Reconform

[Reckless Erik]

Hi All,
I guess this has been asked and answered here before but briefly...
I need to reconfirm a movie that I am doing The director decided (12 weeks after lock) to go to a new editor. What I expected was a few shuffles but that is not the case! Frames here and there, scenes (that have been premixed) recut, new scenes added blah and blah. (All I need is a few hair samples and the voodoo doll is complete )
Anyway. What is the most useful reconform software out there to cut and move my current PT session so that I don't have to do everything by hand?
Thanks in advance

[Frank Kruse]

Conformalizer.

[BScout]

What Frank said

[Reckless Erik]

thanks guys

[TimNielsen]

Are they giving you documents to help you? They can usually either give EDLs for both cuts, and something like Conformalizer can compare and then cut. But it will take some time to learn it.

If they are on Avid, and if they can generate a 'change note' then something like Reconformer might be all you need, and it's only $99.

Not as powerful as Conformlizer, but if this is a one off, maybe it would work.

But if you think you will ever do this again, then invest in Conformalizer for sure.

[Reckless Erik]

Hi Tim,
The online editor is in the next room to me so we are conversing over how to approach this. At the moment he has taken the current edit with my last temp mix underneath and is editing that version together with the changes from the editor into a new cut. He has made notes, an edl a new aaf export and picture export. Although the original lock was cut on Avid this new version has not. At the moment my PT session consists of 5 separate reels on the same timeline and although I am not ready to it looks like I will have to join them together to facilitate the recut. Will Conformaliser cut and move my PT session using the new edl?

[BScout]

Conformaliser (like most reconforming tools) compares one (old) EDL vs new EDL and makes the cuts.

It can't guess when the team does a "WTF" workflow.

If you aren't doing something remotely standard on how editing works, Conformaliser does have the ability to do a frame comparison which doesn't use an EDL. Thats where it detects where things have changed or moved on a frame by frame basis and then recuts the audio to follow. Watch the videos on CargoCult's website to see how that works. That's one advantage over any other reconforming tool.

Using EDLs, you (picture editors) need to be consistent. Source files (clips) need to keep their same names so there's some matchback to figure out where the edit of the clip moved from one sequence to the other. Doesn't matter if it is in different NLEs just that the sources all maintain the same structure/references. If one NLE transferred to the other via an OMF/AAF, it should have all the clip/referenced source material the same and EDLs will still work.

[philper]

I've done the sort of reconform the OP is engaged in now, they'll get there, not elegantly but it will work. The thing to remember about reconforms using EDL + TC based apps is that it is really important to set the job up from the start to make that possible, easy even. It seems like many of the requests for conform help that show up here are for shows where that didn't happen, at which point those solutions work less well, or maybe not at all. I guess the lesson is to always believe that there WILL be a recut, and start every show with that in mind...

[TVPostSound]

Originally Posted by BScout

Conformaliser (like most reconforming tools) compares one (old) EDL vs new EDL and makes the cuts.

It can't guess when the team does a "WTF" workflow.

If you aren't doing something remotely standard on how editing works, Conformaliser does have the ability to do a frame comparison which doesn't use an EDL. Thats where it detects where things have changed or moved on a frame by frame basis and then recuts the audio to follow. Watch the videos on CargoCult's website to see how that works. That's one advantage over any other reconforming tool.

Using EDLs, you (picture editors) need to be consistent. Source files (clips) need to keep their same names so there's some matchback to figure out where the edit of the clip moved from one sequence to the other. Doesn't matter if it is in different NLEs just that the sources all maintain the same structure/references. If one NLE transferred to the other via an OMF/AAF, it should have all the clip/referenced source material the same and EDLs will still work.

What will NOT work is an audio EDL.

Too many tracks, audio has been shuffled and rearranged in your Protools session.

The easiest method, is to have video single track EDLs.
In my case (Top Chef) there is a 1 hr version, which I then mix.
The 44 min version is being recut from the 1hr sequence.
I get a single track EDL from the 1 hr version, where the AE removes all video tracks but the main track, and I make a video EDL.
When the 44 min version is done, AE does the same, and I make an EDL.
Conformalizer will achieve 90%, the rest I need to fix from bits and pieces used from a new AAF imported to inactive track, which I use to fix holes from new footage/interviews.
200 plus edits, repair, match automation, around 8 hours!!

[The Cargo Cult]

8 hours! Damn.
If we can get AVID to co-operate, we'll get faster and more reliable conforms.
Right now, the slowest and most delicate part of the process is the recutting of the Pro Tools session, and we really need AVID to take this seriously and collaborate on a proper integration of Conformalizer with Pro Tools.

For those who didn't see it the first time around, we ran a survey to gauge the state of reconform in our industry - and the results were as bad as we had guessed:
http://thecargocult.nz/press/Reconfo...ts3_Public.pdf

AVID don't even include this topic in their annual ACA voting - so if this is an issue for you, please petition your favourite AVID rep.
Justin