Final Cut XML to Clipfinder R3D Conform to Adobe - Mistakes to Avoid

[HD Hildebrand]

I've been struggling, trying to get a Final Cut XML (proxy based) conformed to R3Ds through Clipfinder and then in to Adobe Premiere Pro and eventually After Effects for the longest time. Each time the XML import into PP would fail or there would be a generic error.

Well, I finally figured it out and thought I'd share in case anyone else made the same mistakes.

This is a very complicated long-format cut with 90% Red and 10% DSLR that shot long-exposure timelapse, so there was a mixture of formates.

So, some things not to do:

Do not use Final Cut Pro SLUGS in your timeline or Premiere will crash. Make black TIFFs instead and use those in your timeline in place of slugs before you export XML.

Do not have SUBCLIPS (DSLR Timeline was subclipped) in your FCP timeline or Premiere will crash.

Do not have MULTICLIPS (I didn't have any, but still don't do it) in your FCP timeline or Premiere will crash.

Do not have .CAF audio files (from Garageband or Soundtrack) in your FCP timeline or Premiere will crash.

I'm still having some issues with having audio in the XML and then importing into Premiere. As a result, I'm still only importing the pix and doing the XML/R3D conform with success (have more tests to do with audio). I may just avoid the audio all together, use AE for online and master out audio separately.

Oh, also, any speed changes are not carried over so a lot of cleaning up may be required once you transfer over to Premiere (if you had speed changes or ramps).

Hope this helps someone if you're as stuck as I was.

Cheers,
Dale

 

[Loyd Bateman]

can you just take it straight into after effects?? or do you have to go through premier first??

 

[Luca Immesi]

I've been struggling, trying to get a Final Cut XML (proxy based) conformed to R3Ds through Clipfinder and then in to Adobe Premiere Pro and eventually After Effects for the longest time. Each time the XML import into PP would fail or there would be a generic error.

Well, I finally figured it out and thought I'd share in case anyone else made the same mistakes.

This is a very complicated long-format cut with 90% Red and 10% DSLR that shot long-exposure timelapse, so there was a mixture of formates.

So, some things not to do:

Do not use Final Cut Pro SLUGS in your timeline or Premiere will crash. Make black TIFFs instead and use those in your timeline in place of slugs before you export XML.

Do not have SUBCLIPS (DSLR Timeline was subclipped) in your FCP timeline or Premiere will crash.

Do not have MULTICLIPS (I didn't have any, but still don't do it) in your FCP timeline or Premiere will crash.

Do not have .CAF audio files (from Garageband or Soundtrack) in your FCP timeline or Premiere will crash.

I'm still having some issues with having audio in the XML and then importing into Premiere. As a result, I'm still only importing the pix and doing the XML/R3D conform with success (have more tests to do with audio). I may just avoid the audio all together, use AE for online and master out audio separately.

Oh, also, any speed changes are not carried over so a lot of cleaning up may be required once you transfer over to Premiere (if you had speed changes or ramps).

Hope this helps someone if you're as stuck as I was.

Cheers,
Dale

Good to know. A client asked me to do the same thing. Did you try FCPToAE?

 

[Uli Plank]

You need to go through Premiere first, AE doesn't take the XMLs.

I found audio functions which Adobe lists as compatible but they crash Premiere nevertheless, so better leave audio alone.

 

[Luca Immesi]

You need to go through Premiere first, AE doesn't take the XMLs.

I found audio functions which Adobe lists as compatible but they crash Premiere nevertheless, so better leave audio alone.

A client of mine wants to edit a fcp project I'm working in premiere so I'll export an xml from fcp to premiere but if you need to go from fcp to AE it's better FCPToAE

 

[JoshBertrand]

There's really no need to go through Premiere. Just drop a free AE script like this one into your After Effects Scripts folder. Export XML in Final Cut, conform to R3D's in Clipfinder and import in AE. The process takes less than a minute. It would be good to get the new color science in AE going though.