Need some advice please

YesMaestro wrote on 3/21/2012, 3:54 PM

I have been asked to re-edit a video someone else did. I was given the original footage that was shot with a DSLR. It is 1920x1080 at 24p. A lot of the footage is shaky and the "cameraman" couldn't keep a steady shot if his life depended on it. Personally he should find another line of work it is so bad. Anyway, I am anticipating to have to use a stabilizer (either the one in VP10 or Mercalli) quite often. Would it be better if I changed my project properties to say 1280x720 or even 720x480 to help counter the amount I will have to crop the shot? Thanks

Paul

I forgot to add that it will end up on dvd, not bluray

Comments

MUTTLEY wrote on 3/21/2012, 4:03 PM

Speculating here but I don't think so, it would just have less pixels to work with and would end up blowing the pixels up and not only would you have jelloing but pixelated as well. It's my suspicion that no matter what you do it's not going to look good, the rolling shutter on movement with DSLR's is horrible and stabilizing software is going to make it even more watery.

Hate to be all doom and gloom but I don't envy your position.

- Ray
Underground Planet

Tom Pauncz wrote on 3/21/2012, 4:04 PM

Personally, I would stabilize the original footage, crop as necessary afterwards and down-convert in the final render.
Tom

monoparadox wrote on 3/21/2012, 4:05 PM

I would keep the source properties and render for DVD settings.

tom

YesMaestro wrote on 3/21/2012, 5:37 PM

Thanks for the input. This is the type of footage I am dealing with.

Paul

amendegw wrote on 3/21/2012, 6:20 PM

After much trial-and-error with Sony Vegas Stabilization, I've come to live by the following principle:

When stabilizing video in Sony Vegas 11 using the internal stabilizer or Mercalli V2, best results are obtained when matching properties of source footage, project properties and render properties. If render properties must be different, render to an intermediate or a new track.

...Jerry

Edit: I'm sure you realize that footage has more than just stabilization issues - it has very uneven zoom (Mercalli can help somewhat) and focus issues (no much of anything can help).

kairosmatt wrote on 3/21/2012, 6:52 PM

It doesn't seem like it worth even trying to stabilize it or 'fix it in post'. Embrace it like a bad reality shoot and edit likewise???

kairosmatt

YesMaestro wrote on 3/21/2012, 6:54 PM

Thanks Jerry. I guess I'll be rendering a lot. Yea, majority of the footage is just like what you saw. I plan on using velocity envelope to slow it down and quick edits to get rid of the quick zoom in and outs and out of focus stuff.

Paul