I’m currently working on a project with over 100 shots.
The client supplied EXRs along with an AAF. I conformed the AAF successfully, renamed all the shots, created Batch Groups from the conform, and everything is working as expected. I work on a shot, save it, and it Smart Replaces back into the timeline perfectly.
The client wants each submission delivered as:
A low-res QuickTime with burnt-in timecode
A one-frame slate at the head
The filename matching the shot name
This is where I’m getting stuck.
My first thought was to add a one-frame slate before each shot in the timeline, but when I extract the clips, the exported filename is the timeline segment name rather than the shot name.
The only workflow I’ve come up with so far is to:
Extract all the shots into a reel.
Open each shot as its own sequence.
Add the one-frame slate.
Export.
That works fine for Version 1.
The nice part is that when I create Version 2 of a shot, it Smart Replaces into both the main timeline and my exports reel automatically, which is great. The downside is that the sequence name (and therefore the export filename) doesn’t version up automatically, so I have to manually rename each sequence for every new version.
And yes… I know you’re all thinking, “Just use OpenClip!” I’m sure that’s the more elegant solution, but I’m not quite ready to go down that path yet.
I’d love to hear how others would approach this. Is there a cleaner workflow for generating per-shot review movies with a slate while keeping filenames and versions under control?
This is where Flame really fails. We’ve spent significant resources to create sophisticated automation around deliverables for our feature pipeline, which is all based around Shotgun and Nuke. Flick a switch and Nuke automatically creates and farm renders all the stuff you’ve just described.
I don’t think it has to be hard to do it directly from the batch, by creating a secondary render pipe, setting resolution and burn-in timecode. To add the slate frame (and maybe a black gap?), you can create it into the batch also, and using mux nodes to prepend it to the beginning of the render so that everything comes out ready for export, including a custom name created using tokens including automatically the shot version.
on the output Render, change that Range to Custom from 1000 to whatever it was
then before the Render node have a little Compass with a Type & Mux that Input Switches to the slate on 1000, then back on 1001 (you will prob have to do this animation on 1001-1002, then just move it horizontally in the animation editor)
hopefully you can save this Type & Mux bit to the Project bin and whip it out for the other shots
Then your renders have the slate and you dont have to do all of this gestural editing (and the timecode will be consistent). In my head this should work, but tbh have not done a job like this.
Sorry, what do you mean by “filename matching the shot name”… like its always ABC_0010? Doesnt it need a version number at least?
I could have sworn someone else posted a some python to do this in a studio agnostic way. I thought i bookmarked it, but now cannot find it.
UPDATE - tested this and works as expected for me. i hear ya it would be a chore to go back into 100+ batch groups but maybe you are still making comp updates anyways??? At least, then its fixed at the source and you wont have to deal with this again.
I think this is quite a good workflow for the infrequent long form job. Just set up the Type/Burnin Metadata & Mux once, then all you have to do is toggle Render to start 1000. Its hardly any extra steps.
Been here myself whilst delivering shots for long form and only using Flame.
A very time consuming and manual operation. Prone to human error.
As @ALan said, this is unacceptable in a massive production and we also invested in a SG/Nuke pipeline that does all of this in a single click.
A basic summary: Build a slate template using tokens. Select the shots and versions you intend to deliver. The pipeline uses that selection of shots and fills out the slates with the tokens taken from the selected versions before adding the slate to the head of the shot (usually frame 1000) and publishing what you require. Can deliver both EXR and mov at the same time.
I’m sure that’s the more elegant solution, but I’m not quite ready to go down that path yet.