GoPro & T2i Final Cut Sequence Settings and Workflow Help

[JeffreyJim]

Been a long time since I've last edited anything (never done any HD editing) and am in need of some help.

I'm struggling with which sequence settings to go with in FCP for a project which will deal with the following video types...

GoPro 720p 60fps
GoPro 720p 30fps
T2i 1080p 30fps (or 24fps...you tell me what I should shoot with on the T2i for best quality)

The other problem I'm having is establishing the best workflow with the GoPro which is efficient and I lose no quality, here is what I've got figured out to this point:

Download to hard drive
Use MPEG Steam to convert to ProRes 4444 (best editing codec?) and flip if upside down (any other settings I should be aware of to apply/not apply in MPEG Steam?)
Use Cinema tools to convert to 30 fps (if 60). Should I go to 29.97 or 30?
Ready for use in FCP.

I'm unsure of what to do with my T2i footage (what the workflow should look like)

My current sequence settings in FCP I end up with black bars on both sides of my video when viewing the canvas of the actual timeline. I can't seem to find any sequence settings that retain aspect ratio, quality and I do not end up stretching or distorting the picture.

Ideally, I want all my footage to work together in the same project at the highest quality possible.

Final result will both be put on a DVD for personal use (viewed on a TV) as well as uploaded to Vimeo/Youtube.

Yes, I'm way in over my head. Thanks in advance

Jeff

[kidwoo]

If you're lucky, atrain will see this.


Start looking here if you haven't already.

www.dvxuser.com


There are a bunch of threads regarding workflow on apple systems and canon dslr footage.

You could also just get a pc and run premiere pro and then use all your raw footage directly with no conversion but you probably don't want to hear that.

[advres]

Start a new sequence with any settings. Whatever the MAJORITY of your footage is shot in, drop one clip in and when it asks you to reset the timeline to the clips settings, click yes.

And Kidwoo... Premiere runs fine on Macs, but how many feature films were edited on it? Ohh, that's right, NONE.

[advres]

and as far as the frame rate it depends on delivery. Right now in this age frame rate is very difficult to talk about because of delivery. We have the web, SDTV, HDTV and projection all of which handle different frame rates.

[kidwoo]

Start a new sequence with any settings. Whatever the MAJORITY of your footage is shot in, drop one clip in and when it asks you to reset the timeline to the clips settings, click yes.

And Kidwoo... Premiere runs fine on Macs, but how many feature films were edited on it? Ohh, that's right, NONE.

I've never used PP on a mac though so I kept my mouth shut. Would be funny if it worked.

There's a long history of final cut ruling digital editing. No question. But it's all from when final cut didn't suck my balls on evolving formats and before premiere stepped up and kept improving.

Think about what we're talking about..... two extremely common formats out there right now that work flawlessly in one program and not the other. How many people are using final cut on DSLR footage without converting and getting smooth playback? Ohh that's right, NONE

You should give premiere a shot if you haven't since CS3. The shit's pretty solid these days.



On your other post: what do guys like TGR do for a delivery format when they shoot something like 16mm and then deliver to DVD? Just throw in a pulldown?

[JeffreyJim]

Funny, I'm FAR more comfortable in Premier than FCP but I figure that'll change over the next month of learning.

In any case, still not totally sure what to do. Maybe I'll PM Atrain. He seems to have this on lockdown so I don't have to spend the next few weeks reinventing the wheel persay.

[advres]

There's a long history of final cut ruling digital editing. No question. But it's all from when final cut didn't suck my balls on evolving formats and before premiere stepped up and kept improving.

Apples lack of forward thinking has been a real thorn in my side for a very long time. "It's ProRes or NoRes"!

You should give premiere a shot if you haven't since CS3. The shit's pretty solid these days.

I have it. I use it when I have a client that needs a project done shot with a DSLR. I don't use it if the client needs the project file since 90% of my clients are FCP and 10% are AVID. 0% are Premiere. It's just a fact of life that it is a good product, but it doesn't have enough saturation in the market. Plus, it is good now, but many people have a bad taste in their mouth when it used to suck balls and emptied peoples wallets hoping the next update would make it better (took many, many years).

On your other post: what do guys like TGR do for a delivery format when they shoot something like 16mm and then deliver to DVD? Just throw in a pulldown?

Well when I worked there things were probably much different then they are now. We were working in DVCPRO HD 29.97 timelines from the getgo. The HDV stuff was captured in that codec. The 16mm/8mm came back from telecine on HDCAM tapes already with the pulldown and we captured them DVCPRO HD. The VIO stuff was all imported/resized and converted to the same codec.

When I was there, the HD market was in it's infancy and there was no way the stuff was going to 24p. Times have changed and I assume their workflow is drastically different now.

[kidwoo]

Yeah it definitely seems like the balance is shifting between the two programs in functionality. I have no clients so I just use what works The old codgers stuck in their ways will die off eventually . I also like the pc realm just because there are so many independent applications out there to play with.

Thanks for the info. I always wondered what was up with DVDs when you'd see clips obviously shot at 30fps right next to clips obviously shot at 24.