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Prepare footage for editor
Sorry ahead of time for my complete lack of knowledge.
We have to deliver footage to an editor who is using AVID. I’ve never handed anything off to an editor before; I’ve edited small personal projects in FCPX, but what might pass as my workflow would probably be a horror show for a legit editor.
Anyways, I am lost with how to proceed. I have:
Original clips (XF-AVC)
Audio tracks – these are three tracks via three separate wav files per takeWhat the editor would like: Transcoded (Prores 422), synced, and renamed footage.
I don’t have AVID. I have FCPX, Compressor, and PluralEyes 3. I know how to transcode in either fcpx or compressor, and I know how to sync in fcpx or PluralEyes. What I don’t know is how to then prepare those clips to be used in AVID, or to be delivered elsewhere at all. As in, how do I create a transcoded clip that includes the synced audio? Usually, I just created synced clips in FCPX and work from those. Is there a way to just create some sort of data file that will tell AVID how to arrange the clips with the audio files?
One other concern is audio. I am able to create polywav files combining the three tracks no problem. What I want to make sure, though, is that the editor will be able to work with each track separately in their timeline. For instance, on a few takes one of the lavs may have freaked out a bit, but the other lav and the boom are fine.
Thank you ahead of time for your patience and help. Sorry for the long post. I’m not the best guy for this job, but there is no one else, so here I am. Hope it all makes sense.
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10 Replies
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I would recommend downloading the fully functioning 30-day free trial of Media Composer and doing the work there. This way you can go back to any of the sources if needed once the synced clips are created. It may be a little daunting at first but probably your best bet. If not, look to tools like Resolve that is one of the products used in creating dailies and metadata management.
Michael
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I agree. Makes no sense to prepare in another software package.
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Why do you have to do this? What is your job in this project? Do they not have an assistant editor on board? If you have zero experience with Avid, as an editor, sorry, I wouldn’t want you to do any handing off of footage, because you aren’t familiar with how things work.
Guess you need to start learning Avid. But yeah, why do they want YOU to do this? This is assistant editor work.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thank you everyone for your input. It all makes sense.
Shane, I agree with you. It boils down to this, we have a micro-budget short that an editor colleague has graciously offered to take on for free. I am a producer on the project, and I am in possession of one of the copies of the footage. There is no AE. It is an exchange between friends. I am responsible for this because I am the only one. My goal was to make the hand-off to the editor as painless as possible, as they are donating their time and work.
The editor asked for the footage, and asked for it to be transcoded and synced. There was an expectation that I knew how to prepare the footage. I guess I was hoping that there was something simple that I was missing. Obviously there are specialized people whose job it is to do this, so assuming it was simple was silly. From what I gather, it will be best just to explain to the editor that I have no clue what I am doing.
Thanks again, everyone.
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Yeah, sorry man. Need to explain that you have no experience with Avid, and that he will have to do it himself. As an editor, he should know how to do it. One hopes.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
I teach AE’s how to do this sort of thing and doing it right is a skill. Worse than that doing it wrong and you can make the conform at the end a nightmare. Seen that too many times.
I’d get an Avid AE and watch them as a learning exercise.Pat Horridge
Broadcast & Post Consultant, Trainer, Avid Certified Instructor
Free online Tutorials at VET digital media academy online https://vimeo.com/channels/752951
pat@vet.co.uk -
Low budgets are always challenging. On the handful of features I’ve edited, I’ve always been my own assistant. But in this scenario, if a short, you and the editor can decide to forego the offline/online process and link in Media Composer and work at a finishing quality like DNxHD 175x (assuming it’s HD or finishing at HD). This takes a little pressure off, but it is always wise to make sure you’re covered to be able to get back to any source or move to a different system for color and finishing if needed.
As suggested, find someone to spend a few hours with you. It’s not difficult, just detailed and you want to make sure it’s done correctly.
Michael
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[Michael Phillips] “Low budgets are always challenging. On the handful of features I’ve edited, I’ve always been my own assistant.”
I’ve had to live with this for many years.
Has anyone used Resolve for this kind of trip?
I’ve had to one time and it worked for me.
Not my usual RED projects, it was all Sony F5 and it was a pleasant ride 🙂 -
I know this is old but…
If they’re editing on Avid and asking for prepared footage, why do they want ProRes? Avid uses mxf files. Why wouldn’t they ask you to make what they are gong to have to use to edit?
And yeah, best bet is to prep in Avid if they’re going to cut in Avid. It will avoid losing sound metadata if nothing else.
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[Eric Santiago] “Has anyone used Resolve for this kind of trip?
I’ve had to one time and it worked for me.”All Resolve can do in this instance is create editable media. That’s it. It can’t do prepping that will transfer, it can’t make bins that will transfer. You can’t build a project in Resolve, and transfer the entire organization to Avid.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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