Dennis Lisonbee
Forum Replies Created
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My terrablock drives are mounted to the desktop of the CATDV Mini server and served out from there. They work fine on a windows web client. Another option is to create a partition on the OS X CatDV server and try serving the proxies from it.
In 2013 when most everyone that is anybody has learned to play nice in the sandbox, it is frustrating we are still fighting leftover DOS dna in the form of drive mapping.
Talkin’ bout film is like dancing about architecture.
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How are the proxies being stored? On the CATDV server or somewhere else?
Talkin’ bout film is like dancing about architecture.
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I’m sorry I can’t help you. It has to do with mapping drives for the windows side of things. We had CATDV running on a windows server and had nothing but problems with proxies and drive mapping. We switched to a MAC server and dumped all the windows machines in favor of OS X. Now everything works perfectly.
We have a mac mini running CATDV server and a Facilis Terrablock. The Terrablock has a small partition for the proxies. All the partitions are mounted on the CATDV Mac Mini server and everyone is happy. Web client works on either a MAC or PC just fine, but we dumped the windows clients.
CATDV and Windows drive mapping is a complete mystery. CATDV is an incredible and deep product, but if I would have know how hard it is for CATDV to easily map Windows drives and Mac drives we might have gone with another asset management system. Our IT spent weeks trying to get both Linux and Windows servers working with proxies with no luck. Finally I got an old Mac Mini server and had it up and running in just a few minutes. However I’m not going to add windows clients as I don’t have the time and money to mess around with the drive mapping.
Talkin’ bout film is like dancing about architecture.
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Is CATDV running on a MAC or Windows server?
Talkin’ bout film is like dancing about architecture.
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This is an interesting idea.
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We are phasing out FCP 7 at our university and have moved to AVID Media Composer. It has the deepest DNA the finest high end workflow and media management system for narrative features and long form documentary work.
With the addition of Pro Tools to the AVID arsenal and now the enhanced features of 6.0, it is a killer product that Premiere and FCP 10 can’t touch.
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By all means, your DP should take a class in color grading. Best practices Color Grading workflow starts with the DP in pre-production and if you have a good DP, ends with the DP and Colorist during the Color Grading process. If you are DP, Director, Editor and Colorist, guess what fun stuff you get to learn!
Talkin’ bout film is like dancing about architecture.
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It is my understanding the former head of certification for Apple is now the head of certification for AVID.
Our Apple certified trainer was signed up for advanced training this summer. The week after FCP came out they called and asked if he was still planning on attending. He asked if the course was going to be taught using FCP X, they said it would be on FCP 7. He told them, “Cancel my spot, I won’t be coming.”
Apple, by not telling people the certification course they were signing up to take was going to be conducted on an end of life product, committed a serious breech of ethics, which is predictable in a wealthy company built entirely around the leadership of a god figure.
Talkin’ bout film is like dancing about architecture.
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I’ve been in the business since 1970’s and have edited on moviolas, flatbeds, CMX, Convergence, Media 100, AVID and FCP. I am still active in the business and in the last two years have cut projects on both AVID and FCP.
In our department we try to plan our upgrade purchases to line up with new releases of software and hardware because our department philosophy is to be on the edge of the wave while trying to keep abreast of “bleeding edge” technology that may or may not revolutionize the industry. Most calls we have for editors are first, Final Cut Pro, second, AVID and never Premiere. If a student or graduate has FCP and AVID on their resume, we find AVID gives them credibility in the business, even if the job is for a FCP editor. As a result FCP has been our core editing system. We do offer AVID classes from time to time for upper division students who want to develop AVID skills.
This last year we made plans to either upgrade to the new version of FCP that everyone knew was coming. When FCP X was finally announced during NAB we decided to wait to switch till we could found out if it was really going to fit the needs of our student.
Our program is a Digital Cinema program that needs native support for Sony and Panasonic products, native 4K raw file support for high end Digital Cinema workflow and support for high end motion picture post production workflow. Unfortunately FCP X falls short in meeting these standards right now. The big problem is the wrench FCP throws in post production sound workflow. In the high end business the locked cut is turned over to sound designers and sound editors who specialize in that area of production. They use Pro Tools or other post sound tools for this workflow. In the “one man band” business, sound editing and mixing takes place in the editing system itself. Unfortunately most of the projects coming out of that workflow sound like they were short changed on that step; they may pass the muster for a local low budget client, but when it comes to quality national work it does not make the grade. Unfortunately FCP X seems to encourage this type of mediocre workflow.
How does this impact students? Since America now has about 10,000 film school graduates each year entering a small job market it means a lot; only the best of the best can expect to earn a living. If they don’t have skills sets meant for the high end motion picture business, they are not going to compete for even lower end production jobs. So the question is, what business does FCP X prepare students for? Hopefully for FCP users looking for some major changes in FCP X, that question has not been answered yet.
One issue is the magnetic timeline. This has great promise. I love tying a sound an event in a clip. I love moving things around without crashing into other clips on the track. Remember that picture and production sound are handled by separate departments in production and are always tied together at the beginning of post production. Since the days of optical sound, they have been a real pain to keep in sync. Apple just gave us a way to tie all the sounds in a clip directly to the clip. We can add any sound we want and keep it sync and keep it from crashing into another clip on the track. However Apple did not take it far enough. They did not include of way of identifying and categorizing the sound. Production sound, foley, SFX and music in a project all need to be grouped together so when we get to the mix they can organized and mixed properly. This suggests that the Apple team did not recognize or clearly think out real motion picture workflow of sending the locked cut to the sound department for foley, ADR, SFX music editing and re-recording. That omission is incredibly telling of Apple’s roadmap. Without warning or consulting, Apple told the sound department that they are now going to do foley, ADR, SFX, a music editing and mixing all in FCP X without giving them the tools and workflow; they are not longer going to work in sound categories, sound is now just generic sound. That is akin to telling someone that they are going to get to race in the Indy 500 with this incredible new car only to find out on the day of the race the engine is missing a supercharger.
Can post sound workflow be done in a NLE editor? Only if the sounds can be grouped in categories and the interface is as easy to use and as powerful as something like Pro Tools HD.
Another issue. University departments all have advisory boards and adjuncts who are all work in the business. It was not long after FCP X came out that I began getting emails from them urging us NOT to put FCP X in our labs. That certainly got my attention so I started calling post houses and asking them what they think. Hmmm… FCP X is not ready for prime time, don’t upgrade.
So we haven’t jumped ship yet, but we are first in line for the life boat if Apple does not have a roadmap that will take FCP X into the high end post production business.
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The sky was never falling, it was simply being reset to a higher bar. What is falling are small pieces of FCP 7, Premiere and Avid DNA. From the look at the leaked photos those falling pieces may soon start to grow in size.