I agree. HDCam-SR is a preferable tape master (but expensive to read
from because only big labs have the players). A ProRes file is
definitely more useful to work with, though a physical tape master is
reassuring to have.
24PFS is the most compatible framerate for film original and HD
projection including DCP. If you then make a downconverted SD version
on beta or as an SD file then 25fps is the standard for that version.
Watch out for DCP - this is an encoded file package like a DVD and
certainly not a master element. It cannot be accessed or copied. It
cannot even be read from in real time - it has to be ingested into
the server. It is only useful for screenings in cinemas that are
equipped. You are right to worry about servers and platforms - some
DCPs don't play on all systems. But DCP has become the Hollywood
standard to replace release prints.
It is handy to have available for potential screenings an HD ProRes
file, a Blu-Ray disc, and/or a DCP, an SD file, a beta, a DVD... But
for preservation, archiving and future compatibility,the best master
now is a 2K file, either in DPX or ProRes 4:4:4 or as tiff images.
Down the road you will be able to convert that into anything you will
need and you could even make a 35mm negative from it, which is the
best solution of course.
-Pip
At 16:28 -0800 12/12/13, David Tetzlaff wrote:
I'd recommend getting your film transferred to the highest quality
codec available, then converting it to whatever you need on your own
(or a friend's) computer (if you don't have a Mac).
HD-CAM IS NOT FULL 1080P RESOLUTION!
It's a now technologically obsolete tape format that uses an
anamorphic frame to get within the recording bandwidth of the tape
apparatus.
You'll want your film outputted to a file on a hard-drive
regardless, not to any form of tape. If the transfer service can't
do that, f**k 'em, and find someone who can.
Assuming you have access to a Mac, I'd recommend ProRes 4:4:4. Not
that you'd ever send it out in that, but as a 'best-quality' master.
I assume DCP would be better (??) but I don't know of any software
you could use to downconvert it.
If it's shot at 24fps, get it transferred at 24fps. If you need to
send it out to PAL-land, they might have 24fps capability... And if
they don't, you can do the 24-25 conversion yourself in software.
That way you have the option of doing a 1frame=1frame conversion so
every frame remains intact but it just runs a little faster, or you
can do a transfer that preserves the running time, and uses some
algorithm to blend frames to make up the difference. If you're using
something like Apple Compressor to do that (24-25), there are lots
of different settings you can manipulate to make sure you get the
best possible quality, and it will take days to render as a result.
So again, you'd want to only do this once, and use your 24fps master
to create a 25fps 'master' in the best codec available, from which
you would then create whatever 25fps distribution versions you would
need...
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