Hi all, please comment on my proposed composer re-conform workflow for the editor:
I’m hoping I only need 4 files from him each time there is an update:
- Video with sound containing DX + FX only
- Temp music only (ie music to be replaced by mine/his)
- Completed original music/elements to keep or not to work on for now
- EDL so I can use Nuendo 11 Re-conform
I propose to put a dummy video or audio track (such as a title clip) out of the way running the whole length that gets cut every time he makes a change to the timeline.
He then exports a CMX 3600? video EDL derived from that one dummy track, that I use to reconform my nuendo composition projects. ie the resultant change edl I will import into each music cue which will be separate nuendo projects.
Once I have done this I can then re-import the new updated video and other tracks (mentioned above) from the director and double check/manually tweak each cue project.
Ultimately, all I need to know is: where was there time inserted or cut from the previous version I have. Given that there would be too many edits for him to list manually, I want to use the re-conform feature to make it as fluent as possible.
The rough draft is done but its still changing quite a bit and will probably do so until post audio begins. Some may say dont do it until there is a video edit lockoff, but that’s just not going to happen I can’t control that . I’m up for the challenge especially if I can utilise N11 re-conform efficiently.
The director is using premier and during the edit he wont have his tracks organised enough. He definitely wont be able to keep his timeline to one or two video tracks.
Is this familiar with anyone here who composes, will this be possible?
Should the dummy track in premier be video or audio?
If he leaves gaps in the dummy track when there is time inserted, will that still translate from the edl he exports or will he need to fill it with dummy video?
yeah a dummy track is an interesting idea. So that would require the editor to link all clips he adds to this DT so that moving any clip added would translate to the DT. if so i would think of an audio track ? I’m not sure you can link video to video in premiere. But then… if multiple clips are linked to the same DT would mean that each time he want’s to move a clip on the timeline he first has to make a cut so that the DT portion follows and no all the DT… dam
not sure but seems a bit crazy. Same if he wants to slip a clip he has to make a cut left right on the DT above then slip (that’s more for sound then music)
doesn’t look straightforward and editors really like to go fast. and he forgets it one time… and all is f*ed up… It’s worth trying if you know the guy very well 
I gave up on re conform function to create music or do sound editing. It’s way to subtle and there’s always this moment where it just doesn’t work apart from a project with very little things, very clean tracks… (very often I get multiple people editing the movie… changing drives, files renamed etc)
not to mention editors go fast, not always export edl, when you call 4 days later, 3 versions of the movie were made already, edl not done … new files added, editor doesn’t have time just to sum video tracks for the edl, doesn’t sum same tracks every time, reconform is full of holes and mistakes
I think reconfrom could work on the last stage of editing… but then it’s just cuts here or there and you don’t need it. hopefully steinberg finds better ideas for nuendo 12
Over the years I got a more “relax” position where i export 7 stems for my musics, no mastering I do the mastering on the film sound mixing session and I have lots of options with the stems for an intro/outro and editing is more sublte with reverbs etc… so small changes in the film are not a big deal unless it’s a sort of corporate video clip with a kick per shots 
or all the scene is changed.
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Thanks for your reply. I see what you are saying. Your suggestion to link all clips to the DT seems more relevant to post audio where the sound is required to be directly connected to every edit/clip. Follows every action, to the frame.
It’s made me realise the choice for a music cue to follow the edit precisely is subjective.
Sometimes small changes in vision could still have the same piece of music playing over it and still work as intended, with just a little tweaking, keeping the timing meter or feel intact.
Other times, like when the music is more sound design/texture orientated and closely connected to the action, a more direct correlation to the new edit would be required.
For my workflow in this feature, generally only ripple edits are relevant for overall music timing. ie Within any one scene if he swaps one video take for another, tweaks edit points or even a different shot altogether and does it in slip mode so that it doesnt move the media following it, then it may not affect my music cue’s timing much, if at all. Many cues are slow strings and piano.
The edits that cause time to be cut or inserted within a timeline mostly are done in ripple edit mode (or selectively grouped) and this would be when the DT would automatically be cut to follow the edits without the editor having to think about it much.
I guess this means that when generating the Change EDL, I need to be able to choose which edits I include before generating the EDL or during the process of importing it and tweaking the cue afterwards.
Tricky!
I need to be able to choose which edits I include before generating the EDL
To take that a step further…
FR: Re-conform track
A new type of track where we put cycle markers to represent areas of the EDL we’d like to stay intact during import.
We also can marker sections that can be used as a “sacrifice area” to add or remove time
There could be sync point markers for where to keep the original tempo and just add bars or, change the tempo and stretch to fit.