Multi Format Help Needed

Hi all

We just completed a shoot in which the production company used an Arri Alexa, A Sony F55 and a Nikon D800.

The Alexa came to us as DNxHD120 but just the files. No ALE. The F55 came as XAVC and we have the complete camera file structure. The D800 we transcoded straight to DNxHD120.

We transcoded everything down to DNxHD36 to do an offline in Avid. Now I want to relink via an AAF to the original camera files to grade in Resolve but nothing will link. Is there a way of relinking back to the camera files even though the proper prep wasn't done in the first place or am I stuffed?

I should mention that we will be out putting in PAL. Should the project be an HD or a PAL project. That's the only thing I haven't tried.

Tim

[Peter Chamberlain]

Hi Tim, relinking requires providing enough information for the application to find the correct match. If you are relinking to the same files on a different app, that's easier than relinking to hi-res files on a different app.

The basic guideline is; every frame must be uniquely identifiable. The AAF needs to produce a timecode, reel name and best still also a file or clip name that can be cross checked to a unique match on another system.

You can imagine there are lots of clips with the same timecode, so just having that is not enough. So adding reel name and file/clip names helps you define a clip, then the timecode.

It sounds like your AAF is maybe not providing reel names, or your DNxHD36 did not have them to start with. If it is suppling them, make sure the 'Assist with reel names' is selected in the Resolve conform options.

It may help to also review the two chapters in the manual 'before you conform' and 'conforming with AAF'

Peter

Thanks Peter

We have been using AAFs all year with just a few problems here and there. I think in this case my problem is dealing with 2 different formats (let's leave the D800 out of it for the moment) that have different amounts of meta data in their original files.

The Alexa stuff has reel numbers which I can see in the Resolve when I load the files manually into the Media Pool but even when I give shots in the AAF these reel numbers and they turn up in the EDL list but the Resolve shows a black frame.

The XAVC files have no reel numbers when viewed in the Media Pool so we gave then our own numbers when we transcoded it down to DNxHD36 for the Avid offline. Now I don't see how to link these clips back to the originals.

How do I link to some files that have reel numbers and some that don't in the same timeline? I guess this is the question I should be asking.

Thanks

Tim

[Peter Chamberlain]

Hi, if u have the "assist with" set in the project settings, in the media pool you can select one or many clips and change their reel name format, even manually enter the name u need.

You may also need to try on the conform page, reconform from reels.
Good luck

Thanks Peter for the weekend assist.

Tim

Ok. So I managed to relink the offline pictures to the hi res originals. Thanks Peter. Your advice pointed me in the right direction.
I changed the reel numbers on the media in the media pool then conformed from bins which worked a treat, the only trouble was the grades didn't appear on the hi res.

What are the possible reason for this happening?

Thanks

Tim