All Posts for the ‘Post Production Services’ Category

Editors: Don’t Trust Software Video Scopes in Your Editing Programs

Wednesday, June 26th, 2013

When cutting a movie or television show editors use computer programs such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, or Avid. These programs offer a set of video scopes, specifically waveform monitors and vector scopes, which editors can use to measure the luminance and chroma levels of the work they are doing. This can become problematic in that these scopes are not the most accurate and often don’t show the true peaks which leads to shows and movies being sent out with Illegal video levels.

These software based scopes are very rudimentary and are only to be used as a rough guide while editing.  They do not show the luminance signal in millivolts but in percent, so that 100 percent is supposed to be as high as your luminance level can go. Such measurements are not the correct way to verify the signal level.

Broadcast specs call for Luminance levels that go no higher than 700 mV (or millivolts) or below 0 mV; many editors are not aware of this, which can lead to problems.

Software waveform monitors also don’t have the capacity to measure Horizontal or Vertical Blanking. (aka line count) which is an important specification that must be correct. Similarly, I have seen times when chroma over saturation appears in a program that was not caught by the editor using inferior software based vector scopes. Computer editing programs also offer “Broadcast Safe” options that don’t always seem to do the job properly.

The best way to ensure that your levels are correct and to avoid having clients send back work to be redone is to have a Video/Audio Quality Control Check done on the work.  A QC facility will use only the best high quality professional waveform monitors and vector scopes, such as the Leader LV series which is designed for today’s Hi-Def programming. Often a Quality Control Operator will find that the broadcast safe tool on the editing program did not do the job correctly. If the QC was done before the show was put to tape the problems can be fixed (if necessary) using a piece of hardware called a broadcast legalizer. If, however, the edited program was laid off to tape first and the levels are not correct, the program will have to be re-laid using the legalizer resulting in double the cost to the client. If other clones or dubs were made from the master they will have to be redone as well.

The best way to ensure that your final edited project is correct, and to save time and money, is to have a quality control check done on the file, ideally a self-contained quicktime file, before the show is laid off to tape.  You will receive a report that tells you what problems you have and what needs to be fixed before you start the costly video post layoffs and dubs. Fixing these problems first will result in time and money saving for you and your clients.

FTP and File Transfer Sevices For Video Post Production

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

L.A. Post is located in Los Angeles just minutes from Hollywood and Burbank near Universal Studios, an excellent location for quick local pickup or delivery, or fast response for on site services. However, video production is not confined to any particular geographic area and our global client base relies on our expertise from many thousands of miles away. With our client ftp access and quick service from major delivery companies, files, tapes or hard drives are never far away. In today’s file driven production world the ease of content movement is key to our industry leading response and turnaround times.

We offer ftp transfer and file storage along with backup services. For those with upload capabilities or time constraints, this is the best way to assure the timely delivery of your product. When hard drives or tape projects must be delivered, we will return them with no handling charges when you provide you FEDEX or UPS number. We can return your product to you or forward it to your client for you. We offer free pickup/delivery services to most local locations.

Clients can provide their content in almost any format and through many delivery systems. From your hard drive or file we can create hard copies in most formats. We offer layoff services from file to HDCAM/SR Digital tape, many times creating tapes and performing quality control on them after audio or video post production services. Blu-ray disk services are also available, along with just about any current and many older formats of tape or disk. Services include clones, dubs, standards and format conversions and much more, by the piece or in quantity. Let us distribute your final cut after production and qc. Proof copies or files can be sent for approval negating the need for shuffling and multiple shipping of disks or tapes, saving time and money.

As L.A.’s leading post house we service many large productions and local studios, but we are also available to clients world wide. Smaller local productions can get the same high level services available to our major clients in Hollywood. Contact us any time and let us take care of all you post production needs, big and small.

L.A Post is now available for DCP and DLT file work.

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

VCTEditor Data files are in the DTL format. We can convert your DTL files to Digital Cinema Projection (DCP) files.

DCP files are used for digital projection in movie theaters and files in DCP format are distributed to many theaters across North American today for projections in their digital cinemas. More and more distributors are calling for DCP as part of the deliverables list that they provide to producers of new movies.

So in addition to all the other video post features available to you from us we can now take care of your DCP. We can convert these files to any usable file format you may need. Please contact us anytime if you have any questions or to set up any work you may need.