A method for remote video editing?

[Brian Boyko]

I haven't tried this yet, but theoretically, it SHOULD work. Has anyone ever considered doing anything like this - or tried anything like it, and if so, does it work?

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Problem: You wish to telecommute, but one of the responsibilities of your job is high definition video editing. You are limited to a 5Mbit down, 256k up DSL connection between home and office.

Possible Solution

Requires:
One Workstation Located on the Home Office LAN: ("LOCAL")
One Laptop located at the telecommuting site: ("LAPTOP")
A Virtual Private Network between the two.
Windows Remote Desktop
A copy of Sony Vegas Pro on both "LOCAL" and "LAPTOP."

Assuming the raw footage somewhere on the Home Office LAN where LOCAL can access it, I then remote desktop into the LOCAL, and drag the source files from the LAN to LOCAL's hard drive.

I then open LOCAL’s Vegas Pro application, and render out all the raw footage into two files: a high definition file at 1920x1080 & 25Mbps called [filename]_HD_Proxy.m2t, and a low definition file at 480x270 at 512kbps called [filename].m2t. One hour of this footage would result in a file that is about 225 MB. Not small, but certainly downloadable via a 5Mbps broadband connection. (roughly 6-10 minutes, actually.)

On LAPTOP, I download only the low definition file, where I cut, crop, color correct, and add graphics to the small file. I then save my edits in a Vegas source file.(“.veg”).

I then upload the .veg file (which would be about 100-300 KB), from LAPTOP to LOCAL, copying it to the same directory as the low and high definition video files. I load up Sony Vegas on LOCAL via Remote Desktop, opening the .veg file I just sent. It should load up perfectly, using LOCAL’s copy of the low definition [filename].m2t. This is just to check that the project isn't missing anything important. I then close Vegas on LOCAL.

At this point, I rename [filename].m2t to [filename]_LD_Proxy.m2t and rename [filename]_HD_Proxy.m2t to [filename].m2t on LOCAL. Relaunching the .veg file should result in Sony Vegas replacing the low definition video clips with high definition video, including all of its cuts. I then render on LOCAL, and placed the finished rendered file on the LAN for the company to access.

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Basically using proxy editing to get around problems with bandwidth, rather than CPU speeds. What do you think. Would this work?

[Craig Parkes]

Originally Posted by Brian Boyko

I haven't tried this yet, but theoretically, it SHOULD work. Has anyone ever considered doing anything like this - or tried anything like it, and if so, does it work?
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Basically using proxy editing to get around problems with bandwidth, rather than CPU speeds. What do you think. Would this work?

A) It should be relatively easy to test.

B) It's exactly the same proposition that people doing an online and offline workflow have used for decades, with the exception that you are accessing online suite via remote desktop.

Do a trial run. I can imagine the majority of the problems are not likely to be technical, but physical. (e.g you won't be monitoring off a broadcast monitor so won't be able to spot issues in the online, if you normally do that anyway. You won't be able to access files if they haven't been put on the network by someone else, if something gets unplugged etc etc.)

[Dave Blackhurst]

I think it should be workable, but what about just having a USB portable drive to move the HD files, leaving a copy of the identical directory structure on the "LOCAL" machine, then you should only need to move the .veg file back and forth?

Worst case you might have to redirect the .veg file to the correct media folder, but it's never failed me when I open it, can't find the original directory/files and I tell Vegas where it needs to look, shazam, and they all come right in... Since Vegas is non-destructive for the original files, you should only need "copies" wherever you happen to need to work, whether at your "home office", or ahem... by the pool at the resort of your choice... no one knows where you REALLY are while telecommuting, after all!

[Mike Kujbida]

I agree with Dave.
I work at home on various projects several times a year.
After capturing everything at the office, I drop the files on an external USB drive, bring it home and work on it.
When I go back to the office, all I need is the veg file.
Great way to work :-)

[Brian Boyko]

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

I think it should be workable, but what about just having a USB portable drive to move the HD files, leaving a copy of the identical directory structure on the "LOCAL" machine, then you should only need to move the .veg file back and forth?

By "telecommute," I intended to mean "across continents."

In my specific case, "LOCAL" would be located in Austin, TX, and "REMOTE" would be located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.