This is probably super-basic stuff, but i'll be starting using Apple Color soon, in an HDV to SD workflow.
My question is: should i color correct in HDV (or DVCproHD or Prores422 etc) first and THEN downconvert to SD? Or Should i downconvert first, and only THEN do all the color stuff.
I'm trying to figure out wether I need to monitor HD at all, if all my output will be SD :)
Re: very basic question... by Belal Hibri on Apr 8, 2008 at 5:04:17 pm
I'm not sure, but I think it might depend on how you plan on doing your downconvert. If you are using FCP to do it or using hardware (Kona, etc). I believe if you down convert using hardware it can affect your luma values. FCP's downconvert preserves what your color, but doesn't necessarily look as good. To be safe, you may want to downconvert first and grade in the format it will finally be presented in. This is especially true if you won't ever be showing an HDV version. I could be wrong, so I'd love to find out what one of the big hitters around here might say. Walt?
Are you going web, dvd, broadcast? That can affect how you should approach this as well.
Re: very basic question... by walter biscardi on Apr 8, 2008 at 7:59:26 pm
Like the others say, get out of HDV if you want to go to Color. IN fact, just get out of HDV period anyway, lousy codec to edit in. Great for shooting, but not editing.
If it was me, I would convert the HDV to DVCPro HD, edit and grade the entire project, then use my Kona 3 to do a realtime downconvert to the SD master at the end.
Since all you need is an SD project, you might just want to convert your HDV to 8bit SD on the way in and edit / grade that.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.
Re: very basic question... by Nikola Stefanovic on Apr 9, 2008 at 10:22:55 am
If you want to have HD master of your project, the best way is to ingest material in Prores HQ, grade and export in same codec.
If you have access to quality hardware down converter, like HDCAM deck, use that. You can also use After Effects to downconvert final material, place your HD footage in SD composition, scale it down, then apply Unsharp mask filter with amount set to 100, radius to 1,1 to 1,3 and treshold 10-25. Then apply Reduce interlace flicker set to 0,2. Compressor 3 also have a good results with HD to SD downconversion.
