My FCPX Import and Backup Workflow

[@scottmckenna]

Would love to know your import and backup process. Do you do something similar?

[@mattdhurley]

My biggest worry isn't just local redundancy, but what would happen in the case of an emergency (fire, water damage etc.). So having a RAID and a separate redundant G-drive is fantastic but doesn't help if something terrible happens at your workspace. I have a 4 HD enclosure set to RAID 10 as my backup drive (two drives in raid 1 and two drives mirroring the first two. Each HD currently at 6TB) and a fast thunderbolt external as my editing drive. I use SyncMate to copy any daily's made on my editing drive to the RAID, then at the end of the day, physically take two of the redundant drives out of the enclosure and put them in a water/fire proof safe. Might be excessive for some, but I have a multi-month project going on right now. If I lost that footage, I would be DEVASTATED. Otherwise, love the workflow!

[@elevatordailies]

I create a camera archive and store that on a seperate drive from the main media drive. I usually convert to ProRes prior to editing. All media is stored outside of the library. From there I use Sync Folders Pro to backup the library to another drive. All the cache is stored externally as well which allows libraries to be copied or moved as needed. The only time I consolidate into the library is for archiving.

I am thinking about switching from PR to FCPX. *Thank you for the tips.*

[@EasyFixShaun]

*_I have watched your video at least 8 times over the last 12 months trying to get a grip on how to do all this computer stuff. Your videos have sent me on the right path. Thank you so much, this video especially is priceless. I use the same basic setup currently. Planning on doing a cloud back up eventually. I have heard "Back blaze" is good. What do you think? Anyways, I have 3 copies of everything currently. And wow, the peace of mind is a game changer... Thank you Scott._*

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Hello sir. I felt it was a little more intense that I would like. But then again if I lost something critical I would be devastated and so would my client. Thus I will see how to mimic your work flow a little bit for my own needs. Thank you.

[@RobbieBolog]

Man, don't let the low view counts discourage you. This was incredibly helpful! Thanks for not overdoing the editing like so many other KZbin photogs do. Gonna check out your other vids!

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks Robbie. I'm not discouraged at all. I'm not concerned with view counts, just providing value to those who watch.

[@RobbieBolog]

Figured as much. Keep it up!

[@upnextstudioproduction9496]

EXTREMELY HELPFUL

[@WarriorsPhoto]

I agree, this was very informative.

[@norfolknonsense7578]

I am doing it in a very similar way, but a little bit more basic in some parts as I'm not a professional film maker. Usually my editing drive is the built-in blazing fast SSD of my Macbook Pro. Most of the times it provides enough space, if not I attach an external SSD just like you. My current editing work is just backed up with Time Machine (saved on a NAS) no additional backup jobs to other physical drives. What I love about your workflow is how clear and straight forward it is. As it is also quite an affordable setup it makes it even more appealing.

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for checking it out. It definitely works out nicely for me and yes it's pretty affordable overall except a few drives to purchase if you don't own them. It's important to have good reliable drives for sure. Sounds like you're doing it nice and organized as well. I would love to edit internally off my ssd because it's insanely fast, but it's never enough space. Each project I edit is roughly 400-600gb each.

[@brucekennedy5274]

Damn that rename tip is gold alone. Never knew you could do that, thanks!!

[@scottmckenna]

Super useful

[@MitchPhillips]

So good - thanks Scott!

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Yes it was. (:

[@KarolWalkowski]

Thanks for valuable info Scott. I just bought Macbook Pro (older 2015 model with Iris). Since moving from Inspiron where I had 2TB drive + 500gb ssd now I only have 256 gb to play with. For a week after I brought MBP home I was searching for Thunderbolt drive thinking it's the only way to go. As you know, they range from expensive to extremely expensive (especially SSD ones). After watching your vid I bought USB3.0 1TB drive (affordable SSD from WD) and have to say even several min long projects edited with Premiere seem to run smoother. We'll see how long this setup will work, but so far I am happy about editing using usb3 ssd hard drive. At some point I definitely will get Thunderbolt drive, but for now I am set. I am also testing FCPX and although the learning curve is quite steep after years in PP, I might keep it along with Adobe. Sometimes it's good to have something that will render 4K several times faster than PP ;) Keep up the good work.

[@Vain-Voyager]

Excuse me if this sounds stupid coz I'm new to software. I'd like to know the workflow logic behind all these. Here's the story. I'm using Final Cut Pro X on my Mid-2015 MacBook Pro running High Sierra with the Cut program installed on the local SSD which takes about 3.7GB. I created a library with backups on my external Seagate 2TB HDD alongside all the footages there. Is that the program takes those video sources from the HDD, and runs the editing processes on the local SSD before it exports the final product to the designated location I assign? Will all additional peripherals (such as fonts) be automatically installed on the HDD as following the library? Or they belong to the program itself? How about I install the program itself on an external drive? Will this definitely slow down the editing processes (as people say external drives are generally slower than internal ones thanks to the USB cable resistance)?

[@neverbuiltanything3551]

Dude! I so appreciate this. My desk is becoming a hard drive arena, thanks for showing your HD flow!!!

[@scottmckenna]

Jason Mayfield glad I could help. I just added a 4th piece of redundancy. Online backup with google drive. Unlimited storage space online which has been amazing. Then I'm safe if all 4 drives fail. I love backups.

[@neverbuiltanything3551]

I've been considering doing google drive as another backup because... well... unlimited storage. BUT, it's a time thing. Are you putting your archived stuff in there? What's kinda time is it taking?

[@scottmckenna]

Jason Mayfield I have verizon fios at 990mbs upload and download so it's insanely fast. I can upload an entire 500gb wedding in about an hour. Previously I had only 15 a second and it took about 4 days lol.

[@scottmckenna]

Jason Mayfield I'm putting full archive and also current projects on there.

[@neverbuiltanything3551]

Yeah, Ima need dat.

[@bernardoalmeida]

Awesome awesome video Scott, thanks a lot for making it. Would love to know how you deal with the files once you finished the editing, it would be super cool to see a video on that. Keep it strong!

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm gonna put together a whole new video about my whole workflow since it's changed a lot since this video. Thanks.

[@ArifKhan.]

Fantastic vid! Some will say that this it the 'boring part' of what we do....but this THE most important part IMO. Well explained. :)

[@scottmckenna]

+Arif Khan thanks my friend. Definitely important.

[@mrqwerty7007]

Sorry.. Do you repeat the whole step in 12:35 (import process) when you ready to edit in Samsung SSD? Or got another way to sync it in SSD?

[@ButchFagan]

Have you done a video on how you move the library from the duplicate drive to ssd? Do you ever have to move it back and forth? Say if you start working on a project but can’t finish right away? Do you move it back to the duplicate drive?

[@scottabergermd]

I also cannot wait to see a video on why you use FCP vs. Premiere. I have the same issue. I think FCP is better for enthusiasts, and handles the import and organizational process. Let me know if you have already made this video. Love to see it. Thanks.

[@scottmckenna]

That video has been up for awhile lol. Enjoy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6LKY6F-q9V8sLc

[@fatfro1]

Thank you for the detailed video. There are many videos on this topic but few are as detailed as yours.

[@scottmckenna]

Glad it was helpful.

[@paubalaguepelaez5886]

Just a quick tip: With Hazel (check it out, it's amazing), you can automate much of this workflow. For example: as soon as you create a Folder in the Drobo for every project, you can automate the creation of subfolders inside. I've been using it for ages and it's amazing.

[@scottmckenna]

Sweet. Thanks.

[@cmkretz]

Best tutorial I've ever seen on workflow and back up. Thank you!

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks Cara. Glad it was helpful.

[@1.FutureBoy]

Incredible video. I learned a lot. Thanks! (I'm off to watch more of your stuff on FCP!)

[@Berryservices]

Thank you for your time and efforts Scott, you have given me ideas on how to organise my workflow.

[@scottmckenna]

Maurizio Cormio so glad it’s helpful. Thanks for watching. Consider subscribing if you haven’t already.

[@iEditProjects]

Outstanding organization! Your 20tb raid 1 config is perfect as well.

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for watching.

[@phild1141]

Thanks for sharing your process! What do you do for offsite backup? How do you automatically mirror between the G-Drives?

[@scottmckenna]

Google Drive is offsite back. I talk about that in the video. I use a program called Chronosync to mirror the drives. Watch the updated video too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqvWi5SHrcRraLc

[@TazmanianDevil]

For a laptop where can I store my fcpx plugins, luts, transitions etc. Should I store it internally or should I have a separate hard drive for it?

[@scottmckenna]

Store everything for the programs themselves on the computer. Just store media elsewheenn

[@TazmanianDevil]

Scott McKenna thank you

[@keyvanthomsenbamdej9524]

NO dislikes at all on this video! I'm impressived, Scott :-) You provide great content! Keep it up!

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for the kind words. Never even noticed that (I don't pay much attention to that), but that's awesome. So thankful you enjoy the channel.

[@markchapel]

Terrific video, Scott - really good, valuable information. I'll be very interested to see the follow-on video you talk about near the end of this one. Thanks!

[@ivanhoe4766]

Helpful video. Do you import video files directly into FCP library? I was wondering what other options for AVCHD files there may be so you know what they are.

[@scottmckenna]

+John Stone I import to a hard drive first for backing up. Then I import to FCPX.

[@Hamyhamster24]

Wow you are so incredibly organized

[@SS-rb1kv]

Thanks for the very helpful advice for a messy videomaker. One thing I'd like to ask. So far I was importing directly from SD card into fcpx and in that way, mov files are created in the event>'original media' folder automatically. Now I have a loads of clips, so I tried your way. When I import the copied clips from a hard drive, fcpx would import them as mp4 files, not creating mov file. (I checked 'create optimized file' when importing). It seems like importing clips from SD cards as the original file name(with C000...) is the only way to let fcpx import them as mov files. How do you do it? Or it doesn't matter in the quality of exported result?

[@Truckertvshow]

Hey Scott. I wonder if you could suggest a work flow for a person that is completely mobile. My wife and I are truck drivers and we use multiple cams and this is how I have my work flow set up. So, first of all I'm using a 2011 MacBook Pro with 16g ram and a 1tb ssd. So from my a6500 I use Lightroom to transfer the footage to the Lacie In Folders that are FOOTAGE/2017/2017-07-15 . I do the same for my Mavic, RX100 and GoPro (except I use GoPro Studio) to import because it wont delete the files properly. The problem I'm getting is that even when I make a cut in a clip, crop, change speed or even color grade it takes a while for the those actions to render. I am acutely aware that my macbook is older but I didn't seem to have this problem when I was using iMovie. Wondering if its because I'm editing off of the external drive?

[@scottmckenna]

Completely mobile is tough because you don't always have a fantastic backup solution which is crucial to my sanity. With that said, the setup that i have is entirely mobile outside of the backup drives. A super fast laptop with a 1TB ssd and then a 1tb external ssd as well is basically all I'm using when I edit everything at home except I have it docked into a larger screen. If things are taking a long time to render, it's entirely the computer which is annoying I get it. The faster the computer the better off you'll be. 2011 Macbook in terms of technology is a lot slower than what's out now obviously.

[@Truckertvshow]

Nod... I was just looking at the refurb models on apple's site. I can get a 2.9 i7 with 1tb ssd 16 gigs of ram and 4gig video card for $2800 which saves me $500 off the new in the box. I've dropped so much $$ on equipment with the trial and error. I'm happy where I'm at with camera equipment. I guess I will just pull the trigger on the new MacBook. So, lets say I do buy the new Macbook. If I edit from my local drive and then move the clips to 2 back up drives. Do you think this would be a good Flow for a mobile set up?

[@scottmckenna]

The Trucking Couple absolutely. Having two backups of your footage is a great starting point. Next step from there would be getting things offsite for ultimate backup

[@stefandesu]

Thanks for this! It's always helpful to see other people's workflows. Two comments: 1. The numbering with the batch rename in macOS is pretty useless because it will not prepend zeros. If you then sort your files by file name, it will be like 1, 11, 12, ..., 2, 21, and so on. I always use the search and replace feature and replace the common part (e.g. C0000) with the whatever I want to have there. 2. Sorry to say this, but American dates are so horrible... but I guess that's not my problem. 😅 I always use ISO dates for files and folders, so 2020-05-01 (which will sort correctly and is unambiguous), or for text I usually use something like 1 May 2020 (making it clear what the month is). The less ambiguity the better.

[@juliestewartvideos]

What do you rename your next file/job? As2.... What is your organization re renaming w different jobs since reformatting each time? Thanks. Any trouble with 5d3?

[@scottabergermd]

This is REALLY GOOD. Thanks so much. I am not a filmmaker, I am a doctor who want to make medical inspirational videos about chronic pain. (I’m a pain specialist). I am a recently new subscriber, and really appreciate any insight you may have about some things. First if you would be so kind to post links to the stuff you are using, especially the SSD drives. I have an A9 and currently an AX 100 4K camcorder, that i am considering upgrading to the new Z190 or Z280 when it comes out. I will try not to inundate you with questions but if I may here is a couple: 1. given Sony’s crazy card structure...do you recommend I immediately make camera archives in FCP when I come in from the field? And what do you think is the best disc structure on my A9 2 SD cards. They have a few choices, like exact mirror of one card on to the other, or - have card 1 do photos and card 2 do only the video files? Thanks so much and I await your reply. Best regards to you. Scott

[@scottmckenna]

Glad it's been helpful. You can check out everything I use at kit.com/scottwmckenna.

[@Silverhorse32]

Thanks Scott for your response back. I enjoy your channel very much. Keep up the great work.

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks for watching, and for the kind comment. I appreciate it.

[@Redreefmedia]

This video was so helpful, and I don't even use FCP. But I am confused where the Samsung SSD comes in? You copy all your original assets to the 1st GDrive, then do you copy them over to the SSD and work off that? Sorry, I missed something.

[@scottmckenna]

Sorry for the confusion. Yes I copy everything to 1st G Drive and then when I'm actually ready to edit, I copy to SSD and then edit from there.

[@JonathanCowanChannel]

Hey awesome video! Im trying to work on my import/back up workflow. Why do you have 2 G drives? Why wouldn't you just have the external ssd, 1 G drive and the Drobo? And how do you set it up to where the 1st G drive is mirrored to the 2nd G drive and both of the G drives are mirrored to the External SSD?

[@scottmckenna]

EthereelProductions I answered this question in another video I think but basically long story short, the project files live on the G Drive and they go through a process between drobo and g drive, so the additional g drive simply backs up the important current state of the projects on g drive 1 so in case one drive goes, it's backed up. Basically every drive has its own backup if that makes sense. I use a program called Chrono Sync to do all the mirroring of each drive to another. Works great.

[@deanbassett8480]

Loved the video, after watching you explain your workflow, I clearly see the holes in mine. I’m also excited because I had developed a fairly solid workflow. Biggest issue I have is the absence of offsite storage. I was looking at G Suite, and they offer unlimited storage(or 1GB per user for companies less than 5 users?) You described it as true unlimited storage? Am I missing some information from google, that explains it to be truly unlimited?

[@scottmckenna]

You need 5 users for truly unlimited storage. That’s What i have..

[@joonajks]

Is that Samsung 1T ssd the T3 model? Great video by the way!

[@katharinaweigert855]

hey, thanks for this awesome insight. one question, g drive is quiet expensive in germany, do you think the setup would work with lacie 4 tb raid rugged (thunderbolt), too? thanks!

[@scottmckenna]

Sure

[@anderss5913]

What connection do you use for your "Editing Drive"? I only have USB 2.0. Is it even worth me getting a SSD drive for speed if my connection is that slow? Can I just edit Proxy on a slow disc drive?

[@vinzyvisuals6472]

Subbed !!! Loved the Content, I saw wedding film school stuff on this topic and You actually nailed it !!!

[@scottmckenna]

Awesome, glad it helped. It's actually changed a bit since this video. The only additional thing that I now have is an offsite location using Google Drive. Everything is also stored 100% on Google Drive which has been awesome.

[@vinzyvisuals6472]

Great. But aren't you worried if and when Google decides to pull the plug in future. I know it is your 4th option as it is so it won't matter much, but do you have an alternative offsite backup option?

[@scottmckenna]

vinod yadav google pulling the plug? You're talking about one of the largest companies in the world, they are not going anywhere.

[@vinzyvisuals6472]

I know, they won't go anywhere, but just wondering if everyone starts backing up like you and I, it may be unsustainable for them soon and they might start charging for the storage as others and "pull the plug" for this unlimited storage service. It seems a bit far fetched though. :-D

[@scottmckenna]

vinod yadav they already do charge for it. I pay $50 per month. Believe me, it's not going anywhere. But I understand your thought process.

[@Domerfly]

Hey Scott, I love your channel and the info you are sharing. I had a question regarding mirroring. How exactly do you mirror both Gtech drives? Do you have to use a software app like Chrono sync or do you configure it in Disk utility? Also, are you mirroring your SSD into the 2 g drives or simply storing your FCPX back ups folder in there? Thanks so much.

[@scottmckenna]

Hey Domenico, I really appreciate your kind words and thanks for checking out my content. I use Chronosync to do everything. I mirror the G Drives one to another, and then I mirror the SSD into a created folder on the G Drive titled (SSD BACKUP). Then on the Drobo, I have a folder called (SSD BACKUP) and it backs up the SSD as well. Super convenient and quick. It does it automatically each night between 2AM-9AM. I have it auto stop at 9am so when I get down to my computer, it's doing it's thing already.

[@Domerfly]

Scott McKenna hey Scott. Thanks so much for your input. I was curious how you did it. I've been looking at setting up a similar workflow and you've really outlined perfectly. I see you've shot where I live. If you're ever in Asbury Park again let me know. Would love to meet up!

[@scottmckenna]

Domenico .P wow. We were literally just there yesterday practically. You'll see in the vlog. We shot at ocean grove, point pleasant and surrounding areas. Next time for sure.

[@smalltalk.productions9977]

SUPER helpful! BIG thumbs up. if you are ever in the nyc metro area, i'll buy the beverage!

[@scottmckenna]

Awesome. What area do you live in?

[@jasdipjdd]

Questions: Is your RAID config as type 1 which is 2 duplicate drives (so you always have a backup)? Also, for good backup procedures, you should always have a backup off-site (incase your house burns down, flooded etc.) Do you have a solution for this? I struggle with this as cloud based backup solutions aren't necessisarily great for Terrabytes of data that video has (plus I'm a Nomad these days doing shoots all over the country, so my internet bandwidth is very limited). The only idea I have is shipping a hard drive backup every week or so to a friend and he sends me a duplicate hd. Rinse and repeat. FYI: Instead of the Drobo, I use the Western Digital myBook duo, a 12 TB Raid as type 1, as my main backup that is with me at all times (gives me 6 TB of storage. these go for about $450)

[@dompor5087]

Scott I'm contemplating getting the WD My Book Duo 8tb vs getting external 2x4tb HHD's. I'm curious as to why you've skipped over something like an enclosed raid system? Would you recommend the separate HHD system vs the enclosed system?

[@scottmckenna]

Dom Por I have a drone under my desk, 20tb raid system. The 4tb are mirrors of each other and a vital piece in my workflow. Plus backup.

[@Redreefmedia]

I really like the big wood work surface. Is that something you purchased or created?

[@scottmckenna]

Red Reef Media IKEA. And then the top section is from ikea as well, but it's mounted to the table and wall so it can support lots of weight.

[@Redreefmedia]

IKEA? Wow. I have to take a closer look. I started looking at purpose- built video editing tables, but they are outrageous! I am going to check out your home office setup video next.

[@framewavemedia4831]

Scott, once you've wiped all your working drives do you only have a single copy of the footage on the drobo or are you backing up the drobo to another raid? Also, what do you do once your Drobo is full. Offload the footage to two more master archives? I've yet to find a good workflow for that. Sooo many drives with 4K footage these days.

[@scottmckenna]

All archived footage and past weddings are always on Google Drive as well.

[@Eli-lb1lc]

When copying to library upon import is there any way so when I open up the library in finder I can see the folders I have originally made with all the camera names? As of now it is all just getting thrown into a big mess of a folder. I know inside of FCPX there are the keyword collections but I basically also want to see those in the library file. Anyway to do this?

[@hermanaviu1521]

has your workflow changed since you published this video? if so, what is your current set up now? thank you for your helpful videos.

[@scottmckenna]

There’s a more updated version of it on my channel but it’s still similar.

[@hermanaviu1521]

@@scottmckenna Cool thanks, i'll check it out

[@chrislee150]

Great video...learned a lot. Thank you! Had no idea you could multiple name files like that on a Mac. Major timesaver!!!

[@scottmckenna]

Definitely a timesaver.

[@erfut]

Can you please show us how you manage to connect all those devices to your computer? Tks

[@scottmckenna]

Thunderbolt Dock

[@erfut]

maybe you can explain more about this Thunderbolt Dock pls

[@chocolateman705]

Thank you for sharing your workflow. I have one question. In B&H review, I saw Lexar Workflow has a problem that it becomes overheat after a while. Do you have any similar problems so far?

[@scottmckenna]

SHINeK92 I haven't had those issues. I've seen people say that but haven't had that experience.

[@chocolateman705]

Scott McKenna That's good! Thank you for replying

[@matthewdeery]

Hey Scott, sometimes FCPX has issues syncing Multicam clips when I'm throwing together a ceremony or speeches - any issues with that or tips to help? I've used PluralEyes before and sometimes it resolves the issue, but ideally I could keep it all in FCPX. Thanks!

[@scottmckenna]

I prefer Plural Eyes. WOrks all the time and is powerful.

[@bLuAnT]

Would it not be a good idea to have a backup of this important data in a different room or better still in a different location in case of fire/burglary etc....

[@scottmckenna]

Old episode. Things have changed. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqvWi5SHrcRraLc

[@JoshuaJayVlogs]

Quick question, when you imported the files to Final Cut Pro you said to import the files to your library, is your library on your Mac book ssd, external ssd, or the Gdrives?

[@scottmckenna]

Depends on the project. If it’s small and I can fit it on the internal ssd, then I import it there. If it’s larger, it’s the external ssd.

[@jerrywalker7311]

Hello Scott, at the end you said that you were going to do another video on favorites and keywords.Did I miss that one? Is it under another video?

[@scottmckenna]

You can always search my channel and find what you're looking for. This is one of the videos though. kzbin.info/www/bejne/opq1m3yNmJdsiKM

[@elim4227]

I have Final Cut Pro backup my library on another drive. When I go to that drive and open the back up, it is just a fcpx library sign. If I was to lose all the footage would this automatically completely replace the edited movie? I’m confused because the back up drive does not have nearly as much space taken up as the main one. This is why I’m wondering if it is actually a back up. Should I be manually copying footage from one drive to another? Thanks for your help.

[@scottmckenna]

It all depends how you imported the footage. When you import footage into FCPX, you either have the option to copy to library (which copies everything into the actual icon package contents), or leave in place. If you hit leave in place, the footage remains where it is wherever it was originally imported. If you left in place, then the backup of just the FCPX Library sign doesn’t do much unless you still have it all in the exact same place.

[@RadThings]

Wonder what are the pros and cons of importing copy files to library vs link to files? I have done link to files to save space in the past

[@scottmckenna]

You're not saving space, you're simply putting the files somewhere else. No different, and asking for files to be unlinked.

[@RadThings]

@@scottmckenna if you choose copy files you can see where it copies the physical files which does increase space. I have noticed it is easier to relink your files if you do the prep work and save the original files into a folder structure with the files renamed so you can identify the original files. Then all you need to do is relink based on the original file locations. It all boils down to the prep work one does.

[@calejones165]

This was so helpful! Did you end up making the follow up video on Tagging the footage?

[@scottmckenna]

SeArch my channel for keywords and tagging. I think you’ll find it.

[@Silverhorse32]

Have you ever reformatted an SD card and forgot to move the footage over to another hard drive? I do this to a friend of mines daughters wedding reception. I have probably reformatted that card at least 2 times since I shot the wedding. I tried to recover it using card recover but to no avail, it did not work. Do you know if any other programs to recover data from a SD card? I used card recovery. I was told one time that data is not actually gone even if you reformat a hard drive or SD card.

[@scottmckenna]

+Silverhorse32 Yikes. I’ve never had that happen because I’m obsessive about my process. Ive talked about it many times before but any time I shoot anything, the very first thing I do when I arrive home is import and backup, then as soon as it’s backed up and finished, I format the SD card. I make sure I never shoot another project until the previous one is backed up. Sorry that happened to you. If the card has been formatted multiple times since then, it’s gonna be hard to get it back. You may get some back, but not all.

[@moow950]

Hi, what do you do with the original video/audio clips when a project is done and completed? How long do you keep them on your Drobo? It will fill up eventually with all those weddings. Do you store them on archival media like blu-Ray discs or do you trash them after some time?

[@scottmckenna]

Store on google drive forever. Drobo for a year.

[@moow950]

@@scottmckenna OK, so how large is your Google Drive now then? 😁How large can it get? I read Google Drive can get up 16 TB, but I guess this will be very expensive. Maybe you could make a video about this: archiving completed projects? BTW do you create Blu-Ray/DVD discs (with fancy menus) for your clients or deliver the final video online or USB sticks?

[@scottmckenna]

I have unlimited space. As a google business account, you get unlimited. I currently have 37TB of stuff in there.

[@awillingvessel238]

Question: If I have final cut pro x installed on my MacBook pro but would like to use that on a different computer (iMac 5k) How can I do that? I'm not allow to install programs on the iMac because it's the school but I would love to edit 4k footage on that iMac is there any way i could do this work?

[@scottmckenna]

Sign into your Apple ID on whatever computer you want to download it from, and then download it from the app store.

[@gatlinproduction]

Question. After installing MacOS Sierra onto Your External SSD. Then Can I hold like Application Software Like Music Software Video Editing Software and other plugins on the External SSD leaving my MacBook Pro to free up some Hard Drive Space? I have 256GB on my internal And I wanna free all that up and put it on my External. Will This Work?

[@scottmckenna]

Never install the operating system on an external hard drive.

[@Emmywu]

Thank you so much for this! Super helpful! I'm curious if you have to copy all your working footage onto the Samsung SSD, or does that act more like a hard drive to speed up editing? Appreciate your help! This is getting me prepped for a big project in Mongolia! :O

[@scottmckenna]

I copy the fcpx library of the whole project I’m gonna work on to the SSD

[@Emmywu]

Sweet! Thank you so much for your reply Scott!! :D

[@fatfro1]

Hi Scott, does the speed of the SD cards matter when importing video, or is it more about the speed and connection of the destination drive(s)? Thank you

[@scottmckenna]

All speeds matter, but the more important one is the destination drive because that's what you'll edit on. That's more important than the importing.

[@Vain-Voyager]

Excuse me if this sounds stupid coz I'm new to software. I'd like to know the workflow logic behind all these. Here's the story. I'm using Final Cut Pro X on my Mid-2015 MacBook Pro running High Sierra with the Cut program installed on the local SSD which takes about 3.7GB. I created a library with backups on my external Seagate 2TB HDD alongside all the footages there. Is that the program takes those video sources from the HDD, and runs the editing processes on the local SSD before it exports the final product to the designated location I assign? Will all additional peripherals (such as fonts) be automatically installed on the HDD as following the library? Or they belong to the program itself? How about I install the program itself on an external drive? Will this definitely slow down the editing processes (as people say external drives are generally slower than internal ones thanks to the USB cable resistance)?

[@dallasamckinney]

after youve made the wedding film do you delete all clips from everywhere? just curious how long you keep the clips.

[@dallasamckinney]

Never mind you answered in next vid. haha

[@MUENTERMEDIA]

Very important topic! Thank's for the video Scott!

[@scottmckenna]

+MUENTERMEDIA agreed. Super important

[@AndrewRMontoya]

I’ve been copying over the entire video file because of the time code not being saved directly to the clip. Is there a way around that?

[@Venturi11]

Is there a reason why you don't edit on an internal drive? I've heard you can get up to 3000mb/s on nvme's vs the 500mb/s on the Samsung external drive. I'm curious because I'm looking at this for my set up. Thanks!

[@scottmckenna]

Yes the internal drive is crazy fast but I only have the 512gb. Whenever I can edit internal I do.

[@TheTooMelLow]

what raid is your drobo on? and what software are you running to mirror and backup the drives?

[@scottmckenna]

I think raid 0. I forget though. And I use a program called Chronosync

[@63MacGuy]

Great video. Do you use optimized media? I shoot in 4K so I have too.

[@scottmckenna]

on FCPX I don't have to use any, so I use all native. When I edit in Premiere (which is mostly), I use Proxies for the sake of file size and increased performance.

[@63MacGuy]

Scott McKenna thanks. I'm thinking about just shooting 1080p for my weddings. 4K is killing me on storage. I don't know if I can really see a big quality increase with 4K anyway. Cropping in in post is the big advantage I see.

[@scottmckenna]

63MacGuy it's a huge difference in quality if you compare it. The cropping in is a HUGE thing to. It's been awesome since we started shooting all in 4K. Pretty soon we will start delivering in 4k, so we will need to shoot 8k lol

[@simomonster]

Valuable tips and advice. Thanks. Love your worflow

[@scottmckenna]

+Simo Harjane glad it was helpful.

[@guillemcostas]

Hey Scott, I was watching your old videos and I found this one. Great video, as always. I have a question. When you rename the files starting with one digit (for example, a7s1_1) and you have more than 100 files... Do you have any kind of issue regarding the order they show up? I'm saying this because I've had issues (mainly with photos). They appear like this (following your renaming process): a7s1_1, a7s1_10, a7s1_100, a7s1_11, a7s1_110, and so on... Thank you for your amazing work Scott. I really appreciate it.

[@scottmckenna]

+Guillem Costas no they still stay in order like normal. I know what you’re talking about though. I’ve never had any issues.

[@elim4227]

I have 2 wd 2tb HDD and a Samsung t5 SSD. I want them all plugged into as few ports as possible on my MacBook Pro. Currently, I'm using a nonpowered USB hub to do so. I am now getting a powered hub so the drives stop disconnecting. Will the performance of the Samsung SSD be minimized if the hub is just USB 3.0? How do you get all these things plugged into your computer? Do you have any dongles or powered USB hubs that you could recommend? Or should I just plug the SSD into the computer directly and the 2 HDD into the hub because the speed on those is not very important? I really appreciate all of your help! You are by far the most informative and helpful youtuber that I have seen in terms of video and video editing.

[@scottmckenna]

Check speeds using the app when plugged into the hub and without the hub. Hubs usually slow things down.

[@elim4227]

The one that I bought slowed the ssd down from 500mbs to 430mbs. For me that is not a major deal.

[@dompor5087]

Scott, last question. Are your G tech drives plugged into each other or are they both plugged into your computer ports?

[@scottmckenna]

Dom Por USB hub.

[@dompor5087]

gotchya. Thanks man. You've been a real help!

[@obraata567]

Before working full time in your own studio are you doing this kind of workflow?

[@scottmckenna]

Always something similar. Backup backup backup.

[@obraata567]

Wow! Thank you so much for the reply, am doing a wedding photography coverage as part-time and little video editing. Still can't afford to purchase similar set up like this. I can't spend much from my salary as it goes straight to my housing project... at the moment I'm using 4 seagate (1T each) as my redundancy backup.

[@scottmckenna]

Backup is key. Any way that you do it.

[@PhannyObsession]

You have your Dropbo RAID set up as 5x4TB (20GB)? So, if one Drive fails, you lose the lot!?!

[@scottmckenna]

No. If one drive fails you lose nothing, you just replace it with a new drive and it’s safe

[@Samaramorgan16.]

I can't find an answer anywhere on the internet to the problem I have. I've been working on FCPX, storing all media, cache to my external hardrive. I've now filled up the 2TB external hardrive, but have not completed the project, If I connect another ext harddrive can I still 'continue' edit using both ext hardrives? Thanks

[@scottmckenna]

You can try deleting the cache and then continuing the edit. It'll just have to re create them which is fine.

[@Samaramorgan16.]

@@scottmckenna Okay thanks

[@peter441986]

Hey scott nice stuff! Have you got a link to chronic sync? Also, have you got off site backups? Next to that, do you make sure the drobo is backed up before formating your sd cards?

[@scottmckenna]

Just google ChronoSync Mac, it'll come right up. Secondly, I use Google Drive for offsite backup. I wasn't previously doing this when I recorded this video but now I am because my internet is fast enough it works. I always make sure footage is backed up to drobo and google drive before formatting. Absolutely. At the minimum, the Drobo, but I like to wait for Google Drive as well.

[@peter441986]

Scott McKenna thanks! The first results with chrono sync got something to do with medicin;) by now i found it.

[@scottmckenna]

Haha. Sorry about that. Glad you found it.

[@norfolknonsense7578]

Excellent video, very helpful. Subscribed.

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks!

[@Tiger-21.]

Great video! Thanks for putting this together!

[@fearbabyriffs]

Just curious as I didn't hear it. What happens in case of a fire?

[@scottmckenna]

This is an old video. I now use Google Drive as well to backup everything

[@hengytb]

Super helpful! Thank you Scott!

[@scottmckenna]

Glad to hear.

[@darrenrowlands7848]

This was very helpful thanks Scott

[@scottmckenna]

So thankful it helped. Hope you subscribe and hang around more.

[@ayyazjamshaid5511]

hi dear, is there a store in UK who can help me setup the same configuration that you have? i am in UK for 2 more days and headed back to kuwait. Since i wont be able to find these items in kuwait, i want help from you to advise me. thanks

[@scottmckenna]

Sorry I can't help you there.

[@MarcinAdamowicz]

didn't know you can batch rename like that, thanks!!

[@scottmckenna]

+Marcin Adamowicz definitely a useful feature.

[@scottmckenna]

super convenient for sure.

[@BenFilmProduction]

Daaaang you're editing 4k and no proxy nor optimized media? That macbook is a beast.

[@scottmckenna]

Yea, it's super convenient not having to use proxies. I only ever proxy footage when doing multicams. Everything else I can edit natively out of camera.

[@dhedc]

A very helpful video. Thank you!

[@eurorydr23]

You forgot to show how you add it to your SSD when you're working on them. Do you copy the Final Cut media folders to the SSD and tell FCP to look there for the media? Thanks Scott!

[@scottmckenna]

+Neeks Media I copy all files to library and just transfer the whole fcpx library. I never leave files in place.

[@aaronalvarado7096]

Awesome video, super helpful!

[@scottmckenna]

Glad to hear.

[@ButchFagan]

How do you keep the 2 G drives mirrored?

[@scottmckenna]

Chronosync

[@ButchFagan]

Scott McKenna my bad. I saw that on your follow up video!

[@roctv100]

What if your working with a large 4k file that is larger than 1TB. How do you edit them on the ssd ?

[@scottmckenna]

A 4K file larger than 1TB? that would be quite the file. I film all day weddings with 3 cameras, all in 4K, and the largest wedding that I’ve ever had was 600gb. If you’re shooting in 400mb/s then maybe that would be happen, but I don’t shoot that type of event with that file size.

[@roctv100]

I thought as much, I'm planning a 3 day shoot on the Red Epic Dragon. I was told that nothing less than 4tb drive would be enough. What would you recommend?

[@scottmckenna]

Well with a RED Epic, then yes you would probably use more than 1TB for sure. Get the fastest external hard drive you can afford, but it's not going to be easy regardless.

[@roctv100]

Is there anything specific you can think of? Thanks for all the help!

[@mediabyjp5475]

Hey Scott - I established my Google Drive Unlimited plan last night. Twas a fiasco because no support person from Google gave any credible direction on how to add users to my account to get it up to 5, since I'm a business of two. At my direction and initiative, I said Hey, how about I just make some people up - and it worked! So if you're like me and wanting that backup solution, do what I did (speaking to the community here). But question for you Scott - what solution do you use to backup your files automatically to the Drive? Do you use Backup and Sync, but use backup only since sync pushes the files back down onto another computer, etc.? Do you use Drive File Stream - or what is the best solution for automatically having Drive seek out and keep a backup? Also, does Google Drive version the backups as well, so if a Final Cut project is updated and backed up - can I go back to the previous version, just in case? (Thanks in advance brother)

[@scottmckenna]

I do not do anything automatically. At the end of any shoot I just drag everything into Google Drive in Google Chrome. That way nothing is living on my hard drive only on Google Drive

[@mediabyjp5475]

so when you are done each day editing on your SSD - you are physically backing that up onto Google Drive?

[@scottmckenna]

Yes.

[@vinofarm]

Thanks for this!

[@scottmckenna]

Vino Farm I just did an update video for this today. Check it out. Might find it helpful. Thanks for watching

[@vinofarm]

Just watched it! I've only been using FCP since January and the file structure and libraries and all the render files are still a mystery to me. I'm also a backup freak, but nowhere near as organized as you. I have a Lacie RAID, two GDrives and a couple smaller portable drives for offsite storage. I need to look into cloud storage! Thanks for the clear, helpful explanations.

[@scottmckenna]

Awesome, thanks for giving me some background on what you're doing. The offsite backup is definitely a huge piece of mind for me, no doubt about it. It sounds like you're doing things well as far as backups are concerned. The only other thing you can think about before offsite is to get some sort of fire/flood proof safe. Have a drive that is literally designed as archival, worst case scenario backup. Every week or two weeks or whatever, take the drive out of the safe, backup the most recent 12 months of shoots or whatever you can fit, and then put it back in the safe. This way in the worst case scenario, you had a fire or flood or something catastrophic, you'd know your safe is still there, and you didn't lose everything. Just a thought. If you can get fast enough internet to make offsite work, it's definitely a great thing. Let me know if I can help you in any way.

[@jamesrakestraw7125]

what name of the drive big black box? 4 drive on the look box...

[@scottmckenna]

Drobo. Link in descriptions.

[@jamesrakestraw7125]

Drobo, Can you banking up a like a big database...

[@TheMichaelLark]

Amazing video. Thanks for sharing!

[@uehal]

Man, is it convinient to work without an external keybard? Just because of amazing keyboard i want to go to OSx from my Windows))

[@scottmckenna]

Anatoli Sergeev I have an external keyboard now. I'm no longer using the laptop.

[@neverdown]

How do you mirror you two external hard drive? Thx.

[@scottmckenna]

Chronosync.

[@neverdown]

Thank you.

[@Ishootyoudotcom]

Very helpful BUT one should never keep all backups in the same room. I have my 2nd row down in the basement. If there's a fire, all your footage will be lost.

[@scottmckenna]

100% agree. This is an old video that you watched. And since then, I now upload everything online as well.

[@rken100]

Wow!! Nice setup

[@reginaldworthington7558]

Thanks Scott. You got another sub.

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks my friend.

[@adamanglehart4047]

a6500 settings? if you dont already have that video.

[@scottmckenna]

Not using that camera any more unfortunately. Sorry

[@daisythecorgi8777]

Why don't you just edit off your main drive, the Drobo? What is the disadvantage ?

[@scottmckenna]

Speeds. Crazy slow. Watch my video on disk speed matters.

[@anderss5913]

@ScottMcKenna Can't you just edit proxy files though?

[@facesplaces]

are the xml files not important? what are they for?

[@scottmckenna]

xml files are data files containing info about your edit primarily. They are important but used mostly for going between programs or editors.