One of the things I am known for are my SHANE'S STOCK ANSWERS to commonly asked questions. Getting a little tired of typing the same answer over and over, I decided to build a sort of FAQ (frequently asked questions) database and call them Shane's Stock Answers. So when the question came up, I'd simply copy and paste my answer. People have often asked if I had a place I stored all of my stock answers...a site they could quickly search through to find what they want.
MACWORLD Yup...I'm going. And I will be working for the same company I have been all year...CalDigit. And they will have new and exciting products they will be announcing. Pretty cool ones. I'll talk more about them after the show, or during the show AFTER the announcement. So I'll be at the booth. Not in my NEON ORANGE shirt they made me wear last year. Ugh. Nope...Navy Blue. Whew. Much better. And I'll be giving two demos while working the booth. The P2 workflow with FCP 6 and a field package...and utilizing an I/O HD in a remote workflow. Pretty exciting...considering that I just got the I/O HD on Thursday to test. Before that, the most I had done with it is pick it up at IBC to see how much it weighed. So, if you want to see me, I'll be there all week...Jan 14-18. And I'll also be at the FCPUG Super Meet on Wednesday. I'll be wearing a MEDIA OFFLINE t-shirt (black, Avid MEDIA OFFLINE font).
Posted by: Shane Ross on Jan 14, 2008 at 4:49:01 am
I have been hired to edit a 5-10 min "Teaser" for a documentary...a teaser that will be used as a fund raising tool to solicit more money to finish shooting and editing this documentary. This documentary was shot on HDV at 1080i 29.97 using the Sony VU1 HDV camera...with another one as b-camera, and at one point a small DV camera for minor pickup shots. When I mix the footage, I might treat the DV to look really grainy or something else to set it apart. That I captured natively with my DSR-11 deck. But the HDV footage I have set about capturing as ProRes via firewire. And thus far (on the second to last tape...it is finishing the encode as I type) it has been pretty smooth.
I rented a Sony HVR-1500 deck that is FLUSH with connections. Yes, I could have captured via HD SDI or HD Component...but because I am running an older Dual 2.0Ghz G5 (PPC), I can't capture it as ProRes via my Kona LH. You can only capture as ProRes with a capture card if you are running an Intel Mac. And I don't want to capture as DVCPRO HD...the old way of dealing with HDV...because I'd lose some resolution. Sony HDV is 1440x1080 (anamorphic)...and DVCPRO HD at 1080 is 1280x1080...I'd be losing 200 lines of resolution! Well, that's just not acceptable, not with ProRes out there. And ever since the FCP 6.0.2 update, you can capture HDV as ProRes via firewire even if you are running and older PPC Mac, like I am. How cool is that? Pretty cool in my book.
Now...my first question was...why ProRes and not the higher quality ProRes HQ? Well, when I captured a couple short clips and compared...I couldn't see any difference. Yes, I used my HD CRT to judge them. I'm guessing that this is because the HDV format is already highly compressed...and that the HQ ProRes is for higher end HD formats like HDCAM and HDCAM SR...where you can tell the difference. And because ProRes was 15.1MB/s and ProRes HQ was 22.3MB/s...I opted for the lower bit rate one...since there was no visible difference. And the Caldigit S2VR Duo that I am capturing this footage to is handling it all beautifully. (FYI, I wil be backing up all of this footage onto my homemade RAID tower, that has been designated as footage backup.)
So as the article describes, when I start capturing, the actual capture window does lag behind by 33%. And it plays back in slow motion...this is I wager is because it is transcoding HDV into ProRes. So to monitor the footage, I connected the deck to the HD CRT via the SUPER out, so I could see timecode. When the tape ends, I press stop, and then the system takes about 30-45 min to finish the encode. This would be shorter on a faster Mac, I am sure.
And as advertised it breaks up the footage at the start and stop points on the camera. When the tape is full of interviews, that is fine. There are about 1-4 clips to deal with. But when we are talking about b-roll and scenings...suddenly I have 65 clips to deal with. But, this is no different than with P2...footage is broken up at the camera start and stops. While I might be used to this, it doesn't mean that I like it. I don't...I really really don't. I like my b-roll of the desert and the desert sunset to be in 10-20 min chunks, not 5 sec to 1.5 min bits and pieces strew about. This makes scrubbing thru footage a BIG hassle. I'll probably end up linking them all together either as a sequence, or more likely as a self contained QT file. Although that is dangerous, as the new QT file won't contain the original tape timecode. Gah..what a pain!
So I do what the article states, delete the CLIPS (not the media, just highlight the clips and press delete) from the Browser and then on the finder level in the Capture Scratch folder, open and rename the footage more descriptively. Then re-import that into FCP and organize it.
NOTE: There are a couple issues with this workflow that I'd like to point out. When you capture this footage, FCP does not assign it a reel number. This is a pretty important piece of info to have on the clip. Fixing that is simple enough, just add it in the Browser. You'll be warned that you are "Changing the source timecode on the file," that's fine...just click OK.
Hmmm...this brings up a concern. When you do this capture, you do it pretty much as a CAPTURE NOW. Roll the tape and let it go. There is no LOG AND CAPTURE, no place to add REEL numbers. So let's say that you lose a drive, and your footage is lost. How will you get it back? With logging and capturing, simply BATCH CAPTURE your footage and it will reconnect in the Browser and timeline. But with this method, CAN you batch capture? Because of the camera starts and stops will the recapture start on the exact same first frame and last frame? If you have to recapture the footage and try to reconnect it that way, how can you assure that you get the same TC start and end times...and the same clip names?
The more I think about it...the more this workflow makes me nervous. This is why I am backing up my footage.
I think if I have the time, I will also capture the footage (only 8 tapes) via HD SDI as DVCPRO HD 1080i 29.97 and see how things look. At least with this format, I can log and capture, label my clips, assign reel numbers as I capture, have the ability to capture the b-roll as one long clip. And piece of mind that I can re-capture via "batch capture" in case footage is lost.
Sometimes I think slight loss in quality might be preferable when it comes to a proven stable workflow. We'll see...still figuring this out. What are your thoughts about this?
Posted by: Shane Ross on Jan 12, 2008 at 9:41:37 am
A.C.E. editor Harry B. Miller III (http://imdb.com/name/nm0587823/) over at the American Cinema Editors Blog (http://ace-filmeditors.org/blog/index.html) talks about his experience in editing a feature film with FCP. A nice frank post about the strengths and weaknesses of the application in a tapeless feature film workflow.
(thanks to Scott at the EditBlog for the link)
Posted by: Shane Ross on Jan 7, 2008 at 10:07:00 pm
Well, it was inevitable. Sooner or later I'd have to work on a project that was shot with an HDV camera. And now here it comes. It will be a "trailer" for a documentary on Shamanism. I say "trailer" with "quotes" because it isn't like a movie trailer...2 min tease of what the movie is about. No, it is a partially shot documentary in need of finishing funds. So I will be cutting a 10 min "mini-doc" (do I love those "quotation marks" or what?) about the subject.
And it was shot on HDV. With the VU1. And not only that...but the b-camera was a DV camera. BUT...no worries. It was used sparingly, and just to get another angle on interviews, so I can blow up and effect the footage and make it look like crud...in other words, make it look "cool."
I will make my attempt to capture HDV as ProRes...via firewire. Because I am very behind in the times and am still running a very reliable Dual 2Ghz G5 with a Kona LH...and for some reason I can't capture ProRes via the card without an Intel Mac, but I can via Firewire.
So I'll keep you appraised with how things are going and what workflows I will be using...what works, what doesn't. Basically what I intended the blog to be.
OH...since a lot of the workflow depends on the final delivery format, I will say that the intended delivery will be DVD...to give out as fundraising tools. But I will cut this as if I intend to output to HDCAM at 1080i 29.97. Because in the end...the FINAL project will have that as the final master.
Posted by: Shane Ross on Jan 7, 2008 at 10:05:10 pm
Let me first point you to the target Apple Discussion thread that prompted this discovery. Full credit goes to ILMSTMF...whoever that is (real name not given, location unknown).
OK...while trying to troubleshoot a frame rate issue, Mr. ILMSTMF did something that shouldn't have worked. He imported an MXF file directly from the Contents folder...and it worked! He got the warning that the file wasn't "optimal," but still, it worked. Since he imported only the video file, there was no audio. He imported that separately and could sync it up.
Now...how the HECK did he do that? I didn't believe it. So I did it myself. Wouldn't you know it...It worked. I got the same message, but it worked.
When did this happen? When did FCP import MXF files natively? I couldn't figure this out. How did this suddenly happen? And why didn't Apple tell us about this.
Then Wes from Automatic Duck mentioned that he could do this...and he was running the same version. I iChatted with a couple other people and two of them couldn't do it. What was different? When I was looking around I noticed that I had the P2CMS application (https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/pro-av/sales_o/p2/cms/index.html) from Panasonic installed. I asked the guys who couldn't import...they didn't install it. So I went looking in my Quicktime Library and I found this:
Yep...that component...MXFImporter.component...is installed with P2CMS. This is what allows their software to read the MXF footage. With this installed, the MXF files are selectable...without it, they are grey and you can't click on them:
NOW...if Panasonic figured out how to get this working natively, why haven't they licensed it to Apple and let us work with the footage? This is a very valid workflow for many people. I myself still prefer to Log and Import, as I like to rename my footage and organize it, but many many people just want to have instant access to the footage.
OK guys...we are ALMOST there. Just talk to each other and we can get the native support that so many people want.
(not that Apple or Panasonic read this blog...I was just talking metaphorically.)
Posted by: Shane Ross on Dec 14, 2007 at 12:58:07 pm
I have heard people ask for this all the time, and I didn't know how to do it either. All these things that FCP can do...some people know how to do this, some how to do that. Great thing is that we can share those tips with other.
Thanks Scott.
Posted by: Shane Ross on Dec 14, 2007 at 12:54:35 pm
For in case you are ever in Hollywood and need to know the industry lingo, here is the Hollywood Dictionary.
VERBS:
to schmooze = befriend scum to pitch = grovel shamelessly to brainstorm = feign preparedness to research = procrastinate indefinitely to network = spread disinformation to collaborate = argue incessantly to freelance = collect unemployment
NOUNS:
agent = frustrated lawyer lawyer = frustrated producer producer = frustrated writer writer = frustrated director director = frustrated actor actor = frustrated human
COMPOUND WORDS:
high-concept = low brow production value = gore entry-level = pays nothing highly qualified = knows the producer network approved = had made them money
FINANCIAL TERMS:
net = something that apparently doesn't exist gross = Michael Eisner's salary back-end = you, if you think you'll ever see it residuals = braces for the kids deferral = don't hold your breath points = see "net" or "back-end"
COMMON PHRASES:
You can trust me = You must be new It needs some polishing = Change everything It shows promise = It stinks rotten It needs some fine tuning = Change everything I'd like some input = I want total control It needs some honing = Change everything Call me back next week = Stay out of my life It needs some tightening = Change everything Try and punch it up = I have no idea what I want It needs some streamlining = Change everything You'll never work in this town again = I have no power whatsoever.
Posted by: Shane Ross on Dec 14, 2007 at 12:53:08 pm
Tim Wilson over at the Creative Cow started this blog post as a comment on the blog post I made over there about upgrading to Leopard (a reprint of what I posted here). It really goes in depth about the dangers of upgrading, and how really there is no way that Apple and other third party vendors can possibly test every possible combination of hardware and software to ensure that no bugs sneak through the cracks. This is also very pertinent to the recent issue I had with Noise Industries FX Factory, and how it was missed.
Many people every day report issues with their software and OS not working properly...and there are literally thousands of possible causes of these. It is just TOO easy to just cry foul and blame Apple for everything, for not "testing" properly.
Well, read his blog posting. It's good.
Posted by: Shane Ross on Nov 30, 2007 at 1:34:07 am
