ProRes (Proxy) in Power PC

I just got my drive full of ProRes (Proxy) files for a short film shot on RED. Since I'm on a G5 running FCP 6.0.6. It's a little problem.

Despite having a pretty explicit discussion with the guy who prepped the footage, I've got to deal with this. His continuing to suggest i upgrade to FCP 7 is testing my sanity. They play ok. I truly believe this mis-understanding was both our faults. (Thanks apple as if the use of the word proxy wasn't confused enough.)

Files play ok, sometimes have to hit play 2X. I have this orange needs to render bar though, dissolves seem to happen on the fly. My hinting that he should do it over isn't working.

Choices:

1.Scream and Cry until he (Colorist) does it over.
2.Work with the ProRes(Proxy) files, and hope it always works.
3.Media manage all the media, with these two variations.
a. eff you jerk, and your meta-data. Online this MF.
b. Edit in my transcoded files, and then replace the files with his (Colorists) ProRess (proxy) files. ie an online to go to online.

Thoughts, solutions I'm not aware of?

ProRes Proxy is one of the codecs included with Final Cut 7 that is not in any earlier version. I'm really not sure how you're going to be able to work effectively with that media without upgrading. And of course Final Cut 7 is Intel-only.

I'd consider renting an Intel-based system with Final Cut 7. The only other practical option I can think of is to batch-convert all the media to ProRes 422 at sufficiently low resolution to get real-time performance on your old system. You won't get real-time performance at 1080p, in all likelihood.

i'd say simply transcode.

the proxy files wont be the ones used in the on-line.
well they shouldn't be. the quality isn't good enough.

if you use Media Manager you should get reel#, TimeCode and all the logged FCP metatdata, so there would be no problem doing the edit and on-line.
no more than if you gave them the proxy files back

or Use Compressor and get Reel#, TC, but no FCP metadata.

DVCPro HD would be a nice codec to work with.
720 or 1080


nick

I wonder if it's possible to offline in DvcproHD when you're working on RED.

>Use Compressor and get Reel#, TC, but no FCP metadata.

I think Compressor actually keeps the metadata, but don't take my word for this.



www.strypesinpost.com

in truth i haven't had to deal with RED footage,
so i don't really know the workflow/s.

the Media Managed files would have the same file names, reel# & Timecode as the ProRes proxy files

if the trace-back relies on something other than those, then i guess there would be issues.

however, a simple re-conect to the original PrRes Proxy files after lock-off might not be too difficult.


nick

I don't have any RED footage to try this out. Wish I had some to test. The clips I downloaded don't seem to be able to L&T. I may be missing some stuff in the folder structure.

From what I recall with the other tapeless formats is that Compressor actually keeps the metadata, so you can reingest from your source files. However, MM's recompress didn't work with P2 media.



www.strypesinpost.com

FCP6 can edit RED just fine, but whenever I've done it, we've always used ProRes and ProRes HQ. So yeah, your guy ignored the editor's explicit instructions and you should be telling him to redo everything at no extra cost, and you should complain to his superiors if there are any. A lab/technician that ignores the client's tech specs? Unheard of. If you'd wanted to edit this in DV on an FCP3 system, that should have been your prerogative.

The fact that you have to hit play twice suggests lethargy in how your system handles the clips, and the rendering will be a pain in the ass during editing. These two symptoms can also mean something worse later on. Personally, I wouldn't want to screw around with that.

Transcoding the footage using the Proxy files seems like a big waste to me, since you'll be using offline files to produce even more offline files. At the very least, you should go back to the source R3D files. If your guy was a colorist, I assume you also had him do correction? That means, unfortunately, having FCP do a simple Log and Transfer ingest is out, since you will lose whatever he had done.


www.derekmok.com

Keep in mind, the RED plugins are Intel only, and he's on a G5.

If the guy won't re-debayer to ProRes 422 720p or DVCPro HD, you'll just have to transcode them yourself. And if you do, use Compressor not FCP MM. Do a test first to make sure all the metadata is coming through as expected (it should.)

Either way, it's a short, so doing an overnight transcode or debayer shouldn't be a huge task.

- Justin Barham -

Thanks everyone for the responses. The Colorist, did not want me transcoding his dailies, he felt that he'd be better served re-doing the work.

I want to point out that while I did tell him I was on a G5 and had FCP 6, and that I needed 702P ProRres. I did not say "ProRes 422." That was my bad.

He did mention he would use ProRes Proxies, and unfortunately that sounds like this,"ProRes Proxies," and looks like this, "ProRes (Proxy)."

It was an unfortunate mistake, and one I so dearly wish had not mattered because I owned a MacPro because I would have updated to FCP 7 and leopard an age ago.

Leopard is actually supported on G5s, it's Snow Leopard that isn't. This appears to be a common misconception.

My software:
Pro Maintenance Tools - Tools to keep Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro running smoothly and fix problems when they arise
Pro Media Tools - Edit QuickTime chapters and metadata, detect gamma shifts, edit markers, watch renders and more
More tools...

Ethan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He did mention he would use ProRes Proxies, and
> unfortunately that sounds like this,"ProRes
> Proxies," and looks like this, "ProRes (Proxy)."

I'm with you. Apple's nomenclature there can be confusing. I got into a conversation where I wanted ProRes LT proxies and it got a little comical. I'm extra resolute on written specs now.

- Justin Barham -

One thing that was so easy but people don't do...

TEST!

If you had only had the guy export one clip, FTP it to you and try it, calling up the test clip's specs to see with your own eyes, you could have avoided this whole problem.


www.derekmok.com