[Rosie Walunas]

I’m not exactly sure, but I think the biggest issue is the clip Names are very long, so it’s kind of throwing things off. But I guess I’ll have to deal.

Does anyone have any idea how to calculate durations using TC INs and OUTs of the columns?

I’ve found some Excel templates that show how to calculate durations – but the TCs have to be entered by hand and columns cannot be copied and pasted.

I’m working with EDLs of multiple tracks and we’re talking hundred of clips, thus hundreds of TC lines to deal with.

Thanks.

[Rosie Walunas]

“When I do it, you get a dialing asking you to assist in mapping the data to columns…does this not happen with you?”
– Not sure where you are seeing this window, if I hit Open, it takes me through the motions and it doesn’t work, if I Get Data, it’s grayed out.

“Don’t hit “finish”. You need to select “next” and go through the steps selecting “fixed width” and then “text”.”
– I tried going to Open > Fixed width > (then I have to choose column break lines, which just breaks up other lines of text/words into the columns along with the TC) > Text > Finish

“I go to Data > Get External Data > Text file. Delimit by “space”.”
– When I have Excel open: Data > Get External Data > (the options are grayed out). If I open a worksheet, I can navigate to and select the EDL, but then it just puts all the data on to the single rows of the worksheet.

Please see screen shots:
EDL sample: https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8402206309_4ac402d044_o.png
EDL opened in Excel rows not columns: https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8053/8403296202_6740203dc9_o.png
Excel can’t Get External Data: https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8187/8403296230_c097096d12_z.jpg (and when I do, I either get everything on single rows or entire lines of texts and words broken up into columns.)

Could there be something wrong with my EDL export? Or a particular setting in Excel.

Can’t believe this is becoming such a struggle.

And, Yes, I plan to set up a formula to calculate durations of the clips.

Thanks.

[Rosie Walunas]

Thanks for taking the time to keep helping figure this out!

Export ALE
In text editor edit Source File in the column line to be Tape
Import ALE into a new empty bin.
I change all the clip colors to green or something to know the relink worked
Highlight all clips from the ALE import
Highlight original sequence (you will need to change your bin display back to normal)
Right click on sequence and select “relink”

Here are some things I’ve encountered, right now while only being able to work without media:

– When the ALE was Exported, a Tape column automatically appeared. I deleted that tape column and changed Source File to Tape. When I Imported that ALE doc back into a fresh bin this message popped up: “An error occurred on event #(the number is here) A syntax error was detected while trying to parse a timecode field in the log entry.” And I have to hit ‘OK’ ‘QUIET’ or ‘ABORT.’ For every single event. So for the heck of it, I hit ‘OK’ about 800 times. Tried it again, by hitting ‘QUIET’ and the result is the same, I guess. Issues or thoughts on this?

– “I change all the clip colors to green or something to know the relink worked” – do you just mean you highlighted these clips green seeing that they were online?

– “Highlight all clips from the ALE import, Highlight original sequence, Right click on sequence and select “relink”” – Are the ALE clips in the same Bin now as my Sequence? Should I put them together? I tried Relink in separate Bins; Selected items in All open Bins, Allow relinking to offline items, Match case when comparing tape and Source File name, Create new sequence (AMC 5.0+ if it matters compared to 6+).

– Then I immediately get the message “No clips were relinked. You may want to select “All Available Drives”, deselect “Relink only to media from the current project”, deselect “Match case when comparing tape names” or select “Relink to Any video format”, and try the relink again.” Now is this because (at this moment in time, I don’t have any media with my project and everything is offline? I hit OK, and the new sequence is there, but I don’t think it worked properly because, when I Match Frame, it’s going to master clips in their original Bins. And when I Decompose, the media durations just show up as they had originally.

Where did I go wrong?

Thanks.

[Rosie Walunas]

I’m on FCP 6 too and need the non-FCP7 version of ProImport… Ideas ?

[Rosie Walunas]

Well what are the steps?

[Rosie Walunas]

Thanks for the rundown.

I’m wondering why the archive person said EDL or ‘ALE because it’s faster’ if its not that useful in getting what they need.

You write, “your best bet is to look at FimScribe, and if you don’t have any XML experience for parsing, look at the TAB based export as that can be imported into FileMaker Pro or Excel.”

I don’t have XML experience and don’t know anything about FilmScribe. But how does it work? What might be the steps? Feel free to direct to a tutorial.

We have in-house vender codes that set themselves apart from shot footage. AMC 5-5.5. Not that much T3 if at all and we didn’t start with their metadata.

Thanks.

[Rosie Walunas]

Ok. I will be testing this out.

I was told that EDLs take a long time, which is why I bring up ALE. Can shot footage and narration be disregarded from the EDL?

What do you mean by “Event #” ?

And I don’t recall all these being part of column display? Is this chosen in the EDL manager?

Thanks.

[Rosie Walunas]

Hi again. So I’ve gotten more into things with Avid and the project I’m working on.

You write, “For just a list of clips with source timecode and vendor information, save a bin view with all pertinent columns, then take your sequence and decompose or use “set bin display” to show hidden clips. Sort by any of those column heading, select only clips that have vendor ID’s then export as a TAB delimited file. This can be imported into Excel, FileMaker Pro, etc, as needed for your reporting.”

This all makes sense to me now, but as for executing it, could you point me in the direction of how to do this, or tutorial?

I’m under the impression that decomposing a sequence can be deconstructive.

What I’m interested to get right now is an ALE or EDL or both that will list out the specific “archive clips,” stills, music, etc. with time codes and durations so a budget can be worked up and the can be purchased.

Thanks.

[Rosie Walunas]

Sorry – another thought/question if you have time – or anyone else.

If on a 1080i project where low-res archive clips are being Imported as 30i 10:1, and the editor said Import all non-29.97 clips into the 30i project and make a note of their frame rates, how might this effect things down the line duration-wise? (shot 23.976 footage is being Imported in 23.976 project then transcode and converted to 29.97.) I suppose one variable would be whether or not the archive vendor gives us 23.976 footage again or if they decide to give us 29.97 footage after first giving us 23.976 footage. Also, I realize this procedure doesn’t allow for proper conversion?

Thank you.

[Rosie Walunas]

Yes, it’s filling the frame the entire way through 16:9 to HD. Then adding pillars on 4:3 clips and some filters for scaling those to fill the frame without beig squeezed.

Thanks so much for all your help. Very clear!

Best.