RED editing and MBP and G5

[vanessa]

Hello,

I would like to ask you somethings about RED and FCP editing. This is a documentary project that is going to be shooted and edited at the same time and I realy need to know if this is the appropriate working procedure:

The film will be shooted in: 4K HD - 16/9 - RC 28 at 25fps

Shooting phase
Everyday shooting and copy to 2 different External HD (backup and working copy);
Import the proxy files into FCP (log and transfer - is there another way?);
Edit FCP with the proxy files on a MBP

Editing phase
Edit FCP with the proxy files on a G5 QuadCore 2.5GHz and 4.5 GB RAM ( SATA Card needed?)

Online phase
Export a XML to Color and connect to 2k files on a Mac Pro


The production wants to buy one of these two MBP for the shooting phase, wich one is suitable for the offline?

15-inch: 2.66GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB Memory
250GB hard drive 5400rpm
SD card slot
Built-in 7-hour battery2
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics + 9600M GT with 256MB

or

15-inch: 2.8GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB Memory
500GB hard drive 5400 rpm
SD card slot
Built-in 7-hour battery2
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics+ 9600M GT with 512MB

+

Express Card SATA - Sonnet (Can I link this Card on the MBP SD Slot?)

+

External HD D2 Quadra 1TB LACIE or other? (witch one)

Thank you,

Vanessa

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

RED software, including the Quicktime plug-in for proxy files only works on Intel CPUs. You can't edit R3Ds or view proxy files on a G5.

Final Cut can now do L&T R3D files in as native REDCODE or transcode to ProRes when logging.

You will want the 17" MBP because it is the only current MBP model with an ExpressCard slot. The 15" no longer has this!

The current 17" base model has a 2.8GHz CPU, 4GB RAM and a 500GB HDD. All fine for working with RED files. I would recommend getting the anti-glare screen and upgrading the HDD to the 7200rpm model.

You can still edit on the G5 Quad if you log and transcode your footage to ProRes. However, I have retired my G5 systems, so I don't know if the latest final cut studio and ProRes 4444 work on the G5. I'm thinking that they do not.

 

[vanessa]

Hey,

Thank you for the advice.

This might seem a bit confusing, but I'm editing offline, first on MBP, then (idealy) on a G5. And for the online I'll always use the original 2K files conected by the XML file on Color.

If I transcode all the media into Apple Pro Res 422 so I can edit the offline on the G5, will I need the Express Card Sata anyway? On the other hand I'll loose the link to the original 4K and 2K files, right?

If I edit with the proxy files, will I need the Express Card SATA or can I edit with an External HD connected to the Firewire 800 port?

Thank you,

Vanessa

 

[Uli Plank]

Get yourself familiar with Clipfinder (free), it's faster in transcoding and helps with first-light. It can re-comform from your offline edit to the R3D's just fine.

But you are aware that final grading will need an Intel machine?

You can't edit with the proxies, as already mentioned. But FW800 should be fine if you make your offline version a bit smaller, like 1280 by 720, which is fine even on a 24" screen for editing, if you logged all clips carefully for focus…

 

[vanessa]

Thanks to everyone who respond to my posts

Thanks to everyone who respond to my posts

I will edit on the new MBP 17'' with an Express Card SATA sonnet
The external HD are still in discussion, but I was advised to work with LACIE D2 Quadra 1TB each (using eSATA).
Then I'll do the online on a MacPro 8 core.

The documentaries will be shooted on 4K HD RC28 25fps, wich will be arround 84GB/hour footage. I'll have a maximum 10 hours in total.

Thank you,
Vanessa