FCP subclipping

[David Bogie]

You’ll need to define “unstable.” Subclipping worked fine in 4.5 and works fine in 5+. As with so many data handling tools, user error is a big issue. But, if you look in the manual, you’ll see there are several ways to create subclips and to use them.

How do you think you will want to use subclips with Multiclip? They’re just pieces of clips. If you create them properly, multiclip doesn’t care where they came from.

bogiesan

This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”

[Ian Silverstein]

I’m on a film that used up to 4 Viper cameras for virtually every set up. Due to circumstances beyond my control, a facility is essentially capturing entire camera rolls (we shot onto HDCAM SR 4:4:4 in the Film Stream mode) as one clip (or several, depending on whether there were tc breaks). Once I receive these clips, I have to break down every camera roll into scenes and takes – as subclips. Then, I have to create multigroup clips (I sync my clips using audio tc). The telecine facility strongly recommended that I export each subclip as a final cut pro movie and reimport them before creating my multigroup clip; by creating new master clips, I was presumably ensuring that there would be few problems, and my edl’s would be accurate (I’ve done tests).

So, the only extra step is the export/import, which doesn’t consume too much time or RAID space.

I hope this addresses the issue of defining stablility. Your response would be greatly appreciated.

For the record, I have read the ‘freakin manual’ on ocassion, but only on ocassion.

Thank you.

Ian

[Tom Wolsky]

Just wanted to check that by “multigroup clip” you mean a merged clip. Is that right? or are you doing something else. I haven’t had experience with your particular situation, but I’ve not seen subclips acting unstable because they’re been merged, but it may be the case with very large chunks of video and audio.

All the best,

Tom

Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 2 Editing Workshop” Class on Demand “Complete Training for FCP5” DVD

[Ian Silverstein]

I’m taking three or four clips on which I’ve marked an in point (using audio tc) highlighting them, and choosing ‘create multigroup clip’. I thought merged clip meant synching separate audio and video.

[Tom Wolsky]

You mean a multiclip. Right. That may be a problem if all the angles in the multiclips were taken from the same piece of media, but that wouldn’t be the case with you. Each of the cameras is a separate piece of media, so each of the subclips that make up the angles references a different bit of media on the hard drive. Without knowing more I can’t see why that would be a problem.

All the best,

Tom

Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 2 Editing Workshop” Class on Demand “Complete Training for FCP5” DVD

[David Bogie]

> The telecine facility strongly recommended that I export each subclip as a final cut pro movie and reimport them before creating my multigroup clip; by creating new master clips, I was presumably ensuring that there would be few problems, and my edl’s would be accurate (I’ve done tests).< It's going out to an EDL that will eventually be your downfall. FCP is not known for its ability to manage media in the database let alone create an accurate export of numbers. I wish I could help you more but your project is beyond my scope of experience. You're coming into the advanced tool, multiclip, with less than ideal clips. The advice to export them separately as self-contained movies is terrific but I cannot predict how it will backfill to your EDL once the multiclip has been cut. All I can tell you is that subclips work. Tom and others will offer the best advice at this point. All I can do is wish you best. bogiesan This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”

[Ian Silverstein]

I think that is what the telecine facility was concerned about when they suggested this export/reimport process.

Again, several tests of short scenes have been done to ensure edl accuracy (we’re onlining HDCAM SR 4:4:4 masters)

I’m also creating a Cinema Tools db and synchronizing my clips with it. This is to ensure an accurate audio edl (bucket loads of db management).

I appreciate your help. Thank you.

Ian

[Annaël Beauchemin]

FCP EDL problem happen mostly with speed changes. In some Apple release notes I’ve read that they have fixed this problem, but since i’m still on 4.5, I don’t know.

I’ve done only one offline with subclips that I recall off, and it worked ok. All the rants about FCP media manger relates mostly to recapture getting more media than it should and speed changes getting screwed. I have the feeling Apple got the subclips right.

The best workflow you could have used is to have a TC burnin of your telecine to ensure that the FCP timecode corresponds to the master tapes timecode. With a TC burning, you can easily ensure that your EDL is ok by importing the EDL, appling a TC generator on the offline clips and scrubbing the timline to see if they are sync. But if you are 100% sure that there are no TC break, then you should be fine without doing a verification.

[Ian Silverstein]

It turns that we do have window burn ins – 24tc for the camera, audio tc, and camera designation.

There was no telecine; we’re working with clones of the HDCAM SR 4:4:4 masters.