Slower than SD. No Joke.

It takes longer to render CGI material in high def. If you’re growing impatient waiting for your revised shots bear in mind that the size of 1080 format frame is close to the size of 2k film. HD frame is significantly larger than SD frame.

Frame rate also needs to be considered. Rendering 1080 59.94i takes longer than 1080 23.98p because of the frame rate difference. One format runs at roughly 30fps while the other runs close to 24fps. 6 extra frames can add up!

Any non-linear editing systems that offer real time HD capabilities are a real asset if you’re going to be supervising a session.

Operator assisted process in telecine or downconversion.

Widescreen material poses a challenge when 4:3 full frame delivery is required. Sometimes important action will take place off to the side of the frame and a simple center crop will either produce a poor composition or will entirely crop out the action.

Pan and scan is a process where a 4:3 area is extracted from the original widescreen material. The crop is not locked in the center of the screen. The operator has the ability to move the crop area left and right so no important action is excluded from the frame [Fig. 1]. This type of downconversion is the best option for 4:3 full frame deliveries but it is time consuming and can be costly.

Fig. 1. Pan and Scan to Reveal the Frame Right Action

You don’t have to edit in HD resolution.

You don’t have to edit in 23.98p either if this is what you used to shoot your material. Working in full HD resolution would unnecessarily burden your system and your storage. It is safe to work with SD downconversions in 29.97 as long as they are properly made.

Various online NLEs have different ways of accommodating the transfer of your project from SD to HD so check with your post production facility first to find out what they will need in order to finish your project.

In most cases it is the best to use offline and online systems by the same manufacturer i.e. Avid Media Composer for offline and Avid DS Nitris for online but it is not a hard rule.

It shouldn’t. Yes, it always does.

Offline and online editing HD should closely resemble regular video editing or film editing in case of 23.98p production. HD may take longer. A typical HD production for TV or cable will use multiple tape formats and multiple frame rates. Also, since you’re dealing with a larger image it will take longer to render effects. This is the area where a very fast high end editing/compositing box outperforms less expensive NLEs.

In some cases the amount of time needed for HD editing can be comparable to the SD counterpart.

No you can’t mix and match. But you have to. Get an expert advice before you start.

Let’s say you are doing a documentary that was 80% shot on HDCAM at 1080 23.98p. But then you also have some Digital Betacam interviews and the film distributor has given you their logo on DVCPRO HD tape at 720 59.94p.

How do you combine all this? Many people don’t consider that there may be a difficulty in doing so. Unfortunately, there is no one solution that fits all cases. Fortunately, it is done all the time.

Mixing different tape formats can be problematic because of different frame-per-second (fps) rates. Just because it is possible to capture all these into an offline edit system it does not mean it will be equally easy to do the final HD conform.

There are too many possible cases to consider and each can be unique in its own right. Before you embark on using formats of different frame rates talk to someone experienced in HD workflows.

Restoring material back to 24 frames per second. The exact opposite of 3:2 pulldown.

The nomenclature varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. You may see terms like “3:2 Contract”, “Remove Pulldown”, “Cine Compress”, etc. The effect is the same.

Any material that originated in 24 frames per second (film) or 23.98 frames per second (HD video cameras) has 3:2 pulldown applied to it when transferred to video tape that runs at 29.97fps.

If you want to edit the material in 24p (film workflow) or 23.98p (HD workflow) you need to restore the original progressive frames cadence by removing the 3:2 pulldown. This is the goal of inverse telecine.

In most cases the process takes place during the capture into the NLE but can also take place after the material is already captured.

Fig. 1. Inverse Telecine

Depends on the format.

Before you create any graphics you will need to know which format you’re designing for.

For still images use these dimensions (all square pixels):

1080 requires 1920×1080 pixel dimensions

720 requires 1280×720 pixel dimensions

If you intend to make “motion control” moves on your still images you will require files larger than the sizes described above. The actual size will depend on how close you want to zoom into the picture.

A simple rule of thumb is to imagine an invisible 16:9 frame around the area that you will be zooming into. The pixel count within this frame should be close to the required size appropriate for your format.

For moving images prepare to deliver the frames per second rate (fps) required by the format.

1080 59.94i runs at 29.97 fps. Graphics can be rendered as progressive or interlaced frames. In case of interlaced frames you can use 3:2 pulldown if needed.

1080 23.98p runs at 23.98 fps. Graphics must be progressive running at 23.98 fps

720 59.94p runs at 59.94 fps. Graphics must be progressive running at 59.94 fps. The perceived frame rate within the 59.94 fps can be lower in order to match live action material. You can match Varicam style material shot at 23.98 fps for seamless integration. Note that the graphics still need roughly 60 frames per second regardless of the perceived frame rate.

Most non linear editors will import just about any standard graphics or video file but it is important to check the preferences with your post production facility. Certain formats may be integrated into the facility workflow better than others.

Your show could be shorter in Europe

A SD standards conversion from NTSC to PAL will retain it’s original running time — as long as the converter is a low to mid-end device.

However, if you are crossconverting from American HD to Europan HD or downconverting from American HD to European PAL (standard definition) you may come out a little short. The loss in running time is offset by better picture quality. Alternately, you could keep the same running time while sacrificing picture quality.

The European master will be approximately 4 seconds shorter per 1 hour of material. It is important to note that this rule applies to tapes mastered in progressive standards only such as 1080 23.98p.

The difference in speed must be considered if audio elements are to be delivered separately.