Also...quickly

If I change the REEL name in the browser for my clips am I going to have to reconnect the clips or will it just change the info on the Quicktime and that's that?

Julia,

If you're working in an office with a filmmaker, I think that's super. Many of us are in a situation where we are doing our own thing, and don't have the same access to other professionals in our field. Take advantage of it!!!

If you have questions like this, I'd bet your filmmaker employer could answer them. If not, then you need to open the lines of communication. You're working together on a project -- not knowing some FCP basics could mean hours of rework for you, and for your filmmaker. If it's not possible to ask this person questions, then it's not FCP that's broken, its your interaction with your employer.

Anyway, your computer with 2Gigs of memory isn't as able to do things "on the fly" like your partner's machine with 4Gigs. If possible, you need to pump up the memory on your computer.

As for changing reel names, I haven't seen media get lost when a reel name is changed. What usually disconnects the media for me is changing its location. At any rate, if it disconnects, then simply reconnect it.

- Ann

Ann-

Your reply to my post was one of the most bizarre responses that I've gotten from this forum. I thought we were supposed to give each other technical advice not psychological guidance. As it happens my employer and I have very good lines of communication, however, she is new to FCP so this is not an area in which she can share her knowledge.

Julia

Reel-number changes in the Browser are supposed to apply the changes to the files themselves, changing their metadata. When you make the change, FCP usually gives you a warning: "This will modify the data on the file on disk" or something of the like. I've done quick tests of this and a clip that's had its reel number changed, when imported into a fresh project file, will show the new reel number, even if you don't save the project file where you made the modification. This suggests that the metadata becomes imbedded into the actual file, and not a temporary part of the FCP project file.

The interesting thing is, I tried another quick test run on a graphics clip I'd created -- Colour Bars. When I changed its reel name to 001 (it didn't have one before), the reel name was applied to the file. But when I deleted the reel name from the clip in FCP, closed the project file without saving, then imported the clip into a new project file, the reel name 001 remained. It only disappeared upon import into a new project file if I saved the project where I'd done the deleting of the reel name. Fascinating inconsistencies.

Dear Bizarre,

Neither you nor your employer seem to have much info then.

Sorry you thought my advice was bizarre, but after all, you said you were working with someone else in your office, presumably an editor, since you said that is what he or she did.

Another good source for information aside from this forum are the manuals that come with Final Cut Pro. The online help has lots of information, and the print manuals do, also. There are also lots of tutorials that many people find helpful.

The very best thing to do when asking for advice is to learn how to glean knowledge from the answers that are proposed. Complaining that the comments are bizarre, strange etc., isn't the best approach, especially if a person doesn't wish to address other possible reasons for their questions.

It's easy to get jumpy about replies when one is in a "help me!!!" kind of panic about a project. In your description of your situation you sounded like you were doing the grunt work for someone more experienced. That is why I was suggesting you take advantage of the situation and pick that person's brains. Now it seems you are both sort of in the dark.

Lots of Mac stores offer classes in Final Cut Pro. Maybe that would be a good idea for you.

Also, reel numbers - they don't really do much. As far as I can tell, it's just a notation to help you re-find what tape something came from.

thanks Derek

Yeah, thanks Derek for your response. It was quite valid.

Ann wrote-
[Also, reel numbers - they don't really do much. As far as I can tell, it's just a notation to help you re-find what tape something came from]

Hee- hee! That's like saying "you can drink water with your hands." Get thee to the American Film Institute or something!

I'm an editor with 30 years experience. Not a day goes by when i poo-poo a REEL ID! I live by them. Nothing aggravates me more than "Reel 001" in client project files-- unless it refers to only ONE Reel 001!

Ann, you cannot possibly batch-recapture your projects without Reel ID's.

Back in fllm, if I didn't have a camera roll number, my codebook would indeed be code-- totally cryptic-- my assistant would have a nervous breakdown and the negative cutter would be lost.

Today, the 100th anniversary of Einstein's Special Theory, I don't mind thinking outside the box, but... which box are we in here? LOL.

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Apply default Video Transition: Command-T.
Apply Default AUDIO Transition: Command-Option-T !

The FCP 5 KeyGuide?: your power placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central
www.neotrondesign.com

> Also, reel numbers - they don't really do much. As far as I can tell, it's just a
> notation to help you re-find what tape something came from.

Sorry, Ann. Ab-so-lute-ly wrong.
Final Cut Pro and its capture devices can't tell one tape from another. The editor/assistant editor has to know. And the only way they will "remember" is by extremely accurate logs. Otherwise it will ask you for "Tape 001" when trying to recapture a clip that's in reality on Tape X4P0.
When I work with assistants, I don't even allow them to use "Tape 001", "Reel 001", "Tape 01", "001" and "01" interchangeably.
Wrong tape, wrong recaptures, wrong Media Manager, wrong online, wrong FX list. And if you have 300 tapes of documentary material, that's no joke.
All it takes is one file corruption in your captured clips and you'll see what I mean. Try digging through 250 tapes to find where one clip came from just because the logger/capturer didn't have accurate information.

I always always always physically write on my tape the reel # I assign to it as I capture.

So the field tape that says "RSM Tape 1", written by hand by the engineer in the field also always has my "RSM_4Q05_001" written on it on the case face, case spine and on the tape face itself.

(4Q05 refers to the 4th financial quarter of 2005. For corporate, it works well. It makes things easier to find when they call up 2 years later. They always know what quarter!!)

Especially with multiple shoots, multiple locations, and inevitably multiple Tape 001's, this system has yet to let me down. I can always find my reel quickly and easily, even years later (if it hasn't been misplaced!).

> So the field tape that says "RSM Tape 1", written by hand by the engineer in
> the field also always has my "RSM_4Q05_001" written on it on the case
> face, case spine and on the tape face itself.

Heh heh, Deb...that's probably too detailed even for me...but if the system works for you, nobody can argue! Just out of curiosity, though, why do you put "4Q" before "05"? If you were to ever computerize the database, wouldn't all the fourth quarters from different years be lumped together?

I always *add* labels to field tapes. No matter how crude, the on-site labelling done by ACs of various experience is always important, especially if they're linked to camera reports, notes and such. So what I always do is to add an extra label, usually simply "Reel 001", for logging purposes, unless the ACs also neglected to put the name of the project, in which case I'd also add the name of the production.

Gotta love it when three cameramen at the same event all called their tapes "001", huh?

On the 300-tape documentary I mentioned, we had to use a very specific system -- "AGN 100302 01". That's because the production company that produced the doc wanted to archive it that way in distinguishing the doc from their other productions using the "AGN" prefix, while the "100302" refers to the date. I was happy to just follow their instructions. If they have an archival system that works, it ain't up to me to mess with it. Just the "inventory" portion of that doc took about a week, when I went through every tape by hand, figuring out which tapes are matched multi-cam shoots (eg. 01A, 01B), making notes about which event, and conforming all tape names to the system. But boy, was it worth it when I got to logging and capturing. Without the inventory, we couldn't have had reliable, unique reel names.

Ahh, derek... you have confused me with someone who'd actually MAKE a database!

I may be incredibly organized, but to that degree... that I don't aspire to!

I just have a reel-ology that works for me. Multicam live shoot with program and iso record? "PGM_001", "PGM_002", etc., for the program tapes. "ISO_101", "ISO_102", etc for camera 1. "ISO_201", "ISO_202" for cam 2, and, yes, you guessed it, "ISO_301" & "ISO_302" for camera 3. the "101", "201" method also works for straight multicam shoots with no program. If there are multiple days, "PGM_101" and "ISO1_101" for day one...you get the picture...

If it's a repeat client and a repeat event, I'd likely put abbreviations in for the client and event, like "BSX_TCT05_PGM001". Or I make that "BSX_TCT05" my project name, and then the reel numbers make sense all by themselves!...until they decide to use a chunk from last years' show...

I've never had to deal with 300 tapes before. I think the most I've ever had for an extended project was 25-30. There was once 100 tapes that "they" wanted to log individually and capture from in our 16 hours of scheduled offline back in the day..but that was a uniquely messed up project that no amount of organization would have saved...

Database, schmatabase! That's for the production company. As long as they can get me the tapes, I don't care how they show up in a database! But you're right, it probably would save the archivist some time if I had a standard that worked for a database...

As a freelancer, though, my responsibility doesn't automatically extend to library duties. I just have to be able to identify the tapes and recapture. Where they sit on the shelf is none of my beeswax! If they ask me to, though, I certainly would. They've just never asked!

The last place I worked on staff barcoded every piece of stock. The barcodes made up the database...I never thought about it...until now!...and ya had to bring it up right after happy hour, didn't ya!!



Post Edited (11-22-05 21:33)