Workflow

[Dante Waters]

You know now that I stop this was an excellent question, it give you guideance as to what to do, how to be prepared, and what application is most favored.

This is what an online community is all about. My question is can fcp 4.5 do the same as what was metioned ealier, because that's what I'm using.

[Craig Seeman]

Main diff between FCP4.5 and FCP5 is Multicam. I've had may own Multicam method I've been using since FCP3 and still use it.

I line up all the tracks and sync. Shrink each one using the motion tab so I can all cameras rolling simultaneously. I add a track to the top and leave that desiginated to the edit track. As I play I match frame to the camera I want and cut it to the top track. This way I have the top track to check edits and can go back to the source tracks underneath when I want to change something.

[Patrick Moreau]

Dante,

Craig's method is an acceptable work around but multicam does offer a much more effecient process and is also excellent to quickly fine tune edits or change a camera angle. There is also a program called Livecut I believe, it is a free downoload and works with Final Cut Pro and is supposed to be much more closer to multicam than Craig's method.

I would argue that the integration of soundtrack in FCP5 is also one of the largest improvements. Being able to intelligently remove background noise from your audio in under 2 minutes is very helpful in my workflow.

[Joel Peregrine]

Originally Posted by Steve Gill

I just finished a wedding video with all the preps,montages highlights,dances and everything. It took me quite sometime to complete. ........FAR TOO LONG.

Just looking for some suggestions on workflow and how others breakdown projects in order to save time.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks

Steve

Hi Steve,

This was actually a post from a while ago that I wrote pretty quickly but it might give you an idea of my workflow. I'm on FCP:

I've been doing weddings with FCP since it was 1.0 and started before there was anyone around to tell me what the best way was. So some of my methods may be clunky - I'm always open to new techniques.

First I capture everything. I have an FCP project template called, appropriately, wedding. I duplicate it and name it the name of the wedding. In the project file is a bin with empty sequences (timelines) for each of the sections of the wedding day numbered for how they will appear in the program, i.e. 1. photo montage, 2. pre-ceremony, 3. ceremony, 4. receiving line, 5. post ceremony, 6. reception, 7. wedding day montage etc. If you don't have a receiving line or photo montage to edit, just delete those sequences. I also have another Sequence called Whole Program. More about that later. Other bins include a bin called 'Special', 'Label Stills', DVD Resources (menu loops and backgrounds) and 'Media'. I put shots that may be destined for the wedding day montage in the special bin. The label stills bin is for freeze frames I'll use for the tape and dvd labels, and the media bin is for the captured footage. Inside the media bin is also a bin called 'Used'. When I’m done with a captured clip or tape, put it in the used bin. Instead of creating bins for your section shots (pre-ceremony, ceremony etc.) I the timelines for those sections as bins to store the shots you will use to construct those parts of the program. Click your captured material to the viewer, hit 'I' for in at the start of a shot you want to use, and 'O' for out and hit F10 to send it to the timeline. Navigate the timeline using J,K and L. As you know short cuts save an enormous amount of time. (The Contour Shuttle Pro automates this process to be even faster and more enjoyable.) What you're doing is sending all the shots that may potentially end up in that section down to the timeline, sort of like when you were a kid and you dumped the block box with on the floor to see what you've got to work with before you build anything. I call this process 'shot selection'. (Shot selection is what my sweatshop employees are doing for me.) When you're done you've got a timeline full of useful shots. Lay down some music and start cutting the resources into a coherant piece. Do this for each section, except the multi-camera ceremony, which is a totally different way of cutting. Does that make any sense??? In a nutshell: Your raw capture is in the viewer, you cut out what is good enough to be in the final program and move it to the timeline, and then you refine it there. No additional bins (confusing), no subclips (limiting), just the selected media on each timeline ready for editing. The last step, after all the timelines are rendered (with fades to black at the beginning and end) is to open the sequence called 'Whole Program', and highlight all the content from the sequences of your program, and lay them on the 'Whole Program' timeline. (FCP 5 will maintain the connection to the render files.) Double check that everything has been rendered, Mixdown the audio (very important!) and dump the project to tape directly off the timeline. For shorter versions of the same program simply duplicate the 'Whole Program' sequence, label it 'short version', and cut that down to what you want.

[Steve Gill]

I am very impressed with the responses to this question and feel more comfortable going into my next edit.

Mr WATERS was correct in saying that is what the online community is all about. Thanks to everyone who took the time to post a reply.

Much appreciated.

Keep them rolling!!


Steve

[Scott Shama]

Joel,

You said mixdown the audio...do you mean mixing for levels or are you refering to dumping multiple tracks down to a single stereo pair. I ask because I've seen some wierdness with fcp4.5 on the audio side that I was only able to resolve by exporting a mix of my audio and re-laying it in the timeline. Is there something that fcp doesn't like that I should know about?

Also, no subclips for you huh? I tried my first one using them but it took forever. Seemed quicker to just go thru and cut up as needed. If I wanted a little more I could just "open" up more of the clip. I did have some odd bugs here and there with slomo though. Had to delete the speed attribute on a few occasions to reset the clip.

Thanks,
Scott

[A.J. Briones]

imho, fcp 5 is an essential upgrade for multicam alone, especially for this business. i use anywhere from 3 to 5 cameras during the ceremony, and it saves tons of time. add to that the ability to send audio to soundtrack pro for easy cleanup and i was sold.

[Patrick Moreau]

That is exactly what I was getting at in my post AJ.

Scott,

I've found subclips to help quite a bit, but I only seperate them roughly, so that if I shoot some of the reception on the same tape as the ceremony, I would make two subclips. I tried making more and labelling them but it seemed like too much of a time trap.

I have also had problems with speed settings, especially when I use the fit to fill option when putting a clip on the timeline. It works the first time, but if you then fit to fill a second time with the same clip, it places a completely different clip and you need to get the original again.

I'de like to know what Joel was referring to with the audio as well. I often export up to 8 tracks of audio and haven't noticed any problems, but now I';m wondering what I'm missing.

[Travis Cossel]

There are some really detailed workflows on here, so I won't bother posting my entire workflow. I'll just give some quick tips.

#1
Set up a deadline schedule for yourself. I shoot multi-camera all day weddings that include rehearsal footage, rehearsal dinner footage, girls getting ready, guys golfing or whatever, guys getting ready, bride getting ready, ceremony, reception, highlights, deleted scenes and so on. While I'm capturing footage, I put each section of the coming project on a whiteboard, and give each section a specific date to be completed by. This helps you feel much less overwhelmed, and gives you additional motivation to stay on schedule.

#2
I work on the ceremony first almost every time. The ceremony is the most planned part of any wedding, so it helps to get the feel for the mood that the couple created. I also find that the ceremony is usually the easiest piece to edit (reception is sometimes easier). And I'm a firm believer in a former poster's tip to edit what's easy to get momentum rolling.

#3
I have sequences (FCP term) set up for each section before I start working. This allows me to add appropriate clips to the highlights sequence, or the deleted scenes sequence while I'm working through the rest of the wedding. It saves me from having to go back through all the footage later and try to remember where I saw something.

#4
I always, always, always work on the highlight video last. I feel that this is the most important piece of the video, and also the most difficult and time-consuming. I think it's vital to work on every other aspect of the wedding first for many reasons. It keeps you from getting bogged down. It allows you to start setting aside clips. It allows you to get a feel for the ENTIRE wedding experience before creating a video that is supposed to represent that. It also requires the most creativity usually, and that leaves something to look forward to.

#5
I never promise ANY deadline date to my clients for delivery. This has saved my butt soooo many times. Just this season I had one of my hard drives fail unexpectedly, which forced me to start over completely on a wedding. This pushed my schedule out, but because I only give ESTIMATED times for completion, my clients don't feel like they are being screwed if I have to take longer. I also explain to them, when things do go longer for various reasons, that their project is very important, and that staying on schedule is less important to me than making sure they get a quality finished product.


Hope some of that helps!