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Activity Forums Apple Final Cut Pro Analysing material or segments on separate laptop or workstation

  • Analysing material or segments on separate laptop or workstation

    Posted by Mark Dobson on July 26, 2011 at 7:39 pm

    I’ve discovered a useful workaround for 2 people working on the same material.

    In order to not keep duplicating source files I do not normally import into FCP X but reference the files from a folder on one of my drives. We reference a lot of archive material and this works well as a workflow. We also use a lot of codecs that FCP X does not recognise yet, (Eg Canon MXF files) so these are transcoded using fcp7, MPEG Steamclip or Aunsoft MTS converter.

    Normally 2 of us work on the material after the shoot. The interview files are also loaded onto a laptop where the material is analysed, sub clipped, and summarised by the producer. In FCP7, once this work was done the project file was sent back to the main workstation, opened up and copied into the main project, media re-connected and was ready to go.

    In FCP X there is no direct reconnect media function. However I’m able to replicate this workflow by copying the interview files onto the laptop, creating an event, carrying out the work on the files and then manually copying the event file into the Final Cut Event folder on the main edit computer via a usb stick.

    If one was then to open up FCP X the files would be flagged as missing with no way to reconnect them.

    However if you open up the Original Media Folder of the Event you have bought in and remove (and trash) the alias .mov files and then file copy the alias.mov files from the Original Main Event folder of your Main Event every thing is re-connected when you launch FCP X.

    I hope this all makes sense. If not I will have another go at explaining it. For me it’s a real breakthrough for teamworking on the same material without re-creating really bulky files all the time.

    Eddie Mcfly replied 14 years, 9 months ago 3 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • Craig Seeman

    July 26, 2011 at 8:04 pm
  • Mark Dobson

    July 26, 2011 at 8:42 pm

    Yeah, I read that – really interesting.

    Amazing Blog. I’m looking forward to the next posting.

  • Eddie Mcfly

    July 29, 2011 at 12:25 am

    Hi Mark,

    Where are you storing your media when you work on your main edit station? On an external drive? If so, you can duplicate or move your events and projects from your laptop to that drive. Then when you open the project on your main station you can plug in that drive and work the event & project off the external drive. This should keep all the files on the ext.

    Or you can duplicate/move the project from the ext. to your main station and choose “duplicate project only” this should keep the media files on the ext. drive.

    I’ve also found a reconnect of sorts….in the project library, select the project that’s missing media (you can’t have the timeline open. Then in the Inspector >properties > Modify Event References. This has the system auto connect any of the clips it finds and you can prioiritize where it looks first….kinda cool.

    Hope this helps!

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