Nested sequences in Avid

gi-jones

Well-known member
Is it really correct that Avid doesn't support nesting of sequences, like possibly every other NLE out there does? When I try bringing one sequence into another, it copies all clips into the target sequence instead.
 
You can certainly bring parts of one sequence into another. I do it all the time. You have to drop the sequence into the source monitor, not right onto the timeline. Then from within the source monitor, just set your in and out points and insert or overwrite into the new sequence you're working on.
 
but gi is correct you cant actually nest sequences - you can copy from one into another but a change in the original cant filter down
 
Foolish? Depends on how you look at it. Last I heard, nesting is so far from reliable in other NLEs that people just avoid using it all together and instead do exactly what Avid does--copy from one sequence and cut it into another.


Michael.
 
Really? I never had any problems with Premiere or Edius.

Anyways, to me the whole idea of having multiple sequences is kind of lost when you can't nest them. I'm cutting a feature film, which means, that I will now be ending up with a sequence with thousands of clips in it. Trying to keep perspective will definately be challenging.
 
This might help:

Use the Submaster effect on each sequence (by collapsing them).

For example:
Say you have Sequence1Scene1 and you want to drop that into your MasterSequence followed by Sequence2Scene2, but you don't want all the individual cuts. Open MasterSequence and drag Sequence1Scene1 into your source monitor. Patch your tracks and cut it in. Select it all and collapse it. It will look like 1 giant video clip (audio can't collapse).

Now drag Sequence2Scene2 into the source monitor. Cut it in after Scene1 (which looks like a giant clip with an effect on it), then select Scene2 and collapse it. It now looks like a giant clip with an effect on it, so you can glance at your sequence and immediately see Sequence1Scene1 and Sequence2Scene2. Need to make a revision? Step into your Submaster effect (added automatically when you collapse the layers) and there are your individual edits.

What this won't do is allow you to change the original Sequence1Scene1 and have it automatically update in your MasterSequence. But it will help you keep things in order and make your MasterSequence a lot easier to navigate.

Michael.
 
...What this won't do is allow you to change the original Sequence1Scene1 and have it automatically update in your MasterSequence. But it will help you keep things in order and make your MasterSequence a lot easier to navigate.

Michael.

I think that's what he wants to happen. If the scene changes once it's in the master, he wants to edit in the individual scene's sequence and have the master update automatically.
 
Understood, but there's no way to do that in Avid unless you want to export a quicktime reference of the original sequence, then import it back in (while waiting for Avid to convert it to MXF or OMF media) and cut the import into your master sequence.

Then, when you make a change to the original you reexport a quicktime reference and batch import it (using the master clip that's in the master sequence). But even this isn't foolproof--to make it work and auto update upon batch import you would have to make changes that didn't effect the total length of the original sequence. If it's even 1 frame shorter or longer the file won't batch import and autoupdate (it must be the same length to batch import).

My suggestion will simplify the look of the master sequence without sacrificing the ability to make changes. If you make changes to the original sequence, just collapse it and load the collapsed sequence into your source monitor and cut over the collapsed clips in the Master sequence. It's not as elegant as "nesting" or precomping (ala After Effects), but it also prevents you from accidentally making a change (or someone else making a change) to an original sequence which would then affect your master sequence.


Michael.
 
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