For independent filmmakers responsible for everything from preproduction to post, too many options can bring too many headaches. Sure, we have marvelous acquisition tools, and equally creative postproduction options, but when you are faced with mixing multiple formats in the same production, it’s awfully nice to have a central nexus that can provide commonality to the process. That’s where software, such as CineForm’s intermediate codecs can smooth the path from shoot to delivery by providing an almost invisible medium to “just let everyone get along.”

CineForm’s Aspect HD and Prospect HD/4K codecs for Windows editors using an NLE, such as Adobe’s Premiere Pro CS3 or Neo 4K/HD/HDV for use with Apple’s Final Cut Pro software, enable conversion of any major format ─ from SD to HD to 4K ─ with I/O precision up to 12 bits and 4:4:4 chroma.

 Writer and director at Lightcatcher Productions, Jim Long, has found these codecs invaluable on posting his documentary about the most mysterious of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Treasures of the Copper Scroll, destined to be the second in a proposed series of Biblical documentaries.

Since the production involved archival sources ranging from stills, 16mm film, S-VHS and SD video coupled with new location footage shot in HD, Jim found himself dealing with a babel of formats. Fortunately, he was able to benefit from the counsel of HD pioneer and fellow Texan, Randall Dark, who helped guide him through the wilderness.
“Our first shoots were with a Sony HDW-700 that we rented from Randall,” Jim begins, “but for our second shoot, we had used of their CineAlta F900. So we ended up with some footage at 1920 X 1080 from the HDW-700 and the rest in 1440 X 1080 from the F900. Post houses were quoting us prices up to $20,000 just to online the final HD master.”

Fortunately, Jim discovered that the 7200 Series Workstation from Boxx Technologies with dual Opteron processors and an AJA Xena video card could handle it all internally for him for less than the online charge from the outside house. If ─ that is ─ he could get all that source footage translated into the same video language.
“We found the magic for this was the CineForm Prospect HD codec,” Jim says. “In January of 2005 I had read an article called ‘Edit This’ by Daniel Restuccio describing the marvelous tools available from Adobe and CineForm, all bundled together in a powerful Boxx Technologies computer. Combined with two terabytes of storage ─ enough for 40 hours of 1920 x 1080 HD footage ─ we had our own in-house HD post facility.”

The CineForm Prospect HD codec handled more than just format conversion. “For some unexplained reason, all footage acquired with the 700A appeared with the frame slightly out of alignment,” Jim tells us. “Thanks to the Prospect HD’s pan, zoom, and rotate option, I was able reposition the frame with a click of the mouse. In other instances, if I didn’t like the way a shot was composed, this option allowed me to crop or reorient it for a more aesthetic choice.”

Jim was even able to author demo DVDs for potential distributors and festival screenings using Prospect HD’s “Export to Movie” feature in progressive widescreen 720 X 480. Just last May 18, Treasures of the Copper Scroll was presented with high praise at the 2nd Annual Monaco Charity Film Festival Monte Carlo.
So these days, independent filmmakers/editors have lots of options. One is to pay the big bucks to outside facilities, the other is to use capabilities provided by software, such as the CineForm codecs, to do everything under their own roof. But then again, that’s why they are called “independent.”

CONTACTS:

Adobe
www.adobe.com
Apple
www.apple.com
AJA
www.aja.com
Boxx Technologies
www.boxxtech.com
CineForm
www.cineform.com
Lightcatcher Productions
http://www.lightcatcherprod.com
Monaco Charity Film Festival
http://www.monacofilmfestival.org/films.html
Sony
www.sony.com/professional