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Trimming down huge DNxHR source files for delivery of media-managed project?
I need to send a project to another editor but some of my source files are absolutely huge, while the sections I actually used in the edit from these sources are only a few seconds in some cases. So, I’d like to trim these source files down before I send them, but keep the edit intact. The upload/download times will ridiculous otherwise.
My first thought was to use Project Manager and then “Consolidate and Transcode.” However, Premiere simply will not trim my source files, which are QuickTime DNxHR SQ. It keeps telling me “some clips have frame sizes, frame rates, field types, color space and/or aspect ratios differing from the selected preset. [etc]” At first I thought it was because the preset I had chosen in Consolidate and Transcode was Quicktime ProRes rather than what my sources were, DNxHR. So I created and then imported a proper QuickTime DNxHR preset, but is still gives me that same warning and doesn’t ultimately trim anything.
I know I came across a discussion once about which codecs Premiere will trim in Consolidate and Transcode vs. which ones it won’t, but for the life of me my Google powers are failing tonight.
Then I thought, “well, I can use Render and Replace in the sequence. It’ll do essentially the same thing as Consolidate and Transcode (trim the source files with handles if desired), but it will do it right there in the sequence, not just as a result of a Project Manage.”
And it does! It does what I expected. EXCEPT, when I then Project Manage this new edit with just Collect Files and Copy to New Location, Premiere will “drag” along the original huge files to the Project Managed folder it creates (it will also still do that when I try Consolidate and Transcode again). And I get that—normally you’d want those files still there so you can do “Restore Unrendered” if desired and still have the originals intact. Except I don’t want that. I don’t want Restore Unrendered as an option. I want Premiere to “forget” Render and Replace was ever used.
All right, well I can just delete the original files from the Project Managed folder by hand and send just the new files with “rendered” in their name along with the new, managed project file. That basically works. Except that when the recipient opens this new project, they’ll be spammed like crazy with all the “missing” original, unrendered media that Premiere expects to be there. Everything will still work, but far from ideal when sending a project to someone else.
So, long story short, is there any way to get Premiere to “forget” that it Rendered and Replaced? Or some other way to go about this? Maybe a solution to the Consolidate and Transcode limitation with DNxHR files?
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2 Replies
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Hello,
I don’t know any native way for your problem. The Project Manager has a lot of limitations and often ends with the “Unknown Error happened” …
However we develop a third party “Project Manager” plugin called “PlumePack”. It does exactly what you’re looking for. It can trim your files without re-encoding, so your files keep their exact quality, codec, metadata …
By default, if you’re using multiple parts of the same media source, it will create in a smart way multiple outputs to optimize the final disk space taken by the project.
It works with ProRes, DNxHD, BRAW, R3D, Cineform, Image Sequences, … but we didn’t check with DNxHR SQ in particular. However you can check this with our TRIAL !
About the TRIAL : after downloading for free the sofware, you can analyse your project and it tells you everything it should do : which clips should be trimmed, which clips should be copied (and why they are not trimmed), how much you will save space, etc … depending on the options you set !
In case your DNxHR SQ footages are not supported, please send us a message and we could add it to the supported codecs for trimming !
Otherwise, it should be a solution about your second problem : PlumePack can only just “Collect & Copy” and ONLY copy the used media (so it doesn’t have the problem of the Project Manager you detailed).
Here is a full article about PlumePack vs the native Project Manager : https://www.autokroma.com/blog/PlumePack-Premiere-Pro-Project-Manager-Difference
Also, if you have any questions, if you want more features in PlumePack / more supported codecs for trimming, or if you have any issues while running PlumePack, we can provide fast support if you contact us : https://www.autokroma.com/contact
Best,
Nicolas from Autokroma
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Hey, Nicolas!
Thank you so much for the suggestion; I will definitely check that out. I was really deep into a heavy project at the time or I would have tried it as soon as you posted!
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