Originally posted by dinosaur:
I have shot numerous documentaries where we use continous code (not time of day), easily shooting more than 23 tapes over the course of several days. The reason we don't start with tape number 1 every new day is the same reason that you are striving to avoid duplicate tape numbers. TC does not record dates and an on-line edit system will not differentiate between an 01:00:00 shot on Monday and an 01:00:00 shot on Wednesday. So that is another reason we usually shoot either continious code (the producer uses our scriptboy) or sequentially numbered tapes up to tape #23.
Have to agree with you there sir. Depending on the shoot, I may hardcode the reelnumbers into the TC, but since I shoot a lot of live events, I usually don't get the chance to. Much more important to get the event, that the reel number correct.
Many times I've shot stuff just starting the project at 00:00:00:00 and running until we shut down for the day. We log the TC of the last tape as a precaution and upon returning, power up, roll some bars as pad and continue (of course verifying TC stamping is correct). Tapes should be visibly marked anyways with REEL #'s.
Once in the edit bay, whether you have a situation like assistant's loading tapes onto the editors to be cut by 'master' editors or you have a 1 man wonder-editor, based on visible exterial reel numbering and TC, u should really have no problem whatsoever. I have yet to see an edit system that doesn't track REEL# and Timecode seperately. If you have to do a batch reload (say after a low res edit), the machine should prompt for each reel # (which you'd look for visible identification anyways, not a TC reading).
Everyone has their own way of doing things. That is just mine, but I have yet to see anyone freak over it.
Liveshot