FCPX 4K workflow question

I need to optimize a 4K editing workflow in FCPX.

- Shooting a 12-hour talking head video course (divided into 8 classes)
- 3 camera shoot using Panasonic GH4s
- Shooting in 4K, editing in 1080, but will use 4K files so we can scale the image
- 2 editors in different countries using a shared project library

I currently work with an editor in Mexico on shorter projects. I shoot in 4K, drop the footage in a 1080 timeline, and have FCPX write proxy media to a new library in a shared Google Drive folder. The proxy media is 50% file size compared to the 4K camera native files. Our Google Drives sync, the editor makes the rough cut, then I open the project, make the final edit, and export in 1080 using the original media so that my scaled images are sharp.

It’s a great workflow for my weekly 7-minute videos. 10 minutes of source video is about 3GB of proxy media.

But this is going to balloon big time with 12 hours of 4K footage, shot with three cameras.

12 hours x 3 camera = 36 hours of media, or 2,160 minutes. That equates to 648 GB of proxy media.

Right now I’m planning to shoot all the video in 4K, have FCPX write proxy media to an external Lacie Rugged Thunderbolt drive, and then clone that drive and send one down to my editor in Mexico.

We will set up libraries for each of the 8 classes in our shared Google Drive folder. Those libraries will reference proxy media that will be on the external Lacie drive that we each will have. The editor will do the rough cut, scaling the video however he likes. I’ll do the final edit and export using the camera native files so that the scaled images are crisp.

That’s my plan right now.

But is there a better way?

In an ideal world, we could adjust the size of the proxy files. Make them 25% of the original media. Then I could send the editor all that media on a big SD card and not pay customs and tariffs.

Plus, the smaller files would make workflow better for both of us. He’s on a 2012 iMac and I’m on a 2013 MBP.

Can anyone suggest a better workflow for this project?

Wow! That's a handful! Just curious. You're shooting with GH4s. You don't mention audio. Are you using the GH4 audio or shooting double system and syncing in post with FCP X? Also, are you importing the clips at full length or in sections to keep them manageable? I did a similar project in FCP 7 of 8 one hour classes in 1080p HD in which I imported the clips as ProRes 422 in 10 to 15 minute segments to keep the file size down. Then I cut them together in the timeline. I found the full length one hour clips slowed my system down. One final question: are you editing the 3 cameras using the FCP X multicam feature and how are you finding it?

We are using two sennheiser wireless mics that go into a preamp and feed into one camera.

Chunking the clips up into sections, 20 min max, some as short as 2 min.

Yep, FCPX multicam feature.

Thanks!