Multi-Cam Edit - 5D + Ex1 - Convert to XD CAM or Pro Res?

A

andrew00

Well-known member
Hey,

Last night I filmed some live music and used my Canon 5D for the first time. I also had a mate use my Ex1 + Letus Extreme combo. It was all super last minute so I mostly guessed on settings but got the two cameras looking pretty similar.

I'll post some direct from camera side by sides in the next day or two.

However, in the meantime, I want to multi-cam edit them in FCP. I was wondering if people would recommend converting the 5D footage to XDCAM EX, like the Ex1 and editing that way.

Or if I should convert both to Pro Res 422.

It's been a while since I've done a multi-cam edit so I forget if it's viable to edit w/XD Cam codec wise.

Many thanks in advance.

Oh and whilst I'm here. I remembered to set the Ex1 to 30P so it would be compatible w/the 5D, and even got the shutter to 1/50, hurrah!

But then I realised - 5D is 30fps hard, Ex1 is 29.97. What's the best way to get around this mess, considering I have hours of footage!
 
FCP doesn't write XDCamEX to my knowledge. And even if it could, why would you? Take them both to ProRes and don't look back.

Not sure how to handle your timecode issue in FCP. In Vegas I just drop in and go. Hopefully one of the FCP gurus will get you on your way.
 
Prores. Always work in Prores. Every editor I know, myself included, has worked in that codec since it was released. There are too many proprietary Hd formats to mention. If all are always converted to the same format you will be a happy camper. Prores just happens to be a great codec and one that works flawlessly with FCP.
 
Thanks a lot for the replies. I've now started converting the 5D footage to Pro Res 422.

However, does anyone have any suggestions about the second issue - of frame rates?

The XD CAM EX footage was recorded in 30p aka 29.97fps, whereas the PR 422 footage is 30fps.

I've seen the various methods of conforming 30p to 24p, involving Cinema Tools and time stretching, but since I've not the unedited footage at the moment, that'd take years to do.

Is there a better method of getting the 30fps now in PRes 5D footage to 29.97 natively?

If there's a simple answer, forgive me, I'm a PAL user heh.
 
Well afaik the 5D shoots at 30 frames exactly, and 30p from the ex1 will be 29.97 w/ a pull down.

So there's a 0.03 fps differential, which I'd need to correct.

Right?
 
There isn't a pulldown on the 29.97. We aren't trying to do 24p here. So yes, you need to conform your 30p footage to 29.97.

I don't know what tools you have on the Mac, but on the PC, there are many programs that can do this in batch mode. Select an input folder with your 30p footage, select an output folder where you want your 29.97, adjust the settings, and go. Walk away, come back and they're all done. Or programs like Vegas which handle this transparently.

Again, hopefully someone on the Mac can steer you right.

Let me ask you this... what happens if you convert your 5D footage to ProRes 4:2:2 29.97? Does it do the work for you?
 
Yes there is an option in Pro Res to select the frame rate - and so yes I could select 29.97.

I however didn't know the best method of converting - if to do so in compressor or to do afterwards.

B/C surely if I confirm to 29.97 then the video will go out of sync when I do a multicam edit?
 
Yes it will. It'll take a while before it's noticeably out of lip sync, but yes, if you're trying to do multicam between a 29.97 and a 30.00 camera, that's problematical.
 
Aye, so is the best thing to do to go back to Compressor and re-convert the H.264 files to Pro Res, and this time PR 29.97 vs what I did before, which was 30 fps dead on?
 
Sorry to Bump, but I'm keen to get editing and wonder if anyone knows the answer to my above question, otherwise it's a pot luck guess!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top