Bill Davis
Forum Replies Created
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[Michael Hancock] “[Bill Davis] “It’s not a restrictive system. no matter how you try to cast it as that. In practice, it’s the complete opposite of restrictive.
”I would add to that, it’s not a restrictive system in exactly the same way as all other NLEs are not restrictive. Because none of them are, really. It’s just a matter of how you use them.
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Michael Hancock
Editor”Yes, yes.
We all know that X is annoying because is so different from anything that’s come before it – causing years of “hair on fire” consternation and woe – and yet, miraculously, still everything IT can do- is fully and utterly possible in every other NLE.
It’s the FCP X conundrum.
Very different, yet NOT AT ALL different – at precisely the same time!
Quite amazing, really.
; )
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
My field workflow:
Step ONE: Each completed or “day end” camera drive or card gets “cloaned” as either a FCP X Archive or an external Sparse Disk Bundle. I do this to insure that all possible Volume level metadata is preserved. I don’t really know if I’ll ever need go go back and reference any global metadata that *might* not be preserved. A particular manufacturer might decide to store all the potentially useful volume metadata at the card level – or not to reflect that metadata into the camera clips — but I can’t see any reason to have a workflow that fails to preserves ALL the upstream metadata – no matter which camera I’m working with. This is initial archive is stored on a “Traveller” (A) drive.
Step TWO: Clone the Bundles/Archives to a second (B) traveller drive. I use simple Costco 4tb USB portable drives on location since these are inexpensive and easily transportable. One in my carry-on, one in my checked equipment case. (and I often keep the original cards in my camera case as a tertiary safety)
Step THREE: Upon return to my office, I immediately copy all my clone archives onto a Vault drive (C) that sits in a USB connected firesafe in my office.
That’s my field footage protection system for live projects. Eventually, a copy of the Firesafe clone gets packaged with the whole project Library, the progress XMLs and the Extras folder – and reflected onto two separate drives for long term storage, but that’s after the project goes into Archive status.
My editorial workflow in support is:
In the field, I initially switch between mounting the A or B drives as I do my early work to confirm they were written properly. Mounting either will populate my X database so I can immediately start tagging and annotating the shoot inside FCP X. I update my Libraries as needed keeping them in sync. Is I prep and edit, I also regularly do instant simple FCPXML exports that preserve my progress. This get tossed on both the second field drive as well as onto a thumb drive since the files are trivially small.
Back home, I keep both the A and B drives on my desk and continue updating them so I always have two copies of virtually everything at hand in case of a single drive failure. This includes a folder of “Extras” that contains all the Graphics, Sounds and otherwise linked files needed to rebuild the Library should I ever need to.
Every few day, or at worse every weekend, I reflect all the small files and Extras into the (C) safe drive so the entire edit is protected.
Just my way. There are plenty of other ways to do this stuff.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
Again, Herb the way you imagine editing in X is not the way it actually works.
In my example, I was trying to create a relatable description of any situation where there may be an obvious “starting place” for an in-point decision.
If the editors preference is to include such a blink, he or she certainly can do that.
I’ll also contend that many experienced editors, having reviewed their material thoroughly, will instinctively remember that the pre-trimmed take they are using “in the moment” includes that eye blink that they previously elected to trim – and in a quick unconscious action will simply ripple the cut to reveal it the instant they call the scene to their playhead.
In my experience, many, many editors are really smart that way.
X does not require you to make your decisions the way it wants you to – it enables you to make the decisions you prefer to make, store them as precise decisions accessible via keyword tags – and adjust them as precisely as you like once they arrive in your storyline.
It’s not a restrictive system. no matter how you try to cast it as that. In practice, it’s the complete opposite of restrictive.
My 2 cents.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
While replacing the screen caps with my XinTwo content, we probably should have replaced the coffee cup with a small bowl of mixed nuts….
On second thought, carrot sticks.
God forbid I imply a high fat diet is required for quality editing!
; )
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Matt Soble] “I have restored from back up, but since I transcoded on import, FCP is seeing QT movies but my original footage is in it’s original forms, whether it’s from a Sony, Canon or Panasonic. (don’t ask why? I didn’t shoot it and it drives me crazy). Anyway, I cannot relink.”
You say you “transcoded on import” – which can have a specific meaning in FCP X workflows.
Does this mean you let X do the transcodes inside the App? Or did you (or someone else) use third party software to transcode before importing into X? This has big implications on whether your original workflow is recoverable.
And follow Darren’s advice. He knows his stuff.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
I’m sorry to have to say it, but there’s nothing you can do to pull a clean key in this situation. The background and the subjects attire have literally NO color or luminance difference that will allow you to separate them.
Your only options are a) reshoot changing either the costume or the background color – or b) manually create a matte for every individual frame (rotoscope.)
I suppose you could do a travel matte in an oval shape or do a draw mask that sorta follows her form as she dances – but it’s NOT going to come anywhere near approaching the precision of a traditional key. That just won’t work here, sorry.Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Walter Soyka] “s software development to be different than episodic content development?
“As I’ve long argued, I have little quarrel with a pure subscription model where the consumer pays for access to copyright content owned by someone else. My problems arise when rather than content, the subscription is applied to a tool that the consumer is forced to pay for in order to maintain ongoing access to their OWN work.
Basically, charging me to subscribe to your creative property is fine. Requiring me to subscribe to maintain access to my own property? Not so much.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
For many categories like virtual newspapers and to access content streams like episodic programs, – subscriptions have always made lots of sense. (Netflix anyone?) Subscribe to the local paper and save – rather than buy it retail at the newsstand every day. Nothing new there.
As I’ve always argued, it should be at least as easy to stop any subscription as it is to start it. If that’s in place, it’s fine to let the consumer decide which model best fits their needs.
My 2 cents.Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
Ok. 30db will usually pad a line level to a mic input just fine.
So have you stepped through your overall gain structure?
Is the source signal clean and of the correct amplitude?
Time to isolate signals and swap out gear stages until you locate where the problem is coming from.
Good luck.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
I remember back some years ago when I first heard about the thunderbolt roadmap that included the all optical “someday” Thunderbolt 3 vision.
It caused me to imagine such wide pipes that components like the CPU and GPU could conceivably sit in replaceable boxes exterior to “the computer” rather than soldered directly onto a PC Board.
I know nothing about the requirements of computer hardware design, but it’s very interesting to speculate about what type of “computers” we’ll be using to do our work in the future.
If you had told me when I bought my very expensive “cheese grater” Mac Pro – that in a very few years That system would be a bit of a relic and I’d be making tremendously more complex and vastly higher quality videos on my laptop – I’m not sure I’d have believed it. Yet here we are.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery.