Important Question about FCP/Exporting Events/External HD's - Need Answers...

[Scott Goldberg]

Hello all,

Been shooting my feature and here's what the "dilemma" is.

 

I've been editing the first segment with the folder of all 32 gig's (SD Card) in a folder with all of the needed information and MTS files. I've labeled my event in FCP X and am on my way to finishing up my first segment. This is all being done on my Mac Book Pro from 2010. No issues with my laptop, all is going well.

 

I'm soon going to be moving the event from the Mac Book Pro to a iMac and wanted to make sure that it's safe to do so. I've seen articles about transferring Events in FCP X and how it's fairly simple and easy to understand.

 

Now my question and what isn't known too well based off what I've read, is:

 

1) If I have the same media on my card, and upload it into the hard-drive and I export the Event onto that drive, do I then need to upload each individual clip again when in Media Import on FCP X, or will I not have to due to it being on my hard-drive which I have plugged in and uploaded all the footage to? Any confirmation on this is grateful, thanks.

 

My main concern is losing media while exporting the event.

 

Also, my other question is this:

 

2) I'd like to keep the clips minimized and as little as possible. I have 32 gig of footage on my SD card. If I delete un-needed footage on my card via my camera, will it effect the other footage? Let's say I have 500 clips, and I want to delete 400. Is that okay to do as far as it not messing up any of the other clips? I'd like to keep the space to a minimum on each hard-drive. I would still upload the 100 clips and Private folder and all contents obviously. Can anyone confirm that this is OK to do?

 

3) Hard-Drive. I'm really to purchase. I have an iMac so it had USB 3 capability and Thunderbolt as well. What are the best options for editing a feature and how many drives will I need (to chain link, especially if it's a feature length) or shall I buy two drives of the biggest file space that I can? I'm looking to buy two drives for around $250 each maybe?

[Wit]

2) I'd like to keep the clips minimized and as little as possible. I have 32 gig of footage on my SD card. If I delete un-needed footage on my card via my camera, will it effect the other footage? Let's say I have 500 clips, and I want to delete 400. Is that okay to do as far as it not messing up any of the other clips? I'd like to keep the space to a minimum on each hard-drive. I would still upload the 100 clips and Private folder and all contents obviously. Can anyone confirm that this is OK to do?

 

My experience with SD cards is you better don't do anything with it until you can format it. In the past I nearly lost a lot of footage because I handled the card like you suggest. The card can get corrupted by this. In the past I managed to restore the corrupted files but this is not the ideal way also not for you I guess. 

 

 

Good luck!

[Axel]

The original files on your card are AVCHD?
Fine, because FCP X only imports AVCHD as a copy, even if you chose 'original media', because then the video will be put in a Quicktime wrapper. Look for the 'movs' in your event folder, there are no 'mts'. So, as I told you before, whether you created a 'camera archive' (a backup of your SD card on your harddrive, with untouched mts-originals) or 'optimized media' (a ProRes copy, best for older or slower Macs), it is safe to format your SD card in-camera.

The FCP X way to move events and projects to another harddrive (or another Mac), gives you the option to consolidate the clips further. You can choose to copy only clips you actually used in your project, i.e. only 100 of 400. To make this clear: You reduce copies already. I really don't understand what you worry about all the time.