Simon Ubsdell
6
COW Coins
Forum Replies Created
-
[chris gormlie] “wouldn’t OMF/XML/EDL suffer from needing the same technique?”
If you check out the Automatic Duck export filter (Pro Export FCP 5.0) …
(https://automaticduck.com/products/pefcp/… you will see that it will keep your tracks in the order that you’ve got them inside FCPX (as far as I can tell). It’s obviously not going to be perfect because the magnetic timeline will populate the highest track with whatever is to hand whenever there’s nothing else there keeping a nice orderly track layout would ne a challenge.
I could be wrong but I don’t think Roles addresses this issue?
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[greg gilpatrick] “Is there something wrong with the Automatic Duck OMF export tool?”
Yup, there is – it’s called …
PRICE!
Call me right-fisted but, I’m not going to drop an eye-watering and borderline extortionate four hundred and ninety five dollars (more than the cost of FCPX) at this point when there are still features (broadcast monitor support, EDL support) that are not there yet.
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[Erik Lundberg] “Something that could be a REAL feature would be an patchable audio mixer where you could assign one or several roles to one channel.”
An even better feature would be to bring back Soundtrack Pro support … and implement OMF/AAF export 😉
But yes, your idea would certainly help.
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[chris gormlie] “I surly can’t do it up front as I have no idea as to what part of what take I am going to take the talents dialog from?”
No, you are quite right – you can’t do this before you start editing. You would have to select the A/B clips in the timeline and assign their roles – it’s easier to do than it sounds, but it’s not ideal yet.
That said, Roles are pretty powerful, especially they way there are implemented within the Timeline Index – you can solo individual roles which is a very nice idea.
Personally though I really don’t like the idea of exporting master audio out of any NLE except as OMF/AAF for proper finishing in a DAW, but that’s another story 😉 I can understand there are many cases where it’s the only way to work but still …
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
You would use Subroles – got to Modify/Edit Roles, slect Dialogue and in the pane on the right (Subroles) click the Plus sign to add your new roles, e.g. Dialogue A, Dialogue B, etc. Then you can checkeboard as you like using these.
But beware – you can’t delete custom roles having made them, so create them with care in the first place.
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[Kirk Zeel] “Does it make sense to put the audio track in the primary timeline since this is the only timeline that clips may be attached to?”
Yes, it makes a lot of sense and many users have had success with this method for music promos. Any other way is I think “working against the grain” of how FCPX functions – you can do it but it’s not as neat.
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[Jeremy Garchow] “I do not think roles are going to take the place of clip by clip export (OMF/AAF).”
Fair enough – I think I was responding to what I saw as a general euphoria that audio nirvana had arrived. I absolutely agree that they will help with organization and that’s a good thing.
[Jeremy Garchow] “You think this is starting with FCPX?”
Absolutely not – I reckon it started with FCP1 or thereabouts 😉
[Jeremy Garchow] “At least FCPX gives you way more quality and control.”
I’d agree that FCPX gives you more tools to play with (and some great ones at that) – and that’s kind of my worry. I’m sure you’re a responsible with your audio and this doesn’t apply to you but … the more options you give an editor for messing around with the audio the greater the chances of it all going Pete Tong.
I hate to think of some of the “stems” that are going to get handed off to the sound guys where inappropriate effects and levels have been irreparably baked in and there are no handles to fix anything with either. Sample dialogue: “What do you mean, you can’t use my stems? I made them with FCPX Roles – what could possibly have gone wrong?”
I think what worries me most of all is that from an audio point of view (accepting that they have other useful functions) Roles are going to be perceived as a “pro” answer to the audio finishing workflow, when in actual fact they may well create more problems than they solve.
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
Call me a curmudgeon but I really don’t see Roles as ever likely to fulfill the needs of higher-end audio post-production, with or without handles or other refinements.
As someone with a background in pro-audio as much as pro-editing I would say that there is simply no substitute for getting the untouched audio out of whatever NLE you are using (via OMF/AAF as things currently stand) and mixing in a dedicated environment both software and physical (i.e. on a professional level DAW in a properly calibrated room with properly calibrated professional gear) – preferably with a properly trained audio professional.
It’s the same as trying to do broadcast pictures without a properly calibrated broadcast monitor – everyone here pretty much knows that’s not the route to go. But somehow far fewer seem to understand that the requirements for top-end audio are substantially more stringent.
So I’m afraid I can’t get excited about Roles – though I do understand there are a large number of editing scenarios where they will be useful.
I do however get a sinking feeling watching the trend for audio to be left in the hands of the picture editor – audio is a craft that is way more complex than video editing, taking years to master. A lot of the audio strategies I see video editors adopting frankly give me the heebie-jeebies – not their fault, they just don’t know any better.
Sorry to sound arrogant and elitist but someone needs to start standing up and at least mentioning the decline in audio standards that is not just coming but is already well underway.
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
Here’s a revised version of this effect which fixes an issue with the Highlights section of the filter, and also adds Diffusion controls for both Shadows and Highlights, which makes this an altogether much sexier effect.
Well, I think so … 😉
2975_tkyshadowhighlightsv2.zip
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
[Craig Seeman] “Available and playing with it and yes you can add transitions to connected clips making them automatically become secondary storylines.”
It’s a little bit annoying though that it makes them into storylines – if you’ve got two conseecutive clips that you add a transition to that you then want to move apart, you have to break apart the storyline to do so which means that any other transitions that might have been attached to any of the other clips in the storyline get lost as well.
It’s certainly a solution, but not an entirely perfect one. Still not complaining – at least it’s another step forward.
Simon Ubsdell
Director/Editor/Writer
http://www.tokyo-uk.com