hdv1080i -> dvfilmmaker 24p -> fcp5 -> problems

[Heath Hays]

Hey all!

Im having the hardest time with my hdv workflow. im on a g5 2.0 dual with 2 gigs ram. i use fcp5. i took 60i footage on my fx1 and converted with dvfilmmaker. when i bring the footage back into my fcp5 project, the file must be RENDERED before timeline playback. the footage looks great in the bin viewer, but once its on a timeline and rendered, it will not playback steadily. it gets caught and goes a few frames every couple of seconds and ultimately forces me to force quit fcp5. when i imported the new files, i created a new project with a 24fps editing base. i dont really know what to do now. i need the footage to be in 24 frames before edit. it appears to be fine until it needs to render. ive been setting the compression to "none" and this is where my troubles start. im thinking i need information on compression and hdv. what setting SHOULD i be using?

please help.

heath

[Zack Birlew]

I would think you'd have to set it for HDV nonetheless. But what does DVFilmmaker export the footage as? AVI? Quicktime? What?

[Heath Hays]

they are exported as quicktime files. i dont know much about compression or what sort of compression is used. all i know is that i have GOT to be able to edit this stuff really soon. should i have to render the files when i bring them back into fcp5? i mean, i am bringing in quicktime files.. they are supposedly 24p. importing to a 24fps editing base should be no render required. i dont know... i really dont.

[Adrian Vallarino]

Originally Posted by Heath Hays

they are exported as quicktime files. i dont know much about compression or what sort of compression is used. all i know is that i have GOT to be able to edit this stuff really soon. should i have to render the files when i bring them back into fcp5? i mean, i am bringing in quicktime files.. they are supposedly 24p. importing to a 24fps editing base should be no render required. i dont know... i really dont.

read this : http://www.dvfilm.com/fx1/mac.htm

it will give you all the answers

[Dylan Pank]

Originally Posted by Heath Hays

they are exported as quicktime files. i dont know much about compression or what sort of compression is used. all i know is that i have GOT to be able to edit this stuff really soon. should i have to render the files when i bring them back into fcp5? i mean, i am bringing in quicktime files.. they are supposedly 24p. importing to a 24fps editing base should be no render required. i dont know... i really dont.

Heath, sorry to be frank, but if you don't know much about compression and codecs, then learn this stuff AND SOON; it seems you're out of your depth. All the information you need should be in the FCP handbook, or in the PDF help file that gets installed with FCP5, but also there are loads of sites on the internet. Time for some research!

Frankly if it's causing you trouble I would forget the 24p and edit 60i native, then convert to 24p from your finished file, or simpler still, put out a 30p file from the end using FCPs internal de-interlacer. Frankly, 60i-24p conversion is something that can give the pros headaches, and it seems you'd be better .

You shouldn't every have to render clips sat in the timeline, if you do, the setting for the sequence and the properties of the clips are not the same (you can click on the clips and check their properties in the bin, then make sure they're the same for the sequence).

Is is really necessary to go to 24p? Unless you're going to a film out it seems uneccesary.

[Heath Hays]

:dylan

thanks for your help. my original skepticism of using the hdv1080i 60i compression in fcp5 for 24fps clips was unfounded. when switching my session back to that compression, no render is needed on a timeline insert.

i may not be up on compression, but i can most definately feel a postive difference when viewing the converted material next to original footage. i want to convert source footage to 24 so that when im making cuts, they are on the appropriate frame. its my estimation that a conversion to 24 AFTER edit would pose numerous problems directly related to that.

so long as its ok for me to work on 24fps footage in a 1080i60i compression, im fine. apparently, footage should've been captured in AIC. obviously. i didnt do that. seeing as i have already broken each clip into takes and renamed the files accordingly, i dont think i really want to recapture and re-organize all 13hours. if i should recapture in AIC, i hope someone will tell me soon.

thanks again for the response and advice, and any additional info would be appreciatlvely studied.

heath h