my video workflow

My workflow for HD video editing and distribution

shoot using the Vado HD set to HD+ quality
copy all files to a Mac Book Pro
edit in Final Cut Pro, which is part of the Final Cut Studio suite. I use a sequence preset with these settings:
- frame size: 1280 x 720
- editing timebase: 30
- timecode rate: same as editing timebase
- field dominance: none
- pixel aspect ratio: square
- anamorphic 16:9 : off
- compressor: HDV 720p30 , 24 bit, quality: 100 (leave the default for any advanced settings)
- audio: 48Khz, 16bit, stereo
- video processing: RGB Only, Motion filter quality: Normal

Yes, source footage have to be rendered and edited in HDV not H.264 (which is a distribution format not an editing format!)
I usually nest items in new sequences for each video in a project, group clips in different bins, edit and …
export from FCP using Compressor. I created a new Compressor preset using these settings:
- file format: QuickTime Movie
- video settings:
. compression type: H.264
. frame rate: Current fps (ie.30)
. key Frames: every 30
. frame reordering: On
. compressor quality: High, encoding: Best quality (Multi Pass)
. data rate: restricted to 5Mbps, optmized for Download
- Audio Settings:
. format: AAC
. channels: Stereo (L R)
. rate: 44.100 kHz
. quality: normal
. target bit rate: 128kbps
- Streaming: None
- Frame Controls: Automatic (source is progressive, no need to deinterlace!)

The final H.264 video will be in a .MOV (qt) container, compressed at 5Mbps
submit to Vimeo, Flickr, Facebook or YouTube!

For video embedding I use a Vimeo Plus account ($60/year): it lets me hide private videos from the Vimeo website, choose the domains where it can appear as well as many other privacy and embedding settings… and I don’t need any youtube trick (that could stop working at anytime) to preserve HD quality.

Example video: my son Andrea learning to ski

Suggested readings