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Capturing
Ingesting media from digital videotape can be a very simple process. The goal is simply to make sure that you do nothing to degrade the original image (and audio) quality as you capture it. Just as with file-based media, you’ll want to select a codec that has the same image quality as your camera original media or better.
Typically, digital video files are captured straight across, meaning without any custom adjustment of the video signal during capture. Analog video (composite, component, and S-video) is calibrated using SMPTE color bars (if recorded on your source tape) and hardware or software-based waveforms and vectorscopes (see Figure 13.8 and Color Plates 17 and 18). We provide a detailed discussion of capturing analog video, including two tutorials, on the companion Web site, at www.thedigitalfilmmakinghandbook.com/chapter13.
Figure 13.8
The SMPTE color bars test pattern provides a way to calibrate analog video when capturing (see also Color Plates 17 and 18).
Importing Audio
Audio files are much smaller, so there’s simply no good reason to import low-res audio. For optimal quality, the audio files you import into your editing system should have been saved with the same sampling rate as they were recorded with, usually 48kHz (see Figure 13.9).
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Figure 13.9
Most editing applications import audio files according to your project settings unless you specify otherwise. Shown here, Media Composer’s audio import dialogue window.
Importing Still Images
Digital stills (TIFF, PICT, JPEG, PSD, BMP, and so on) can be a little tricky to import. Some editing applications will let you import images of any size, while others require that they fit the resolution and aspect ratio that you’ve set for the project (see Figure 13.10). The standard resolution for video is 72dpi, and the aspect ratio is the same as the resolution of the video you’re working with. You may find that you need to use a still image editing application like Adobe Photoshop to resize your images to match your video resolution. Always be certain that the pixel shape of the still image matches that of the video. Otherwise, the still image might get distorted on import. And remember that it is better to work with an uncompressed still image file format like TIFF, than a compressed file format like JPEG. Some applications import Photoshop files with the layers intact—they appear as elements on separate video tracks—others will flatten them on import.
284 The Digital Filmmaking Handbook, 4E
Figure 13.10
Still image import settings in
Avid Media Composer.
Moving Media
Digital video projects can have huge amounts of media associated with them, and the editing process can take a long time. That mean odds are high that you’ll end up needing to move your media to another system or another set of drives at some point. Perhaps you decide to add a second editor, or maybe you want to send some media to your visual effects person. Or maybe you have a drive that is acting a little funny, and you think it’s best to replace it.
Moving media can be tricky and can cause a world of pain if you aren’t careful. Earlier, we mentioned how crucial file names and directory structure are, in order for your editing software to keep track of your file-based media. The safest way to move media around is by using your editing application to do it, rather than doing it manually at the operating system level. Avid users can use the Media Tool (see Figure 13.11) to manage their files and Final Cut Pro Users can use the Media Manager (shown earlier in this chapter). By using these internal media management tools, you can rest assured that your editing application won’t lose track of your files.