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Trouble with converting spanned clips
First, I apologize for beating a dead horse here; I can see there have been plenty of questions relating to spanned clips and lots of great advice, and I have already learned quite a bit. My problems continue, though, so I’m hoping someone may be able to help.
I’m editing a project that was shot with P2 cards on three different cameras. I have a total of 17 spanned clips, which account for a lot of footage, so it’s imperative that I figure out a way to convert these files. I’ve had no luck so far. The Log & Transfer function in FCP won’t convert them. I downloaded a video converter from Aunsoft, and while that successfully converted one of the spanned clips (from two .MXF files), it has failed to convert the other ones — it just spits out these 4KB .MOV files with no video at all. They’re kind of like phantom .MOV files or something.
Is there a fool-proof way to convert these things? I’ve tried everything I can possibly think of to no avail. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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5 Replies
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Spanned clips work flawlessly using Log and Transfer.
This will only work if you keep your complete card structure intact.
Correct P2 workflow is essential.
Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Vice President
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group -
Thank you, Steve. I believe I have kept complete card structure intact. I have identified which clips are spanned. Is there somewhere I can find a simple, step-by-step tutorial that will walk me through the correct way of dealing with spanned clips in Log & Transfer?
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Tapeless Workflow for FCP 7 Tutorial
Log and transfer automatically connects spanned footage. If it doesn’t, then something is wrong. Either with the card structure, or with FCP not working properly. You can try to import the footage on another computer with FCP, and if it works, then it is your FCP. If it doesn’t, then it is something with the workflow or the cards.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks, Shane. Your tutorial was very helpful — I may get that Raylight software you mentioned. Just in case I’m missing something in FCP, though, let me explain specifically what’s happening…
When I open Log & Transfer and try to bring spanned clips in, only the first of the spanned pieces appear in the window. For example, a given take is comprised of these two spanned clips: 13G and 2HD. When I open the Contents folder in L&T, though, only 13G shows up. And I can’t bring any clips in directly from the Video folder because they’re grayed out, and I get an error message. Is this normal, or is my FCP behaving incorrectly?
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[Ryan Corrigan] “a given take is comprised of these two spanned clips: 13G and 2HD. When I open the Contents folder in L&T, though, only 13G shows up.”
Correct. Because the other clips are buried in that span. It will show ONLY the first clip name…any clip that is a part of that span will be included in that clip…and will not appear separate. So their names will not appear.
Look at the span…note that it will be the full clip you recorded. But if it consists of 4 spanned files, only the name of the first in the sequence will appear.
[Ryan Corrigan] “And I can’t bring any clips in directly from the Video folder because they’re grayed out, and I get an error message.”
COrrect, because you need to use LOG AND TRANSFER unless you have third party MXF support apps, like Raylight, or Calibrated or MXF4Mac. FCP doesn’t work with MXF directly without them.
[Ryan Corrigan] “s this normal, or is my FCP behaving incorrectly?”
This is normal.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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