EPISODE33 - Final Cut Pro and the HD workflow:Q and A

Mr. Mose - I am a recent fan of your podcast and I am a film and video nut. My aptitude lacks however and I want to know if you can help me. Episode 29 skipped a lot on my ipod and i don't know if it was the original recording or what. Let me tell you how crazy i was when this happened. The conversion for my Sony HVRA1 HDV Camera sounded much like the problem I am having with FCP. I need to know what the optimal settings for importing and converting are. I am using an IMAC with plenty of memory, but as i understand it, the 1080i is 1 gig for 20 seconds of footage. That I got from your podcasts. Maybe you can tell me a little about my own camera and whether or not I should be using an external harddrive for all my projects. If so, how large? I am looking to produce feature film quality material as well as TV or otherwise. I like using 24fps and maintaining the highest quality I can obtain. I may even upgrade to the Sony FX camera at some point. Please let me know. Your podcast rocks. I am 36 years old and would love to start my own production studio. Is my Sony HVRA1 a good enough camera or should I be using something with CCCD? I am presently recording on MiniDV tape. Thanks for you expertise and the way you communicate with those of us with real questions. Jamie