FCP EDL's

I have just finished offline on a commercial using my final cut system. I am using fcp 4HD and although im based in london the project was in NTSC. I have never had to supply an edl from FCP as I have mainly been producing video for formats that havent needed online. Any advise about what I should look out for? I have heard that FCP's EDLs are problamatic and I think they will be using a symphony system to online. best formats? tips and advise? many thanks in advance

FCP EDLs are ok for simple cuts and disolves.

they dont handle speed changes very well at all.

we were using EDLs recently at the film school im working at.
speed changes came across as a frame rate, the machine wanted a percentage.
so we opened the speed mod clips' item properties, and included the FCP % in Master Comment 4, which is the defult EDL note

might have been the format of the EDL, (Sony9100)
maybe the others use %, i dont know.
as for best format, talk to the online house.
CMX3600 is the most widely accepted, IMO

include lots of notes in the EDL describing the Speed changes, if you have them.

of course you have to colapse your FCP sequnce to as few tracks as possible.
make a separate EDL for each Vid track.

or..
talk to the on-line house.
maybe they have automatic duck, and can make an Avid version of your FCP timeline?

maybe they have FCP?
if so, i;d sent the FCP project file over, as well.

cheers,
nick

FCP has lousy EDL supportl. I've been cutting a feature film shot on 24P HD, and have been unable to generate accurate EDLs from my 23.98 fps project. Most online facilities and VFX houses use the CMX 3600 EDl format, and this is what I was trying. For a short sequence with straight cuts, EDLs were fine. But my film project involved 15-20 minute reels with 200+ cuts and transitions, and FCP simply couldn't handle it. Errors occurred with increasing frequency the further I checked into the sequence, dissolves had incorrect in/out points, and speed cahnges didn't translate at all. Whatever EDLs you create, you MUST check them for accuracy! I never did find a good work around. Our VFX house got a copy of FCP just so they could open my sequences, and we're going with an online facility that has an in house method for dealing with the problem. Automatic Duck was not an option since it doesn't work with 23.98 or 24 fps sequences. If your project is at vid rate, it'll work well. Apple really needs to understand that not everyone starts and finishes on FCP. They gotta address this issue if they're serious about meeting the needs of the pro market