Final Cut Pro Incorrect Timecode From Sony A1 On Import - Fix

 When importing media from some Sony Cameras, A1 point in case, the timecode is not recognized, all clips start at 00:00:00:00. NO GOOD!!

It appears that Final Cut Pro is expecting the card structure to contain a "PRIVATE" folder. If the Private folder is not present, FCP defaults all Timecode to zero. Dumb.

Here is the YT explanation and fix by Felipe Baez.

Example, this Sony card is structured with DCIM (photos) and M4ROOT (video) folders, the PRIVATE folder is missing:

As a result, FCP default all Clips Timecode to zero. In the list you can see that the Timecode for each clip starts at 00:00:00:00 No good!!!

After copying the content of the card onto my drives, I added a PRIVATE folder at the top of the arborescence and put the M4ROOT folder into it. It looks like this now, the M4RROT folder is inside a PRIVATE top folder:

Lo and behold, now FCP reads the Timecode properly! Whoa!

Note: you have to IMPORT the media. Drag and drop does not work, if you drag and drop media the Timecode is still not recognized no matter what.

Thumbs up to André Fernandez and Felipe Baez, for figuring this out.

Adobe Media Encoder Stuck Rendering "Reading XMP" - With Fix

 Adobe Media Encoder is broken again (v 24.1.1)

When Exporting from Premiere, Send to Adobe Media Encoder, nothing happens, AME gets stuck "Reading XMP", or not even showing anything. One of the many complains.

Yet another bug 🐛 that's been plaguing AME for the longest time. Can't you guys FIX THIS SHIT once and for all Adobe?

Note that this bug is not systematic. Sometimes everything works as it should, other times it gets stuck. Usually when you're in a rush to export something.

I tried a possible fix: open AME Preferences, Uncheck "Import sequences natively". Quit AME. Remove XMP altogether, no go.

Uncheck "Import sequences natively"

Unfortunately it only worked for one export. The next day, same thing happened again: AME stuck "reading XMP."

Quitting Premiere, restarting Premiere does not work either. AME gets stuck Establishing Dynamic Link, then stuck reading XMP.

What works for me:

(1) In AME Settings, General, turn off "Enable Parallel Encoding". Why is it turned on by default Adobe?

Uncheck "Enable Parallel Encoding"

 (2) Create a Custom Preset, or Edit your Preset, then click on the "Metadata" Button.

Click on Metadata, bottom left

"Create Sidecar File" is the default export option. NO GOOD. Why is it the default Adobe? I understand it might have something to do with Markers that's broken, although many users report that they are not using Markers at all. Whatever, in any case it doesn't work. So, turn Export Options to "Minimum required" or "None".

Export Options - Select "Minimum required" or "None"

Click OK, then SAVE and use this new Preset to encode.

(3) Sometimes even steps (1) and (2) are not enough to get AME to start encoding. If it still gets stuck, delete every single job from the queue. Leave AME open, go back to the Premiere  sequence, re-Export via send to AME. Re-apply the saved presets and hit render.

After these 3 steps, (AGGRAVATION x 3!) AME eventually does its job properly without getting stuck.

What a convoluted unnecessary process Adobe, shame on you.

After Effects 3D Camera Tracker Analysis Solve Failed - Fix

Maybe you've encountered the dreaded Analysis Solve Failed in After Effects using the 3D Camera Tracker tool?

More than likely it's because you have two shots, or even a single rogue frame in your footage.

Solution: check your footage for a blank frame or a frame from another shot. Trim it, and try again.