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Small jobs and big jobs with FCPX
I’ve read a lot on here where people have said FCPX is good for small jobs, but not big ones.
Typically a lot of our jobs are 30sec – 4mins. So I would consider these ‘small jobs’ or are people referring to the amount of footage?
We do a lot of multicam shoots and edit multiple films for clients. Our next job is 7 films from a one day shoot (how to’s). Is this what people are referring to? More complex jobs like this?
Or more full length productions? And/or workflow between say AE/Colour etc?
Just trying to get my head around why some people think FCPX is not suitable for ‘big jobs’
Olly Lawer
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17 Replies
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[Olly Lawer] “Just trying to get my head around why some people think FCPX is not suitable for ‘big jobs’
“Some of the comments may relate to the relative lack of collaborative workflow on larger projects. There are also some issues if you have projects that are longer than 15-20 minutes, when the system can start to bog down, but you can work round this by editing larger projects in smaller sections.
I’ve done a few shows with 30-40 hours of source material with no problems.
Workflow for grading in FCPX is better with DaVinci Resolve, Color is EOL so if you were to go with FCPX I would recommend learning it.
Steve Connor
“FCPX Agitator”
Adrenalin Television -
Thanks for your perspective, Steve. This is something I’d love to hear more about. I have a job coming up that seems tailor made for FCPX. 26 episodes, very fast turnaround, digital delivery. But it is a 30 minute show. So, is longer than 20 minutes really a wall here? To the extent that I have played with this software I feel it could help me with tight turnaround times. Anybody out there with experience beyond a 15 or so minute length?
Tim
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And yes, I did read the part about doing longer programs in smaller sections. I’m interested in what happens when you put them together.
Tim
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I think the question that has yet to be fully resolved, is:
A) Whether you should build small segments as compound clips in the Event browser and then combine them into a single timeline as a Project? … Or
B) Build sections as individual Projects and combine them there in the Project library as compound clips? … Or
C) Build sections as individual Projects and combine them there in the Project library by copy & pasting and duplicating?
The concern is whether one of the other is more likely to cause bloat and sluggishness.
For example, in a feature film, would you cut each scene as it’s own compound clip in the Event? (Probably creating a dedicated Event just for these sequences.) I’d love to hear whether anyone has had enough seat-time to determine this yet.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
Oh, boy. Thanks Oliver. Maybe on the next go round.
Tim
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Interesting.
So is it the lack of compounding or creating multiple events that bog down FCPX?
What I mean is, when you come to compose the entire edit, does it then slow down? Thus by managing each section by events, your delaying this process until right at the end?
Or would you render out each event/section as prores or uncompressed then bring back into FCPX? Or is that just samantics and it has the same bogging down effect?
Olly Lawer
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[Olly Lawer] “So is it the lack of compounding or creating multiple events that bog down FCPX?”
I’m not sure if I know the answer, but from previous posts, bloat seems to be related to things like markers and other clip-based metadata.
My concern is that the more Projects you have, the slower things are to open, because these have to be buffered into RAM to permit skimming. This is true whether in the Event or Project library. So if you have many, complex, long sequences “exposed”, it takes a long time for the app to fully open. This can be mitigated by placing stuff into folders and only opening the one folder containing timelines you want to work on. Or by using Finder “hiding” techniques (or Event Manager) to show/hide pertinent Events and Projects. For example, hiding some of the program sections that you aren’t working on at any given time.
[Olly Lawer] “Or would you render out each event/section as prores or uncompressed then bring back into FCPX?”
I would NOT do that if you can avoid it, because you lose all metadata tracking. Of course, if you mean export by “reels” – as in a feature – then yes. Just not as an interim step, unless there are tons of effects and compositing.
BTW – the best way to work is with the least amount of effects applied. Save effects for the end. Leave everything unrendered if at all possible. Let the app render on export (actually the fastest way). You will notice that when Projects load in the Project browser, all effects are first filled and buffered to the “filmstrip” view as NOT rendered, then the app follows up by linking to the render files as the last step in this process.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
Brill.
Thanks for your input!
Olly Lawer
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Oliver,
[Oliver Peters] “My concern is that the more Projects you have, the slower things are to open, because these have to be buffered into RAM to permit skimming. This is true whether in the Event or Project library. So if you have many, complex, long sequences “exposed”, it takes a long time for the app to fully open. This can be mitigated by placing stuff into folders and only opening the one folder containing timelines you want to work on. Or by using Finder “hiding” techniques (or Event Manager) to show/hide pertinent Events and Projects. For example, hiding some of the program sections that you aren’t working on at any given time.”
(Sorry if this is a bit off topic.)
I’ve brought up a question with Simon a couple of times as to whether or not the amount of 3rd party plug-ins loaded will make a difference with app speed other than the initial boot-up of FCPX (I have a ton in my “Motion Templates” folder). There doesn’t seem to be an answer to this yet. Have you done any testing with this or read anywhere if someone has?
If there is a connection to the amount of loaded plug-ins (similar to as you mention with loaded Events and Projects), I suppose quitting and rebooting FCPX and re-naming the “Motion Templates” folder temporarily or moving some plug-ins out would help. My guess is that the plug-ins wouldn’t affect anything without being applied, but I really have no idea. If there is any truth to this, then a 3rd party “Plug-in Manager” a la “Event Manager” would be very cool.
Thanks,
Dave -
[Dave Gage] “Have you done any testing with this or read anywhere if someone has?”
I haven’t tested this or heard anything one way or the other. I do know that certain filters and/or combination of filters in FCP 7 can cause instability just by being there. I’m not sure the same structure is there in FCP X that would permit this. At least, so far I haven’t noticed anything.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com
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