Re: Media Manager in FCP Studio 3...

[Alan Okey] "Could someone post a few bullet points explaining why AVID's media management is superior?"

Here's how Avid handles media compared to FCP:

In FCP, when you import something the software looks at where the file is and makes note of it. It leaves the file as is. Move the file, the media is offline. You're in charge of organizing your media.

In Avid, when you capture or import something (picture, movie files, audio, etc...) Avid makes its own media (either OMF or MXF format) and stores it in a specific folder. Change the name of the folder structure (including capitalization, even) and the media is offline.

For example, if your media drive is M:\ and you import a Quicktime movie, Avid converts the Quicktime to Avid's OMF or MXF format.

For OMF media, Avid uses this folder structure:
M:\OMFI MediaFiles\(media goes here)
It leaves the original Quicktime alone though, so you can move/delete, change them without affecting Avid's links to the media (since it created it's own media of the file).

If you're using MXF it creates MXF media of the Quicktime and stores it here:
M:\Avid MediaFiles\MXF\1\(media goes here, and you can have up to 99 numbered folders)
Again, it leaves the original Quicktime alone so if you move it you don't lose your links to media.

Because Avid does this, all of your media is always in the same place and managed by the NLE. It can't, by default, be scattered across a lot of drives and buried in a lot of folders. Render files go in the same place as the media files.

All of this makes media management much, much easier. In addition, Avid creates database files of all your media and tracks them through that, and it's pretty much rock solid.

When you "Media Manage" an Avid project you either Decompose your sequence (makes new offline master clips based on just the media you used, plus handles) so you can uprez, or you Consolidate, which creates new master clips and media based on just the media in the sequence (plus handles). Perfect for backing up. Both are pretty much foolproof. Why Avid handles media changes and whatnot better, I'm not entirely sure, but I assume it's the way it tracks media (the databases) and all the metadata it assigns to clips.

So Avid's media management is solid, but in exchange for that you lose the openess you have with FCP, Edius, Premiere, pretty much most other NLEs. If you have a ton of Quicktime movies to import you have to wait while Avid creates its own proprietary media of each Quicktime, so you take a hit up front. But once it's OMF or MXF, you get a ton of realtime at full quality. So really you choose whether you want to take the hit up front in exchange for great media management and realtime capabilities, or you want instant access to your files but have less stable media management and more of a render at the end.

So it's a tradeoff. I prefer the time hit up front from importing and I hate tracking media so I'm happy to let the NLE take care of it for me. When I have super tight deadlines, though, and a lot of Quicktimes, audio, logos, etc... to import I wish Avid was more open like FCP. Six one, half dozen of another.

Hope that made sense and answered your question Alan.

Michael

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I'll be working late.