-
Do more projects within an event slow FCPX down?
I’m usually cutting (short) tv series of say 4-6 episodes, using a lot of footage I need for all these five shows.
Now I like to work with versions per episode, in case I’d like a sequence back I’ve cut out for a new version. But I notice that if I have more than five projects (and with six episodes and 2-3 versions per episode the happens pretty quickly) it slows down.
Now, I tried doing this: moving the older projects to a new event. And with each move (which often takes a bit of time: beach balls, the project loading even though I am not using it, just moving it) FCPX speeds up again.
Is there some limit to the number of projects recommended within one event?
-
21 Replies
-
[Mike Warmels] “Is there some limit to the number of projects recommended within one event?”
Are these created as duplicates or snapshots? IOW – are they linked in any way? Do they contain compounds that are significantly longer than the length of the clip cut into the timeline?
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
Just duplicates. And no, no compounds. They do of course contain the same clips (it is a duplicate after all), including (jn the most recent Library) a bunch of synchronised clips.
But I’ve run into this issue before. Moving them to a separate event within the Library helps a lot. But I find it kinda strange.
-
[Mike Warmels] “They do of course contain the same clips (it is a duplicate after all), including (jn the most recent Library) a bunch of synchronised clips”
Right, but if they are duplicates without being snapshots, then changes you make in one link to another, thus increasing the complexity of the event exponentially.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
Okay, you have to explain this to me then. Because the versions ARE different. And STAY different. (and why are they linked??) What is the link then?
And then: why is the problem gone when the projects are moved to a different event within the Library.
-
Okay, you have to explain this to me then. Because the versions ARE different. And STAY different. (and why are they linked??) What is the link then?
And then: why is the problem gone when the projects are moved to a different event within the Library?
I thought snapshots were used to freeze a project in time, nice and handy to preserve old version of compound clips. I don’t use compound clips…
-
[Mike Warmels] “Okay, you have to explain this to me then. Because the versions ARE different. And STAY different. (and why are they linked??) What is the link then?”
When you “Duplicate” Version 1 to create the starting point for Version 2, then some subsequent changes you make in Version 1 ripple forward to Version 2. For instance, making a change within a compound clip in V1 will also it in affect V2. Even if you never use a compound, the linking is still there between the sequences and this adds to the overhead.
When you “Duplicate as a Snapshot” Version 1 to create Version 2, changes made in either version are independent of each other. The “Snapshot” function breaks the link.
[Mike Warmels] “And then: why is the problem gone when the projects are moved to a different event within the Library?”
Library files are independent and unrelated data files. Event files are data files within the library. This structure is roughly equivalent to Avid’s Project files and Bin files. By moving the FCPX project to other events or libraries, I believe you are breaking any linking.
[Mike Warmels] “I thought snapshots were used to freeze a project in time, nice and handy to preserve old version of compound clips.”
That’s one way to use them, but you can also go the other way. Same as a “save as” or making a “copy”.
In general, for your original question, I would recommend a separate Library for each episode and then work within that Library for everything tied to that episode. Always keep media outside of the library.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
What? Really? A new Library per episode?
That’s…. Pretty bizarre. These episodes have to be finalised in a different location. That would mean:
A) That I have to import (while leaving them in place as I always do) the media in every Library
B) Bring all these libaries to the online location en relink every Library againSounds like a ridiculous amount of extra work!
From now on I’ll use the snapshot duplicate. But a Library per episode, man… I find that hard to accept for a ‘Pro’ NLE… I need to catch my breath for a moment. How did they ever cut a feature film with it?
-
[Mike Warmels] “A) That I have to import (while leaving them in place as I always do) the media in every Library
B) Bring all these libaries to the online location en relink every Library again”Is the online facility using FCPX? If the media is external to the Library, then the Library files are tiny. And just like in FCP7, multiple Libraries can be loaded at the same time. So you are really talking about carrying 3 small Library files versus 1 small file.
You can also create a consolidated Library file that only contains the finished project/sequence for each show.
[Mike Warmels] “Sounds like a ridiculous amount of extra work!”
No, it’s not. You asked for best practices and that’s what I suggested. If I were working in Premiere, FCP7 or Media Composer, I would do the exact same thing. A separate main file for each individual episode.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
Fair enough. I never do this in MC myself. Simply because you can’t instantly switch between projects. But MC is not giving any performance issues,
So what you suggest is to make a Media Library and then a Library per episode? In case of a six part series, I’d have seven Library files.
How does working in multiple Libraries affect FCPX performance? The couplle of times I had several Libraries open for copying Library files or projects, it seemed to slow down.
And personally I don’t find Library files so small. Otften they get into the range of 30MB-800MB.
Plus consolidating is something I don’t like to do, since FCPX doesn’t use handle lengths ( as far as I know). If I use a few quotes from a 20 minute interview, the entire 20-minute clip is included in the ‘consolidation’. In quotation marks because I don’t consider that real consolidation. Turns consolidated Libraries into HUGE files, up into THE 30-40GB range. That’s not really workable, especially when I have to send them over via internet.
So, working in multiple Libraries simultaneously. That’s the preferred work around? Because FCPX doesn’t seem to be designed that way. It always warns me if I edit between Libraries.
-
One more question. If I use a Library per episode, the question of having multiple versions of a Project still stands. I’ve had instances where I had well up to 9-10 versions of a cut. Would you recommend only using Duplicate as Snapshot?
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up