Archive your BPAV folders
 

I just returned from a couple of days at Sony in New Jersey, and although I prohibited about a lot of what I learned, just let me remind everyone to archive your BPAV folders.

If you are converting to MOV, MXF, or whatever, you should also be archiving your original BPAV folders. That is the workflow I've been recommending from day one in my training DVDs. If you just archive the MOV files and then trash the original native files you might regret it.

You'll find out why in a few months. Cool stuff on the horizon.

You are SUCH a tease, buddy. ;-)

I agree, cool stuff on the horizon . . . any hints?

Native XDCAM EX edit in coming FCS 3.0 :) I hope Sony and Apple both realize that we need it.

Well,

Just a guess on my part, but about the only reason I could see for archiving the BPAV structure for future use is that Sony may be looking to allow us to carry that Metadata into the NLE(s) and potentially allowing us to have media management capability. The metadata would be nice as R3D files already carry this and it's recognized.

*IF* this is the case, I hope you made mention to Sony that it would be EXTREMELY helpful to have unique identifiers for the BPAV files so that they could all be placed at the same level in a folder hierarchy. It's a royal pain right now to have to pre-make folders to drop the same named files into. Just had to do this again today and it's frustrating.

For $80 you can do that now with CalibratedSoftware.

Doug, we should have your comments about the BPAV go viral. You won't believe the resistance I find people have to archiving the BPAV.

It scares mean when someone says cool stuff on the horizon. With Sony that means having to buy a new camera to take advantage of new features. If it's only another paid firmware upgrade i can live with that. I don't think any of this has impact on current BPAV folders.

Maybe there's so secret but of metadata that, once enabled, will do some unimagined fantastic thing. The only thing that jumps out at me is that there is something like enable cache record off but that doesn't impact current BPAV files either.

Well... not that easy like with XDCAM transfer. I'd like to get full functionality of the Sony soft.

I'm not sure what you mean. I can import and edit the EX MP4 directly into FCP.
I copy the BPAV with ClipBrowser to my hard drive.
I file import the MP4 into FCP (and yes the time code comes in with it).

I do not need XDCAM Transfer. I do not need Log & Transfer.

How is that not easy?

We've got different workflows. I use transfer to browse clips and import cuts not the whole clips.

True you can't do that with CalibratedSoftware plugin.

A reminder to check out these guys who have some new archiving products I mentioned in a previous thread:

Cache-A Products

Unless it edits my video for me, I'm doubtful about how earth shattering this new feature might be.

Seriously, the only thing that would impress me would be if the entire BPAV folder structure could be instantly converted into a single file with a low-res proxy and that either could be opened directly in Final Cut Pro or any other Quicktime-capable application. Yes, I'm thinking about client review.

I've always archived the source material. It's like keeping the source tapes.

With the way technology changes, you just never know when the original material would come in handy. NASA learned that the hard way with the original tapes of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon.

FCS3/FCP 7 Log & Transfer
 

FCS3/FCP 7 just made using Log & Transfer a whole lot more friendly. You can add a new name plus a counter AND keep the original file name (and add spacers to move it rightward so you don't have to look at the old name in your browser column view if you don't want to).

Not native editing yet, but very nice. Seems faster, too, but I couldn't swear to that, as my test files were quite small.

(I'll start this as a new thread as it's not quite on Doug's point.)