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FCP X Reels
We’ve had this discussion before regarding tape reel names. Here’s an update with 10.0.6. Apple has gone the route of using the embedded metadata track within QuickTime to place all sorts of metadata. This is something they are working out with camera manufacturers and it is starting to fall into place with 10.0.6. The new RED support already shows reel names.
One of my pet peeves has been with Alexa files and the fact that Reel ID numbers, which showed up in FCP 7, didn’t in FCP X. That has now changed. Under Inspector/Info/Extended View you can open the Edit Metadata function. There’s a whole bunch of additional options in there that you can turn on and have visible in the inspector. Specific to the Alexa, there’s a lot of ARRI metadata, including the ARRI Reel ID. The catch is that these have to come from a camera using newer ARRI firmware.
The user entry “Reel” field is precisely that, intended for user entry – just like scene and take. If a piece of software embeds reel ID names/numbers as part of the TC track (like QtChange and FCP 7 have done) it won’t be read in FCP X.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
62 Replies
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I’m hoping FCPX 10.0.6 supports reel, etc. from the metadata input from a menu on the Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera.
Rick Lang
iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB
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Did you mean “will be read in FCPX?”
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[Larry Asbell] “Did you mean “will be read in FCPX?””
Reel IDs embedded into the TC track of a QT movie WILL NOT be read in FCP X.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “One of my pet peeves has been with Alexa files and the fact that Reel ID numbers, which showed up in FCP 7, didn’t in FCP X. That has now changed. Under Inspector/Info/Extended View you can open the Edit Metadata function. There’s a whole bunch of additional options in there that you can turn on and have visible in the inspector. Specific to the Alexa, there’s a lot of ARRI metadata, including the ARRI Reel ID. The catch is that these have to come from a camera using newer ARRI firmware.”
Weird.
How new does the firmware have to be and do you have a version number?
I have Alexa files shot in March that aren’t showing any info.
Now we need a metadata mapper. At least FCPXML will now export the data.
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[Jeremy Garchow] “How new does the firmware have to be and do you have a version number?
I have Alexa files shot in March that aren’t showing any info.”The camera owner has to have updated the camera’s firmware. I believe not all of these are free updates, so owners don’t necessarily upgrade their camera as frequently as other types of software. I’m not sure when this kicked in, but the current version is SUP 6.x. There are incremental patch numbers, but 6.0 forward should be fine. Maybe even a version earlier.
In the attached screen grab, note all the camera-based metadata fields that are available. This example is from a clip shot in April.
In the Inspector view, notice the ARRI Reel Name versus the blank Reel name. (BTW – these fields can be dragged up or down to change position.) In the fields that you can add to the Inspector, the ARRI fields are listed as “Camera” type, meaning that they are coming from the file. The Reel field is listed as a “Studio” type. This means it’s a user entry field. Quite possibly “Studio” fields could tie into a 3rd party app down the road – presumably some that can write FCPX XML – or via a utility, which doesn’t exist yet. Or maybe FileMaker Pro in the future.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “Reel IDs embedded into the TC track of a QT movie WILL NOT be read in FCP X.”
It’s kind of confusing that Apple would ignore this standard field and then rely on vendor-specific solutions. It seems like we’ve already got a situation where imported R3D clips come in with reel data in the ‘Reel’ field, but Alexa clips come in with reel data in a different Alexa-specific field. Why wouldn’t you want reel metadata in the same field for all media types?
Well, as long as people don’t rename the media files on disk it’s never that hard to derive reel names for stuff shot on modern file-based cameras. Still, that would be more of a comfort if we hadn’t had clients bring us projects where media files had been renamed.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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[Chris Kenny] “It’s kind of confusing that Apple would ignore this standard field and then rely on vendor-specific solutions.”
The operative word is “standard”. Nothing about QuickTime is an actual standard. As odd as it may sound, moving this over to specific metadata fields is actually an effort to become standardized, if still not an actual “standard”.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “The camera owner has to have updated the camera’s firmware. I believe not all of these are free updates, so owners don’t necessarily upgrade their camera as frequently as other types of software. I’m not sure when this kicked in, but the current version is SUP 6.x. There are incremental patch numbers, but 6.0 forward should be fine. Maybe even a version earlier.”
Seems weird.
The rental house we use is always up to date. The XML says the Sup is 6.0 when this footage was shot.
It was an Alexa Plus, I don’t know if that has any bearing on the situation.
On a completely separate tangent,
When you open the import window, do you have the choice of sorting by list view or filmstrip view? Or is it just list view?
The reason I ask is that I have seen a few screengrabs were filmstrip is available, but they might have been non release builds.
If you have this option perhaps I should redownload 10.0.6.
Jeremy
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[Oliver Peters] “The operative word is “standard”. Nothing about QuickTime is an actual standard. As odd as it may sound, moving this over to specific metadata fields is actually an effort to become standardized, if still not an actual “standard”.”
QuickTime isn’t a formally certified industry standard, if that’s what you mean, but the file format is openly documented.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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[Chris Kenny] “It’s kind of confusing that Apple would ignore this standard field and then rely on vendor-specific solutions.”
Normally I would agree. But when they came out with FCX they flat out ignored most of the major needs of the higher end professionals, and relied on third parties to provide those solutions.
– Tape capture from non-firewire? Use the capture card software for that. Same for output to tape…third party
– Export AAF or OMF for audio mixing? Third party
– Import/export of standard XML? Third party
– A NEW feature they tout in the 10.0.6 update…the ability to work with MXF files native! YES…via third party.
– And now reading of reel numbers embedded in the metadata? Third party.
Frankly I’m shocked that FCX even cares about timecode anymore.
Reminds me of a few years ago when Apple went to the Supermeet in Las Vegas to do a presentation. What was the presentation? “Look at all our great third party partners….”
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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