[Tangier Clarke]

This is true and it’s odd this happened. It hasn’t happened before. However this assistant, who primarily uses Premiere Pro, is still getting used to FCP X. Something got mixed up in this process.

I am sure many of us experienced folks miss a beat here and there even in our routine. This is definitely a tricky one to me because you really have to manually tell FCP X to do this. It’s done now so moving forward.

[Tangier Clarke]

I appreciate the testing. Thanks.

[Tangier Clarke]

I will say though that in this process I noticed something the assistant editor did I’ve never seen anyone do before – use two tracks of audio in a compound clip to sync with the video. To my surprise that registers all of the audio in the inspector to be able to toggle off and on.

Generally if there is more than one track of audio I make a multicam clip because making a synchronized clip does not give me the ability to toggle multiple audio in the inspector on and off.

I still wouldn’t use compound clips this way, but it was an interesting approach.

[Tangier Clarke]

Yeah, I was going to consider doing what you suggested – leaving it in place. Since a synced clip isn’t really a standalone file, I figured I wouldn’t loose quality by having the synced 1280×720 clip on a 1080 storyline. I hope that is the case since the 1080 clip is what’s actually in the synced clip. Not totally sure how FCP X handles this other than rendering. Not sure if it’s then possible to change the settings of the synced clip to match the clip inside it either.

[Tangier Clarke]

They synced clip should have been the same size and frame rate as the original video clip.

[Tangier Clarke]

Proxy Copy Test

FCP X 10.2.3
Mac OS 10.11.5

Work Computer/ External Thunderbolt RAID
Create Library “Proxy Copy Test A”
Event auto generated with current date.
Import preference set to “copy to library location”
Create optimized and create proxy options unchecked.
Import file (via drag and drop)
Available media representations after import: Original only.
Transcode imported clip to proxy file
Available media representations after transcode: Original and Proxy

Proceeding on same computer, installation of FCP X and user account
Work Computer/External Mini Thunderbolt Drive (to take home)
Create Library “Proxy Copy Test B”
Event auto generated with current date (same as above)
Import preference unchanged from above.
Create optimized and create proxy options unchanged from above.
Drag event from Proxy Copy Test A library to Proxy Copy Test B library.
Prompt to copy items to the library Proxy Copy Test B library. Original media will be copied. Proxy media checkbox checked to copy over.
New event created by copy process in Proxy Copy Test B library (since FCP X doesn’t allow same name events)
Delete original event in Proxy Copy Test B and rename the newly created one to match the event in Proxy Copy Test A. This should be OK because FCP X will not delete media from one event if it’s in another and still part of the same library. This allows me to keep things in sync.
Available media representations of clip in copied event: Original and Proxy
Reveal in Finder on clip in copied event shows proxy file (not alias) actually in the transcoded media folder on the mobile drive.

Successful test so far. No duplicates. Proxies copied. This is not my normal experience.
Close all libraries
Quit FCP X
Plug in mobile drive on laptop and load library

Same Mac OS, same version of FCP X
Laptop/ Proxy Copy Test B library
Import preference same as above.
Create optimized and create proxy options samosa above.
Create a project called Proxy Test
Put clip on project storyline, make a few edits.
Import new clip.
Transcode clip to proxy file (media was shown as missing proxy since storyline playback setting was set to proxy)
Available media representations after transcode: Original and Proxy
Edit into storyline.
Assign keyword for both clips in browser called test clips.
Close library and quit FCP X

Plug mobile drive back into work computer
Work Computer/External Mini Thunderbolt Drive
Open Proxy Copy Test B library and Proxy Copy Test A library
Everything checks out for edits made, available media, and keywords
Now to update Proxy Copy Test A’s event with B’s event
Drag event from Proxy Copy Test B library to Proxy Copy Test A library.
Prompt to copy items to the library Proxy Copy Test A library. Original media will be copied. Proxy media checkbox checked to copy over.
New event created by copy process in Proxy Copy Test A library (since FCP X doesn’t allow same name events)
Delete original event in Proxy Copy Test A and rename the newly created one to match the event in Proxy Copy Test A. This should be OK because FCP X will not delete media from one event if it’s in another and still part of the same library. This allows me to keep things in sync.
Available media representations of clip in copied event to Proxy Copy Test A: Original and Proxy
Reveal in Finder on clip in copied event shows proxy file (not alias) actually in the transcoded media folder on the work external thunderbolt RAID

Successful test so far. No duplicates. Proxies copied. This is not my normal experience.

Repeat as needed.

This is my usual process and this time around it seems to be working. The difference between this test and my usual projects that run into proxies not copying over as well as lots of duplicate clips is I am using synchronized and multicam files.

Still not sure why I have that issue.

Tangier

[Tangier Clarke]

I never copy to FCP directly as my card copy. The reason why is that (particularly when you’re working with different people and different formats such as AVCHD) I never assume all of the clips for a card were imported. Once clips are imported there’s really no way to tell if that’s all the clips on the card or even in my case – created from EditReady. This is especially important with AVCHD type formats where you have multiple clip names the same (clip 1, 2, 3, etc.).

Here’s my process:

• Shoot (or receive cards form shooters)
• Each card gets copied to a uniquely named folder (as a reel) on a drive. That drive has a clone which is managed using Decimus Synk.
• Import into FCP X from the clips on the drive.
• In the FCP X import window I can choose which clips if I am not importing all of them, but at least I know I have a copy of what’s on the card or version of every clip on the card backed up – being I use Edit Ready heavy now.
• Run NeoFinder on the drive that stores my source footage as backup.

* Side note: The reason I use EditReady is to make sure each clip is uniquely named, not just the folder. I usually do this in an autonumber increment. FCP X can do the same thing in the app, but it doesn’t change the Finder level name. Having unique names tends to mean I don’t have to have separate folders either because I can leverage the metadata in the file to sort the clips at the OS level and in FCP X.

Tangier

[Tangier Clarke]

Thanks. Problem with this method (for me) is that whenever I just copy the project back to the work library it makes duplicates. Additionally, the project only takes what it needs, whereas I may have made transcoded versions of files that I’ll need later such as proxies.

Simple question:

When you copy an event from one library to another, FCP X asks if you’d like to copy the optimized and/or proxy files (assuming the exist), shouldn’t the versions of the files you checked copy over?

I am experiencing that none of my proxies that I made at home are not coming over to the work library. Once the copy is complete, the work library still says “Missing Proxies”.

Is there something I am missing here?

Tangier

[Tangier Clarke]

You take the library home and bring it back, but do you keep working from the same drive no matter what? See there is benefit for me working from the RAID at work and the computer is faster as well.

So I have two copies of the same library for work and for home, but I just move events to keep things updated. If I could take the work RAID home, that’d be a different story. I wouldn’t want to lug that large thing around anyway.

Tangier

[Tangier Clarke]

I have Library Manager. I just haven’t familiarized myself with and leveraged all of it’s features yet. I’ll have to do that.

The thing is, I noticed a while ago that moving events (with a simple library) did not duplicate clips. FCP X only took what it needed (from the finder level), and deleting the old event helped to delete duplicates if there were any.

Something has gone wrong I suppose.

Tangier