Student Project Finishing HD-Workflow Questions

[MAttacca]

I'm about to start in on my first RED edit and am looking for any advice/clarification you all can give. We are finishing our project HD and will either finish in Avid or RedCine (if possible). The current workflow I'm thinking of trying is:

-R3D _M "proxies"-->Compressor-->DNxHD-->Avid (imported at DNxHD36)

-Quicktimes from Compressor run through Metacheater then ALE imported into Avid, merged with QT cliips.

EDIT

Figure out which files are used in final edit. Load those into RedCine, color correct and export out as DNxHD highest quality. Metacheater these files, create ALE, import into Avid at DNxHD (matching the RedCine export), merge w/ ALE and relink to offline sequence.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried anything similar, if there are flaws in the workflow I'm overlooking (I'm sure there are) and any other suggestions anyone might have. Most of the offline-->online workflows I've read about seem to deal with going to Scratch or having to generate DPX files. Since we don't need to do this I'm looking for the best way to finish high quality HD using just Avid and RedCine if possible.

Thanks!

[Joe Gill]

Check the workflow thread, it should have most of the answers, also hit up the Avid guy who posts on there as he will be your best source. If you can wait (ha) there should be some nice changes soon for your predicament...

[MichaelP]

I have done the full path back into Avid, but the issue is getting a file back into RedCine that can generate the selects in the output format needed. Right now, the alpha version we are working on works fine as long as the original ALE file was generated from RedCine and the R3D files never moved from their original path as indicated in the metadata given to us in the RedCine XML.

I am working with Crimson to see if we can go straight there with the XML to manage the changed UNC paths as well as provide a method when original ALE was created via MetaCheater or REDrushes.

The one path some here have done, is an EDL back to FCP, then XML out to Crimson. From there, render out a DNxHD 175x, create ALE and do a relink to selected based on tape name/timecode.

Michael

[MAttacca]

Thanks so much for your post Michael, it's really helpful having someone from Avid so active on these boards! To clarify, I need to process the original files for my offline through RedCine instead of Compressor so the metadata stays consistent then edit, EDL and bring into FCP, XML to Crimson. I'm a bit confused as to why I would need to go back to Avid after going into Crimson as I thought the XML imported from FCP would recreate my edits in RedCine and I could do my final export from there? Also I've read about people having problems getting the 16 character EDL to work into FCP, has this issue been fixed or is there a workaround I'm missing?

Thanks again!

[M Most]

I'm a bit confused as to why I would need to go back to Avid after going into Crimson as I thought the XML imported from FCP would recreate my edits in RedCine and I could do my final export from there?


Because Redcine is a file translator, not an editor, and not a color corrector. You can theoretically do what you say, but you won't be able to have any dissolves, fades, transitions of any kind, speed changes, titles - in short, the only thing you can do is produce cuts with rudimentary color correction. If you consider that "finishing," then go ahead and do it. If you want to use it the way it's intended to be used, then plan on having it kick out new clips at a higher quality level than your original "quick" conversions, and take those clips into some kind of finishing environment.

[MAttacca]

Thanks mmost, clears up my confusion and I will definitely want to bring the files back into Avid.

[MichaelP]

The EDL issue is on FCP side during the import, not the export side from Avid. The 16 character source EDL is non standard EDL. It is a modified CMX3600 to allow applications willing to change their import code to recreate an edit.

Michael