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Avid MC 7 & Davinci Resolve 10 workflow question
Hi everyone
I am about to start a project and have a couple of questions about the Davinci – Avid route
The film is being shot on the Alexa Classic. Both picture and sound are being shot at 24fps and the project will be edited in MediaComposer 7. I’ve been informed that we will receive graded MXF files at DNxHD 36. The rushes will be graded and the DIT will sync audio with Davinci Resolve 10. I’ve not received sync rushes via this route before and was wondering if the Davinci system can create bins that avid can read or if it can create Flex files. Has anyone experienced any problems with this work flow?
thank you
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17 Replies
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Resolve makes ALE files that ay or may not include ASC CDL values is used. You will want to make sure that the DIT/DAta Wrangler is correctly applying the filename metadata to the clips before creating the DNxHD proxy as I have seen way too many posts on forums where the REEL ID was wrong or missing entirely. I blogged about it a few months back:
https://24p.com/wordpress/?p=24Are you providing specifications to the DIT/Data Wrangler? This would be specs for how things should be logged, burn-ins (which fields and where), camera reports, issues with framing and focus, etc. It seems more and more that the process is getting reversed and editorial is provided with whatever is the DIT/Data Wrangler is familiar with. Be sure to look at your clips when you get them and make sure you have metadata in either the TAPE or SOURCE FILE column. In this scenario, it will be TAPE. And because it is Alexa, you can have either the embedded REEL from the camera originals or the filename itself. This can impact how you do a conform downstream. If in Avid via AMA you will want one over the other. Is the DIT/Data Wangler familiar with the downstream workflows to ask and provide the proper REEL ID?
When working in this area, and all related to “what you pay for”, is that a “dailies” provider has a spec sheet they hand out for what is needed. And these systems usually have a Media Composer on them so that they can verify essence and metadata in the bin before handing over to the client and sending everything ready to be dropped in and opened.
In what I can interpret for the above scenario, you will have to do some ALE merging and such to ensure all the metadata is there.
Michael
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And the previous response is not directed at Resolve directly, but any dailies service provider using whatever tool they choose to use, be it Resolve, Colorfront, MTI Cortex, Scratch, etc. I’ve just seen too many horror stories with dailies being provided by DIT/Data Wranglers that don’t have a lot of Post Experience and think it is only applying a LUT and transcode.
Michael
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Hi Michael
thanks for replying so quickly. Much appreciated. I’ve asked for my usual burns ins to be in the masked off area n the picture, and the DIT seems fine with that. With regards to logging info, we have had some discussions, but i’ll double check that we are on the same wavelength and make sure that everything is clear. Are graded MXF files the correct thing to ask for, or should i be asking for something else? I’ve mainly asked for MXF files on other systems.
you mentioned that the DITs logging system could have an impact on the conform. “you can have either the embedded REEL from the camera originals or the filename itself” – what would you recommend?
I just want to make sure i ask the DIT for the easiest most compatible system.thanks again
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sure, I totally agree and just want to make sure that i ask the DIT for the correct things
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I just did a quick sync test in Resolve and as much a I love Resolve for everything it can do, and they have made huge efforts in the dailies side of things, there is still one important piece of metadata missing from the ALE file; namely the name of the original BWF audio file. I have brought this to Resolve’s attention, but has not yet made it’s way into a release. So that can have an impact on how audio will be conformed downstream. Should they ever need to go back to the original BWF for whatever reason, it will be a painful process. Which brings up another question – is the DIT/Data Wrangler syncing all audio tracks, or are they MIX + ISO tracks, and if so, how many? This is based on editor preference.
As far as REEL ID, you have to ask prducers, post super, or whomever is managing the conform and finishing process how they want to proceed. If it is to be done in an Avid via AMA then only the entire filename will work. If anywhere else, then they can use either embedded or filename.
Here is an ALE export from a single clip sync and you can see what is coming from a straight up timecode sync. Which raises another question – are they provided true sync dailies or just timecode sync dailies? If the latter, I have exact sync by timecode to be true, maybe 40% of the time depending on your definition of sync. This was covered in another blog I wrote: https://24p.com/wordpress/?p=16
Below is the ALE for 1 event with no additonal logging and syncing based on timecode only. Copy/paste into a new file which should retain the TABs. For easier column alignment, import into a bin (custom view to start so all columns are seen) or open in Excel.
Heading
FIELD_DELIM TABS
VIDEO_FORMAT 1080
AUDIO_FORMAT 48khz
FPS 23.976Column
Name Tracks Start End Take Tape UNC FPS Reel # Scene Shoot date Manufacturer Source Resolution Source Bit Depth DESCRIPT Comments Audio SR Audio Bit Depth Auxiliary TC1 Soundroll TRK1 TRK2 TRK3 TRK4 TRK5 TRK6 TRK7 TRK8 Circled TakeData
MVI_2550.MOV VA1A2A3A4A5A6A7A8 13:41:20:00 13:43:38:21 1 /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/michael/Desktop/Original Audio sync Test/MVI_2550.MOV 23.98 29 2010-08-05 DaVinci Resolve 1920×1080 8 Good take for Bobby 48000 16 13:41:20:00 08052010 MixL MixR Bobby_Lav Lucy_Lav Bobby_Boom Lucy_Boom Ambience_L Ambience_R TRUE -
I’d strongly recommend against data wranglers doing the syncing. Way safer to have that done in editorial.
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I agree with Job for a variety of reasons, especially for feature work. Televisions workflows have different turnaround needs and syncing dailies is the norm.
Michael
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I agree, i always re-sync in the avid, but for speed on set, the wrangler will be syncing in order ti create dvdd for everyone, then they will be shipping rushes to us (we are in different countries for some of the shoot). I’ll receive the MXF field and sound and then log and re-sync.
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Great, that all makes perfect sense. Syncing via resolve is purely for crew dvds. I’ll re-sync everything in the avid. I’ll talk to the DI team now about delivery for the conform and iron out any issues with logging this week.
Due to camera and sound both being shot at 24fps i was going to set up the project as
1920/1080p 24fps.Thanks again for all your help
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Are you in a PAL or NTSC based country? Just making sure that 24.000 versus 23.976 for ease of worklfows during post.
Michael
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