Logging and Public Archive Software

Hi all, I'm hoping somebody out there has significant knowledge and experience creating a publicly available searchable clip archive.

I have an upcoming project which involved:

- input of up to 500 hours of archival video
- robust clip logging
- creation of a publicly available archive (kiosk and/or web)
- (separately) production of several docs in FCP

Obviously most of this could be done within FCP, but I think it will be more cumbersome especially as we will have some less skilled help with logging.

I have so far identified 3 software families which promise to help with most of this:

- Frameline 47, which apparently promises to take it all the way to a kiosk system

- CatDV Professional, then some combination of Workgroup/Enterprise/Browse for HTML/SQL archive creation and access

- Imagine Products HDFLog Silver/Gold plus Mac Clip Library for output and access

A few more details:

- We would be running between 2 and 4 logging stations but I don't believe we have a need (or resources) for networking; ideally stations would use RAID 0 FW enclosures and the resulting files and logs would be merged later.

- As some of this material is pretty old, we would capture and split clips on one station and take them to the logging stations for the real work - i.e. logging is from files, not direct from tapes.

- Initially, public access would be on 4-5 kiosks in different locations, most likely museums. Eventually we may want to go to web access but realize this is complicated and probably pretty expensive.

- Kiosk access could be to the actual digital archive (all DV, mostly SD) or to proxies.

- Money is an object...

Are there any strong preferences out there for one of these, or something else, for this type of project? Any comment about the archival "stability" of the metadata itself (e.g. is MPEG-7 really going to be around in the future?). Will the logging data move back to FCP seamlessly?

Thanks,

- Steve

Steve,
You're right that FCP is a cumbersome logging tool. All NLE's are. They are not intended for large text inputs, and most of the time work only on machine control, not on files...
I'm currently working on a file based logger that is almost done. (its in beta now)
I'm working as well as some transcription apps., perhaps those could be of some use as well.
Kiosk and web based access is doable and can be affordable. Most of the work goes into setting up a decent database, and most of that work goes into thinking about how end users will use it.
Please contact me directly (bouke@videotoolshed.com), and i'll see if i can put your needs into my applications, and more...

Bouke
www.videotoolshed.com

Thanks, Bouke, I love your approach and your apps, but we need something that's mature right now - logging is supposed to start next week! I'll try to give you feedback down the road about what worked for us or didn't, though.

Happy June,

- Steve

well, the logging part is mature...
(you need TC, reel info, and some text in different fields i presume)
No matter what happens with the data afterwards, that is the info you need in your database.
You mentioned logging 500 hours of footage, that could mean about half a year of work.
So whatever you pick, make sure you can output your work in a format others can understand, or you be stuck with that company forever...

Good luck!

Bouke
www.videotoolshed.com

Thanks again, Bouke. The 3 listed products were selected in part because they all support semiautomatic capture, analog scene detection, DV metadata import, and a bunch of other features aimed at gettiung as much useful info into the database as possible - efficiently.

Your point about format compatibility is well taken. I would insist on availability of a simple, complete standard database in addition to any proprietary presentation glom.

THanks. Anyone else doing this kind of project?

Probably a lot of these systems are working.
I can imagine that every stock footage company (and broadcaster that sells footage) has a similar setup.
However, the techniques and internetspeed are rapidly changing...

I you have money to spare, i really would look into building your own system.
You can do a lot with open source code, and you gain all the flexibility you need to be future safe. But, i'm not a web coder, so i can't really estimate the cost of a custom build solution. (i can for logging/filling the databases, but anything internet related programming is not my thing...)

Check out this guy: [www.jeroenwijering.com]
Perhaps no instant solutions, but at least a nice heads up for creating something yourself.

Bouke
www.videotoolshed.com