate our craptastic monitors with no manual controls (grrr.) If it’s expensive, I won’t be allowed to do an online anyway. I’m OK to read scopes and colour correct – I learned from a cinematographer on a Final Cut suite, and the Adrenaline controls look pretty similar.

Thanks for the heads-up on 0 IRE – it didn’t say anything about that in the tech specs packet they sent. I’m going to call Documentary Specials on Monday and try to get somebody technical on the line.

[Nina]

Thanks guys. Good to get the perspective. One of our senior editors told me to do it, but I think he was thinking effects capability – and I doubt I’ll use too many fx. Cheers!

[Nina]

Apparently the Autopatch system is “not broadcast quality” and “only for institutional use,” so it looks like we probably want the Sierra. It might come down to price though.

[Nina]

So are your VDAs going to be hooked up to your new Autopatch, or does the Autopatch have a built-in VDA like the Sierra?

[Nina]

So are your VDAs going to be hooked up to your new Autopatch, or does the Autopatch have a built-in VDA like the Sierra?

[Nina]

Did you already have a central patchbay or VDA, or were you working from scratch? We are trying to figure out if you need a VDA if you have the Autopatch. . . maybe that’s why it’s so much cheaper.