I have six hours of MXF material that I need to layoff onto DVCPRO50 tape for import into an older Avid system. Holding original, source time code for each clip is essential to enable grouping with other cameras and sound. Is there a way to do this in Final Cut that does not require laying off each clip individually? Or is there better way (short of renting a camera and cards again and going back through the camera)?
Lay Off P2 Sequence from FCP with Source Time Code
- Thread starter Scott B
- Start date
MikeCurtis
Well-known member
Ugh, that's a challenge. Your ultimate fallback: a paper log of TC will always work, if TC info can be input into Avid, dunno if it can.
Dan Montgomery
Active member
Scott, you can export a FCP shot list that includes timecode, etc. Any of our logger applications www.imagineproducts.com, and perhaps other similar products(?), can import FCP shot list then export an Avid Log Exchange (ALE) file which is a text shot list.
Avoid EDL formats as editors tend to want to "perform" them and they're treated differently from shot lists which assume you'll be digitizing.
If you've laid the video onto tape, the shot list transfer should work fine. Doubtful you can do something like that with the media remaining in digital format (MXF) because none of the NLEs seem to have references to media files in shot lists.
Another long shot is passing digital information via AAF. This is generally slow and cumbersome, also I don't know if FCP has this as an export option...
Avoid EDL formats as editors tend to want to "perform" them and they're treated differently from shot lists which assume you'll be digitizing.
If you've laid the video onto tape, the shot list transfer should work fine. Doubtful you can do something like that with the media remaining in digital format (MXF) because none of the NLEs seem to have references to media files in shot lists.
Another long shot is passing digital information via AAF. This is generally slow and cumbersome, also I don't know if FCP has this as an export option...
Thanks, Dan. I'll check with our editors and see if that makes sense to them.
I've retained the original MXF files. Coming straight from them seems like the best route. Looks like this may be resolved on the 29th by the Avid Xpress Pro 5.5 upgrade which apparently will read them natively. We are hoping to solve this problem before then, however.
I've retained the original MXF files. Coming straight from them seems like the best route. Looks like this may be resolved on the 29th by the Avid Xpress Pro 5.5 upgrade which apparently will read them natively. We are hoping to solve this problem before then, however.
Dan Montgomery
Active member
Scott, I failed to mention you can try the demo of HDLog...it will let you import and export test files (limit is 10 clips). This at least should allow you to see if it's a solution for you.
Jan_Crittenden
Veteran
I do not believe that the FCP will output TC. Seems like I was trying to deal with this issue on an SDX900 question last year and the FCP would not lay off the TC onto the tape. The Deck would take TC from another Deck but not from FCP. I then called my friend at Apple and he said to stop pulling my hair out as the feature is not there.
Hope this helps,
Jan
Hope this helps,
Jan
Vanderpool Films
New member
Scott,
I've been editing on an Avid since 1993 but just started working with FCP since I bought my HVX200. You can do this a few ways. With Automatic Duck Pro Export FCP.
http://www.automaticduck.com/products/pefcp/
It's $495 but worth every penny. I use the Avid version to take sequences to After Effects. All of Wes' products rock.
You can also use the new $99 P2 viewer from Imagine if you have the original MXF files from the P2 cards. Let P2 Viewer wrap them as QT files with all the metadata - Time Code, etc.
http://www.imagineproducts.com/P2log.htm
Hope this helps.
Charles
I've been editing on an Avid since 1993 but just started working with FCP since I bought my HVX200. You can do this a few ways. With Automatic Duck Pro Export FCP.
http://www.automaticduck.com/products/pefcp/
It's $495 but worth every penny. I use the Avid version to take sequences to After Effects. All of Wes' products rock.
You can also use the new $99 P2 viewer from Imagine if you have the original MXF files from the P2 cards. Let P2 Viewer wrap them as QT files with all the metadata - Time Code, etc.
http://www.imagineproducts.com/P2log.htm
Hope this helps.
Charles
fevercity
Well-known member
I'm probably going to catch some heat for this one but you can build a time-code clone comp reel with bars/slates for timecode breaks built in for reel changes. Layoff each clip sequentially , crash in with bars, start new timecode and lay off the next card media to matching timecode.
If you're organized and know what you're doing, it actually works nicely. It is, however, an online editor's worst nightmare but you can cram a lot of multi-cam footage on fewer tapes. I sometimes have to deliver such material to mainland China this way due to super-strict customs (obviously).
Some major movie studios use this approach for multi-cam press junket interviews when their publicity departments don't want to spend money on tons of tape stock but want their pretty set-ups time-code sync'ed.
I've even seen intense telecine's that were laid off like this and multi-cam'ed (grouped) back together. Suddenly, from one source, you have different passes treated as different angles with matched code - bleach bypass, crushed black, hi-con, 'CSI Miami-cheat', b/white separation, etc.
Again - you just have to know the deck and what you're doing.
If you're organized and know what you're doing, it actually works nicely. It is, however, an online editor's worst nightmare but you can cram a lot of multi-cam footage on fewer tapes. I sometimes have to deliver such material to mainland China this way due to super-strict customs (obviously).
Some major movie studios use this approach for multi-cam press junket interviews when their publicity departments don't want to spend money on tons of tape stock but want their pretty set-ups time-code sync'ed.
I've even seen intense telecine's that were laid off like this and multi-cam'ed (grouped) back together. Suddenly, from one source, you have different passes treated as different angles with matched code - bleach bypass, crushed black, hi-con, 'CSI Miami-cheat', b/white separation, etc.
Again - you just have to know the deck and what you're doing.