Backing Up and Archiving Libraries

Similar to the saying, “The task isn’t considered finished until all the necessary paperwork is done,” once the editing process is concluded, there are established protocols for both backing up and archiving libraries, as well as preserving the original footage.

In this chapter, we will gain an understanding of the Consolidate media command, which gathers all the footage used in a library and consolidates it in a location of your choice so that no footage is lost when you open an archived library in the future.

Later in this chapter, we will see how media can show as missing after consolidation and how to recover missing files with the Relink Files command.

We will learn where Final Cut Pro automatically backs up libraries and how to manage backups. We will see how automatic backups are designed for project recovery while the edit is still in progress as opposed to archiving after the video is exported.

We will also...

Working with Final Cut Pro backups

Backups are automatic in Final Cut Pro. You should understand the difference in terminology between backing up and archiving. Backing up is a temporary and ongoing process that happens while you are editing. Archiving is the process of securing a library’s projects in an optimized working state so that they can be opened at a later date without the dreaded red Missing File warning:

Figure 19.1 – The dreaded red Missing File warning

The automatic backups that Final Cut Pro activates every few minutes are stored in the Users folder on the Mac’s system disk. The backups do not take up much space on the disk because they do not include media. The backup library simply points to where the media is stored. This is a good thing – because of the small footprint – but is inherently dangerous due to the media needing to stay available for the backup library to be of any value. If the media is...

Preparing to archive a library

To ensure a library is optimized for archiving, preserving all footage while minimizing its size to save disk space, specific procedures should be adhered to. The first thing is to locate all the media spread across all your disks and consolidate the media in a preferred location for the archived library to be able to access the media in the future.

Then you should check for Motion 5 content, followed by checking the cache location. Let’s start with the consolidation process in the next section.

Consolidation

The ingestion of media into Final Cut Pro is controlled in Settings (previously Preferences). In Chapter 2, Organizing Media,we saw that the Settings instructions control whether the media is stored as Copy to Library or whether the media is set to Leave in place. Even if the media is set to Copy to Library, some files may still not make it to the library if you change the setting after the library is originally created.

The value...

Archiving the library

The process of archiving is the simplest of all the operations. Just copy the library to a disk or tape device that you intend to use as the vault for archived libraries. Remember that when you copy from one device to another, the original remains on the first disk so you have two copies. Once the copy is completed, it is wise to check that the copied file is the same size as the original before deleting the original from the first disk. This check is easily done using the Finder Get info command. Select both libraries in the Finder, right-click, and select Get info. There can be a small difference in size depending on the type of device that the libraries are stored on – as long as they are almost the same, it’s OK.

Figure 19.26 – Check the original and copy are the same size

Copying the library to an archive device is not the end of the story; you need to be able to quickly locate the library when you want...

Indexing archives

One method of indexing external devices that you are using for archiving is the Final Cut Library Manager software utility.

Final Cut Library Manager

This software is purchasable software that is mainly used for reducing the size of libraries, but it will also retain information about any library that has been on any disk, whether it is currently mounted or not.

In the sidebar of Final Cut Library Manager, any disk can be selected and the Final Cut Pro libraries that were on that disk the last time it was indexed will be recorded:

Figure 19.27 – Any disk previously mounted shows in Final Cut Library Manager

NeoFinder

My personal option for indexing is to use NeoFinder, which is a $40.00 software utility that keeps an integrated database of storage devices. Download the 7.8.1 version – if you have fewer than 10 devices, the demo license can be used indefinitely for free: https://www.cdfinder.de/download.html...

Maintaining archive devices

All archive disks need to be backed up just as you do working disks. Archive devices are usually spinning disks so are susceptible to failure over time if frequently used, and are even more likely to fail if they are not used for long periods of time.

Because archive devices are left inactive for long periods of time, they need to be spun up occasionally. I spin my archive devices at the end of every year as part of my housecleaning activities over the festive holiday period.

Summary

In this chapter, we saw the preparation procedures required for archiving libraries as well as storing the original footage.

You learned about the Consolidate command, which gathers all the footage used in a library and consolidates it to a location of your choice so that no footage is lost when you open an archived library in the future.

You were shown where Final Cut Pro automatically backs up libraries and how to manage the backups. Automatic backups are designed for project recovery while the editing is still in progress, as opposed to archiving after the video is exported.

You also learned how to recover missing media files with the Relink Files command.

You saw the way to remove unneeded render files to save hard disk space using the Delete Generated Files command.

You were introduced to software utilities that index libraries stored on unmounted devices so they can be accessed indefinitely in the future.

You now understand the options for ensuring that...