P2 Reels

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iceblueorbitz

Member
Hey everyone,
So this has been a big question on my mind for a while since shooting HVX200. I haven't really shot anything that requires any external audio syncing, but I'm DPing a short film this weekend on the HVX200. We'll only have two 32 GB cards, so I may have to dump footage throughout the day.

My main question is what is the importance of the REEL when transferring footage from the camera? I'm on FCPS2 and will be just using the Log and Transfer mode and then creating a backup of all the footage once its been captured. I understand the Reel in terms of film or tape, and especially for recapture on tape, but since the cards will be erased after transferring the footage, I don't get why the REEL field would be important at all. I think I'd rather organize the footage based on just scenes/shots/takes rather than what card it was shot on.

If someone could enlighten me a little bit better before I start shooting, that would be great. Thanks!
 
"My main question is what is the importance of the REEL when transferring footage from the camera?"

It is one way for FCP to track the footage back to the original card backup. If you need to know what card contains what information, or if your system drive dies and you need to recapture, or recapture at a later date, this is the way to know what footage is contained where. I also have Footage logs that track what footage is on what reel.

"I'm on FCPS2 and will be just using the Log and Transfer mode and then creating a backup of all the footage once its been captured."

Don't do that. That is the BAD way of doing things. Converting to QT and deleting the raw P2 data is the absolute WRONG thing to do. This limits you to only using FCP to edit the footage, and hog ties you when or if, any future (or current) MXF native reading software comes out that you want to use to access the WEALTH of metadata that is in the original card.

What you need to do is make a folder for each card...this is the REEL. Then backup the ENTIRE CARD to each of these folders...THEN import into FCP. This is simple the best way to do it. Doing it the way you suggest is rife with future problems.

"I understand the Reel in terms of film or tape, and especially for recapture on tape, but since the cards will be erased after transferring the footage, I don't get why the REEL field would be important at all."

For the same reason as TAPE is...for recapturing at a later date. Are you telling me that when you shot tape (did you shoot tape?) that you captured the footage on set, then reused the tape? or threw it away? I should hope not. You KEPT it...put it on a shelf, labelled it. So if you needed to recapture, there it was. Same with P2. Archive the entire P2 card, label it, keep it and many others on hard drives, put on a shelf. To do anything else would be shooting yourself in the foot.

"I think I'd rather organize the footage based on just scenes/shots/takes rather than what card it was shot on."

That is short sighted. What if you go "I know we shot that on Thursday, August 20. What cards did we shoot that day?" Or if you know that it happened first thing in the shoot, or later in the day. Reels are good ways of tracking that (well, I label mine with the date as well).

And again...you shoot on tape...capture the footage, and toss the tapes because "hey, I already have it on my hard drive?" I hope not.

This is why going to film/broadcast school is important, or interning in production, or working on productions at entry levels and working your way up is SO important. You can see why things are done, how other departments deal with the footage that is being shot and how it is labelled and archived.


But do what you want.
 
Shane is right on.

In my opinion, I don't even bother to label reels. I just go by date and time info that is tied to the data no matter what. I put my card dumps into folders typically and comically named "DUMP 1" and so on so forth. This way in Log and Transfer, I could potentially add Reel or other labels.

Really though, I mean I shot a 28 minute short and the dumps were all over the place. They were really disorganized, and it was just an added step where I had to put different scenes in different bins.

Your call though, no risk not to do it. Maybe more work. Or if you're super OCD, more stress.
 
Thanks for input guys,

I actually did mostly what you said before I had time to check your post.

I was dumping each P2 Card by dragging and dropping the contents folder and lastclip.txt file (I decided to shoot 1 card at a time to avoid any spanned clips) onto a drive as each card got filled. I then backed it up on a second drive and checked in Final Cut's log and transfer drive that every clip made it over entirely before I formatted the card to continue shooting. I then had all 14 MXF folders backed up on 2 hard drives, and then during logging, I only ingested from the slate clap to the director's CUT to save space and and save a step for sound-syncing.
 
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