Workflow question using files from HXR-NX5U & GY-HM100U into FC7

[Robert Lee]

Hi guys:

I could really use your help on this one.

(Slight Back story)
The footage is from a music documentary that I started in Nov. 2011.

We've had a couple of shoots using different cameras. The first 2 shoots we used 2 JVC GY-HM100U and One Sony HXR-NX5U. The 3rd shoot was with the zi8 and 4th with the iPhone (long story)

We've had a lot of delays with the post production work, (weird technical problems)
Just when I thought we would wrap it up. Just when my editor was about to create the vid file after editing it, the FCX file was corrupt and lost all of her work. She cannot retrieve it. Now this person has just started a new job and cannot meet the new deadlines I've set up , so I've reinherit the editing job, to keep the project moving. I don't have FCX, and FC7, so that's the first change, and the other is try to fix the workflow for this project. So I'm pretty nervous in trying to avoid another project from hell, in that it will never get done. :( So here's my question.

Question
1) What is the best workflow to incorporate mts files into FC7.

2) And are there any other steps I need to take, to insure the mts files can work well with other different video files.

File information
The other different files I'm incorporating with the mts are the following.
mov file from the JVC GY-HM100U, (additional primary footage)
mov file from Kodak zi8, ( B roll footage)
mov file from iPhone. (B roll footage)

Thanks again for taking the time to read my posting, and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely

Robert

[William Hohauser]

Sorry to hear about your editor losing the edit somehow. Since FCPX automatically keeps backups of previous edits, it sounds like a catastrophic loss of data.

You should look into ClipWrap for converting mts files into editable QuickTime for FCP7. in ClipWrap choosing ProRes is the best option to ensure real time playback but you can option for just re-wrapping the files if hard drive space is limited and your computer is powerful enough to play the files without stuttering.

When setting up the timeline, make sure to choose ProRes as the codec with the HD setting that best works for the project. ProRes sequences are the most tolerant in playing back different file codecs.

As long as the other footage is already in a mov format, it should work in FCP7 as real time playable files. If not, use Compressor to batch convert the footage to ProRes format.

[Robert Lee]

Thanks William, I appreciate your help, I will give it a whirl and see how it goes.

Robert

[Dave Hardy]

Hi Robert,

I'm not sure how you plan to proceed with the disaster of bringing your cut into FCPX has caused. As you realise FCPX unlike previous versions of FCP doesm't have an autosave vault but recently had a single backup file added which is woefully inadequate as it updates imediately as soon as a single change is made in FCPX or every 15 minutes. This is probably just about everyone's top priority for apple to get on the case about & should be in the update to the program due any day now if they are truely interested in user experience. However apple have their own agenda for FCPX and the autosave vault, paste attrributes, and the ability to save one's In & Out points without going to the additional step of setting this as a favorite, may be a low priority on their list. Eye Candy may feature higher.

I wouldn't go to the extreme of recapturing all the clips & starting from scratch however. Providing you still have the computer with the capture files. For the stuff captured with FCP 7 or below if you have access to a computer with FCP7 installed you can retreve the last timeline that was edited in that version by going to the autosave vault & doubble clicking on the last entry for the project you are working on. If that fails to launch the file may be corrupt , so try the previous entry.

For footage edited in FCPX all is not lost either you have that one backup besides the current version. Proving the captured clips still reside on the computer. The clips showing as offline in the timeline & the Media Browser simply mean that the program can't find the clips. If you can establish that the files are still on the drives, you can reconnect to these files. However doing the reconnect can be trying in FCPX. It's not as simple and straightforward as in previous versions of FCP . It should be a lot less work to get your most recent timeline back than redoing everthing from scratch. Clipwrap is a very good program for converting the files if you need to bring more files in. If you haven't already purchased Clipwrap you might want to try out Miro which is free at the Mac App Store. Use Apple Universal as the setting.

Good luck.
Dave

[William Hohauser]

It sounds like Mr. Lee isn't using FCPX at this point as that editor is gone from the project so he's reediting and re-importing from scratch on his own computer which has FCP7.

Footage captured in FCPX should be ready for import into FCP7.

By the way, in FCPX you can paste attributes easily, I do it all the time. However mixing and matching attributes requires some organization. Backing up projects is different from FCP7 but it's easy to do with the duplicate project command. Or use RAID 1 or RAID 5 drives for the possiblilty of drive hardware failures. These drives are now reasonably priced especially RAID 1. But yes, the restore history option in FCP7 is gone.

[Robert Lee]

Sorry for the late reply, From the time I posted, I was speaking to a senior video editor friend about the project, and after hearing my story, he was glad to give me a hand and help edit this project. I was hesitent to throw int he towel, but for the sake of pushing the project forward, (and maintaing my sanity from my earlier failed attempts) I figured I could use all the help I can get, and learn from it so the next music doc won't fall into the same pitfalls,

My Hope is my next entry will be to announce when the program will be ready to hit the airwaves, and the electronic waves too.

Thanks again for all your help.

Sincerely,

Robert

[Robert Lee]

I spoke to soon: Ugh.

The second editor is now having the same problems as the first editor, only he did not loose as much work as the original editor.

I was having problems understanding the details of it, but I did understand that FC7 was having trouble recognising the video footage from the Sony camera. He said it had a lot to do with the codec, and it's AVHCD footage as the cause. The best way to fix it is find a reliable converter to convert the footage that FC7 can handle, and suggested mpeg4 or mov.

He said he was unable to log and transfer the file in FC7 for it did not recongize the footage, (the files were
grayed out and unable to select. Pro Res cannot convert the footage.

I tried a PC Software called AVS to convert it but it was unsuccessful.

So my question to everyone is is there a reliable third party software, or method that can successfully convert the Sony footage that FC7 can work with?

Thanks again for listening.

Robert

[William Hohauser]

ClipWrap. $50 and your troubles should be gone. http://www.divergentmedia.com/clipwrap

[Robert Lee]

Hi everyone:

Since my last posting, we've really made a lot of progress on the video, however I do have
a question for everyone, that I could use your help,

The editing has been completed, but my editor hasn't had luck exporting the file.
When I ask what was the problem, he replied, "It comes out with lots of strange glitches. Not really sure why its so screwed up. I guess fcp just doesn't like zi8 footage? "

I'm looking into bringing an editing consultant, that could help diagnose the problem, but
in the meantime , I thought it couldn't hurt to get some feedback from my colleagues here, to
be better prepare for the meeting, or best case scenario, receive a solution to the problem to get back
on track of wrapping up the project. (just like your Clipwrap suggestion helped us address editing issues)

So the question is what could be causiing the strange glitches, and could zi8 be the culprit? I hope it's not zi8 because We really got some killer B roll footage with the zi8 and want to keep it...


Thanks!

Robert

[William Hohauser]

Exporting how? To tape or file? Are you using the simple QuickTime export? What is the sequence set at?

Going to a file shouldn't have strange glitches unless the footage is messed somehow.

[Shaun Roemich]

FCP 7 has some issues with export, especially around gamma shifts and STRANGE other stuff...

I suggest "nuking" the render files using Render Manager, rendering everything on the timeline again from scratch (DON'T DISTURB THE RENDER!) and then use the Export QuickTime Movie option, selecting "Make movie self contained" and "recompress all frames" and "Current Settings".

Any further exports should be handled from this "reference" output in Compressor.

This has solved every instance of strangeness in multi format timelines for me in the past...

[Dave Farrants]

Define "lots of strange glitches" - Got a screenshot?

Does it play on the timeline correctly?

Are you exporting to an external drive and not the internal?

What are the actual sequence settings and export settings?

[William Hohauser]

I am curious: why render everything and then select "recompress all frames"? Doesn't that just make FCP7 re-render everything again from scratch?

The question is the status of the footage on the timeline. My experience has been that sometimes footage (usually very large graphic files) that were dark green in the timeline, meaning that they could be played back in real-time, didn't export correctly or at all. I've had a few projects that I was forced to render at 5 minute timeline increments to isolate rendering failures.

Robert, now that I've found out what the zi8 is, I have to ask if you transcoded the AVCHD files to ProRes or just rewrapped them.

[Dave Farrants]

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

"Make movie self contained" and "recompress all frames" and "Current Settings".

Any further exports should be handled from this "reference" output in Compressor.

This has solved every instance of strangeness in multi format timelines for me in the past...

"recompress" should not be selected.

A "self contained" is not a "reference" output.

Self contained is a stand alone .mov file. A reference file is just that - it references all the original material with any added render files containing transitions, effects, titles etc.

[Shaun Roemich]

Well aware of how FCP works, having started on FCP1.0.2.. Follow my directions if you are having issues. FCP7 "loses track" of stuff actually quite frequently if you mix media formats in a large project. You shouldn't HAVE to do what I say but I JUST finished a project where the only way I could get rid of totally screwed up gamma issues in graphics and rendered segments of video from wrong sections of clips was to do as I say.

Again, if you aren't seeing these sort of "Alzheimer's" moments in FCP, the steps I list are extraneous and unnecessary.

If you ARE seeing them, this will clear them up. Or HAS in every instance at my end.

Dave, you'll notice I placed REFERENCE in quotes and called it "reference output" as opposed to a Reference Movie, which is merely pointer information addressing the underlying media files... this is where FCP seems to get hung up when glitching. The Send To Compressor option in FCP7 seems to be especially fraught with issues around export.