P2 import tutorial
 

I have posted a video tutorial on how to import footage from a P2 card into Final Cut Pro. This goes from copying the footage off the card and onto a backup drive, to importing and organizing the footage in FCP.

I hope people find this useful. Seeing ti done is much easier that having it described in type...IMHO.

It's titled P2 INTRODUCTION:

http://www.proapptips.com/proapptips...C4082427B.html

Nice!
 

Shane,

Thanks for making that video - nice job! I also watched the "Movement on Stills" video. I had always wondered how that was done since seeing the fairly recent documentary about Robert Evans - "The Kid Stays in the Picture."

Sure would be nice if Panasonic could contract guys like you to make these kinds of videos for all aspects of the HVX200. Maybe Barry could work something out with them. Afterall, he's writing the book. Why not make the book into "a movie."

On-Line video turtorials are great for learning. That's one reason I like buying from Guy at DVestore.com. I've found his on-line video demo's of products helpful. The one he did for the Sennheiser G2 wirless mic had me up & running in 5 minutes.

OH, now THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE is something else entirely! That used multiple layering to produce a 3D effect. Layering elements of a picture on top of the picture and moving them. For that you need Photoshop and After Effects.

Shane, that's funny. Oh, I know, but its nice to know a starting point. Glad you saw that movie and knew what I was talking about! Gives me motivation for making some time to get back to learning AE! Darn, I have too many things I want to learn - The HVX, AE, Motion, more about FCP... I appreciate DV coming into my life and eliminating the time/need for a hobby!

You can do this in FCP as well.

Yes you can do it in FCP, but without a virtual camera it's almost impossible to do advanced stuff..

Shane,
Thanks for that! Very helpful. I'd even go as far as to say it was easier to understand than the corrresponding section in Apple's white paper.

Just to clarify for the sake of any laymen, you set your "Media One" drive as the capture scratch disk, and FCP unwrapped the files from the backup and copied them to Media One, correct?

Matt...that is correct. It looks at the files on the backup drive and then converts them to .MOV files and puts them onto your Media Drive. So you have the original MXF files and converted files you can work with. Then take your backup drive and throw it on a shelf. This is your "master tape" if you will.

I'm glad it is easier than the white paper. I always find I learn more by seeing how it is done, then reading about it.

Great tutorial.
 

Shane,

Good demo ... I too watched your motion one ... thanks! For some silly reason I've never done this in "+ wireframe" mode ... much easier that way!

As for P2, my process has been then same as yours ... here's a couple of things I do as well:

1.) Instead of creating a new folder I name the card itself (as if it were a tape) and then option drag it to the hard drive. I then trash the "contents" folder of the P2 before ejecting it. The next time I pop the card in to the mac it retains the card name (no re-formating.)

2.) I find that names like 0001XH.mov are unhelpful in Final Cut and I often change them ... so, I copy the P2 name and drop it into the "Label 2" field of Final Cut and then re-name the clip. That way, if I ever do have to go to my backup drive to revive a project I'll have a much easier time at re-linking the media.

Thanks again, Shane!

PS - Close your door! :o)

Thanks for the tips Shane, they were very informative for a guy like me who is still learning the biz.

David

mounting the P2 card
 

Shane,

I too found your tutorial helpful. One question remains for me.. When you mounted the P2 to your desktop, were you using the Panasonic P2 drive, a third party card reader, or connecting the camera directly to your machine? Any of the above?

I have connected the camera directly to my computer (have to press a few buttons...forgetting what they are now), and I have mounted the P2 Store. As I have a G5 Tower, I am unable to get the cards to mount without a P2 Reader, which we don't have.

My producer used both a PC laptop and a Powerbook in the field to mount them, and both worked gangbusters (that means GREAT!).

Panasonic just wrote a press release on us and our workflow. I am not sure where it will show up, as they just send it out to various film and video magazines and internet sites. That article goes into great detail.

Hi Shane,

Thanks for making that video.

That is great.

Regards
Leigh