720p/24 & VFR Workflow

For users of Xpress Pro 5.2 and MC Adrenbaline and later, please read this


Overview

This document is intended to show how to integrate the 720p/24 VFR into an Avid editorial offline and HD finishing workflow. The goal of this paper is to define the best suggested workflow to achieve the best conform between the offline and the online using AAF (AFE) in DS v6.x.

In order to achieve the best AAF conform, all project types should be set to 24p (23.976 if a NTSC offline workflow is part of the 11.5 release for Windows and 1.7 for Mac.

A true AAF 24p conform works in this particular workflow with the following products in place:

1. VFR 720p/24 camera
2. Panasonic Universal Format Converter (UFC)
3. Panasonic D5 VTR or 1080p/24 capable VTR such as the HDW-F500
4. Film Composer or Media Composer with Universal offline option (v.7.2 or later)
5. DS v6 or later with latest QFE and MediaLog 11.x

Workflow

The key to this workflow is the production company or post facility having both the UFC and the D5/HDW-F500 VTR. 720p/24 and VFR will be submastered to 1080p/24 via the UFC and all editorial and mastering will be derived from these newly submasters.

The reason for this workflow is due to the fact that the DS systems do not work natively with 720p/24, and neither the MC or DS systems work natively with 720p/24 VFR. Only 720p/60 is supported in DS via a 30 frame timeline and deck control offering 2 frame granularities when performing I/O operations while maintaining a frame accurate conform and editorial.

  1. Acquisition - 720p/24 and variable frame masters. This is the equivalent of the OCN (original camera negative) in a film based workflow. These tapes will be stored as original masters and will only be used to derive the submasters via the UFC. We can refer to these now as the OCM (original camera masters).
  2. Submaster creation - The OCM are then converted to 1080p/24 via the UFC to the D5/HDW-F500. The reason for this is to have one set of masters that reflect the same timecode and tape names. The other reason, is that both the offline and online editorial/finishing systems can handle the 1080p/24 workflow via an AAF conform. Once the 1080 submasters are created, a down convert is created.
  3. Offline editing is done in a PAL or NTSC 24p project type. The "Start" timecode in the Avid bins reflects the SD down convert from the 1080 submasters. The editorial staff will need to "duplicate" timecode into the "TC 24" column. In doing so, they will be presented with a dialog to convert the timecode back to 24. This will recalculate the timecode back to the original 24 frames as found on the 1080p submasters and consequently used for the DS finishing and output via AAF.
  4. Offline will send the bin containing the sequence to DS v6. DS will open the bin and export sequences and source elements as needed into AAF for conform and finishing.
  5. Sequence will be opened and conformed in a 1080p/24 timeline. Output will be back to the D5 as the production master in 1080p/24.