Mixing formats in the edit

The sheer mix and volume of formats to deal with today can be mind-boggling. Videotape player/recorders – formerly a common denominator – are a vanishing breed. Post facilities still own and use VTRs, but operations at the local market level, especially in broadcast, are becoming increasingly tapeless. Clearly, once the current crop of installed VTRs become a maintenance headache or are no longer an important cog in the operation, they won’t be replaced with another shiny new mechanical videotape transport from Sony or Panasonic.

It all starts with the camera, so the driving influence is the move to tapeless acquisition – P2, XDCAM-HD, GFcam, AVC-HD and so on. On the bright side, it means that the integration of another format will cost no more than the purchase of an inexpensive reader, rather than a new VTR to support that format. Unfortunately this will also mean a proliferation of new formats for the editor to deal with.

The term format should be clarified with tapeless media, like P2. First, there is the codec used for the actual audio and video content (essence). That essence is defined by the compression method (like DVCPRO HD or AVC-Intra), frame size (SD or HD), pixel aspect ratio and frame rate. The essence is encapsulated into a file wrapper (MXF), which holds the essence and metadata (information about the essence). Lastly, in the P2 example, the files are written to a physical transport medium (the P2 card itself), using a specific folder and file hierarchy. Maintaining this folder structure is critical in order that an NLE can natively recognize the media, once it’s copied from the card to a hard drive.

Nonlinear editing systems have been built around a specific media structure. Avid Media Composer uses OMF and MXF. Apple Final Cut Pro is based on QuickTime. In theory, each can ingest a wide range of tapeless file formats, but the truth is that they only work well with a much narrower range of optimized media. For instance, DVCPRO HD is handled well by most NLEs, but H.264 is not. You can toss a mix of formats onto a common timeline, but the system is internally operating with specific settings (codec, frame size and frame rate) for that timeline.

These settings are established when you first create a new project or a new sequence, depending on the application. Any media on the timeline that deviates from these settings must either be scaled and decompressed on-the-fly by the real-time effects engine of the application – or must be rendered – in order to see full-quality playback.  Most systems are optimized for NTSC, PAL, 720p and 1080i frame sizes. Even Final Cut Pro – touted as resolution independent – works best at these sizes and effectively tops out at 2K film sizes. All the desktop NLEs freely allow you to mix SD and HD content on a timeline, but the rub has been a mix of differing frame rates. FCP could do it, but Media Composer wouldn’t. That barrier disappeared with Avid’s introduction of the Mix & Match feature in the Media Composer 4.0 software. Now, if you edit a native 23.98p clip into a 29.97i timeline, all of the leading editing applications will add a pulldown cadence to the 23.98p clip for proper 29.97i playback.

When editing a project that has a mix of SD and HD sources and formats, it is best to select a timeline or project setting that matches the predominant format. For instance, if 75% of your media was shot using a Panasonic VariCam at 720p/59.94, then you’d want to use a matching timeline preset, so that the 720p footage wouldn’t require any rendering,  except for effects. In this example, if the other 25% was NTSC legacy footage from Betacam-SP, you’d need to have a system equipped with a capture card capable of ingesting analog footage. The Beta-SP footage could be upconverted to HD during the capture using the hardware conversion power of a capture card. Alternately,  it could be captured as standard definition video, edited onto the timeline and then scaled to fill the HD frame. Betacam-SP clips captured as standard definition video would ultimately be rendered to match the 720p/59.94 settings of the timeline.

Until recently, Avid systems transcoded incoming media into an Avid codec wrapped as an MXF file. This creates media files that are optimized for the best performance. Final Cut would let you drag and drop any QuickTime file into the FCP browser without a transcode, but non-QuickTime files had to be converted or rewrapped as QuickTime MOV files. These frontrunners were upstaged by applications like Grass Valley EDIUS and Sony Vegas Pro, which have been able to accept a much wider range of media types in their original form. The trend now is to handle native camera codecs without any conversion. Apple added the Log and Transfer module to Final Cut and Avid added its Avid Media Access (AMA). Both are plug-in architectures designed for native camera media and form a foundation for the use of these files inside each NLE.

Final Cut’s Log and Transfer is recommended for importing P2, RED, XDCAM and other media, but it still doesn’t provide direct editing support. Even natively-supported codecs, like REDCODE and AVC-Intra must first be wrapped as QuickTime files. When clips are ingested via Log and transfer, the files are copied to a target media drive and in the process rewrapped as QuickTime MOV file containers. It’s Apple’s position that this intermediate transcode step is a safer way to handle camera media without the potential of unrecoverable file corruption that can occur if you work directly with the original media.

If you want true native support – meaning the ability to mount the hard drive or card containing your raw media and start editing at full resolution – then the Avid Media Composer family, Grass Valley EDIUS and Adobe Premiere Pro provide the broadcaster with the strongest desktop solutions. All three recognize the file structure of certain camera formats (like P2), natively read the camera codec and let you use the media as an edit source without the need to transcode or copy the file first. These APIs are evolving and are dependent on proper media drivers written by the camera manufacturers. Not all applications handle every format equally well, so select a system that’s appropriate for you. For example, P2 using the DVCPRO HD or AVC-Intra codec is becoming widely supported, but Panasonic’s AVCCAM has less support. Sony hit snags with XDCAM-EX support for Final Cut Pro when Apple upgraded the Mac OS to 10.6 (“Snow Leopard”). Fortunately these issues are short-lived. In the future it will be easier than ever to mix taped and tapeless camera media of nearly any format with little negative impact.

Written for NewBay Media and TV Technology magazine

©2009 Oliver Peters

Smoke on the Mac

The possibility of a new high-end editorial tool for the Mac quickly buzzed around the internet forums. Now Autodesk has made it official, by shipping Autodesk Smoke 2010 for Mac OS X. Unlike Autodesk’s Linux-based systems products (Smoke, Flame), the Mac version of Smoke will be available as a software-only product for $14,995, plus an annual subscription fee (to cover maintenance support and updates) for $1,995 per year. Customers (or resellers) have to configure their own Macs according to qualified system guidelines. The general requirements are a recent Mac Pro using certain NVIDIA graphics cards, an AJA KONA3 for video i/o and fast media storage.

Smoke on the Mac became a reality for the simple reason that Mac OS X and the Apple hardware have both become well-suited for the advantages of the software. Namely 64-bit processing, a 64-bit OS (“Snow Leopard”) and good OpenGL support. Linux is at its core a relative of Mac OS X, so a port turned out to be more than doable. The target for Autodesk is to provide an all-in-one editorial finishing tool to a market that prefers the Mac environment and would never consider the Linux systems products. This makes Smoke an ideal companion to Avid Media Composer or Apple Final Cut Studio. Obviously it’s possible to do much of the same things in Final Cut Studio using Motion and Color, but you have to go into several different applications to do that. Many facilities will find that the same tasks can be done more efficiently and effectively by staying all within one advanced interface.

This makes a lot of sense for mid-tier post houses or broadcast facilities, which might be configured with several FCP bays and Xsan shared storage. Adding a seat of Smoke 2010 for the “hero suite” is an easy integration, since it can live on the same storage. It’s no longer a Linux “island”. Key is the ability for Smoke to handle compressed formats, like Apple ProRes (a first for Autodesk), Avid DNxHD, DVCPRO HD, AVC-Intra and image sequence files, such as 3DS and Filmbox files from 3DS Max and Maya. Plus native support for P2, XDCAM and RED files. Since the Smoke software is installed on the same Mac as other applications, it’s now possible for the Smoke operator to also have Adobe Photoshop or After Effects open on the same computer right alongside Smoke.

Not that many Final Cut Pro or Avid editors are familiar with Smoke, so I decided to run a review I wrote earlier this year for Videography magazine. I discuss the Linux version, which will essentially be the same as the Mac version; although, hardware differences will dictate some variations. In addition, Sparks plug-ins aren’t yet available for the Mac version. For those who don’t know, Autodesk names its versions like model years on cars. There are generally two updates a year (one large and one small), which roughly coincide with NAB and IBC. These would equate to a full-point and a half-point software version update in competing products.

The following article describes the previous version of software, but it should give curious editors a better idea of what Smoke is all about.

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Autodesk Smoke 2009 on Linux

Originally written for Videography magazine, February 2009

Autodesk Media & Entertainment products have long set the bar for high-end editing and compositing. A significant percentage of national commercials and feature films have been touched by an Autodesk system. Posting with Smoke, Flame or Lustre offers more than just bragging rights. Each offers a best-of-class toolset that can give your project a look that is hard to duplicate. At the high-end, Autodesk competes with Avid’s Symphony and DS plus Quantel’s eQ and iQ; however, even at the low-end, the Apple and Adobe software suites configured with the right hardware present a challenge. Autodesk is definitely aware of this, so even as it adds more powerful, advanced features, Smoke, Flame and Lustre are gaining tools that make them even more attractive to small-to-medium market post houses and broadcasters.

2009 Extension 1

The Smoke/Flame 2009 update was introduced at last April’s NAB and 2009 Extension 1 came at IBC in September. Autodesk’s Extensions are like a point-five software release in other products. Both of these updates mark a path where the core systems products are becoming increasingly unified. Smoke, Autodesk’s nonlinear edit system, gains many of Flame’s compositing tools, and Flame, Autodesk’s signature compositor, augments its user interface with more editor-friendly tools. Under 2009 Extension 1, the three principal systems products – Smoke (editing), Flame (visual effects) and Lustre (color grading) – are finally running on the same hardware platform and under the same Linux operating system.

The workstation of choice is currently a Hewlett Packard xw8600 equipped with an Nvidia Quadro FX 5600 SDI card. There is also one of AJA Video’s OEM cards, which is primarily used for video capture. The NVIDIA card is used for both display and actual video output. This permits Autodesk to take advantage of its power for Open GL acceleration and custom LUTs (look-up tables).

Smoke’s new openness

The system of most interest to smaller shops and TV stations is Smoke. This premium-grade NLE offers powerful compositing tools, so all but the most advanced visual effects can be completed right inside the NLE. There’s no need for a smaller shop to also purchase a Flame or an editor to use external applications, like Motion, Shake, Combustion or After Effects. To further address the needs of this market, Smoke can now access both uncompressed and compressed media formats, including QuickTime and MXF media. P2 shooters will find that Smoke can now natively access the cards’ folder and file structure, including media recorded in Panasonic’s new AVC-Intra codec.

Autodesk systems use a soft import feature that rewraps the metadata while still permitting access to the original media files. Modern workstations offer sufficient horsepower to achieve this with a minimal performance drop. Part of this new Autodesk openness includes the use of standard file formats for direct-attached,  SAN and NAS storage, along with Smoke’s and Flame’s historical use of the proprietary Stone file format.  There is also OMF, AAF and XML support, so editors who choose to do their creative cut on an Avid Media Composer or Apple Final Cut Pro edit system can easily bring their files into Smoke for advanced finishing. Autodesk recently signed on to the RED Digital Cinema Camera SDK, which will allow Smoke, Flame and Lustre to offer native support for the RED One camera raw files.

Best-of-class toolset

Here are some of the features that set Smoke apart from other NLEs. First of all, internal image processing is RGB 4:4:4, resolution-independent and can now be handled in 16-bit float. The bottom line is that no other system handles video and the effects pipeline as cleanly. When I speak of compositing tools, I’m talking about most of the full Flame toolset. In the case of Smoke, this means that you can composite shots using the typical NLE timeline approach, but you can also use Batch FX – Flame’s procedural, node-based effects compositor.

There are three aspects to Smoke compositing, which make it unique. First, it is the only NLE where you build effects in a total 3D environment. Place clip A over clip B and move clip A forward in Z-space. With Smoke you are able to move the camera’s view of this composite in 3D space and see that both clips are at a distance apart from each other. Lighting effects that you add will respect proper 3D spatial relationships. Since each clip is truly a plane in 3D space, Autodesk has been able to use advanced geometry to apply a mesh to the image. Points on the mesh can be pulled and warped in 3D space to apply deformations to an image, such as stretching the nose of a character, a la Pinocchio. Add to this, advanced gradients for masking, where you can variably adjust the edge softness of a mask. This comes in handy for special compositing situations, like facial replacements – seen on quite a few national spots these days.

The other two major aspects are an integrated tracking tool and the Colour Warper (the Flame color corrector). In most NLEs, these tools tend to work individually, but in Smoke, tracking and color correction can be used integrally with nearly every effect. We ran through a demo that used clips from the Superbowl Budweiser commercial featuring a Dalmatian and a Clydesdale. Some scenes showing both animals are composites of separate dog and horse takes. Each has some color variation and some camera movement. A typical tracking situation is to stabilize a shot by removing camera movement; or, the tracking information is used to lock a logo onto a moving element within the shot.

In our Budweiser spot, it was an easy matter to track the two clips and use the Dalmatian clip’s tracking data to match it to the Clydesdale’s data so that both clips displayed matching camera movement for a seamless composite. This is further improved through the use of the Colour Warper on each clip to match the tonality of the two separate takes. Although this type of composite could also be achieved in other NLEs or an application like After Effects, it was impressive to see how quickly a Smoke editor gets this done – due to the actual speed and responsiveness of the system – as well as through the efficiency gained by integrating these tools. In combination, Smoke’s toolset performance is very powerful for the editor working in a supervised client session.

More advanced features

One of the newest features found in Smoke 2009 Extension 1 is an improvement to Smoke’s compositing model. It is now possible to use Batch effects pre and post timeline. This means that a composited shot can show up as a single media clip (pre) or you can combine clips on vertical tracks and add additional effects (post). Smoke uses the Sparks plug-in API and you can purchase numerous filter packages from leading vendors like Boris FX and GenArts, but now the built-in effects have also been enhanced. For example, there are additional blur functions, which are accelerated by the NVIDIA card.

Less obvious might be some of the more mundane enhancements that are common on most NLEs. The new graphics card now supports dual-monitor displays. With Smoke, one monitor would be the UI display and the second monitor would show the broadcast output. There are additional on-screen enhancements, like overwrite and splice edit commands.

Autodesk now owns most of the major 3D computer graphics players (3DS, Maya and Softimage). Smoke includes a set of 3DS primitive models, but also supports 3D objects and the Open EXR format generated by Maya. Open EXR files permit high dynamic range imagery – a method by which still cameras can take multiple exposures to effectively extend the actual exposure range of the camera sensor. For example, one image exposes for clouds in the sky, while the second for the darker buildings on the ground.

3D animation applications that produce Open EXR files use the same concept to render a wider dynamic range into a single file. These files can be imported into Smoke and the proper exposure extracted from the files in a non-destructive fashion. Just as in the photo example, composites can be made where different areas of the image are optimized for striking visual effect. Although HDR has yet to really make a mark in video production, it does have an application today in projects based on CGI images, such as automotive commercials. Smoke also supports layered Adobe Photoshop files as long as you first rasterize any vector type and merge all layer effects.

Controlling deliverables

As the broadcast world transitions to HD, the post community will inevitably continue to struggle in a mixed format world – posting in various HD flavors, but delivering a wide range of target formats. Smoke is resolution-independent, so it can easily handle 4K source material to build a 2K timeline and finally deliver both HD and SD broadcast masters. New in Smoke is a deliverables modules that permits presets for batch processing. Unlike other NLEs that might use the AJA OEM card for hardware downconversions, Autodesk has chosen to use the Nvidia card. By doing this, they can support various software scaling and filtering algorithms for optimal conversions, custom display LUTs and color spaces, like log-to-linear conversions. These tools – based on Lustre’s Color Management – are common on many DI systems, but unique for an NLE.

Autodesk continues to lead the charge in defining what a finishing system should be. With its openness to outside formats, Smoke makes the ideal “hero” suite in mixed-system creative shops. Do your cutting on Final Cut or Media Composer, but when it’s time to really “wow” the client, move to Smoke for the final bells-and-whistles. This applies the right tools for the right tasks and is bound to be a winner for the client.

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More information about Smoke 2010 for Mac OS X is available at Autodesk and at area.autodesk.com/blogs/discreetuk and area.autodesk.com/smoke-tutorials. A free 30-day trial version may be downloaded at autodesk.com/smoke-trial . Lastly here’s a another blog that was launched just for Smoke on OSX.

©2009 Oliver Peters

Movies by the fireside

With Oscar time approaching and movie-going, as well as, movie-giving a holiday tradition for many families, I decided to post a list of some films that are fun for editors to watch. These aren’t all Oscar-contenders, although there’s plenty of bling in this list. They are presented in no particular order, so I hope you enjoy.

Inglourious Basterds
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Film editor: Sally Menke

This is the newest film in the batch and I found it to be not only well-crafted, but also beautifully shot (cinematography by Robert Richardson). Tarantino draws a lot of opinions, but it’s clear that his approach to shooting and editing uses a very classic style. Pay attention to the dialogue scenes and you’ll agree that Tarantino is probably the best director today in structuring and directing dialogue-driven films.

Memento
Director: Christopher Nolan
Film editor: Dody Dorn

This quirky film is best known for the way the plot is revealed in reverse. In fact, there’s a DVD version that lets you run the scenes from back-to-front in a somewhat linear, chronological order. Although you’d think the scene construction is a contrivance developed in the cutting room, Dorn is the first to admit that this was actually how the script was written.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: David Fincher
Film editors: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

Slumdog Millionaire beat it out for best cinematography, but nevertheless, Button is a gorgeous example of how digital films can look (cinematography by Claudio Miranda). The aging VFX are the hook, of course, but they work well in service of the story. The editing helps to move the story along, aiding the matter of fact way in which the story is told by its characters.

Murderball
Directors: Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro
Film editors: Conor O’Neill and Geoffrey Richman

I enjoy documentaries, but they don’t get any better than when the actual events take plot turns as if they were scripted. In this story about paraplegic rugby, the participants are like gladiators in wheelchairs. It was shot with a variety of DV cameras, but the editing pace makes that something you’ll never obsess over. Natural rivalries develop and this story is a blast for anyone who loves films about sports and sports personalities.

Blackhawk Down
Director: Ridley Scott
Film editor: Pietro Scalia

Scott’s film about the horrific events in Mogadishu is a seminal war film – representative of the surrealism of conflict in ways that a film like Apocalypse Now could never do justice to. It’s also a movie that I feel was largely built in the edit bay. Dump a bushel basket of disjointed combat footage on the editor and see what you get.

The Bourne Ultimatum (or Supremacy or Identity)
Directors: Paul Greengrass and Doug Liman
Film editors: Christopher Rouse, Richard Person and Saar Klein

Pick any or all of the three. They are all great. The main criticism leveled by others is the shaky-cam style of shooting and the frenetic ADD cutting. Not something that bothers me in the least. Nevertheless, the films are a fast ride for the audience and exemplify good, fast-paced cutting. It’s all the more helped by the believability Matt Damon brings to the role.

The Italian Job
Director: F. Gary Gray
Film editors: Richard Francis-Bruce and Christopher Rouse

This 2003 remake probably didn’t make many “best lists”, but I enjoyed the film. It’s a nicely crafted caper flick without many flaws. You’ll notice the deft editing Christopher Rouse (The Bourne Ultimatum) brings to the movie. Plus a really cool car chase scene with Minis!

Youth Without Youth
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Film editor: Walter Murch

This is Coppola’s first digital film. It was shot in Romania and is highlighted by some gorgeous cinematography (Mihai Malaimare, Jr.) and a very evocative score (Osvaldo Golijov). It’s a very romantic and surrealistic tale that will keep you enthralled until the end.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Director: Joel Coen
Film editors: Joel and Ethan Coen (credited as Roderick Jaynes), Tricia Cooke

This film is credited with starting the move to DI finishing, thanks to DP Roger Deakins. It’s got a great look and the story shows the Coens at their best, with homages to The Wizard of Oz and Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. I happen to like George Clooney when he plays the buffoon and the stellar cast of O Brother never disappoints in the madcap category.

Shine A Light
Director: Martin Scorsese
Film editor: David Tedeschi

Although technically a documentary, Shine A Light is one of the best concert films in years. I’ve cut my share of concert shows, so I was cutting this one right in my head the whole time I was watching. It’s certainly a fun cut and one that gives you an intimate look inside the performance. Coupled with a Bob Clearmountain live music mix, you’ll feel like you’re right in the middle of the Beacon Theater when you watch this one.

Hot Fuzz
Director: Edgar Wright
Film editor: Chris Dickens

I saw this again the other night on Comedy Central and it was hilarious. This is a Wright/Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) spoof of cop/buddy films, that has more action than most action films. Pay close attention to the cutting, as this film has over 5,000 picture edits! Dickens picked up an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire, but this effort is no less inspiring for other editors. There is some over-the-top violence (a la Monty Python), but in spite of the parody, Hot Fuzz holds up well against “legitimate” action films like the Bourne franchise.

There Will Be Blood
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Film editor: Dylan Tichenor

Daniel Day-Lewis is totally captivating as oilman Daniel Plainview in this film adaption of Upton Sinclair’s Oil! This is also a look at the beauty of film at its best, done the “natural way” – i.e. no DI. Kudos to Robert Elswit, whose cinematography has a real richness to it. For the editors in the crowd, pay attention to the first portion of the film. Tichenor does a masterful job of advancing the story over many years of Plainview’s life without any dialogue.

Well, that’s a quick look at a dozen films for the holidays. Have fun!

© 2009 Oliver Peters

11 More Final Cut Pro Tips

During the years with Final Cut, I’ve accumulated a number of workflow steps to eliminate some of the “gotchas” and bottlenecks. I’ll share a few in this post and hope you find them to be helpful.

1. Gamma setting

A couple of versions ago, FCP added a gamma settings preference (User Preferences / Editing). This lets you compensate for gamma differences in graphics created on other platforms. Ever since FCP7, I have found that the best setting to use is 2.2 (the native gamma of PCs). “Source” and other options don’t seem to yield the best results. As such, I now set all systems I use to 2.2 gamma.

This gamma preference applies to imported QuickTime movies as well, if they were created with an RGB codec, like Animation. Bring them in as “source” instead of 2.2 gamma and the level will be wrong. Like all other such settings, changes made to this setting only affect files imported after the change was made.

While we are looking at this tab, note the Still/Freeze Duration time. Crank this baby up. You aren’t creating any more media by doing so. If you have it set to 4 minutes, then that means you can have a still or a freeze last up to 4 minutes long as a single clip on the timeline.

2. Graphic Converter

I started a big project at the launch of FCP7 and ran into all sorts of new level problems with customer-supplied PNG files. This format is a lossless compressed format that stores images at high quality with a small file size. Unfortunately, the color syncing system used by the Mac OS looks for various color profile flags to get the levels right, which also affects what happens to such files in QuickTime. In my case, this caused unacceptable gamma shifts in FCP7. Most likely the culprit was either an incorrect color profile or an incorrect “assumption” by QuickTime. The solution for me was Lemke Soft’s Graphic Converter. This app has been a graphics conversion staple that I’ve used for two decades. It used to be bundled by Apple and in fact, the version I’m using under Snow Leopard was still the one I migrated over from a PowerBook G4!

I use Graphic Converter mainly for its batch conversion functions. In this example, I “washed” all the PNG files through Graphic Converter and turned them into uncompressed BMP files. Viola – no gamma shift – and proper levels! I have also run into cases where Photoshop-generated JPEGs had issues on a Mac. Here again Graphic Converter saved the day, by stripping out the Photoshop color profile info and rewriting a clean JPEG file.

3. Gaussian blur on stills

FCP is frequently slammed for the quality of moves on high-res photos using the DVE functions of the motion tab. Typically the offense is that detail in the image tends to scintillate or that diagonal lines look aliased. This really isn’t the fault of FCP, but rather the fact that these stills have a lot more detail and resolution than can be properly displayed when reduced to that size. As far as I know, FCP has no subpixel filtering, so the texture or detail in an image falls on one scan line or another without any smoothing in between. Other apps don’t necessarily create better results, but are actually softening, blurring or filtering the image in ways that look better in a video display format.

The secret for FCP users is to do the same thing. In other words, add blur to the image yourself. This can either be achieved in a graphics program like Photoshop or within FCP by adding a filter. If you use Photoshop, then prep the image by adding a slight Gaussian blur. Experiment with the right setting, but typically a value that looks a bit soft in Photoshop will ultimately look good on a TV screen. If you decide to just add an FCP filter, then use either the Gaussian blur or the Flicker filter. Again, play around with settings to taste, but I find that a Gaussian blur value of between .5 and 2 is generally right.

4. Audio as 48kHz

Repeat after me: Always work with uncompressed audio at a sample rate of 48kHz inside Final Cut. Yes, you can import MP3s and yes, you can work with 44.1kHz audio on the timeline, but in the end, it will bite you. Typically these files seem to be OK if left unrendered – leaving FCP to do all conversions on-the-fly. However, once they are rendered, forcing a sample rate conversion, you run into nastiness. For example, I’ve made music edits and found that the music at the edit points shifted. Or that levels didn’t react properly when I was trying to mix the audio.

When I work with audio in FCP, I will almost always convert the files to 48kHz, 16-bit AIFF files first. This can be done in two easy ways. I use QuickTime Pro (make sure to use QuickTime 7 if you are on Snow Leopard) to convert the files before importing. If you’d rather have this be automatic, simply purchase and install Digital Heaven’s Loader. It runs resident with FCP. Audio files that are imported into FCP by dragging them to the Loader tab will automatically be copied and converted during the import process.

5. Audio files running at the right speed

One of the quirks with FCP is handling audio synchronization. This is mainly a factor in film projects using double-system sound or music videos shot to a playback track. FCP determines speed based on audio samples and not timecode. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as making sure your audio setting matches the project. That’s because FCP apparently does some hidden things under the hood.

For example, I’ve seen issues where a project was started with one frame rate setting, but later changed. I hit this on a PAL music video job. When I imported the final mixed track and matched it against the client’s rough cut, nothing I could do would eliminate the drift between the final mix and the temp track. Even though everything appeared to be correct, imported audio would not line up as anticipated. The only culprit appeared to be the settings used when the project was initially created. Sometimes you have no control over this, because you’ve inherited the project already in progress.

It appears that this is an issue that affects audio files – AIFF and WAVE. One workaround is to convert the audio to QuickTime movies, which forces timecode onto the clip. This isn’t a silver bullet, though, and I have found it to work at times and not at others. If it doesn’t work, you may be forced to alter the audio speed in order to maintain sync. This becomes a big issue if you happen to record double-system sound when shooting with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II at 30fps. You can post in a true 30fps project and maintain sync or you can post at 29.97 and be video-friendly. In the latter case, it’s easy to change the video 30fps frame rate to 29.97fps using Cinema Tools, but the audio will have to be speed-adjusted by .999 to maintain sync.

6. Compressor and interlaced video

Compressor 3.5 (part of the “new” Final Cut Studio) changed the way the Inspector tab works. Now it includes an A/V Attributes tab that will actually “read” the format of the source file. This will also affect what an encoding preset does to that file. If you click on the source file in the Job panel, the Inspector will identify among other things the field order of the file. Unfortunately, it randomly gets it wrong. Files that are top field first are identified as progressive or bottom field first and the other way around.

If you are using Compressor to convert an interlaced camera file or a stock footage file into ProRes for use in FCP, for example, it is important that the field order be correct. If the field order is misidentified, the file will either be improperly converted or the field order will be incorrectly flagged. For example, HD files are supposed to be top field first. If this is identified as bottom first and converted to top, the field order will be swapped and the result on an FCP HD timeline will look wrong.

In other cases, the files won’t necessarily be converted incorrectly, but will only be flagged incorrectly. The file will actually be top field first, but it will show up inside FCP as bottom field first. When this happens a Field Shift filter is automatically applied by FCP onto the clip in the timeline. The file is actually the correct field order, but the filter makes it wrong, which again, yields the wrong results. Unfortunately, you won’t see this issue unless you are monitoring the video though a hardware i/o card or device to a broadcast display or CRT.

When you work in Compressor 3.5, it is important to check each source file for field order. If the file is misidentified, you must change the setting manually in the Inspector pane. This will generally fix the problem. In addition, check the Field Dominance column in the FCP Browser. If a file is incorrectly identified, this can be changed in that column. Once it is properly set, this will prevent a Field Shift filter from being automatically applied when it isn’t needed.

7. Better slomos

FCP7 has improved the variable speed workflow, but not the actual quality of the video. Video fields and/or frames are blended, which doesn’t result in the smoothest rendering of motion. This is especially true of “24p-over-30i” content. Other NLEs, like Avid Media Composer, employ more advanced technology, offering several options for motion rendering. The best looking Avid choice is FluidMotion Timewarp. Like other retiming technologies, this creates new “in-between” frames derived from actual surrounding frames when motion is slowed or sped up. A similar quality improvement can be achieved if you opt to use either Compressor or Motion instead of FCP.

In Compressor, apply a conversion preset and use Frame Controls to achieve a speed change. Select Best for Rate Conversion. Click Duration and set a percentage or a time value consistent with the speed you are trying to achieve. Inverse telecine can also be applied, but remember that this method only works for constant speeds and not speed ramps.

Motion is your other option. Speed changes can be achieved by either changing Properties for the clip or adding a Retiming behavior. To alter the image quality, reveal the Timing controls in the Properties tab. Set the speed and then select the type of Frame Blending in the drop-down menu. Optical flow yields the best result, although it will also on occasion introduce unwanted motion artifacts.

8. Controlling filter selections in Final Cut Pro

Ever wonder why some filter choices are listed twice in the FCP effects palette? That’s usually because you are seeing both the native FCP and the native Motion filters in the same pulldown menu. This is controlled by the Effects / Effects Availability setting. For example, when you select All Effects, you’ll see two Gaussian Blur and two Zoom Blur filters in the Blur category. Look in the Effects Class column of the FCP Browser and you’ll see that one of these is listed as an FxPlug filter. That’s the native Motion version of this filter. Change the setting to Only Recommended Effects and the FxPlug version of those two disappears, leaving you with only the native Final Cut version (not FxPlug). In most cases, either version can be used without issue.

Lastly, if you’ve installed a lot of plug-ins and would like to reduce the clutter of effects palette, then use the selection, Only My Preferred Effects. When this is selected, filters will only show up if you have placed a check in the Preferred column of the Browser.

9. Preparing stills for Final Cut

Final Cut Pro is resolution independent, but this doesn’t mean “resolution infinite”! Working with large, high-resolution files is almost always an issue when incorporating digital still photos into an FCP timeline. Although you can throw a lot at the software, some things work better than others. The exact point that you’ll choke FCP depends on factors like the software version, processing power, amount of RAM and the installed graphics card.

Final Cut Pro performs best with stills that are RGB-mode JPEG, TIFF or BMP files under 4,000 x 4,000 pixels. Many print-resolution files or digital still photos from high-megapixel cameras like the Canon 5D will exceed these sizes. Merely clicking on a 6,000 x 6,000 pixel TIFF file that’s CMYK and not RGB in the FCP Browser will often crash the app. Poof! Straight to Jail – do not pass GO, do not collect $200! My recommendation is always to review and prepare your graphics and stills prior to using them inside FCP.

The best applications for organizing, preparing and adjusting stills include Photoshop, Graphic Converter, Aperture, iPhoto and Lightroom. Files should always be 8-bit/channel RGB. Remove any alpha channels unless you intend to use the file for keying. Some folks will argue that FCP does better with uncompressed files, like TIFFs, as this reduces the decoding overhead of other files. That may be true, but I’ve always used JPEGs with good results. I’ll export the files in the JPEG format at the highest quality setting (12 in Photoshop) and reduce the frame size if it’s an extremely large file. Typically I’ll resize the frame to a maximum horizontal or vertical dimension of 2,500 pixels for SD and 3,500 for HD. This will usually give me plenty of space for a camera-style move on the image and still stay below 100% of the actual frame size.

10. Changing alpha setting

An ongoing dilemma with NLEs is how alpha channels are treated. Once imported into FCP you have the option of changing the alpha setting – None/Ignore, Straight, Black or White. The default is typically fine, but in some cases, a glow or a soft shadow will not have the proper transparency. For example, a white glow against a white background may result in a darker halo at the edge of the glow instead of seamlessly blending into the background. This can be corrected in FCP by opening the Format setting for that clip and changing the alpha setting to one of the other options. Change the master clip in the FCP Browser so it’s correct every time it is used, or correct it only in the timeline if it just needs to be fixed for one instance.

11. Positioning text and graphics

When you move a graphic or line of generated text using the FCP motion tab’s positioning controls, the result will often be soft or blurry. I believe this is related to FCP’s lack of subpixel filtering. Two rules I generally apply in these situations. First, whenever a generator (like Boris 3D or the Text generator) has a Control tab, I use the X,Y positioner in that tab and not the motion tab to reposition the text. This aligns the graphic without adding an additional modifying layer.

Second, any time I change scale or position parameters, I try to stay with even and whole number values. In order words, a scale value of 32, not 33; or a Y position value of 202, not 201.33. Try this for yourself and I think you’ll quickly see that the quality of anything with definite lines and detail, like text or a logo, will look much sharper at these even values. On rare occasions the opposite will be true. For example, it might look crisper if you nudge the text up to an odd number setting. In either case, experiment and see what looks best to you. Remember to only judge this when your Canvas is at a view setting of exactly 100%.

If these were helpful, check out Ten Tips For A Better Final Cut Pro Experience and 12 Tips for Better Film Editing.

© 2009 Oliver Peters

Remember film?

With all the buzz about various digital cameras like RED and the latest HDSLRs, it’s easy to forget that most national commercial campaigns, dramatic television shows, feature films and many local and regional spots are still filmed with ACTUAL 16mm and 35mm motion picture film. As an editor, you need to have a good understanding about the film transfer workflow and what information needs to be communicated between an editor and the transfer facility or lab.

Film transfers and speed

Film is typically exposed in the camera at a true 24fps. This is transferred in real-time to video using a scanner or telecine device like a Cintel Ursa or a DFT Spirit. During this process, the film’s running speed is slowed by 1/1000th to 23.98fps (also expressed as 23.976) – a rate compatible with the 29.97fps video rate of the NTSC signal. In addition, film that is being transferred to NTSC (525i) or high definition video for television (1080i/29.97 or 720p/59.94) is played with a cadence of repeated film frames, know as 3-2 pulldown. Film frames are repeated in a 2-3-2-3 pattern of video fields, so that 24 film frames equals 30 interlaced video frames (or 60 whole frames in the case of 720p) within one second of time. (Note: This is specific to the US and other NTSC-based countries. Many PAL countries shoot and post film content targeted for TV at a true 25fps.)

Film production requires the use of an external sound recorder. This production method is known as double-system sound recording. Analog audio recorders for film, like a Nagra, record at a true sound speed synced to 60Hz, or if timecode was used, at a true timecode value of 30fps. When the audio tape is synced to the film during the film-to-tape transfer session, the audio goes through a similar .999 speed adjustment, resulting in the sound (and timecode) running at 29.97fps instead of 30fps as compared to a real-time clock.

The film sound industry has largely transitioned from analog recorders – through DATs – to current file-based location recorders, like the Aaton Cantar or the Zaxcom Deva, which record multichannel Broadcast WAVE files. Sound speed and the subsequent sync-to-picture is based on sample rates. One frequent approach is for the location sound mixer to record the files at 48048 kHz, which are then “slowed” when adjusted to 48kHz inside the NLE or during film-to-tape transfer.

Check out 24p.com and zerocut.com for expanded explanations.

Film transfer

The objective of a film-to-tape transfer session is to color-correct the image, sync the sound and provide a tape and metadata for the editor. Sessions are typically booked as “unsupervised” (no client or DP looking over the colorist’s shoulders) or “supervised” (you are there to call the shots). The latter costs more and always takes more time. Unsupervised sessions are generally considered to be “one-light” or “best-light” color correction sessions. In a true one-light session, the telecine is set-up to a standard reference film loop and your footage is transferred without adjustment, based on that reference. During a best-light session, the colorist will do general, subjective color-correction to each scene based on his eye and input from the DP.

Truthfully, most one-light sessions today are closer to a best-light session than a true one-light. Few colorists are going to let something that looks awful go through, even if it matches a reference set-up. The best procedure is for the DP to film a few seconds of a Macbeth and a Grayscale chart as part of each new lighting set-up, which can be used by the colorist as a color-correction starting point. This provides the colorist with an objective reference relative to the actual lighting and exposure of that scene as intended by the DP.

Most labs will prep film negative for transfer by adding a countdown leader to a camera roll or lab roll (several camera rolls spliced together). They may also punch a hole in the leader (usually on the “picture start” frame or in the first slate). During transfer, it is common for the colorist to start each camera roll with a new timecode hour. The :00 rollover of that hour typically coincides with this hole punch. The average 35mm camera roll constitutes about 10-11 minutes of footage, so an hour-long video tape film transfer master will contain about five full camera rolls. The timecode would ascend from 1:00:00:00 up through 5:00:00:00 – a new hour value starting each new camera roll. A sync reference, like a hole-punched frame, corresponds to each new hour value at the :00 rollover. The second videotape reel would start with 6:00:00:00 and so on.

Many transfer sessions will also include the simultaneously syncing of the double-system audio. This depends on how the sound was recorded (Nagra, DAT or digital file) and the gear available at the facility. Bear in mind that when sound has to be manually synced by the colorist for each take – especially if this is by manually matching a slate with an audible clap – then the film-to-tape transfer session is going to take longer. As a rule-of-thumb MOS (picture-only), one-light transfer sessions take about 1.5 to 2 times the running length of the footage. That’s because the colorist can do a basic set-up and let a 10 minute camera roll transfer to tape without the need to stop and make adjustments or sync audio. Adding sound syncing and client supervision, often means the length of the session will increase by a factor of 4x or 5x.

The procedure for transferring film-to-tape is a little different for features versus a television commercial or a show. When film is transferred for a feature film, it is critical that a lot of metadata be included to facilitate the needs of a DI or cutting negative at the end of the line. I won’t go into that here, because it tends to be very specialized, but the information tracked includes audio and picture roll numbers, timecode, film keycode and scene/take information. This data is stored in a telecine log known as a FLEX file. This is a tab delimited text file, which is loaded by the editor into a database used by the NLE. It becomes the basis for ingesting footage and is used later as a cross-reference to create various film lists for negative cutting from the edited sequences.

If your use of film is for a commercial or TV show, then it’s less critical to track as much metadata. TV shows generally rely on tape-to-tape (or inside the NLE) color-correction and will almost never return to the film negative. You still want to “protect” for a negative cut, however, so you still need to track the film information. It’s nice to have the metadata as a way to go back to the film if you had to. Plus, some distributors still require cut negative or at least the film lists.

It’s more important that the film be transferred with a set-up that lends itself to proper color grading in post. This means that the initial transfer is going to look a bit flatter without any clipped highlights or crushed blacks. Since each show has its own unique workflow, it is important that the editors, post supervisor and dailies colorists are all on the same page. For instance, they might not want each camera roll to start with a new hour code. Instead, they might prefer to have each videotape reel stick with consistent ascending timecode. In other words, one hour TC value per videotape reel, so you know that 6:00:00:00 is going to be the start of videotape reel 6, and not film camera reel 6 / videotape reel 2, as in my earlier example.

Communication and guidelines are essential. It’s worth noting that the introduction of Digital Intermediate Mastering (DI) for feature films has clouded the waters. Many DI workflows no longer rely on keycode as a negative cut would. Instead, they have adopted a workflow not unlike the spot world, which I describe in the next section. Be sure to nail down the requirements before you start. Cover all the bases, even if there are steps that everyone assumes won’t be used. In the end, that may become a real lifesaver!

The spot world

I’m going to concentrate of the commercial spot world, since many of the readers are more likely to work here than in the rarified world of films and film-originated TV shows. Despite the advances of nonlinear color grading, most ad agencies still prefer to retransfer from the film negative when finishing the commercial.

This is the typical workflow:

-       Transfer a one-light to a video format for offline editing, like DVCAM

-       Offline edit with your NLE of choice

-       Generate transfer lists for the colorist based on the approved cut

-       Retransfer (supervised correction) selects to Digibeta or HD for finishing

-       Online editing/finishing plus effects

In this world, often different labs and transfer facilities, as well as editorial shops, may be used for each of these steps. Communication is critical. In many cases the director and DP may not be involved in the transfer and editing stages of the project, so the offline editor frequently plays the role of a producer. This is how spot editors worked in the film days and how many of the top commercial cutters still work today in New York, LA, Chicago or London.

In the first two steps, the objective is to get all of the footage that was shot ready to edit in the least time-consuming and most inexpensive manner possible. No time wasted in color-correction or using more expensive tape formats just to make creative decisions. The downside to this approach is that the client sometimes sees an image that isn’t as good as it could be (and will be in the end). This means the editor might have to do some explaining or add some temporary color-correction filters, just so the client understands the potential.

When the offline editing is done, the editor must get the correct info to the colorist who will handle the retransfer of the negative. For example, if each camera roll used a different hour digit, it will be important for the editor to know – and to relay – the correct relationship between camera rolls and timecode starts. For instance, if a hole punch was not used, then does 1:00:00:00 match “picture start” on the camera one leader? Does it match the 2-pop on the countdown? Does it match the first frame of the slate?

When film negative is retransferred, the colorist will transfer only the shots used in the finished cut of the commercial. Standard procedure is to transfer the complete shot “flash-to-flash”. In other words, from the start to the end of exposure on that shot. If it’s too long – as in an extended recording with many takes – then the colorist will transfer the shot as cut into the spot, plus several seconds of “handles”. This is almost always a client-supervised session and it can easily take 6-8 hours to work through the 40-50 shots that make up a fast paced spot.

The reason it’s important to know how the timecode corresponds to the original transfer, is because the colorist will use these same values in the retransfer. The colorist will line up camera roll one to a start frame that matches 1:00:00:00. If a shot starts at 1:05:10:00, then the colorist will roll down to that point, color-correct the shot and record it to tape with the extra handle length. Colorists will work in the ascending scene order of the source camera rolls – not is the order that these shots occur in the edited sequence. This is done so that film negative rolls are shuttled back and forth as little as possible.

As shots are recorded to videotape, matching source timecode will be recorded to the video master. As a result, the videotape transfer master will have ascending timecode values, but the timecode will not be contiguous. The numbers will jump between shots. During the online editing (finishing) session, the new footage will be batch-captured according to the shots in the edited sequence, so it’s critical that the retransferred shots match the original dailies as frame-accurately as possible. Otherwise the editor would be forced to match each shot visually! Therefore, it’s important to have a sufficient amount of footage before and after the selected portion of the shot, so that the VTR can successfully cue, preroll and be ingested. If all these steps are followed to the letter, then the online edit (or the “uprez” process) will be frame-accurate compared with the approved rough cut of the spot.

To make sure this happens smoothly, you need to give the colorist a “C-mode” list. This is an edit decision list that is sorted in the ascending timecode order of the source clips. This sort order should correspond to the same ascending order of shots as they occur on the camera rolls. Generating a proper C-mode EDL in some NLEs can be problematic, based on how they compute the information. Final Cut is especially poor at this. A better approach is to generate a log-style batch list. The colorist doesn’t use these files in an electronic fashion anyway, so it doesn’t matter if it’s an EDL, a spreadsheet, a hand-written log or a PDF. One tactic I take in FCP is to duplicate the sequence and strip out all effects, titles and audio from the dupe. Next, I copy & paste the duped sequence to a new, blank bin, which creates a set of corresponding subclips. This can be sorted and exported as a batch list. The batch list, in turn can be further manipulated. You may add color correction instructions, reference thumbnail images and so on.

Once I get the tape back from the retransfer session, I will Media Manage (FCP) or Decompresss (Avid) the sequence to create a new offline sequence. These clips can then be batch-captured for the final sequence with full-quality video (also called “uprezzing”). In some cases, FCP’s Media Manager has let me down and I’ve had to resort to exporting an EDL and using that as a basis for the batch capture. EDLs have proven to be pretty bullet-proof in the spot world.

Even though digital is where it’s at – or so I’ve heard – film will be here for years. So don’t forget how to work with it. If you’ve never had to work with it yet, no time like the present to learn. Your day will come soon.

©2009 Oliver Peters