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I assume you've emptied your trash? Just have to ask. Here's the thing about OLD installed of OS X. If you have them, there is a good chance you can't get rid of them without screwing up your current OS install. If you do have old system installs they should be in your Macintosh HD\OLD SYSTEMS if I remember correctly. It's something like that and VERY obvious. All the "reinstall over OS" does is makes your current system folder into that and makes a new system folder. So if you don't have anything in the root popping out at you then it's probably not old system installs. Plus they are usually 4-8gb each and I can't imagine you've rewritten your OS so many times for this to be the case. Here are a few things to check whats eating your space:
1. Check to see if you have any OTHER USER accounts on your system. If so, see how much space they are using.
2. Check your iTunes. If you download a lot of movies and tv shows they add up very quickly.
3. Did you empty your trash?
Those are the 3 to check without getting deep into scary land with cache files and tmp files. Really if you still cannot see what's eating the space, backup your user, reformat and reinstall your user and applications from scratch. I believe Hicks said in Aliens "Nuke it from orbit... only way to be sure." -
Sounds like you got it right other than the fact that you are using Final Cut Pro (insert rimshot here). Just kidding... sorta. Anyways you have the rights stuff if you really have 3 sets of redundant drives going to each editor AND I assume you have a set staying with you as well. As long as they are EXACTLY the same and named EXACTLY the same and some editor doesn't muck it up by renaming the drives OR copy it onto his/her faster raid. Also make sure that all three systems are running the same version of FCP (preferably OS as well) AND most importantly the SAME PLUGIN PACKAGES if any.
As far as the updating of content goes durring the editing, here's what I'd do. On each drive make a folder called SHARED. In that folder make 4 subfolders named after each editor and one after you (mine would be evilschultz... just in case :) ). Tell your editors that ANY graphics, pictures, sound effects, music...Aka ANYTHING they add to the project goes in a SUBFOLDER based on that days work, daily. So you have this:
\Project Drive\Shared\EditorX\020610\
and then
\Project Drive\Shared\EditorX\020710\
and so on.
Every day they add something, forcing them to MAKE that folder (since they wont be adding things DAILY) at the end of each day they make a folder they ZIP it up and upload it to an FTP (you need an FTP for all this). Have them email you the project regularly for backup sake and keep your drive here updated with their ZIPs as well they should keep their folders updated with other editors ZIPs. Also, you should too.
This shouldn't be too complicated. The idea is DO NOT modify folders that are the same on the drives you send out. When one editor starts adding things to the Capture Scratch it just mucks up the whole thing and one of the few strengths of FCP (also one of it's big weaknesses) is that source material can be anywhere.
Good luck! -
Ok so I could go into a long explanation in my own words but why do that when great people already have: http://www.ace-filmeditors.org/newace/downloads.html
On that page you will find a great article called Drop Vs Non-Drop Time code. That will give you the best answer. -
So I was just trying out what the "Random Question" button does and I get this winner. Well, just so ya know, my older brother who was 7 years old at the time got to name me. My parents told me they did this so we would bond more. So it's not really a surprise that I am named after a cartoon character. Specifically I am named after TImothy Mouse from Dumbo. Pretty sure this is the last time I'm trying the Random Question button.
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So just to give some readers a background on what this is, LTO is a Tape Drive standard. Tape Drives were really popular back in the day for data backup. Mostly because it was the first medium to store lots of data in an inexpensive source. This is back before we had burnable CDs and 1 $50 tape could hold 400mb. Now-a-days tape backups are only used by LARGE companies backing up 800gb-1tb chunks of data. Think architectural firms, law offices and medial insurances. The other advantage to tape backups is that they are known as an archival source. Meaning once you write all your data to a tape (and by the way this is a slow process.) you put it on a shelf or in a fire safe somewhere offsite and safe so that you know your data is secured. Usually it's recommended you backup ALL of your data to something like LTO every year if you have sensitive data that you need to know will be accessible when you need to restore something 5 years down the road.
Ok sorry for all that but I wanted to be sure everyone was on the same page. So cut to today, the coming of the digital age of TV/FILM. LTO4 (just a newer standard of the LTO technology) is used to take all digital media, like P2 or RED camera hard drive recorded footage and give you something tangible to know that you wont lose your media. See when you shoot on regular Tape like DBETA or HDCAM you know that if your storage fails you that you can always RE-digitize the media. With an all digital workflow this isn't the case. If you don't have a good backup system you're completely up the creek without a paddle.
So to answer your questions. Yes it is Mac compatible. Here is a great article from Studio Daily (a great resource: http://www.studiodaily.com/main/technology/pvr/LTO4-Tape-Archiving-on-the-Mac_11294.html) that will give you some recomendations on what drive and interface card to choose when hooking up an LTO4 tape drive to a Mac. Personally I've only done this on newer MAc Pros so beware if you are still on a G5 or earlier, though I'm sure there is something out there since LTO4 has been around for a while. Question 2 was can it be done after editing. Well this is where I would raise the red flag. This should be done FIRST. Before you bring all of your media in. Again, this is your backup. This is your savior. It's not just for the network, it's for when your Unity goes down and you lose 1/2 for media (not saying this is going to happen but you gotta prepare for the what ifs).
I hope that wasn't all too preachy. But backups are a very important thing to me and if you do a lot of shooting in an all digital format the $3,500 cost of the LTO4 drive, the $500 for a controller card and then approx. $50 for an 800gb tape is such a low cost compared to simply losing everything you spent all that money shooting. MY one warning though is you gotta know that an 800gb tape last time I did a full one took like 5 -6 hours if memory serves me right. I think I was getting about 2.5gb per minute write speed. Things may be faster if you get a nice SAS connection for it though. I think it was a SCSI setip. Still 5 -6 hours for 8 hours worth of P2 shooting (I assume DVCPROHD @ 100gb per hour) isn't bad.
On a personal note I'm actually really happy to hear that your network is REQUIRING this. I always push for this kind of physical data backup for all digital shows and nobody wants to take the time or pay for it. But of course when something goes wrong it's worth it's weight in gold. -
Best question yet! Since your question lacked any "rules" I'm taking it that I can go with ANY of the Transformers franchise including comics, books and Tv as well. I think I would go with Ultra Scourge. It's the closest transformation to a Dragon. More of a hydra really. But yeah why would I want to hide as a car or jet when I could pretend to be the Lock Ness Monster and scare a bunch of drunken Irish men. Also the occasional Godzilla mistaken identity would be fun as I demolish parts of Tokyo.
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For starters... plugins and Final Cut Pro anger me to no end. I hate the methodology in which FCP applies them to clips individually and how it handles mixing them. Also, even in FCS 3 from what I've played with, there is still no way to use a transition in that program that makes ANY logical sense. BUT to answer your question, for cheap go check out: http://www.noiseindustries.com/fxfactory/ There are some great free plugins it comes with and the application itself comes with examples of all of the plugins that it installs. Think of FxFactory like the App Store for plugins. Now if you want to get more Professional results AND pay the price for it truly Sapphire by GenArts is the only way to go. I know the package pretty well but mainly use it on the Avid if you have any specific questions later. Mid range I would say go get Boris Continuum Complete. It's a good package all around but lacks the "pre-made" ease of use and quick turn around that Sapphire has.
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You've touched upon a sore subject here. I love the Pan & Zoon plugin. Tip: Always use BSpline Catmull for Filter setting. But sadly NO you can't manipulate the orientation of a picture itself in the plugin. The fact that there isn't a little check box for rotate 90 degrees right or left or options to flip or flop the source picture is beyond me. Having said that, it's very easy to pop the picture open in any image reader (I use Preview.app on the Mac for this all the time) and save a fixed version of the source picture. So I go into After Effects if I want to do more work to the picture itself, have a cool vertigo like twist to the move OR add dynamic lighting effects. 90% of the time though, AE is overkill.
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I can't speak for scripted TV since I don't really work in that world. I can tell you that every reality show shot on HD that I've seen or been involved with has been 1080i. MOSYLY because of how inexpensive it is to shoot in HDV. Which isn't the greatest format in the world BUT with a modern video editing solution like Avid Media Composer 3.5 or above OR Final Cut Studio 2 or above it's really a very simple workflow. 2nd most popular format I've seen HD reality shot on is DVCPRO HD 1080i60 because of the tapeless Panasonic P2 format.
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Easy way to figure this out. Take two sticks. Rub them together at opposing angles. Before the sticks are completely bare stair at them as hard as you can and say out loud "Why didn't I update my resume and post on FaceBook/Twitter/Email that I'm looking for work." I'm sure then the answer will reveal itself.
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Tim Schultz’s Bio
I'm an editor and tech head working in LA. Ask me any Post Production question and I'll see what I can do.
