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Archiving, Logging and using AVCHD
I’m not sure if this is the right spot for this question, but it feels like it. I work at a busy studio and we are about to move to a tapeless workflow. We will be shooting AVCCAM using Panasonic AG-AC160A cameras. There are four editors all using FCP 6, all connected to a gigabit network.
Right now the plan is that footage will be shot, then the cards dumped via ShotPut (or something similar) to the storage server. The editors will then use Log and Transfer to ingest the footage and cut away. The issue we are wrestling with is this: How can we log and database the footage so that it is searchable in the future? Ideally non-editors (producers, directors etc) would be able to access the clips, make selects and then export a file (XML?) that the editors would be able to use to quickly ingest just the files they needed rather than everything off a given card dump.
Is this a clear request? I’m not even sure! Essentially we need a standalone log and transfer tool that would edit the metadata in the AVCCAM clips and be searchable in the future so if we were looking for a particular shot a year from now, it could be pulled up with a minimum of fuss.
Any and all help is appreciated.
Ian Venables
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6 Replies
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Hi Ian,
The best solution available is one of the server versions of CatDV.
With CatDV every clip ingested has a thumbnail, a proxy, and easily added metadata. Even if the original full-res footage is archived to LTO tape, backed-up to a drive and put on shelf, or even taken completely off-line, CatDV knows where to find it and retains all the original information about each clip – you can find anything, play anything, and even cut in the proxies as placeholders until you retreive the full-res clips.
We at ProMAX are authorized resellers, so, if you need any further information or would like a live Webex demo, just give me a shout and I’ll be happy to help you out.
David Roth Weiss
ProMax Systems
Burbank
DRW@ProMax.comSales | Integration | Support
David is a Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Apple Final Cut Pro forum.
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Ian,
As I was reading what you were asking for, CatDV is the first thing that came to mind. Then I went on to read what David wrote, and he responded just how I would have. CatDV is a great data asset management tool. There is even a CatDV section here on the cow that may be of help. We are also able to help if you have any other specific questions, and we are here for all of your storage and workflow needs.
Matt Stone
Maxx Entertainment Digital
3189 Redhill Ave. Unit B
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Telephone:(714) 374-4944
Fax: (714) 374-3404 -
Hi David,
this sounds interesting. Currently we have around 40TB data on raid. It’s all online. Can we organize our data, so we can find anything via keyword? Obviously we would put keywords to each clip maually.
Can Catdv do such a thing? We would leave everything in place.
Let’s say most of our clips are P2 files with numbers. So within cat DV we would give keywords to the files and can find them where they are and know, whats on it?Thanks
Rainer
factstory
Rainer Wirth
phone_0049-177-2156086
Mac pro 8core
Adobe,FCP,Avid
several raid systems -
[Rainer Wirth] “Can we organize our data, so we can find anything via keyword? Obviously we would put keywords to each clip maually.
Can Catdv do such a thing? We would leave everything in place.
Let’s say most of our clips are P2 files with numbers. So within cat DV we would give keywords to the files and can find them where they are and know, whats on it?”Hi Rainer,
Yes, that’s precisely what CatDV does, and much, much more.
Just imagine, some big enterprise users have petabytes of media online that are all indexed and referenced, and quite easily called up with keywords. A huge auto racing organization for instance has 35-years of footage from every race ever run. CatDV was setup with dropdown menus of commonly used keywords, which in their case were race drivers, car manufacturers, color, etc. So, they are able to instantly call up every shot in the library of any driver; or they can filter further, calling up every shot of that driver driving a Ford; or better yet, every shot of that driver driving only in a red Ford, etc., etc., etc. If it works on that scale, imagine how it would work for you, with just 40Tb of media.
FYI, CatDV is also now integrated with the Nexidia speech recognition engine. So, with the addition of that software you can index interviews or other clips with people speaking, and call up clips by referencing spoken words.
And, the best thing about CatDV is that, unlike most NLEs, it makes adding metadata simple. For example, if you have 1000 clips you shot in London, you can add London to one clip, then lasso the the other 999 and hit copy, adding it to all clips. And, it’s integrated with FCP and Premiere, so you can add in and out points, or markers, that can be input from CatDV into both apps with a single mouse click.
If you or anyone else want to know more about CatDV please let me know.
David Roth Weiss
ProMax Systems
Burbank
DRW@ProMax.comSales | Integration | Support
David is a Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Apple Final Cut Pro forum.
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Thanks David,
this is good advice.
Rainer
factstory
Rainer Wirth
phone_0049-177-2156086
Mac pro 8core
Adobe,FCP,Avid
several raid systems -
Thanks Rainer, you’re more than welcome.
BTW, for you and others who may want to know more about CatDV, take a few minutes to look at our ProMAX CatDV webinar at the link below, I think you’ll find that it’s really informative.
https://www.promax.com/s-108-catdv-digital-asset-management-webinar.aspx
David Roth Weiss
ProMax Systems
Burbank
DRW@ProMax.comSales | Integration | Support
David is a Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Apple Final Cut Pro forum.
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