Naming a disc with PDW F350 at DVinfo.net

Gene Bauer · May 13th, 2008, 03:44 PM

We'd like to have our DP's name the disc with a job number before starting a shoot. We have a succesfull clip titling scheme but I have not found a way to name the disc with just the camcorder ...as you can with clip titling.

You can do this with the XDCAM Transfer or PDZ-1 software but our Producers do not always have laptops in the field. Our Producers are using a PDW U1 "read only" XDCAM drive so they cannot write back this info to the disc. This creates a problem for the Editor who can't identify what clips(in EDL) came from what disc...Thanks in advance

Uli Mors · May 14th, 2008, 02:56 AM

Hi,

same "problem" with a series production here as well.

We made a workaround:

a) change clip titling too free title (so you can type your own clip names)

b) simply use the first two digits (or as many as you like) for a simple disk number.

You end up with clips that carry a "disk number" already.

In our special case we even use a more complex scheme: AAABBCCDE...

AAA= series number (season etc.)
BB = scene number
CC = Take number
D = Kind of shot (pic, sound, insert)
E = Cam#

followed by the digits the camera counts up herself.

Uli

Gene Bauer · May 14th, 2008, 09:03 AM

Thanks. We'll definitely implement a shoot disc number into our clip titling scheme.
Recently we had a Producer who created an EDL using the PDZ-1 software. She used 5 discs from a lot of 11 and did not keep track of the discs she used. The PDZ-1 labeled the discs numerically as the proxies were ingested..but within the software only. So when she made her rough cut EDL there were disc numbers created that are meaningless to the Editor. A simple solution is to rename the disc appropriately in PDZ-1 so your EDL has usable disc names. I was hoping to have the DP name the disc and do clip titling when he first begins a shoot. It appears the last firmware upgrade didn't address this and you need a laptop running XDCAM Transfer to do this.

Alister Chapman · May 14th, 2008, 10:33 AM

You could always give the producers a pen so they can write a number on the disc label and then when you load it up with PDZ give it the same name/number.

Simon Wyndham · May 14th, 2008, 12:10 PM

Not that this will help all that much, unless the circumstances allow it. But I often used to load the empty disc into the browser before I start shooting and pre-name it. Been a while since I did this though and I can't remember if I had to create a blank dummy clip first.

I've never understood why disc naming has never been available in-camera. Would be nice if clips could have longer names too.

Greg Boston · May 14th, 2008, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Wyndham

Been a while since I did this though and I can't remember if I had to create a blank dummy clip first.

No need for a dummy clip. In either Windows or OSX, when the disc is mounted, you can rename it right under the icon by clicking on the volume label text. You are, in effect, creating a volume label for the media and both OS's treat it just like naming a hard drive, memory card, etc.

Again, this doesn't help the original poster's situation and yes, I too would like to see disc labeling capability in the camera.

-gb-

Gene Bauer · May 16th, 2008, 03:04 AM

I did not even think of naming the discs without the PDZ-1 software....that'll make things go a little quicker. We've decided to prename the discs before the Librarian disperses them for shoots. We're already barcoding them for use with an XDCART so we'll give it the same number as the barcode. The Producer can use Title 1 or 2 for the job name.

There was a concern that prenaming a disc in an F70(HD deck) would preclude it from being used with XDCAM SD camcorders or decks... but that wasn't the case. I believe it isn't until you lay down that first clip of HD or SD that a disc becomes locked to a format.

Thanks for the help..This is a great forum..

May 13th, 2008, 03:44 PM	#1
Gene Bauer Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 28	Naming a disc with PDW F350 We'd like to have our DP's name the disc with a job number before starting a shoot. We have a succesfull clip titling scheme but I have not found a way to name the disc with just the camcorder ...as you can with clip titling. You can do this with the XDCAM Transfer or PDZ-1 software but our Producers do not always have laptops in the field. Our Producers are using a PDW U1 "read only" XDCAM drive so they cannot write back this info to the disc. This creates a problem for the Editor who can't identify what clips(in EDL) came from what disc...Thanks in advance

May 14th, 2008, 10:33 AM	#4
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	You could always give the producers a pen so they can write a number on the disc label and then when you load it up with PDZ give it the same name/number. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

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May 14th, 2008, 02:56 AM	#2
Uli Mors Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: Germany Posts: 565	Hi, same "problem" with a series production here as well. We made a workaround: a) change clip titling too free title (so you can type your own clip names) b) simply use the first two digits (or as many as you like) for a simple disk number. You end up with clips that carry a "disk number" already. In our special case we even use a more complex scheme: AAABBCCDE... AAA= series number (season etc.) BB = scene number CC = Take number D = Kind of shot (pic, sound, insert) E = Cam# followed by the digits the camera counts up herself. Uli

May 14th, 2008, 09:03 AM	#3
Gene Bauer Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 28	Thanks. We'll definitely implement a shoot disc number into our clip titling scheme. Recently we had a Producer who created an EDL using the PDZ-1 software. She used 5 discs from a lot of 11 and did not keep track of the discs she used. The PDZ-1 labeled the discs numerically as the proxies were ingested..but within the software only. So when she made her rough cut EDL there were disc numbers created that are meaningless to the Editor. A simple solution is to rename the disc appropriately in PDZ-1 so your EDL has usable disc names. I was hoping to have the DP name the disc and do clip titling when he first begins a shoot. It appears the last firmware upgrade didn't address this and you need a laptop running XDCAM Transfer to do this.

May 14th, 2008, 12:10 PM	#5
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Not that this will help all that much, unless the circumstances allow it. But I often used to load the empty disc into the browser before I start shooting and pre-name it. Been a while since I did this though and I can't remember if I had to create a blank dummy clip first. I've never understood why disc naming has never been available in-camera. Would be nice if clips could have longer names too.

May 16th, 2008, 03:04 AM	#7
Gene Bauer Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 28	I did not even think of naming the discs without the PDZ-1 software....that'll make things go a little quicker. We've decided to prename the discs before the Librarian disperses them for shoots. We're already barcoding them for use with an XDCART so we'll give it the same number as the barcode. The Producer can use Title 1 or 2 for the job name. There was a concern that prenaming a disc in an F70(HD deck) would preclude it from being used with XDCAM SD camcorders or decks... but that wasn't the case. I believe it isn't until you lay down that first clip of HD or SD that a disc becomes locked to a format. Thanks for the help..This is a great forum..