Outputting for future use!

[Tim Kolb]

I think true “Future Proofing” is a bit of a pipe dream…but of course some methods would be better than others.

Saving your DVD and BluRay projects as ISO files is a good idea…for as long as burning optical discs will be necessary.

For a master file that could be re-purposed for whatever lies in the future…there are as many opinions on this as there are options. A frame sequence can be the most flexible way to save video, but audio would have to be a separate file (which wouldn’t be completely impractical of course) and the video file size for DPX or TIF files would likely be massive.

Production Profile H264 is the basis for AVC-Intra, XAVC, and even the very light compression in HDcamSR…so H264’s reputation as being only appropriate for video on cel phones is a pretty narrow perspective. So H264 is interesting at high data rates, but it’s still a version of compression and many really want to avoid compression in archive (though they also want to avoid buying petabytes of storage…), so many people find themselves in a strange conundrum.

H265 seems amazing in its early propaganda and demonstrations, but it’s early for most people to just make the leap this early.

I’m not one of those people that answer a question with a question…I seem to always come up with 5-8 questions.

TimK,
Director, Consultant
Kolb Productions,

Adobe Certified Instructor

[Tom Daigon]

My workflow involves creating a master of projects by saving that in the DNxHD (for PCs) or Prores (for Macs) format. I then archive this on a data dvd . I use this master to make whatever kind of copies I might need in the future, like h.264 for distribution or whatever.
This might not apply to your particular needs but is generally regarded in the industry as a good way to do things.

Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
HP Z820 Dual 2687
64GB ram
Dulce DQg2 16TB raid
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com

[Chris Tompkins]

We’ve taken to archiving the project of course, and mastering to the P2 format. P2 can be opened by any pro edit sys. mac or pc. Then, backed up to redundant USB drives.

Chris

[Tim Kolb]

[Chris Tompkins] “We’ve taken to archiving the project of course, and mastering to the P2 format.”

P2 is a data format, but not a video format. You archive in AVC-I 100 then?

TimK,
Director, Consultant
Kolb Productions,

Adobe Certified Instructor

[Chris Tompkins]

Yes, AVC-I 100

Chris

[Ryan Holmes]

We’ve been archiving in different ways depending on the project. One way is to create, like Tim said, very high data rate h.264 files and then burn that to a data disc (DVD or Blu-ray depending on the size). The data rates vary from 40Mbps to 80-100Mbps depending on the project (fast motion, talking head, etc.). This has been an effcient way to hold final output files in a decent format that you can pull off and transcode for DVD/web use.

We’re also moving to a LTO6 tape backup solution for longer-term archiving. And then you either backup the whole project to a tape or as Tom, suggest output a file in a standard intermediate codec like DNxHD or ProRes and lay that file off.

I think it comes down to how much you want to spend, what type of material you have, and how long you think you need to keep it around. Answering those questions may help you narrow down the right solution for your long-term storage needs.

Ryan Holmes
http://www.ryanholmes.me
@CutColorPost

[Tom Daigon]

And heres a cool little twist available on PrP Next.

Adobe has provided the codec for the PC to be able to use MXF DNxHD in a Smart Rendering workflow. The Mac has this capability now with Prores.

So if you chose to master to MXF DNxHD AND you changed your Preview file codec from MPEG I frame to MXF DNxHD AND you rendered any clips on the timeline that werent DNxHD (during lunch or downtime). you could dramatically speed up your export since smart rendering workflow would be used.

Exporting at the end of a session from PrP has been a bottleneck for some folks working on certain kinds of projects. Not anymore.

Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
HP Z820 Dual 2687
64GB ram
Dulce DQg2 16TB raid
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com

[Ryan Holmes]

[Tom Daigon] “AND you rendered any clips on the timeline that werent DNxHD (during lunch or downtime)”

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t find myself rendering much (ever?) when using Premiere. Most everything just plays back without any problems. And if I’m having problems, I just drop the resolution (faster than rendering). But again….maybe that’s just me.

I rendered a lot more back in the FCP days. It’s something I don’t really miss…..

Ryan Holmes
http://www.ryanholmes.me
@CutColorPost

[Tom Daigon]

Ryan, I dont think I made my point clearly.

The rendering allows you to export the timeline in a quick manner at the end of a edit session.Its not done because its needed for playback (my Z820 has no pb issues).

It speeds up the export process by using smart rendering in a similar manner that FCP did when it exported.

Normally PrP has to analyze and reconstruct each frame when it exports since many times its looking at a variety of native formats. This can take a long time.

This work flow isnt for everyone. But if you need to get the client out the door at end of session quickly, this can be a great time saver.

My apologies for hijacking this thread 😀

Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
HP Z820 Dual 2687
64GB ram
Dulce DQg2 16TB raid
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com