Change timecode on Red files?

[AndreasOberg]

Can you actually change the timecode on red files? I can so far only view it but not change it.
We edit in FCPX but it seems you cannot change the timecode in FCPX either, only the creation time which is not quite the same.

For mov files I found that I can use QT Mov to manually edit the timecode, very nice.
Any other tips for working with timecode in post?
/Andreas

 

[MichaelP]

I'm curious as to your workflow where you feel the need to change the timecode on the camera original. But that being said, I don't believe there is a way to change it on the R3D file itself, but you could changed it on .mov exports of the file itself.

Michael

 

[D Fuller]

For mov files I found that I can use QT Mov to manually edit the timecode, very nice.
Any other tips for working with timecode in post?

My advice is: don't change the time code. That way lies madness. ;-}

 

[AndreasOberg]

Something happened with our jam sync so the timecode is VERY strange. But for the future I hope to never repeat the mistake.
So probably no way then?
/Andreas

 

[D Fuller]

Something happened with our jam sync so the timecode is VERY strange. But for the future I hope to never repeat the mistake.
So probably no way then?
/Andreas

I don't think so. But there are ways in most editing tools to use offsets. If the error is consistent, is should not be too painful. If the error is not consistent, its gonna be a bit of a project. But no more so than sound sync the old fashioned way.

 

[Clark Dunbar]

export the file in what ever time-code you shot - then import and 'Re-time' in AfterEffects - and export from AE to your required specs (to the best practice - but that should work)

 

[D Fuller]

export the file in what ever time-code you shot - then import and 'Re-time' in AfterEffects - and export from AE to your required specs (to the best practice - but that should work)

That'll work to change the TC, but think it through carefully, because you're likely to be in the weeds if you ever want to get back to the original camera files.

 

[Clark Dunbar]

BUT - if your exporting say 'ProRes" thru that process to work with and you keep the original 'r3d' then you can always go back to the original r3d for whatever you need

 

[D Fuller]

BUT - if your exporting say 'ProRes" thru that process to work with and you keep the original 'r3d' then you can always go back to the original r3d for whatever you need

You can, but if the time code is different, then the conform will be completely manual, and that will suck. Edit systems have tools to deal with offset, to gang clips with differing TC, etc. but if you don't use them, you will be on your own when it comes time to confirming the prores to the camera files. If you are working on a commercial, that might not be too bad a job. If you're working on a longer-form piece, it's gonna be a long day.

 

[Clark Dunbar]

Andreas is asking about 'fixing' a problem set of clips.... I wouldn't expect anyone to rely on a re-timing in any app as a common practice.

 

[D Fuller]

Andreas is asking about 'fixing' a problem set of clips.... I wouldn't expect anyone to rely on a re-timing in any app as a common practice.

Understood. And as I said above, what you suggested will work to change the TC. But he should think through carefully what he's going to need to do down the line. No offense intended at all. It's just that I've done the manual conform thing, and it wasn't that much fun.

 

[jake blackstone]

You can change R3D clip TC in Resolve in clip attributes. You can set the TC to anything you like and then you can go to the timeline, select it and use a trim function to export a new R3D presumably with the new TC. I have done all this (changing TC, exporting the trim) and it all works, I just never done it all together, I'm curios if the TC change will work in this case…

 

[D Fuller]

You can change R3D clip TC in Resolve in clip attributes. You can set the TC to anything you like and then you can go to the timeline, select it and use a trim function to export a new R3D presumably with the new TC. I have done all this (changing TC, exporting the trim) and it all works, I just never done it all together, I'm curios if the TC change will work in this case…

Now that's interesting. One of us ought to test it.

 

[D Fuller]

You can change R3D clip TC in Resolve in clip attributes. You can set the TC to anything you like and then you can go to the timeline, select it and use a trim function to export a new R3D presumably with the new TC. I have done all this (changing TC, exporting the trim) and it all works, I just never done it all together, I'm curios if the TC change will work in this case…

Nope. It works within resolve, but the RD3 trim has the original clip timecode.

 

[AndreasOberg]

Thanks a lot for the advice guys! I think I will keep the incorrect timecode on the red files and just use the names to order them. However I'm fixing all the material that we filmed with our 5D and even 700D as well.
Looks like we will spend literary a month to sync this all up, hehe.

On the matter of timecode. What would you guys suggest for syncing multiple cameras of various quality. We used mainly our Epic and sound devices 788T last time together with a lockit box. That will work next time when we do it the RIGHT way (I think I had a beta build with a bugged timecode last time. I had tested everything else, but had never used timecode so that was the one thing I didnt verify...).

Now next time I plan on using more simpler cameras and maybe simpler recorders as well. How would you guys do to sync
- Red Epic
- Sound Devices 788.
- Cheaper recorders without timecode.
- Canon 5D (timecode cannot be set externally)
- Canon 700D (doesnt even have timecode)
- GoPro. Don't know if it has timecode, probably not.

I'm loosing hair trying to figure this out... This is a possible plan:
Have a lockit box and jam sync an iPAD/iPhone App Movieslate for example. Now this should display the timecode on the slate. Also jam sync the Epic and the Sound Devices.
The cheaper cameras 5D, 700D, GoPro will see the timecode on the movieslate. This means I can use QT Edit to get exact timecode on these mov files. As I understand MovieSlate can wirelessly sync to other iphones so you can hold them in fromt of the smaller cameras if they are too far away from the iPad slate.

I have no idea how to sync the cheaper recorders. Send in a sound somehow?
Solution 2) I guess I could use the fancier slates that have digital numbers on them as well. They are a bit pricy at 1400 dollars though.

Solution 3) Use scratch track on everything. This will make it easy to sync in FCPX. I will aim to have a scratch track anyway if something goes wrong with the timecode, also just easier to look at for dailies.
4) Send in a wireless scratch track to the Epic from the bigger recorder.

Do you guys have any better solutions? I really REALLY would like to avoid the mess we created this time (Thank God the footage is fantastic making it all worthwhile!).
/Andreas