Post Production for HVX200 on FCP and Avid

[DavidBeier]

Ok, I'm in a new predicament. We start shooting tomorrow on a promotional project shot with HVX200s. Because of the hectic nature of my and the other major players schedules, we're not sure who will get the time to edit the project first so we're hoping to get everyone copies of the footage.

I edit on Avid Media Composer and the other guys work with Final Cut Pro. My feeling was that all P2 data should be dumped to our offloading laptop in folders labeled "P2 1," "P2 2," ect. These folders would contain both the contents folder from the card as well as the "last clip" file. That would make it easy for me to access the footage and know where everything is in case I end up editing some of it. The FCP guy however seems to think that he won't be able to take it into FCP in that case. He says that he has to offload directly from the P2 into FCP to get things to work. I don't use FCP but this just doesn't sound right. I have a hard time believing that he wouldn't be able to bring the files into FCP from a folder that had all the P2 data in its original file structure.

Am I right in my assumption and, if so, can someone post instructions on how this the other guy can bring it into FCP from a folder containing all the P2 contents?

[mcgeedigital]

Just dump everything onto a FAT-32 formatted external drive, then you both can use it. He can import it from there.

All he has to do is go to File>log & transfer, then navigate to those folders and import the clips.

[Shane Ross]

I never import directly from the P2 card...I always make folders that I put all the card dumps into...like you are planning. Then import from those folders. Yes, you can...tell that to the FCP guy.

But this is an odd perdicament...because if you import into FCP, it makes QT files out of the footage. Where as Avid imports and works with the footage directly. If you want interoperability, get Raylight or HD Log...those allow FCP to import and work with the MXF files natively as well. But then mixing projects...this is tough, mixing platforms. You will need to get Automatic Duck if you plan on taking sequences back and forth.

[DavidBeier]

Thanks guys, I'm glad there's any easy solution because I really didn't like the idea of all this footage just being dumped into FCP.

We're not planning to move sequences back and forth, just splitting up the work load. In other words, one of us will work on a three minute version of the piece and another might do a one minute one depending on the interest of different investors. I just wanted to make sure that everyone involved creatively (including one guy who's still using Premiere Pro) would have access to the footage. Thanks again.