Michael Phillips
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COW Coin
Forum Replies Created
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The two monitor versus one monitor (and some people have even had three monitors) not counting the full screen client type monitor have all been used. It usually is a matter of how one organizes their projects and amount of footage and number of bins etc. The larger tent pole features from the studios can get very large. Alice in Wonderland (3D) had over 5000 bins. I have done smaller projects on a laptop, certainly many people are now using iMacs with a single screen, and as Shane mentioned, a second monitor added to that if desired. Suffice it to say, you can start with one and grow as your editing style and project types change.
The Avid interface is still geared towards a two monitor type setup. There are a few things like tabbed bins that can help manage some of the clutter on the screen, but I think there is more than can be done there that can be dynamic and contextual to the editing process. My biggest configuration was a bin monitor, a monitor in portrait mode for the script (ScriptSync), and the UI monitor and of course the full screen client monitor which can either be a nice plasma/LCD or a projector.
Good luck with your journey to feature editing. You will find lots of different and fun projects along the way that will challenge your editing skills.
Michael
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It is not so much the file type that describes the composition – be it AAF or EDL or even XML (for other systems). It is about managing the REEL ID to be consistent from, to, and back again. Also, AMA always wants to use “Source File” for managing the source ID, and every third party creating Avid media can only use “Tape” to manage that. So knowing how to link between “Source File” and “Tape” is essential is starting off AMA. As mentioned in my previous post, Alexa ProRes also adds the 50% chance that the embedded 8 character source ID was used versus the entire filename. Once you make that consistent, it becomes more straightforward.
AMA can be a blessing or a curse. In my world off offline editorial and conform elsewhere be it for color correction or full on mastering, I tend to create dailies as a separate process and skip AMA altogether as it creates a more consistent and expected process by all applications in the process. In this scenario, I would just create the offline dailies first in Resolve to create source ID in the “Tape” field which everyone understands.
Michael
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Well everyone will bring their preference to the table – but my process is to use the tool that best suits the telling of the story and I do that best with Media Composer – some do it with FCP, Premiere Pro, Lightworks, etc. Tools like ScriptSync and PhraseFind allow me to easily find, access, and create the best story I can with the footage at hand. So to me, that toolset is more important to me than whether a particular codec is handled natively or not.
In my projects, there is an offline, then a online conform somewhere. Another reason I like MC is because of its handling of metadata and solid list management (as well as change list management). So for me, and for the couple features I have worked on that were shot Canon 5D, I did a transcode to DNxHD36 which gave me a very fluid experience for editing. Conform was done with the original camera files. In one scenario, the Cinestyle LUT was used, so a transcode with REC.709 LUT was needed as part of the process anyway.
Audio is another consideration which is usually not discussed enough ahead of time. The ability to bring in BWF directly, and choose the mix track versus the ISO tracks as part of the AutoSync process is very helpful. If using Canon 5 with not timecode jam, recording an LTC to the H,264 and using the “Read Audio Timecode” to enable an automated AutoSync speeds up the syncing process considerably while having as much control and choices over audio to hand over to sound when done.
So as you can see, from my perspective, working on feature length projects, native codec support is not high on the list as there will be a transcode anyway, and it’s all the other functions and solutions I need to manage a feature length that become more important.
I am not discounting its importance in certain situations of fast turnaround and no time for a conform process, but in feature work, that is usually not the case.
Food for thought and why I asked what your back end conform process was going to be as it changes everything to decision process.
Michael
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Hmmm… standard def doesn’t leave a whole lot of options. I would look to the DV24 codec for a balance of size and quality.
Michael
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I have always been somewhat surprised that the “street” sees Avid as just Media Composer. Not that it is an important element in the portfolio with a halo effect on other solutions, but interesting to always see the pigeon holing of the company as one product. Not that there are challenges and such with Avid – Perhaps Avid needs to do a better job at telling its own story, but I have always found the street’s understanding of the company limited.
And it will be interesting to see what this whole thing has been about when it is said and done.
Michael
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I think the first question for you to answer is what is the final online conform workflow going to be? Will you be going to a dedicated DI type system (Resolve, Baselight, etc.) or color correcting in the NLE? Do you want to conform back to the camera originals, or a submaster from a transcode?
Once you have that decided, then you will have a better picture of where and when to transcode or not, and depending on where and when that happens, which system gives you the best workflow beyond “native support”.
Michael
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I just did a quick test with AMA link to Arri created ProRes files in Media Composer, exported V track only as AAF with Edit Protocol enabled.
In Resolve I loaded original camera files in Media Pool. See pictures for settings and rend result.
Michael
5702_screenshot20130322at11.28.04am.gif.zip
5703_screenshot20130322at11.27.18am.gif.zip
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Relinking issues such as…? Are you doing this in Resolve? One you open the AAF what do the sources say in EDL view on the conform tab? AMA uses the entire filename + extension and does not use the embedded 8 character REEL ID (I wish they would – long time feature request). But many systems default to the embedded REEL so linking will not work. If Resolve, try “use filename” or the syntax to bring in entire filename.
Michael
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I would try two things in this scenario. Depending on version of MC you sre using, ProRes is a native codec, so a consolidate to MXF managed media then try an AAF. Test on a short sequence.
Otherwise, try checking the “edit protocol” box on AAF export options with your linked AMA files.
Michael
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Apple has had this type of relationship with many of its vendors. Whenever Apple had a “competing” product of sorts, it was which side of Apple you were dealing with – the Operating System team, the hardware team, the QuickTime team, and how much of the professional software team were involved as well? When a company owns the entire ecosystem on which one delivers a solution this type of engagement is to be expected. And with more of a push to use App store for notifications and such, Apple has a lot of control in the name of “keeping the Apple experience”. on iOS, the software development and distribution is up to Apple to allow it or not based on a set of criteria as well as “something Apple already delivers”.
It certainly keeps things interesting.
Michael