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Inspiring
May 21, 2012
Answered

Any way to prevent dupes in Premiere Project file?

  • May 21, 2012
  • 13 replies
  • 45800 views

Due to working with both PluralEyes as well as multiple editors on the same project, I deal with importing a lot of XML and PRPROJ files into existing project files that I've worked with.

This, on a large scale, becomes untenable because every time I import another editor's work or a synced sequence, I get duplicates of all my media in the project. I'm trying to figure out if there any way to have Premiere check to see if the media is already imported, and reference that media in the imported sequence? If not, I will just keep getting larger and larger project files with multiple references to the same media, because both me and my other editors are working with the same media, but for different sequences.

As far as I can tell, when you import an XML, or even a sequence from another Premiere project, it creates new master clips for every clip used in the imported sequence. It does not recognize that you may already have a master clip that you're using in another sequence that is referring to the same media.

So if you want to keep both sequences in your project, you need to keep both master clips. If you delete a master clip from your bin, it will not stay in the sequence(s) that refer to it, it will get cut out, leaving a big steaming crater where it once was. Even if the sequence is not currently open. This is one of the things I loved about FCP7. You could delete every single one of your master clips and your sequence would be totally unaffected. You could even recreate the master clips by dragging them from your sequence to the bin.

I think if there really is no way to manage these duplicates, this is a HUGE problem for professionals who are working in environments with multiple editors. This isn't just a "well, learn how to deal with a new editing system" - this is actually a deal-breaker; and actually the only one that I see REALLY preventing Premiere from being the go-to choice for larger post houses. This problem becomes so big so fast that it makes true collaborative editing downright impossible. In my office we might have three people on a project, all editing and revising segments and passing them back and forth. On FCP7 this was easy as pie - we'd just cut and paste between project files and use basic versioning best practices. In Premiere, our project files quickly become nightmares and work is often inadvertently deleted or lost.

I would like to see:

- Smart media handling when importing sequences and projects. Premiere should look at the filenames and file location and attempt to relink any duplicate media. If it stumbles, it should ask for help like FCP.

- A media consolidation inspection feature. I'd love to see an option for inspecting your project for duplicate media references. When found, Premiere should automatically consolidate.

- Streamlined sequence exporting. You should be able to export a single sequence. I know there's some version of this in Project Manager, but we all know it should be easier than this!

Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Kevin-Monahan

    Experiencing extreme frustration with this even in CC 2015!!! Have filled a bug report, I really hope this can be addressed soon!!!

    Hi Darius,

    Please file your specific frustrations here in a bug report.

    Hard for me to convince large productions to make the switch to Premiere when little silly things like this still exist...

    You can avoid duplicates in many cases, but you have to start each project with a few things in mind, especially if working in a collaborative environment.

    • There will be one "master" project for each production that you are working on. This project is read/write.
    • You import other projects from other collaborators via inspecting the project file itself via the master project's Media Browser (you can open multiple Media Browser and save multiple favorite Media Browsers). These projects will be read only.
      • These items can be sequences, graphics, music, etc.,
    • Prior to beginning work on the master project, make sure that you enable 'Write XMP ID to files on import' in Preferences > Media.
      • This will tag each piece of media with a unique ID, which Premiere Pro can track.
      • Then the application will recognize duplicate clips and avoid displaying them.
      • If a clip, graphic, or other media reference does not yet exist in the master project, a clip item is imported to establish a master clip.

    You can tell the "large productions" that this is the method used by both the Fincher and Coen Brothers editing teams. If you have any questions, please let me know.

    See this tutorial for the workflow:

    Thanks,
    Kevin

    13 replies

    Participant
    November 10, 2012

    We are two editors working on two separate projects with 70hours+ of footage. We both have excactly the same footage and keep adding more as it's been logged in another project.

    In FCP we used to just copy over a sequence when one of us got stuck editing it. Copy - Paste - Reconnect media. Simple. We'd bounce a sequence back and forth 3-4 times until we felt it was good enough for the master sequence.

    Now my project just hit the 400mb mark and it's impossible for the other editor to even get the "import sequence" dialog to open. This because everytime we've imported sequences, our own project has grown by ridicoulus amount.

    Adobe! This is extremely limiting for people who truly want to colaborate!

    It seriously makes me consider going back to FCP until it's been fixed.

    Legend
    November 10, 2012

    It's been fixed (and more) with Adobe Anywhere.  It's just not been released yet.

    Participating Frequently
    November 10, 2012

    Can't wait Jim, but I fear the server side of things won't be affordable for the smaller shops..... I hope I'm wrong.  Of course, I'd be happy to beta test it for them

    Inspiring
    September 2, 2012

    This is actually really awful.  Any workaround solutions you've come up with?

    RyanPatchAuthor
    Inspiring
    September 2, 2012

    Nope, unfortunately.  Super annoying and limiting.

    Inspiring
    September 2, 2012

    I'm working on a feature length doc (I have footage from over 100 shoot days), and I'm trying to figure out a good workflow for logging/tagging and editing.  I create a project for each shoot date where I will log/sync footage from that day, but then also sometimes I play around and edit footage together (into squences saved with that day's project).

    Then I experimented with creating a "master project," importing the 100+ daily project files.  No duplicate master clips yet, and I retain the keywords I've assigned to clips from whatever particular day (INCLUDING Merged Clips, which is huge).

    The goal is to be able to search through my footage in the master project by using (among other things) keywords and logging info, and begin editing my scenes together using footage from over the 100 days.

    Unfortunately this master project crashes all the time, and also takes forever to save.

    Legend
    May 21, 2012

    this is a HUGE problem for professionals who are working in environments with multiple editors.

    Agreed.  For all it's recent advances, Premiere Pro is till not a multi-user/network friendly NLE.  Project Management on this level should probably be the next major advance in the software, allowing it to be a viable option for larger post houses.

    https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform