Import online and offline videos to a project from Dropbox

[Biker Dad]

When are we going to get the issue fixed where premiere pro won't import online and even most times offline videos to a project???

[R Neil Haugen]

Premiere Pro can work just fine with online files. But of course, that function depends on the underlying structure of the transfer service involved.

And Dropbox doesn't have a usable structure to its working patterns.

By that ... the intent of Dropbox is simply to move and sync files. It was built totally around working with document files, either text or spreadsheet. And it handles that well. It can also move other files, and so it's used for all sorts of things.

But it doesn't move video files in such a manner as they are instantly usable. Quite frequently, the entire file must be moved, before all the parts of it that tell a video app what the file is, are set in place. That's not something any NLE can fix.

Therefore, by the design and function of Dropbox, one cannot use it as a full online 'drive' for video files. Transferring yes, working ... no.

For an alternate service, compare that to LucidLink's transport service.

LL was designed from the ground up to move video files, bit by bit, in such a way that an NLE instantly gets the data it needs both about the file, and the first file chunks it will need. And all subsequent "packets" are created for and deliverd in usable fashion for NLE workflows. It is purpose-built to facilitate video post production usage. Delivering the data needed, as it's needed, sequentially.

It uses a "virtual drive" it sets up on your machine to access the files stored on whatever cloud service you use. So Premiere just thinks it's working with local files.

My partner Mo is in Cape Town, SA. I'm in Oregon, USA. Our shared filespace is on Amazon S3 servers in London. Mo calls me via WhatsApp to tell me he's uploading some files in a folder for me to edit or grade.

My LL virtual drive shows that folder he's uploading, within a few seconds of Mo telliing me he started the upload. A few more seconds, I start seeing files appearing in that folder.

I can within a few more seconds ... go to Premiere Pro on my machine in Western Oregon ... import, and drag/drop files onto the sequence. Start playback.

And the files are not even finished uploading from Cape Town to London!

So yes, with the right service, Premiere handles online file storage beautifully. But Dropbox is not that service.

Neil

[Baffy19]

@R Neil Haugen  The program  LucidLink, you're talking about paid?

[R Neil Haugen]

Yes. As are most any transfer/online storage options, with any significant levels of either storage or transfers on a continuing basis.

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi @Biker Dad,

This sounds like a feature request. Moving to Ideas.

Thanks,
Kevin