PT 5 Questions

[Chrism]

I had questions about the AV option on PT 5.

1) How do you import AVID video from a Film Project, into Protools, that you wish to run @ 29.97NDF, 47952?

2) Can you batch digitize Video from an AVID sequecne in Protools?

3) If you import OMF (I am assuming this is how you import Video from AVID into PT)
What does it import? A sequence which refrences many many files???
So you would need drive space for these files, or a condsoldated version of this sequence?
cm

[Danny Caccavo]

Are you importing from Film composer or Media Composer?

I do know you can run PT pulled down with the Avid Video.

Can't batch digitize yet. Or edit video. That's coming.

When you import video via OMF, you first have to render the video in the avid. But the cool thing is that all the "cut lines" come across in PT, so you can navigate easily.

DC

[ProdInfo]

Sorry this took so long in getting back to you but your answers come directly from AV Product Manager Tim Claman.

1) How do you import AVID video from a Film Project, into Protools, that you wish to run @ 29.97NDF, 47952?

This question seems a little confused to me, but I'll try to clear it up.
A Film Project means the Avid system is running in Film Composer mode. Most of the time, this implies a picture frame rate of 24 fps and an audio sample rate of 48k. If the media files and sequence files are exported as OMF, a Pro Tools system can import and play this media directly, provided the PT configuration includes AVoption and FilmFrame. Once imported, the picture will run at 24 fps and the audio will play back in sync (at "film speed") with a sample rate of 48k.
Likewise, a video project authored in Media Composer, running at 29.97 fps / 48k can be imported into such a PT rig (provided it includes AVoption) which will play it back at 29.97 fps / 48k.
What's confusing is the next part of the question. The two workflows I've described above are the most typical -- one for projects finishing on film and one for projects finishing on video. To answer their question most directly:
DigiTranslator can "pull down" the 48k audio to video speed during the OMF conversion by applying sample rate conversion. This is a useful function.
AVoption cannot convert 24 fps film media (from Film Composer) into 29.97 video. The Film Composer system can output an NTSC work print which could be digitized into AVoption, but the media cannot be converted automatically by AVoption.
I have heard that Skywalker Sound works this way (editing picture on Film Composer, then "pulling down" the audio to video speed and doing all audio post work at video speed). This is no problem from an audio perspective, although it introduces a sample rate conversion step, but requires an extra digitizing step for video.

2) Can you batch digitize Video from an AVID sequecne in Protools?

This is not supported in Pro Tools 5.0. We're planning to add it as a feature to an upcoming release.

3) If you import OMF (I am assuming this is how you import Video from AVID into PT) What does it import? A sequence which refrences many many files??? So you would need drive space for these files, or a condsoldated version of this sequence?

DigiTranslator and AVoption support either of these methods. To answer the question:
First, you either consolidate your video media or you choose not to, depending on your storage configuration. If you are sending all your drives to the Pro Tools engineer, there's no need to consolidate. Likewise for Fibre Channel shared storage systems. On the other hand, if you have video media strewn across several drives which you want to keep attached to the Avid system, you will probably decide to consolidate your media to a new drive which gets used by Pro Tools.
Second, you export the sequence as an OMFI file (composition only, no media). This process is very quick (usually much less than a minute).
Third, you use DigiTranslator (or the Import Movie menu in Pro Tools) to convert this OMFI file into a playlist for the Movie Track of a Pro Tools session. This playlist will directly reference the video media specified by the exported sequence with no conversion. This process is extremely quick as well (usually under a minute as well).
In the end, you have a Pro Tools session which references the Avid video media files.


[This message has been edited by ProdInfo (edited 11-03-99).]

[scottgreiner]

Can PT5 have more than 1 video clip in the session at once? Quite often, you capture a work print (of say 4 spots), but then find out you need to make different versions of each, in a different order. If each video clip could be a separate file, and the session could contain multiple video clips, it would be much easier to organize and re-order your session. Any info?

[Chrism]

Thank you for answering the questions. However, there does seem to be a problem. Digidesign brought over a beta system yesterday and we tried it out. I exported a Film Project and like you said at 48k 24 FPS it was in sync with the video that came from the AVID. If I changed the project to 29.97 47952 it did not sync, as you pointed out. But, if I have to convert all of my audio to 47952, which recreates all the media, it just isn't all that desirable. It can cause problems in the digital mixing world, being pulled down etc.

I know Digidesign is working on it in Palo Alto, and hopefully there will be answer soon.

By the way....Protools 5 rocks! Plus the AV board the way it brings the video in besides the bugs we discussed here is really a spectacle to see. The best part being the fact that you can spot the video track instead of having to conform in some third party program.

cm

[Chrism]

No, it can only do one video track. But, because of that you can do AVR 77 without having striped drives,which is very cool. Although, it still takes up a ton of drive space, and no sound department that has a budget could afford to work that way.

cm