Footage Protocol On Set

From Redhax

Digital cinema cameras use temporary media to initially store recorded footage. On RED this media is usually in the form of CF cards or RED Drives (small RAID1 hard drives.) These media are relatively expensive and usually lower capacity so they are often transferred to a larger storage space such as a larger RAID or digital tapes. After the data is transferred the temporary media is then reused. This process has inherent risks, many of which are caused by human error. A thread on Reduser.net tried to reach a consensus on a good protocol for handling temporary media. They identified the following steps:

1. Prepare your temporary media by marking each mag (CF or Drop in disk/memory based mag.) with its own mag. number color and/or memorable symbol. This marking on the media itself, is used to trace any recording failure to the specific piece of media used and to aid the memory of the DIT. This is usually called the "mag number" This along with the "reel number", or sometimes called "roll number" which increments each time media is replaced, should be marked at the head of the recording. They can either be put in as data or by shooting a slate at the head of the recording.
2. Record to either single media, or if allowed by RED Technology, to dual card or card/disk or dual disk mag. on camera. In the case of using single recording, it may be preferable to switch out media immediately after crucial shots for transfer.
3. In situations where static electricity could be present, such as on carpeting or plastic flooring a Dit wears a grounding wrist strap as they remove media. Dit grounds camera to their body during media removal. Depending on preference some may ask for the camera to be powered down during off loading.
4. Immediately pull the write protect tab on CF media. (if this exists on RED CF media)
5. Place the recorded media into a specific and consistent place such as a particular bag or left pocket etc. where you always store the media until you get it out to put into the onset backup storage. (Handling is a major source of CF failure so this measure is important to avoid the possibility of confusion between the media just removed and the media which is ready, having been dubbed to be reused.)
6. Take the media to a set computer with an Esata or Firewire 800 raid. In high static situations this can be set up on an anti static matt.
7. download card to either dual LTO's (Linear Tape-Open is a magnetic tape data storage format), two separate drives, redundant raid. or perhaps some combination of slow raid/ fast raids/LTO's or seperate drives as seems good for the particular production. (S2 docking system. may be the best option at this time for uncompressed 4K as there is not yet a better system from RED)
8. RED cine automatically does check sum (or perhaps faster or better data check) and automatically gives a simple answer that data is copied correctly and checked. ChronoSync: http://www.econtechnologies.com/site..._overview.html[/url]) may be preferable to check sum. I strongly feel RED needs to provide the data check software as part of RED Cine to adapt a technology which they stand behind. If formatting is done by a RED app, (ie RED Cine) RED could completely control the way and format how its formatted. This also allows them to script the check sum of both the source and destination files and give a simple OK type output, so the Dit doesn't have to do the other step of matching the two.
9. Once the media is properly transfered and verified...then and only then the software gives the option to reformat the card or disk mag.
10. RED cine reformats the disk with the same project settings. and automatically, writes event into log file, and unmounts media from computer. (or the Dit can do each of these tasks manually if RED does not support this.)
11. Assistant places the blank formatted media into some repeated storage bag or box and or perhaps keeps it in their right pocket until it is reloaded into the camera (see () above)
12. Media is installed onto camera and (if RED will support this) A menu item flashes on the camera asking for the reel number. The time code continues from the last media recording so there is not time code gap between reels. This will assure us that there is no reel missing on the backup, or that reels have not been copied to backup twice.
13. Deliver one to post house. *(when one of these must be shipped consider shipping LTO tape as it will probably survive better than disks in rough handling.) (It's necessary to consider that whoever receives the LTO esp. if a post house also has access to a compatable LTO playback machine.) (Editors preference to receive HDD or LTO probably good prep to work with Editor on short segment to see which works best in their workflow.)
14. Using a seperate delivery method deliver one to safe storage at a separate location from the post house.