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Avid to FCP workflow
I am looking for a way to “seamlessly” switch between Avid and Final Cut Pro. Before you say, it can’t be done, let me explain my situation, and the extent of research I have done on the subject. I’m reaching out the the CC community in hopes of making sense of everything I’ve read.
First things first, we rewrap/ digitize our footage as it comes in onto our Avid unity. We turn all of our fles into .mxf in Avid. We shoot on a variety of cameras including the Sony V1U, Z1U, XDCAM, EX, as well as beta on occasion
We are a-rolling in Avid Media Composer but would like to master/ finish in FCP (don’t ask, long story).
What I would like to be able to do is have a FCP editor open up either the avid project file directly (unlikely) or be able to output a sequence in Avid and have all of the a/v tracks and cuts show up in final cut. Further, I would like for FCP to either read the mxf files or reference them so that I do not have to recapture all of my media.
I have researched a variety of different options including Automatic Duck, Calibrated{Q}, and MXF4Mac. Automatic duck, seemed like our best option. After reading a few tutorials and watching their videos, it seemed as though there was an option, when importing an avid project in FCP to reference the MXF media. When I contacted their sales reps, they made it sound as if this wouldn’t work because of the various camera codecs. I explained that we rewrap in avid to .mxf but they still didn’t think this would work.
I downloaded a trial of Calibrated{Q} and I was able to view .mxf in fcp, but there is no support for bringing over avid files. I’m still waiting on MXF4Mac but I have a feeling it is very similar to Calibrated{Q}.
Has anybody had any experience with this? Has anybody used Automatic duck and successfully referenced rewrapped .mxf files in fcp?
Any help or info would greatly be appreciated!
Too much info…
-Dave
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4 Replies
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[David Sadofsky] ” Before you say, it can’t be done, “
It CAN be done.
[David Sadofsky] “What I would like to be able to do is have a FCP editor open up either the avid project file directly (unlikely)”
Yeah, THAT can’t be done.
[David Sadofsky] ” or be able to output a sequence in Avid and have all of the a/v tracks and cuts show up in final cut. “
That is what you do. By using Automatic Duck.
[David Sadofsky] “Further, I would like for FCP to either read the mxf files or reference them so that I do not have to recapture all of my media. “
Automatic Duck makes QT reference files that point to the Avid media, so FCP can read them and play them back.
[David Sadofsky] “Automatic duck, seemed like our best option.”
It is.
[David Sadofsky] “they made it sound as if this wouldn’t work because of the various camera codecs.”
It will work, but it will be VERY problematic. Because Avid can mix and match footage and frame rates better than FCP. I have done this, and it is a LOT of work, but it is doable.
[David Sadofsky] “Has anybody used Automatic duck and successfully referenced rewrapped .mxf files in fcp?”
On multiple occasions. Very often. Mixed formats does present a new wrinkle though. And mixed frame rates an even bigger one. Especially if you plan on going to COLOR. You might need to break up the one sequence into multiple sequences, each containing one footage type. Difficult when you have a lot of cuts, and effects, I know.
But it can be a big challenge. And one that is far too complex to get into on a forum. It’d take a long time to type all this out, and to see exactly what situation you are in….how your cut is done in the Avid. So many variables involved. If you do plan on going to Color, it might be best to export a self contained file, convert that to ProRes, and chop it up in FCP then send it to Color. But if you plan on taking the sequence from Avid to FCP…then that’s more intense. Stuff that I charge people to figure out. If you cant’ figure it out on your own.
TEST…a lot. But you need Automatic Duck. They have a demo you can use to test with.
Shane
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It can be done… but I don’t know why you’d want to. The hassles and complications that you’re going to come up against are just not worth it.
Although I do it occasionally when I want to grade an Avid editted sequence in Color. I basically playout the Avid sequence to Final Cut Pro and capture it via HD-SDI and then export an EDL.
It’s pretty much a one time deal and not a workflow designed for multiple back and forths.
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FCP and Avid Technical Support
Air Post Production
Shoreditch – London -
Sorry to pipe in when I have nothing real to contribute, but why do codecs play such a big problem in this? Didn’t you transcode all your different footage to DNxHD when doing the offline?
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Thanks everybody for the responses… As far as “why would [I] want to go from avid to fcp,” I don’t want to, but that part is out of my hands. We do import as DNxHD or mp4, and re-wrap as .mxf, and that was why I was so confused as to why, when I spoke with the Automatic Duck rep, he mentioned certain codecs don’t work.
Anyway, Shane, thanks for the detailed response. I’m going to continue to experiment next week and see where that takes me. I’ll repost if I find anything good.
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