Producing Drama TV Series

Hi guys,

We're designing fast-paced workflow for producing drama TV series.

We'll be shooting on multiple Sony FS7 (HD, XAVC-I, S-Log3).

For post workflow we have chosen two options so far: FCPX/Resolve/Pro Tools & Media Composer/Symphony/Pro Tools.

Editing will be done on the latest iMac with local Thunderbolt storage attached. On-set generated proxies will be used.

The missing link is video assist software. This week we’re testing QTAKE HD. It has nice export option to FCPX. Although it also exports ALE to Media Composer. The issue is that camera clipnames are not transferred via SDI. QTAKE support is notified but they haven’t come up with solution yet.

The one thing I’ve noticed on QTAKE website is that they have Light Iron in the partners section. I wonder if QTAKE was used for producing Focus.

If we go Avid route, we won’t have any problems finding local editors. On the other hand I really want to convince people give FCPX a try.

I’m still trying wrap my head around the whole thing and I need a piece of advice from the community.

Thanks.

I'd contact FCPWORKS to be sure you have the correct info on FCPX's capabilities in such an environment. But I'm also sure several of our forum members will pitch in with good info.

Hi levgenii
Sam Mestman from FCPWorks worked on Focus and has written several articles and vids from the production. Some available here or at… www.fcpworks.com/category/blog/
I think there are many great ideas to glean from his experiences, and Sam is a consultant for video/film productions. Might want to contact him.
Ronny Courtens has this recent post here you may be interested in… www.fcp.co/final-cut-pro/articles/1687-f...elevision-production
Seems like this might be right up your alley for TV. Ronny is very helpful.
And finally you might want to check out products that Phillip Hodgetts has been a part of… www.philiphodgetts.com
He has some vids on the Lumberjack system that you should check out. Phillip seems to be very responsive to client needs.
Hope this helps, Greg

Ievgenii,

I cannot say anything about this at this time, but my one of my next articles will be about another MAJOR television company, and they are using FCP X for producing drama TV series. They use exactly the same setup as you describe: FCP X, Resolve, ProTools.

Send me an e-mail so we can talk: ronnycourtens@mac.com

- Ronny

Thank you Ronny!

During the extensive forum search I found tons of your helpful replies related to the topic.

The intent is to consider Sony FS7 footage as original media (MXF) and make on-set proxies with QTAKE (MOV). Unfortunately, FCPX is not able to batch relink files with different name or file extension. Manual relinking in FCPX makes on-set proxies meaningless.

We can't get rid of QTAKE because of its playback with LUTs feature.

Media Composer wins this time.

Ievgenii,

I have no idea why you ever would want to overcomplicate things creating on-set proxies with QTAKE, when you can edit dailies in native resolution on-set using FCP X. The only thing you need to do is create ProRes files instead of proxies with QTAKE (we use ProRes 4444 XQ for Alexa and RED dailies) and start editing right away. For FS7 footage you even can use ProRes 422 or 422 HQ (we did this on a commercial a few months ago). If you need to edit on lower performance equipment, you always can generate proxies within FCP X, which offers a seamless proxy/original media workflow that is unique to FCP X.

This international feature film has been made with FCP X and QTAKE: www.apple.com/pt/final-cut-pro/in-action/detective-dee/

And the Focus team worked with native ProRes 4444 XQ from Alexa from start to finish. Proxies were only created inside FCP X when the editor wanted to work off his laptop in a hotel.

If all of us can work this way, I'm sure you can.

Of course if someone on your team gives you wrong information, that's not your fault. But in this workflow, FCP X wins every time.

- Ronny

ronny courtens wrote: I have no idea why you ever would want to overcomplicate things creating on-set proxies with QTAKE, when you can edit dailies in native resolution on-set using FCP X.

I was told that occasionally Teradek Cube feed will be used instead of direct camera SDI output.

That makes no difference at all. Wether you take the feed directly from the camera SDI output or it comes in streamed via a Teradek Cube, the workflow remains the same.

- Ronny

ronny courtens wrote: That makes no difference at all.

If Cube is used, QTAKE captures low resolution feed. Shouldn't these low resolution files be relinked with original media at some point?

Yes, the Cube only streams H.264 files. Cubes are used for wireless monitoring (or for a web stream or a live tv stream at low quality, which isn't the case here), but never for capturing high res media. It would be quite ridiculous to capture the stream of a Cube in QTAKE. This is the correct workflow:

- Wired SDI out to QTAKE while recording (faster), or import from camera cards in QTAKE after recording (safer)
- If wired is not possible (e.g. car action scenes): stream for live monitoring via Cube, then import from camera cards in QTAKE after recording

As I said, you never, ever want to use Cube for anything else than wireless monitoring or web streaming. If your post production manager wants to capture a Cube feed in QTAKE, they should fire him.

- Ronny

Whatever workflow we'll choose, I'd like see improvements to FCPX relinking options.

That's exactly my point. When you use the correct workflow, you don't need to relink anything. Just import in QTAKE, create full resolution ProRes files, import the QTAKE media folder in FCP X (no need to copy anything, just use Leave Files in Place) and start editing. Much faster, easier and fool-proof.

- Ronny

I'm not sure I understand the workflow. Is the plan to start cutting from the video assist feed? If so, why? Is there a legitimate reason to do this? This method creates a lot of potential problems, even in the Avid world.

- Oliver