FCP7 to MC5.5 in the middle of a project

[Laura Creecy]

I dont make the rules... just try to help sort the mess. Any help from the community is much appreciated.

The feature I am on started in FCP7
-Transcodes from RCX to ProresLT 1920x1080
-Logged and sync to dual system sound in FCP7 with PuralEyes and some manual syncing
-Bins organized by scene with the new sync clips, no sequences, no multicam clips

With 3 weeks of shooting down and one week still to go, the editor that was just hired is Avid only.

My questions are:

-What is the best way to transition to MC5.5? Automatic Duck? I've watched a couple of help videos but they all start with sequences transferring. I am more worried about all the time I've spent logging and syncing to new master clips and the bins transitioning over. Will that stuff transfer? I can deal with logging again, I am more worried about the sync.
-If all the files are ProResLT, will there be any issues when it comes to online and linking back to R3D? I imagine it will be a DPX online because it is heavy in VFX.
-Should I transcode the last week also to ProResLT to keep all the media consistent? Or should I transcode the last week of production to MXF? I don't particularly want to have mixed media if I can avoid it.
-Any known hiccups in the Automatic Duck transfer I need to know about?

Any workflow issues people may have had doing this before?

OR
Do I throw up my hands and spend 2 weeks retranscoding to MXF and starting over with logging and syncing in MC5.5?

[Bruce Allen]

http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/45/881553

Another guy doing the exact same thing (FCP bins -> Avid bins).

Summary is:

"You can export your bins as FCP Batch Lists, import into ALE via File/Import, then export from there as ALE (Avid Log Exchange)."

MichaelP of Avid to the rescue again.

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

[Laura Creecy]

Thanks, I was just browsing over at Creative Cow after posting here. I'll copy any answers and problems I encounter over here as well for future reference.

[MichaelP]

Merged clips may be a issue metadata wise. I don't think I've seen a batch file from FCP from merged clips. Since the clip now references two sources, there may be issues downstream when handing off to sound if all file sources only reference video. Please attach a sample batch file...

Michael

[Laura Creecy]

I should also add that there were no lock-it boxes for camera, and the ACs are not great about jamming the slate all the time. TC doesn't match between sound and camera a lot of the time. About 65% of the footage has scratch track, making plural eyes easy to use for that part. I'm just looking for short cuts about having to manually sync the project again.

Is it a merged clip if in the browser, I right click to reveal in finder and it opens 2 windows, one to the sound and one to the video?

[Laura Creecy]

My computer is in pieces in my living room after coming home from set today, I'll post something when I get set up again.

[MichaelP]

It could be problematic since it really is a "container" clip that references two sources, similar to Avid's AutoSync. While one can generate EDL's, lists, and AAF's that properly reference the sources, ALE only references the clip you have highlighted and does not know about multiple sources. I would suspect the same from FCP. Now you can always go back and export batch files for video and sound, then resync, but I don't know how much you'd gain than starting over in MC.

Michael

[Laura Creecy]

This thread basically summed up what I was fearing most and what I have been explaining to production all along. Sigh.

http://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/45/880681

[Peter Moretti]

It could be problematic since it really is a "container" clip that references two sources, similar to Avid's AutoSync. While one can generate EDL's, lists, and AAF's that properly reference the sources, ALE only references the clip you have highlighted and does not know about multiple sources. I would suspect the same from FCP. Now you can always go back and export batch files for video and sound, then resync, but I don't know how much you'd gain than starting over in MC.

Michael

Michael,

If resyncing is to be done in MC, does the project still need to be designated as a "Film project" at the outset to able to adjust the audio and video alignment at increments less than one frame?

If so, do you recommend using 4-perf as the film type? And are there any drawbacks to creating a non film based project as a Film project? I ask this last ? b/c I kind of remember seeing odd timecode display above the source and record monitors (but I could be mistaken) in the last 23.976 video 4-perf Film project I've seen.

Thanks much.

[Laura Creecy]

I've been thinking more about Automatic Duck. My FCP project has a sequence right now for every scene, where every clip is on it and lined up in sync. I am just thinking if it would be a time saver to Automatic Duck the 160 sequences into MC (linked to the ProRes and Wav files) that are lined up already in sync and create new clips and log again - really only making the rework the logging.

... or start from scratch (obviously I am really trying to avoid this with 5TB of raw footage)