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Graphics for High Definition

Lenses, depth of field and tape formats are not the only things you need to think about when working on an HD job. Graphics have to be treated carefully too.

• HD is widescreen only but beware the SD deliverable will have standard ‘graphics safe areas’ (either 14 x 9 or centre cut out safe)
• Fonts are scaleable so will work fine in HD – assuming your platform will work HD
• Render times will be significantly longer – so keep a close eye on the cost of CGI! (It may also impact on your design process as the delay in rendering of large projects can disrupt the creative workflow)
• Good design will look good in any resolution
• Archive content will usually be in SD – but with careful use (not full frame or polished) will work well in a composite
• In HD 'pixels' are square unlike the rectangular ones in SD
• Uncompressed HD images will be much larger than the equivalent SD image. (8.3 Mbytes for a 4:4:4:4 image). This will mean very large ‘scratch files’ when layering graphics
• Beware single line wide shape on interlaced output (twitter)
• Check the resource workflow of any new project and identify areas than are unfamiliar. Tests may be required to ensure consistent results. E.g. Captioning in an NLE compared to a dedicated caption device
• It’s hard to deliver a HD deliverable in an SD timescale (Render times)
• Ensure you are familiar with the meaning of the new HD jargon. E.g. Progressive, HDCam, Varicam etc

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For more information on HD, check out the BBC HD Resource Centre, and book your place on Encountering High Definition, our scheduled face-to-face course.