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Delivering Your Program Materials
When you work with another facility to do the audio, you’re usually asked to provide the
following:
• A reference video: You need to provide a reference video so that the sound designer
and mixer can time their work to picture. This can be either an exported QuickTime
movie or a tape output, depending on how the facility is equipped. In either case, you
may need to provide a timecode window burn, which you can create in Final Cut Pro
by applying the Timecode Reader filter to a nested instance of your edited sequence
prior to output. Ask in advance what is preferred.
• An OMF export of the project audio: Open Media Framework (OMF) is a cross-platform
file format for exchanging video and audio sequence information between editing
systems. Avid originally developed the OMF file format, and many editing applications
have incorporated some level of OMF import and export compatibility. OMF is most
often used for moving track, level, pan, and audio clip information from video editing
systems into audio post-production applications. OMF files can export as many audio
tracks as your sequence contains; however, there’s a 2 GB limit on the size of OMF files,
so it may be necessary to work in reels if your program is very long and has an excessive
number of audio items.
Marrying the Final Mix Back to Your Video
When the facility is finished with your mix, you typically receive a set of AIFF or WAVE
files that contain all of the channels for the final mix. You simply need to import these
audio files into your Final Cut Pro project and edit the audio back into your sequence to
line up with the program video. If you placed 2-pops at the head and tail of your program,
these can help you resync the final mix in the event that the start time of your sequence
has changed. The 2-pops also provide an immediate reference for whether the audio
sync is still good throughout the mix.
Alternatively, if your workflow requires that you output your program to videotape prior
to completing the audio (for example, if you have tape-to-tape color correction done at
another facility), you can also arrange to have your mixed audio “laid back” to your master
tapes. If this is necessary, inquire with the facility doing the work about what it will involve
for your program.
For more information about exporting video and OMF files, see the Final Cut Pro
documentation.
96 Chapter 5 Finishing