You guys archive/backup your footage in BVAP or your NLE native format?
by david soriano
on
Jun 29, 2009 at 5:01:44 pm
I just started working with the EX-1 and FCP recently. I have a external 1TB drive that i am going to use for backup and archiving of raw footage. Do you people simply duplicate the BVAP folder structure to a secondary hard/optical drive or do you go with the native format of your editing system, which in my case is .mov? Or do you do something else? What are the benefits of using one over the other, also?
Re: You guys archive/backup your footage in BVAP or your NLE native format? by Craig Seeman on Jun 29, 2009 at 5:34:43 pm
[david soriano]"Do you people simply duplicate the BVAP folder structure to a secondary hard/optical drive or do you go with the native format of your editing system, which in my case is .mov?" What happens the day you move to another edit system?
What happens the day the client or co-worker needs to use the media as elements on another system?
What happens when your NLE of choice is discontinued?
What will you be using 10 years from now or even next year?
What new utility will come to market that doesn't have support for your NLE's proprietary form?
BPAV is your master. Treat it as such. Just because it's not tape doesn't mean it doesn't get the same treatment.
oh yes by david soriano on Jun 30, 2009 at 4:18:40 pm
i see. All that makes perfect sense...this is what i was wondering. Actually, i work for a municipal cable channel, and i'm solo, so no dire consequences if something were to ever get lost or "trapped" in a .mov format. Regardless, need to pick up on some good habits while i'm still early in the process.
Actually, i probably would be smart to backup to both HD and optical, no? Maybe do .mov to HD and BVAP to optical? That way if i need files for a correction or re-edit they are there on external HD ready to go.
Re: You guys archive/backup your footage in BVAP or your NLE native format? by Clint Fleckenstein on Jun 30, 2009 at 1:26:55 pm
Trick question. The answer, in some cases: both.
For instance, I just finished a tour video for a facility...the Quicktime clips that were actually used in the final production fit on one disc. So, while all the raw BPAV folders from the cards were backed up to disc and put in the gigantic fire safe, I was also able to include a disc of used clips along with the regular project archive.
We do two sets of archive discs per project: one for my archives, and one that gets boxed up with project management's stuff (paperwork, assets, that kind of thing). The raw footage, however, has its own archive in a fireproof location, whether it's videotape or discs of raw XDCAM EX BPAV material.
Archiving to hard drive is just asking for trouble. Sure, we keep all of our footage available online with a RAID archive, but things happen to hard drives and hard drive controllers. It's always best to have a non-mechanical version stuffed away somewhere, especially if you're like us and have need to utilize past footage in current projects. The nature of your work will dictate some of the finer details, just like ours does.
Re: You guys archive/backup your footage in BVAP or your NLE native format? by Craig Seeman on Jun 30, 2009 at 3:20:51 pm
Clint, just to be clear, when you say "disc" do you mean optical disc? Some people use disk to mean hard drive disk so it may confuse some.
I agree that hard drives are not trustworthy as archive.
As to backing up the EX mov files, what should happen if the project needs to be moved at a later date to a non FCP system? They'd need to be informed of the CalibratedSoftware plugin that can use EX mov. Of course you archive the BPAV too so you can go back to that. Just wondering if you'd have to handle this situation.
Re: You guys archive/backup your footage in BVAP or your NLE native format? by Clint Fleckenstein on Jun 30, 2009 at 3:53:29 pm
Yes, I do mean optical disc - at this point, DVD. In the future, XDCAM disc. For us, archiving the MOVs is a quick time-saving maneuver in case the project timeline needs to be resurrected; sure, we could go back to the BPAV folder and re-wrap again, but archiving the MOVs actually used for the project means I can restore a project to editable status in very short order.
This mindset has worked well for us repeatedly in cases where a client wants to refresh their project even years later. Against the urging of some I've kept our old Canopus systems in mothballs and, as recently as last month, was able to do a re-edit of projects we never expected to come back. Diligent archiving has allowed us to restore projects quickly, make the changes, and kick out the new video cheaply. Often clients don't have the money for a new video, so the ability to sell them a quick re-edit means the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity. It may also mean a serious head start if you do get tasked with a major overhaul or new video.
Again, one thing I don't think we stress around here enough is that everybody's workflow is going to be different; sure, there are basic "doctrinal" things that we can set in stone such as the use of Clip Browser for CRC transfer and folder management. For more specific archiving details, that's just going to take some homework and forethought by each facility. We do a good job of trying to discourage people from thinking that they'll never have to go back to a project or edit in a system other than what they've got now... but each person needs to figure out what they need to plan for the unexpected.
