XDCAM HD Post Woes

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Paramvir Singh
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XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by Paramvir Singh »

I recently shot some material on Sony PMW EX1 XDCAM HD at 720p/25. Shooting was fun, the camera is decent, but what i enjoyed most was the ability to shoot upto 50fps and recrding to chip.

But when we came to post, I realized how unprepared we all are with these new formats. Maybe companies like Sony and Panasonic should take classes and workshops at Post Studios to ensure a zero hiccup workflow.

problems:

1) The camera records on SxS Memory cards which you must keep taking backups of, into separate Hard Disks, erase and re-use. Hard disks are highly volatile in their nature and BOTH my Transcend 120GBs were not mounting once back in Mumbai (I shot some 2000km away).

2) The Camera records every shot in a new folder with a distinct data structure, and even ONE missing file will create havoc. attached please see the file structure.The folder named BPAV is the parent folder.
Picture 1.png
3) I couldnt find a decent post house that knew how to handle this. My first experience was very bad, and I personally had to install teh necessary plugins and software, and managed to import the XDCAM HD footage to FCP. But the Post house's apathy and ignornace coupled with complete unwillingness to learn, made me move to another one.

4) The post guys feel I should export the rushes to SD, place the SD on a new timeline, playback, record to DigiBeta, then grab from this SD DigiBeta for offline and online. I personally feel even if its a 720p/25 XDCAM timeline, I should be able to get a realtime downconversion to SD DigiBeta on playback via a DeckLink Card. The post guys have never done or heard of such a thing. The DeckLink card and website says downconversion via DeckLink is a done thing.

so as of now I am editing in native XDCAM format, will EXPORT ONLY my final edited material. Exporting to Apple Pro0Res and then down-exporting to SD wil take many hours of expensive post time.

Any thoughts, anyone?
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by Paramvir Singh »

And yes, you will need to download XDCAM Plugins for FCP from here
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by Paramvir Singh »

had spoken to someone abroad and he suggested same as what we are doing now:
I would edit on a native 720p/25 XD cam sequence and set the sequence compressor to render to Pro Rez, when finished either export as Pro Rez SD PAL settings you need or if the Black Magic can down convert lay it off to tape.
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by Paramvir Singh »

[quote]"does anyone know HOW to playback 720p and record to SD tape realtime?"
you're going to need to setup the BM card to output in SD, go into FC video setting and set the monitor output to SD. FC should take control of the card, if not open the control panel program (if BM was one) and set it up there. [/quote]
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by Saihmee Dara Singh »

cheers ..shot on Sony xdcam ex3...will post some observations...
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by Saihmee Dara Singh »

also param can u write about the blur problem in camera panning..its very much prevalent in ex3.
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by Paramvir Singh »

yes, there is a blur while panning and images on the standard gamma are pretty low contrats, i felt. which may be a good thing. you can control contrast in post.

but if you are shooting for distrubution on SD, then originating on HD makes the entire post a little tricky and expensive.
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by Paramvir Singh »

Having wored a lot more on the Sony EX1-EX3 formats, I am beginning to fall in love with the system.

For the post really, you have to use the Sony FCP/Avid plugins to grab the footage. Work on FCP, in ProRes format. I exported the whole finished film as a Quicktime file, which I re-impoted into Autodesk Smoke for Online and finish. Simple really. Except that you dont have handles for online.
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by kashish.arora »

thanks for the info above...it really is simple procedure...
but i am facing another issue here...i.e. mixing of footage from XDCAM and 5D.
for 5D its simple after installing the plugin, we convert it into Apple Prores 422 via log and capture in FCP, but when i do the same thing with XDCAM footage, its codec does not change, it remains the same i.e. EXCAM something. What am i missing, pls help. I think i need some additional plugin, but which one...?
thankx
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by Paramvir Singh »

I would keep both footages in native format.

did you try that?
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by kashish.arora »

yes i have tried that.
but a slight movement of frames, any cuts...and it keeps on asking for renders...which slows down the process a lot.
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Re: XDCAM HD Post Woes

Post by admin »

then perhaps work on an offline proxy mode with low res pro-res.

alternatively, process only those rushes that are less in proportion?
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