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XDCAM footage used natively in PPro
I’m getting ready to try PPro CC, and would appreciate some feedback on use of XDCAM footage.
It is commonly understood among XDCAM users that the “BPAV” folder and its contents should be treated with great care. You are not supposed to pull out individual elements, but keep everything together in the folder. You are even strongly advised to use error-checking when copying XDCAM files from one storage medium to another. This indicates, to my thinking, a fairly delicate structure of interdependent files.
When using FCP7, this has not been a problem; I’ve treated the camera original files as if they were camera negatives, making Quicktime .mov files from the originals, and “touching” only the .mov files, not the BPAV files. This is very convenient, actually; I can send .mov files to colleagues, copy or move them from one folder to another on my RAID, and store the selected files where they might be convenient for current or future projects. (For example, I copy some clips to an “Archive” folder that I keep for more evergreen elements.)
With PPro, I understand that the “best practice” is to use the camera native files. Has this been a problem for those of you using XDCAM footage? How do you address file management while respecting the need to keep the BPAV file structure intact?
Thanks for any insights or corrections to my understanding of all of this.
Bob C
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6 Replies
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[Bob Cole] “How do you address file management while respecting the need to keep the BPAV file structure intact?”
Import the footage using the media browser.
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I’ve been editing XDcamHDEX files since the format was introduced (PPro CS3 at that time).
When you use the Media Browser, it simply shows you the clips as if the folder hierarchy doesn’t exist. Transferring media is as easy as moving the BPAV folders with everything else.
The media is ultimately transportable in this way…unlike the FCP rewraps. As far as convenience, I can’t see how bypassing transcoding could be -less- convenient…
TimK,
Director, Consultant
Kolb Productions,Adobe Certified Instructor
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[Bob Cole] “With PPro, I understand that the “best practice” is to use the camera native files. Has this been a problem for those of you using XDCAM footage? How do you address file management while respecting the need to keep the BPAV file structure intact?”
As the others said, use the Media Browser, do NOT use File > Import. The Media Browser understands camera formats and will show you clips, not files.
I like to create a main folder for camera cards, then one sub-folder per card. Then I copy the entire folder structure from the camera original into its sub-folder.
Remember to always keep a copy of your camera originals. The one you’re editing from doesn’t count.
Premiere’s current default is to write an XMP ID metadata into files upon import (though this is changed in the next release, due out real soon now). Make sure you uncheck this in Preferences > Media to prevent Premiere from modifying your files.
Premiere may write marker metadata into the files, too; this can be prevented by locking the files (Mac) or setting the files as read-only (Win) to force Premiere to write markers into the project file instead.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
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Thanks all, very much. I appreciate the help!
Bob C
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You know you can use Prelude to pick just your selects and transfer them to a folder or even subfolder and just the selects will be copied over maintaining the original card hierarchy. An edited clone of your card if you will.
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Hi Bob,
Another option for offloading or extracting a few clips from an XDCAM card is to use Sony Content Browser. It is media aware for XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX and XAVC.
https://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/contentbrowser
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