-
Best practices for tracking an original file name after client delivery? Metadata?
I do a lot of output files for a client that contain my own naming scheme to identify the revision number, etc. (e.g. “r5_2016_EastVersion_internal_fallFest.mp4”).
However, as my client passes it around, they often rename it something more appealing and ambiguous. (e.g. “FallBonanza.mp4”)
Next year, they might ask for some revisions to the previous movie. They’ll send me a reference movie called “FallBonanza.mp4”, but I won’t be able to tell (except through excruciating side-by-side analysis) which version of this movie they want to use as the basis for the changes. (and they are often unaware of the various versions)
Recently I’ve started experimenting with adding a metadata tag of my original file name in Media Encoder (CC2015) when I make my client-output mp4s, hoping that if they are only renaming the file, I’ll be able to crack it open and find my original file name.
1) Is this the best way to track down my original file? Do you know of a better method?
2) Are you using metadata? Is there an industry standard tag to put it under so that someone else looking at my file might also find the original name? Should I use the “label” tag? The “nickname” tag? I don’t see one for “original_name” but holy cow there are lot of options in the XMP spec!
3) Is there a way to embed this info that will survive re-encoding? (i.e. They re-encode it for more compression)Other false starts:
Adding metadata through Quicktime 7 seems to not stay in the file, or requires me to re-save to a new movie.
Adding metadata through Media Encoder CC2014 seems to have a bug that removes all audio. (CC2015 ok)
Opening the mp4 in TextWrangler (text editor) and manually adding the tag results in an ‘out of memory’ error.Thanks for your input!
-
13 Replies
-
Wow, interesting…
Personally i use metadata for a way to pick/choose footage faster. Especially if i’m working in documentary.
I use Red Giant “Bulletproof “for that (which is sadly discontinued), an easier metadata tagger than Prelude or Premiere.And actually you can make your own tag/label in XML metadata in Premiere with ease, no need to follow the “template”.
But in your case, i don’t think XMP data from metadata can be retained throughout the transcode.
Just made a a test file using ffmpeg, and they strip XMP metadata.But re-transcode through the AME can retain the XMP, as long the option were to retain the source metadata.
I can think silly idea to hid the naming/version you did in the file, but i really think you will not like it, hehe..
——————————————
Sorry for the english, not native speaker. -
Tell me more about hiding the info in the file. That might be the long way around the problem, but I’d love to have the option.
Thanks!
-
I’m actually asking about permanently embedding metadata into the output file (e.g. quicktime), not source files.
-
Well obviously you can put a single frame with your info at the end of the sequence or the start.
If you have countdown, even better.
If it was too obvious, you can just put a barcode instead.
Use online barcode generator, then invert the color, so you will have white on black bacode.
It’s actually very small.
But i think this method will not hold very well if your client resize frame extremely.———————-
Another silly idea, you can “paint” in audio spectogram, so if you opened it, no matter how much re compression in the future, it will stay the same.
But put your “paint” in the area where there are lot of noise/treble/bass. So the audience didn’t aware of it.
Here’s a full spectrum of 2 min file, notice there are black notch at the left side.
https://i.imgur.com/TWsF7si.jpgIf you zoom-in, actually there are text within audio files.
https://i.imgur.com/tC24p9X.jpg
Yes, it’s silly, right ?
But this is future proof, no matter the recompression is being done in the future, it will stay the same.—————————–
The third idea is using SSIM/PNSR, so it’s not altering video/audio in anyway.
Tools to do that, using MSU VQMT, and avisynth (on unsupported format).
https://compression.ru/video/quality_measure/video_measurement_tool_en.html
https://sourceforge.net/projects/avisynth2/But this only work if there are changes in the video.
The problem with this approach is you have to retain at least one master render for each version, not just the project file.
Also the free version will not work on HD Footage, so you need to crop on the fly using AVISynth with frame size less than 1280×720.If you’re on Mac, perhaps this will work with some kind of emulator (Wine, etc)
It’s really easy to use, all you have to do is inputting the video, then put another video (max 2 video in free version) in other box, but in pro version it can do batch.
Set the Comparative analysis to PNSR/SSIM, it will generate the graph.The one with similar graph is the same video.
If you’re not sure, you can save the result as csv files, then compare afterwards in Excel (make graph)——————————————
Sorry for the english, not native speaker. -
I like those ideas. And they look like good spy-movie fodder. But as you suggest, they aren’t very practical for production.
I’m guessing this issue of information is part of the reason the industry started putting more effort into file metadata. I’m surprised that AE doesn’t have more metadata support, but even if it does that I’m not aware of, the burden is on the output file specification or codec (e.g. Quicktime, PNG, ProRes), not AE to provide the support for it.
-
edit
-
Ha! That’s true. I’ve done that in the past but forgot about it.
-
Ooh,..silly me..there is a better and faster approach in AE.
All you have to do is use Difference Matte, set the tolerance to zero, output to matte for each comp, turn off source layer.Yes it’s still manual review, but at least the changes will obviously being seen as black and white matte, instead manually watching it side-by-side/masked.
Sorry didn’t much of help.
——————————————
Sorry for the english, not native speaker. -
“Use the Export Options menu to specify whether XMP metadata should be embedded in the output file, stored in a sidecar (.xmp) file, both, or neither.”
“The Embed In Output File options are disabled for files of kinds for which XMP metadata can’t be embedded.”
https://helpx.adobe.com/media-encoder/using/export-settings-reference.html
-
Thanks! Do you think AME will respect this (embedded) data on mp4 creation?
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up