Wedding Videography at 60p on HVX200

C

clipgloss

Member
Hello All!

I've had the HVX200 since December of 2006 and have been producing corporate videos in True HD (both 1080i and 720p formats). I get a lot of wedding clients as well, but have not had anyone wanting to upgrade until now. I have my first True HD wedding in a couple of weeks.

I would very much like to shoot the entire wedding (well, at least entire ceremony) in 720/60p so I can achieve true slow motion at any moment while editing.

Question: In post production, what is the best workflow for this scenario? Obviously, I do not want the entire wedding to be in slow motion. I just want to have the information available so I can take advantage of the true slow motion when opportunities present themselves.

The final medium is going to be Blu-ray Disc.

The main timeline is going to be 30p, correct? After importing the 60p footage, should I make a 30p version of the footage using the HD Frame Rate Converter in Final Cut? That seems like sooo much work and hard drive space! There has to be another solution!

To spell it out, I want to edit in 30p like normal but be able to switch to true slow motion at 60p whenever I want.

What would happen if I edited everything on a 60p timeline? How might that change my workflow? I'm just trying to come up with a solution here!

I know this sounds incredibly confusing, but I'm really trying to accomplish a simple thing. There has to be a simple answer. ;-)

I use Final Cut Studio 5.1 on my PowerMac 2.0GHz Dual Processor.

Thank you for your comments and helping me figure out this workflow solution!
 
You could just edit in a 60p timeline and then export to 30p.

Also, when using the framerate converter you can choose to not create a self contained movie. Do this and you will use no more disk space than your original footage takes up.
 
Ah, thanks faustfire. ;-) Using the HD FRC and making a second version in 30p and NOT creating it as a self-contained movie would be a good option!

If I were to edit on a 60p timeline and export the entire sequence to 30p for the final video, how would you suggest achieving the true slow motion during the edit in select places . . . on the 60p timeline, of course?

Thanks!
 
Good god. Are you using a different method than what I am thinking of?

An entire wedding shot at 720/24pn/60fps? Unless the wedding is VERY fast, you must be going straight to hard disk or laptop.

Also through personal experience I have found some evening weddings can be in dark/dimlit churches, and 60fps is going to knock you down a stop.
 
Thanks for your input. ;-) It is an outdoor wedding. Lots of light . . . no problem with that. I'm going to be shooting to a Firestore. Actually, I have a couple.

And, I'm shooting 720/60p. 60fps. Not 24fps.
 
Do you mean 60p or 60 variable frame rate at 24pn? The latter will give you the slow mo effect I think you are looking for while taking up 2.5 times of disc space per real time minute.

BTW, how are you handling sound?
 
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I mean 60p at 720. Thanks for clarifying. I'm not familiar with the variable frame rates using the "film" (not "video") mode of the camera. Does shooting in 60p mode at 720 not get you true slow motion? Are 60 frames per second not shot? How is it different from shooting in "60 variable frame rate"?

Thanks. I'm getting just a little confused here. Sorry . . .
 
If you shoot in variable framerates (i.e. 60fps) you will not be able to record audio.. Something to keep in mind if you are using just one camera
 
But if you shoot 720/60p then yes audio will be recorded the whole time. Put it in VIDEO CAM mode and choose 720/60p and you'll get audio.
 
Thanks guys! I appreciate you letting me know about the "no audio" with the variable framerates. I'll stick to 720/60p like I have been.

Can we please go back to my main question? The best workflow solution for what I am trying to achieve? Thanks! ;-)
 
Ok, well since we have the Video mode guy confused, the film mode guy (me) is confused...

If he shoots in "Video" 720/60.... besides the 'video look', can he extract and expand that timeline to get a clean and true 60fps slowmotion?

I've got to go dig out Barry's Book... I thought I would ask though because it seems we have his attention. :)
 
60P doesn't mean "slow motion", it means 60 fps. If you're shooting at 60fps and playing back at 60fps, then you'll have the "live" look (aka the "video" look). Watch the Super Bowl or any sports event on ESPN HD, or Fox or ABC, or watch any prime-time reality show on Fox or ABC, and you'll see 720/60p at 60fps.

It's only slow motion if you play it back at a slower frame rate (like 24p or 30p).

So yes, if you wanted to drop into frame duplication mode you could turn 60p into 30p, but if you want the "live" look you'd shoot 60fps and play back at 60fps.
 
Ah, got it, Barry. Thanks! So, can I still choose to take that 60p footage and bring it into a 30p timeline and have the slow motion that I want for certain parts of the wedding? Thanks again . . .
 
Certainly you could. I can't tell you how to do it in every editor, but in Vegas you'd play the footage back at 1/2 speed and get frame-accurate slow motion, or you'd let it run at double speed to get 30p at "real time" motion.
 
Thanks Barry. ;-) Any tricks to doing exactly that but in Final Cut 5.1? (Besides the regular "clip speed" option?) All within a 30p timeline that I have set up?

Thank you!!
 
Hey guys and gals,

Anyone else willing to give me any tips or pointers on the best workflow solution for what I'm trying to achieve here?

Thanks for all of your input! I greatly appreciate it! ;-)
 
Maybe I'm wrong, but if shooting 720 60P I think you are going to drop it into a 60P timeline for normal speed through most of the wedding. Than change the speed to 1/2 (or even less should look fairly smooth) when needed. I would use ramping when varying the speed for a smooth speed change.
 
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