format for shooting music video

[smelni]

I am shooting a music vid next weekend and the client did want to shoot it in HD - however the final product will be shipped to network tv stations - My feeling is that I should be shooting this in dvcpro50 to avoid any post problems since she wants it edited quickly.

Is there any reason to go with HD or is it overkill since our output will need to be SD (is that correct? - for most broadcast SD is the format right?).

She is open to my recommendation so any guidance here would be much appreciated.

[AppliedVisual]

Need to ask the intended broadcaster what formats they accept. If you can handle the shoot and edit in HD, then go for it. You may need to rent a deck for final output too in order to get the video to the broadcaster in a format they support, and/or use a service that can take your DVCPRO video and convert it to a format the broadcaster may use (HDCAM or whatnot).

[smelni]

there isnt A broadcaster to ask - its going to be shopped around to about 150 networks so I assume the item shopped around will be in SD - or maybe not - not sure

I would like to shoot in HD but I am a little worried about the workflow and editing it - One of our editors works on avid 4.x so he cant handle the footage.

Is there an easy way to take all the HD footage and downrez it all to SD after the fact if the editor needs it that way?

[evinsky]

Shoot in 720 24PN, the data rate is actually less than DVCpro 50. Then downrez in FCP. It looks very good, almost at good as DVCpro 50 it's self. Of course the 720 looks amazing on a HD monitor.

[smelni]

That makes sense, but for a broadcast video dont we have to shoot 60i or 30P or will they just convert from 24 frames later?

[evinsky]

You should be doing the conversion before delivery.
FCP does this very well and without too much hassle.
If your editing the spots just cut in HD and downres the final.

[AppliedVisual]

there isnt A broadcaster to ask - its going to be shopped around to about 150 networks so I assume the item shopped around will be in SD - or maybe not - not sure

I would like to shoot in HD but I am a little worried about the workflow and editing it - One of our editors works on avid 4.x so he cant handle the footage.

Is there an easy way to take all the HD footage and downrez it all to SD after the fact if the editor needs it that way?

If it's going to be shopped around, then definitely shoot in HD! While many individual broadcasters aren't quite on the HD bandwagon just yet for their own content, the networks themselves are starved for HD content.

As the video is shopped around, it will have to be made available in both SD and HD form and various formats, depending on what individual studios/broadcasters are willing to look at or consider. Usually, starting with you or your client contacting a potential buyer via phone or an inquiry letter requesting instructions (how, when, which format, etc..) for submittal and consideration.

Do what evinsky suggested - shoot/edit in 24p. It opens up the most creative optins for you with this camera.