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I have a project shot on a Sony EX3.  SO I have XDCAM-EX footage.

Opened an Adobe Premiere project, set its Sequence settings to XDCAM EX HQ 1080i50

• Wondered immediately what that implied.  Like OK the source is XDCAM-EX which is Mpeg2 encoding inside a MP4 container, but why does the Sequence care how the source is stored?  Surely it only needs to know things like the format is 1080i50 then it can store any intermediate files in DNxHD or Cineform or whatever Adobe prefers.  I am very confused by this kind of thing, just as I was in FCP.  Maybe it’s obvious or maybe “I think to much”.
• Adobe has a thing called Import and it can (I discovered) accept MP4 files from XDCAM-EX’s BPAV folder-structures (deep down within the CLIPR subfolder).  But I know that is a stupid way to go. The MP4 files are but the “essence” that is “stitched together” (mixed metaphors or what?) by the likes of SMIL and XML files.  It’s only at the latter level that smooth continuum happens.
• Enter Adobe Premiere’s Media Browser. I “knew” there had to be something like that.  I discovered it via http://wwwimages.adobe.com/www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/products/premiere/pdfs/cs5-premiere-pro-sonyxdcam-wfg.pdf which itself I discovered via Bing search on [sony xdcam-ex adobe premiere cs5.5 workflow].  OK to get XDCAM-EX footage into an Adobe Premiere project you do [WIndow >Media Browser] or else Shift-8, then don’t expect some window popping-up or anything, just instect the [Media Browser] tab at the lower-left of the GUI screen.  Drill-down to the required recording and double-click.  The media appears in a Source Preview window (I wonder but don’t mightily care what Adobe calls it).
  • OK I do care a bit really, and according to an Adobe video tutorial, it’s called a Source Monitor.
  • Initially it was too zoomed-in, presumably displayig at 1:1 (pixel).  ”Zoom to Fit” was but a right-click away…
• You can drag from Source Monitor to the Timeline or to other places.
• I tried that with some EX3 footage where I pan across the front of the famous Wembley Stadium, UK.  In Sony Vegas (my erstwhile “comfortable old shoe”) it snatches and drags.  In Adobe Premiere, as in Sony Clip Browser, it pans smoothly.  Guess where I’m heading…

When multicam-ing in FCP 7, one user reports <<I have found it much better to convert the 5D footage to the XDCAM EX codec instead of converting the EX footage to a ProRes 422 as the file sizes are absurd and there is still a gamma shift problem)>>.  It’s the gamma-shift that would bother me.

Additionally the user explains how to convert DSLR footage to XDCAM-EX format:

• http://mrmagicproductions.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/multi-cam-editing-with-a-sony-ex1-or-ex3-and-5dmk-ii/
  • To Convert the DSLR Footage:
    • Copy the exact file structure from the 5D card to the desired place on your hard drive.
      • Example tree should read:  5DCAM/”DCIM”  ”MISC” (both of the previous words in quotes are two separate folders as one will see in the native card structure)/100EOS5D/”MVI_0001.MOV”  ”MVI_0001.THM” (Again…multiple files in this folder)
    • Open MPEG Streamclip (Just google it to find and download the free program) and go to “File”, “Open Files” and select as many of the .MOV files from your hard drive that you need to convert for a multi-clip.
    • Go to “File”, “Export to Quicktime”
    • At the top of the dialog box where it says, “Compression” choose one of the XDCAM EX compression methods that fit with how your footage was shot.
    • Example:  I shot at 1920 x 1080 at 24 frames per second so I will choose, “XDCAM EX 1080p24 (35Mb/s VBR)” since this also matches the settings of the EX footage.
    • Make sure your frame rate in Streamclip on the lower right area is set to 23.98 if you shot at 24fps in your session
    • Click “Make Movie” and select your target destination
  •  The following will explain how to get the footage into FCP
    • After using Log and Transfer for your EX footage, simply select “Import” under the “File” menu and browse to your new media.
    • Double click your EX clip so it opens in the Source window.
    • Go to a point you would like to use as a sync point, stop playback and hit the letter “I” for “In-Point”  Repeat this exact process with your 5D clip.
    • Select both your 5D and EX clip in the Project area where your clips are listed, right click and select, “Make Multi-Clip”.
    • Select for the clips to be synced using In-Points and you now have a multi-clip.
  • Editing in Multi-Cam Mode
    • Drag the new multi-clip into the main timeline.
    • In the main timeline, click the “RT” button to the upper left of the video tracks.  Make sure that “Multi-clip Playback” is checked.
    • In the source window, look for the button with two playback heads and an “X” between them.  It is located at the top of the window directly in the center.  Click this button and choose, “Open”.  This will sync the source and canvas windows.
    • Double click your multi-clip in the main timeline; this should open both camera views in the source window.
    • Click anywhere in the main timeline and hit the space bar.  You should now see both videos in the source window playing and available for you to click on the angle you want.
    • When you’re done you should highlight everything in the main timeline, right click and select, “Collapse Multi-Clip”.  Don’t worry, you can easily turn it back on to continue multi-cam editing; this will just save on RAM.

I’ve heard of S-Log from Sony, C-Log etc.  Also on a forum I came across a reference to a Log-like matrix config for the Sony XDCAM-EX cameras.  Alister Chapman has been experimenting with this, and apparently makes some profiles available as zip files, in his article at http://www.xdcam-user.com/camera-setup/log-style-picture-profiles-for-pmw-f3-and-ex1r/.

The zip files contains a SONY folder with [.suf] (settings) files as follows:

•  SONY
  • PRO
    • CAMERA
      • XDCAM EX
        • PMW_EX1R
          • PPDATA.SUF
        • PMW_F3
          • PPDATA.SUF

No settings files for the EX3, but Alister Chapman advises that If you manually copy the F3 settings into the EX3 (folder) they should be extremely close.

• Folder: PMW_EX3
• FileName: SETUP.SUF

However he indicates that for EX1/EX3 camera, the log profile’s advantage (just under a stop of extra latitude) is marginal, given their noise issues (when used in this way), requiring -3dB gain and possible use of a good de-noiser like Neat Video (my favourite) in post. He lists other picture profiles at http://www.xdcam-user.com/2011/06/ex1-and-ex3-picture-profiles/ and also at http://www.xdcam-user.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=107.

Just now, leafing through Philip Bloom’s blog, I came across a reader response with:

<<<

…I’d love to see a flat profile on the FS-100. Perhaps something like:

G-LOG B:
Black Level: +11
Gamma Cinematone1
Black Gamma: High, +7
Knee: 75, -3
Color Mode: Standard, +8
Color Level -5
Color Phase -7
Color Depth: R-1, G+2, B-3, C+5, M+1, Y+3
WB-Shift: LB-7, CC+1
Detail-7

These are settings from Frank Glencairn’s blog.

>>>

The original Frank Glencairn blog article, which features more than one variety of G-Log profile, is at http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/new-free-g-log-s-logish-picture-profiles-for-the-sony-fs100-version-1-0/

I have a Sony XDCAM-EX clip at 1280×720p25 to be transcoded to ProRes, so it can be used as source for iMovie (for another user on another machine).

In principle it should be very simple: go on Mac, use Compressor to transcode the XDCAM footage to ProRes.  But as usual, things are pernickety…

Sequence:

• First tried dragging the XDCAM [.mp4] file into compressor.
  • Not recognised.
  • Likewise the BPAV folder.
• Next, I transcoded the XDCAM footage to “MXF for NLEs” format, using the Mac version of Sony Clip Browser
  • Not recognised.
•  Next, opened the XDCAM Transfer app.
  • In this app, open the XDCAM’s BPAV folder.
  • The footage displays OK but how do I export it to a QuickTime [MOV] file?
  • Looks like I can’t.  It only offers to export to an [MP4] file.
  • Instead, I guess I’ll have to open it from FCP.
• FCP
  • I opened a random existing FCP project.
  • The footage is 720p but the project/sequence settings are arbitrary (unknown to me)
  • FCP: File > Import > Sony XDCAM…
  • It imported to somewhere … but where?
  • FCP Browser: file > RightClick > Reveal in Finder
  • It was at [/Volumes/GRm HFS+/_Media/_Projects/2010-05-30 (Esp) Alison Doggies/020 Source/Sony XDCAM Transfer/SxS_01]
• File System:
  • In other words, at whatever destination was last used by some app - presumably XDCAM Transfer or possibly FCP
  • The destination path was in fact specified in XDCAM Transfer, under its Menu: [XDCAM Transfer > Preferences > Import]
  • Moved the file instead to [/Volumes/GRm HFS+/_Media/_Projects/2009-11-22 (JRM) Lady of the Silver Wheel]
• Compressor:
  • Open it in Compressor
    • Drag it to the “job-strip” (my term) in Compresor.
  • Compressor displays data about that clip (e.g. 1280×720, 25 fps)
  • Select jobstrip settings:
    • Select Setting
      • Settings: Apple > Formats > QuickTime > Apple Pro
        • Name: Apple ProRes 422
        • Description: Apple ProRes 422 with audio pass-through. Settings based off the source resolution and frame rate
    • Apply (Drag) Setting to Jobstrip
  • Destination
    • Leave destination unspecified.  Then it will be the same folder as Source.
  • Processing (transcoding) of this footage (1280×720p25) took about 3 minutes (on MacBook Pro 2009).
  • Result was not that much bigger than the original:
    • Originally recorded [.MP4] file: 1.19 GB
    • Rewrapped [.MOV] from XDCAM Transfer: 1.14 GB
    • ProRes [.MOV] from Compressor: 1.97 GB

I wanted to pass on some of my XDCAM-EX footage (from my Sony EX3 camera) to someone using only iMovie. But would/could iMovie recognize that format, or possibly the “MXF For NLEs” rewrapped-format offered by Sony Clip Browser?

The best route is to provide iMovie with a ProRes version of the footage, because it converts anything else to (the older inferior format) Apple Intermediate Codec (IAC).  I can convert to ProRes (and deinterlace) via Apple’s Compressor, which comes as part of Final Cut Studo.

Web-search:

• Google: [xdcam ex imovie]
  • https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1882215?start=0&tstart=0
    •  iMovie converts all assets to Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC).
      • So does Final Cut Express. Only Final Cut Studio uses Apple ProRes as codec.
      • When going the Full HD and BluRay route you WILL see this. For instance when panning, you’ll see that Final Cut Studio is superior over AIC.
      • Yet I use the iMovie and Toast route because it is fast and good. Toast delivers better results than iDVD08. I havent tested iDVD09 yet but am about to do so. Remember that Toast can handle BluRay and iDVD not. Even for normal DVD you’ll see that Toast renders better than iDVD. The menus have improved in Toast10 but still cannot match iDVD. DVDstudioPro is very nice in results, but has a learning curve. Consider the Ripple Training DVDs to tackle the possibilities.
    • iMovie will edit many QT codecs directly including ProRes 422, H.264/AVC, DVCPRO HD. It converts to AIC only when you import from a camera.
      • So if XDCAM EX is converted to ProRes outside iM — then iM will edit the ProRes. Even HQ.
      • You do have export correctly — to ProRes — in order to get full 1920×1080 from iM for burning BD.

First I installed it to my MacBook Pro, on the Mac OS side, where I have not previously installed any Avid applications.  The latter is significant because from reading forums, it appears wise to remove all traces of any previous Avid installation (beyond what Avid’s Uninstaller does).

Installing and testing the basic Media Composer application:

• Installer stated (correctly) that I had MacOS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) yet the application was qualified for 10.7 (Lion).  From searching, I discovered that some others were nevertheless running it under 10.6.
  • http://lfhd.net/2011/11/03/the-more-open-avid-media-composer-6-0/
    • Avid Media Composer 6 on the Mac side is Mac OS 10.7 LION only, and … won’t run on Snow Leopard
  • http://community.avid.com/forums/p/102982/594079.aspx
    • Someone with stuttering-playback issues.
• The installer stated that the space requirement would be 6 GB.
• Installation took about 15 minutes.
• Then it did a system restart.
• On restart, an Avid MC icon was present in the Dock.
• Double-clicking the icon produced a prompt asking if I wanted on-line activation, use hardware dongle or 30-day trial.  I selected the latter as it seemed the least-hassle option.
• Avid launch paused on an error message whose significance was not clear to me:
  • “ArthurQuinell-DataTrans” is in use by another application and cannot be used by Deck Control.
  • I am not sure what that means but vaguely remember naming one of my previous mobile phones as that (after an aldershot cat that used to “invade” our art-centre stage during performances, then sit washing in the spotlight - a born entertainer…).
• Clicked [OK] to let it continue…
  • Got the same message about “Arthur…”.  Clicked [OK] to continue…
• Finally the initial launch completed.
• Got the usual Project dialog.  Chose [External]
  • Actually, before that, it asked for a Projects Path.
    • I defined it to be on my main external hard drive, a GRAID Mini, at the following location: [/Volumes/GRm HFS+/_App_Specific/Avid/Projects]
    • I wonder if people generally tend to put their Avid project-folder somewhere like in their Documents directory.  But my logic is that if I plug the hard drive into another Mac, it should still work there.
• Prompted for some basic project settings.
  • Quaintly, its default display aspect ratio is 4:3 (how nostalgic!)
• As usual, clicked the wrong thing at the wring time, resulting in a new project called [New Project].  Oh well, I am only playing/testing…
• Selected the default Bin, [New Project Bin].
• With that Bin:
  • Import an short existing MOV-DNxHD file.
  • Double-click that file.  It opened in the Monitor pane.
  • Clicked the [Overwrite] button, it laid-down in the Timeline as expected.
• BUT there’s a missing expected pane at bottom-left corner.  I can see through to the desktop background (purple galaxy-space etc.).  Presumably OK but unsettling…
• Window panes act independently e.g. re being above/below any other apps.  Similar to Final Cut.  I hated that about Final Cut also…
  • Is there a Preference for getting the whole app to work like “Single Document” ?

AMA Plugins

• Sony XDCAM-EX:
  • The site, indicated by http://avid.custkb.com/avid/app/selfservice/search.jsp?DocId=394827, is:
    • http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/micro-xdcam/resource.downloads.bbsccms-assets-micro-xdcam-downloads-XDCAMSoftwareDownload.shtml#apps.
  • I installed it and it (AMA Volume) worked fine on existing XDCAM-EX footage.

Effects

• AvidFX 6.0.1 64-Bit
  • Available as a separate download, from (at time of writing):
    • http://esd.avid.com/ProductInformation.aspx?id=59
•  Boris?
  • BCC
    • I am mightily confused about this.
      • Avid has a download page for Boris BCC 8, at:
        • http://esd.avid.com/ProductInformation.aspx?id=30
      • But so also does Boris
        • http://www.borisfx.com/avid/bccavx/
      • I have downloaded both of them.  I installed the one directly downloaded from Boris.  That one gave me the option to generate a unique product ID that I could present to Boris.
  • Boris has FEC = Final Effects Complete for Avid = Visual Effects Filters and Transitions for Avid
    • Installer said “FEC5 AVX 2   MC 2.5, XPressPro 5.5 or later:”
      • Makes me wonder if there is a later version for MC 6.0
      • I installed it but no “FEC” items showed up in Avid’s Effects Pallete.
        • Maybe it’s 32-bit and MC 6 only recognises 64-bit effects?

I attended, working on one of the camera units.  Had a great time, learnt lots, at all sorts of levels.  Even how to make good use of the Movie Slate application on my iPhone!  Link: http://www.fstopacademy.com/

• http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/142/864634
  • (Looks like a modification of Bill Ravens’ profile I found a couple or so years ago, except that profile had G-B = 32 and no white offset or ATW+2, and the Detail was not set.  Gamma was -40, STD1, Black was -12, Black Gamma was 0)
  • Matrix: On, High-Sat, Level 0, Phase -5, R-G 75, R-B 0, G-R -18, G-B -23, B-R -27, B-G 13. This gives a beautifully balanced color matrix.
  • White: on, Offset A +2, Offset B +2, Offset ATW +2. This will give you a beautiful warm picture, by elevating the reds a little bit
  • Detail: On, Level 0, Frequency +65, Crispening 0, Black limiter +75, White limiter +75. This gives a very nice definition without the artificial sharpening artifiacts. Ideal for DOF adapter shooting.
  • Gamma: Cine-1 for rich-contrast situations, Cine-3 for low-contrast situations. Make cine-1 your standard and avoid cine-4 (too noisy in the shadows).
  • Black: -3 or -4
  • Black gamma: -2. Will help to reduce noise in the blacks.
• I choose instead the following Detail settings:
  • On: Level -5, Freq +25, Crisp +20

ISO is about sensitivity.  Useful to know when using a lightmeter - e.g. the iPhone’s “Light Meter” app, where if you enter ISO it tells you the required aperture f-stop.   For the EX3 the ISO depends on several factors, such as Gain, Gamma, Recording Mode (definition and interlaced/progressive).  But a reasonable rough conservative working figure is 400.  More specifically:

• 400 for 1080p
• 500 for 720p
• 800 for 1080i
  • (some say this surprising result derives from the interlaced lines each being derived from the sum of a pair of neighbouring lines)

Links:

• www.dvxuser.com/V6/archive/index.php/t-217123.html 
  • Gives the above ISO figures for the different recording modes.
    • I verified that at least the relative order was correct, based on %IRE in the on-camera LCD monitor.

I am interested in a new PHU-60 hard disk for my Sony XDCAM-EX video camera.  So what’s around, and what’s the cost?  While I’m at it, what other options are there, e.g. for recording off HD-SDI ?  From my web-research today, the answers seem to be:

• PHU-60 is no longer supplied or supported by Sony, or hence their authorised service centres.
• PHU-120 is however available, at just under £1K.
• At that price I’m willing to consider alternatives… Depending on price and capacity of course.
  • Mend it?
  • Record to a standard hard disk?
  • Go instead for SxS etc., e.g. the cheaper alternatives.
  • Think bigger - go for a HD-SDI recorder, get better quality and more gradeable recordings!  But at what price?
• (To be completed)

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