When an edit is approved we can start preparing the edit for grading.
If there are any comp shots or clean-up shots that have not been prepared and rebuilt this is the time to do that first. Read the article Daytona Method on how to do that.
To make sure we work in a non destructive manner we copy our timeline from the EDITS folder tot the OUTPUT > TO DAVINCI folder inside Premiere. We add the suffix ‘_TO-DVR’ to the sequence name so that it is clear that this is the prepped sequence.
A typical edit might look something like this:
Because this sequence contains a lot of assets that are not needed for grading we are going to flatten the timeline. This means that we are going to remove everything in the timeline that we do not want to send to Davinci Resolve. This means we take out adjustment layers, super layers, graphics, unused clips, audio, etc. Note that certain effects do not translate well when switching between software packages. Things like speedramps, transitions, complex splitscreens etc are better to prepare as a compshot.
Once flattened it will look something like this:
With everything flattened as much as possible, and all comp- and clean-up shots prepped, we can now export an XML which we will send to Davinci Resolve. Go to File > Export > Final Cut Pro XML and save it in the Project_files > Davinci > To-Davinci folder of the correct project. From your original sequence (so not the flattened one) make a reference render (H264) and save it next to the XML. This can be used to check the XML in Davinci Resolve.
When working on a project that contains multiple aspect ratios and many different edits, for example a project with lots of social assets, it is important that we keep things as clear and simple as possible. To do so we prepare all social assets with the same aspect ratio on a single timeline. For example all Desire 1x1 assets go on a single timeline, all Desire 9x16 on a single timeline etc etc. Between each asset in the timeline we leave a small empty space and with markers we note down the asset numbers, like so:
Open the Davinci Resolve project and go to File > Import > Timeline and select the XML you just prepared. Leave the checkboxes like so: This will automatically import any footage that was not yet imported to the project.
Normally all rushes have been imported earlier to create the proxies - so when keeping ‘automatically import…’ It should only import VFX shots.
Make sure that in the project settings, under Image Scaling both input and output scaling is set to ‘center crop with no resizing’ or else the scaling information from Premiere won’t match.
Also import the reference render to the bin REF_EDIT. Open the timeline in the edit page and set the source viewer to Offline mode:
Then drag the reference render from the bin to the source viewer, now when you play back the timeline it will show the reference render and the timeline simultaneously. Check the timeline, and resolve any mismatches. Once the timeline is correct, the project is ready for grading.
In some projects it is a good idea to make a timeline in Davinci Resolve that contains all compshots and all clean-up shots. Just make a new timeline at 1920x1080 and place all the compshots and clean-up shots on it in their full length. Right click the timeline and open timeline settings and set mismatched resolution to ‘Scale entire image to fit’ and do the same under the output tab. Make sure to notify the grader about this timeline.
They need to grade the full length shots, so they will probably have to do some work on the tracking etc.
