How to online HD using an EDL in FCP5

[John Pale]

You dont need an EDL, you just need the project file. I won’t go into detail, as you are not the editor, but using the project file and media manager you should be good to go. Its all in the FCP Manual and Help Menu.

[Jon Fordham]

I not AN editor. But unfortunately, I am THE editor on this. “editor” being used loosely. I am attempting to conform the HD files for use in full res on my DP reel. The director/editor doesn’t need or want an HD master of the finished piece. So I’m taking it on myself so I can have an HD master for my own use.

SO… Could go into a little bit of detail on how this works? Or at least a little guidance on what key words I need to use to find my way through the manual/help guide?

Jon Fordham
Director of Photography
http://www.jonfordham.com

[John Pale]

select the sequence. open the media manager. select “create offline”. set it to the Hi Def sequence setting that matches your HD footage.
this will create a new HD sequence that is not connected to any media (yet).
Open the new offline sequence. Select Reconnect Media. Navigate to your HD footage on the drives. You should only have to locate 1 clip to re-connect, then FCP will find all the rest, assuming all the clip names and timecode match.

For more on this…search for Media Manager in FCP Help.

[Jon Fordham]

Yeah, I’ve been told about this trick before. The problem is, that’s not going to work with this project. The SD cut of the project was done using DVCAM downconverts of the original HDCAM source. The director created his own clip names and bins using the 29.97 DVCAM tapes.

Then separately, I captured the original HDCAM tapes through HD-SDI as 23.98 DVCPROHD files. The DVCPROHD files have the original TC, but due to a couple TC breaks, they exist as completely different file names and sizes since new clips were created upon TC break during the HD capture.

This is why I’m wondering if an EDL will do the job assuming the TC matches from the original HDCAM down to SD DVCAM…

Jon Fordham
Director of Photography
http://www.jonfordham.com

[John Pale]

[Jon Fordham] “This is why I’m wondering if an EDL will do the job assuming the TC matches from the original HDCAM down to SD DVCAM…”

Hmm. Good question. The method I described earlier will probably not work under those circumstances. Worth a try. Make sure the reel names match exactly.
When you import an EDL it asks you whether you want to reconnect to existing media. It wont hurt to try. Good luck….report back one way or another…I am keen to know the answer.