SD PAL/30f NTSC HDV workflow help!

[Andrew Swift]

Hi,

I have to edit a 20-30min "documentary" project which involves "in the field" clips from a PAL DV camcorder cut with interview footage shot on an XH-A1 (NTSC model) at 30f. I'm editing in Final Cut Express 4.0. Maybe I'm being naive but in the end I would like to have both a 4:3 PAL and an 4:3 NTSC version - the PAL version is going to be shown in India (on a TV station) and I would like the NTSC version to have here (for friends/portfolio etc).

Obviously I'm going to have to convert some clips (!!!) - I have looked into the Natress Standards Conversion plugin and plan on getting it to help with this project.

Any advice on workflow for this kind of project? i.e. do I use Standards Conversion to convert the PAL footage to 1080i60 (I believe it can do this - no??), cut, and then export out of FCE as a PAL movie for the PAL DVD and an NTSC movie for the NTSC DVD? Or do I convert the 1080i60 clips to PAL SD 4:3 (letterboxed) and edit that way, exporting PAL and NTSC respectively?

Any help will be greatly appreciated - Thanks!!!