Re: XDCAM workflow

Walter,

I can certainly sympathize with your situation! I honestly have "heard" a few times from others of what you are describing, but those typically ended up being operator error. Being a Producer, I know it can be upsetting when you put your project in the hands of others only to have non-satisfactory results.

I'm NOT SAYING that is the case here... but perhaps. Was the camera set up in 35Mbps (i.e. "HQ" mode)?

I've shot ALL KINDS of outdoor stuff for Sony to use in marketing, trade shows, etc., with NO problems what so ever. I will admit... I'm an AVID owner's manual reader! I like to know as much about gear as I can before using it! I know most of the settings before heading into the field. If I don't remember, I ALWAYS have a manual with me.

The bad key: It may be due to the exposure of the background. I would suggest, for ANY acquisition format, that you check with the manufacturer of YOUR keying process to find out what they "suggest" or mandate the IRE exposure levels to ensure a proper key.

Recently, I had a customer that MANDATED we set up a key at 40 IRE! I told them that was ENTIRELY TOO LOW! I even called "Ultimatte", his keying company/software of choice! They told me they suggest 80 IRE for all of their keys! So, he was using HALF of the levels needed for the software to work correctly! As you can guess... it didn't work! We were hired again... by the same company... this time "use 45 IRE!" I think you can guess how that came out! I was smart... at the end of the shoot, I set it up how WE would do it, according to Ultimatte's suggestions, and they said it keyed perfectly... "Now we know..."

If you'd like, I can send you a link to some footage on my YouTube channel for you to review. Most of that EX footage was shot in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons parks... looks amazing!

What frame rate are you shooting? I mix it up, but haven't noticed any problems in ANY particular frame rate.

Curt

Curt Pair
Picture This Productions
Sony ICE Team
F900/F800/F350/PDW700/EX1/EX3/D790/D600
Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 HD/Matrox
Phoenix, AZ