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Converting .MTS files to ProRes but keeping filename intact – possible?
I am on a documentary project with a Sony FS700 and an A7s.
I’m handing over footage to an assistant editor at the post house.Because I am shooting a LOT, I’m not converting to ProRes 422 in the field. (Keeps file sizes down, so I don’t need masses of storage)
What I *am* doing though, is renaming the files so that every file has a unique filename (formatted YYYYMMDD_CAM_FILE#)
The plan is for the post house to do the conversion to the edit friendly format.Ideally though, I’d like to be able to trade project files and bins with them further down the road.
Is there any way we can keep the filenames intact when we transcode?I am new to Media Composer. I used proxy files and ProRes files in Final Cut a bit years ago and vaguely remember the workflow, but any advice on this in the Avid world would be greatly appreciated.
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3 Replies
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This isn’t really a good workflow for avid at all.
Your assistant should link to your footage via AMA and transcode within avid to an offline resolution.
After the edit is locked, you relink to the original files and transcode to your online resolution.For this to work properly, it’s essential that you keep the card folder structure intact and don’t go renaming and reorganizing all the files. You can rename the clips in avid all you like and it will still remember what files they came from but don’t rename the files themselves.
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You are RENAMING the files on the cards…or card backups? Are you really doing that? That’s not a good idea…not at all. The name of the clip links to ALL the other things that card generates…the other sidecar files with metadata that is connected to those clips. Renaming can cause damage to that.
NEVER ALTER THE FILES ON A TAPELESS RECORDING MEDIUM like SD cards or P2…anything. That’s just plain bad. Don’t change anything, don’t rename anything, don’t only copy over files you think you need. The only thing you name yourself is the folder you back up the full card into. Everything else you leave alone.
Have you tried importing this footage you renamed? If it works, I’ll be amazed.
No…that folder you make is the ONLY thing you name to indicate the date shot, location, project…all that. The original files you leave alone…period!!
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
OK, well – I now know this is not the accepted way to go about this, but thankfully it doesn’t seem to be the catastrophe it might have been.
Myself and the post house were both able to AMA link everything right away without issues and they’re transcoding at their end.
Moving forwards though, I’ll keep the folder structures intact as you good folks suggest.In order that this thread might be more educational for myself (and anyone in my position in future doing a search), is anyone able to clarify what metadata is lost by pulling out video files from the folder structure and what headaches it creates for post?
I understand that the codec information is probably contained in the metadata which helps the AMA linking – and that long continuous clips split across several files are dealt with this way. I’d be interested to understand more about what’s going on in there though.
As I say – I’ll keep my folders intact going forwards (if only because it cuts out a bunch of file handling tedium).
Always keen to learn *why* things are the right way too 🙂
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