[MacDV] Editing MPEG2 files

[Brian Olesky]

I just joined this list yesterday, so I hope this hasn't been covered a
billion times. Or that it's something that is appropriate for this list and
I'm not just wasting everyone's time.

I'm a freelance writer specializing in TV spots and videos, and I'm tired of
having to go to production houses to have my presentation reel
edited. Plus I'd like to be able to show each prospective client a custom
built reel on DVD. Meaning I'd like to be able to start compiling and
burning my own DVD reels on my brand new PowerBook (15", 1.5 GHz,
SuperDrive).

Therefore, I've had a whole load of BetaSP video masters transferred to
MPEG2 files (as someone at a production house recommended), I've loaded them
into my PowerBook, and now I'd like to use iMovie and iDVD (which I've never
used before) to begin building these customized presentation reels.
(Essentially, I'll just be stringing together various 30 second and 60
second cuts, though I may want to add some titles in between, and so I
really won't be doing any heavy duty editing. At least not yet.)

First question: Is this doable using MPEG2 files and iMovie, and once I'm
done will the quality of the video, when burned to a DVD, be anywhere near
as good as DVDs burned directly from BetaSP masters?

And second question: My plan is to just go in and read the help files, etc.
to learn iMovie, then plunge in. Is there anything I should know in advance?
Any tip you experienced iMovie jockeys can pass on that might save me, oh, a
couple hundred or so hours?

Any tips will be greatly appreciated.


TIA,
Brian