Compare to reference movie

Hi Experts,

the split-screen solution to compare the timeline to stills in the color-page is nice, but ...

how can I compare my timeline to an already existing (complete) version of the movie that I'm currently working on using the split-screen? The movie-file has the same length as my timeline and was graded in FCPX and I want to compare it to what I'm doing.

My workaround now is to load the existing movie into a new track on the timeline and switch it then off and on by using the D key. But that makes me hover from the edit to the color page all the time ... not very convenient.

Any ideas?

Cheers
Alex

Check page 326 and also the related references in other chapters there. It's a very helpful tool.

Not to backseat your workflow but comparing to another grade in the colorpage whilst making changes sounds like bad practice. I would rather evaluate the entire scene, maybe make some notes and then start grading without constantly looking at a different grade version. Otherwise you'll start taking that image as anchor and maybe push in directions away from it too far unintentionally.

You don't have to place the reference clip in the timeline, you can load it on the edit page in the source viewer and gang viewers from the dot menu top right of the source monitor. That way you scrub both at the same time.

Load the clip as an Offline Reference Movie (Add as Offline Clip) and link it to the Timeline (Link Offline Reference Clip) then set Reference Wipe Mode to Offline

Load the clip as an Offline Reference Movie (Add as Offline Clip) and link it to the Timeline (Link Offline Reference Clip) then set Reference Wipe Mode to Offline

Thx Andy, that did the trick!

You can also use the source viewer view menu on the Edit page (bottom left below viewer) to show the reference movie in the source viewer, which will be synchronised to the record viewer.

Load the clip as an Offline Reference Movie (Add as Offline Clip) and link it to the Timeline (Link Offline Reference Clip) then set Reference Wipe Mode to Offline

That's what I do. Even if we go much different than the reference, I like to have an idea in my head of where the filmmakers started off (or what a previous version looked like). I've had directors say, "ya know... don't even show me the old version. Let's just look at what you're doing today," which is fine.

If it's a remastered version of an existing film, I always have up the reference just to be aware of what "might" have been approved by the filmmakers 10 years, 20 years, 30 years ago. But I correct the obvious mistakes (mis-matched shots, flash-frames, bad lighting) and other technical issues.

I use an offline movie with all the timecode and clip info burnt in to the vision to make clip relinking and conform checking much easier.