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High School TV studio reconfiguration suggestions
I have a 5 year old broadcast studio in a high school. We were set up with an Xserve running Final Cut Server and 8 Mac Pros running Final Cut Studio. We now have the previous 8 Mac Pros, 4 MacBook Pros, an iMac, a Mac Mini, and since last week a new Mac Pro.
This past month we were told we had to upgrade to Final Cut Pro X. I already know I have to upgrade the OS on all of my workstations and load FCP 10.1.
My questions are: How should I reconfigure my Xserve in the studio to allow for individual student log in and media storage for projects and uploads of final edited videos? What software or apps should I get immediately to make this happen? Does anyone have a suggestion for workflows?
We record AVCHD format and have in the past just uploaded the raw footage to FC Server for use by students in their projects. If it is footage only needed by the individual student and not others, they would import it to a second drive in the Mac Pros and connect to them from whatever edit bay they were in.
Thanks in advance.
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1 Reply
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Great question. Would love some responses. I know from trying to do similar things that if you set up a student account using a simple finder that you can use sparse images as a container to hold an entire Project (the old definition of project). A simple finder cannot mount sparse images. Thus you can launch them with your admin account and do so remotely using Apple Remote Desktop. I have no idea how smoothly all this goes since I am just setting up lab now. However i have used this workflow on individual computers with raids as media drives attached. The only thing you need to pay attention to is when you set up the sparse images (use https://www.spherico.de/filmtools/createDiskImage/) you need to set up permissions using Get info on the sparse image so everyone has read write permission including
‘apply to enclosed’. For projects that you want shared you keep the image mounted. Once mounted the simple finder can open the library. You need to experiment with parental settings to make sure all needed apps and support programs are given to the student account. Make one complete system with these two accounts and make sure you set it up properly and then clone to the other computers. Th beauty here is you do not need to have an account for each user. Only one admin and one student account. It will require you to mount and unmount the sparse images to keep others from loading each others work.Now here’s the catch: once mounted it can be seen when using FCP X’s “open library.” If everyone is using a shared storage not sure what would happen. Though it is limited to who ever is in the lab. Plus I don’t think two editors can work on the same library at once.
BTW my first attempt at setting this up as to password protect each image. But this require encryption and takes way too long when you load new media.
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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