There’s a forum topic over at Reduser.net that I’ve been following for quite a while. It’s called new Jamfuze info new Jamfuze info and is a discussion about a Macintosh software product, written by a user, that works to process RED .R3D media into mfx files for direct importing into Avid Media Composer. That thread eventually moved into a discussion of a similar product that might include processing of Canon 7D (and I assume 5D, 1D, Rebel T2i) footage as well. What might become 7Dfuze was born.
The first thing one might wonder is why create Jamfuze for Avid RED processing when Avid already makes a free product called Metafuze. Metafuze is a PC only product and while it will run on a Macintosh under emulation (we have a dual boot system where we boot a Mac Pro to Windows to run Metafuze) most Mac users would probably prefer to stay Mac. The Metafuze method of processing RED .R3D media into Avid compatible clips is only a single step as it makes native Avid .mfx files as opposed to the Red Rushes/Clipfinder methods. That workflow involves more steps as you have to process DNxHD QuickTimes and then batch import into Avid through an Avid Log Exchange file. Plus Metafuze has quite a clunky interface.
So Reduser member Jamie Parry went to work on Jamfuze, a Macintosh based solution that used a number of tools to create .mxf files on the Mac. Unfortunately it hasn’t been released yet as Jamie says: “it has been appropriated by the company i work for.” Hopefully the company is going to release the product soon. If that company is reading this post … please put Jamfuze out in the world as there’s a lot of us who would like to use it and apparently it’s been languishing in limbo for months. To quote REDuser member Jason H from 8/27/2009: “when is jamfuze going to be here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! come on dudes i’m dying out here.” In other words the Jamfuze solution could make life easier for many. But back to the point at hand …
At some point that Reduser thread became a discussion of doing something similar with Canon 7D files so Jamie began working on a solution for processing of Canon 7D files. Again, I’m sure there’s not any reason why this wouldn’t work with Canon 1D or 5D footage or the new Rebel T2i camera either. Now … since you can just drag the 7D H.264 QuickTimes right into an Avid bin and have Avid transcode them one might wonder why you would need such a tool. The Jamfuze method would allow for batch processing of footage outside of Media Composer and keep that workstation open for editing. And Jamie has also been working on a conforming method to cut with low resolution transcodes and then re-transcode to a higher resolution and relink. He tried this first on 25fps material and then with some 23.98 footage that I sent to him. He’s currently been using this workflow and some of the folks that are testing it have been finishing on an Avid Symphony
I’m not sure how the offline to online conform works as I haven’t tired that but I have used a beta version of his tool to transcode 7D to .mfx files and then bring those into Media Composer via the Media Tool. It worked well.
The purpose of this post isn’t to sell the product but rather to help Jamie gauge interest in a product like 7Dfuze. Is this something the Avid-using public might want? What would it cost? How much interest has to be shown for Jamie to offer this product to the world?
These are all questions that he is trying to answer. If you might be interested then you can comment below or email Jamie directly. He’s put up a webpage with an email link put up a webpage with an email link as well as a YouTube clip of the process working. I’ve embedded that clip below. If you might be interested, let Jamie know.