30 Rock: How to Flip Video to Nbcnews.Com

30 Rock: How to flip video to NBCNews.com

What is flipping? We take source quality video (whether SD or HD) and transcode and compress it to smaller size and file formats suitable for publishing on the website. Our servers that handle that are called FlipFactory, thus the verb “flipping.”

This document applies to working within 30 Rock. Other NBC bureaus (D.C., London, and Burbank) have similar documents of their own, please see http://nbcnews.com/vidspec. You may print this document for reference, but we recommend that you check for updated versions online occasionally (note the date stamp at bottom of the page).

Sections in this document:

• Flipping from Avid • Troubleshooting • Overwriting a piece that’s already been flipped • Flipping non-Avid QuickTime files • Flipping from Final Cut Pro

Flipping from Avid Follow the steps below to export video from a 30 Rock Avid. For those on one of the shared ISIS Workgroups (most people), we do this export with a QuickTime Reference file, referencing the source media files on the shared ISIS drives. For those not a workgroup (rare), we export a self-contained QuickTime file.

1. Verify your piece meets our basic requirements: • There should be NO pre- or post-roll material (slates, bars, extra black, etc.) Frame 1 should be 1st frame of content • Subjects should be chyroned if needed. (See http://nbcnews.com/vidspec for more) • Audio should be mono mixed, with average speech hovering around -14 dBFS and peaks never exceeding -8 dBFS. (See Fig. 1 & http://nbcnews.com/vidspec for more) • There must be at least 1 audio track. This is a technical quirk of our transcoder. For the rare need to publish silent video, include a silent audio Figure 1: Audio mix levels track in your export. And, on shared ISIS workgroups (most of you): • It's imperative ALL media elements you use in your timeline reside on the ISIS shared storage drives, NOT on your Avid's local hard drive. This includes any effects and render files. Render all your effects to an ISIS shared drive before exporting. • There can be NO gaps or filler in the Video track of your timeline, instead use a video-black clip, black title tool piece or a black image file to create your desired effect. 2. Mark your entire piece with an In and Out on your timeline.

30Rock-How-To-Flip-Video-To-nbcnews.com | As of: July 3, 2013 | Pg. 1

3. Verify all needed V and A tracks are enabled in your timeline. 4. Do a Video Mixdown: • If you’re exporting a simple clip, a mixdown is usually not necessary and you may skip this step. • If you’re exporting a complex sequence, a video mixdown is strongly recommended. Choose XDCAM HD 50 for HD projects or DV 25 for SD projects. Create the video mixdown and set up your timeline to export only the video mixdown track along with your audio tracks. (An audio mixdown is not necessary, but you may do one if you like.) • If you’re not on an ISIS workgroup, then you should instead do a video mixdown to DNxHD 145 for HD or DV 25 for SD in order to export. 5. Export a QuickTime video file: • Filename following this convention (See http://nbcnews.com/vidspec for more detail): Use all lower case, NO spaces, NO special characters (except underscore) Web extra: x_30_{show}_{slug}_yymmdd.mov From air: {show}_{slug}_yymmdd.mov (Shows = tdy, nn, mtp, dtl, rc, n_docs, n_geist, n_mj, n_rundown, n_janco, n_mitchell, n_hall, n_bash , n_dylan, n_hardball, n_lw, n_maddow, n_ed)

• For shared ISIS Workgroup Avids (common): Export a QuickTime Reference file directly from Avid into the folder… For 4x3 content: dmc_exchange\MSNBC.com\Xcode-NoMask\4BY3 For 16x9 content (SD or HD): dmc_exchange\MSNBC.com\Xcode-NoMask\16BY9 Note: Do NOT save from Avid to your Desktop or a folder on your C drive and then copy to dmc_exchange... the flip will not work.

Export settings must exactly match the image at right (Fig. 2). On some Avids "Native dimensions" may not be an option, instead choose one of "DV (720 x 480)" or "601 non-square (1920 x 1080) or "601 non-square (720 x Figure 2: QuickTime Reference export setup 486)".

Notes: While you are exporting a .mov file, it will also generate a matching .aif audio file in the same location. For speed and consistency, we recommend saving this export setting for re-use on your Avid as "NBCNews.com-QTR".

30Rock-How-To-Flip-Video-To-nbcnews.com | As of: July 3, 2013 | Pg. 2

• For non-Workgroup Avids (rare): Export a self-contained QuickTime file from Avid to your local hard drive and then copy into the folder… For 4x3 content: dmc_exchange\MSNBC.com\Xcode-NoMask\4BY3 For 16x9 content (SD or HD): dmc_exchange\MSNBC.com\Xcode-NoMask\16BY9

Export settings must exactly match the image at right (Fig. 3).

Notes: This export setting works for exporting self- contained QuickTime files from both HD DNxHD projects and SD DV 25 projects. It will NOT work for XDCAM HD 50; see Mixing down in Step 4. For speed and consistency, we recommend saving this export setting on Figure 3: Self-contained QuickTime export your Avid as "NBCNews.com-QTM". 6. Export a still frame .bmp file (Mandatory) • Choose a frame from your piece that will act as its still thumbnail visual tease image on the site. This is typically a tight, compelling image from the piece that is relevant to the main subject and will visually attract a viewer's interest. Main character's faces are often a good choice, but by no means the only choice.

Mark an In on the desired frame in the Timeline. Disable any visible graphics or chyrons in the timeline.

Export with same filename you used in Step 4 (but using the ".bmp" Figure 4: Still image export settings. SD on left, or HD on right. extension instead of “.mov”), to the same folder you chose in Step 4.

Export settings must exactly match one of the images above (Fig. 4), depending on SD or HD material. Please be certain that “Sequential Files” is NOT checked. 7. Verify your export. Starting from your Avid Desktop, go to dmc_exchange and find the .mov file you exported. Double-click to open it in QuickTime Player, and verify it has both video and audio and is the whole intended piece (In to Out).

30Rock-How-To-Flip-Video-To-nbcnews.com | As of: July 3, 2013 | Pg. 3

8. Wait for FlipFactory to finish flipping the video. It generally takes between 1x - 2x real time. Note these are rough time estimates, and flipping times can go up when there are many jobs running 9. Verify the finished files on dmc_exchange\MSNBC.com\QC You must see both an .flv and .mp4 file for your given filename. Verify the .flv exists there and then play the .mp4 to verify all is good content-wise – at the very least play the first few seconds, verify picture and sound, and then scrub to the end and check there too. Any problems at this step? Stop and seek help. 10. Contact the relevant show producer(s) and/or NBCNews.com producer(s) to let them know it's been flipped and tell them the filename.

30Rock-How-To-Flip-Video-To-nbcnews.com | As of: July 3, 2013 | Pg. 4

Troubleshooting If your export to NBCNews.com’s FlipFactory has failed, you'll likely know because one of:

1. Someone (relevant show producer(s) or NBCNews.com personnel) has notified you 2. An inordinate amount of time has passed, with no QC result > you alert the relevant show or NBCNews.com producer(s) and they verify it failed

Please DO NOT send repeated exports of the same timeline with no changes to it or your export settings, in hopes that it "will just work this time." Instead, please follow the steps below to troubleshoot. If you find and fix any problems, then re-export with the same exact filename you used previously, overwriting the original file:

1. Double-check your QuickTime export settings precisely match everything shown in Step 4 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 2. The most common mistake for QuickTime Reference exports is not having “Use Network Media References” checked – it’s mandatory. Note: if you use a saved export setting that’s worked in the past, it’s quite possible the options have been accidentally changed. 2. Review our basic requirements from Step 1 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 1. Common mistakes to look for include: • Some or all media (even an effect or transition) is not rendered, or rendered to a local drive, rather than a shared WG ISIS drive. Solution: Fix the problem media, or do a video mixdown to an ISIS drive. • There cannot be any gaps in the video track of your timeline (even a single frame). Solution: mixdown, or use a black clip or title in place of gaps. • The relevant Video or Audio tracks must be enabled in the timeline before exporting, and the timeline must be marked with In and Out for the flip. 3. QuickTime Reference files must be exported directly from Avid to the appropriate dmc_exchange folder. (See Step 4 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 2) 4. Sequences containing mixed codecs will not Flip. Do a video mixdown to DV25 or XDCAM HD 50 codecs. 5. If all else fails, do a Video AND Audio mixdown of your whole piece in Avid. Make sure you render the mixdowns to a Shared ISIS drive, and choose either DV25 or XDCAM HD 50 codecs (for SD and HD respectively). Edit the mixdowns into a new, blank sequence. (Do not add any dissolves or other effects to your sequence after you perform the mixdown.) Then export that sequence following Step 4 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 2. 6. If your second, mixed-down export attempt still fails to flip, please stop and consult NBC Technical Media Managers or the relevant show and/or NBCNews.com producers for further help.

Please note: most of the troubleshooting steps above apply to QuickTime Reference files being sent from Shared ISIS WG Avids. If you’ve sent a self-contained QuickTime file that failed to flip, please seek help from NBC Technical Media Managers or NBCNews.com staff for troubleshooting.

For dmc_exchange access permissions or problems, please contact the NBC Technical Media Managers.

30Rock-How-To-Flip-Video-To-nbcnews.com | As of: July 3, 2013 | Pg. 5

Overwriting a piece that’s already been flipped If you need to make any changes to a piece after it's been flipped, export again and use the same exact filename you used previously, overwriting the original file. Do not add additional labels (such as “new,” “rev,” “2,” or anything else) to the filename.

Note that the corresponding .aif file will automatically get a modified filename, but that’s fine the QTR is pointing to the new one for its audio.

Also note the resulting flipped files in the QC folder will also have a modified filename (in that folder only, not our publish servers) to help you keep track of versions.

Need to fix a piece that’s already on the site, but not sure exactly what the filename it was flipped as was? Ask NBCNews.com staff for help.

Flipping non-Avid QuickTime files If you have a QuickTime file that you think is ready to be flipped as-is. Please check:

1. There should be NO pre- or post-roll material (slates, bars, extra black, etc.) Frame 1 should be 1st frame of content 2. Subjects should be chyroned if needed. (See http://nbcnews.com/vidspec for more) 3. Audio should be mono mixed, with average speech hovering around -14 dBFS and peaks never exceeding -8 dBFS. (See Fig. 1 on pg. 1 & http://nbcnews.com/vidspec for more) 4. QuickTime files with extension .mov, .mp4 or .m4v can generally flip OK. If the extension is all CAPS, change it to lower case. If it’s a different file format please ask first.

See Step 4 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 2. Follow the filenaming rules there and copy the renamed QT file to the appropriate folder location to be flipped.

If you know how to grab a source-quality still-frame from the QT file, please do so and follow the guideline, naming and location rules in Step 5 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 3. Otherwise, please ask NBCNews.com staff for help getting a still frame from the QT file you sent to FlipFactory.

If you sent a QT file to FlipFactory following the steps above and it failed to flip, please stop and seek help from NBCNews.com staff for troubleshooting (your QT file is likely using a codec FlipFactory doesn’t understand).

30Rock-How-To-Flip-Video-To-nbcnews.com | As of: July 3, 2013 | Pg. 6

Flipping from Final Cut Pro You can send material from Final Cut Pro to our FlipFactory to be flipped, but know that FlipFactory understands very few of Final Cut Pro’s native codecs. So please follow the FCP export guidelines below very carefully:

1. Follow Steps 1 – 3 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 1. 2. Follow the filenaming rules from Step 4 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 2. But for the file export from FCP, whether your project is SD or HD, 4x3 or 16x9, and no matter which codec you're editing in within Final Cut, do the following: • In Final Cut Pro, go to File > Export > QuickTime Movie... Do NOT choose "Using QuickTime Conversion..." • In the Save window that appears, name your file (leaving the ".mov" extension at the end) and choose where to save it to on your hard drive. Then... • In the Setting choice at the bottom, choose either: 4x3 material: "DV NTSC 48 kHz" 16x9 material: "DV NTSC 48 kHz Anamorphic” • Make sure "Make Movie Self-Contained" is checked and "Hide extension" is NOT checked, and hit Save • Then copy your QT file into the appropriate folder location per Step 4 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 2.

3. Export a still frame. Follow the guidelines from Step 5 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 3 for choosing and naming a still frame. To export the still frame… • Mark your chosen frame in your Timeline with an In point • Go to File > Export > Using QuickTime Conversion... • From the Save window that appears change the Format to "Still Image" and Use to "BMP, 29.97 fps" • Name your image file, choose where to save it to on your hard drive, and hit Save. • Then copy your image file into the same folder location as your QT file. 4. Continue to follow Steps 6 – 9 of “Flipping from Avid” on pg. 3 to completion.

30Rock-How-To-Flip-Video-To-nbcnews.com | As of: July 3, 2013 | Pg. 7