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Exporting projects for other applications


    Export a project as an EDL file

    You can export a data file that describes the project and enables you to recreate it either with related media or by using another editing system.

    With Premiere Pro you can export your project as an edit decision list (EDL) in the CMX3600 format. This format is the most widely accepted and most robust of the EDL formats.

    When you set up a Premiere Pro project from which you will export an EDL, you must satisfy the following criteria:

    • EDLs work best with projects that contain no more than one video track, two stereo audio tracks, and no nested sequences. Most standard transitions, frame holds, and clip speed changes also work well in EDLs.

    • Capture and log all the source material with the correct timecode.

    • The capture device (e.g., capture card or FireWire port) must have device control that uses timecode.

    • Videotapes must each have a unique reel number and be formatted with timecode before you shoot video.

    1. Open or save the project that you want to export as an EDL.
    2. Make sure that a Timeline panel is active, and then choose File > Export > EDL.
    3. In the EDL Export dialog box, specify which video and audio tracks you want to export.

      You can export one video track and up to four audio channels, or two stereo tracks.

    4. Specify the location and name for the EDL file, and click Save.
    5. Click OK.
    Note: In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, merged clips are supported in standardized EDLs. EDLs will interpret the merged clip sequence track items in the same way it currently does for separate audio and audio clips that are used together in the sequence at the same time locations. The target application will not show the clips as merged. The audio and video will be seen as separate clips. Source timecode is used for both video and audio portions.

    Exporting AAF files

    Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) is a multimedia file format that allows you to exchange digital media and metadata between platforms, systems, and applications. Authoring applications that support AAF, such as Avid Media Composer, read and write the data in AAF files to the extent that they support the format.

    Ensure that the project you want to export conforms to general AAF specifications and is compatible with an Avid Media Composer product. Consider each of the following:

    • The AAF files exported by Premiere Pro are compatible with the Avid Media Composer family of editing products. These AAF files have not been tested with other AAF importers.

    • Transitions should appear only between two clips, not adjacent to the beginning or end of a clip. Each clip must be at least the same length as the transition.

    • If a clip has a transition at both its In and Out points, the clip must be at least the same length as both transitions combined.

    • When naming clips and sequences in Premiere Pro, avoid using special characters, accented characters, or characters that affect the parsing of an XML file. Some characters to avoid include /, >, <, ®, and ü.

    • AAF files exported from Premiere Pro and imported into Avid Media Composer do not automatically relink to the source footage. To relink the footage, use the Batch Import option in Avid Media Composer.

    Note: In Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later, merged clips are not supported when exporting an AAF file.

    For more information see “Round-tripping with Avid Media Composer” by Maxim Jago and Video2Brain.

    Export an Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) project file

    1. Choose File > Export > AAF.
    2. In the Save Converted Project As dialog box, browse to a location for the AAF file, and type a file name. Click Save.
    3. In the AAF Export Settings dialog box, select either Save As Legacy AAF, Embed Audio, or neither. Click OK.

      Premiere Pro saves the sequence to an AAF file at the specified location. The AAF Export Log dialog box opens to report any exporting issues.

    About the AAF plug-in

    The AAF Export plug-in converts Premiere Pro projects as follows:

    Cuts-only mono/stereo audio and video
    The plug-in fully supports these elements of a project. The plug-in does not convert audio pan, gain, and level changes, and 5.1 audio. Stereo audio channels are separated into two tracks in the Avid Media Composer sequence.

    Clip speed
    The plug-in converts video clip speed changes (slow, fast, reverse playback) to the Avid Media Composer Motion Effect, which is the only supported effect. Clip speed applied to nested sequences is also converted. Avid Media Composer does not have an equivalent to Motion Effect for audio. If the speed change makes the audio clip longer than the source media, the plug-in stretches the audio clip to the same length as the rest of the source media. The plug-in begins at the StartTime, and places filler in the gap. You can fix these portions of the sequence manually in the Avid editing system.

    Batch captured or redigitized files
    The plug-in retains the tape name specified in the AAF file. Use the Batch Record capability in Avid Media Composer to recapture the media from tape.

    Footage of varying dimensions
    The plug-in exports the project at its full resolution. However, importing scales all footage according to the resolution specified in the Avid project.

    Nested sequences
    The plug-in builds the master composition from the nested sequences recursively (because Avid Media Composer does not support linking to the nested sequences). Therefore, in the AAF file, there’s no linking between the master composition and the nested sequences.

    Titles
    The plug-in converts titles to offline media in Avid Media Composer.

    Bin hierarchy
    Avid Media Composer places all items into a single bin. Projects with multiple bins convert into one bin.

    Graphic files
    The plug-in saves a reference to all original files, but compatibility in Avid Media Composer is limited to the formats that it supports. (See the Avid Media Composer documentation for information on supported graphic file formats.)

    Project elements
    The plug-in converts synthetic clips, such as Bars and Tone, Black Video, Color Matte, and Universal Counting Leader to offline media in XDV.

    Sequence and clip markers
    The plug-in converts all sequence markers, except the sequence In and Out markers, to locators on the timecode (TC1) track in Avid Media Composer. The Chapter, URL, and Frame Target fields are not converted because Avid Media Composer has no equivalents. The plug-in converts clip markers to segment markers in Avid Media Composer.
    Note: The AAF Export plug-in ignores markers located beyond the end of the sequence.

    Current-time indicator position
    In the exported file, the current-time indicator retains its original position if it is within the duration of the sequence. Otherwise, the plug-in places the current-time indicator at the end of the Avid Media Composer sequence.

    Grouped clips
    Upon import, all grouped clips are ungrouped and treated separately.

    Transitions and effects
    Transitions and effects exported from Premiere Pro to the AAF format are identified uniquely in Avid Media Composer.

    Export a Final Cut Pro project XML file

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    Have a tutorial you would like to share?

    Using Apple Final Cut Pro with Adobe Premiere Pro

    Joost van der Hoeven
    Joost van der Hoeven provides a video tutorial on the Adobe website that demonstrates exchanging information between Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro using XML projects.
    1. Choose File > Export > Final Cut Pro XML.
    2. In the Save Converted Project As dialog box, browse to a location for the XML file, and type a file name. Click Save.

      Premiere Pro saves the sequence to an XML file at the specified location. Also, Premiere Pro saves a log of any conversion problems in a text file also at the same location. The log file name contains the words FCP Translation Results.

    3. (Optional) If necessary, read the log file for descriptions of any translation issues.

    Exporting a Final Cut Pro XML file from Premiere Pro CS5.5 and later turns merged clips into nested sequences in Final Cut Pro.

    The XML from Premiere Pro CS5 can also be imported into Final Cut Express 4.0.1.

    The Premiere Pro CS5 (5.0.2) update made several improvements to Final Cut Pro XML export, see this post for details.

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