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Adding Reel Info for EDL
Hello Everyone!
Long time reader, first post.
I have a ton of alexa and canon DSLR footage from a shoot. The problem is with the DSLR stuff, particularly the 7D that was on set.
The camera was resetting the timecode and sequential file naming every time a card was changed, so basically I have a ton of clips with duplicate names. My worry is that it comes time to create an EDL, it won’t reference the proper clips. I realize there are several fixes to this but the edit is in full swing and time is a big issue, so I’m wondering if I can simply add unique reel info to each card?
Thanks and do let me know if you need more info.
-Alex
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9 Replies
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If you Log & Transfer’d the files into FCP using the Canon plugin you would have both timecode and reel number.
Reel numbers can be added in FCP or take a look at QTchange from Bouke Vahl who is a semi regular poster here.
https://www.videotoolshed.com/product/42/qtchange
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Thanks Michael.
I am aware that the footage should be log and transferred, but editing has already begun with dailies the DIT created (without reel and timecode). So I’m trying to find a way to reconnect the dailes to the originals when it comes time to color correct. If I re log and transfer the proper way, TC will be off and it won’t reconnect. I was hoping adding reel information would be enough to distinguish clips that may share a file name in an EDL.
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Shame. The best way to reconnect to proxies would be via L&T. There is a sort of timecode in Canon files, basically time of day. If done via Compressor or Mpegstreamclip all the files will start at zero so already you have lots of clips with identical code which is a disaster in EDLs. Hopefully the clip names are identical to the original files.
Bouke’s software is probably the best bet if you are going an EDL route
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What on earth would the EDL be for anyway? It really doesn’t have any application in this tapeless, timecodeless situation anyway. Does it?
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Unfortunately it does. We primarily use a color house that requires them.
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So do you output an edl for each layer or what?
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Nope. I bring everything down to track 1.
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Ah. I usually have about 10+ layers. Doesn’t everybody?
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Alex,
If you relog and transfer, and the file lengths AND file names match exactly, you should be able to reconnect and not screw up your edit. This is because FCP simply lines up the first frame of picture when you do a “force” reconnect. At least, it has for me in the past. You can do a couple clips and test to see if it works.
Then you’ll have real timecode and correct reel names.
FWIW, I like to append the reel name to my file names when I ingest, so every file name is unique across the board. So my clips look like “001A_MVI_9999.mov”
You definitely won’t be able to spit out a proper EDL until you add reel names to your clips. My guess is that is enough information to make each asset unique enough for the conform to work. But what if the post house is doing the conform based on the camera’s TOD timecode that your ingest process has thrown away (I’m assuming they will be going back to the original cards).
In any case, this sounds like a conversation you should be having with the post facility.
hth,
Matt Lyon
Editor
Toronto
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