Moving project from fcp7

[Chris Tompkins]

After you unlink the clip you can not delete the audio track? Weird.

Trash prefs?
Repair permissions?
Reboot?
Copy the edit and paste into new sequence?

Chris

[Craig Johnson]

I would trash prefs if I was in FCP but this is the very first project for this software on this mac. First clip too. It’s somethjng to do with the xml. It’s a complicated clip with effects. I had made animals talking so the clip is cut dozens of times with the cuts reversing constantly. I don’t want to remake it. No other issues yet though.

[Richard Herd]

The reversing…

On the media, is a line for “volume,” but also there is a dropdown triangle, and when you click that you can also select “time.” It may be that you have it on time and when you drug down the volume it was actually time.

[Craig Johnson]

I’m out of town but will check that first thing when I get back. Cool tip! Thanks.

[Craig Johnson]

Ok. New problem. When I exported the xml from fcp7, I highlighted my main sequence. When I realized the rest of my project didn’t follow it over, I did some checking on bringing the whole thing over. So I deleted the old project, started fresh, imported full xml again and now it won’t import to PP. I get the translation report dialog box, but I get another that says a sequence 01 cannot be imported because PP doesn’t recognize the sequence or codec……huh? Meanwhile my drive sounds like it’s working hard but no clips import. Any ideas?

[Richard Herd]

Oh man that sucks. I’ve had great success XML-ing really old FCP7 projects with tons of media. Here’s what I do.

In FCP7, I select the project (not just a clip, or sequence) and then create the XML, and I keep the XML files in their own export folder called XML. For some projects, I only need a sequence, from FCP7, so I will media manage the FCP7 project first, so that I get only what I actually need to work on, for that particular moment (if it’s a subset of the full project).

The reason I do this is because I want to make sure PP has access to the media it will be using, and media manage creates a new media folder. Then I open the media managed FCP7 project, and create the XML from it.

Then, I open premiere, and save it first, and then I import the XML. It might be a wise move for you to Media Manage your FCP7 project first.

Maybe give that a try.

Not only did I create a dual boot system, by I also had to download and install the APR422 codecs (which was a bit of a process). If you are moving from OSX to Windows, there are additional issues, for the Windows machine to see and export APR.

tl;dr — make sure the codecs in the FCP sequence are installed for Premiere. In FCP, media manage first. Then export an XML. Open PP. Save PP. Import XML.

[Craig Johnson]

Nice post. Thank you.
Tried using media manager but it wouldn’t save the project. The destination option was greyed out and I was unable to place it on my drive. I am assuming I highlight everything in my browser and then open media manager. Never used it before so uncharted waters here.
I looked into bringing the APR22 codec into PP but didn’t find a line by line “how to” . PP’s codec options are a bit thin. In FCP, there are tons to choose from. When I do a project from scratch in PP, I will beg for codec answers then and leave APR22 behind.
What stumps me is by blind dumb luck, my first attempt to import the xml into PP on our maiden voyage together worked amazingly well, just not quite all of it came over. I’s a monster of a project that has taken a year to do. It’s done, I just wanted the nice menus that adobe offers and less workaround guess work compressing and encoding to make bluray’s. I may have to try again to make compressor work and tell my client that the menu dream is just that.

[Richard Herd]

Try media managing the big project into “reels,” an old-school term from film, but it can still apply.

Media Manager in FCP is pretty straightforward. It is not a copy/paste type of thing, so you don’t select clips in the timeline; rather, you select sequences in the project pane.

Give that a try.

I just ran into an XML problem — render files! PP doesn’t use the FCP render files, which are new files the software creates when you apply effects, motion, and so on. So!! Before you media manage your project. Click it in the finder and copy paste it and rename it. Then, highlight everything in the sequence timeline, right click, and remove all attributes. Everything. Put all of the clips onto Video Track 1.

Then media manage.

Then, open the new media managed project.

Then, export XML.

Open PP. Save it. Import XML. (At this point, the actual media should eliminate stuff you are not using, and all of the render files.)

Whew!

Download the codec here: https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1396

Then it needs to be installed in Library. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSFIQSXJ4RE

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[Craig Johnson]

Dear Dr. Science,
I now realize after your last 2 posts, I am basically a high functioning retard. How do you know all this?

When I brought the first XML in, it was red line all the way, so before I tried anything, I hit render and walked away. I think many of the attributes still were there. I am freaking out at the thought of re-doing my very attribute heavy project. This project was ugly because of the vast amount of different media ingested. Pretty much everything that has been invented. 8mm, 16mm, hi8, super 8mm, sd video, hd video, slides, photos, beta, vhs, digital photos of every type, and more. I used motion to conform size and aspect to the many varied formats. All that would be a do over. At that point, maybe should just start over using something native to PP.

Another question. What if I sacrificed quality and dumped a quicktime self contained movie into media encoder. Do I still need APR22 installed per the video you supplied in your post to make the encoder and Encore work? This way I can stay on schedule and still make menus..

I need for you to know how much I appreciate your time and expertise. Very generous of you.

[Richard Herd]

[Craig Johnson] “I appreciate your time and expertise.”

You’re welcome. It’s what the Creative Cow does. I’m asking question on Premiere forum because I broke my Media Browser 🙁 Doesn’t seem to be a fix.

[Craig Johnson] “What if I sacrificed quality and dumped a quicktime self contained movie into media encoder. Do I still need APR22 installed per the video you supplied in your post to make the encoder and Encore work? This way I can stay on schedule and still make menus.”

I guess I’m not understanding exactly what you’re doing, what your deliverable is, because at some point you will have to export something. Walter Murch has a particular workflow style that might suit your needs. He exports a self contained version of his edit (APR 422 is perfect), and then imports that back into the project and puts it literally on top of the rest of the video and audio. THen turns off all the tracks except that top level one. IF there are changes, then he can splice open the “exported version on top,” like a skein, and get into the surgery of his edit. It’s brilliant. I suggest that to you.

Why are you leaving FCP7 and Motion? It sounds like you are enmeshed in there. DVD Studio Pro is an excellent authoring program, and Compressor is an excellent compressor.

Maybe the next project, you can use PP. Just yesterday, after I broke my Media Browser, I used FCP7 to organize my footage, and then I XMLd into PP CS6. FCP7 is still a great piece of software. It worked fine.

The reason I like the PP pipeline is because it aggregates all the various stuff (psd, ai, audition, and of course AE). That makes PP more of a hub than an editing platform — if that makes sense. The particular commercial campaign I’m making right now (or will be making after I finish this post) is MoGraph heavy, so AE is my work horse. Also, the audio was a difficult thing to master, and audition is pretty good, better than pretty good.

When I just cut, like a film, short, or doc, then I use FCPX.
When I have to aggregate a bunch of assets, then I use PP.