Another Q from FCPX newbie: third party plug ins

[Nicholas Zimmerman]

Don’t worry, I just finished a short film in it without any issues. We did the whole kit and caboodle too, X2Pro for ProTools, Davinci Resolve, etc. I use the Disk Image method, in Disk Utility you create a large sparse disk image (usually 1-2 terabytes, it only takes as much space is used) and store ALL files for a project in it. FCPX treats it as a hard drive, and when you eject it, it disappears from X. Some people complain about speed issues, but I’ve never encountered anything in the last year and a half I’ve been using it. If you copy the footage into the sparse before you import then you can skip copying. When you import make sure you hit Optimize media, and it’ll automatically generate ProRes for you. Make sure you have Canon Log-C set in the info pain for your footage after you import.

————————–
Avid MC, PPro CS6, FCP7 – wasting away on my SSD.
I just can’t quit X.
————————–

[David Eaks]

I’ll third NEAT video, its really good.

[Sascha Engel]

Puff, if I’m really honest, I don’t understand several things in your explanation:

1. Why I have to create a separate partition and cannot just create an event folder and project folder on one of my internal drives?

2. What do you mean by copying the footage into the sparse?

3. Where do I set c log in the info panel?

4. I do need to download the C log driver for FCPX, after installing it, I just import the original files over the event window? Best way?: to let FCPX copy them into the event or having them on the drive in a separate folder and just letting X link to it? In this case will X work with the compressed footage from the card without transcoding?

This is all very confusing for me, coming from many years of working in FCP 7. I’m sure whe somebody would explain me that directly, I’d get it quick, but over the web it’s hard to understand and makes me very scared to actually jump into the cold water and trying it. Specially since its known, that you pay a big price for not doing the media managements right in FCPX.

Sascha Engel
TIME BANDITZ Productions
http://www.youtube.com/taikang

[Sascha Engel]

Another one: if you imported as ProRes, why you have to tell X afterwards still that it’s C Log.
And: does the download plug in for C Log in FCpX works then in background? It will only work when importing, no?
If I just link it to the copied files it will use the original clips as they are on the copy of the card, no?

Sascha Engel
TIME BANDITZ Productions
http://www.youtube.com/taikang

[Sascha Engel]

Hope, I do not drive you crazy! But some other Qs:
In the preference window of FCPX under import options, should I check the box “import folders as key word collection” and if yes, how Dow it help, when I import directly from the camera folder? In this structure I can not change anything, and therefor not make pre named folders that will be mirrored in the keywords after import.
Also: when I import with copying to events folder, should I also create proxies? If yes, where are they stored then?
Should any of the other boxes be also checked, such as face recognition, sons repair, analyse for balance colour and so on?

Somehow, I feel secure enough in the editing to work with X on this, but the whole setting up the project gives me a headache 😉

Greetings,

Sascha Engel
TIME BANDITZ Productions
http://www.youtube.com/taikang

[David Eaks]

Import folders as keyword collections is generally the ONLY box I have checked on import. It only works If you select a folder directly containing media. FCPX will import all of the media and keyword it appropriately:

Folder (client, job, date w/e)
SubFolder (CAM 1)<—————– select this folder
Card structure
SubFolder (CAM 2)<—————– then this folder
Card structure

Unfortunately you can’t just select the top level folder and get each camera keyworded automatically (unless I’m missing something). So, you can uncheck “close window after import” and import one folder at a time. FCPX will also add the folder name to the camera name field in the inspector. Perfect for setting up multicam clips.

Be aware that “copy to events folder” will make a duplicate copy of your media, eating up storage space unnecessarily. Unless you are importing direct from a camera card or an external drive, I wouldn’t check that box. I keep all my original media organized in the Finder, my way. FCPX can just deal with it.

Proxies will be stored in the event folder under transcoded media in proxy media.

Forget those initial analyzations on import, IMO.

Don’t worry, setup is actually very simple. Just a little different than you’re used to.

[Nicholas Zimmerman]

I use disk images because it allows each project to have it’s own Events and Projects. This also makes it really easy to organize as my RAID just has a bunch of sparse bundles that I mount and eject as needed.

Personally I’d recommend generating Optimized Media because ProRes renders incredibly fast in FCPX. It’s like having an automatic offline workflow that you don’t have to worry about, and switching back to the online clips when needed. I haven’t worked with Log C footage, but I know one of the big updates with 10.0.8 was support for the Log C LUT, so that you could edit in a proper Rec. 709 colorspace on Log C footage. This doesn’t have anything to do with the ProRes optimization, but is a Look Up Table that ensures the media displays properly.

FCPX works a lot like Avid, in that it has a specific place that it wants your media. Your FCPX Events and Projects are always in the root directory, unless on your boot disk, where they live in ~/Movies. The sparse bundle workflow allows you to easily manage the location of the files, and keeps everything together in one place. It’s really cleaned up my workflow, and I love it. It’s kind of like having separate drives for each project you work on.

————————–
Avid MC, PPro CS6, FCP7 – wasting away on my SSD.
I just can’t quit X.
————————–

[Nicholas Zimmerman]

Also a sparse bundle only takes as much space as the files in it, so I 2tb bundle with 100mb of data is still small, just with an upper limit of 2TB.

————————–
Avid MC, PPro CS6, FCP7 – wasting away on my SSD.
I just can’t quit X.
————————–

[Sascha Engel]

Clear. So I should copy files to event and also check the proxy option?
When it comes to he disk usage: I did put events and projects also till now onto my internal RAID, not the start up disk, since it’s SSD and rather small.
After I finished the project, can I move the project folder and event folder on the client’s Extetnal HD? Will all be still linked then? My main concern is, that after moving it, FCPX won’t be blue to read the project anymore.

What other options I should check in the import window?

How should I organise the footage folder wise before importing for proper keyword set up?
Or only after I imported?

Thanx a lot for your time to explain all this!

Greetings,

Sascha.

[Nicholas Zimmerman]

One of the other guys posted a good organization for the folders and card data earlier in the thread. If you use sparse bundles you’d just move the one file and everything would work fine. If you’ve already got the footage in the sparse bundle you don’t need to check copy files. If you are moving between different drives then you need to check it. For handing it off you’ve got a lot of options. I tend to duplicate the project to their drive and only include used media.

————————–
Avid MC, PPro CS6, FCP7 – wasting away on my SSD.
I just can’t quit X.
————————–