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Roundtripping with ProTools (AAF) and FCP
I’ve been working on a documentary for awhile now, and I know the common wisdom is to achieve a picture lock before doing audio work… I thought we could cheat a little and do another editing pass after some initial sound post-production. I didn’t think things through or test our workflow, and now here I am hoping for a solution.
Basically what I have is an AAF file (media consolidated) from my sound designer’s ProTools (unsure of what version). I can open the AAF file in Soundtrack Pro, but not FCP (the files in the time line are not what ProTools has named the consolidated source media files, and so they cannot connect). My question is this- is there any way for me to make a few edits in FCP without making my sound designer start all over again? I guess I’ve learned my lesson, but is there any workaround to this that I’m not seeing? I’d appreciate any help, and I can be more specific if needed.
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4 Replies
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Typical workflow, which is why you wait until picture lock before doing any audio work…is one of a couple options:
1) Audio mix sends you mixed STEMS…audio as separate files per track. So a Stereo L and Stereo R channel, and then if it’s required, mix minus music, music only, SFX only, dialog only, VO only…and so on. As individual AIFF or BWAV files. So you can’t make any changes to the audio. From this you can output a QT file, or to tape.
2) You send your fully onlined show to the post audio place and they layback the full mix to the tape.
That’s the typical workflow. If you are given an AAF, you can then, as you discovered, open that in Soundtrack Pro…and then do the same thing. Export AIF or WAV tracks to bring into FCP. But there is no way to take their fully sweetened mixed audio as separate tracks into FCP for futzing.
Now, they won’t have to do their whole mix over if you send them a CHANGE LIST…AAF that they can link to the current mix, that might then show what additional work needs to be done. From what I’ve heard, the audio guys would need a plugin in order to do that.
But seriously…don’t send your audio to mix before you lock picture. It really opens a can of worms and complicates the process.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks for the reply. Can you be more specific about the CHANGE LIST AAF? I looked around online but didn’t find anything.
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All you do is export a new AAF. The audio guy on the other end is the one who imports it as a “change list.” Same type of AAF, you are just telling the software “there’s a change in here…keep the old work, but bring in the new.” We do this in COLOR too, with XMLs
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Ahh okay. Thanks so much, that’s a good sign. It should make it all easier even if it doesn’t completely solve problem. Thanks again
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