Workflow tip for keeping track of changes on timeline ?

Hi guys,

I'm back from 4 days of audio mix for my short and :woohoo: of course :woohoo: now I still want to make some changes to the timeline...

(Yes I know, should be avoided at any cost, but when ideas pop up, what can I do)

Do you have a tip to keep track of every time change on my timeline, so I can give a precise report to my audio designer ?

I was thinking of placing an adjustment layer on top of it, and place markers on the original points of key clips, so then I can measure their timecode before/after the change.

What do you think ? Do you have a better method ?

(Change List X does the job, but I cannot afford it easily and it only detects changes on the primary storyline)

Thank you!!!

Versioning, I do it all the time. Simply use Project Snapshots. That's what they are there for.
help.apple.com/finalcutpro/mac/10.1/#verfd45ffa45

When you Duplicate a Project as a Snapshot, you have a version frozen in time, with the date and time added to the name. Then you just keep working on your original. You can also make a Smart Collection that filters for Snapshots, to keep track of them easily.

Thanks Ben

I also work with Versioning all the time. Everytime I make an important change I create a duplicate and work on the incremented version.

However I believe that with Versioning it is not very easy to compare version A and version B in order to tell the audio designer: "I've shortened this shot by X frames, added one shot her, etc."

Or is it ?

If I need to inform someone of changes I'm making from one version to another, I'd simply make To-Do makers on those clips.

But that brings up a question; why are you making so many revisions AFTER sending it out to your sound guy? Our studio, and most I know of and work with, don't send sound or effects out until we lock the edit. Once we hit edit lock, nothing changes, except in drastic situations caused by sound/effect/graphics work afterwards. Seems your doing a LOT of extra work updating edits after the audio work is done. Leave the audio work for last.

Ben,

Thanks again. You're totally right to point that out, and believe me I am very aware of it.

But it's a shortfilm, with zero budget for it, and I'm lucky that a lot of talented people are helping me out for free. The only downside of course is that they work whenever they have time.

So when a very experienced audio designer tells me "I will give you 4 days early December, after that I'm working on a feature", I have to accept his terms. Then I just try to finish 99% of the film but know in advance that I will run into that kind of problems.

Basically it's the same with the VFX, the co-editor, the music composer, etc. I'm just trying to stay healthy and get this film done

Yeah, those are difficult situations.

I'd just note the timecode of where you made changes. Maybe use To-Do markers, like I said. The ability to export a marker list, specifying which markers, would really help.

I believe that Change List X will do this for you as well.

itunes.apple.com/us/app/change-list-x/id694746044?mt=12

Yes, forgot that existed! Bravo!

Thank you guys.

Yes I've had a look at it but in my timeline I sometimes do some transition that require secondary storylines, and Change List X only spots the changes of the primary storyline. Can solve all the other issues though.