Getting Started with P2

[Jeff Deveraux]

If you are like me and just beginning to make that leap of faith from the SD world to the HD universe, you may want to read this. These are my basic findings thus far concerning HVX workflow in FCP. Again, I'm just starting to tackle this so feel free to correct me if warranted. I'll include the links I have and a few comments.

First you must have the right stuff on you computer. I've heard that you need OSX 10.4.3. I don't think this is true because I am running 10.3.9 and I can get the footage into FCP 5.0.4 just fine. I do know that you need 10.4.3 to use the PCMCIA card slot on a PB with P2. You need to download the P2 drivers from Panasonic if you are to plug a P2 card into the PCMCIA slot on a PB. If you are like me and don't even have a laptop, then you will be transferring the files either from the P2 card via the camera or copying the files from a portable HDD that was used in HOST mode in the field. If one of these two ladder options is what you are dealing with then all you need is FCP 5.0.4, OSX 10.3.9, and Quicklime 7. If you don't have FCP 5 and you have FCP 4.5 then you can "capture now" using "non-controllable device". I don't know all the ins and outs concerning this work around, maybe someone else can comment. The other stuff you need is explained in the tutorial I am about to provide a link for. One more comment I would like to make is that you DON"T want to change the name of your files on the P2 card. Not even after you transfer them onto your computer. The best way you should handle the footage is exactly the way that Shane Ross does in his tutorial (be patient, I'll get to it). He suggests that you put the footage on a portable HDD and then put it on the shelf. This is essentially your "tape". On the other hand, let's say you saved for months to get the camera, you simply don't have the cash to pick up a portable HDD, and just want to get started editing. So you open up a new folder on your desktop and place the contents of the P2 card in that folder. Oh but wait, you have TWO P2 cards mounted on the desktop. "Gee, I'll just drag the contents from the other P2 card to that same folder so that everything is in the same place." WRONG. If you do that you will have to rename one of the files and that is BAD (as in NOT GOOD). So just know this, each P2 card transfer must be saved within it's own file! No matter where you put that file. I have already lost footage (nothing important) by saving the files incorrectly.
For editing Slo-mo stuff, I believe there are two ways to do it. A) Shoot in regular 60p and download the frame rate converter from Panasonic to slow it down in post. B) Do it in camera. Myself, I have only done slow-mo in camera.

Here are the links:


Shane Ross' awesome tutorial (thanks Shane!):

http://www.proapptips.com/proapptipsvideotutorials/194F4DC2-ACBB-4DD6-A1D0-F46D7D8DCAFC/CAFD796C-D1CF-4BB1-8C43-113F85EAB81F.html


Apple workflow stuff:

http://images.apple.com/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/pdf/20060302_FCP_Wkflw.pdf


Panasonic frame rate converter:

http://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo/support/fcphd.asp



Shane Ross' frame rate converter tutorial:

http://www.proapptips.com/proapptipsvideotutorials/194F4DC2-ACBB-4DD6-A1D0-F46D7D8DCAFC/6460981F-FA65-4B74-AA4E-92D444C00B92.html

P2 driver:

http://www.finalcutpro.at/HVX200/pcdriver_mac.zip


In camera slo-mo:

http://www.studiodaily.com/main/training/howtutorials/f/production/5993.html

I'll try and post more as I learn.

[booth]

Thanks for that, I hope to have at least one P2 card for Thursday (fingers and toes crossed), so that's helpful.

[Evocam]

I have used FCP 4.5HD on a older G4 laptop with 10.3.9 into the firewire bus in and out of the PCMCIA card to a HD at 400 mbs, worked great. I've had other issues although.

[HVXguy]

Here's what I do,
Make a new folder on your hard drive.
I call it "P2_thedate_Card_#
then I copy LASTCLIP.txt
then write down what it is.
The copy the entire CONTENTS folder
into your new folder.
Then I go look at the icons and verify
that that the lastclip matches up with
LASTCLIP.txt
The LASTCLIP.txt is
1.) The last clip number without .mxf
2.) 1.0 is added
3.) Then the number of clips +1
If you had 6 clips and the last one was 0006TY.mxf
the LASTCLIP.txt
would look like in the MAC
0006TY
1.0
7

at least this is what I have figured out in case
I erase or lose a LASTCLIP.txt
Jan was saying you could add new folders
in the CONTENTS folders by sticking to the naming
convention ALL CAPS
and re-build an incomplete transfer, or the theory goes????

[Jeff Deveraux]

Did you guys see this?
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=52345