Apple Cinema Tools 4 - Manual (Page 238)

Stage 4: Creating a Cinema Tools Database
The key to using Cinema Tools is its database. The database is similar to the traditional
code book used by filmmakers. It contains information about all elements involved in a
project, including film key numbers, video and audio timecode, and the actual clip files
used by Final Cut Pro. Depending on your situation, the database may contain a record
for each take used in the edit or may contain single records for each film roll. The
film-to-video transfer process provides a log file that Cinema Tools can import as the basis
of its database. It is this database that Cinema Tools uses to match your Final Cut Pro edits
back to the film’s key numbers while generating the cut list.
There is no requirement that the database be created before the video and audio are
captured, or even before they are edited. The only real requirement is that it must be
created before a cut list can be exported. The advantage of creating the database before
capturing the video and audio is that you can then use it to create batch capture lists,
allowing Final Cut Pro to capture the clips. The database can also be updated and modified
as you edit.
Stage 5: Capturing the Video and Audio
The video created during the telecine process must be captured as a digital file that can
be edited with Final Cut Pro. The way you do this depends on the tape format used for
the telecine transfer and the capabilities of your computer. You need to use a third-party
capture card to capture files from a Betacam SP or Digital Betacam tape machine. If you
are using a DVCAM source, you can import directly via FireWire. To take advantage of the
batch capture capability of Final Cut Pro, you should use a frame-accurate,
device-controllable source.
As opposed to the captured video, which is never actually used in the final movie, the
edited audio can be used. You may decide to capture the audio at a high quality and
export the edited audio as an Open Media Framework (OMF) file that can be imported
at a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for finishing. Another approach is to capture the
audio at a low quality and, when finished editing, export an audio EDL that can be used
by an audio post-production facility, where the production audio can be captured and
processed at a very high quality.
Stage 6: Processing the Video and Audio Clips
Depending on how you are using Cinema Tools, the captured clips can be linked to the
Cinema Tools database. They can also be processed, using the Cinema Tools Reverse
Telecine and Conform features, to ensure compatibility with the Final Cut Pro editing
timebase. For example, the Cinema Tools Reverse Telecine feature allows you to remove
the extra frames added when transferring film to NTSC video using the 3:2 pull-down
process.
238 Appendix A Film Background Basics