Appendix 1

The Filmmaker’s Guide to Final Cut Pro Workfl ow
Because of the high cost of an HD online facility, it is necessary to do an off-line edit at standard
defi nition and then online with the original HD video. This requires a down conversion of the HD
video to SD video. The SD video can then be edited slowly at the editor’s pace without worrying
about being “on the clock” at several hundred dollars per hour.
There are several good ways to down-convert and capture into the off-line system. The fi rst requires
down-converting the video on the fl y from the original HD tapes and recording onto SD NTSC videotape
at 29.97 FPS. This is done tape-to-tape usually to a DVCam tape.
• The HD tape is played on an HD recorder and recorded to DVCam tape with matching time code
formats.
• As the video is down-converted, it also receives a 3 : 2 or 2 : 3 : 3 : 2 frame rate conversion to
29.97 FPS.
• The DVCam tape receives two window burns. One displays the time code from the original HD
tape, the other the time code recorded onto the DVCam tape.
• The two time codes must be the same general type, drop-frame or nondrop-frame. Usually this is
nondrop.
• Although the two time codes display different frame rates, the zero frames must line up. And there
must be a zero A-frame reference between the two.
• A cycle identifi er is added to the HD time code window burn.
• When played, the DVCam tape 30 NDF time code window burn will count normally, but the 24
NDF with cycle identifi er will lurch along with some numbers and letters unreadable.
• The DVCam tape is now logged and captured. If the down converts are 2 : 3 : 3 : 2, the capture can
be done at 24 P (23.98) by simply checking the check box in the capture window.
• Be sure to clearly name your tapes in capture and label both the HD tapes and down-converts
with the same names.
• Down-converts with 3 : 2 cadence will need to be reversed in Cinema Tools to 23.98.
Export the Final Cut Pro batch list.
Open Cinema Tools. Create a new database. Now import the Final Cut Pro batch list. Link the
media.
Batch reverse telecine.
• Captured and reversed footage will now show normal counting in the 24 NDF time code window, and
the cycle identifi er will show clean A, B, C, and D, but the 30 NDF will be missing one frame number
in every fi ve. (For a more detailed look at this workfl ow, see Appendix 9 on match backs.)
On some projects, down-converts have been made by rolling dual recorders in production. HD and
SD DVCam tapes are recorded simultaneously whenever the camera rolls. This has proven to be
problematic. It is tricky enough to get good down-converts with proper time code and window burns
without attempting to do this in “video village” on the set or in camera.
Another way to down-convert and capture is to capture directly from the camera HD tapes at low
resolution. In this case, the log and capture is done in a high-defi nition facility directly to portable
drive. The capture settings in Final Cut Pro are set to Photo JEPG 23.98 and all the footage is logged
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