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Home: Video University Forums: Mac Video:
Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it?

 
 


Ron Priest
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May 28, 2008, 3:28 PM

Post #1 of 9 (1147 views)
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Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it? Can't Post
Okay so my 2nd shooter has purchased a MacPro and is in the process of learning how to edit on FCP. The idea is for me to capture all of the footage, duplicate it to a 2nd drive and give it to her to plug into her system and accomplish my clean up edits. You know, the long ceremony edit with the B/C roll.

Theoretically, as she is editing, she can send me the updated project files only, allowing me to check on how the edit is coming along since I have the same footage on my system. Once she's complete, I'll then work on the creative edits.

However, how can we do this when there is multicam edits involved? Especially when the mult-cam edits involve generated footage? What do I mean by generated footage? Well, most often when I'm setting up a multi-cam edit, the video of one or more tracks may not be one continuous file. Maybe the camera operator stopped and started the camera a few times while recording the event. Or, maybe the tape had to be changed out during the event therefore leaving gaps in the timeline for that camera angle. So, I have to piece the video track together using slugs so I can export each timeline or camera angle out to a .mov file then import the individual movie files back into my project to use as my continuous multi-cam footage for that camera angel.

So, in this case, she can't simply email me the project file for me to use because there are generated movie files on her computer that are not on mine. So... I guess I need to figure out how to create multicam edits without generating additional movie files.

Any ideas?
_____________________________
Ron Priest - Louisville KY
New Website/Blog
Live StudioCam


(This post was edited by Ron Priest on Jun 1, 2008, 9:46 PM)


Kenneth
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May 28, 2008, 10:30 PM

Post #2 of 9 (1119 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it? [In reply to] Can't Post
Why don't you sort through the footage and make all those reference movies before you give it to her.

Or just do what I do and hand the hard drive over and get it back when it's done. I also have a sysytem where we use iChat to communicate, so if they are having an issue I can share their screen and see exactly what the issue is and correct it while they watch,



Philadelphia Wedding Video
The Kenneth Stillman Blog



Ron Priest
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May 28, 2008, 10:42 PM

Post #3 of 9 (1117 views)
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Re: [Kenneth] Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it? [In reply to] Can't Post
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Why don't you sort through the footage and make all those reference movies before you give it to her.
Well, because that's all part of what I want her to do. If I do all the work, then give her the easy part, I might as well just do it all myself.
_____________________________
Ron Priest - Louisville KY
New Website/Blog
Live StudioCam


Kenneth
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May 28, 2008, 10:48 PM

Post #4 of 9 (1112 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it? [In reply to] Can't Post
Those reference movies can be huge sometimes. Small compared to the original files but you can't have her email a 400MB file.

Maybe you could do it for the first few edits until you are confident she knows what she's doing.

Does she have any experience at FCP? How did you find her? College student?



Philadelphia Wedding Video
The Kenneth Stillman Blog



Ron Priest
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May 28, 2008, 10:58 PM

Post #5 of 9 (1107 views)
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Re: [Kenneth] Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it? [In reply to] Can't Post
No, no student. She's an old ... old lady, 42 or something like that. She is just now learning FCP for the first time. She has used Premiere Pro in the past so that should help.

My entire edit is based upon two audio timelines. A ceremony timeline and a reception timeline. I actually refer to them as Ceremony footprint sequence and Reception footprint sequence.

Since I record my audio separately from my camera using the Edirol R4 I sync all of my video to the timeline using the audio as my baseline. Once all of the video is laid down on the timeline, I can then break up the timeline to individual multicam sequences (I shoot all of the traditional reception events with 2 cameras) The edit actually goes by quite fast once the 2 footprint timelines are synced up.
_____________________________
Ron Priest - Louisville KY
New Website/Blog
Live StudioCam


Kenneth
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May 28, 2008, 11:02 PM

Post #6 of 9 (1104 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it? [In reply to] Can't Post
I see. Very well thought out.



Philadelphia Wedding Video
The Kenneth Stillman Blog



Timothy Harry
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May 29, 2008, 11:52 AM

Post #7 of 9 (1063 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it? [In reply to] Can't Post
you might try using a quicktime reference file for the long clip. that way it only references the raw media, not the full file. I use them a lot for encodes etc, and it really brings down the file size.

Not sure what camera you are using, but I have had awesome luck with jam syncing the timecodes in freerun mode to be exactly the same. Makes it a snap to edit multicam stuff.

Last year before I had multiple cameras capable of freerun timecode, I did 10 3 hour pentecostal revivals (dont get me started, but as a southern baptist I was a bit out of place). I recorded tape for 3 cameras and synced them in post. Took me 4 months to edit, but I divided the services into 3 parts, and merged them together on a master timeline, which is what I do with all my multicam stuff anyway. I have noticed that when I make more than 100 cuts on a multicam timeline my performance goes to hell in a handbasket quickly, so I came up with a master sequence Idea to solve that problem and it works like a charm. Audio Mixing can be a PITA, but I also ran a firestore on one of the cameras, so it wasnt too bad. While shooting we coordinated our tape changes so that at least 2 cams wer running at the same time, and by the end we were changing 3 tapes in a minute and 45 seconds. I will never in my life under any circumstances take on another multicam project of that magnitude without paying the money to rent a switcher and do it live. Too much work for not enough pay.

Tim Harry

Dallas, TX


Ron Priest
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Jun 1, 2008, 9:50 PM

Post #8 of 9 (1015 views)
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Re: [Timothy Harry] Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it? [In reply to] Can't Post
Thanks Tim for your input. But I still need to figure out how to create multicam edits without generating additional QT reference files.
_____________________________
Ron Priest - Louisville KY
New Website/Blog
Live StudioCam


(This post was edited by Ron Priest on Jun 1, 2008, 9:51 PM)


Timothy Harry
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Jun 2, 2008, 8:11 AM

Post #9 of 9 (1000 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] Long distance editor exchanging project files, how do you do it? [In reply to] Can't Post
try doing it using the source files, just break it into multiple multiclips. You can then put those multiple multiclip sequences into a master timeline. That's how I normally do it anyway to make it easier to apply broadcast safe filters, add chapter markers for DVDSP, and general final tweaking.

Tim Harry

Dallas, TX