Proxy Editing
Proxy editing means cutting with reduced-size copies instead of the original camera media.
What this is about
A laptop that stutters on 6K raw plays a quarter-resolution proxy without effort, and that difference decides whether an editor works or waits. Proxies are generated once, usually during ingest, and carry the same file names and timecode as the originals so the switch back is a single setting. Editors also use them to work away from the storage server, taking a whole project on a travel drive. The rule that keeps it safe: never change file names between original and proxy, or the relink will fail exactly when the deadline is close.
A term only helps when everyone on set means the same thing by it — so what follows is how it is used, not a dictionary definition.
What runs differently here
In planning terms, that means:
- Keep file names and timecode identical between originals and proxies, or relinking breaks
- Generate proxies during ingest, not later — doing it twice costs a full transcode pass
- Grade and finish on the originals; proxies are for cutting and review only
With TillyGen
Review rounds in TillyGen work from the proxy cut, so feedback keeps arriving while the originals stay untouched on the storage server.
Change one constraint and the consequences travel through the whole plan: affected shots are flagged, the call sheet is regenerated, and nobody keeps working from yesterday's version.
Frequently asked
What resolution should proxies have?
Small enough to play smoothly, large enough to judge framing and focus. Half or quarter of the original raster is the usual compromise.
How long does it take to get started with TillyGen?
A first project takes under an hour to set up. There is no configuration phase in which templates and fields have to be defined before the tool produces anything.
Can the results be exported?
Yes — as PDF for the crew, CSV for downstream systems and through the API for anything automated. The plan stays the source; the exports are views of it.