User Manual

Transferring Film to Tape
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Based on delivery format requirements, you need to determine the best format for acquisition of
the media. It’s best to begin with the highest resolution and quality source, and then “down-rez”
to the required output format.
Cinema (High-Resolution input and output)
Feature film or documentary release to theaters demands high-resolution, high-quality source
material and output to film. It is important to acquire the media at the highest possible resolution
at a film rate of 24/25fps, and aspect ratio of 16:9. This media can be converted to lower-res
proxies during the editing process, and then finished and output at high-res for recording back to
film.
HD Television (High Definition video broadcast, Blu-Ray disc)
High-definition television (HDTV) is a digital broadcasting technology that delivers a larger,
clearer, more detailed picture than standard definition television (SDTV). HDTV uses a 16:9
aspect ratio in place of the standard definition 4:3 ratio, and requires output to HD video format.
With digital television formats expanding the options for content distribution, there is renewed
interest in the oldest format in the industry: 24-fps film. Through a telecine transfer and the
capturing process, Avid editing applications capture and store film frames as 24-fps to maintain
the quality options.
Many production companies even use film-resolution media from digital cameras (such as RED)
as the primary source and then down-rez to HD for final delivery.
SD Television (Standard Definition video broadcast, DVD)
Standard definition television broadcast and DVD distribution usually requires output to NTSC
or PAL video formats.
Transferring Film to Tape
You have your film rolls from the day’s shooting, and you’re ready to edit on your Avid system.
To capture that footage into the system, you first need to transfer the film to videotape. This
process uses a special film projector called a telecine, which is usually part of a production
system that includes audiotape recorders, a controller, and other equipment. The steps in the
process will differ, depending on whether you include audio and whether the transfer produces
NTSC or PAL videotapes.
This section provides some guidelines to ensure that the film shoot and transfer process is
well-planned for the Avid editing session.