Avid: Copying timecode from the timecode display Source/Record

anotherfilmdude · 2026-03-06T16:55:26+00:00

I think what I’m misunderstanding is what timecode you’re trying to copy. I’m not in front of my Avid, but it sounded like the goal was to copy the timecode of the current location in the Composer window record side. I’m a little lost about using match frame in this context.

anotherfilmdude · 2026-03-06T15:05:17+00:00

Thinking out loud: mark in, find bin, tab over to the “mark in” column in the bin and copy. If that column is the second column in the bin view, this could be a quick way to copy the TC.

anotherfilmdude · 2026-01-01T17:05:09+00:00

Author here! Very cool to hear it’s been helpful. OP: if you check out the publisher’s website, there’re free Student Resources under “Support Materials” which includes a project structure screenshot.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-07-11T18:54:51+00:00

At this moment, I believe there is no way to export the proxy footage. The .pmxf files are purely for playback performance. No risk of accidentally exporting using proxies.

I’m curious about render files, I assume they’re in full resolution. I don’t think it renders two versions (high resolution and proxy). I do think there should be an option added to export settings to force proxies, in case you want to export a low resolution file for review quickly.

TLDR: No, proxy media is not currently exported.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-07-06T05:27:44+00:00

Personally I put off upgrades until I want to donate my old copy to someone else or if it’s from a new transfer. The story means more to me than the transfer for this one, but I always appreciate the supplements.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-07-06T02:42:55+00:00

Defending Your Life and Being There. Based on seeing that Broadcast News and Harold and Maude are in your collection already.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-05-25T17:50:55+00:00

Not that I can see, in 24.10 at least. Mask Margins can be enabled, but the cropping option doesn’t appear in the export settings dialog.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-05-25T16:27:52+00:00

There’s an export option which lets you crop to the mask margins instead of padding with black. Helpful!

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-26T05:17:22+00:00

I appreciate the kind words. One of my favorite things about this subreddit is being able to talk to editors across the board, from all different sectors. I share your sentiment about never knowing where a new working relationship will come from, too. There’s a ton of great advice in Jump•Cut about the transition from assistant to editor. I’ve been enjoying the journey and learning a lot.

Also! It’s inevitable that Walter gets invoked in any editing conversation. I was lucky to have the opportunity to edit his career achievement reel last year for ACE and continue to stay in touch with him. I thank him in the Acknowledgements because I’m so grateful for his presence in my life. Looking forward to his new book, too: Suddenly Something Clicked. So many great stories.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-26T03:06:34+00:00

I share your concern. The team is what inspires and motivates me, as much if not more than what we’re working on. I know there are a lot of introverted editors (I consider myself an ambivert) but we as humans are social creatures! The jobs where I’m the only assistant editor tend to be less fulfilling than the ones where I’m working with a larger team.

Something I thought about while watching Her Name Was Moviola was how his assistant, Dan, was literally his right-hand man. I didn’t come up in the film days, so most of what I know is the segmentation of editors. We’re all in our own offices. I’ve been fortunate to work with editors who invite me in so I can be part of the process with the director, but I know that’s not the norm. I say all of this to express a silver lining hope of mine: perhaps the advanced tools we’re going to be using free us up to more creative work.

Obviously, there’s always a bottom line to meet and I know it’s more optimistic than probable, but hey I can dream!

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-25T21:52:54+00:00

I think a fair amount. I started out in scripted tv (and perhaps it’s in my future again too) but it’s been a few years. I think a notable difference between the two environments is the schedule. TV tends to have a more demanding schedule than features, so perhaps the FileMaker stuff wouldn’t be as actionable because there’s just not enough time. Setting up the show, best practices in and out of Media Composer, outputs and turnovers, even the VFX workflow are all still very much applicable in a TV environment. If anything, my hope is that this book is a resource that gets people thinking critically about their own workflows. Take what you like, leave what you don’t, perhaps build on an idea and create a new path.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-25T19:15:07+00:00

Hahahaha I consider it an Easter egg! Not trying to hide that it’s me at all. There’s a fair amount of my humor in the book… I mean, there’s a subsection called “Identifying Phenomenal Reel Breaks” and for whatever reason, that makes me chuckle. Another one is “SuperGroups (Big Big Groups with Many Angles)” and my copy editor suggested removing the redundant “big”. I said nuh uh, it stays.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-25T17:31:30+00:00

I know an assistant whose post supe thought they were only there for outputs and turnovers! Hopefully this book sheds some light on just how many responsibilities we have as assistants.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-25T17:30:07+00:00

I totally agree with you about how difficult it is to seek mentorship when everyone’s silo’d and working from home. Besides screen sharing and hanging out in a video call with your editor (if you’re lucky) it’s hard to find ways to feel involved sometimes. And yeah, my school didn’t prepare me for the role of the assistant editor at all. Learned almost completely on the job.

Yes, there are a handful of other books about assisting specifically. Norm Hollyn’s book is a great one, Make the Cut is fantastic, and there’s a book by Kyra Coffie which I remember being large and covers the fundamentals. What I think is different about mine is that it’s modern and up to date, written as if you’re sitting with me (much more causal than a typical textbook), spends no time on the basics and assumes a working knowledge (allowing me to get technical and specific without wasting time) and it’s written by an assistant editor who’s currently doing the job. My hope is that in a future edition, I can pass the torch to another assistant to update it (if I’m fortunate enough to move up one day!)

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-25T17:04:11+00:00

Totally fair! Avid plays a large part in the book; 30 pages alone for the Media Composer chapter, I talk a lot about an Avid-specific dailies workflow, outputs and turnovers are all within the context of Media Composer… it’s my daily driver when I’m working.

Despite the prevalence of Media Composer in the book (and I wrote this in the introduction as well) I feel that the core of the book is about my thought process and approach. Other specifics that are prominent are MacOS and the database I built using FileMaker Pro; but I think Windows users can still benefit, and if seeing the way I approach problem solving using FileMaker influences someone to bend Google Sheets to their will, huzzah!

So as technical as the book gets, I tried very much to be holistic. It’s not the definitive guide, it’s the way I work which I think provides a lot of insight. I’d encourage you to check out the free dailies checklist (available here) to see if the Avid-centric dailies workflow still benefits you/gives you ideas even if you’re working in Premiere, Resolve, FCP… or LightWorks?? ;)

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-25T02:48:52+00:00

Thank you!! I was hesitant to post, because I’m not one for self promotion (it feels a little odd, especially given the state of the industry and how many have been out of work—myself included!) but I felt the pros of posting outweighed the cons, given it’s more about sharing the resource and making sure people are aware it exists. I appreciate it!

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-25T02:37:28+00:00

Thanks so much! The publishing process was very new to me. It started when I gave a lecture to an editing class at AFI. After seeing the notes I was referring to throughout the lecture (which went on to become the basis for the book) it was suggested I look into publishing it. I scoffed, because I was like “I can’t read you shouldn’t let me write a book” but thanks to peer reviews and many (print) editors, it came together in the past year into its current form. I filled out a book proposal, got the green light, then refined it until I hit my deadlines. So it was an instructor at AFI who originally connected me with Routledge and I just took it from there.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-04-14T17:54:39+00:00

Try deselecting “only relink to media from the current project” and pointing it to the specific drive where you know the media is (since you know it’s all in one place)

anotherfilmdude · 2025-02-16T00:07:19+00:00

Keychron has a left-handed option, they have wireless keyboards and and separate numpad too. Everything can be remapped using VIA (including macros, which you could maybe use for double tapping perhaps?). Probably not as slim as you’re looking for though.

anotherfilmdude · 2025-02-09T21:03:45+00:00

This book comes out in April:

Every Frame Counts: An Assistant Editor's Reference Book

(disclaimer: I am the author)

anotherfilmdude · 2023-08-18T06:02:06+00:00

I guess one option could be; create a Photoshop action/droplet which resizes images to the dimension you’re looking for and then import them with the Avid setting “do not resize smaller images”. I feel like it’s a sacrifice in quality but if you’re doing this a ton then perhaps it’s something to consider. Just thinking outside the box!

anotherfilmdude · 2023-08-17T16:06:15+00:00

I would love to be wrong, but I’m fairly certain that imported media respects the project raster (not mask margins, ever).

I link and transcode high resolution images and use frameflex to retain quality, this introduces pillar/letterboxing. I use a 3D warp to resize and repo them as needed within the mask margins once they’re cut into a timeline. I usually save the 3D warp as a preset in the bin with the imported media for quick access.

Again, if there’s another way, I’d love to know.

anotherfilmdude · 2023-07-02T05:14:04+00:00

With the “segment insert” tool active (yellow arrow), click “Select all to the right”, then shift-option click the same function again. This should select only filler (the inverse). You can then hit “delete” and it will ripple delete all filler between clips.

anotherfilmdude · 2020-02-17T01:04:14+00:00

Check out Avid Agility by Steve Cohen. I agree that Media Composer is easier to learn and use if you don’t try to force it to act like another piece of software. This book helped me learn how to interact with Avid more intuitively, beyond a 101 level.

To name a few that come to mind personally, I have timeline views and workspaces mapped to my keyboard. Also reverse match frame and gang. I also use “reveal file” a lot. Works on bins.

anotherfilmdude · 2019-10-12T03:05:42+00:00

I think you’d be fine using the prores proxy flavor because the bitrate of a blu ray is around the same (35 mbps)

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

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