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Exporting a massive amount of projects from Avid to Final Cut Pro
I know the first thing you’re going to say is do a forum search. Well I did a forum search and to try and weed through all the posts, well it’s just too much.
But I have a massive amount of Avid Media Composer projects (I’m estimating I’ll be moving about 80) to transfer to Final Cut Pro. I’ll need to move all the footage that was captured within those projects via Beta, DVD, DVCPRO and imported from SDHC cards. Total space taken up in the MXF folder is 1.22TB, that’s a good amount of media to move. However, here’s the curve ball, I use Avid FX for my titling and effects work and not Avid Title or Marquee. And some projects use BCC Effects.
And here are my questions:
1. What is the best AND most efficient way to move everything?
2. What will happen with the Avid FX clips I have on the timeline and the BCC Effects?
3. Is Automatic Duck the only way to go?You have no idea how valuable your knowledge will be to tackling this project. And I know it’s premature, but thank you for your help!
Eric
(I’m also posting this in the Avid forum too.)
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9 Replies
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[Eric Nicastro] “. Total space taken up in the MXF folder is 1.22TB, that’s a good amount of media to move. However, here’s the curve ball, I use Avid FX for my titling and effects work and not Avid Title or Marquee. And some projects use BCC Effects.”
Actually, 1.22TB is really small for 80 projects. We have single projects of 4 to 8TB each.
[Eric Nicastro] “3. Is Automatic Duck the only way to go?”
That and the new tool from Boris are your only choices to do this as smoothly as possible. I have no idea how your AvidFX and BCC tools will transfer over. With the Duck, the regular titles come across just fine, but none of the FX. I have to recreate all the fx on my FCP system.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” featuring Sigourney Weaver coming soon.
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YOu can’t convert full projects. You can only convert SEQUENCES, and for that you need Automatic Duck. That will convert the sequence, and make QT movies that reference the MXF files that Avid uses. But that’s where it stops. There is no way to bring all of the media over with the same project organization…there is no way to convert the PROJECTS and the bin structure.
You can install third party plugins that allow FCP to work with the Avid media, MXF4Mac being the one I recommend. But then you have to import the media and then reorganize everything from scratch. This is not a simple one-step conversion. Not even a two or three step conversion. This is a MASSIVE undertaking, and that is for ONE project. 80? Be prepared for weeks and weeks of work.
[Eric Nicastro] “2. What will happen with the Avid FX clips I have on the timeline and the BCC Effects?”
They go away. They won’t convert. ONly simple things like cuts, dissolves, dips to black stay. Everything else just shows up blank.
Why are you converting? Stick with the Avid on these projects, and then anything NEW do in FCP. I tell you, this is no simple task. SEQUENCES are simple…entire projects with all the media? That’s monumental.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
I’m converting because my company is removing my Avid and sending it to another station. We will no longer have that machine in our building. (It’s a corporate decision, not mine)
Is Automatic Duck the only option? Is there a way to do it manually without third party software? I can probably lessen the amount of sequences to transfer over, 80 was just a rough estimate.
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[Eric Nicastro] “Is Automatic Duck the only option? “
No, the Boris software was also mentioned. https://www.borisfx.com/AAF/
Again, the Duck and Boris will ONLY transfer sequences, not full projects.
[Eric Nicastro] “Is there a way to do it manually without third party software?”
Nope.
Time to tell Corporate the hard reality of their decision. And since Media Composer software is only $2500, and works on Macs and PCs…why not do that? Have a software only station.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Boris says it’s only for going from FCP to Avid. I need to go to FCP from Avid Media Composer (I’m on version 4 by the way).
The main reason I’m transferring these projects is because we’ll go back to them from time to time to make revisions, they are commercial spots, and I don’t want to have to re-digitize all my media and re-edit everything. Am I able to move just the media I captured in Avid to FCP?
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[Eric Nicastro] “Boris says it’s only for going from FCP to Avid. I need to go to FCP from Avid Media Composer (I’m on version 4 by the way).”
Then Automatic Duck is your only option.
[Eric Nicastro] “Am I able to move just the media I captured in Avid to FCP?”
Nope. FCP doesn’t read MXF files without third party software…like I mentioned, MXF4Mac. The media types are uncompatible, but third party solutions add functionality to make them work. This is ONLY possible with third party apps.
[Eric Nicastro] “and I don’t want to have to re-digitize all my media and re-edit everything. “
Then get another Avid in there. Software only if you must. This is something you need to explain to the Corporate guys. You have media that ONLY works on one edit system, and they took that from you. You can get it to work in another “less expensive” software, but only by purchasing other software to make it happen. And thus nearly negating the cost savings.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
I would purchase Avid MC 5 software only. Make revisions as needed, then export the final sequence as a QuickTime and output on FCP.
It will be faster and cheaper in the long run with that many projects.
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[Eric Nicastro] ”
The main reason I’m transferring these projects is because we’ll go back to them from time to time to make revisions, they are commercial spots, and I don’t want to have to re-digitize all my media and re-edit everything. Am I able to move just the media I captured in Avid to FCP?”q
Is this not why you make a master of the project, texted and textless, and just layback to tape?
I agree with everyone else, tell the company it just doesn’t work that way. Either layoff to tape or keep an Avid around. Any new projects will be in FCP.
Best and good luck,
Joey -
Another vote for not doing it. Just tell them it can’t be done.
Matt.
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