Prores 422 Proxy workflow.

[Jos Svendsen]

I might be mistaken (very Likely), but I have not seen any one mention a ProRes 422 (proxy) based workflow.

Seems that you have to manually swop the ProRes proxy files for full quality ProRes 422 files in order to do a proper Offline workflow.

My workflow is

Copy AVCHD file structures to a directory on a disk.
start a new project in FCP 7.
Log and transfer to ProRes 422 (proxy) from AVCHD files using a capture directory for these files
start a new FCP project.
Log and transfer to ProRes 422 from AVCHD files using another capture directory
delete both project and create the real project
I will now Edit with ProRes proxy
Swap proxy files with the ProRes 422 files and render project.

Is this really the most simpel way top utilize the proxy files in FCP 7?

Last time I used proxy files was with Vegas 7. Here a VASST plugin made it very simple. So I am convinced that I have missed something in FCP7.

Thanks

[Noah Kadner]

You could but why bother? Get more hard drive space and stick with regular ProRes or ProRes HQ- then you don't have to tack on a bunch of extra time re-encoding everything and media managing to switch from Proxy back to ProRes.

Noah

[Jos Svendsen]

Well I could, but I am offlining on a Macbook pro, and my tests show that ProRes 422 (proxy) is faster than regular Prores 422 on a Macbook Pro and a third of the size.

But you are right if there isn't a smart way to edit proxies in FCP 7.

The best

[Christopher Drews]

Yes. This is the workflow that I am currently using on a project.
To the question of "Why would you do this?" - it's obvious.
ProRes (proxy) is an amazingly efficient codec that has meager processing and file size requirements. My offline workflow is based on this codec for the purpose of editing a high quality source anywhere, without the use of ANY external storage whatsoever.

Try doing that with ProRes 422 (HQ).

Proxy has allowed me to leave my bay and edit in the world.

-C

PS- It is really easy to replace these files for online. Either rename your media or reconnect without matching the file name. 5 minute process.

[Mike Chandler]

You can use Media Manager to compress the files to proxy and when you're through the edit, reconnect to your orig. Search for "Transcoding for Editing on the Road" in one of the Supermags over on lafcpug.

[David Slingerland]

Hello,

I shot a docu in Venezuela with an HD XDCAM 422, on the disk there is also the proxy files, can I edit with this material and then online it to XDCAM 422? What sort of problem am i going to run in to ? My main concern is that the quality of sound and picture can make me do things and cuts with the material I would not do if I had a better quality to work with. I am editing with AVID but I dont think the NLE should matter, Any ideas?

[David Ethridge]

Hi Noah,
Im doing a Log and Transfer with my HDV 1080p30 footage from my CF Card using the Sony Z7u.
I look at the preferences for Log and transfer window and see the 422 for Sony HDD preset but, after ingesting a clip and I look at the info of the clip, it says HDV 1080p30 vs saying ProRes 422.
What am I not selecting correctly?

Originally Posted by Noah Kadner

You could but why bother? Get more hard drive space and stick with regular ProRes or ProRes HQ- then you don't have to tack on a bunch of extra time re-encoding everything and media managing to switch from Proxy back to ProRes.

Noah

[Tim Palmer-Benson]

I have been shooting with the new Technicolor preset for the Canon DSLRs. In order to recover the flat colors, it is suggested that you use the Technicolor LUT in post. I have been doing this with LUT Baby, a free plugin filter from Red Giant for Final Cut. The results are incredible! However the amount of time needed to render is awful...several days for a one hour set of clips! So with the new Magic Bullet Grinder, I have imported my Cinestyle clips into Pro Res LT and set Grinder to produce proxies first and the full main file second. It does the proxies real fast. So here is my work flow, and I don't think it is quite right..

All clips shot with the Technicolor Cinestyle Preset
Camera One

I import footage from 7D, telling grinder to make proxy first, then main
Import using Pro Res LT
Bring proxy clips onto time line, all butted together
Color correct with Lut Baby and Technicoor mga
Render
Export as Quick Time movie -- is the QT movie here the full res from the main files? Does it connect with the full res main versions automatically to produce a full resolution Pro Res video? All clips are in the same folder.

Camera Two

Repeat process


Then in new sequence import the two QT files, combine them with separate audio tracks and run Plural Eyes to synch up the two QT movie and the audio tracks.

Then edit the sequence to taste.

[Kevin McRoberts]

Originally Posted by David Ethridge

Hi Noah,
Im doing a Log and Transfer with my HDV 1080p30 footage from my CF Card using the Sony Z7u.
I look at the preferences for Log and transfer window and see the 422 for Sony HDD preset but, after ingesting a clip and I look at the info of the clip, it says HDV 1080p30 vs saying ProRes 422.
What am I not selecting correctly?

Would be curious to know as well. I get the same results with MRC1 recording. I "think" it only transcodes 24p HDV to ProRes, and leaves other framerates as HDV.

Bypassed it by transcoding through ClipWrap instead.

[Geoffrey Cox]

I'm very interested in this idea of a Prores 422 proxy workflow but frankly have never come across it before so can't really follow this thread. Can anyone point me in the right direction for a tutorial on it? I only have FCP6 mind you.

Also I've read here before that Prores 422 HQ is not worth it compared to non HQ - any thoughts (sorry if that hi-jacks the thread)?

thanks,

Geoff

[Kevin McRoberts]

ProRes Proxy is a compact, I-frame intermediate codec.

Here's the short of how I've used it with just FCP:
1. L&T all footage as ProRes Proxy. Even on the main laptop hard drive.
2. Sit on the porch, at the coffee shop, by the lake, during a long car drive, wherever, and edit that Proxy footage.
3. Once finished with the proxy cut and ready to render, toss out all the L&T'd footage via finder. Leave the project file untouched.
4. Plug in your external drive/RAID/whatever, batch import all footage again, this time at a higher quality setting (PR422, HQ, whatever). FCP doesn't care, everything will link up as though nothing had changed.
5. Render, export, and enjoy

The value of this isn't as apparent for short studio edits... but long, drawn-out projects where you occasionally edit here and there, for on-the-go edits while travelling, or for little personal fun projects where you'd rather not be tied to your RAID, it's a treat.

[John Hewat]

Hi Kevin,

I will probably do exactly as you say with a project of 4TB of H264 footage that I have to edit on my MacBook Pro whilst travelling.

My main question is in regards to Sequence settings.

I work in Premiere but the same may be true of both programs...

When you are working on the proxy files, do you create a sequence to match those files or to match the high quality files?

In Final Cut I think you can change the sequence settings later but in Premiere I think you're stuck with the settings you pick at the beginning.

As far as I know, the sequence settings would really only effect your rendered video previews right? And you'll only have to render if you create s equence with a different codec type to your footage?

Am I on the right track?

Thanks!

-- John