Hello Fam.

I am on my first AE gig on a feature and the producer is asking me to do an export for all the archivals in the cut for clearance purposes. They want me to have 10 extra handles on the export. Could anyone please guide me through what is expected and how should I do it?

As I understand I will have to export an aaf, correct?

Thanks! 

Hi, 

I'm not sure on your workflow. They could be asking for a MP4 H.264 stringout with handles, in which case you will have to create a new sequence with the archive, and manually add 10 frame handles either side, Or they could be asking for a AAF, where the handles would be much easier to add. It's a setting in the export dialouge.

If it's the MP4 H.264 stringout, I wonder if you could do a Export video AAF with the consolidate media setting, set your 10 frames handle length, then link that consolidated media into a new stringout and that would have automatically added the handles for you.

Normally I wouldn't do an actual export or the sequence I'd do an EDL of the archive used in the sequence. They should only need the names and timecodes of the clips used, not to actually see them. If that's the case:

Take your sequence, put it in a bin on it's own, show reference clips and colour all the archive clips blue or whatever. Show them in the timeline using Clip Colour> Source in the timeline menu. Select one of your blue archive clips and right click and Select Clips with the same source colour, then right click again and create sequence based on selection. Now you have a timeline of just your archive clips without all the other stuff but still with correct timecodes.

Now do an EDL of this sequence - we used to do CMX3600 or CMX transfer. I think File_129 will give you more characters if you need it for long file names. You can either give them that as a text file or use a service like EDL Hacker to create a PDF or Excel file that they can use in a spreadsheet to be more readable. They can give that to compliance to trawl through.

That's what we used to do when I used to do this sort of thing anyway, they never normally needed to see the clips, just have the information about them. The EDL will tell you clip name, source timecode, sequence timecode (as long as you select those options in the List tool) and that should be all the information they need to tell which clip, the duration used and where it is in your sequence. 

If they need to actually see it then you can do the above with the sequence from coloured clips and then you can have your sequence of just the archive. Use the timecode generator tool to add clip names and timecode info as a burn-in. If there's not too many clips it won't take too long to quickly give 10 frame handles (i presume they want frames not seconds?) to them. If there's a lot you could decompose the sequence with 10 frame handles and string out a new sequence with the longer clips then add your relevant burn-ins. 

Worth checking the specifics of what they want because it's much quicker to just do an EDL.

You could also do the above, get your archive sequence, decompose it with 10 frame handles then show all the columns you need info about (clip name, source tc, seq tc etc and export an ALE which would give you similar results to the EDL but with the additional handles i think. 

Anyway, it's been a while since I've done all this so I could be talking absolute nonsense, I'm sure someone will correct me if I am but at least this will give you some ideas to start with. Main thing is to clarify with producer what it is that they REALLY need. Half the time they haven't got a clue and are just parroting some thing they heard someone else say. It was a depressingly regular occurence to be asked to "email the client an HD Quicktime" from supposedly in the know producers. 

Good luck,

Andi