Confo woes

[Smallbudgetguru]

Figured I would take a stab here maybe some of you guys can cut video ?

Been trying to conform to timeline changes with the director of the project in my studio. We have the edit system here and the video editors are not of much assistance.

Basically all I need is a proper edit change list so that I can manually conform my pro tools sessions (7 reels each in their own session).

When following Apple's instructions to use cinema tools and create an edit change list, it is giving us incorrect information in the list. It claims both old and new sequences are the exact same length which is impossible and it is telling us that specific changes (extend clip by 2 frames for example) happen at a certain timecode but when actually looking at the projects these changes are incorrect. I feel that there is something going wrong when trying to create these lists and am in no way a video editor.

Was wondering if anyone had some experience / insight. I can call long distance if need be, and answer any questions you have. I do know one very experienced FCP editor but he does not know much about ECLs and he is booked all week :-(...

Its a stab in the dark but you guys rock and It can't hurt to ask.!! Cheers !

[Smallbudgetguru]

Tried making a basic EDL and got errors about nested sequences. Trying to eliminate all of them, maybe they are throwing things off? dunno

Above and beyond the call of audio duty I tell you!!!!!!

[Bill@AudioVision]

If you're going to manually conform the new EDL, could an OMF help you?

[soundboy]

A new OMF is a good way to go.

[Smallbudgetguru]

When I say "manually conform" I mean as opposed to using Titan or Katy, I still need an ECL or I would hang myself.

The thing is that the EDLs it was spitting out were wrong. The timecodes did not make sense. The ECL was also wrong because it was making itself based on the EDL

Good news is we solved it. FCP does not like making proper lists with nested clips in sequence. We removed and replaced them and voila everything is making sense now!!! Its nice to save the day, esp when its a video editors problem and director acknowledges that.

Yes I have a new OMF (need it for the added scenes) but we dont have time in the schedule for figuring out where changes were made since they werent made by anyone who is available to speak with right now its kinda tricky to eye / ear it.

All seems solved now though :-) Thanks guys,

For the record: nested clips in sequence = bad EDL / ECL!!! Think its good to know!!!

[philper]

Originally Posted by Smallbudgetguru

When I say "manually conform" I mean as opposed to using Titan or Katy, I still need an ECL or I would hang myself.

The thing is that the EDLs it was spitting out were wrong. The timecodes did not make sense. The ECL was also wrong because it was making itself based on the EDL

Good news is we solved it. FCP does not like making proper lists with nested clips in sequence. We removed and replaced them and voila everything is making sense now!!! Its nice to save the day, esp when its a video editors problem and director acknowledges that.

Yes I have a new OMF (need it for the added scenes) but we dont have time in the schedule for figuring out where changes were made since they werent made by anyone who is available to speak with right now its kinda tricky to eye / ear it.

All seems solved now though :-) Thanks guys,

For the record: nested clips in sequence = bad EDL / ECL!!! Think its good to know!!!

Sorry I'm late to this, but yes, nested sequences have caused me a lot of headaches w/ EDL conforms. Unfortunately, I see more and more of them esp in recuts. Glad you are on your way w/ this one.

Philip Perkins

[JSt0rm]

but in the interest of the topic you CAN do manual conforms without killing yourself - its good when they swear the picture hasn't changed

1. protools 7.3 or later

2 .dual video tracks place the new reel under the old and set grid to frames.

3. group all audio with the old vid.

4. Look at the frames with memory markers and cut the group with video and move it all in time frame by frame.

Not ideal but a method to the madness when all else has failed. Only time this wont work is if they change the frame rate on you.

[maggot]

and don't forget that conformalizer has the ability to compare the picture files side by side and lets you create a change list manually as you scroll thru with the pix locked together.

you can even see the old and new pix overlayed if you're looking for small slips or VFX changes.

6 days with full features in the demo version...

justin

[Jfriah]

Originally Posted by Smallbudgetguru

Its nice to save the day, esp when its a video editors problem and director acknowledges that.

And they also are aware that the video editor (especially if a guild member) is higher paid than you?

Hopefully yes. (aware)


Nice save, guru!
Bonus points!

Jeff

[georgia]

you need to remove ALL nested sequences, you have to take any still frames and make them video, you have to make sure you only have 1 Video track.... then you can create an EDL for the OLD time line and another for the NEW timeline... then you can create you're Change list.


you're better off just getting a new OMF and dropping the OMF in your session and matching to that. less stress.

cheers
geo

[maggot]

nested sequences are not a problem if you export XMLs instead of EDLs and compare these with conformalizer.
justin

[JSt0rm]

Originally Posted by maggot

and don't forget that conformalizer has the ability to compare the picture files side by side and lets you create a change list manually as you scroll thru with the pix locked together.

you can even see the old and new pix overlayed if you're looking for small slips or VFX changes.

6 days with full features in the demo version...

justin

I've seen your software in the works and its very nice. If I didn't charge by the hour for conforms I would pick it up hahahahaha. Seriously though when I am working on lots I will grab it for sure.

[Smallbudgetguru]

Originally Posted by maggot

nested sequences are not a problem if you export XMLs instead of EDLs and compare these with conformalizer.
justin

I can't vouch for conformalizer (which looks cool btw) but we did export XMLs to create the ECL using cinema tools and that did not work until we removed nested sequences. (and other steps)

Thanks everyone for your help! We lost 2 days on this but got it done and are moving on! I made some notes and summarized all of the steps needed:

To export a "clean" XML (for old sequence) and an ECL (from new sequence using the old XML):

-no nested clips in sequence
-remove all audio (cinema tools will note audio and video changes without differentiating in the ECl)
-consolidate all clips to only one video track
-make sure everything is rendered
-render freeze frames into video

This applies to both the old and new sequence being compared.

Only this will give a straight forward ECL using cinema tools. After figuring this all out, we prepared both old and new sequences this way and it only takes about 5 minutes per reel, which really is not much.

Thanks again to all! Our confo went well once we got ECLs that made sense :-)

[philper]

Originally Posted by Jfriah

And they also are aware that the video editor (especially if a guild member) is higher paid than you?

Hopefully yes. (aware)


Nice save, guru!
Bonus points!

Jeff

They ARE more highly paid, and that has been one of the reasons that niggling conform issues get pushed down into the "cheaper neighborhood" of audio post. (I have been told this by producers...)

Philip Perkins