XDCAM HD Proxies in FCP
 

I'm seriously thinking of getting a MacBook pro and FCP to suppliment my current edit system. I've been told different things, so I'd like to know for sure if you can edit proxies in FCP and then conform that to the full XDCAM HD footage?

Thanks,
John

As of now you can't I'm afraid.

Well, it's a good time to revisit this.

To date, it was basically impossible or impractical, but for not any real good reason. I won't go into the details, but it was close to being something that could be done except for a few things that were more trouble than they were worth.

With the XDCAM Transfer v2 software though, it's changed a little. It's added batch export of proxies with the same names as your imported full res media. So...here's the deal:

1-Export all your proxies from each disk to a folder.

2-Each proxy will have 3 additional stereo a-law audio tracks that will foul up Final Cut Pro. If you disable all but the first group, FCP will not choke on the proxies. I've made an Automator app that did this, runs through a folder of proxies in a minute.

3-Audio from proxies needs to be rendered in timeline. That right now is the only gotcha.

Nate,

So then FCP can conform the hd files?

And is your app available?

Thanks,
John

Offline/online in FCP is more of an affair where you have identical sets of media, just one is lightweight and one is full-res. You can swap the two sets in and out as needed.

So if by "conform" you mean taking your edit created with proxies and then swap in full res media when you're done, then yes you can do that.

If you mean having FCP intelligently decide the bare minimum of full res media it needs, and bring that in via XDCAM Xfer semi-automatically like an Avid, the answer is no.

I can make the app available, but since the v2 of the new transfer software isn't really out yet, I'm going to hold off until it is.

[edit: I've gotta stress that proxies in FCP will still very much be a hack. A hack that for most people, still won't be worth it. I wouldn't hang any future work on what I've said in this thread, you need to check it out for yourself and that won't even be practical until v2 transfer software is out and working perfectly, which it isn't at the moment]

So basically in FCP you have to import everything you think you might need? (Sorry to sound ignorant about this, but I am. Just dipping into FCP...)

Thanks,
John

Yes.

In practice the way you'd do this is to import ALL the proxies off your shot discs into FCP using the business I describe above, then edit.

When you're done, you'd then import all your full res media from the discs and point FCP to the new, full res files (which would have the same names as the proxies, but living in a different folder).

If you could somehow keep track of the media you actually used in your edit in your head, you could just import only that full res media and be fine.

One last option:

You could also, after you have a locked proxy edit, have FCP "media manage" the project, which would leave you with a bin full of just the clips used in the edit. You could then digitize XDCAM tape style, in real-time, just like a traditional online Avid edit. I'd suspect this would take more time than the method I described earlier, though.

When is Sony expected to release v2?

It's still beta software at the moment. Stuff may change before the final release.

-gb-

I see.

When is Sony expected to release v2?

I'm guessing later this month. I'm one of the beta testers, but was instructed not to discuss features or post any screen shots by Sony US. The release of Leopard may have to be dealt with also.

-gb-

Avid works on a Mac :) workflow problem solved. Now if only they could get the EX workflow sorted.