Expert: Alessandro Machi - 7/25/2007

Question
How can I transfer my finished, edited movie to a MiniDV master tape? Can I use the same Panasonic tape I used to shoot the movie?

Answer
Hi Jim, you can use the same tape, however I would make that the back up master and not the actual master you use, and I would NOT copy over your existing camera footage.

I am presuming that you have room at the end of the camera master tape PAST all of the original camera master footage. Assuming you don't accidentally record over any of the original camera master footage, putting an edited master version is a clever way to store a back up video copy of your edit master.

However, this master is really only for you. Don't expect anyone else to have to search past all of the raw footage to find the finished version. Consider this a rainy day copy that you always have in case your other copies get misplaced or damaged.

Now you need to make another master onto a new mini-dv tape. Remember to leave at least one minute of black at the front of the new master tape.  If you want to do it to industry standard, you would lay down 30 seconds of video black, one minute of S.M.P.T.E. color bars with the proper audio tone level, and thirty more seconds of black, and then your movie starts. This makes it easier for a distributor to make copies if you were to make some kind of sale of your video, or additional copies you may want a video duplicator to make for you.

I'd consider a third copy as well. To save tape later on, you might want to consider the third copy being a safety master compilation edit master reel, as you make other short edit masters you can keep building them onto this tape.

So to recap, put one edit master at the end of the camera master footage tape, (assuming there is enough room without erasing any of the original footage. A second copy onto a new videotape. A third copy goes onto an edit master compilation tape that you will add onto each time you finish a new short edit master of a new project.