TECH TIPS
New Film Features in Avid Media Composer Adrenaline HD
by Michael Phillips
Avid’s Media Composer Adrenaline v.2 brings with it a host of new features that are specific to feature film- and file-based workflows associated with visual effects and digital intermediates. The new infrastructure also sets the foundation for additional features in the future releases to address the changes in feature film production.
Support for 3-Perf Film Throughout the Application
The biggest change you’ll notice in the new Media Composer Adrenaline
release is full support of 3-perf film everywhere in the application.
3-perf now has the same characteristics as 4-perf film, in that the
meaning values are displayed on subclips, above the source and record
monitors and in the “KN End.” To enable this change, Avid
added was to add the “perf” value (.1, .2, .3) to the
KeyKode number itself in the “KN Start” start column rather
than in a separate PERF column (see Figure 1).
 Figure 1 |
So the entry would look like this: KJ 12 3456-1234+00.1
Note that you will be able to move existing 3-perf projects forward and any information found in the “Perf” column will be made part of the KeyKode entry as described.
Support for Mixing Film Gauges within Bin Columns
One of the limitations of using mixed film gauges in the past has been that
users had to keep the information in multiple columns; for example: 35mm in
the KN Start, 16mm in the Ink Number and a third gauge, if used, in the Aux
Ink column.
While users could track different gauges within a single Ink Number or Aux Ink column, there was no way to track how it was logged or being counted at the bin level, as those elements were part of the “Film/24p” settings. A new feature allows the user to assign the gauge (count) as well as the “display” type for each clip via a drop-down menu (see Figure 2).
 Figure 2 |
Also in response to user requests, the “out” points and duration are also now calculated with for duration for Ink Number and Aux Ink when those columns are being used for track sources (Figure 2).
New Features to Address DI Workflows
Part of a file-based conform is knowing where the frames are, what the file
names are and if there was a LUT (look-up table) involved in the process for
color management. Avid has added several new bin columns to start laying the
groundwork for the Digital Intermediate (DI) process and provide additional
means for tracking visual effects. Three of the new columns added to the bins
are were designed specifically just for this purpose:
DPX: DPX stands for Digital Picture Exchange and is the generic header used to track all file-based elements associated with a film scan or animation, or those shot with file-based cameras such as the Thompson Viper Filmstream camera. The new DPX is column is a frame-based count with 32 alphanumeric characters reserved for the prefix and up to a 999999 frame count for each file. An example would look like this: SC32aV2-000234. Each frame is addressable above the source/record monitors as well as in cutlists.
UNC: UNC stands for Universal Naming Convention and provides a means to identify network resources. UNC names consist of three parts: a server name, a share name and an optional file path that are combined using backslashes, as follows: \\server\share\file_path. In the bin, it is this table is used to track the location of 2K files from a scan for conform. Each entry in the UNC column is a live hyperlink to that server via a modifier key.
LUT: A look-up table is applied to a file during either scan
or record, or when files are imported into a nonlinear editing system. For
example, the Avid DS Nitris system allows for an LUT to be applied during
import or export of DPX files. If an LUT needs to be tracked on a per- shot
element, the LUT column allows enables you to track that LUT file to be tracked,
stores a path to the file and is a hyperlink via a modifier key.
Additional new bin columns include:
TransferRoll: Transfer roll is available as part of the initial transfer of the OCN to be tracked as Camera Roll and Frame offset from a pre-defined sync point (usually the punch mark). This column can be used to help automate scans from pull lists when a KeyKode reader is not available since it is based on a total frame offset. This column uses the same concept as the DPX column––32 alphanumeric character support for the prefix and up to 999999 frames for the frame offset count. An example of this might look like this: CAMROLL21-003546. Each frame is addressable above the source/record monitors as well as in cutlists.
VFX: You can now also track visual effects in a separate column if desired, using the same rules as the DPX column––32 alphanumeric characters are available for the prefix and up to six figures for the frame count. Each frame is addressable above the source/record monitors as well as in cutlists.
Master: With the new release, the film gauge type and count can now be directly addressable in the bin for any given sequence, for all supported gauges including 35mm 3-perf. In previous versions this information was entered in the KN Start column, which is a source ID value that was not immediately understood to address sequences as well. The Master column allows easy track and change as needed and will allow for total frames up to 65mm 15-perf with conversion calculations performed as needed.
30NP: 30NP stands for a timecode count that is 30fps with no pulldown to properly track 24-frame sources that might have been transferred 1:1 to NTSC with no pulldown. The same 30NP is also available for the record side. In the new release, EDL Manager’s are supported for this TC type. (All of the above can be seen in Figure 3.)
 Figure 3 |
It’s worth noting that all of these new columns are also supported in Avid FilmScribe for output (see Figure 4). Other features that will be in the new Avid FilmScribe release, which is simultaneous to the Media Composer Adrenaline HD release, include a dedicated column to track handles for all of the above source columns, as well as the ability to change the “RECORD TC” to any of the supported timecodes being tracked at the sequence: 24, 25, 30DF, 30ND, 30NP and 60.
 Figure 4 |
Michael Phillips is the principal product designer at Avid technology, Inc. He can be reached by e-mail at michael_phillips@avid.com.
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