Inbound clips from Sony Content Browser

Hello all,

I use a SONY EX3 cam for ENG work and have had an intermittent problem with bringing critical clips into the PCP X workflow. Import is completed but when attempting to use the clip in a proj, the picture is green with no audio track visible and nothing usable for edit. I believe this is related to proxy files that may/may not be created. I have checked my workflow from prev successful results and cannot determine what is different.

The import tool (Content Browser by SONY) allows for the .mov file to be exported to FCP directly. I may not have enough days on Earth left to adequately learn what I need to know to complete a laptop edit and get my stories filed with a satellite phone or uplink on the day they are created.

Any help v much appreciated.

…m...

How are you importing your EX files: from the camera, from a card reader or from a copy of the camera card on your computer? I'm surprised you use Sony Content Browser for importing. The Sony import plugin for FCP X works perfectly for us. Unless you are using an older version of FCP X or of the Sony plugin?

-Ronny

Didn't know about the plug-in. At the App Store?? I went to SONY and at the time, that seemed to be the only entrée. We shoot onto SXS which is in the cam, then trxfr to secure drives for archiving but the orig BPAV files go to a working 3Terabyte drive. The SXS goes into the MacBook Pro.

FCP is so cumbersome with the amount of files it generates to get the work completed.

I think you are getting way over complicated. Firstly, if you must transfer your BPAV folders from your card before you edit you should use either content browser or create an archive with FCPX, do not copy BPAV folders directly from the card. The disadvantages of transferring material this way before editing is :
1. You create multiple copies of the file on your hard drive if you choose to use that drive as your project drive. This gives you very little advantage safety wise as both copies of your media are on one drive
2. You can't start the edit till the copying process is finished, therefore you take longer to finish the edit defeating one of the great advantages of the program.

The most time effective and efficient method is to use the plug in mentioned by the other members and import the footage direct into FCPX from the card. This has a couple of advantages.
1. You only generate only one copy of the file on your drive.
2. You can start to edit instantly you have clicked on the import button.

You can then archive on another drive as a back up either during the edit process or after. Personally unless you have a highly specced computer I would leave the back up till after the edit, especially since you still have the original files on the card.

Hope this helps

Ian S

Ian is correct. This is the plugin you need for Sony SXS media: www.sonycreativesoftware.com/pdzk-lt2

We worked intensively with FCP X at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Most footage was shot on Sony cams using SXS media. We ingested and edited on 2011 MBPs and FCP X 10.0.6 on location while the competitions were still going on and we uplinked the short edits a few minutes after a competition was finished. When a crew returned from the venue the media were copied on two Promise Thunderbolt RAIDS for editing the longer evening reports on iMacs. I have done 4 Olympics so far, and I never had a faster workflow than this.

-Ronny