Back To Listings RSS Print

What’s in a Name?

Manage Your File Names without Leaving the Browser

By steve martin | June 04, 2008

As any editor knows, good media management begins by establishing proper naming conventions. In a perfect world, proper clip names would be entered during the logging stage. However, due to tight deadlines or perhaps shear laziness on the part of the editor, media file names are sometimes injested or captured with non-descript file names such as "untitled" or, as is the case with the Panasonic AG-HVX200, transferred with their 6 digit camera-assigned file names. This article will show you how to rename your files directly in the Browser using Final Cut Pro 6.

Below is an screen shot of an edit in progress using clips transferred from an AG-HVX200.

image
Before you can rename the file, you first must locate the Master clip. Park your playhead over the clip to be renamed, then press Shift-F to reveal the clip in the Browser. The clip will become selected.
image
In the Browser, give your clip a meaningful name.
image
From the Modify Menu choose Rename>File to Match Clip.
image
You will be warned that what you are about to do will modify the original file. Go ahead, live life on the edge...
image
Because of Final Cut Pro's Master/Affiliate clip architecture, all Affiliate clips that reference the Master clip will be renamed.
image
In the Finder, you'll see that the file name was actually changed to the new name you entered in the Browser.
image

Share This

Back To Listings RSS Print

Get articles like this in your inbox: Sign Up

Comments

glennser: | June, 05, 2008

Great!! Thanks for sharing this. Filenames are a real sore point for me and it’s always bothered me that you could change the name of a clip in the browser without also changing the filename on disk too, now After Effects lets you change footage names without updating the filename which I’m not too happy about.
A couple of versions ago they fixed fcp so changing the filename was the default behaviour which made me much happier, then inexplicitly they changed it back and it’s bothered me a lot, pity I didn’t know about your tip.  Wouldn’t it be great if you could make this the default through a preference dialogue?
I’m always hoping that metadata will clear up a lot of this stuff someday? I really like the idea of footage files being born with unique, legal filenames that never change then adding metadata to add intelligent labels without worrying about file extensions, illegal characters or breaking connections in other edits or composites, maybe someday it’ll work?
On a similar note did anyone else get bitten by iTunes renaming sound effect libraries because an update reset the “keep library organized” preference? If not, and your editors share libraries using iTunes to browse them keep an eye out for it or you could end up in reconnect hell.
glennser

Please login or register to comment