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  • Converting a Project from Premiere CS5 to FCPX

    Posted by Sam Rappold on March 2, 2013 at 11:04 pm

    A former client asked me if it would be possible to convert a project edited in Premiere Pro to FCPX. I know that it is possible to export a Final Cut xml from Premiere, but I have been told that FCPX handles xmls differently then FCP7 and below did. The reason for wanting to use X rather then 7 is that the project file contain R3D media that FCP7 cannot handle. I haven’t used FCPX yet myself, so I honestly don’t know if this is doable. Does anyone here know?

    -Sam Rappold

    Angelo Lorenzo replied 13 years, 2 months ago 4 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • Ryan Holmes

    March 3, 2013 at 12:00 am

    You’d probably have to go CS5–>FCP7–>FCPX.

    XML out of CS5 into FCP7. Fix any errors there. Then from FCP7 you’d export another XML file and open that in a program called 7toX ($10 in the App Store) in order to translate the FCP7 XML into the correct language for FCP X:
    https://assistedediting.intelligentassistance.com/7toX/

    Ryan Holmes
    http://www.ryanholmes.me
    vimeo.com/ryanholmes

  • Lowell Johnson

    March 3, 2013 at 12:01 am

    does final cut x handle r3d then??
    I wasn’t aware of this

  • Ryan Holmes

    March 3, 2013 at 12:26 am

    [Lowell Johnson] “does final cut x handle r3d then?”

    As of last Fall when Apple released the 10.0.6 update it could handle RED files. According to Apple’s white paper workflow for RED inside of FCP X you can drop RAW r3d files directly into FCP X, transcoding to ProRes is optional. I have not worked with this type of media in FCP X so I can’t verify….your mileage may vary….

    https://images.apple.com/finalcutpro/docs/RED_Workflows_with_Final_Cut_Pro_X.pdf

    Ryan Holmes
    http://www.ryanholmes.me
    vimeo.com/ryanholmes

  • Sam Rappold

    March 3, 2013 at 1:43 am

    Thanks for the information Ryan. I just have one questions about the method you suggested. You say I should open the XML in FCP7 and fix errors there before moving to X. But if FCP7 can’t read the R3D files, how would I be able to check for errors, since all the footage will read as offline? If I export an xml from an FCP7 project with with the file reading as offline, will FCPX be able to reconnect the files when it opens the xml?

    I’m not trying to be contrary or anything. I just want to understand the process fully. Thank you.

    -Sam Rappold

  • Ryan Holmes

    March 3, 2013 at 2:12 am

    [Sam Rappold] “But if FCP7 can’t read the R3D files, how would I be able to check for errors, since all the footage will read as offline?”

    Sam – that’s a good point! It’s Saturday…my brain isn’t working. I stop thinking sometime around 6PM on Friday! 😉 Sorry about that…

    Technically speaking, since Premiere Pro outputs a FCP style XML you should be able to take that straight into the 7toX app and then into FCP X, thereby bypassing FCP7 and never having to worry about your raw r3d files not relinking.

    Here’s what the Intelligent Assistance website says regrading 7toX:

    Requirement: An application that exports Final Cut Pro XML (such as Final Cut Pro 7 or 6, Premiere Pro CS6 etc.)

    I’m not sure if that means that CS5 would work though. I don’t think Adobe changed much in their XML export between CS5 and CS6 (but I’ve been wrong before as you so effortlessly pointed out! 😉 You should probably drop them a line and check for yourself before moving forward: info@AssistedEditing.com

    Otherwise, I’m guessing you’d need to create proxy files of your r3d’s and then jump from CS5 to FCP7, fix errors using the proxy files, export XML from FCP7, ingest into 7toX app, being translated XML into FCPX, relink to r3d files. That would be a pain though. Hopefully you can go from CS5 to the Intelligent Assistance app and be done.

    Technically if you need to CS6, Adobe offers a free 30-day trial. So you could just upgrade your project to CS6, XML out and into 7toX, and then into FCPX.

    Clear as mud?! 🙂

    Ryan Holmes
    http://www.ryanholmes.me
    vimeo.com/ryanholmes

  • Angelo Lorenzo

    March 3, 2013 at 2:29 am

    FCP7 does handle RED media https://www.red.com/downloads/5086c46b17ef0223980000b3

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    Angelo Lorenzo

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