How To Stop Final Cut From Optimizing Media for Multicam Clips

Hi guys.

Is there a way to stop FCPX from optimizing media in Multicam clips? I have 10 bit XF-AVC files from canon c500 ii and c70 for two angles, but there is no option to turn off creation of optimized media that I can find. This ends up generating almost 800 GB of unnecessary media for my project.

I have an 8TB internal SSD in my maxed out MBP and would prefer to work off that but that 800 GB takes up a massive chunk for four interviews with two angles each. Also, it actually reduced the quality to ProRes 422. The original compressed clips are ~980 GB.

The XF-AVC files play fine, and I color grade in Davinci Resolve using XLM round trip, so I would prefer to edit the media as is.

Is there a way to STOP FCPX from transcoding these clips?

Uncheck the setting in FCP Playback preferences. It’s on by default.

Tom Wolsky wrote:

Uncheck the setting in FCP Playback preferences. It’s on by default.

Ahhhh! Thank you! I was looking under import settings which is off. Never thought to check playback settings. You would think they would have that in the New Multicam Clip Dialog Window.

Any danger in deleting the Multicam clips from the browser and the optimized media folders from finder then recreating  multicam clips?

No need to redo the multicam clips. Just delete the optimized. They will revert to using original media.