-
Convert or compress mxf files for easier use in FCP
This is my first post and I am new to editing, so bare with me….I shot 4 TB of footage on a Sony PXW-z150 4K XDCAM camcorder mostly in 4k, and I am combining multiple clips in FCPx 10.3.1. The native mxf files are too large for import to FCP and I don’t necessarily want to create proxy media for every clip. I prefer to “copy files to library” on import into FCP so I will end up creating large FCP libraries. I’m not too concerned about storage space, but I am concerned about FCP crashes, which I’ve already experienced in the first two minutes of creating my timeline. I can play each original mxf clip using VLC, but I am unable to scan through the clip to see what is in the video to decide if I want to import to FCP for use, playback is slow and jumpy even though I have a new imac with a fast processor. I ran all 4 TB of footage through compressor and lowered the bit rate just to be able to view the clips quicker in Quicktime. I have now been convinced to re-compress all 4TB of footage in compressor using “4k sharing services” to downsize the original but have a usable clip for editing in FCP. This is ok, except there will be a loss of quality (which I am ok with some, remember I want smaller clips to work with) BUT to compress in compressor I have to import all 4TB of footage into FCP (left files in place on import for this purpose) and manually click on each clip individually, go to file>send to compressor then start a batch. I have spoke with the Apple pro team and Compressor won’t except mxf files directly (and I have tried). This is labor intensive and I have already done it to all 4TB and lowered the bit rate (unusable for editing, for viewing purposes only) and it took a very long time for a laptop I designated the task to to process. I can re-wrap the mxf files in compressor on direct import, but again, I have too large of files. Anyone out there have any ideas on how to more efficiently deal with 4TB of mxf files for use in FCP? It is all stored on an external 6TB Promise Pegasus Drive r2+
I would be ideal to be able to view a usable, converted, or compressed mxf clip outside of FCP in Quicktime and I would also trim out the portion I plan to use in FCP with Quicktime and make it smaller, then import to FCP. I have just started manuallt compressing all my footage with “4k sharing services” but I am limited on time. I am ready to import footage into FCP now and have a deadline for my project. ANY IDEAS?
-
18 Replies
-
Why are your MXF’s so large?
Noah
FCPWORKS – FCPX Workflow
FCP Exchange – FCPX Workshops
XinTwo – FCPX Training -
Individual mxf clips range from a few hundred MB to 30 GB. Most were shot in 4K. I shot 4 TB of footage over a 6 month period.
-
The workflow would depend greatly on how powerful your Mac system is.
Noah
FCPWORKS – FCPX Workflow
FCP Exchange – FCPX Workshops
XinTwo – FCPX Training -
I’m running three Apple computers:
-
My suggestion would be ingest and edit proxy mode.
Noah
FCPWORKS – FCPX Workflow
FCP Exchange – FCPX Workshops
XinTwo – FCPX Training -
I am aiming to keep the libraries small. If I import original mxf media to FCP and create Proxy media those libraries would get out of hand. I am looking to find out ideas on how people compress, convert, transcode original mxf media for ease of use in FCP. I would rather make smaller files and trim them to the desired portion and import that into FCP and create proxy to keep my libraries and processing power to a minimum. I don’t think FCP would handle all that footage very well. It’s too large, it needs to be smaller. Thanks for your help BTW!
-
You’ll be adding tons of extra work, complicating media management and and generation quality loss- proxies are tiny by comparison to your originals and performance is excellent. And you can blow them away when you’re done if space becomes an issue.
Proxies are half resolution pro res proxy- really minimal data rate.
Noah
FCPWORKS – FCPX Workflow
FCP Exchange – FCPX Workshops
XinTwo – FCPX Training -
[Cherin Bower] “.. I am new to editing…I shot 4 TB of footage on a Sony PXW-z150 4K XDCAM camcorder mostly in 4k, and I am combining multiple clips in FCPx 10.3.1. The native mxf files are too large for import to FCP and I don’t necessarily want to create proxy media for every clip. I prefer to “copy files to library” on import into FCP so I will end up creating large FCP libraries.”
You are walking down a path of ever-increasing time and workflow complexity. With older, slower editing software lacking asset management tools, the standard procedure was evaluate the material before import and only import what you really want.
FCPX is so fast and has such good organization tools, it is often better to just import everything using “leave files in place”. That does not require any additional space for transcoded media and import is lightning fast. Make sure all analysis options are turned off on import. Then inside the editor, use skimmer, rating, keywords, etc to evaluate and classify the content in a single pass. The library will remain quite small except for cache files, which can be located elsewhere if you want.
If you have 4k multicam content, that may require transcoding to proxy for smoothest editing performance. However in general camera-native H264 4k content can be skimmed and initial selects done within FCPX after importing with “leave files in place”. Normally copying the content to a library, or creating proxy or optimized media is not needed.
I normally don’t work with MXF but I imported some DCI 4k MXF content to FCPX 10.3.1 with “leave files in place”, added it to a timeline and it worked fine. It was 10-bit 4:2:2, encoded at 240 mbps. Skimming and playhead movement in the timeline was pretty quick and responsive.
This is the procedure I use for other large documentary projects in the 5 terabyte range. My 2015 top-spec iMac 27 handles it well, although the media is on several Thunderbolt 2 drive arrays, one of them SSD RAID-0.
-
Have you tried importing with Create optimized media checked? This will create full resolution ProRes files in your Library instead of copying the MXF files and should be much easier to edit. Then just work with the ProRes files in full resolution.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasstsoftware.com -
I have just finished editing a large 4K project shot with a Sony and MXF files. I used the “Leave files in place” option on import and did not create optimized media. The edit went smoothly, no issues at all.
Keep it as simple as you can.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up