Sending Footage via FTP... help.

chad556

Member
I'm a bit ashamed to admit this, but I'm crossing into a territory I have never been in before. I have been a freelance stringer for many years and have always dropped my footage off in person to the stations via P2 card or DV tape. I'm a pro at ingesting the footage into each of the 5 stations servers. Now everything is different. I live 200 miles from the stations that regularly buy footage from me and hand delivering the footage just isnt practical for time and money reasons. I have resorted to uploading my footage to an FTP server or sending via yousendit.com

Here's my issue. Right now I am logging and capturing the footage using Final Cut Pro. I still primarily use DV format. I capture the footage using DV NTSC 60hz anamorphic (Shot in 16:9) I then save the clips as uncompressed avi format. Thats where the problem is. These files are HUGE and take forever to upload and download via the net. Will MP4 files work? Would someone who uses final cut pro kindly give me a step by step instruction on how to most effectively convert these clips to a manageable size without compromising quality? Thanks!
 

AKinDC

Well-known member
The real question is, how would the stations like the files delivered?
If they all use FCP, I'd go with Pro Res LT, or if they don't mind converting it, as an H.264.
Why are you converting them from DV format in the first place? Can they not use the DV files you capture?
What's the size limit you want to send?

Feel free to PM me if you want more in depth, step by step directions for any of this.
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
How many minutes of footage are you sending? I can send a mov or a mpeg file to the station, but I am send a 60 second file. A 60 second mov file is about 200 megs. It takes me about 30 minutes to upload. A mpeg of the same length takes me about 15 minutes. That file is about 120 megs.

Uncompressed avi format is an overkill for DV....If you have to send out a DV file, send as a regular avi or mov. FCP hates avi's, so mov would be my choice to send out since all NLE will playback the file.

As AkinDC said, what do the station want? Is it going to a NLE, then to air, or right to air? Is it raw footage, or edited footage? If you are sending raw footage, I would break up the files into smaller ones. Also, what is the turn around? How quick do the stations need that footage?

Some users use HandBrake(freebie), to make the files smaller. I have testes it, and crushed files that looks as good as the original file. And be able to drop into Premiere. I haven't tested FCP, but it should work.

If you are sending more than 3 minutes of footage, it will take time to send out.
 

Ben Longden

Well-known member
I use FTP all the time as my clients are too far to 'drop off' the tape.

My tip is find out what file type they want is, and deliver accordingly. That way, it will simply drop into their system, and make for a headache free edit session at the other end.

One client of mine wants it as MPEG2 at 8Mbps. Another wants it as H264 at 10Mbps.
I render accordingly, and as its all raw vision, each file is about 60 sec long.

Filezilla is good, but I now use CoreFTP (FREE) especially as it ques the files, while Filezilla sends them all at once, which slows things up dra-mat-ically.

Down here, Im lucky to get an upload speed of greater than 900k per second... Hope you have faster... *sigh*
 

chad556

Member
Thank you everyone for the kind and informative replies. None of the stations use FCP, all but one uses Avid and the other uses Edius. I typically break my files up into -less than 1 minute segments. Unfortunately, my turnaround time is a major headache. Its not uncommon for my footage to air the same day especially if its breaking news.

I will contact each of the stations and see what format they would like the files in, I'm embarrassed I didnt think of that before!

Once I get that info, I'll report back.
 

Ben Longden

Well-known member
Dont sweat it. Every station is different..

Once you have the recipe they need, simply make up a preset in the render menu of the NLE of your choice, that way you can access it when you need it.

Let us know what 'recipe' they want. I'm always curious.
 

Lensmith

Member
Filezilla is good, but I now use CoreFTP (FREE) especially as it ques the files, while Filezilla sends them all at once, which slows things up dra-mat-ically.
Keep in mind...they don't seem to have a Core FTP for MAC yet.

I'm on MAC and use Filezilla, which has let me "do the job"...with the caveat it would be nice if it was a little faster.

I'm not slamming CoreFTP but...I wish they'd hurry up and make a version I can put in my MAC! ;)
 

Ben Longden

Well-known member
Er..... whats "a mac" ? *lol*

The biggest issue with FTP is the upload rate... Some days here it would be faster if I drove the tape the 215Km to the station, rather than send it down the line. :(
 

nxb3942

Member
You might want to check out www.thruinc.com because it uploads files or folders of any size and type very quickly and securely without having to break it up into segments and it is downloaded by the recipient like a regular email. This is what the Richards Group uses to send their footage across for editing and approval.
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
My buddy decided to get a USB card. He has been getting great upload speeds. It's a Verzion 4G card. 150 megs in 5 minutes. Faster that his home network. He shoots what he has to shoot. Edits in the field, and send the edited footage to the station.
Of course, it depends if the build out supports 4G.
 

The Thrill

Active member
I've found that Windows Media Video files work well with FTP. Turns out those .WMVs handle 16x9 SD and HD well, and about 25% the size of a QuickTime or .AVI file.

At my station we shoot P2 HD, edit w/ Edius and use FileZilla for FTP'ing...but usually only from the kickin' upload speeds of NFL photographers' workrooms.

Give .WMV a try, and good luck!
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
But I believe that FCP hates wmv! I know my older FCP can't do anything with them until I transcode it to a mov.

Haven't tried it on FCP7
 

Ben Longden

Well-known member
My main client is wanting H264, and this compresses pretty well compared to a similar bit rate MPEG.

BUT, FTP is way to bloody slow with a max speed of 92kbps down here.... so it looks like I will have to shell out for an SDI converter to do a direct playback for the stories running close to deadline...
 

chad556

Member
I have resorted to a couple options.

If shooting SD, I take the raw AVI files and use a program called Handbrake to compress them into very manageable Mpeg4 H.264 files.

If shooting HD, I will either A; send the native Panasonic .mts files to them. These are small sizes with the AVCHD compression. or B: convert the .mts files to .MOV files in FCP using Quick Time conversion.

Option B works best for most of the stations. Can you think of a better way?
 
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