Correct workflow between Mpeg Streamclip and FCP 7 to convert and edit videos from iPhone 5c

Hi there,

It’s pretty straightforward I think - but I need to make sure the workflow right. I have some questions for which I'm seeking definitive answers.


I’m wprking on a new project which is shot entirely on my iPhone 5c. It will be projected in an art gallery and playback I think will be Blackmagic.

There are lots an lots of individual iPhone videos which will all be edited in the timeline. I’m editing it in Final Cut Pro 7 on my laptop (Macbook Pro).



(I am also recording voiceover with a sound recordist which will go over the top of the iPhone videos. And the iPhone videos will keep their diagetic sound.)



Obviously I want to keep the iPhone videos as high quality as possible. I know I need to convert them their native format into Pro Res 422 HQ so that Final Cut can handle them. Is that right, and that won’t impair their quality? I’m guessing Pro res 422 HQ is the right one to use for optimum quality? Pro Res 4444 is only for high end cameras with Alpha isn’t it?



I have attached to this email a screengrab from Media Info so you can see everything about the original iPhone clip (just one clip as an example). I’ve also attached a screengrab of the Mpeg Streamclip ‘export to Quicktime Movie’ dialogue window.



So I’m going to batch convert them in Mpeg Streamclip.



. Am I right in thinking I need to choose EXPORT - QUICKTIME MOVIE?



. Then, in the dialogue window appears, I choose ‘Apple ProRes 422 HQ’ in the drop down menu?



. Slide the quality counter to 100%



. Sound: Uncompressed, stereo, auto?



. Frame size?



. Frame rate? This I’m confused about. I had thought iPhone 5c shoots at 29.97 fps, but having done a bit of research it seems it varies between 24 and 30ish? Should I set it to 29.97 here in Mpeg Streamclip so that the framerate is consistent throughout my project? But if I set them all to 29.97 will the ones that have varied in framerate look juddery?



. ‘Interlaced scaling’ and ‘Deinterlace’ I’m also confused about. The iPhone movie is progressive isn’t it, so do I DESELECT ‘Interlaced Scaling’ and DESELECT ‘Deinterlace Video’? Or do I need to deinterlace it?



. Field Dominance: Upper Field First yes? Cos it’s not DV....



And lastly, when I go to the sound studio with sound recordist, to record the voiceover to go over the top of the iPhone videos (with their own diagetic sound) should we record at 44 or 48? I will edit the voiceover in Final Cut pro as well, in the same timeline as the videos.

Thank you very much in advance , advice much appreciated.

Charlie

Your inquiry is not simple at all. Ultimately, you will need to create several precise experiments to decide what settings and tools you want to use. My recommendations move you toward standardized formats. Those may not be what you want to use for your venue. So much depends on your desired audience impact and the tools you have at your disposal. The tools are complex electronics with extensive manuals and optional settings. How to set them all up requires competent knowledge or time to experiment so your audience receives what you want to transmit.

Prores422HQ is overkill. You may be assuming that high density codec will somehow improve your iPhone video. It will not. There is no reason to create those huge files unless you know precisely why you need them.

I suggest you start by figuring out what your output requirements are and work back from there. Projection resolution, front or rear, professionally set up and maintained or rented from BestBuy, ceiling mount or desktop or projection booth. Find what the projection system will need and how the projector will handle the Blackmagic card and how the card is being fed (from a hard drive, DVs, or flash memory). Then you create your master video to fit those specs. That is, there's not a valid reason to attempt to over-resolve the intended output. If you're using DVD, MPEG2 is the best you can do. If you're using Blu-ray, you may need other tools. If you're using flash memory, you want to copy the file to the local hard drive first.

Even if your projection system is capable of 4k, if you scale up your 720 or 1080 iPhone video clips to 4k, they're just going to get all crunchy. If you have been shooting a bunch of portrait-oriented video clips for a horizontal display you are in for a different set of ugly decisions.

Your phone shoots video at the frame rate and image size that you deliberately set in your camera settings. It doesn't change unless you tell it to. My iPhone 5s only shoots at 30fps in 720 or 1080. the "variable rate" indication on your documentation doesn't mean anything to me, sorry. If you're worried about Compressor or Streamclip adding or subtracting frames and creating visual artifacts, you should be shooting with a more precise camera. There's only so much a frame rate conversion software product can do for you. But everything must be converted to the frame rate base of the project, either on import or on export.

You don't really need Streamclip to import your iPhone clips, why are you using it? You can use Compressor to convert the phone's H.264 to 422LT or use dedicated convertors, many of which are free.


www.easefab.com/video-to-software/iphone...o-final-cut-pro.html
www.edhart.me/2012/05/how-to-import-an-i...-into-final-cut-pro/
macsolvers.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/iphone-videos/

When you eventually start to use FCPX for your stuff, you will want to learn how to use optimized media:
support.apple.com/kb/PH12741?locale=en_US

44 or 48 is not a difference most audio systems can resolve to a point where your audience can hear the difference. 48kHz is a standard for DV video production. 44.1kHz is the standard for CD audio. You might as well use 48 if the audio from your phone is 48 or if your other sources are 48.

I am not sure you can change the Apple Intermediate Codec 4:2:0 into anything better, I think if the information was not recorded, it is impossible to go from 4:2:0 to 4:2:2 chroma sub sampling!