BEFORE THE EXPORTS
Production Sound Materials
Provide all recorded materials from the production sound mixer.
Track Layout
We recommend organizing audio tracks on your timeline by having separate tracks for production sound, voice-over, sound effects, and music.
Unmerge Audio Clips
If you use the “merge clip” method to sync production sound to the picture that means you removed metadata and original clip name from audio files.
In that case, is not possible to conform audio from original recordings, replace a clip from another take or find a missing microphone because there is no information at all to audio clips, only video clip name which means noting to audio post.
From our experience to the 99,9% of the projects we need to do at least one of these things.
So the best thing to do is to match frame the merged clips from the source material.
PICTURE DELIVERY
Do not export mp4, h264, AVC files, or any other video compression codecs because they are using a lot of CPU, they are not accurate and in most cases causing problems on playback.
Before start exporting
1. Make sure you have a universal leader before the FFOP (first frame of the picture) with a 2-pop.
2. Supply transparent burn-in timeline’s timecode on the lower left or right side of the frame. Ideally not cover movements in the shot to sync foley.
3. Burn-in scene and take number on the upper left side of the frame. That you can take from the video track on your timeline.
4. Burn-in clip timecode on the upper right side of the frame. That you can take from the video track on your timeline.
Exporting Video File
• Submit a 1920×1080 QuickTime Movie (.mov) or MXF file using DNxHD 36 or ProRes 422 Proxy codec.
• Embed a stereo mixdown of your timeline in the video file.
AUDIO DELIVERY
AAF Instead of OMF
We recommend AAF instead of OMF as the OMF is an old protocol and does not carry all the necessary metadata and in some cases may cause issues.
AAF Export
Create an AAF with Broadcast Wave separate audio files, 48khz sample rate, 24-bit depth, no rendered audio effects.
Why Separate Audio Files Instead of Embedded Files
Consolidating your media into an embedded AAF assures that there are no re-linking issues when importing into Pro Tools. However, embedded exports will lose some clip metadata that is necessary for dialogue editing. For that reason, it is better to separate audio clips from AAF file rather than an Embedded file.
Example of AAF export settings
On the AAF export settings window use the following settings:
• Uncheck “Mixdown Video”
• Breakout to Mono: Check “Enable”
• Uncheck the following (Render audio clip effects, Include clip copies without effects)
• Sample Rate: Select “48000”
• Bits per Sample: Select “24”
• Files: Select “Separate Audio”
• Format: Select “Broadcast Wave”
• Render: Select “Copy Complete Audio Files”
Why Separate Audio Files Instead of Embedded Files
Consolidating your media into an embedded AAF assures that there are no re-linking issues when importing into Pro Tools. However, embedded exports will lose clip metadata that is necessary for dialogue editing. For that reason is better to separate audio clips from AAF file rather than an Embedded file.
EDL DELIVERY
Conforming audio from production sound if necessary
If there are missing microphones we need to put them back to the timeline. To do that we need an EDL of the audio tracks on your timeline that has the production sound (no Music or FX that you may add from libraries).
There may be a limitation of how many tracks and EDL can carry, usually 4 audio tracks per EDL. In that case, export as many EDLs are necessary for all audio tracks with production sound of your timeline.
Important note
Audio conforming through EDL can only happen when the production sound files carrying source timecode, roll or tape name metadata, and they are properly imported to your NLE, so the EDLs can match that information with production sound materials.
Audio recordings from devices like Zoom, Tascam, or any other cheap recorders that do not have timecode or roll name functions, are not able for audio conforming. And for bringing back the missing microphones need to be done through “Match Frame” process on Premiere.
Also, keep in mind the “Merged Clip” function on Premiere, rips off metadata (source timecode and roll name) from audio tracks and replacing them with video metadata and that may cause a problem while EDL has to have those metadata from audio and not video files.
Example of EDL export settings for audio conforming
On the export settings window use the following settings:
• Uncheck “Include Video Levels”
• Uncheck “Include Audio Levels”
• Check “Source File Name”
• Uncheck “Include Original Video File Name”
• Check “Include Original Audio File Name”
• Check “32-character names”
• Uncheck “Include Key Track”, “Include Transitions”
• Check “Use Sound Roll/Sound Timecode”
• Uncheck “Include ASC CDL and LUTs”
• Uncheck “Include Clip Markers”
• Audio Processing: select “Audio Separately”
Tracks To Export:
• Video: select “None”
• Audio 1: select “Audio 1 – Channel 1”
• Audio 2: select “Audio 2 – Channel 1”
• Audio 3: select “Audio 3 – Channel 1”
• Audio 4: select “Audio 4 – Channel 1”
Re-Conform edits
Please also provide an EDL especially if your edit is not locked yet, for the re-conforming.
An EDL for each relevant VIDEO track (no subtitle, mask, or photo tracks).
Include the ‘source’ and the ‘clip name’ as a comment line.
Try to use file32 type where possible.
Do not include any transitions or effects in the comments, only the ‘from clip name’ field.
Or to make it more simple, an EDL as the ones for online editing – color grading just to re-sync the new edit.