For those of you who shoot on the RED, you should be wary of a few things. Transcoding within Final Cut Studio: I have FCP2.0 and the R3D files were shot on build 20. What this means is that I cannot transcode to ProRes within FCP2.0. Because build 17+ compatibility is with FCP3.0. So what I had to do (which took me 3 days to figure out because some files transcoded in FCP2.0 and others didn’t) was to use RedRushes. It takes a mountain of time. But at least it’s working right.
So now, I have only 22 files to transcode out of 59. I know what you’re thinking. Can’t you just use the proxy files to edit? I could do that, but there are several disadvantages to editing with the proxy files.
1.) I cannot render any effects upon the proxy files. It’ll come back with an error saying the diskspace is too small
2.) I cannot output high def. You will instantly see the jagged edges of a poor anti-aliasing job on the proxy edit. In fact, if you look carefully you can tell even on the standard def output on a DVD.
3.) On my laptop it doesn’t play on in real time unless it’s in awful awful resolution. Which means that I miss certain clues about the composition and framing that prevents me from making good editing decisions.
So, I await the transcoding process. Maybe tomorrow, I will write about the benefits of shooting R3D.
