Can you use team projects within a Production Project?

[Anna Kaperska]

I recently started using Team Projects and Production Projects. I'm currently managing a large multi-participant documentary project, and I'm wondering if it's possible to import team projects into the production project?
I really need to use both options together:
1. Team projects - so that several people can work on the same project at the same time; and 2. Production Project - to be able to access different materials and assets from different projects.
I would be very grateful if anyone has more experience with a similar workflow.

[mattchristensen]

Hi Anna – the short answer is no; you can't really use a Team Project in conjunction with a Production in a meaningful way.

One option some people use is to store their Production folder on a cloud server, something like LucidLink, which then multiple people can connect to and it behaves a lot like as if all the people were at one building working on a shared network. In that scenario each editor can mount the LucidLink volume, open the Production, and each editor be working in their respective projects, referencing materials from across the Production.

[Anna Kaperska]

Thank you! I agree that we might simply create separate projecrs for each member and continue using the produciton project from a cloud as a cllaborative project.

[R Neil Haugen]

Matt's got a good answer. One thing that you might be missing is that Productions is also designed for collaborative group editing. It's the 'big thing' they use for say Hollywood long-form and episodic production workflows mostly.

I've worked with both, and you would likely be well served by the Productions mode. It's different than 'stand-alone' in several ways. The Production mode actually creates on disc a folder tree. The main Production folder, and within the Production panel, you add subfolders (which Premiere creates on-disc) to hold your structure.

And within the subfolders, you create the Projects that actually hold your assets.

Such as having a folder structure of the Production with subfolders Video, Audio, Graphics, Stills, and Sequences; within video, you have subs for Week 1, Week 2 and on. Within each of those folders, you create Projects. So the Week 1 folder has all the media shot in Week 1.

You have subfolders in Sequences for Working and maybe Finals. In your Working subfolder, maybe one for Selects and another for Main Edits. Within each you create the sequences for that part of your workflow.

It actually works quite well. And as Matt notes, LucidLink is AWESOME as a transport service.

My partner is in Cape Town SA, I'm in Oregon, US west coast. He's TOTAL Mac, we're all PC, never had an Apple product ever. Our joint media has been on a server in London.

Mo calls on WhatsApp, says he's uploading a folder. I go to my Os "finder" and open my LucidLink's virtual drive ... the OS and Premiere both think it's an actual, hard, physical drive ... and yes, I see folders and clips popping up as he is talking.

So I go to Premiere, and start importing the media into a project. Create sequences. And the stuff isn't even done uploading from Cape Town to London, and in Oregon, I'm building and playing back!!!!! sequences from that media.

Seems all Harry-Pottter-ish, but hey, it works spectacularly well.

[Anna Kaperska]

Oh wow! Thank you so much for sharing this information! It is so valuable.
I've never used LucidLink before. I didn't even know it was possible to work with material that wasn't physically there. I can't wait to give it a try.
Would you mind sharing a screenshot of a production folder and what you described in terms of how you organize it? I just started using the production project workflow and I'm still figuring out the best way to use it for our projects. We're also spread out between Europe and the States, and I really want to make this collaboration as smooth as possible for our team.

[R Neil Haugen]

It all depends on what your group and the project need.

I've seen a range of different organizational structures used.  A common one is a Media folder, a Sequences folder, an Effects folder, and a Finals folder.

Then within each may be subfolders, some things put all the clips of a total project in one project file, while others group by day or week of the shoot, or by camera.

Some then have a Rushes subfolder, some don't.

How do you need to break this production up in working? How important are selects sequences, rushes, separate audio libraries, that sort of thing? That's what you need to figure out.

Then reflect that in your folder and project structure within the Production you build.