David,

A JVC 720P24 film I shot last year (Kent Tessman directed 'Bull') was captured with Aspect HD and cut on Premiere Pro 2.

When the cut is locked I would like to move it to a MacPro system with Decklink for Final Cut Pro for final color correction and output to HDCAM.

Have you have a recommended workflow to do this sort of thing?

Once the Mac stuff is out of beta, you could to a re-wrap from AVI to MOV (a function within HDLink we are going to add.) Then send CineForm files to FCP. Otherwise you will be dealing with uncompressed as a safe way to move data between platforms.

Otherwise you will be dealing with uncompressed as a safe way to move data between platforms.

David:

If my client will be editing with mac+fcp, but no cineform, is this still the best way to send a HD file from my PC+PP+Aspect HD to him? Does one export as Quicktime Animation (not the Cineform QT option)?

Is there a second-best way to output a compressed file that he could use ... so that I have an easier way to transport the file?

Patricia, there really are no good cross-platform compressed codecs besides CineForm. At HD your only option if you want to maintain the files with enough quality for editing is uncompressed or CineForm.

In your situation you can export as a CineForm MOV from Aspect HD, then move the files to Mac. Then have your client download and install the free CineForm Mac codec (Intel Mac only). Once installed the decoder never expires, but the encoder expires after 15 days unless it is purchased.

That means you can still use CineForm files as the transport format and also within FCP without buying the CineForm Mac codec, but within FCP you need to modify the sequence settings to select a different codec as the render-to codec. Make sense?

Yes, that makes sense. Now to find out if it makes sense to the client! Thanks, David.

Yes, that makes sense. Now to find out if it makes sense to the client! Thanks, David.

Tell me about it. I've exchanged files the uncompressed way as the client thinks cineform is neat, but they don't have the macintels yet. It's an extra step in post to create and the files are huge.

I've already had to deal with finished footage coming back, and had problems with corrupt files uncompressed and incompatible codecs, and had to settle for motion jpeg-a at 96% overnight to make the deadline.

Once the mac side of the codec is complete, I may consider having cineform as a requirement, or a plus for future business.