Urgent! Need to import an FCP sequence into MC1000

[Todd Beabout]

Your best bet is automatic duck.

https://www.automaticduck.com/

I’ve done this before using an EDL, but it was a very simple, cuts-only, one video track sequence. If you have a more complicated sequence, or you’ve done much to your video with FCP’s built in tools (i.e. resizing, drop shadows, CC, etc…) you stand a much better chance of getting your sequence into Avid using Automatic Duck.

Hope this helps.

-Todd Beabout
Vazda Studios

[Ed Roy]

Thanks Todd,

Actually my FCP sequence is a single video track and pretty much cuts only – just a handful of dissolves – no re-sizing or filters or titles. I really don’t want to fork out the money right now for automatic duck – how did you do this with an EDL? I know the process is straight forward, but something ain’t happen right when I attempt it.

[Todd Beabout]

Yeah, I’m trying to remember what I did. More recently we went the opposite direction (Avid to FCP), and that worked out fine. I’m on a Symphony today but I got a buddy (who is on FCP today) to shoot me a simple EDL. I tried to bring that in, but I see what you are saying about tape names, etc… Also the durations of the clips were 23:59:29 or something like that. I have a feeling that the clip and tape settings are getting somehow messed up. If you are familiar with what an EDL coming out of the Avid should look like you might be able to quickly edit your EDL (text file) and change back what is being swapped.
Also, my friend just sent the EDL with the default settings from FCP. If I had more time I’d try a few different settings… maybe one of them would work properly.
Post back if you figure something out, and I’ll do the same.
Good luck!

-Todd Beabout
Vazda Studios

[Ed Roy]

Here’s what I have been able to do. I discovered that EDL Manager has an options window – found under the Window drop down menu. And there are a few settings that allow for modifications. I was able to get the tapes names to be recognized correctly, and almost the clip names. As my clip names are the tape name plus -1, -2, -3 ect… for some reason EDL Manager clips off the last part when exporting to the AVID. Therefore all of my clip names are identical to the tape name. Now this isn’t so bad, as long as the timecodes and tapes names are correct. Regarding the 23:59:29 tape length. I get the same thing, but this is just some sort of generated code for the tapes as master clips. When I decompose the sequence the individual (sub) clips appear to have the proper timecode – though I am still verifing.

[Todd Beabout]

Yeah, I think there is a limit on the length of clip names when it comes to EDL’s. You could always plan around that in the future. Let me know how this works out for you… I could have to do it again sometime!

-Todd Beabout
Vazda Studios

[Oliver Peters]

An EDL doesn’t support clip names unless it comes in via comments. Not sure whether a) FCP generates clip names as EDL comments, nor b) whether EDL Mgr takes these comments and turns them back into clip names. In either case it basically isn’t supposed to work. As far as the tape names, what did you call them in FCP? Original EDLs only supported 3 or 4-digit numeric names. Later CMX3600 lists supposed 8 digit alphanumerics. No spaces, punctuation, underscores, etc. You are still safest with a 3 or 4 digit tape ID number.

Sincerely,
Oliver

Oliver Peters
Post-Production & Interactive Media
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com