MPEG-7 logging > FCP edit > archive

[Shane Ross]

I’ve never even heard of MPEG-7. ONly MPEG-4 and H.264. Are you from the future?

Shane

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[Paul Figgiani]

MPEG-7 is a standard for multimedia description, AKA metadata.

Here is the Spec:

https://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/standards/mpeg-7/mpeg-7.htm#E9E3

Steve,

I have experience using Frameline 47. I think it may be just what you are looking for. As far as widespread support of the MPEG-7 spec. … not sure about that.

-paul.

[Steve Braker]

Shane, I might be from the future but if I told you for sure we’d… never mind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-7 – I’d never heard of it either but it’s been in development for 10 years. Beautiful things:

– it isn’t a compression scheme, it’s a way of attaching metadata to media files of any format. So you get your DV Quicktime file, add MPEG-7 data into it, and it’s still original DV and still a Quicktime. Same for your JPEG still picture and I believe audio files. That’s my current understanding anyway,

– many levels of data, from the file level to clips within that file to “edited” groups of clips to identification of specific events in time to timed transcription…

– since the data is in the file, there are no complicated schemes of keeping the data synced with and accessible from an external database. Copy or send some files and the data is just there. Delete media and it’s gone from the database.

The only difficult thing for me: it’s “new”.

https://www.frameline.tv is the logging product in question. It seems pretty well thought out and the documentation is beautiful but hard to grasp (the entire manual consists of an alphabetized glossary).

An extension of this for use with proxy media they are calling “MPEG-47”, which is MPEG-4 compression and MPEG-7 metadata.

I’m definitely not here to be a salesperson, but it intrigues me greatly. No0body out there using this?

[Steve Braker]

That’s great, Paul. How are you using it? Any caveats?

(Apparently I just asked you to be my Cow “Friend” but I don’t know what that means.)

[Paul Figgiani]

Steve,

Three key features that will probably interest you:

• annotated files retain your keyed metadata and are stored in a custom library
• metadata can be exported and linked to a specific file in a collaborative environment
• It supports FCP XML

The “47” connotation refers to an MPEG-4 file with embedded MPEG-7 metadata. So the logged media is converted to this format when you associate it with FL47. Originals remain intact.

The full screen viewer is flat out awesome. It displays segment references, metadata, etc during playback. It’s a great way to review your logged clips.

For the price there is nothing else out there that comes close to this application.

-paul.

[Paul Dickin]

[Steve Braker] “Among the attractions is that the metadata stays with the media (inside the file, wow!) and that (to us) complicated and expensive server setups for logging aren’t necessary. “
Hi
The currently-on-the-road World Tour demo of Final Cut Server shows FCP 6.0.3 (+QT 7.4.5 presumably as a vital ingredient) taking in logging notes etc with Log&Capture/Log&Transfer and adding the metadata into the QT file, not into the FCP project – they don’t Save the FCP project – but FCServer subsequently can see the log notes within the QT files.

So something along these lines has just happened within the Apple scheme of things
(cue drumroll/fanfare!!!).

Obviously I guess it won’t be ‘compatible’ with anyone else’s metadata (MXF etc), by hey…

And I suppose only FCP or FCServer can reveal the riches within, unless the likes of the CatDV guys are allowed to get stuck in.

[Steve Braker]

Thanks, Paul. I briefly looked at Server for this project, but the impression is that it’s both wildly overqualified and poorly matched to our large but finite archive project.

It seems to be limited to media that already exist within FCP projects, where products like CatDV, Mac File Server, and Frameline will do the capture for us as well as cataloging any existing digital media we need. Not to mention that, for a project involving the capture from tape of many thousands of clips, FCP would be an inefficient and complicated bear (remember, we have inexperienced young loggers).

This isn’t to say it isn’t a great app for the apparent target audience: large interactive ever-changing production libraries. I’ll keep my eye on it anyway.

I’m sorry, Paul. I had missed something in your post. I can’t see anything in Apple sales lit about Server handling capture and logging. If it’s there it’s worth more attention….

[Paul Dickin]

[Steve Braker] “I’m sorry, Paul. I had missed something in your post. I can’t see anything in Apple sales lit about Server handling capture and logging. If it’s there it’s worth more attention….
“
Hi
Apparently that will be a Telestream(?) add-on – there’s an ‘open’ API to FCServer to allow developers to produce add-on s/w or black boxes….