Kinda in a jam here guys, would really appreciate some help. I just started editing my final project for my film class. As of now I just Batch Captured 4 entire tapes, so just under 4 hours worth of footage, and now I'm in the process of cutting the clips up into individual pieces. I've created folders(bins) to organize the different takes by scenes (e.g. Coffeehouse, Apartment, Car, Chase Scene, ect) but in these individual folders, I cannot name the individual clip names, as if I change the name of one it changes them all? Help! I thought I could change each clip so that I could know from the browser EXACTLY which clip has in it. Thanks guys, any help is much appreciated!
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Name individual clips in FCP?!?! HELP ASAP PLEASE!
- Thread starter Blazer5913
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That's because you captured entire tapes, which you shouldn't have done. You should've logged and captured individual clips.
Not sure I'm understanding correctly. How did you get your clips to begin with? Sounds like you just marked I/O points and put the clips directly in the sequence then put the clips from the sequence into the bin? If you go through the viewer you shouldn't have renaming issues. For example:
1. Mark your I/O points.
2. Drag to Bin from viewer
3. Rename
4. Edit to sequence
If you open one of your clips (from the sequence) into the viewer then drag to a bin do you still have problems?
1. Mark your I/O points.
2. Drag to Bin from viewer
3. Rename
4. Edit to sequence
If you open one of your clips (from the sequence) into the viewer then drag to a bin do you still have problems?
I think my problem is what poster #2 has responded. I Batch Captured the footage instead of Log and Capture. Hmm, never knew there was a difference there, but I guess thats my own fault. So for future references, always Log and Capture the clips individually, so that I can give them unique names? Thats probably it. I'll be able to get through this alright, just kind of a pain. But lessons are learned like this, and no reason to cry over spilled milk right? Thanks guys, back to editing. AWESOME SPEEDY REPLIES!
Maybe you mean that you used 'Capture Now' from the Log & Capture window? Batch capture would be used after you log all your clips and will capture each separate clip automatically. I don't even think you can select batch capture unless you have logged already.
You can make sub-clips and rename those w/o effecting the name of the master clip it came from.
Lethal
Lethal
There's nothing wrong with capturing an entire tape as one clip ... as long as you don't want to individually name section of that clip as you've discovered.
FWIW, there are two methods of capturing in FCP: BATCH and NOW. BATCH capturing is the process of capturing clips in one "batch" that have been previously logged, regardless if it is one clip from a tape or many clips from the same tape. I routinely log then batch capture an entire tape for long form programs (meetings, seminars, stage performances, etc). If I do need to name or otherwise differentiate sections of that clip later on, I can always create sublips and add a "log note," "description" or "comment" to the sub clip to help identify it. You can rearrange the Log Note, Description or Comment column in the Browser so it sits right next to the clip name column for easy reference.
But if the project isn't long form, it is best to log each individual clip first, instead of the entire tape. And IMHO, logging/batch capturing is always better than using Capture Now. Capture Now does work best for capturing non-timecoded footage though.
-DH
FWIW, there are two methods of capturing in FCP: BATCH and NOW. BATCH capturing is the process of capturing clips in one "batch" that have been previously logged, regardless if it is one clip from a tape or many clips from the same tape. I routinely log then batch capture an entire tape for long form programs (meetings, seminars, stage performances, etc). If I do need to name or otherwise differentiate sections of that clip later on, I can always create sublips and add a "log note," "description" or "comment" to the sub clip to help identify it. You can rearrange the Log Note, Description or Comment column in the Browser so it sits right next to the clip name column for easy reference.
But if the project isn't long form, it is best to log each individual clip first, instead of the entire tape. And IMHO, logging/batch capturing is always better than using Capture Now. Capture Now does work best for capturing non-timecoded footage though.
-DH
Lesson for next time: keep a tape log.
On your next shoot, have someone note the time code in and out of your shot, along with a quick description of it, for example:
Tape 1 - Day 1 - Location: Abandoned Warehouse
00h00m00s00f - 00h00m30s00f - Wide shot: Cop shoots bad guy
00h00m30s00f - 00h01m00s00f - CU: Bad guy on floor
The most efficient shoots will also have a shot list, whereby a copy of the script has been broken down into its individual shots. By doing this, you will know that 'Cop shoots bad guy' is shot 1, and 'Bad guy on floor' is 2.
Add this shot number to the start of the description on your tape log, and you have a way to instantly indentify the shot you need during the edit.
Once your shoot is done, the reason that all the logging that took place during the shoot will become clear... You can open your capture window, type in as the in-point '00:00:00:00', the out point as '00:00:30:00', description as '1- Wide shot...', hit log clip, and the clip is ready to be batch captured.
By doing this, you will save HOURS of time by not having to manually scrub through your tapes to set in and out points, because you won't need to actually watch the footage during the capture process, and you'll also have a written record of what you shot should you ever need to re-edit the film at a later date. Once all the clips are logged, highlight them hit 'Batch Capture', and FCP can be left to capture the footage on its own while you take your crew out for a well-earned beer
It's incredibly simple, but it will make your post production so much more efficient. It really should be made a filmmaking law
On your next shoot, have someone note the time code in and out of your shot, along with a quick description of it, for example:
Tape 1 - Day 1 - Location: Abandoned Warehouse
00h00m00s00f - 00h00m30s00f - Wide shot: Cop shoots bad guy
00h00m30s00f - 00h01m00s00f - CU: Bad guy on floor
The most efficient shoots will also have a shot list, whereby a copy of the script has been broken down into its individual shots. By doing this, you will know that 'Cop shoots bad guy' is shot 1, and 'Bad guy on floor' is 2.
Add this shot number to the start of the description on your tape log, and you have a way to instantly indentify the shot you need during the edit.
Once your shoot is done, the reason that all the logging that took place during the shoot will become clear... You can open your capture window, type in as the in-point '00:00:00:00', the out point as '00:00:30:00', description as '1- Wide shot...', hit log clip, and the clip is ready to be batch captured.
By doing this, you will save HOURS of time by not having to manually scrub through your tapes to set in and out points, because you won't need to actually watch the footage during the capture process, and you'll also have a written record of what you shot should you ever need to re-edit the film at a later date. Once all the clips are logged, highlight them hit 'Batch Capture', and FCP can be left to capture the footage on its own while you take your crew out for a well-earned beer
It's incredibly simple, but it will make your post production so much more efficient. It really should be made a filmmaking law
By doing this, you will save HOURS of time by not having to manually scrub through your tapes to set in and out points, because you won't need to actually watch the footage during the capture process, and you'll also have a written record of what you shot should you ever need to re-edit the film at a later date. Once all the clips are logged, highlight them hit 'Batch Capture', and FCP can be left to capture the footage on its own while you take your crew out for a well-earned beer
Watching your tapes during capture though is a great time though to see how the footage looks, what takes are best, etc.,. A shoot log will definitely help, but nothing replaces watching down all the footage. There are exceptions, such as reality TV shows, where having the editor watch all the footage is impossible, but for a movie (scripted or non-scripted) the editor should watch everything (even the bad takes and moments recoded just before/after takes) because you never know where a hidden gem will be that can save a scene.
Lethal
If you're not on the shoot, then I guess watching the footage capture would be valuable. I work for a mid-size corporate production company, so I'm regularly across a shoot which I will then have to edit, and I find tape logs to be absolutely invaluable.
I go w/ what LethalWolfe said. Read up in the manual on subclips.
Good workflow tips are important, but you didn't do anything terribly wrong by capturing each tape whole.
FCP deals with files in a non-destructive way, keeping track of clips without ever affecting the original file. A section of a clip is the same as the whole clip, just with a separate in point and out point. That is why when you rename one you are renaming all instances of that clip.
If you make a subclip from a longer clip, you are in effect creating a new clip which you can rename. Because it is all meta, you can remove your subclip limits at a future point, but that will also affect all uses of that subclip.
Be sure to give yourself big enough handles. Handles are extra footage on either side of your in and out, used for a variety of purposes including effects.
make sense?
Good workflow tips are important, but you didn't do anything terribly wrong by capturing each tape whole.
FCP deals with files in a non-destructive way, keeping track of clips without ever affecting the original file. A section of a clip is the same as the whole clip, just with a separate in point and out point. That is why when you rename one you are renaming all instances of that clip.
If you make a subclip from a longer clip, you are in effect creating a new clip which you can rename. Because it is all meta, you can remove your subclip limits at a future point, but that will also affect all uses of that subclip.
Be sure to give yourself big enough handles. Handles are extra footage on either side of your in and out, used for a variety of purposes including effects.
make sense?