Boris Transfer FCP Streamlines Workflow for Syfy

Syfy, formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel, is an American cable channel featuring science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural, paranormal, and reality programming. Syfy is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast and General Electric.

Two Syfy shows, Eureka and Warehouse 13, recently moved to Avid Media Composer for offline editing, but still use Apple Final Cut Pro for online editing. Warehouse 13 is shot with RED Digital Cinema cameras and dailies are encoded to Avid's DNxHD 36 codec. Eureka implements a tape dailies workflow with the Sony F23 camera system. After each episode is locked, online editor Pete Fausone needs to get the edit into Final Cut Pro to do the uncompressed online, re-digitizing from tape to 10-bit RGB 4:4:4 QuickTimes using Blackmagic Design's DeckLink HD Extreme 3D video I/O card.

To meet crushing deadlines, Fausone sought a workflow tool that would seamlessly transfer Avid Media Composer sequences with Boris Continuum Complete effects to Apple Final Cut Pro - with the BCC effects in-tact, including keyframes. His wish list included support for variable speed changes, opacity and cropping, flops, dissolves, and titles. Accurate source timecode in each clip was also imperative.

The Boris FX engineering team acted on Fausone's feedback and implemented his wish list for Version 2 of the Boris Transfer FCP workflow tool.

"Boris Transfer FCP has emerged as a key element of our workflow for Eureka and Warehouse 13. We are really excited about how far the tool has progressed over the past several months" commented Fausone. "In moving timelines from Avid to Final Cut Pro, speed, correctly re-digitizing footage using transferred reel info, and transfer of time warp and third-party effects are critical, and Boris Transfer FCP delivers."

Boris Transfer FCP provides a set of two Final Cut Pro plug-ins for transferring sequences between Final Cut Pro and Avid editing and finishing systems. One of the plug-ins exports Avid-compatible AAF format files from Final Cut Pro to Avid. The other plug-in imports AAF format files from Avid to Final Cut Pro. Using Boris Transfer FCP, Avid and Final Cut Pro editors can exchange projects that include transitions, effects, image and time warps, Boris Continuum Complete effects, and keyframes.