Brooks Harris
Second Edition - June 1995
CONTENTS - Guide to EDL Management
INTRODUCTION
EDL Compatibilities
Edit Decision Lists and Formats
General EDL Description
Reel names in EDLs
Reel Name Lengths and Character Sets
3 characters, 0-9, that evaluate to numbers between 1 and 253, and this same set with a 'B' (4 chars).
'001', '01', and '1' are all the same reel.
'001B', '01B', and '1B' are all the same reel, but different from the set above.
'253' is legal. 'BBB' is illegal.
3 characters, 0-9, that evaluate to numbers between 1 and 999, and this same set with a 'B' (4 chars).
'001', '01', and '1' are all the same reel.
'001B', '01B', and '1B' are all the same reel, but different from the set above.
'999' is legal. 'BBB' is illegal.
CMX3600 :
8 character alphanumeric A-Z and 0-9 (no other chars)
6 character alphanumeric A-Z and 0-9 (no other chars)
Minimum of 4 characters, maximum of 6. 4 char names that evaluate to a number from 1 to 9999, alphabetic names shorter than 4 characters are padded with trailing underscores '_' to 4 char, names longer than 4 characters are handled alphanumerically.
Consider what happens when two reels named 'CAMERA10' and 'CAMERA20' are output as GVG - you get 'CAMERA' and 'CAMERA'. Bad enough that they're now named the same, but what if CAMERA10 is NON-DROP FRAME and CAMERA20 is DROP FRAME? - big mess.
Creation of 'B-ROLLS'
- If you are planning to output CMX, use reel names no longer than 7 characters. This way, when a 'B-ROLL' is created, the final result is 8 characters long.
- If your output is to be GVG, use 5 characters or less.
- If you're not sure, use 5 characters or less.
- Never use anything but A-Z and 0-9.
Reel Names Rules
- A) Use alphanumeric: A-Z and 0-9 only (no other characters).
- B) For CMX use 7 characters or less.
- C) For GVG use 5 characters or less.
- D) If not sure, use 5 characters or less.
Example Names
- AA001
- AA002
- AAPBX
- AACM1
Saving EDLs - Floppy Disk Types and File Names
CMX and Grass Valley Floppies
- A) the many 'tracks' where the actual file information is recorded (sort of like a Hi-Fi record) and
- B) a 'directory' structure which tells the computer operating system exactly where (which tracks) the files are recorded.
Making Correct CMX and GVG Floppies
- 1) Be certain you are using low-density 2DD floppies.
- 2) Format the 2DD floppy as a true 720K DOS disk.
- 3) Initialize the floppy as CMX or GVG.
Formatting
Initializing
- A) Use the ON-line machine to initialize the disk.
- B) On PC:
- a) Use 'RT11A' Utilities (from Software Systems/Sierra Madre, 'freeware', available on Compuserve Broadcast Professional Forum, Library 2. (go BPF, LIB 2, RT11A.zip).
- b) Use 'EDLMAX' (from Brooks Harris Film & Tape,Inc.)
- C) On AVID: Media Composer will ask how to initial a floppy when you are in EDL Tool and insert a floppy. You can use a correctly formated 720K DOS (as above) or a blank (no formating at all) 2DD disk. Note, do not use a DOS disk with a 'boot record' (formatted by DOS with a '/s' (system) switch!
EDL File Names
Cleaning EDLs - a Review
What is EDL 'cleaning'?
Over-records
Inserts
To clean this situation we need to make a new event. An EDL cleaning program would change these edits to:
Why is cleaning important?
- A) A clean list is very much easier for humans to read.
- B) A clean list is essential for ON-line assembly.
- C) A list must be absolutely clean if the events are sorted.
Tracing EDLs - a Review
What is Tracing?
Minemeld Edl Input Command
Edit Organizations for Tracing
Horizontal
Vertical
Mixed Horizontal & Vertical
Corresponding EDLs and the Tracing Process
Advantages of Tracing
- Create selects reels (SUB1 = horses, SUB-2 = NASA, SUB-3 = Charlies interview clips)
- Create modules (SUB-1 = hospital scene, SUB-2 = gunfight)
- Cut the opening after the body is complete
- Create alternate cuts
Advanced Tracing Examples
Tracing to Post-Sync Sound EDLs
- A. Trace out your 'FINAL' to produce a finished EDL. Save this for picture purposes.
- B. Merge the lab post-sync EDLs together.
- C. Change ALL the reel names in the finished edl to relate to the merged sound EDL,
- D. Trace to the sound EDL, audio-only, producing a sound-only EDL with the original Nagra timecode.
Minemeld External Dynamic List
Coping With Very Large Traces
- 1. Trace one or two levels at a time.
- 2. If that doesn't work, cut the 'FINAL' EDL in half, trace it in two parts, and recombine the two traced EDLs.
Doing a Trace - an In-depth Example
A TRACING EXAMPLE
Minemeld Edl Inputs
- 1) the process of recording successive cuts (making the sub-masters and EDLs themselves)
- 2) loading these EDLs to the TRACE program, and
- 3) walking through the process the program uses to produce the traced EDL.
Input EDLs
The Tracing Process
- A) The trace process starts at the first edit of FINAL. This is the edit is going to trace. It first looks at the reel name of the edit and searches the list of 'sub-master designations' (as input by the operator) to find a match. If it does, it goes to that EDL. In this case it finds 'CUT2'.
- B) The trace process next searches the record timecode of the CUT2 EDL for a an edit that includes the source timecode of the edit it is tracing. Here, it finds edit 002 in CUT2.
- C) As in the first step ('A'), the program now tries to find a match with this edit's reel name ('CUT1') to the list of sub-masters. It finds 'CUT1'.
- D) Again, it searches the record timecode of CUT1 to find an edit including the source timecode of this last edit (edit 002 of CUT2). It finds edit 004 of CUT1.
- E) It tries again to find a match to this reel name (REEL4) in the designated sub-masters list. It fails because 'REEL4' is not a designated sub-master. So, this is the earliest edit. The 'trace' is done, and the information for the first edit of the TRACED EDL is known.
- F) The information from the source side of this last edit (edit 004 of CUT1) is copied to makeup the source side of the traced edit. This includes the reel name (REEL4) and the timecode.
- G) The record IN & OUT points of the edit being traced (edit 001 of 'FINAL', where the trace began) are copied to form the record side of the TRACED edit. This is the first edit of the Traced EDL and is so numbered 001.
- H) The trace process goes to the next edit of 'FINAL' and begins again..
APPENDIX
Timecode - A Review
- A) Longitudinal Time Code, or LTC, is recorded on an audio channel or a dedicated 'address' channel.
- B) Vertical Interval Time Code or VITC, is recorded in the vertical interval of the video signal itself.
- A) The hours/minutes/seconds/frames
- B) Drop-frame flag - Whether this timecode is Drop-frame
- C) Color-frame Flag - Whether color-framing is intended
- D) User bits - 'leftover' bits available for user assignment.
- E) 'Sync word' - Tells an electronic reader where the frame information begins & ends and which direction the tape is moving.
- F) 'Sync bits' - Help verify (together with the sync word) the position of the data as the tape moves.
- A) Additional 'sync' bits between data bit groups.
- B) Field bit (allows video-field indexing accuracy).
- C) Cyclical Redundancy Check Code (CRC), used for error detection.
Non-dropframe: 1:00:00:00 - colon in last position
Dropframe: 1:00:00;00 - semicolon in last position
PAL/SECAM: 1:00:00:00 - colon in last position
Non-dropframe: 1:00:00.00 - period in last position
Dropframe: 1:00:00,00 - comma in last position
PAL/SECAM: 1:00:00.00 - period in last position
NTSC - DROP Frame versus NON-DROP, and PAL (EBU)
Non-drop Frame
Drop-frame
PAL/SECAM - EBU
EDL Formats and Floppy Types
EDL Audio Channel Cross-Reference
------------------ ------------------
V A1 A2 A3 A4 LINE FOLLOWING EDIT LINE EXTENSION
* A1 A A A1
* A2 A2 A2 A2
* A3 NONE AUD 3 A A3
* A4 NONE AUD 4 A A4
* * A12 AA AA A1A2
* * A23 A2 AUD 3 A2 A3
* * A34 NONE AUD 3 4 A A3A4
* * A13 A AUD 3 A A3
* * A24 A2 AUD 4 A2 A4
* * A14 A AUD 4 A1 A4
* * * A123 AA AUD 3 A1A2 A3
* * * A124 AA AUD 4 A1A2 A4
* * * A134 A AUD 3 4 A1 A3A4
* * * A234 A2 AUD 3 4 A2 A3A4
* * * * A1234 AA AUD 3 4 A1A2 A3A4
* V V V V
* * A1V B B VA1
* * A2V A2/V A2/V VA2
* * A3V V AUD 3 A A3
* * A4V V AUD 4 V A4
* * * A12V AA/V AA/V VA1A2
* * * A23V A2/V AUD 3 VA2 A3
* * * A34V V AUD 3 4 V A3A4
* * * A13V B AUD 3 VA1 A3
* * * A24V A2/V AUD 4 VA2 A4
* * * A14V B AUD 4 VA1 A4
* * * * A123V AA/V AUD 3 VA1A2 A3
* * * * A124V AA/V AUD 4 VA1A2 A4
* * * * A134V B AUD 3 4 VA1 A3A4
* * * * A234V A2/V AUD 3 4 VA2 A3A4
* * * * * A1234V AA/V AUD 3 4 VA1A2 A3A4
USING AVID EDL TOOL
Note - This applies to the Avid's 'EDL Tool' (now mostly obsolete), not the more recent 'EDL Manager'.
The AVID EDL Tool (from the Output pulldown) generates EDLs from the sequence currently in the
'record' monitor, applying the options selected in the EDL Tool and EDL Options window
(double-click on 'options' or select options from the EDL Tool hamburger).
Format: This is the EDL format to be generated. Be sure you choose the right one! (see
EDL formats).
Sort Mode: - The order in which the edits are output
A- Record IN
B- Source
C- Reel ID D- Source, Fx at end D- Reel ID, Fx at end
Show Lists: - Which list to generate
* Main List - Almost always!
* Dupe Reel List - A secondary list of the 'B-Rolls' required
Record Start Time: - The record-IN of first edit in list
* Sequence * Other: 01:00:00:00 Dupes: - How to treat 'dissolves to same reel'
* Dupe Reel for each Source - Almost Always!
* One Dupe Reel. - Special circumstances only
Show Info: - Info included as notes in EDL Comments Clip Names - Very useful, no reason
not to use it
Patch Info Audio Info Source Table - Be sure to use this if using
'Convert to numbers'
Reel IDs: - Which reel name to use in EDL Tape - Almost
always Soundroll - Use alternate name in 'soundroll' column of source BIN
Camroll - Use alternate name in 'camroll' column of source BIN Aux Source
1,2,3,4 - Use alternate name in 'aux source x' column of source BIN