Successful offline Avid edit Conformed to DI

[gbalaji]

Successfully completed a Television Commercial for Chennai Marathon 2008 from Shoot to finish in 3 days. The Commercial was shot last Friday (15 Aug 2008) in 4k 2:1 @ 24 fps and 2k 2:1 in 120 fps (fewer shots). The client insisted for avid based workflow (challenging).

On Friday night, I down-convert and created offline all 40GB of material (full rush) to Photo-jpeg Quick Time movie (SD PAL) which comes to roughly around 2 GB (full rushes). Using Metacheater created ALE for entire offline dailies. Offline Rushes and ALE were handed over to Editing team Saturday morning 8AM.

Final edit were given to me on Sunday morning 9AM. Tried to use Avid CMX 3600 EDL (RED EDL) by Metacheater to get the edit to FCP, unfortunately it doesn't work out.

Exported Final Edit (2 versions) as OMF 2.0. Used Pro Import FCP (Automatic Duck) and import the OMF to get the exact version of the Avid Sequence to FCP Timeline including the text track.

Exported XML from FCP (after removing effects from timeline like speed and dissolves) and used crimson to generate XML which is understandable by RedCine.

Finally loaded intermediate shots required for edit length (multiple versions) and telecine.xml and exported as 10-bit DPX in 720 X 576 with Fit to Height options in Shot Tab and used RedSpace for both Color space & Gamma, Since the DI team asked for linear color space.

The Final DPX images were color timed in Smoke using my EDL and DPX and laid to Digi-Beta Tape and handed over to Channel for Broadcast.

All happened in a span of 3 days is great achievement for the entire crew who were part of the post-process.

Thanks for Automatic Duck, Crimson, FCP, Avid, RedCine and entire Red Team for making file based workflow a reality.

 

[Wayne D]

i'm exhausted just from reading that!

well done!

any vision you can post?

 

[MichaelP]

Was the issue in generating the EDL from Avid, or getting it into FCP?

Michael

 

[Gunleik Groven]

Hi

Have had a hard time with the same issues.
First I got what showed up to be a bad edl. I guess effects was the issue.

fun thing was that when i Re-linked in fCP, the ins and outs looked right, but when I sent it further down the chain, everything went wrong.

Second attempt today, I got an edl that I was told that was done with the metacheater avid RED edl template.

Just one file got wrong info.

With the first attempt, the problems were persistent, also after copying alle the clips to a new timeline.
Now, just one clip got lost...

G

 

[gbalaji]

EDL importing to FCP no File names

EDL importing to FCP no File names

Was the issue in generating the EDL from Avid, or getting it into FCP?

Michael

EDL imported to FCP exported from AVID using RED16 EDL doesn't carry file name in FCP.

 

[arapro]

Ok, so in order to have a commercial ready in three days, shot in RED, you need:

+FCP
+Crimson
+A. Duck
+AVID
+Smoke or grading System

Whoa ! that is painful ! And Expensive ...

 

[gbalaji]

Ok, so in order to have a commercial ready in three days, shot in RED, you need:

+FCP
+Crimson
+A. Duck
+AVID
+Smoke or grading System

Whoa ! that is painful ! And Expensive ...

try monkey extractor. I'm testing out this for a commercial and will update by tomorrow. Presently conforming.

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

doesnt it suck that you need so many steps?

 

[Alex Carr]

Ok, so in order to have a commercial ready in three days, shot in RED, you need:

+FCP
+Crimson
+A. Duck
+AVID
+Smoke or grading System

Whoa ! that is painful ! And Expensive ...

For an Avid Workflow,

Final Cut is still the same as Its ever been.

Ingest Pro res Offline,
Edit,
Online,
Color,
Print

 

[MichaelP]

Not the same workflow comparison. If you want to finish in Quantel why not just send the EDL directly? The FCP comparison would look like this in Avid:

Ingest DNxHD offline or online,
Edit,
Online,
Color Correct,
Print

Michael

 

[arapro]

So, is there a way to get out an EDL/XML from Avid version 3 into REDCINE for conform to DPX files ? We have baselights that use only DPX, or best !

An has anyone encountered problems with keys from the RED camera ?

 

[Gunleik Groven]

Yup, but not the way you really want it to work.

Export EDL from AVID (no speedchanges, efx or anything fun...)

Import into FCP.
Relink
Export xml
Open xml in Crimsonworkflow

If the shots are more or less homogenus: do onelight in crimson (independently of length and number of shots/cuts) OR export to RedCine, most likely in batches.

That works.... But takes time

 

[gbalaji]

The purpose of the post is to work with Red footage in Avid and get the files out to DI. I believe the steps are more complex and until we have better solution its better to get a workable solution rather than complaining.

I tried Monkey Extractor for commercial today. Faced couple of issues relating to finding R3D files for the EDL created from Avid / FCP on Monkey Extractor version 103 and already posted bug report. Planning to use Monkey Extractor again for a Music Concert shot using 7 Red One last week in Chennai, India.

 

[arapro]

@Gunleik

I actually never tough of doing that !

that could work quite well, I ll give it a try !

Now I am having other issues with the colorist and DI operators, as to what type of format and specs to render out DPX files out of redcine. Wether to export 4k files and let the baselight do the conversion, or do it in redcine !
Anyone's got any ideas in this reagard ?

 

[Marcus Vasques Osorio]

agree with michael, when it comes to the AVID workflo.

ingest QT's for offline
xml-->redline script
conform in FM + grade
print

mahvo

 

[lab601]

@Gunleik
to what type of format and specs to render out DPX files out of redcine.

i am also interested if anyone has a target finishing system grid that would map optimum gamma and colourspace settings to the various finishing system scenarios.

dave

 

[Babu Kantamneni]

Good work balaji.
Mike suggestion seems to be shorter path.
bABU

 

[Dylan Reeve]

Our process on a number of music videos and other things was:

1) Ingest QT Reference to Avid at DV25 for Offline
2) Export EDL from Avid
3) Create DPX files from EDL (something like MonkeyExtractor should be able to do this - I used my own script)
4) Take DPX files and EDL to conform system (in this case BaseLight)

Overall it was pretty painless. Never needed to introduct Crimson, FCP or Automatic Duck into the process.

 

[Nigel Stanford]

I tried Monkey Extractor for commercial today. Faced couple of issues relating to finding R3D files for the EDL created from Avid / FCP on Monkey Extractor version 103 and already posted bug report. Planning to use Monkey Extractor again for a Music Concert shot using 7 Red One last week in Chennai, India.

Hi gbalaji, did you solve your issues? We have a new version today 1.104 which has a few fixes in it, and OSX tiger support. Let me know what problems you're having I'm sure we can get them sorted out.

 

[gbalaji]

Thanks nigel. WOrking on middle of project. Will update once the edit is over. Planning to use Monkey Extract for the project.