Final Cut Pro HD | H•O•T Hands-On Training [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Copy

Copies all selected media from wherever it is to wherever you specify.

Option:
Delete Unused Project Media.

Low

Move

Moves all selected media from wherever it is to wherever you specify.

Option:
Delete Unused Project Media.

Medium

Use Existing

Removes all project media that is not being used in whatever sequences are selected.Warning: once this process starts, your sourcefiles are deleted. If you cancel this operation prior to its completion, both source and modified files may be gone.

Option:
Delete Unused Project Media.

High

Recompress

Converts existing media from its current compression format to whatever you specify.

Recompress will not convert between NTSC and PAL.

Low

Create Offline

Converts a current project into a new project, allowing all clips to be recaptured at a different,generally higher, resolution.

Option:
Delete Unused Project Media.

1.

Chapter 13 Lesson, if it isn't already open. Select Seq Snowboard Final in the Browser. Then, choose File > Media Manager.

The Final Cut manual spends 20 pages discussing the Media Manager. I've written an article, which is on my Web site, that takes seven pages just to illustrate Create Offline. (You'll learn more about my Web site, and other resources available to you, in the Appendix," Additional Resources.") In this exercise, I want to illustrate the two most popular uses of Media Manager: Making a copy of all your project files onto a single hard disk (for example, to take to another Final Cut system) and moving all your project files from wherever they are, into a single location (for example, moving from a collection of FireWire drives to a single RAID).

The two operations are very similar. The first is a Copy, which makes a copy of all your files in a new location, and the second is a Move, which moves all your files into a single location. For both of these, you'll need the Media Manager.

2.

The first step is to select what media you want the Media Manager to manage:

3.

The pop-up menu determines what operation it will be performing. If you choose Copy, all files will be copied to their new location, leaving the original project and files intact. If you choose Move, all files will be moved to their new location, with the ability to create a new project, where all links to moved media are correct.

This dialog illustrates the key settings of Media Manager. Include Master Clips Outside Selection is new with FCP HD. If you check it, Final Cut will include other clips in the Browser that share similar timecode to the clips in the selected sequence. It is checked by default. I recommend you uncheck it.

Delete Unused Media from Duplicated Items will not copy or move media that is not part of the sequence you've selected. This is the principal benefit of using the Media Manager: it copies or moves only the material you want, which can save a tremendous amount of space. For instance, in this example, copying Seq Snowboard Final and deleting unused media saves over 200 MB of hard disk space. (The dark blue area at the end of the top bar indicates the space taken by render files, which I never moveI always re-render.)

In concept, this is good. However, if you have another sequence in your project that you need but didn't include as a selected sequence, and it uses media that is also not included as a part of one of the selected sequences, the media for that nonselected sequence will be deleted (or not copied). Further, if you decide later to add a shot that you had previously digitized, it won't be there because it was not part of the original selected sequence.

If you do decide to delete unused media, be sure to provide handles; I try to use a minimum of 2:00.

The Media Manager provides very useful media management, but it can delete media if you are not careful. Additionally, the language of the check boxes is seriously oblique. I've been using Final Cut for over five years, and I have a hard time understanding what Include Master Clips Outside Selection or Include Affiliate Clips Outside Selection mean in actual English.

Include Master Clips Outside Selection means that Final Cut will include other clips in the Browser, even if they are not part of your selection, if they have either an In or an Out set. I generally leave this off.

Include Affiliate Clips Outside Selection means that Final Cut will include other clips outside your selection if it has either an In or an Out, or it falls between two unconnected clips derived from the same master clip, or it appears as an affiliate clip in another sequence. Again, I generally leave this off.

This check box creates a duplicate of the selected sequences or projects and allows you to specify where it is stored. This is a good thing. I always leave it checked.

4.

Once you have the settings in place, click Browse to select where you want the new project and media files to be saved.

5.

I've found it best to create a new folder; in this case, I called it Project copy. Final Cut will put all the files into that one folder, making them easy to find or move after this process is complete.

Click OK to begin the process.

6.

If there is insufficient media for your handles, this dialog pops up. Generally, it is OK to click OK.

Final Cut provides an ongoing status report as it processes your files. It is really important to let it finish. Canceling in the middle can cause all kinds of problems. Because you are copying huge files, this process can take a long, long time.

When Final Cut is done, it has created a new project and Media folder. Inside the Media folder are all the modified clips from the selected sequence or project. Even if you stored your media in multiple folders before, all the media is now combined into this one folder.

At this point, this is just like any other Final Cut project. You can open it and start editing.

The Media Manager is surprisingly complex and difficult to master. If you plan to use it, create a small test project and practice. Make a point to read the manual, thoroughly, before using it. The Media Manager can do a great job of getting rid of unneeded media and recovering hard disk space, but, good golly, it's tricky.

7.

That's it. You're done. Save what you want to save and quit Final Cut.