Conforming a session - strange EDL?

[peter5992]

Good afternoon everyone:

I've just received a re-edited version of a short film I have been working on from my editor. I asked him to give me an EDL file as well, following these instructions:

http://www.sparkmedia.com/sparkwizdo...L_From_FCP.pdf

and he sent me this (see below, bottom page):

Is it me, or does this not make any sense? Did I send him into the woods with these instructions? I would have expected something like a list of all changes, indicating exactly at what timecode a scene was cut shorter by how many frames etc.

Or should I have just asked for a new OMF export? Bear in mind though that the original OMF was significantly changed, I've replaced poor location audio with ADR and new ambience, I added sound etc so you can't just compare the OMF one on one.

It's not the first time I've asked about EDL, sorry if I am repeating myself, still trying to wrap my head around the best way to go about this. I have plenty of time, and I am trying to judiciously follow the step in John Purcell's book about dialogue editing, but I still haven't seen the light. It's a pretty straightforward edit, a handful of scenes were cut shorter, nothing was switched, nothing was added, I could probably figure it all out manually but I want to learn this the 'right' way for future reference.

Thanks for your patience and any feedback.

TITLE: BINGO_12MIN
FCM: NON-DROP FRAME
*FCM: DIGITAL TV 24P

001 BL V C 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:00 01:00:00:00 01:00:00:00
001 AX V D 042 01:00:05:05 01:00:12:09 01:00:00:00 01:00:07:04
* TO CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

002 AX V C 01:00:17:03 01:00:20:23 01:00:07:04 01:00:11:00
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

003 AX V C 01:00:22:22 01:00:48:17 01:00:11:00 01:00:36:19
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

004 AX V C 01:00:48:17 01:00:55:05 01:00:36:19 01:00:43:07
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

005 AX V C 01:00:55:05 01:01:24:18 01:00:43:07 01:01:12:20
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

006 AX V C 01:01:27:06 01:01:47:15 01:01:12:20 01:01:33:05
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

007 AX V C 01:01:48:15 01:01:52:08 01:01:33:05 01:01:36:22
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

008 AX V C 01:01:54:07 01:01:58:13 01:01:36:22 01:01:41:04
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

009 AX V C 01:02:00:03 01:02:52:23 01:01:41:04 01:02:34:00
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

010 AX V C 01:03:00:12 01:03:05:02 01:02:34:00 01:02:38:14
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

011 AX V C 01:03:11:11 01:05:45:03 01:02:38:14 01:05:12:06
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

012 AX V C 01:05:56:19 01:06:03:12 01:05:12:06 01:05:18:23
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

013 AX V C 01:06:05:07 01:06:22:07 01:05:18:23 01:05:35:23
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

014 AX V C 01:06:22:07 01:06:25:05 01:05:35:23 01:05:38:21
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

015 AX V C 01:06:25:05 01:06:47:00 01:05:38:21 01:06:00:16
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

016 AX V C 01:06:47:21 01:06:48:21 01:06:00:16 01:06:01:16
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

017 AX V C 01:06:50:05 01:06:54:04 01:06:01:16 01:06:05:15
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

018 AX V C 01:06:55:02 01:08:29:09 01:06:05:15 01:07:39:22
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

019 AX V C 01:08:29:22 01:08:34:23 01:07:39:22 01:07:44:23
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

020 AX V C 01:08:35:02 01:08:55:18 01:07:44:23 01:08:05:15
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

021 AX V C 01:08:57:19 01:08:59:10 01:08:05:15 01:08:07:06
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

022 AX V C 01:09:00:13 01:09:14:00 01:08:07:06 01:08:20:17
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

023 AX V C 01:09:14:08 01:09:48:02 01:08:20:17 01:08:54:11
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

024 AX V C 01:10:00:14 01:11:12:18 01:08:54:11 01:10:06:15
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

025 AX V C 01:11:21:16 01:13:09:14 01:10:06:15 01:11:54:13
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

026 AX V C 01:13:12:02 01:13:17:13 01:11:54:13 01:12:00:00
* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

[Chief Technician]

Originally Posted by peter5992

* FROM CLIP NAME: BINGO_LASTEST.MOV
* PROBLEM WITH EDIT: CLIP HAD NO REEL NAME.

Did the editor not name the reel that BINGO_LATEST came from?

[peter5992]

Originally Posted by Chief Technician

Did the editor not name the reel that BINGO_LATEST came from?

I have no idea -- you think that that might be cause of the problem?

His edit was done in FCP. Does that program still work with 'reels'? I thought that the concept of 10 and 20 minute reels was something from the 35 mm / Moviola / Steenbeck era, and that nowadays, although for practical purposes films are still cut and distributed in 10 / 20 minute reels (as not all theaters can project digitally yet) all non linear editing programs like Avid and FCP can have clips and sequences of theoretically indefinite length.

[Chief Technician]

Originally Posted by peter5992

I have no idea -- you think that that might be cause of the problem?

I think its the first place to look.

Originally Posted by peter5992

His edit was done in FCP. Does that program still work with 'reels'?

FCP pre-X had a reel field in the log and capture window. I don't know if FCP has a reel field when importing files.

[C]

Peter, are you doing an assembly or a reconform?

I'd imagine that the purcell book describes getting an EDL for assembly purposes which would probably be an audio EDL, the EDL you have received is a video EDL.

Video EDL's are useful for a number of things one of which is that autoconform programs such as EdiTrace, Conformaliser and Virtual Katy use the old video EDL and the new video EDL to create a change plan.

You can probably use this specific list to do your changes as it looks like he took the BINGO_LASTEST and recut it into BINGO12min this has made a pseudo change list for you in that if you take the first entry for example:

001 AX V D 042 01:00:05:05 01:00:12:09 01:00:00:00 01:00:07:04

If you ignore the first five fields of this line and look at the timecodes you'd be copying material between 01:00:05:05 and 01:00:12:09 from your existing cut and pasting it at 01:00:00:00 in your new cut.

Try importing this EDL into Excel and then cleaning it up a bit so you are left with something that looks like:

EVENT SOURCE IN SOURCE OUT EDIT IN EDIT OUT
1 00:00:00:00 00:00:00:00 01:00:00:00 01:00:00:00
1 01:00:05:05 01:00:12:09 01:00:00:00 01:00:07:04
2 01:00:17:03 01:00:20:23 01:00:07:04 01:00:11:00
3 01:00:22:22 01:00:48:17 01:00:11:00 01:00:36:19
4 01:00:48:17 01:00:55:05 01:00:36:19 01:00:43:07
5 01:00:55:05 01:01:24:18 01:00:43:07 01:01:12:20
6 01:01:27:06 01:01:47:15 01:01:12:20 01:01:33:05
7 01:01:48:15 01:01:52:08 01:01:33:05 01:01:36:22
8 01:01:54:07 01:01:58:13 01:01:36:22 01:01:41:04
9 01:02:00:03 01:02:52:23 01:01:41:04 01:02:34:00
10 01:03:00:12 01:03:05:02 01:02:34:00 01:02:38:14
11 01:03:11:11 01:05:45:03 01:02:38:14 01:05:12:06
12 01:05:56:19 01:06:03:12 01:05:12:06 01:05:18:23
13 01:06:05:07 01:06:22:07 01:05:18:23 01:05:35:23
14 01:06:22:07 01:06:25:05 01:05:35:23 01:05:38:21
15 01:06:25:05 01:06:47:00 01:05:38:21 01:06:00:16
16 01:06:47:21 01:06:48:21 01:06:00:16 01:06:01:16
17 01:06:50:05 01:06:54:04 01:06:01:16 01:06:05:15
18 01:06:55:02 01:08:29:09 01:06:05:15 01:07:39:22
19 01:08:29:22 01:08:34:23 01:07:39:22 01:07:44:23
20 01:08:35:02 01:08:55:18 01:07:44:23 01:08:05:15
21 01:08:57:19 01:08:59:10 01:08:05:15 01:08:07:06
22 01:09:00:13 01:09:14:00 01:08:07:06 01:08:20:17
23 01:09:14:08 01:09:48:02 01:08:20:17 01:08:54:11
24 01:10:00:14 01:11:12:18 01:08:54:11 01:10:06:15
25 01:11:21:16 01:13:09:14 01:10:06:15 01:11:54:13
26 01:13:12:02 01:13:17:13 01:11:54:13 01:12:00:00

Text to Columns under Data in Excel will help you immensely. The above took 3 minutes. 2 of which was selecting the lines to delete :).

Good luck.

Ceri

[peter5992]

Thanks Ceri!

I am doing an audio conform (reshuffling the clips in a pro tools session I've worked on before, to the newly edited picture). I could probably do this by ear but I know there is a technical way to do this faster and automatically. The book by John Purcell (chapter 14) talks about conformation as well.

I tried this before on another short film, with another editor / director, couldn't make sense of it back then and gave up and just did it by ear.

I'll put everything in a spreadsheet like you suggest, maybe it'll start to make sense then. I know there is software out there that can automate this but I prefer to do this a few times manually so I 'get the system'.

[C]

Forgot to say that you should offset either the source or the destination by an hour. I'd go with the Source so put that at 02:00:00:00 and then copy 02:00:05:05 - 02:00:12:09 to 01:00:00:00 - 01:00:07:04

C

[The Cargo Cult]

that EDL opens fine in conformalizer.
you'd then do as Ceri suggested, offsetting by an hour.
justin

[mfranken]

Your EDL also opens fine in EdiLoad - just de-select the option to ignore AX events during load. EdiLoad can also 'clean' the EDL so you find you have 23 events to re-conform:



Then all you need to do it click 'Pro Tools Re-conform' and EdiLoad will guide you through offsetting your existing material and setting things up in Pro Tools ready for the re-conform.

I get you want to do this manually, which wouldn't take you long to do with the number of changes you have, but if you want to try EdiLoad it will run for 3 days fully-featured.

Regards,

Mark

[peter5992]

I think I'm getting the picture - "Edit In" and "Edit Out" refer to the timecodes for new 12 minute picture, whereas "Source In" and "Source Out" refer to the timecodes for the previous 13 minute picture.

So to do the conformation I cut all my audio files starting in the 13 minute picture at 01:00:05:05 and stopping at 01:00:12:09, which in the new picture translates to 01:00:07:04; then I cut all my audio files in the 13 minute picture starting at 01:00:17:03 and stopping at 01:00:20:23, and paste that in the new picture from 01:00:07:04 to 01:00:11:00; and so on for all 26.

I would probably use the spotting tool for that, right?

Then I probably have a lot of cleaning up to do as I imagine the transitions will be pretty rough.

One thing I don't understand: what do you mean by 'offset' by an hour, is that to avoid the session turning into a total mess where I can't tell which is which after the clips have been moved?

ps once I can do this manually I'll try EdiLoad with the 3 day trial, can't afford to buy any new software right now, maybe in a couple of weeks.