Hello ppl,

I'm new to Avid and I need some basic help, I'm using Avid Xpress Pro. I've read the manuals, the 24fps avid document, articles and so on, but none shows clearly the steps a newbie should follow. I'm in film school and just shot my first 16mm short movie. Past students had their films edited on Final Cut and they had to do the math for every cut. Unluckly their movies had no sync. This is why I'm paranoid about doing things right and asked for your advice.

The lab just sent me my 2 miniDV tapes with my 16mm film telecined to NTSC. They also sent me .ALE .FLX and .ATN files. I don't know what this files are for, I only hope this is something we import and saves us from the math.

Which settings are correct for my project? I shot in 24 fps 16mm and it was telecined to miniDV tapes NTSC.

After a fresh new project is created, what should I do next?

When I'm done editing (I will only cut and place the scenes in the correct order), how do i create an accurate cut list to match the negative cutter's needs?

I know these questions sound silly to you, but it's my first movie, my first avid project, my money 's gone and i can't afford a sync problem or a wrong negative cut!

Before I gave up trying for myself and asked for help, I captured the footage using a 23.97 ntsc 16mm project setting. No .ALE file involved. This is what happened:

The timecode running on the top the scenes ran from 00 frames to 29 frames, but always dropping 6 numbers (1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26). The timecode running on the avid's timecode window ran also like this, but dropping the numbers 00, 05, 10, 15, 20 and 25.

Many thanks for your patience.

Luisa Campos
Brazil

You want to be in a 23.976 NTSC project assuming that your dailies have sync audio. You import the FLEx files for the batch capture process. Make sure you are on an Xpress Pro 5.1 or later. Go to your Film/24p settings and makes sure that NORMAL 2:3:2:3 is set for the Cadence.

Batch capture over FireWire.

Done.

You will see 6 frames dropped every second because you are capturing 24 frames only from a 30 frame source (20-24 = 6). Depending on the cadence defined in FLEx file different timecodes will be dropped. In the case of an "A frame relationship on :x0 and :x5, timecodes 2, 7, 12, 17, 22, 27 will be dropped.

Generate a cutlist via FilmScribe.

Michael

Thank you Michael!

My problem now is a "fail to find preroll point" message poping up twice before I can batch capture a clip. I'm using a Sony Vx-2000 camera. I guess it just has to be this way when devices are not compatible. Even changing the deck to Generic didn't work..

;o**

Luisa

I'm about to do a transfer of 16mm shot at 24fps with intent of a neg cut in the end.  (I too am using Avid Xpress Pro 5 HD.)  A couple questions:

Telecine Questions:  Of these different file formats (ALE .FLX and .ATN), which do I need?  Any other special telecine issues I need?  Should I get KeyKode burned in the image?  (I'm going to get it dumped to a miniDV...the only format I can pipe via firewire into my PC.)

Capture/Audio Sync Questions:  Also, I recorded audio on a DAT that does not have timecode...the low-end DATs.  I piped it in my PC via the SPDIF connection, and have them as .WAV files.  I intend to provide my final audio on a CD to the lab.  As far as my transfer is concerned, they are just getting film and no audio.  Given this, do I need to do anything special when capturing?  Do I still say 29.97?  Do I have to slow down my .WAV files?

If you can provide a quick answer on any special telecine needs I must have, please reply asap.  My audio and capture questions aren't as time-critical as the telecine questions.

Thanks!

As far as transfer file logs, you can use any one of the ones you mention. If not provided as .ale, then use AvidLogExchange to convert Evert, Aaton, FLEx to ALE format.

You will want to have KeyKode, timecode, and pulldown burn-in windows. You can do the "stealth" ones which are outside the active picture. Or if letterboxed, it doesn't matter since you can apply a mask to cover them for screening purposes.

DVCAM is fine for dailies. I capture 23.97 from DVCAM with NORMAL pulldown over FireWire all the time with no issues. Import the ALE file and batch capture.

Audio will be the issue. I am assuming that you cannot reference your DAT to NTSC during the capture to WAV files so it will need to be done as batch process. You will need to work in a 23.976 project when capturing over FireWire, thus the reason to slow them down. You would also need to slow them down if working in a 29.97 project as well.

See http://www.24p.com/AvidInsider2.htm for more details on audio workflows.

Michael

Ok, I got it for the telecine stuff:  any file formate can be handled by Avid, which will turn them into ALE.  Also, I want burn-in timecode, KeyKode, and pulldown info (aka ABCD). 

When I capture to Avid, I'll be using a 23.976 project, and in doing so, Avid will use the ABCD information to remove the "virtual frames".  Is that right?

Also, I'll have to research the audio issue more, but the critical question regarding audio that I need to know is this:  Do I need an outside agency/lab/post-production audio place or can I deal with whatever audio sync issues I'll have on the PC?  (And yes, you are right to assume that I cannot reference the original DATs.  It is best to assume my only audio is my WAV files on my computer, which are realtime and recorded at 48kHz.  Also, I do have some audio editing software, low-end, but have access to someone w/ Pro Tools LE.)

Thanks,

Derek

PS: Any recommendations on cheap but high-quality telecine transfers w/ KeyKode?

Hi Michael,

Hope you're alright and the weather is not too hot. I was wondering if you could help me with some issues, because I'm trying to convert some flx files into ale but nothing happens, Avid says that the file format is not supported, how can I use the AvidLogExchange?

Hope you don't find this stupid, but I could really use your experience as a sword to combat the demons, so please share in the name of God.

Thanks in advance and greetings from Mexico City.

*deleted*

 Do the files end in .flx? Are you on Mac or PC?

Michael

Yeah, .FLX and there's nothing I can do... I really need to convert those file into ALE because I need to capture a lot of betacam tapes. I'm using a Avid Xpress 4.5.0 in a Mac G4... I know, so Jurassic-

Thanks for the quick response.

 Please send me a file at xxxxxxxxxx