Same Day Edit ?'s - wedding
 

I am just venturing into the SDE world and need some advice.

1. what is the best portable MAC to use?
2. what settings should I use within FCP for speed when editing footage from a Panasonic HMC-150 AVCHD cam? I notice now that when I edit in PreRess it takes a long time to output.
3. do you output from the computer to screen or use a DVD?

Thanks,

Jason

1. what is the best portable MAC to use?

I would reccomend the 15" for the portability, but, since your using an AVCHD camera I would have to suggest the 17" MacBook Pro to take advantage faster processor.

Don't use that camera so I can't help you there.

Problem #1: You are using AVCHD
This is a processor intensive format to edit and will eat up your time no matter how you use it. Shoot in HDV or get the new JVC camera that makes QuickTime files direct to SDHC cards. But this still leads to.....

Problem #2: Delivering a DVD from an HD edit.
Downconverting your HD edit to SD for a DVD will always take a good amount of time, more with a laptop. Editing in SD will be quicker overall and reduce the amount of time needed to create a DVD master. Use a camera that can stream out thru FireWire (or USB) a standard definition DV signal that you can capture in your computer. Many HDV cameras can do this, make sure the HMC-150 can as well. The DVD will look exactly the same.

17" macbook pro will be best with a firewire 800 raid drive for speed.

AVCHD is transcoded to pro res in FCP when you import via log and transfer, you can also choose Apple Intemediate Codec. Clipwrap 2 will be the best way once it is released as it will load in native bit rates.

Even in pro res the macbook pro should edit OK but you will only get two streams on the timeline and adding and fx will need rendering.

Export to pro res in the same format should be close to real time so a 30 min video will take about the same time to output.

Use the pro res master to produce the DVD from and it should be fairly quick.

As for settings personally I am shooting P2 at 1920x1080i 25np and a second locked off camera a canon HF11 AVCHD at 1920x1080i 25p I import all media to a g-tech raid 2 drive via log and transfer so it all ends up being pro res 422 1920x1080i 25np I use this as the master setting in FCP and output in the same format. DVD's are then produced from the pro res master.

If you're doing this for money, you want the 17" MBP. The cost difference over the 15" is more than wiped out by the extra speed which, if you're doing same-day, is the critical factor

When you guys speak of SDE, are you just capturing all raw footage from the previous recordings and exporting straight to DVD, no actually editing?