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Need an organized workflow for editing AVCHD in FCE

Hi all,

Yikes.

I just upgraded to a Macbook Pro, but haven't been able to upgrade to my editing software for the time being. So what I have to work with for now is FCE 4.01, which I've never used before.

I'm also editing AVCHD for the first time. I imported it it in, to my dismay it imported as a large pile of clips, with no timecode. Grr.

I'm editing a wedding, and have three camera cards, two of which contain ceremony portions which should be synced. Except that they're chopped up like a salad into little teeny AVCHD clips.

Again, Grr.

I'm doing searches to answer the question, but can anyone pass along a workflow that works for them, a system for staying organized?

Is there any way to get these to import as one file that would retain timecode? I'm guessing, no.

If nothing else I guess I could label each card's clips by color to identify which camera they came from. But ti's still a big hairy mess.

Suggestions that will get me out of the Pit (other then the obvious, get Avid or Premiere or FCP7, which I will do as soon as I am able) are highly appreciated.

Thanks =/

FInal Cut Pro 4.5-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.4.11), G5 (I know, ancient...)

Posted on Apr 15, 2013 7:52 PM

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19 replies

Apr 15, 2013 9:03 PM in response to Meg The Dog

Maybe it is just camera starts/stops. I was under the impression that the camera automatically started a new clip or file after the previous clip reached a certian size. There are so many clips and I just imported them in, so I haven't had a chance to look at them that closely yet - am reviewing them now.


My system before was to dump an entire tape, then cut it up.

This is different; all these clips could easily become a tangle.

Apr 15, 2013 9:16 PM in response to Editgrrl1

Well the clips should have been ingested in chronological order. What I've done in the past is place all the clips from Camera A that I want to sync on the timeline in chronological order on V1 + A1 +A2. Then edit the clips from Camera B on track V2+A3+A4 - syncing the clips on V2 to the clips on V1 manually. You can drop the opacity on V2, and then nudge the clip to help you get in dead sync, then restore the opacity, or use the audio waveforms to help get you in sync. When done, you'll have the camera clips from camera A on V1, and the camera clips from camera B in sync with the clips from camera A on V2.


Once you have a timeline with all the clips in sync (there will be gaps and spaces where the cameras were not rolling at the same time), duplicate the sequence to protect it, and then working on the copy, you can start cutting by making sure you are always cutting both V1+V2 together. That will hold the sync.


When you need to be on camera A, you can un-enable the camera B clip, when you want to be on Camera B, you can enable it.


MtD

Apr 16, 2013 3:38 PM in response to Editgrrl1

If you are doing event video - DO NOT turn the cameras off. Even if you were running tape, all that on/off will destroy complete timeline continuity.


Next time, threaten to fire/ do not pay any camera person who touches the OFF switch on a camera without the card being full or at the designated time to switch cards. What I mean by this is set your shoot with scheduled times to switch cards so that there is always one camera running. The last thing you want is both (or all three) cameras switching cards at the same time.


None of this has changed since the days of tape.


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Need an organized workflow for editing AVCHD in FCE

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