Giving Raw Footage To Client

Mitchell Lewis · March 9th, 2010, 08:34 AM

I would buy a hard drive and stripe it FAT32 to transfer/deliver the footage, but...... You need to make sure none of your files are larger than 4GB. If they are, they are too big to be saved to the drive. I'm guessing because it's a wedding, there are some loooooong clips, so I'm guessing that at least a couple of them will be over 4GB. For that reason your only option (that I know of) is to format the drive HFS+ (Macintosh only) and then have your client buy Mac Drive so they can import the files.

Are your clients going to edit the footage some day? If not, you could convert them all to WMV files using XDCAM EX Clip Browser. There will be a watermark on them, but that may not create a problem. Because they are WMV files, they will automatically be reduced in size so I doubt any of them will be larger than 4GB. This means you can save them to a FAT32 disk drive.

Gerald Loidl · March 9th, 2010, 10:13 AM

The 4GB file limit is no problem with raw footage as the EX1 does not produce any files larger than 4GB as well. Longer clips are automatically split by the EX1.

Sverker Hahn · March 9th, 2010, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

The Passport drives are compatible with Mac and PC right out of the box.

That is also what I thought. I told my client to buy a Passport for me to put files on - but I had to format the drive with my Mac and had to use some tool on the drive. The problem was that I didn´t have the permission to write to it. I don´t remember exactly how I did it but finally I could write to the drive.

I have several Passport drives, this was the first to be a little troublesome.

Mitchell Lewis · March 9th, 2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerald Loidl

The 4GB file limit is no problem with raw footage as the EX1 does not produce any files larger than 4GB as well. Longer clips are automatically split by the EX1.

My mistake. I thought the original poster was wanting to give the client MOV files. MOV files are not split, they are full length clips. So if you give the client the BPAV folder, using the FAT32 drive you should be fine. Good point Gerald.

Walter Brokx · March 9th, 2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

The technical reasons of how/why the drives do what they do doesn't interest me in the least. My point to the original poster is that you can simply buy the drive and use it with both Macs and PCs without doing ANYTHING special. Plug & Play. All files will be visble. No re-formatting is necessary. The USB bus-powered drives are convenient, cheap, reliable, and very easy to use. That's all I need to know about them.

I was just anwsering your question...
But, indeed, you don't need to know it when the package says it's for Mac and PC.

Doug Jensen · March 9th, 2010, 06:54 PM

Hi Walter, you're right. I did ask the question.

Bruce Rawlings · March 10th, 2010, 05:24 AM

Just had a client give me a WD Passport Essentials 320gb that does not work on my Macbook Pro (small print on box indicates it needs formatting for Mac OS). Sods law every other drive Passport drive has been fine. How should I format on my Mac to be able to transfer BPAV folders that can be extracted on an Avid PC? Sorry to go over old ground.

Gerald Loidl · March 10th, 2010, 05:30 AM

@Bruce - Just select MS-DOS Filesystem (FAT) in the disk utility of your Macbook Pro. Pretty easy!

Bruce Rawlings · March 10th, 2010, 05:43 AM

Thanks Gerald.

Bruce Rawlings · March 10th, 2010, 06:05 AM

Another silly question - where is disc manager? Help cannot help me.

Gerald Loidl · March 10th, 2010, 07:02 AM

Bruce: its in Applications ->Utilities ->Disk Utility
In Disk Utility select the disk you want to format - select "erase" - under "format" select "MS-DOS(FAT)" - done!

Mitchell Lewis · March 10th, 2010, 08:21 AM

Gerald meant to say "select the Erase Tab".

Good luck! :)

Bruce Rawlings · March 10th, 2010, 10:44 AM

Thank you all.

Harro Skapinskas · March 10th, 2010, 03:40 PM

If I'm not mistaken, the EX1 and EX3 format the media as FAT 32, hence as Doug mentioned it should present no problems in any system, be it MAC or PS, that can read that file system.

Jeff Wallace · March 14th, 2010, 10:32 PM

Rather than give them the raw MFX files, why not just throw all the footage into a timeline and export as one large Quicktime file? This is easily done in FCP... not sure about other editors. At least this way they'll be able to play the footage continuously rather than have to sort through each clip with Sony Clip Browser.

March 9th, 2010, 08:34 AM	#16
Mitchell Lewis Trustee Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Kennewick, WA Posts: 1,124	I would buy a hard drive and stripe it FAT32 to transfer/deliver the footage, but...... You need to make sure none of your files are larger than 4GB. If they are, they are too big to be saved to the drive. I'm guessing because it's a wedding, there are some loooooong clips, so I'm guessing that at least a couple of them will be over 4GB. For that reason your only option (that I know of) is to format the drive HFS+ (Macintosh only) and then have your client buy Mac Drive so they can import the files. Are your clients going to edit the footage some day? If not, you could convert them all to WMV files using XDCAM EX Clip Browser. There will be a watermark on them, but that may not create a problem. Because they are WMV files, they will automatically be reduced in size so I doubt any of them will be larger than 4GB. This means you can save them to a FAT32 disk drive. __________________ Sony EX3, Canon 5D MkII, Chrosziel Matte Box, Sachtler tripod, Steadicam Flyer, Mac Pro, Apple/Adobe software - 20 years as a local videographer/editor

March 9th, 2010, 06:54 PM	#21
Doug Jensen Vortex Media Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,417	Hi Walter, you're right. I did ask the question. __________________ Vortex Media http://www.vortexmedia.com/ Sony FS7, F55, and XDCAM training videos, field guides, and other production tools

March 10th, 2010, 05:30 AM	#23
Gerald Loidl Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Austria Posts: 122	@Bruce - Just select MS-DOS Filesystem (FAT) in the disk utility of your Macbook Pro. Pretty easy! Last edited by Gerald Loidl; March 10th, 2010 at 07:03 AM.

March 10th, 2010, 08:21 AM	#27
Mitchell Lewis Trustee Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Kennewick, WA Posts: 1,124	Gerald meant to say "select the Erase Tab". Good luck! :) __________________ Sony EX3, Canon 5D MkII, Chrosziel Matte Box, Sachtler tripod, Steadicam Flyer, Mac Pro, Apple/Adobe software - 20 years as a local videographer/editor

March 9th, 2010, 10:13 AM	#17
Gerald Loidl Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Austria Posts: 122	The 4GB file limit is no problem with raw footage as the EX1 does not produce any files larger than 4GB as well. Longer clips are automatically split by the EX1.

March 10th, 2010, 05:24 AM	#22
Bruce Rawlings Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Posts: 410	Just had a client give me a WD Passport Essentials 320gb that does not work on my Macbook Pro (small print on box indicates it needs formatting for Mac OS). Sods law every other drive Passport drive has been fine. How should I format on my Mac to be able to transfer BPAV folders that can be extracted on an Avid PC? Sorry to go over old ground.

March 10th, 2010, 05:43 AM	#24
Bruce Rawlings Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Posts: 410	Thanks Gerald.

March 10th, 2010, 06:05 AM	#25
Bruce Rawlings Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Posts: 410	Another silly question - where is disc manager? Help cannot help me.

March 10th, 2010, 07:02 AM	#26
Gerald Loidl Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Austria Posts: 122	Bruce: its in Applications ->Utilities ->Disk Utility In Disk Utility select the disk you want to format - select "erase" - under "format" select "MS-DOS(FAT)" - done!

March 10th, 2010, 10:44 AM	#28
Bruce Rawlings Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Posts: 410	Thank you all.

March 10th, 2010, 03:40 PM	#29
Harro Skapinskas New Boot Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Geelong, Victoria, Australia Posts: 11	If I'm not mistaken, the EX1 and EX3 format the media as FAT 32, hence as Doug mentioned it should present no problems in any system, be it MAC or PS, that can read that file system.

March 14th, 2010, 10:32 PM	#30
Jeff Wallace Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 79	Rather than give them the raw MFX files, why not just throw all the footage into a timeline and export as one large Quicktime file? This is easily done in FCP... not sure about other editors. At least this way they'll be able to play the footage continuously rather than have to sort through each clip with Sony Clip Browser.