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Building 8 FCP edit/finishing suites in the Middle East?
Hello,
I have been an avid reader (not avid editor) of Creative Cow forums over the last couple of years. The site is so comprehensive this is the first time I have had to post!
Firstly sorry for the long post. I have been looking into this all day and feel a bit overwhelmed. As an editor in training I have a good idea about things, however I do lack the hard core experience a lot of the guys on here have.
So a producer has asked me to spec 8 Final Cut Studio edit suites capable of HD online and finishing for broadcast.
HD CAM and XD CAM EX formats are to be shot on the following cameras:
HD CAM: HDW-750P, HDW-F900R
XD CAM EX: PMW-EX3The region for delivery uses PAL (B). I am not definite on frame rates but I would imagine 25P, 24P or 50i would be used at various stages of the project.
Once out there getting hold of equipment is slow/impossible so it’s a case of planning the whole set up down to a T now. One thing to note is all these edits suites can be independent from one another so no server is needed.
Below is the provisional list I have begun putting together, for now lets assume there is no maximum budget:
8 CORE MAC PRO
2 x 24″ Cinema Displays or 1 x 30″
Sony JH 3 HDCAM? (There are 9 different HD CAM decks to choose from on the SONY website!)
SBAC-US10 – SxS Memory Card USB Reader/Writer
GRADING MONITOR? -sorry i really don’t know about these….
SPEAKERS/Monitoring System -again I am more of an Off-Line editor so not sure what would be sufficient
RAID – G-SPEED eS PRO 6TB
LACIE RUGGEDs’
FINAL CUT STUDIO 3
PHOTOSHOP CS4
AFTER EFFECTS CS4
LEADS CABLES/SURGE PROTECTORS
Power supply will be: 240 V 50 Hz D & G
FCP KEYBOARD
WIRELESS MOUSE
SHUTTLE: Euphonix MC Transport – Control Surface. Have not used one but it looks very professional
HEADPHONES: any recommendations….i am too used to cheap crappy ones….Last random thoughts whizzing around my head….
DESK?
COLOUR MANAGEMENT?
Blacking out the room?Apologies for my amateur list but any help filling in the blanks/corrections/general advice would be very greatly appreciated.
Lastly, in terms of work flow would it be wise to capture at full quality to save conforming? Possible not as a couple of the projects are feature length documentaries…..
and would Pro Res HQ be a sufficient codec to capture or should I be thinking about uncompressed HD as it is for broadcast?
Thanks in advance and apologies for such a big request on my first post!
Dan
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10 Replies
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Don’t forget about a Kona 3 or Blackmagic card to get the media out to the JH3.
Mike
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Thanks Mike, yes your right, I did mean to say Kona3 – good job you reminded me…
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DLT?
Sounds like you will need a lot of storage, and with all that solid state media
I’d make a couple copies.How are you managing all the clips? You may want to plan out a media mgt. system
such as CatDV or Final Cut Server. Put this on a server (such as a xServe) that you
will not be editing on with lots of directly connected fiber or similar storage.
Being able to keyword search all your assets will save time, and more importantly,
save your behind in a crunch. -
[Mike Kahn] “Don’t forget about a Kona 3 or Blackmagic card to get the media out to the JH3.”
ahhh…. the Sony JH 3 is a PLAYER ONLY. So its only data IN to FCP, no OUT to JH 3.
Baz
What would I do without the ‘UNDO’ button!!!!
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https://news.creativecow.net/story/859813
Harris is the only company willing to build facilities in the Middle East. Without “protection”, no one else will do it.
you are building a large facility. You are over your head. Contact Harris, and stop screwing around.
Bob Zelin
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Don’t know if you’re UK based, but I echo Bob’s advice. Depending on where in the Middle East you’re talking about, I’d hook up with a reseller to spec and supply your suites. It does sound like you’re in over your head – and that’s not in any way a criticism, just an observation. Getting help now from a professional will pay dividends in the future.
For instance – I wouldn’t build an 8-seat edit setup without shared storage. You may find that it’s not any more expense than individual storage, especially for the format’s you need – and even if it is, the flexibility it would allow you should you ever need it (which, if it’s there, would be sooner rather than later) will pay for itself the first time you use it.
So, talk to a good reseller. If you’re UK based then Quad Logic in Bristol are good (no connection, just happy customer) and they may well be able to spec, supply and install. Your boss will be happy, and you’ll be able to concentrate on making programmes rather than thinking ‘If Only’
Jason
_________________________________
Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes.
Then when you do criticise him, you’ll be a mile away. And have his shoes.*the artist formally known as Jaymags*
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Thanks for all the responses guys really really appreciated. I am glad I posted here sooner rather than latter. Thanks especially Bob for my wake up call. I have learnt a lot already looking into this and was really looking forward to speccing these suites, yet the reality is I am obviously out of my depth.
Thanks again Bob for the recommendation of Harris, I read the article you linked to and checked out their website…. WOW… welcome to the world of high end!
Just to reiterate all 8 edit suites would be independent with no shared content, no transmission or news rooms. Mainly documentaries. The “idea” is that these would be one man HD suites – offline to delivery running FCS3.
The region itself is in a safe part of the middle east. Don’t get me wrong Harris appear to be top dollar but I got the impression from what I read that they build entire broadcast networks, suddenly my 8 edit suites started to look a little small fry… just really wanted to check if anybody knew/could recommend any freelance contractors that work international or in this region.
Going off on a tangent but is FCS3 really up to all of this? I have seen some great stuff graded on Color, there’s a fantastic looking Jaguar commercial on the Apple website, I get the impression AE is far superior to Motion, though nothing compared to Flame. I must admit haven’t heard about Sound track pro being used professionally much. Also I am semi proficient at FCP but are there many operators out there that are happy to cut,grade and mix etc?
Again thanks in advance if anyone has the time to reply.
Dan
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unless you are in Dubai, nobody is going there.
Have 8 systems built in London, examine how they are setup, label everything, and re-set them up yourself.
Bob zelin
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[Dan Hemmington] “The region itself is in a safe part of the middle east.”
If you name the city or state it might make helping a bit easier Dan. There are plenty of systems integrators out there and chances there are folks here on the COW who might be able to help you but not without knowing where you need helped.
Best
Andy -
Dan,
I have to agree with Bob here, you really need a systems integrator to work with you, not responses on an internet forum. It’s clear from your questions you are not familiar with enough of the equipment to make good professional recommendations not only for the equipment to purchase, but how to set it up.
I just designed 8 integrated edit suites for one of the PBS stations here in Atlanta and I’ve designed four other facilities so far, including one that primarily linear based. In each case I work with either an engineering firm or on-site engineers to select and plan everything out. I also know how pretty much everything works on the systems so if I get a software or hardware related question, I can answer it.
As Bob says, you are over your head with the questions you’re asking. This is a HUGE request to set up this many rooms. Get together with an integrator to help with the design of the facility and you’ll come out much further ahead AND you’ll get an accurate and probably better quote. Most integrators can get better pricing than you ever will just going online or contacting the manufacturers directly.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author.
Credits include multiple Emmy, Telly, Aurora and Peabody Awards.
Owner, Biscardi Creative Media featuring HD Post
Biscardi Creative MediaCreative Cow Forum Host:
Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, Apple Color, AJA Kona, Business & Marketing, Maxx Digital.
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