There is little worse than getting to the turnover stage of a project and realizing the metadata is wrong and the proxy files won't relink to the originals. It's like tripping at the end of a marathon.
This type of error is most prevalent in indie projects but happens everywhere. As an assistant editor, it's best practice to double-check your metadata when you begin dailies so you know you'll have an easy and smooth turnover process.
It's easy to accidentally skip this quick process, so build it into your workflow.
Let's take a look at what and where to check.
What is Metadata?
According to our old friend Wikipedia, "Metadata (or metainformation) is "data that provides information about other data", but not the content of the data itself." It then goes down to break down a few different types of metadata. In Avid Media Composer's case, for dailies relinking, we're working with Structural Metadata.
"Structural metadata – metadata about containers of data and indicates how compound objects are put together, for example, how pages are ordered to form chapters. It describes the types, versions, relationships, and other characteristics of digital materials." - Also from our pal Wikipedia
To put it simply, the metadata for dailies tell the system which files are the original files, and what timecode those original files use. To make sure that we can easily relink and access the original camera files, we need to check that the dailies metadata information is present and accurate.
Checking Metadata in Avid
Set Up Your Bin View
Right-click on the column names at the top of the bin to choose which columns to display.
Choose the following columns:
Name
Duration
Offline
Tracks
FPS (Frames Per Second)
Source File
Soundroll
Shoot Date
Save this bin view for later use by clicking on the drop-down menu at the top of the bin and scrolling down to "Save As." Save the view with a name that will help you find it, such as "Dailies Metadata Check." Now you can select this view from your dropdown menu whenever you need it.
AE TIP: Save your settings at the end of every project to ensure that you have all your favorite tools and settings on hand right from the start on your next project.
Verify Your Information in Each Column
Next, take the time to ensure you have information in the appropriate columns. As you'll see in the photo below, the Source File, Soundroll, and Shoot Date columns are blank, which means I'll need to email my dailies company and ask for metadata to be added and new MXF files to be sent to me.
Offline Files
Next, take a look at the "Offline" column. This is the only column that should be blank. If a clip in your bin does not connect to its MXF media file, then this column will alert you that the clip is offline.
If a clip is offline:
Check to make sure you have the MXF file.
Try relinking.
Ask your dailies company to resend the MXF files for that clip.
Duration
The duration column is an overall useful tool. You can use it to make sure none of the clips were accidentally cut off during processing or to ensure that you don't have repeated clips. I don't worry about this column during my initial check, but it's helpful information if you run into problems. Want an article about how I problem-solve with duration? Let me know in the comments!
Video and Audio Check
In the "tracks" column for the project displayed in the photo, you will see one track of video (V1) and three tracks of audio(A1-3). There should always be one track of video for video files. For the audio, I'll take a look at my sound reports to see if this count is accurate.
For the scene shown in the above photo, I see in my sound reports that there was a mix track, one character with a lav mic, and one boom mic. Therefore, the three audio tracks are accurate.
FPS (Frames Per Second)
This column is deeply important. Make sure that the camera team shot at the same frame rate as the project. If there is off-speed footage, make sure that it is purposely off-speed (slow-mo).
If the camera team accidentally shot at a speed that was not agreed to in pre-production, be sure to bring it up right away so the problem does not persist.
Source File
This column should have the name of the original camera file. For this project, it should look something like, "A001C003_200214_DJ0B.mov". This column is important because it allows the system to re-link to the high-res version of the footage. Immediately report back to your dailies company if the source file information is not present.
Next, check for duplicates in the Source File column. Sort the bin by the source file. You can do this by either double-clicking the Source File column or (on a Mac) by selecting the Source File column and typing command > e. Then, scroll through the bin to see if you have any repeated clips. If you have repeats, let your dailies company know.
Soundroll
This is the original folder for your audio file. For this project, it should look something like "SHU001". This column is important because it allows the system to re-link to the original version of the audio. The sound department will need this to relink in order to do their jobs. Immediately report back to your dailies company if the soundroll information is not present.
Shoot Date
The Shoot Date is the day that the footage was shot. If this is not present, you don't need to go back to your dailies company to have it filled in. You can fill it in yourself.
Select all of the footage in the bin. (command>a on a Mac)
Right-click anywhere in the Shoot Date column
Scroll down to "Set Shoot Date Column for selected clips"
Type in the shoot date (YYYYMMDD)
Click "ok"
Be careful with this function. You can mass-edit columns, but you can also accidentally wipe out important information. Only click "OK" if you're positive that you're in the correct coulmn.
Conclusion
Metadata is important to a smooth workflow. Make the time to double-check your information before moving forward with your dailies process. You'll thank yourself when you're in a turnovers crunch.