Wonder if any one can help with this:

Deliverable:   30i SD master

Production: 

Varicam to DVCProHD tape framed for 4:3

producer indicates that they may shoot 720p (23.97)

My question:

Will Pulldown be added as footage goes to tape-correct? So when

I rent the Panasonic aj 1400 for ingest, I will (should) be going into

a 720/59.94 project?  Edit in DVCProHD codec, get approval,

output tiff seq for color correct, digital color correct will go out to

digi-beta (all material will have been framed for 4:3 in camera)

for master. 

I'm finishing a similar workflow right now and all is working well.

Difference here is 720p(but is it really "p" on DVCproHD tape?)  vs. 1080i dailies

Thanks for any help here.

The Varicam always records at 59.97.  There are many different modes that can be recorded, and one of them (I think it's basically "24 over 60") the camera records a film-look 24p with pulldown added across 60 fields.

You can either edit in HD (720p/59.94) and downconvert at the end, or load the project via SDI (center cut) into an NSTC/30i project and stay SD.

Thanks a lot.

Think I'll load from DVCProHD deck via firewire into 720p(59.94 project),

edit and downconvert at end.  Is there SD-SDI out of a Aj1400? if

I do want to go into an SD project?. 

So if I edit in an 720p(59.94 project) and output .tif sequence for digital (lustre)

color correct, I will be working with progressive frames until we layoff to digi-beta,

where pulldown will be added? 

Thanks

 1) This camera only shoots letterbox. There is no alternative. If you mean you plan to downconvert you will not lose any of your picture since the whole picture is reduced in size on a downconvert to avoid cutting off the sides. So just realize that "framed to 4:3" is done by the eye of the cameraman and is not a setting.

2) You said your producer indicates that they may shoot 720p (23.97) --  that will have bearing only on how the video tape looks in general-- it will have nothing to do with your edit. The camera only records one kind of tape and that is 720p/59.94

3) you asked, will Pulldown be added as footage goes to tape-correct? I think you mean reverse pulldown and yes it will so you dont need to think about pull down again. In fact with that camera, unless you are going to film, you never need to think about pulldown.

4) "I rent the Panasonic aj 1400 for ingest, I will (should) be going into a 720/59.94 project?  Edit in DVCProHD codec, get approval" --  WAIT -- do NOT edit a "p" project. You need a 59.94i project if you are outputting to SD. Plus if you are outputing to DBETA you might want to edit in SD.  Easier, less taxing on the machine and thus more stabliity. Peronsally I think you should downcovert those tapes right into avid. It will come in as an SD project, and then you wont need to worry about it again. That deck can make a perfect SD output via SD SDI or via FW or via composite. It will convert all progressive frames to interlace on the spot.

 5) "Difference here is 720p (but is it really "p" on DVCproHD tape?)  vs. 1080i dailies"

The Varicam actually puts a progressive image on the tape and it does it at 720. Yes it is p on the tape, but it is not 24. 720p vs 1080i is up to you and it is easily done with the deck. Your final output will be 480i so you might as well down con right there. Dailies is a term for looking at raw film (or video) clips shot that day.

6) "Think I'll load from DVCProHD deck via firewire into 720p(59.94 project),edit and downconvert at end.  Is there SD-SDI out of a Aj1400? if I do want to go into an SD project?" 

I would not do that. Why edit HD if you dont want an HD master? You will be addressing things in HD that you would not even notice in SD so why bother? Also, its easiest to get a 720p into an SD project via the deck. Conversions in AVID are always harder.

7) So if I edit in an 720p(59.94 project) and output .tif sequence for digital (lustre) color correct, I will be working with progressive frames until we layoff to digi-beta,where pulldown will be added? 

In theory yes but again, I would not edit a 720P project. And if even if you do, you dont have any pulldown issues. The camera does NOT give you a 24fps tape. Its gives you 59.94 for HD which translates to 29.97 for SD

Thanks for all the help.  One more thing..

If I ingest from deck SDI into and SD project, do I still get a "preserve varicam" frames option?

I don't think I do, do I?  Only in a 720p project.  In that case, should I simply render my own

speed changes to match what they were supposed to have been?

Thanks

No.  The only way to "Preserve Varicam Framerates" is to capture via FireWire.

Makes sense.  Thanks. 

Can I do this in a 30i SD project in 1394 mode? If I set up panasonic deck to output

SD via firewire (if possible).

How about 1080i?

Looks to me like only 720p(59.94) offers "preserve Varicam frames".  So if I do choose to edit

in a regular old 30i SD project, which I'd like to do for monitoring reasons, for the few shots that

may be shot at a variable frame rate, can I simply emulate those with speed changes?

Thanks

Thanks

I'm not familiar with the 1400, but our 1200a w/the FW option has a set of menus (in the DIF category) that determine what how the various flavors of DVCPro (25, 50, HD) are output.  You could change the DVCPro HD setting to DVCPro 50, which would be SD (but anamorphic 16:9).

If you want to save quality, you can also change the decks format to 1080i, and edit that way instead. 

Note, though, that if you load using the DVCPro HD codec, you will not be able to see the footage through your Adrenaline box in green/green mode.  You have to work in yellow/green and transcode at the end if you want to use SDI.

Thanks,

1. So if I do DVCPro 50 into an SD project, I can check "preserve varicam frames"?

        I don't see that as an option in a 30i project-am I missing something?

2. If I change deck to 1080i format, deck will uprez 720p (shooting rez)?  Here also,

     I do not see "preserve varicam frames" in a 1080i project.

I'm thinking I can only "preserve Varicam frames" in a 720p(59.94) project.

Let me take a shot at this.

Shooting in 720/24p is fine. You don't have to edit in 24p. In fact, for 30i deliverable, I highly suggest editing in 30i. I would not edit in 720/60p either. Your timeline will be widescreen but your deliverable will be 4:3. So unless you want time resizing and repositioning your FX and such try to stay away from a 16:9 edit.

There is no 720 interlace format. 720 is always progressive (24p, 30p, 60p, etc).

Preserve Varicam feature is only on 720p since Varicam is a 720p format camera. That is the native frame format on tape.

Thank you.

So I'll take it that I cannot "preserve Varicam frames" in anything but a 720p project.

I would prefer to stay in a 30i SD project. (monitoring, etc.)

The producer has mentioned that "the only unknown right now is whether to shoot 1080i or 720p."

Given that they intend to shoot 23.97p, can I perhaps take that to mean that they can choose

1080i as the record mode? Or does Varicam shoot only 720p but can write to tape at 1080i?

Thanks.

Varicam is a 720p camera only (720p on tape). Other DVC Pro HD cams can do 1080i also.