Convert FCP project file to Media composer 5

[Job Ter burg]

I’ve been in a similar scenario 2 years ago. I was the editor preferring Avid in that case. An added challenge was that that project had double system sound, so every clip had been synced up in FCP.

Turned out to be a lot of hassle.

We imported all P2 originals into Avid, converting them to DNxHD120.
Imported all the BWAV’s into Avid. Synced everything up in Avid.

Then we took two important versions of the edit that had been made, and we rebuilt them in Avid. Part with the help of Automatic Duck, part with EDL’s, and all sound manually (so it would refer to the sync clips rather than the BWAVs).

Also note that the clips you have converted to Quicktime have been compromised, as FCP/QT change the gamma of these clips. If you take the originals into Avid, you’ll have the original quality of the clips.

But yes, in theory you could work from those QT’s. I just wouldn’t recommend it.

[Maya Stark]

Hey, thanks for your quick reply.

Excuse my ignorance, but can’t you export an xml file and re-link the clips to the sequences?
It sounds like most of the work needs to be done manually. Is there no way to convert a whole FCP
project file into avid MC5?

[Job Ter burg]

An entire project? No.

You may have some luck using Automatic Duck to convert sequences from one to the other.

Source clips you could re-import and relink afterwards. Possibly.

But this is not as easy as any one of us would hope it to be.

You are basically looking at restarting an entire project, hopefully being able to bring some work across.

[Job Ter burg]

Also, yes you can export XML from FCP, but you cannot import XML into Avid.

EDL’s could work, but my cause headaches because of EDL format limitations.

Automatic Duck translates sequences from one to the other. But it is meant to bring across complete sequences, not to bring across projects mid-stream.

[Shane Ross]

Just to back up Job…

You cannot bring over a FULL project from FCP to Avid, or Avid to FCP. The best you can do is edited sequences, or raw media. But bin structure and organization…nope. Avid doesn’t do XML.

And a big issue you will run into is that Avid MC…even MC5…doesn’t recognize the DVCPRO HD quicktime codec that FCP wraps the MXF files as. You have to have FCP installed on the machine, or have a third party decoder installed in order for MC5 to see it.

https://www.calibratedsoftware.com/QDVCProHD.asp

MC5 will work with ProRes natively, as the decoder is built into QT 7.6. But the footage you have isn’t ProRes, it’s DVCPRO HD.

So they will have to install MC5, and FCP on the same drive, then use AMA to see all the footage, then transcode it to DNxHD…then organize it. Then use Automatic duck to convert the existing sequences over.

Or learn to use FCP and just finish the show in FCP.

What is simpler and less time consuming?

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Kris Anderson]

If you’re already quite a way in to the project, which it sounds like you are, I think the wisest course of action would be to stick with Final Cut until you’re done. As the other guys have said, it’s possible but it’s going to be a major PITA.

Perhaps if the editor was responsible for all the changeover grief he/she might think twice?

[Job Ter burg]

Actually, I was in that same situation. It took us a few days to get things sorted out. Then we worked on Avid for around 4 weeks. And since it was file-based, no other conform was needed, so this was “online” as well.

Well worth it, to me, back then. YMMV.

[Maya Stark]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your thoughts!
the decision to work on Avid has been made already. I don’t mind taking a whole week to make sure
the transfer is done correctly. I just want to make sure I understand how to do it step by step.

I was a bit confused as to what the steps are and would love to be able to read
it step by step. I basically open a new Avid project and transcode all the P2 files into DNxHD files
with Avid’s AMA. Why do I need to have a final cut project on the same hard drive? I guess I can
just transfer the rough cut sequence into avid. Anyway, it would be great to get the step by step.

Thanks!

[Job Ter burg]

You would only need to have FCP on the same system if you want to use the mov-files that you have created in FCP, as they will have been created in the (very incompatible) Apple DVCPROHD codec, rather than Panasonic’s (very compatible) one.

Is this double system (meaning: was sound recorded separately)?

If not (sound has only been recorded on the P2 camcorder), then indeed, bring all the original P2 files into Avid. You can keep them at DVCPROHD or you can transcode them into DNxHD (anything over 100 will do). As this is long-form, don’t keep these clips in AMA, consolidate or transcode them into the Avid’s media structure.

Decide which sequences you need to bring across.

Either use an EDL and see if you can make that relink, or use Automatic Duck to convert the FCP sequence(s) into (an) Avid one(s). Then try to relink.

The relinking process may be difficult. Avid will need a source tape and source timecode to match in order to be able to relink.

If you do have double system sound, it all becomes a little more complicated.

[Maya Stark]

Our project is not a double system so i think we’ll have a fairly easy job transferring the P2 files into
the Avid workflow. I have never done this before (transfer P2 files into the Avid system) only in final Cut, but it sounds like there should be no problem transcoding the files and bringing them into the Avid project file with AMA. in Final cut there is the “log and transfer” window. I guess it’s the equivalent to the AMA in Avid?