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FCPX cunning workflow: so close yet so far!
Dear creative cows –
Long time FCP7er just testing the waters with FCPX. Please be gentle.I’m working with Sony F5 and am delighted that, after plugin, it can import the XAVC stuff and play it back natively. Take that FCP7!
Here’s what I don’t get…
I can add the footage to timeline but it won’t allow me to export because the footage is “still on the camera”. What it means, of course, is that it hasn’t been converted.
MY QUESTION: What I would LOVE to do is to be able to cut with the native footage WITHOUT converting it to prores (which is time and disk space saved) and only transcode the consolidated timeline at the end (if necessary).
Am I dreaming? Am I missing something? Is this possible?
I thank you.
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15 Replies
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Fcpx rewraps the F55 footage to XAVC .mov
Sometimes it can take a little while and if it hasn’t quite finished that rewrap process, you can get a warning.
You can keep working while the rewrap happens in the background, and if you are working, the rewrap process slows down until you stop working.
Could this be the case?
If not something else is going on.
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I see, yes.
So I guess the answer is that even though you don’t have to wait for the rewrapping to happen before you start editing, you still do have to rewrap everything and end up with double or more the footage size worth of project file.Ok, I think that’s me answered. Thank you!
I am as always impressed with the saint like patience of some dedicated people on these forums. -
[Matty Rocchi] “So I guess the answer is that even though you don’t have to wait for the rewrapping to happen before you start editing, you still do have to rewrap everything and end up with double or more the footage size worth of project file.”
That’s correct.
We use a component that allows us to read the MXF files natively.
Yes, it costs money, but since time is money it is well worth it:
https://hamburgpromedia.com/products/mxf4mac/FCP-X-support/Final-Cut-Pro-X-support.php
There’s also this one:
https://www.calibratedsoftware.com/MXFImport_Mac.asp
Jeremy
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[Jeremy Garchow] “Yes, it costs money, but since time is money it is well worth it:
“I understand this. But on the other hand, we bill by the hour, so…
Unless you’re flat rating projects and can do more of them in the same amount of time, it’s really just a nicety, no?
I’ve often wondered if all the FCP 7 folk are still billing for all the hours of transcoding they have to do before they start editing.
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That is fantastic, just what I was looking for.
I have a real pet peeve for conversions… -
[Bret Williams] “Unless you’re flat rating projects and can do more of them in the same amount of time, it’s really just a nicety, no?”
It’s worth it for us.
It saves on time, hard drive/LTO space, and all the time it takes to transfer all of that material.
If we have a 1TB shoot, and then rewrap the footage to another 1.5TB, now I am backing up and archiving 2.5TB instead of just the 1TB.
Plus, it makes it easier to work in X along with 7 because the component works in both programs.
Jeremy
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“you still do have to rewrap everything and end up with double or more the footage size worth of project file.”
How so? You have to copy the footage from the camera either way, right? Rewrapping doesn’t *convert*, transcode anything nor does it add data. You still have the original, native file, only wrapped into a QT container. If you’re getting the “”still on the camera” error, then you simply haven’t let the transfer of the files from the camera complete, during which it is rewrapped. It’s not a separate process. In that case you should have a small camera icon on the particular clip(s). Simply select and choose “Import from Camera/Archive”, let it finish and all’s good.
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[Robin S. Kurz] “How so? You have to copy the footage from the camera either way, right? Rewrapping doesn’t *convert*, transcode anything nor does it add data. “
In the case of XAVC, it doubles it.
If you shoot 1TB, have that on your drive, then import and rewrap, it adds another 1TB.
So now, for a 1TB shoot, you have 2TB of media to archive. I archive all footage and transcodes together.
If you transcode to ProRes, it will more tha double, as it’s a slightly higher data rate than XAVC, so this is a real consideration.
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command-9 brings up the background tasks so you get a visual of the process.
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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We are using P2 AVC-Intra 100 1080p 30/60 and I am rewrapping upon import into FCP X all day.
I looked at the link and was confused by all the choices – many different packages.
The suite, if I’m reading correctly, would be about $1000? But not sure that is the right choice.
1) Would this allow me to edit natively right from the P2 card without rewrapping?
2) First I copy the card, then I rewrap (saving both so I have a back up). The P2 card readers are usb 2 and the initial copy is slow. Would the import into FC be much faster? Any time savings would be helpful.
3) I assume that exported projects would still need to be transcoded to pro res and then compressed depending upon need.
Also we have 6 FCP stations at the moment and will be setting up a lab with 20 more. Do we need a license for each computer?
Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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