Premiere Pro CS4 Media Encoder Settings for 5D MarkII

[Brad Pritchett]

Hi

I've been shooting stills for some time, but the 5DM2 is my first experience with video.

I just bought the latest NeoScene to assist me with processing & editing my 5DM2 footage.

My basic workflow is to convert my MOV files to AVI using the NeoScene codec and then using the AVI's as my source footage.

Can someone tell me how to ensure that I don't lose video data in the conversion?

When I queue up my MOVs in Adobe Media Encoder, I select Microsoft AVI as the preset and then the Cineform codec. The first thing I notice is AME wants to reduce my output resolution to 720P while my source file is 1080P. What are the proper AME settings I should use to get the best output (preserving the most resolution & image data)?

Thanks!

[Thane Brooker]

Originally Posted by Brad Pritchett

Hi
When I queue up my MOVs in Adobe Media Encoder, I select Microsoft AVI as the preset and then the Cineform codec.

What is the reason you are using AME instead of the Cineform conversion tool supplied?

I find using Adobe Media Encoder for decoding native 5DM2 .mov files introduces a gamma shift (like Quicktime), the RGB parade looks horrible with lines of missing color, and it uses the wrong colorspace (601 instead of 709).

Originally Posted by Brad Pritchett

The first thing I notice is AME wants to reduce my output resolution to 720P while my source file is 1080P. What are the proper AME settings I should use to get the best output (preserving the most resolution & image data)?

If you are set on using AME, don't worry about the 'default' settings it chooses, they are not based on analysis of the input file but are based on what it thinks you are most likely wanting to convert to. For a reproduction that is as faithful as possible, use:

Width: 1920
Height: 1080
Frame Rate: 30
Field Type: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels (1.0)

You might want to check this post.

[Brad Pritchett]

Thanks for the advice, Thane.

I tried using NeoScene to encode some of my MOV files, but it crashed on the first file I tried to re-encode with it. AME seems to run without crashing, so that's why I'm using it. If I can use NeoScene's application to encode without having it crash on me, I'd use it.

Does Cineform have telephone support? It may be helpful if I can get some trobleshooting assistance.

Regarding the workflow you posted, I saw that, but I thought I was buying NeoScene so I didn't have to rely on a bunch of freeware (and poorly supported) codecs & apps in my workflow.

Thanks again for your advice. I hope that I can get NeoScene to work.

[Mark Hahn]

Originally Posted by Brad Pritchett

Thanks for the advice, Thane.

I tried using NeoScene to encode some of my MOV files, but it crashed on the first file I tried to re-encode with it. AME seems to run without crashing, so that's why I'm using it. If I can use NeoScene's application to encode without having it crash on me, I'd use it.

Does Cineform have telephone support? It may be helpful if I can get some trobleshooting assistance.

Regarding the workflow you posted, I saw that, but I thought I was buying NeoScene so I didn't have to rely on a bunch of freeware (and poorly supported) codecs & apps in my workflow.

Thanks again for your advice. I hope that I can get NeoScene to work.

Sometimes you have to clean your PC of all old codecs and junk before you can use neoscene. I got details from cineform support (which isn't too bad). I posted those details somewhere here a few days ago.

[Ray Bell]

Brad, You should just start Premiere Pro and then create a custom preset for the camera specs that Thane has shown you...

Width: 1920
Height: 1080
Frame Rate: 30
Field Type: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels (1.0)


Then save the preset... mine is called 5DMKII ...

Then everytime you open Premiere you can just choose the correct preset for your 5D footage...

if you don't know how to create the custom preset then you might want to look it up in the help files....

In the more expensive Cineform products they supply many many different presets...
but with neo scene you'll need to create your own...

the only time I use AME is during the output phase of the workflow....

[Richard Crook]

There is currently no way to encode 5dMkII footage to usable files for editing in Adobe Premiere, unless you choose to export to UNCOMPRESSED AVI. We all know that takes up a ridiculous amount of disk space.

You MUST get Cineform Neoscene. Trust me, you WILL NOT have any issues after converting with this software. If fact, you'll be impressed by how well it flows in the timeline (at full 1080p). It creates files about 10% bigger than the original H264 files.

There's currently NO OTHER WAY. Don't waste your time with MPEG streamclip...IT DOESNT WORK RIGHT.

If you're starting off on 5d cinematography, we compiled a VERY USEFUL guide for all aspects of the camera from assessories to camera settings to ADOBE PREMIERE workflow. Definately worth a read:

Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Canon 5d Mk II; Adobe Premiere CS4 Edition - Crooked Path Films Blog

[Cody Dulock]

Great write up Richard! I use MPEG Stream clip to create photo jpeg proxy files to do an offline edit first and then I replace the clips with the original H264 files in cs3. I export from premiere as a quicktime animation uncompressed to color grade with in after effects. It works OK.

[Chris Lognion]

Originally Posted by Richard Crook

There's currently NO OTHER WAY.

Actually Richard, there is another way and it leads to 4-5 layers of HD editing in real-time in CS4. However, it does come at a price a little higher than NeoScene. I have been using their products since its introduction since 1995. The company is called Matrox and I have the Matrox Axio LE and the Matrox Rt.X2 cards in my systems. I use AME to encode Matrox-I-frame HD files which are then real-time in a Matrox HD preset project. Matrox also allows for faster than real-time encoding to delivery formats. This process also worked very well during the early stages of a RED workflow (before CS4 and native Red options) You can see a video I shot which had 18 layers from different takes I was choosing from here

Salvador Aware Music Video - Director's Cut on Vimeo

Your blog is thorough and helpful to many, including myself. I hope you keep adding updates as progress is made.

My main concern is audio capture and syncing. I believe PluralEyes for the PC with make a lot of people happy.

[Jesse Haycraft]

What I do is convert everything to high bitrate 4:2:2 HD MPEG-2 files and edit those. Usually I'm perfectly happy with the image quality but if I want to keep it as high as possible I just do an offline edit and switch back to the original .mov's after I've edited the MPEG-2's.

[Richard Crook]

Originally Posted by Chris Lognion

Actually Richard, there is another way and it leads to 4-5 layers of HD editing in real-time in CS4. However, it does come at a price a little higher than NeoScene. I have been using their products since its introduction since 1995. The company is called Matrox and I have the Matrox Axio LE and the Matrox Rt.X2 cards in my systems. I use AME to encode Matrox-I-frame HD files which are then real-time in a Matrox HD preset project. Matrox also allows for faster than real-time encoding to delivery formats. This process also worked very well during the early stages of a RED workflow (before CS4 and native Red options)

Very good to know. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Chris Lognion

My main concern is audio capture and syncing. I believe PluralEyes for the PC with make a lot of people happy.

You are so right! The Singular products make syncing sound in post virtually painless. With the constant new Canon firmwares and Magic Lantern's continuing struggle to keep up...I've removed the Magic Lantern alternative to the Idiot's Guide and pointed out the sync sound workflow and software/hardware. I think the Magic Lantern is awesome, and what Trammel Hudson did was amazing, but it's just not reliable especially with the constant Canon updates.

[Richard Crook]

Oh, and I updated The Guide for 2.0.7 and Premiere CS5....also added custom export setting files and sync sound support.

Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Canon 5d Mk II; Adobe Premiere Edition (Updated for CS5 and firmware 2.0.7) - Crooked Path Films Blog