Pull List / Conform / Batch Scale/Crop

[Mark L. Pederson]

Stuart -

I believe you mentioned that REDCINE is going to generate a "pull list" from an EDL and XML/AAF project files.

Are you going to keep it simple and only support CMX EDL format, or the whole nine yards (SONY, etc.)??

** FYI - a great resource on EDL management is:
http://www.edlmax.com/maxguide.html#format%

Are you thinking Apple FCP XML (which is not exactly the same as other NLE XML's)?

The reason I ask (or rather start the thread) is that EDL/XML compatability in terms of conform/batch re-process between NLE's and other applications is rarely done without issues.

Final Cut Pro Users have suffered through the de-bugging of Media Manager - with respect to speed effected clips, etc.

One thing that I face often is that very few filmmakers, and surprisingly few editors know how to properly "collapse" a timeline to generate a "true" cut/conform list.

I'm guess maybe you can "side-step" some of these issues (which CRIPPLED SC FINAL TOUCH and gave me many, many headaches) because (as far as I know) REDCINE isn't going to "conform" - theoretically it is just going to IDENTIFY which media is in the project via EDL/XLM - and then create a PULL LIST (I assume with a handle option) and then allow you to batch process/scale/crop/add LUT, etc. and then let the FINAL POST APPLICATION conform.

So, maybe the best approach is to make sure that ALL MEDIA in the "timeline" is in the PULL LIST - this way, if the editor has not "collapsed" the timeline correctly, it doesn't matter - as all media (used or not) that is in the timeline is in the PULL LIST -

Just wanted to get a PULL LIST thread going ...

[Don Woods]

This is a very important subject. It is the only way most of us will be able to post our 4K footage. I think allot of time and thought has been put into and should be. I can't tell you how excited I am to see RED CINE at NAB. I love the camera, I love all the other stuff. But what I want to spend hours talking about is RED CINE.

We are going to need a book and nice big book.. Or maybe not it will be that easy.

[GlennChan]

Curious: What do you mean by collapse?

[Thomas Mathai]

The Zodiac team used Final Cut for their offline and used the XML and seemed to be fine with it.

Moving between apps has never been easy, that's why there are always going to be skilled people doing conforms.

[Mark L. Pederson]

Curious: What do you mean by collapse?

Typically "collapse" all of the media to a single track in the timeline, with the exception of slit screens,wipes, etc.

[Mark L. Pederson]

The Zodiac team used Final Cut for their offline and used the XML and seemed to be fine with it.

Moving between apps has never been easy, that's why there are always going to be skilled people doing conforms.

Totally agree with you Thomas, I just wanted to address how REDCINE is going to identify what media it needs for the "pull list" feature - and that has less "issues" that need to be delt with than conforming.

However, there are still a few things to think about here - I do think REDCINE will need to identify and adjust duration for the pull list for speed effected clips, for example.

[Stuart English]

e-mail me off-list Off Hollywood, but you pretty much have it below -

"I'm guess maybe you can "side-step" some of these issues (which CRIPPLED SC FINAL TOUCH and gave me many, many headaches) because (as far as I know) REDCINE isn't going to "conform" - theoretically it is just going to IDENTIFY which media is in the project via EDL/XLM - and then create a PULL LIST (I assume with a handle option) and then allow you to batch process/scale/crop/add LUT, etc. and then let the FINAL POST APPLICATION conform.

So, maybe the best approach is to make sure that ALL MEDIA in the "timeline" is in the PULL LIST - this way, if the editor has not "collapsed" the timeline correctly, it doesn't matter - as all media (used or not) that is in the timeline is in the PULL LIST - "

[Nick Shaw]

It seems to me that a 'conform' from REDCODE media should hopefully be less complex than a traditional tape conform, as cleaning up the timeline before conform will not be so vital. Since presumably each 'take' will be a separate file on the RED-DRIVE, a lot of the time it might not be necessary to consolidate the time-line before conforming. One media file off tape may be very long, and contain multiple takes, or even multiple setups, when you only need one for the online. This would not be the case with RED.

If you worked this way, the files for your online would have a one to one relationship with those from the offline, giving a lot less scope for errors.

Nick

[GlennChan]

It seems to me that a 'conform' from REDCODE media should hopefully be less complex than a traditional tape conform, as cleaning up the timeline before conform will not be so vital. Since presumably each 'take' will be a separate file on the RED-DRIVE, a lot of the time it might not be necessary to consolidate the time-line before conforming. One media file off tape may be very long, and contain multiple takes, or even multiple setups, when you only need one for the online.

I don't think that's a problem with EDLs + tape workflow. Or did I miss something??

With a tape workflow, you only have to capture the clip you use, with handles + allowance for preroll. You also have to wait for shuttle speed, although that is not a problem for data-based formats with SDI out (i.e. XDCAM).

2- Collapsing: Got it. To me, it just seems... obvious... to collapse the timeline. From what I've seen, more common errors are not naming the reels correctly (5-8 characters max, depending on EDL), BREELs (these should be disabled unless doing a linear online), putting B on the end of a reel name(when there's no breel or timecode break), etc. This is in the context of SDI-based workflow, where an offline editor sends an EDL + media to the online post facility where they digitize through SDI. Which is different from FinalTouch.

3- For Redcine to pull all media from source clips would be extremely annoying if you have interview footage. It would have to convert the ENTIRE interview, and you have to wait for all the files to get transferred onto the online system's storage. If there is a need for this (I don't see why), it should be an option.

[MikeCurtis]

Having dealt with Media Mangler, I mean Manager, all too many times, if Redcine simply helps us identify which clips to use, and cooks them out to matching (or clean) color in the desired final size/colorspace/etc., then that is progress, and certainly Step One.

Step Two would be to do things like minimizing media with handles, script assistance to help automate the conform/build, etc.

I'm most interested in Final Cut Pro related workflows, but Avid obviously as well.

Ideally Redcine could be fed an XML or EDL and kick out a new one with links to the new media, but that tends to be more complicated than it sounds (witness The Horror, The Horror if Final Touch's XML non-work non-flow).

-mike