editing in SD from HD

[angela]

I am sure this has been discussed a hundred times and I promise I'm not being lazy on my research (well okay, maybe). I just have a simple question that I hope has a simple answer. I am working on an SD project. I am going to have to add some footage that was shot on the HVX in 720p30p. If my FCP timeline is SD how can I properly incorporate the HD footage into it. How do I convert it to SD?

Thanks,
Angela

[FilmBoy77]

if i'm not mistaken, there is a way to downconvert HD footage from the p2 card to tape.

[Jim Carswell]

FilmBoy is correct you can downconvert in camera from P2 cards to mini DV. You can also down convert inside FCP. You can create the appropriate HD sequence/timeline... edit your HD material than copy it to your SD sequence/timeline which will then be rendered out as SD.
Jim

[MikeCurtis]

....or if you have time, use compressor to do a high quality conversion to SD

[angela]

Okay. Thanks!

[Mathew Knight]

I have found a very easy way is to use final cut pros 'recompress' iption in the media manager. I don't know if this is the best quality conversion but it easy quite easy & convenient. Just select an HD sequence (or I think an HD clip) then go to media manager, select 'recompress' and choose whatever format you want to change it too from a pull down menu in the media manager tool. (You get the whole easy setup list).
Then OK it and final cut creates a new sequence (or clip) that is in the new format.

very easy. Same process can be used for converting 720 HD to 1080 HD.

The reason I think this is better than converting in camera to miniDV is that you can turn the footage into DVCPRO-50 not just DV. Although this will of course depend on what you need to output the whole thing as.

PS. I am not an editor so I have just enough post production knowledge to be dangerous