FS7: Emergency Help w/ XQD Cards and Audio

Joshua Milligan

Joshua Milligan

Well-known member
Hey friends. I am in a pickle here and can't seem to find an answer online, so I'm hoping to find help here. I just wrapped up filming a shoot for a television show just a week ago today using my Sony FS7. This was a new client for me that I haven't worked with before and the four day shoot I was on was absolutely miserable. One of the challenges I faced was that the show refused to give me more than one external hard drive to save footage to because they didn't deem it necessary to have backup drives. I didn't know this going in and I ALWAYS use two drives for everything because you never know when one will fail. They also wouldn't let me keep any backups of these clips for myself. I had no choice but to use the drive they provided me which was an eight year old G-drive that had firewire and a firewire to USB adapter to plug into my computer. Crazy, I know. Well, I used it and transferred footage to it all four days making sure to check over and watch the files to make sure everything copied right. I also compared the root file size on the hard drive to the root file size on the XQD card as well to make sure everything was transferred properly. All went well and the footage was there and it played back and sounded great. Well, two days after the shoot (6 days ago) I got a call from the show that involved some pretty bad language. They claimed that 1 file on day one and 3 files on day two were missing audio completely. They described the shots to me and I remember shooting those particular shots. On all four of these clips, I had removed my shotgun mic to only use a wireless mic. On all previous shots, I had used both a wireless mic and a shotgun together. Well, according to the individual who hired me, the shots had no audio at all. I don't understand how this is possible because I monitored these clips with headphones while recording in the field and I also watched these clips back on my laptop both nights after recording and remember listening to the audio while watching them. I am certain that the audio was recorded. However, that being said, I have no copies of these files myself to prove that I recorded the audio and that the audio was there for those four clips. They told me that if I could recover the audio files by doing a recovery on my XQD cards, then they would pay me for my work. They claim that if I cannot recover the files on the XQD cards, then they will not pay me. I have to be paid. So, I have been doing various recoveries to my XQD cards to try and pull up the files from the shoot so that I can see if the audio is there. The problem is that I had already formatted my XQD cards and none of the recovery programs I've used have located anything, not even one single video clip. I've done recoveries like this on formatted SD cards and found old video and audio files, but these XQD cards aren't recovering anything. Can someone please help me find a program that can help me recover files from these formatted cards so that I can give them the files with audio and so that I can get paid for my work? Thank you in advance!!!
 
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Don't even waste your time trying to restore the files -- they have the files already and you just need to get a copy of them.

The first thing I'd do is tell them to to use Catalyst Browse to copy the four suspect files over to a new XDROOT folder (that way it is a unadulterated clone of the original files but keeps the data size managable) and then send you that XDROOT folder via Dropbox or Hightail. Then I'd take a look at it myself and either confirm the missing audio or tell them they are wrong. That's all I'd say to them or do until the problem is confirmed or ruled out. If indeed there is no audio on the clips, then it would have to be your fault. If that is the case, not paying you for the entire job seems harsh, but that's something for you and your lawyer to work out. But first, you must look at a clone of the original clips to see if they are right. Don't settle for anything less than a clone of the orignial files so you can be sure the audio didn't get lost in a conversion. Also, do all of this correspondence via email so there is a paper trail, and keep in mind everything you say and how you say it may be used for or against you later.

BTW, if they say they don't have the original files anymore, then you have won the case already because they would never be able to prove the audio was faulty.
 
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Doug Jensen said:
Don't even waste your time trying to restore the files -- they have the files already and you just need to get a copy of them.

The first thing I'd do is tell them to to use Catalyst Browse to copy the four suspect files over to a new XDROOT folder (that way it is a unadulterated clone of the original files but keeps the data size managable) and then send you that XDROOT folder via Dropbox or Hightail. Then I'd take a look at it myself and either confirm the missing audio or tell them they are wrong. That's all I'd say to them or do until the problem is confirmed or ruled out. If indeed there is no audio on the clips, then it would have to be your fault. If that is the case, not paying you for the entire job seems harsh, but that's something for you and your lawyer to work out. But first, you must look at a clone of the original clips to see if they are right. Don't settle for anything less than a clone of the orignial files so you can be sure the audio didn't get lost in a conversion. Also, do all of this correspondence via email so there is a paper trail, and keep in mind everything you say and how you say it may be used for or against you later.
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+1
 
+1

Sounds like this is exactly the kind of bad employer behaviour that makes film/video/TV such an interesting field to work in (not). I completely sympathise with your admirable sense of wanting to make things right, but by the sounds of their threats to refuse all payment, you definitely need to stand up for yourself here. They're the ones who need to adjust their behaviour and communication.

In short, I concur completely with Doug's assessment.

Best of luck,

jason
 
One more thought. For future reference, always make a backup for yourself. WD Passport drives are dirt cheap. The client doesn't even have to know you made a copy and if it makes you feel uncomfortable having it around you can erase it a couple of weeks later when things seem okay. ShotPut Pro is fantastic for backups because I can make 3 or 4 copies all at the same time just as fast as it would take to do one copy. Nobody even knows if I made a copy for myself or not. Don't you wish you had a personal copy right this minute? Point made.
 
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What software are they using to preview the footage? Is it possible whatever they are using, they are only getting the channel that had the shotgun mic? Hence when you unplugged it they hear nothing because they actually aren't monitoring the wireless track.

Just a thought.
 
Sound like A holes.. every country should have a "bad payer" website.. that we could all avoid working with.. and hopefully they would go bust.. name and shame.. a poor second to drilling out there knee caps.. but there you go..
 
Thanks a lot guys! I really appreciate the fast responses. Doug, you are right about saving it on a backup passport drive. I had one on me and should have done it. I was trying to follow their rules about not leaving with any copies of the footage and I ended up in this position. Lesson learned. Next time I work on a project that tells me I can't make a copy for myself, well, I'm doing it anyway. Also, thanks for the advice on the email trail. I will do that for sure. I am working right now to convince them to send me the drive with all of the original files on it. If they cooperate with me, then I will have a start on this problem.

Starcentral, that could very well be what's going on! I didn't even think of that, but it would make perfect sense. Otherwise I just don't understand why it would disappear just because I removed the shotgun mic. It really doesn't make sense. Once I get my hands on the hard drive, if they send it to me, then can find out if that's what is going on.

Has anyone ever had an issue with audio not recording when removing one of the mics?
 
Did you have the shotgun and radio mic on separate channels.. if you then unplug the shotgun.. then of course the radio mic should still rec audio to the other channel.. they must be really challenged if they cant find audio on channel 1 or 2.. if they have nothing on one channel.. try the other..
TBH they sound really dodgy .. a normal prod would insist you made your own copy too.. ! .. 3 is the norm and most insurance co,s will demand this too.. and then they dont want to pay for for 4 day shoot because of 4 shots.. dont be a door matt.. these people are p***ks .. I would prepare for the worst TBH..
 
It sounds like they just don't know how to play back audio, since it should just be on the other channel. I've never heard of software that can't handle that, but it could be that their speakers are only reading out the wrong channel for some reason and they've never noticed before. You'll need to look at the files, but don't tell them they don't know computers. Say something like 'there's a chance the headers are damaged in the video file', so you need the original in order to restore it. Which could also be true, you won't know otherwise. I don't know how you'd walk them through checking this properly.... although any video editor would be able to see the channel data. Not sure whose looking through these files if it's not an editor.

I've never had my work double checked to decide if it was good enough to pay for or not. I suspect they never intended to pay you in the first place.
 
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Any update on this?

Suspense is killing me.

My speculation is:

1 - they screwed up transcoding MXF files into new format using god knows what software program
2 - they have a track disabled on the timeline or deleted all the tracks and kept only the first one
3 - they have a mono output from their computer with a y-spliter to two speakers (lol)
 
I once had a producer call up from the viewing room (in the HDCam tape days) swearing a blue streak because one of the audio channels was silent. Threats were made. I had them put the tape back in and play it again. Guess what, both VU meters were running, but the channel 2 pot was turned all the way down.

Sometimes it's just that kind of a boneheaded producer that can momentarily ruin your day.

I hope it's something digitally similar for you!
 
Ok guys, I have an update for you. I was finally able to convince the guy from the show to send me the original drive that I saved all of the footage to, after he makes a copy for himself. If he hasn't altered or messed with the original files in any way, then I should have a chance to see if the audio is there on those clips. Once I get the drive, I will look for them immediately. If for some reason they really aren't there, then I will need more help from you guys to figure out what happened. Thanks for all of your help!
 
I completely agree Doug. It's crazy. I work with much better clients than this, so I won't be going back with him. The craziest part is that I was supposed to go to Africa with him in September for 30 days for a documentary shoot. I'm glad I found out how they do things now before I got stuck overseas with these nuts.
 
Joshua Milligan said:
I completely agree Doug. It's crazy. I work with much better clients than this, so I won't be going back with him. The craziest part is that I was supposed to go to Africa with him in September for 30 days for a documentary shoot. I'm glad I found out how they do things now before I got stuck overseas with these nuts.
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Hope you get things sorted, if not maybe, just maybe you had a lucky escape.

Your client's cavalier attitude to data security is one day going to bite him hard the day he learns about the combination of sod's law and the fragility of HDDs. It could be an expensive lesson.
 
Unless you signed a contract with them that explicitly states that they may opt to not pay the fee entire for receiving partially corrupt footage, then they have no legal grounds to not pay you. Mind you, they might have legal grounds to sue you (the sort of thing Errors and Omissions insurance would cover), but since they only had the one old drive, prohibited you from making copies, and have since destroyed their original after transfer, I can't fathom them winning on that either.

There are some legitimate instances wherein a client might require that you keep no backup for yourself. Rare, but possible. However, if you ever do that, you should make them sign that your liability is waived.

Sounds like a poor client to have.
 
Yeah, I always tell them either have 2 backup drives or don't erase the cards. I make it sound like the world can possibly end if the cards are erased (which it can).

Years ago, we shot a whole day of green screen stuff for a TV promo on a Red One. It was for a big reality star, so the producer was paranoid and insisted the cards get wiped. We told him him that to be safe, we should not wipe the cards. Anyways, the files on the hard drive somehow got corrupted and the only thing that saved us was the cards that the paranoid producer wanted to erase.

Since then, I always scare clients with that story and it always works.
 
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