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Transfer ‘digitised’ video on AVID, to incorporate into an FCP project? Possible?
So here’s the thing.
I was subcontracted out by a TV producer to go work for a GT Race team in a 24 hour event, he was covering for the whole event for broadcast, I apparently was the best cameraman they hadn’t already hired (I know that only sounds like a compliment!). I was contracted out to shoot essentially a souvenir youtube video, basically embedded with the team, I took a few small onboard cameras, cut in to their pit to car comms system with a radio mic kit on to the channel 2 of my camera shooting DVCam Tape, I wasn’t even hired to edit the finished video. Anyway upshot was 12 hours of tape and comms, 10 hours onboard footage… And it turns out I was lent out to the winning team. Go figure.
Anyway the TV Broadcast was shot on DVCam, so I did the same, just in case. Yes they’ve borrowed a little of the footage, and the broadcast goes out next week. But as I’ve ended up essentially shooting the personal inside documentary of the victorious team, I’m potentially sitting on another more personal, and perhaps for more interesting human story program. Only it’s up to me, no one wants to do the work, I see an opportunity, even if it only makes it to the web, it would an amazing calling card, and desperately needed narrative editing practice for me.
Now here’s the problem, much to my surprise, the TV company are more than happy to give me all their video material, as much as I can take, but they digitised all the material in/through an Avid system. I work in Mac/Final Cut. I can pretty much guess the answer but I’m going to ask it, how do I, or perhaps could I get their avid footage into my RAID to work into my FCP project.
I’ll take a large G-Tech if need be to get the digital files, but can I work with this material? Can you get it into FCP in a workable form, just the files, not interested in their edit, just the footage. Do able? Or just too mad to contemplate?
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7 Replies
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The answer may be as simple as downloading the Avid DNXHD codec. It’s like ProRes, only owned by those other guys.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.comPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums. Formerly host of the Apple Final Cut Basics, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.
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So are you saying go grab all digital material on to something portable, transfer it to my RAID, then download the Avid Codec, push and pull and prod it a bit and I could be in business?
It couldn’t be that simple?!
Do you think I should run this by our cousins on the Avid forum?
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No real need to check with the Avid guys, just check with your client to make sure they have in fact captured using the DNXHD codec. I’ve used it in FCP, it was seamless.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.comPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums. Formerly host of the Apple Final Cut Basics, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.
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The Avid codec only allows you to see Avide QUICKIME encoded files. Avid doesn’t capture to Quicktime…it captures to MXF. You need to but third party software, like Calibrated or MXF4Mac. And then you can view the raw files. But, audio and video will be separate…that’s what Avid does.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
You see I figured it would get complicated. I notice DNXHD is an HD codec, I’m certain they shot DVCam.
I shall make enquiries but the producer is all business not editor.
But thanks guys, if it flies I ‘m certain there’s a whole can of worms I’m sure I’ll be back to open with you all.
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[Shane Ross] “But, audio and video will be separate…that’s what Avid does.”
If you decide on the MXF4mac route, MXF4mac has a little helper application called Atomic Fusion that will combine all of the necessary MXF files and fire them all over to FCP as clips with the proper audio and video attached.
Jeremy
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It is SO SIMPLE!
On their sytem:
Copy the Avid Mediafiles folder to your drive.
Unmount their media drive
Files are now online in Avid, but reside on your drive.
Go into the bins, select all clips, export to QT ref.
(put them on your mediadrive as well)Now, make sure you have the Avid codecs installed.
(perhaps not needed if they ingested as DVCam)If you have no TC (older avid versions), or want a Reelname as well, use QTchange.
Videotour here:
https://www.videotoolshed.com/product/42/qtchangeBouke
https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros
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