Avid EDL import

[Walter Biscardi]

[Tom Bridges] “We’ve been having to deal with Avid EDLs for conforming in FCP on a fairly regular basis recently.”

Purchase Automatic Duck Pro Importer. Then you have the Avid editor send you an OMF for conforming. The Avid OMF opens up as a Bin and Timeline in your FCP Project. Been doing this for almost two years now with a network series and it just works.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Tom Bridges]

Excellent. Just what we’re after. Thanks Walter.

Have you come across glitches with EDLs before?

Tom

Split Image
http://www.split-image.co.uk

[Nick Price]

Hi Tom,
we have been importing edls from Avid version 7 to FCp for 2 years now without any major problems. There is sometimes a half frame difference in recapturing using firewire versus using an RS422 port, but otherwise everything has always been frame accurate.

Try using a diferent edl version. I believe we use CMX1000, perhaps try grass valley etc..but ours work fine. unless you use lots of FX i dont see the point in Duck, cos you are meant to recapture with that anyway!

cheers
nick

[Walter Biscardi]

[Tom Bridges] “Have you come across glitches with EDLs before?”

EDL’s are just a pain in the rear so I avoid them at all costs. OMF is just so easy. Open up a timeline and capture.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Mark Raudonis]

Tom,

In my opinion your ‘”Slippage” issues may have less to do with FCP, and more to do with HOW you’re digitizing. Have you ever done an “uprez” test using an Avid to see if you have the same problem?

I would examine your off-line digitizing process and try to identify any problems along the way. For example, a firewire controlled deck is less accurate than an RS-422 controlled controlled deck. Are you digitizing directly from the master tapes or from dubs? Are you using the same kind of deck for both off-line and on-line? Have you checked and adjusted the “off-sets” in FCP? These are just a few of the factors that can contribute to the slippage.

Regardless whether you use auto duck and digitize from the sequence or from an edl, you’ve still got to chase down these gremlins in the workflow.

By the way, we compare and check every final output to the off-line and DO end up having to “adjust” more shots than I’d like.

Mark

[Tom Bridges]

Thanks for your input Mark. Unfortunately the offline process is out of our hands: clients come to us with EDLs for onlining. But you’ve raised some very valid points that will be well worth investigating.

What still stumps me, though, is the fact that the slippage isn’t constant. We’ve observed the same thing coming in from everything from Digi masters over RS422 to HDV dupes (ugh). Our tech guy maintains that it’s a known bug with Avid EDLs

[Mark Raudonis]

Tom,

Well, if you have no control over the off-line process, then you’re basically hosed! Unless you can do methodical tests to identify where the problem is occurring, it seems like you’re just going to have to “fix it in post”!

Known areas where EDL’s/sequences have problems: Speed changes, still frames, “non standard” sources like hi8, VHS, etc.

Yes it’s frustrating, but I’d suggest you “pass on your costs” to your client. If you’re processing an innaccurate list, it’s going to take you longer to complete and that translates to a larger invoice. If your client balks, put the responsibility for accuracy on their shoulders, not yours. (Garbage in, garbage out).

Back in the stone age (when I got started) we would cross check every EDL against the off-line cut BEFORE we went into the ONLINE room. I wouldn’t have dreamed of just turning it over and hoping it would be OK. These days, most folks either don’t know how to do this, don’t want to do this, or just blindly think it’s going to be perfect. You may want to take the time to educate your clients about this “slippage” issue and get them to “share your pain”.

Good luck.

Mark