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Media Management
Okay so now I’ve finished the ripple tutorials.
Question.
Which is better, to keep media within the Library or externally as Managed media?
I know this may sound like a stupid question but t occurs to me there are no advantages to keeping the media within the library when it works just s well with sum link files from externally managed media.
Your collective thoughts and wisdom, as ever, much appreciated.
Thanks
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5 Replies
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I’d say it depends on the size of the project and how much work you want to put into managing media.
If it’s an unshared, short project shot on DSLRs which includes lots of downloaded clips, images, music, etc…, I’d probably just keep it managed. For me, it would be easier and quicker to have FCP copy files into the library vs finding a place on the drive to move the media to and then move into X.
If it’s a large shared project that spans multiple drives, then I think you’re better served with external media.
Anything in the middle-ground is fair game :).
Michael Garber
5th Wall – a post production company
Blog: GARBERSHOP
My Moviola Webinar on Cutting News in FCP X -
I agree with external media. Even if you don’t need to share that media between Libraries, it’s more easily accessible if external.
Only reasons I can think of for internal (others will likely add better ones!) would be 1) it’s the easiest to be “transportable”, that is, if you work the job totally internal to the Library, just moving that one file around moves it all, no relinking. 2) Less things for unknowledgeable fingers to muck up. Neither one of these have any interest to me – those are the only pluses I can think of.
Reading Michael’s post above, I’d add that the pref for internal managing many types of media for me isn’t desired; I keep a set of template Finder folders that encompass all types of media used in a project (eg; stills, audio, text, renders (from AE/Motion), 3D, etc etc). Makes it much easier to database the final archived project for future asset retrieval if it’s not stored in a package file.
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For our workflow, I like keeping everything in the library. That makes in incredibly portable, which works well with switching work stations and for our tape backups.
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OutOfFocus.TV – Original series, music videos, mini-docs. -
What’s working for me is external media.
I create a folder on my main RAID for each project, I then create two subfolders: “Rushes” and “Added Media” The FCP Project lives in here as well. I import rushes to the rushes folder and back up camera cards via Shotput Pro. All additional material goes into “Added Media”.
When the project is finished, the rushes folder gets deleted, the project gets run through X wiper and then I have a nice small folder to archive.
Michael Sanders
London Based DP/Editor -
It’s been years since I’ve posted this, and seemed like the right spot to post it again, in it’s updated form. Originally it had more folders, but over time I’ve grown to prefer fewer.
I use this system for a few reasons….
#1: after every project gets transferred to archive drives (RAID 1, 2 drive sets), it gets databased using Disktracker (this enables offline searches). Having files grouped into standard folder structure makes it blazing fast to find (and sometime not find (! grrr) files years down the road. eg; find client ABC’s logo from 3 years ago, but don’t know the filename. ok, search for client name (always in the top parent folder name), and look in folder “Art”. Or, show me every file whose ancestor’s name is “client name” and “VFX”; that’ll return every After Effects, Motion, 3D, etc, project.
#2: having a “Do Not Archive” folder saves space & “file noise level”, also lets you make that decision as you add files, not at the end of a project, when you’ve had quite enough of it, don’t want to see it again, and could care less if you really might need that photo years later.
#3: aren’t editors always looking for yet another way to sort stuff?
“Constituo, ergo sum”
Bob Woodhead / Atlanta
CMX-Quantel-Avid-FCP-Premiere-3D-AFX-Crayola
“What a long strange trip it’s been….”
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