Bringing an old Final Cut project back to life

[Dukey]

Hi there,

So I worked on a short documentary last year on Final Cut Express. Now, a year later, the client wants a shorter version of the documentary. I stashed everything away and now I have to bring it back to life. I now use final cut pro 7 and I tried opening the last saved FCE file to FCP. It opened with ALL the media off line though the cuts and transition are still there.

I tried searching for the files and nothing came up but I know the files are somewhere in there. I was wondering what is the best way to get everything online and editing again? Thanks

 

[cgbier]

You should be able to reconnect the files if they are still there.

 

[Digitalclips]

Hi there,

So I worked on a short documentary last year on Final Cut Express. Now, a year later, the client wants a shorter version of the documentary. I stashed everything away and now I have to bring it back to life. I now use final cut pro 7 and I tried opening the last saved FCE file to FCP. It opened with ALL the media off line though the cuts and transition are still there.

I tried searching for the files and nothing came up but I know the files are somewhere in there. I was wondering what is the best way to get everything online and editing again? Thanks

If you rejoin one of the media files FCPro is smart enough to see the rest assuming it's all together in the same relative locations it used to be. I am not sure if it works the same way if they are not relatively the same, rather all in the same folder when they weren't ... if you see what I mean, but this may still work, I just never tried that.

Use 'Reconnect Media" under the file menu to either automatically search or manually locate the first missing chunk of media in the Sequence by highlighting it and using the Reconnect Media option. As soon as you succeed with luck, many others will (should) automatically be located. Even if a file name were changed or needed to be re digitized you can manually reconnect it in place of the missing link but be aware any difference in time will call havoc.

However, if batch capture with time code (assuming tape) had been used initially, you can even remake an entire sequence be recapturing from time code. I've done this many times. This using BetaCam SP machines under FCPro's control. This is obviously not the same with media originated on digital cameras where the files were simply dragged to the Mac but they too have time code ... an area I've not experimented with regard to recreating a sequence this way. But then they should all rejoining automatically easily assuming names are the same. Trimming will be honored too.

Good luck! I had to do all of the above at one time or another when drives failed and I had to resort to back ups, this with a dead line for a national TV show!

 

[Dukey]

If you rejoin one of the media files FCPro is smart enough to see the rest assuming it's all together in the same relative locations it used to be. I am not sure if it works the same way if they are not relatively the same, rather all in the same folder when they weren't ... if you see what I mean, but this may still work, I just never tried that.

Use 'Reconnect Media" under the file menu to either automatically search or manually locate the first missing chunk of media in the Sequence by highlighting it and using the Reconnect Media option. As soon as you succeed with luck, many others will (should) automatically be located. Even if a file name were changed or needed to be re digitized you can manually reconnect it in place of the missing link but be aware any difference in time will call havoc.

Good luck! I had to do all of the above at one time or another when drives failed and I had to resort to back ups, this with a dead line for a national TV show!

Hey Thanks for the help, so I tried to search for it and nothing comes up. FCP literally searches everything in the external but nothing comes up. When I manually looked for certain files and manually it worked. My question is does the 'search' search subfolder/ folder in folder that are in folders because that seems to be the issue. I can't seem to find a way to edit this as a batch... Is manual my only option?

 

[Digitalclips]

Hey Thanks for the help, so I tried to search for it and nothing comes up. FCP literally searches everything in the external but nothing comes up. When I manually looked for certain files and manually it worked. My question is does the 'search' search subfolder/ folder in folder that are in folders because that seems to be the issue. I can't seem to find a way to edit this as a batch... Is manual my only option?

It should search in sub folders. Have you by any chance blocked Spotlight on the drive in question?

One thing you might try is putting a few of the clips together from a sequence in a folder and manually link one and see if the rest get grabbed automatically. If they do just manually aggregate them.

 

[Dukey]

It should search in sub folders. Have you by any chance blocked Spotlight on the drive in question?

One thing you might try is putting a few of the clips together from a sequence in a folder and manually link one and see if the rest get grabbed automatically. If they do just manually aggregate them.

So I ended up manually doing most of them. Though I see now that it could have been better organized (got in a bit of a rush towards the end) and but I am missing certain file that FCP couldn't find in the search... I kind of at this point have no clue where they are...


When I exported the video a year ago, I made one versions to the highest of settings (1920x1080) in h.264. Now I was thinking, as a back up plan, to take that file, convert it into Apple ProRes 422 and fill in the "media Offline" parts. What do you think?

I know it seems amateurish but I'm learning through trial and error...

 

[Digitalclips]

So I ended up manually doing most of them. Though I see now that it could have been better organized (got in a bit of a rush towards the end) and but I am missing certain file that FCP couldn't find in the search... I kind of at this point have no clue where they are...


When I exported the video a year ago, I made one versions to the highest of settings (1920x1080) in h.264. Now I was thinking, as a back up plan, to take that file, convert it into Apple ProRes 422 and fill in the "media Offline" parts. What do you think?

I know it seems amateurish but I'm learning through trial and error...

Sounds like a good idea, it shouldn't lose any quality. Good that you kept that master and you might have fun if you need to use the audio too. Audio is often way more of a pain in situations like this. You can match color pretty quickly but with L cuts and post sweetening you may have to do some work to match the audio in the new sequence.

Tip: BTW you don't need to convert it all, just use QT 7 player, set in and out for the part you want and export as a referenced version. That referenced movie (assuming kept along side the original file) can be converted with MPEG Stream Clip to Apple Pro Res 422.

Good luck on your projects.