Proxy Edits In FCP

[Rob Stiff]

I am tring to figure out how to do fast ENG edits with multiple XDCAM
Camera proxy files.

Anyone doing sucessfull proxy file edits in Final Cut Pro and then doing
batch captures for final HD timelines?

[Nate Weaver]

With the newest version of XDCAM Transfer, the extra audio tracks in the proxy files that tripped up FCP are now disabled if you uncheck the channels. Right click on the clip you need, export. When saving, delete the "Proxy of" prefix so your file name will be identical to the imported full res clips. Save in a folder away from your full res clips.

So now you have proxies that will play in the FCP viewer, something that didn't work prior to version 1.1

If you make a Offline RT HD timeline of the appropriate framerate, the proxy files can be dropped in and edited. All audio has to be rendered, but it's not too slow. This is the deal killer at the moment, the audio rendering.

So assuming you can edit in this manner (having to render all audio), once you have a finished edit, you:

1-Select all proxy clips in the bin. Right-click, and choose reconnect.

2-When the dialog comes up to choose which files you want to reconnect to, you choose all of your full res files (with identical clip names). Now all the clips will be swapped out, but the sequence will still be set to offline res...your canvas will look like everything is magnified because you have full res clips in a tiny low res sequence.

3-Right click on proxy sequence, go to "Settings", then Load Sequence Preset. You'll want to load the appropriate XDCAM HD sequence preset for your framerate and bitrate (25 or 35).

So that's it. Not very automated, and pretty convoluted. Arguable whether it's worth it. I myself would only go through the trouble if I was trying to edit a documentary on the road while shooting.

[Rob Stiff]

Thanks Nate.

Anyone know of Sony working with Apple's FCP group
to make it easy for editing proxies?

[Andy Mees]

supposedly happening but none of us will really know until and when it arrives

... other problems with the scenario at present is the inability to import/export sublip logs in XDCAM Transfer, hence no way to create and use a properly media managed approach

one workaround for the audio problem is to use Send To ... > Soundtrack Pro Script on the proxies, and create a simple STP script for resampling audio to 48kHz
... that should help to create a realtime solution

[Rob Stiff]

Thanks.

Is there any software or hardware out that is best
for turnkey editing proxy files and or HD XDCAM footage?

FCP multicam is pretty good for 1080p, but still doesn't like proxy files.....

[Alister Chapman]

I have not tried this myself, but I have been told by my contacts at Sony that you can edit the proxies in Vegas.

[Andy Mees]

you can certainly edit the proxies directly in Canopus Edius (Broadcast) 4.1

it works very well.