Premiere to PT Workflow

[Michael Zull]

Hey gang, hopefully someone with more experience with video and specifically with Premiere can help me out here.

I have a few projects going on now that require the production audio that was recorded on location to be synced later to the final cut. None of the audio is genlocked, but it was slated, so I know what scene and take number every audio clip is for. All of these projects are edited in either Premiere CS6 or CC. What is the easiest way for the editor to get me a chronological list of all the clips in their sequence by scene and take number so I can manually line them up? First off, is this list called an EDL, and if not what is it called? Is there a way to export a text file or similar from Premiere that lists the clips chronologically? I'm going to ask the editor to export an .omf for me, and hopefully if he named his clips properly then I'll just be able to tell from the audio file names. Will they have to resort to going through their sequences and documenting it manually?

These are for student projects and I'm going to be doing a writeup for their Cinema Arts program detailing the best way to provide assets to their sound design team. Thanks in advance for the help!

[joachim]

Audio recorder on set : did the production sound recordist send a mix track (scratch track/camera hop) to the camera audio input, wireless or via cable ?
Or did the camera record its own onboard mic ?
(Possible : Plural Eyes)

"Audio not genlocked", what does that mean (genlock refers to synchronising multiple machines) ? Did the camera receive the TC (which is not genlock) form the recorder (via Lockit or jam sync) ?

The video editor does not use the visual slate in the video and the acoustic slate in the audio to sync both camera video and recorder audio in his project ???

What kind of OMF will you get ? (Ref Guide : "Pro Tools can import an OMF sequence with embedded audio, but not embedded video.") What is this embedded audio ?

From what you explain, it appears to me (maybe I did not fully understand it, not a native english speaker) : you will get a video only.
The slates in the video are gone, sync audio by guessing the scene in the video with the help of the script, import the proper location audio, look for natural syncpoints (door slam,...) and cut/move the audio.
Please say, it aint so.

[Michael Zull]

Originally Posted by joachim

Audio recorder on set : did the production sound recordist send a mix track (scratch track/camera hop) to the camera audio input, wireless or via cable ?

Nope.

Originally Posted by joachim

Or did the camera record its own onboard mic ?
(Possible : Plural Eyes)

I sure hope so. This is why I want the .omf, so that if the video editor named his clips properly I can just see the camera audio file names and figure it out from there.

Originally Posted by joachim

"Audio not genlocked", what does that mean (genlock refers to synchronising multiple machines) ? Did the camera receive the TC (which is not genlock) form the recorder (via Lockit or jam sync) ?

Pardon my terminology, I thought that was the term used. I primarily work in post anyway and have only started to do location audio out of necessity, so I'm not familiar with doing TC syncs on location. To answer your question, no, the video and audio are not synced, audio was all recorded wild, but fortunately, slated.

Originally Posted by joachim

The video editor does not use the visual slate in the video and the acoustic slate in the audio to sync both camera video and recorder audio in his project ???

Nope. I did not do the location audio for these shoots and they are already done with their final cuts. I believe some production audio was dropped into the Premiere timeline, but they did not drop all of the production audio into their sequence and line it up.

Originally Posted by joachim

What kind of OMF will you get ? (Ref Guide : "Pro Tools can import an OMF sequence with embedded audio, but not embedded video.") What is this embedded audio ?

Audio only, of course (I'm familiar with working with .omf files). I also had to have the editor export a reference video that will work in Pro Tools, as the original .mpeg that he exported would not open in PT. So, I'm hoping that I get an audio .omf with the clip names properly labeled by scene and take, and also a proper reference video.

Originally Posted by joachim

From what you explain, it appears to me (maybe I did not fully understand it, not a native english speaker) : you will get a video only.

I am in contact with the editor so I'll get whatever I need, it's just a matter of how fast I can get it from him and how easy I can make it for him.

Originally Posted by joachim

The slates in the video are gone, sync audio by guessing the scene in the video with the help of the script, import the proper location audio, look for natural syncpoints (door slam,...) and cut/move the audio.

I'm not ever doing this except as an absolute last resort. If I can be in contact with the editor, which I am, I'll get what I need one way or another

Originally Posted by joachim

Please say, it aint so.

It ain't Thanks for the reply!

[joachim]

Let the video editor do his duty correctly before thinking about sending an OMF/AAF to you (sync in his project using the visual video slate and the acoustic slate within the location audio, if not having TC or a scratch track in the audio of the camera video and Plural Eyes).
You should learn much more on location / post production / sync procedures for the future (as the students; let them fail).
You will end up using your "last resort" from second zero of the movie onwards.
Your thread is not about a "Whatever Video Editing Software to PT workflow",; it is about how students do not think about post and the failure of a video editor.

[joachim]

Originally Posted by Michael Zull

I'll get what I need one way or another

No, you are limited to something close to an amateurish nothing.

[Michael Zull]

Originally Posted by joachim

You will end up using your "last resort" from second zero of the movie onwards.

This remains to be seen.

Originally Posted by joachim

it is about how students do not think about post and the failure of a video editor.

I agree 110% on this. I had nothing to do with the production side of things, or the edit. Final cuts are already done, so the goal is to inform the students on upcoming projects that the best way to do this is to line the production audio up to their clips in their NLE vs. having your audio team having to line it up later. I'm fully aware that it's a clusterf***.

I'll also agree that I have much more to learn about sync, which is why I'm here asking for help.

Thanks again

[Craig F]

charge them into the ground for their errors in workflow

Encapsulated/embedded OMFs from Premier are garbage, you need a reference/link OMF

It is the Picture Editor (or their assistant's) job to sync production audio to picture before cutting and leave you the proper metadata to mach the alt takes and/or ISOs

[coaxmw]

Originally Posted by Craig F

Encapsulated/embedded OMFs from Premier are garbage, you need a reference/link OMF

Slightly off topic but what issues have you run into when receiving embedded OMF's from Premier? Thats what I always get from one client and another sends me referenced and both seem to always open just fine, no errors etc. I'm usually using 10 but have been trying 11 out on some projects lately. just curious.

[cananball]

Originally Posted by coaxmw

Slightly off topic but what issues have you run into when receiving embedded OMF's from Premier? Thats what I always get from one client and another sends me referenced and both seem to always open just fine, no errors etc. I'm usually using 10 but have been trying 11 out on some projects lately. just curious.

Wondering the same. I haven't received a ton of OMF's from CC in the past but getting more lately. Had success with embedded. Recently somebody told me to ask for referenced OMF's. So far the two I have received have had problems relinking and would not find the media with an automatic search/relink. Both times it needed a manual relink with the search parameters set to "match name" only. ANy other settings failed to match the media.

At least excited that referenced OMF's mean no more need to split reels.

[Craig F]

OK, it's been a few years but we we having problems with the Encapsulated OMFs just being total bunk
also Encasualtion usually strips all the metadata from the files making it a total PITA to use Advanced Field Recorder Workflow
maybe things have changed and I'm outdated in my info