Strategy to control project size for full-length concert?

Hi,

Once upon a time I used to edit many concerts in the OG FCP.

The last one I did, about 18 months ago actually started in FCP7 and I finished it in X. Back in FCP 4, 5, 6, 7 I had strategies and rules to stave off project bloat (most of which I've forgotten already).

Now I'm starting a new, 6 camera concert in FCPX, and I want to avoid doing anything dumb. My deliverables I expect to be between 3 to 5 single song clips that will likely end up on Youtube, and a 60 minute or full length whole-concert cut (for DVD maybe).

I have already synced all the cameras and have one 86 minute long multiclip, which behaves perfectly. I have also let X grind all night and make proxies of all 6 cameras, so I have that going for me as well. Original media is all ProResHQ.

What I'd love to avoid is cutting each song in it's own project, and stitching them all together in another for the longest 60 or 80 minute deliverable. The reason why is that it becomes a little messy when you have to put it all back together, most of the songs being back to back and you're trying not to add or remove time between the songs.

Is it possible that X can handle one project with one, giant 80 minute multiclip in it? And say 1200 cuts?

Or do I need to just cut each song in it's own project, and then be patient putting it all back together again at the end?

Also, making each song it's own compound clip after cutting sounds scary too, for reasons of Event bloat.

I have a 2013 iMac 3.4 i7 with the GTX680MX, and 24GB of ram. So not a bad machine. But not infallible.

Cut each Multiclip in it's own Project to get better efficiency and organization.
When done with a song, select all, create new compound clip.
When done will all songs, create an assembly project, drop all your compound clips into it.
To help with organization, you'll also want to create a Smart Collection sorting by clip type, to filter for only compound clips.

I do this often and don't get "Event bloat".
A 180 minute long timeline is going to be difficult to navigate and keep track of after awhile when you're still editing.

I second Ben's way and thank you Ben for the Smart Collection idea!

Copy all this, and thanks.

Obviously I made up "Event Bloat", not sure if it was a real phenomenon or not

This is also compatible with the news that I just got that the DVD program is not 100% approved yet, and may not be for a while if ever.

I wonder if I can put markers in multiclips that stay put no matter what shot is selected? That would help me keep straight on the exact frame one song ends and another begins, if I wind up having to reassemble back-to-back songs in a longer program. The individual song edits would likely have dead space on heads and tails trimmed, but not so for the longer program.

I've done that before in 7, lost track of the song boundaries and it's just such a stupid time waster trying to put things back together correctly without guides.

Put the Markers on the Compound Clips.