Shot HVX, offloaded with P2 log. XML or Quicktime files for FCP???

[Shane Ross]

[Michael Pierre] “I’m confused about the XML files vs. quicktime files. Is one better than the other?
I’ve been importing the quicktime files directly into final cut pro. Is this right?

I also tried double clicking on the XML file… it brings up all of the media clips offline (I have to reconnect media).

What’s the difference here?”

You really need to watch my P2 tutorial before you do anything:

https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/page_wrapper.cgi?forumid=8&page=https://www.creativecow.net/articles/ross_shane/p2_workflow/index.html

[Michael Pierre] “Also, as far as naming clips… should I do that before I import into Final Cut pro? I want to avoid files “going offline’ because I renamed clips and FCP doesn’t know where they went.”

DO NOT RENAME THE FILES. You can rename the clips after you import them into FCP, but if they ever went offline or you lost a drive and you needed to reimport the original MXF files, then you would never get them to relink.

Shane

Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net

[Gary Adcock]

[Michael Pierre] “I’m confused about the XML files vs. quicktime files. Is one better than the other?
I’ve been importing the quicktime files directly into final cut pro. Is this right? “

Are you referring to the MXF files that are the native format of the P2 media? those are like your master tapes and yes you should keep them if you ever think that you may need to re-master or to transfer the files to a different editing system etc.

FCP just imports the files and adds a QT wrapper around the video.

In FCP the XML data format is used to transfer data between versions of the application or between various applications ( Final Touch or Motion)

[Michael Pierre] “Also, as far as naming clips… should I do that before I import into Final Cut pro? I want to avoid files “going offline’ because I renamed clips and FCP doesn’t know where they went.” naming them prior to import is only effectively done in something like HD log. it is eally a pain in the butt to do this in camera.

The simple solution is to rename all of the clips the create a new project and drag them into the new project prior to editing. -This process however will break all of the links to the original MXF materials and not allow for a proper conform later.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL

[Pierre]

Oh no!
I already renamed the QUICKTIME files (NOT THE XML). I did NOT do this in final cut pro… I renamed them where I saved them (on the external drive).
I’ve got the files on another drive… should I go back through, match them up and re-name them BACK to the original file names?

[Pierre]

Shane and Gary-

It seems like you’re both saying different things. Am I reading this right?
Shane says do NOT name clips in FCP. Gary says go ahead, but FCP won’t be able to link files later.

Also, I’m NOT importing P2 media directly into FCP. Instead I’m using P2 Log. So I don’t ever see the MXF Files… all I see are QUICKTIME FILES “AND” an XML file which looks like some sort of Final Cut Pro File.

[Gary Adcock]

[Michael Pierre] “It seems like you’re both saying different things. Am I reading this right?
Shane says do NOT name clips in FCP. Gary says go ahead, but FCP won’t be able to link files later.”

Welcome to the differences in workflow- one must choose for themselves what they choose to do.

Actually if you name the files outside of FCP you will not be able to relink them.

If you just rename them from within the fcp browser you will be able to relink them, but the MXF naming structure will still be on the original files in the capture scratch location you imported them into.

I choose not rename my P2 imports to avert the hassle of the broken links.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL

[Shane Ross]

[Michael Pierre] “It seems like you’re both saying different things. Am I reading this right?
Shane says do NOT name clips in FCP. Gary says go ahead, but FCP won’t be able to link files later.”

Gary said go ahead, but you will lose the link to the original MXF files:

[b]The simple solution is to rename all of the clips the create a new project and drag them into the new project prior to editing. -This process however will break all of the links to the original MXF materials and not allow for a proper conform later.[/b]

This is why I say do not rename them.

And using P2 log is fine for importing. The only issue there is that again, if you lose a drive, you cannot just reimport and relink as the durations will differ…unless you are using P2 Log to import the ENTIRE clip. if you are importing just sections, then your IN and OUT points and duration will differ, thus making reconnecting the media difficult to near impossible.

You should import the full clips for many reasons…this among them. The other is, as an editor, you want as much footage as you can get your hands on. And it would be wise to keep the original names. It is up to you. But I have experiences drive failures and lost media, and heard other horror stories enough to know that I need to keep things as simple and straighforward as possible. Importing full clips and keeping the original names and renaming in FCP is, to me, the best option.

But to each there own.

Shane

Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net

[Pierre]

Thanks Guys!

[Pierre]

Shane-

When using P2 Log I have been importing the ENTIRE P2 CARD (including all clips/ entire clips).
When using P2 Log I don’t get the “CONTENTS” or “LASTCLIP.TXT” folders that are in your tutorial.
All I get are quicktime files and a XMF file.

Is this workflow (P2 Log) going to mess me up? Should I just use the workflow you outline?

[Dean Sensui]

[Shane Ross] “…unless you are using P2 Log to import the ENTIRE clip. if you are importing just sections, then your IN and OUT points and duration will differ, thus making reconnecting the media difficult to near impossible.”

This is something I totally agree with and here’s why:

Since nothing is shot on tape, there’s no option of re-capturing footage if the media drive goes down.

The only other way is to re-link to media imported from the original MXF files.

So I did a test…

— Took a Quicktime file that was imported from the original MXF file.
— Cut it up in an FCP sequence.
— Created a Media-Managed version of the sequence.
— Deleted the Quicktime files (to simulate loss of the media drive).
— Re-imported the MXF file into FCP.
— Opened up the Media-Managed version of the sequence.
— Forced it to re-connect to the newly imported Quicktime media. I got warnings that the start and end points didn’t match, but I had it go ahead anyway.

The result was the clips connected properly as they pointed to the proper points along the re-imported media. Which was a relief to me as I was concerned about what would happen if a media-managed version of a program were to lose its media files. All that hard work would be down the drain.

But with a properly thought-out workflow, such problems can be prevented.

Dean Sensui — http://www.HawaiiGoesFishing.com

[Michael Alberts]

Thanks Dean for doing your test. That was a nagging question I’ve had as we do a lot of online and offline work over here. The test you just did will make me sleep easier at night.
I’m flying to Poland and the Ukraine to start shooting a documentary. I’ll be using my HVX-200 for the shoot. My Polish cameraman has never heard of the camera, not surprising. I’ll be using a P2 Store, P2 Genie, and P2 Log for my initial workflow. Backup will be to multiple drives at the end of every evening. Just knowing that FCP is smart enough to relink to media managed MXF/QT files makes this workflow just that much easier. Will all the online issues FCP has it’s nice to see this feature works as intended.

Michael Alberts
Ambidextrous Productions, Inc.