FCPX Media management and folder structure in a shared environment?

I thought I would start a thread on Media Management and folder structure. A subject that should be shared and commented.

So how do you guys manage your media and files?

I have our RAW media files sorted on the Network drive in a Media folder which is houses two subfolders Audio and Video.
Graphics are in a separated folder called Graphics.
Project files are stored in a customer folder (subfolders are project base).
I feel this is the best solution for shared environment to prevent duplicates.
When it comes to Archiving it can be little tricky...

How do you guys manage and what would you do different?

WOW!

Nobody wants to share there info?

In the collaborative situations I am involved with, we have one network drive, and one folder with the name of the production. In there is a folder for video, one for audio, one for graphics, one for photos. Similar to yours. We make our Library for that specific production use external media. Similar to you.

I wish FCPX did the Watch Folder like Final Cut Server did. So when we drop new media into one of those folders, it sees that and automatically ingests it, with a set of default parameters. It would simply lie one more pane in the Preferences window.

As for archiving, what I do is first, delete all generated files (renders, proxies). We never optimize anything it's all native. Second thing I do is delete anything in each Event that we really don't want to keep. Third thing I do is set all our media and Motion Content to be stored inside the Library, and... (drum roll) CONSOLIDATE! Then I export an XML of the Library for safe measure. Now I have my archive Library. Finally, once it is moved to our archive RAID, I delete the original media folder on the network drive. We just keep that Library and the XML file as our archive.

We have a shared media server. Libraries are on the server. Everything is in the libraries. Everything. Whenever something is imported it goes into the production's library even it that means it gets duplicate two or more times. That way we always know where something is because it's where it's supposed to be.
"Archiving" has no clear definition these days.
Our IT people back up the media server every 12 hours.
As productions are completed, their libraries are moved off the media server and onto a longe-term storage server that IT tells us is far less robust, and therefore far less costly, than the media server. It, too, is backed up regularly.

Any variations form this practice have gotten us into complicated trouble, losing originals, failing to remember er where something was supposed to be and then it's not there. However, it's not a stupid-proof system. My coworker, for instance, often has multiple libraries open at once and imports items into the wrong one.

I think you need a media asset management system if you're at that point, and things get messed up like that. Would keep everyone on track and avoid major pitfalls.

This is an interesting topic!
I work on a shared environment on Avid (3 editors, 1 assistant) and after 2 long years of pushing to move to FCPX my boss finally accepted to start taking it in consideration. So I've been trying to create a workflow for us for the last week but I find it very cumbersome to implement. So this is going to be a good read.

We have 2 network drives, one for everyone (with client files, scripts, gfx, vfx and raw footage) and the other one is exclusive for the editors to store footage/renders/proxies/etc.

My main problems right now are using alpha channel in proxy mode and managing libraries between editors working on the same video at the same time.

"...managing libraries between editors working on the same video at the same time."

That is when you store your media in external folders, not inside the Libraries themselves. Or get a good MAM system that is FCPX friendly.

FCPX.guru wrote: I think you need a media asset management system if you're at that point, and things get messed up like that. Would keep everyone on track and avoid major pitfalls.

I understand the suggestion, I've been using the Canto Cumulus digital asset management system for twenty years. But neither MAM nor DAM are appropriate in our FCPX situation; we just do not have the volume of material and we only have two FCPX users. All those years of running Cumulus have shown me where the threshold is for external management software and we're not anywhere near it.

Now, these other folks could have a real need for MAM. If you have a suggestion, Ben, give them a link or two so they can investigate some options.

I'm a big fan of Keyflow Pro, even for only 2 editors. I know several local studios that are only 2-3 people using it.

Here's a good resource.
www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/resources/ecosystem.html

How would you manage media when using different NLEs?
Also you guys still number your folders, with what advantage?
Would you keep all your files within a project folder as in RAW project files and exports?

Ben aka FCPX.guru is it possible when adding media in key flow pro into one location.... when done with the media and moved to another external drive (backup) will keyflow pro show me the new location (on backup disc 001) when needed?
My understanding is the proxy are still available.?

Yes you relink media that was moved to another location like a external drive.

• Support for Batch Relink
• Batch Relink the media to changed location path
• Works for referenced media only
• Auto select (select the files to relink automatically) and deselect all supported

Thanks, so would you suggest KeyFlowPro as media Library tool?

Hi all!
Does Keyflow work with any servers? We use a server, but Keyflow dosen't see it. Thx.

What do you mean Server?
In the middle of the process integrating Keyflow Pro I am running the App on a Mac Pro with Mac OSX server. The only issue i came across is that the media is marked offline even when the shared folder is mounted to the client.

I believe KeyFlow would run on your Mac server, yes, and manage things on it's networked storage. But I would urge going to the KeyFlow site and contacting them with specific questions.

I think I will start using this as our MAM.

Thank you, Keyflow works, on my server.
I downloaded a trial version and tried this.
We made a "handmade" server. (FreeNAS OS), HP-Z400 mainboard, ect., 8x6TB and 6x3TB HDD, Backup server is the same.
We use Avid Media Composer (Win and Mac), but more, and more we use FCPX, too.
We use SMB protocol for AVID/ Win, NFS protocol for AVID/Mac and FCPX.
We are a small team- max. 4people.

zoombeee wrote: Thank you, Keyflow works, on my server.
I downloaded a trial version and tried this.
We made a "handmade" server. (FreeNAS OS), HP-Z400 mainboard, ect., 8x6TB and 6x3TB HDD, Backup server is the same.
We use Avid Media Composer (Win and Mac), but more, and more we use FCPX, too.
We use SMB protocol for AVID/ Win, NFS protocol for AVID/Mac and FCPX.
We are a small team- max. 4people.

Which OS is your server running?

FreeNAS
www.freenas.org/

FCPX.guru wrote: I'm a big fan of Keyflow Pro, even for only 2 editors. I know several local studios that are only 2-3 people using it.

Here's a good resource.
www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/resources/ecosystem.html

While KeyFlow may be nice, it would be more practical at a price point of $49.99 rather than $299.99. IMO.
I get that $299 is a drop in the bucket for some studios, but not all.

I have struggled with managing media for quite awhile and when I say struggled I mean just having tried many different routes. I always end up just going back to organizing in the Finder and leaving media in place.