Project Manager - Consolidate and Transcode problems

[Jeff Bugbee]

A while back I had several issues with clips not trimming properly during the Consolidate and Transcode process. I reached out to Adobe support and was given this fairly comprehensive list of when and why clips will fail. For some reason, this list is not posted publicly anywhere. I've copied it in it's entirely below. I've bolded several line items I feel are fairly important. There are now essential features in Premiere that I skip using (such as the Master Clip Effect layer) since it breaks the archive process.

These issues affect all versions of Premiere, including the current CC2017 version - 11.1.2 (22)

Hopefully this will help some people with project management.

• If any one of the 4 major video parameters (frame size, frame rate, fielding, PAR) do not match or are not supported by Preset/codec, then entire clip will copy.
• If the clip has multiple stereo channels of audio. These can only transcode to QuickTime, all other formats(e.g.: DNxHD) will fail and copy, since the other exporters do not support multi-stereo (QuickTime is the only exporter that currently supports that and only with uncompressed audio)
• Time remapping is not supported. Will copy entire clip without warning.
• There area number of formats/presets that are not supported for transcode (e.g. mostly still formats)
• Merged Clips are not supported.
• Copy of folder structures (e.g.: P2, AVCHD, etc.) is not supported. Depending on format, some files may be left out or other issues.
• Master Clip Effects are not supported, and will be copied without no warning. This includes all the formats that now have source settings as Master Clip Effects (e.g.: R3D, ARRI, etc.)
• Audio only files
• If used in a merged clip. Unused merged clips will also copy.
• Render and Replace files, even if unused
• Clips with dual mono (2 mono) will copy, although they may also transcode (this is a known bug), but the project will always link to the copied clip and not the transcoded clip (using up even more space)
• Clips with single mono audio will also fail to transcode.
• Modify > Audio Channel　changes may also result in failure to transcode.

[dulcimerfilms]

It's now Premiere 24.0, and I hadn't had to consolidate a sequence for a while, but needed to send a 6 min doc teaser for finishing to a colleague in VFX / GFX, preferably (I hoped) via Wetransfer. It's a 1080p25 sequence composed of freshly shot stuff @ 4k, archive from loads of sources at a range of frame rates, some nested sequences, some music, loads of stills, and cutdowns from a bunch of lengthy audio interviews. Needless to say Premiere's project manager utterly choked at this smorgasbord and I couldn't get it below 180GB (!). And even then there would have been tons of stuff missing. Found this thread and Plumepack, within 15 mins I have a 6 GB folder, completely perfect. Thanks Plumepack ! The only thing I'd say is dupe your project for consolidation with PP (which I did) as it is pretty deep process which guts your existing project and replaces all the media before your very eyes.

[Sofiane-Djabou]

Thanks, @Odobe , that's a good start.

However, it doesn't fully solve the issue. When using the “Render and Replace” method, Premiere creates files with handles but also copies the original clips into the archive. This happens because "Render and Replace" links the transcoded clips to the original clips somehow. If you try to delete the original clips before creating the archive, Premiere Pro won't create the archive due to the missing original clips. What a mess.

One of the best way to make Project manager works flawlessly in Premiere Pro is to set the projet to transcode all clips in .MOV when importing them in Premiere Pro :

1. Go to File > Project Settings > Ingest Settings  
2. Under Action, select: Create Proxies
3. Set Frame Size to Full (as it's default to Half and greyed out in the transcode option for step 4)
4. Under Action, select: Transcode
5. Under Preset, select: Match Source - Apple ProRes 422
6. Set Primary Location to Same as Project  

This .MOV ingestion ensures Premiere to correctly archive and make trimming features works, as we allow Premiere Pro to work with its build-in encoders. (See full list of encoders in Project Manager > Format)

If you didn't use the method listed above before importing your media and working on your project, you can still use the Render and Replace method, for those who want to try this method, follow these steps:

1. Select clips in Timeline, then Right-click > Render and Replace

• Source: Individual Clips
• Format: Quicktime
• Preset: Match Source - Apple ProRes 422 LT
• Location: Choose a location (e.g., create a folder named "MOV" next to the original media)
• Include Handles: 30 Frames
• Click OK.
• The rendered and replaced clips will appear in the Timeline and be highlighted in the Project window.
  
  

2. Undo Render and Replace:

• Go to Edit > Undo. The rendered clips will be removed and replaced by native media in Premiere Pro but remain on the SSD for use in step 3.
  
  

3. Rename Clips:

• Go inside the "MOV" folder created in step 1 with your file explorer and batch rename all clips to remove ".mp4_Replaced" from the filenames.

• If you don't know how to do that, search on Google othewise you'll have to link all your clips manually in step 4...

4. Relink Full Resolution Media:

• In the Project window, select all clips to archive, then Right-click > Proxy > Reconnect Full Resolution Media.
• Link all clips with those in the "MOV" folder.

5. Detach Proxies:

In the Project window, select all clips to archive, then Right-click > Proxy > Detach Proxies.

6. Use Project Manager:

• Go to File > Project Manager > Consolidate and Transcode.
• Select Source: Individual clips
• Choose Format: Quicktime
• Set Preset: Match Source - Apple ProRes 422 LT
• Check Include Handles: 30 Frames (adapt to your liking)
  
  

Following these steps will result in archiving your .MOV files, trimmed with handles, and the archive will not copy the original full-length media.

[Sofiane-Djabou]

Hi @daapap ,

You don't have to forget about Project Manager. I gave it a try this afternoon and figured it all out. Check out my answer below @Odobe's post.

Project Manager works great, but like everything in Adobe, you need to understand how they designed it to make it work properly.

[danielrucci]

I appreciate this effort, but isn't the point here that Project manager should do all of this automatically?

[Sofiane-Djabou]

@danielrucciOh, I know, but keep in mind that the cumbersome workaround is only necessary if you're working with video formats not supported by Project Manager.

If you work in Premiere with one of the three formats listed in Project Manager, you'll have no issues. You can even create custom presets with Media Encoder and transcode very light archives! 🙂

 

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hello, @danielrucci,

The project manager has never been able to trim Long GOP media (H.264/HEVC) camera originals. Transcoding to an editing codec instead of editing with the raw files helps the project manager's workflow and provides a smoother editing experience. Once you edit with a proper codec, the project manager will work as expected.

Editors making this slight change in workflow (transcode to ProRes LT on import) would be super happy with the results during the edit, exporting the edit (using smart rendering) much faster and being able to easily archive a project using Project Manager. Transcode on ingest happens in the background, so you don't have to wait for copies to complete before editing.

If transcoding on ingest is a bridge too far for you, feel free to create a feature request to have the project manager support Long GOP media. I would upvote.

Sorry for the frustration.

Thanks,
Kevin

[daapap]

Hi,

thank you very much,

but from what i understand i would say if i have to do all what you
suggest manually i do not need a project manager anymore.

Basically the problem is that Adobe's Project Management does not work
with many codecs out there, but IT should, not ME 🙂

[daapap]

Adobe should either try to adapt it's software to the real world with lots of different codecs or rename the feature to "Project Manager for a few codecs you will not very often meet out there".

And it is not only Long GOP media if my memory serves me right: XDCAM HD for example does not work although it is I-frame only.

This is a point being discussed since years - and Adobe hasn't noticed yet? Or why would it still need a feature request?

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hello @Jeff Bugbee,

Thanks for this bug report. I advocate that the team take action to improve the user experience with the Project Manager. Media management should be much less painful.

I apologize for the problem to you and others on the thread.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Warren Heaton]

@daapap 
The limitation is the temporal compression of the source video format.   XDCAM HD which is a tapeless aquizition format - not an editing format.

A feature request could be made to support trimming to the nearest I-frame for non-mezzanine formats.

[daapap]

"XDCAM HD which is a tapeless aquizition format - not an editing format" says who? Adobe? 

Here in Germany broadcaster have been filming and editing with XDCam HD for years with no problems at all, and Avid for example has no problem with consolidating the native files without re-encoding. ffmpeg does it as well, but Adobe can't ...

addendum: and the nearest i-frame in i-frame only material is the frame itself, btw

[danielrucci]

Thank you for the attention to this, Kevin. The advocacy from someone inside Adobe is appreciated.

Is the fact that Project Manager does not work with long-gop media called out in the help files? If it was not supported, it should either say that on the project manager window, as a caveat "(!)" info bubble, or it should simply be added as a feature. I don't understand why it would not be a feature if you have to render all the other media clips on export anyway. Hopefully this feature can be added/supported.

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi @danielrucci,

You make an excellent point that the documentation could be more helpful in using the tool more successfully. I will see what I can do about that while we wait for the Project Manager to see some love.

Take Care,

Kevin

[Warren Heaton]

@daapap 

Sure, XDCAM HD can be placed natively in a Premiere Pro Timeline, but it cannot be set as a Preview format (called "Optimized" in other NLEs), does not support Smart Rendering, and we cannot transcode to it.