The idea is to reference the first keykode of each camera roll by punching the negative and entering this keykode in a database, so that the editing software can know the position of each frame in terms of keykodes. For example, with 16 mm, keykodes go up by one unit every 20 frames, so that 18 frames after key-code EN32 5670 5546 will be EN32 5670 5546+18.
When the edit is ready, the software generates the « pull list » with all the keykodes of the start and end points of each shot as they are present in the camera rolls, so that one can pull out the shots from the rushes, and the « cut list » that enables to splice the shot together in the order of the edit.
To start with, it is good practice to punch a reference image at the beginning of each camera roll, i.e. a roll that was exposed as one piece in the camera and has a continuous keykode count from start to finish. Usually, one picks for reference the very first image where you can read the keykode alongside the image. Once you have made the punch, like on the image above, note the Keykode for the corresponding camera roll. While making a punch is not absolutely necessary, and makes things simple and reliable in a matter where you don’t want to make mistakes! And of course this needs to be done before scanning to be useful.
Da Vinci Resolve can actually manage keykodes as long as the images are in CRI or DPX format.
Key-codes can be shown alongside the video image for a reference while editing. Then, thanks to filmlabs.org cut-list generator, one can create both the pull list and cut list, using two simple files exported from Resolve : the Edit Index CSV and the timeline ALE.
When you have DPX scans of your negative images, organize then so that each camera roll is separate DPX sequence in a separate folder. If you can, start each sequence with your punched reference image, it makes things simpler.
ENTER THE START KEYKODE OF EACH REEL
Unfortunately, Da Vinci developers didn’t bother to program a way to enter the keykodes manually for each camera roll start. However, Colorlab offers a freeware that can handle it for DPX: DPX Metadata Editor.
Once you have opened a DPX sequence with Colorlab’s software, open the Image viewer and find your reference image with the slider. Tick ‘Enable editing’ and you will be able to input keykode information in the ‘Industry Film Header’ tab. Pick Frames for 16mm and Perfs for 35mm.
• Mfg & Gauge (2 digits): First digit: 0 for 35mm, 1 for 16mm, 2 for 65mm; Second digit: 0 for ORWO, 1 for AGFA, 2 for KODAK, 3 for FUJI. For example: 12 for 16mm Kodak film.
• Emulsion number (2 digits). Can be anything but meant to be the last two digits of the film commercial reference, like 07 for Kodak’s 7207. (Correspondance between Kodak’s keykode letters and emulsion types can be found here)
• Prefix (6 digits): The first six digits of the actual keykode. In the example on top of this page: 744510.
• Count (4 digits): The last four numbers of the keykode. Example: 8389.
• Perfs/Frame (2 digits): Offset with the keykode reference frame (00 when choosing the frame in front of the two letters, which is standard practice).
• Perfs Per Frame should be 1 for 16mm and 4 for standard 35mm.
Lastly, change the Frame Rate in ‘Industry Film Header’ to 24 fps.
Although it’s not mandatory, it is usual to ensure that no two images will have the same source time-code, as this is useful to spot potential issues in the cut list in the end. Would you want to do this, remaining on the reference frame, choose the ‘Industry Television Header’ and set the time-code to 01:00:00:00 for the first camera roll. Leave the ‘Industry Television Header’ frame rate to 0.
When done, choose ‘Write headers’ and the software will write the Keykode (and time-code if changed) metadata in each individual frame of the DPX sequence.
Move on to the next cam roll, set the reference image keykode. Optionnaly, set the time-code so that there is no overlap: for example if your first cam roll ends at 01:10:45:12 choose 01:12:00:00 for the second roll. (Keep in mind that there might me some images before your reference image in your sequences if they don’t start at the punch.)
GO TO RESOLVE
Then import your sequences in DaVinci Resolve. Edit your film on a 24 fps timeline! Source Timecode and Keykodes can be displayed about the image in the EDIT pad.
Once you are done editing, go to the Edit Index window and export the CSV.
Then go to the Timelines and export the ALE file.
Then use filmlabs.org cut list generator to generate the information that you need to cut your negative in accordance with your digital edit. Cut your negative and you’re ready to make a print!
Beware that Final Cut 7 is incompatible with OS 10.13 (High Sierra) and onwards!
https://www.cined.com/final-cut-pro-7-is-finally-dead-time-to-move-on/
Even with more ancient OS versions, Cinema Tools sometimes fail to open.
https://simpledcp.com/cinema-tools-bites-dust-new-macos/
but hopefully in this case there is a patch: Old Apple support for FCP7
If your computer is old enough to handle Final Cut 7, congratulations! You can move on.
Each telecine file is truncated to begin with the punch, and the matching keykode is entered in Cinema Tools.
Creat a database in Cinema Tools with the following settings (for 16mm), and save it:
Click on « New Record » in the window that opens.
Optionnaly fill the « Scene » et « Take » fields. Then click on « Open Clip » and connect the Quicktime file of the first camera roll.
One can move inside the video file in the window that opens. Check that the file metadata is set to 24 ips, and if not change it by clicking on « Conform ». Go to the reference image with the punch. Enter the keykode in the Key field using « & » to mark the offset with the position of the letters in the keykode: &00 for the very keykode reference, &01 for the next one, etc. « Save » the keykode setting.
Optionnaly choose a time-code for this image, for example 01:00:00:00 for the reference image of the first camera rool, 02:00:00:00 for the second one etc. (As long as there are no more than 23 !)
When moving back and forth in the video file, time-code and keykodes follow! Close the window. When all the camera rolls are referenced (each time « New Record ») save the database and start Final Cut.
• Open a new Final Cut project, import all the video files.
• Select the files and choose Tools > Synchronise with Cinema Tools and choose your database.
• Drop a file on the Timeline of a sequence and accept to change the timeline settings to match the settings of the shot. The timeline should be 24 fps.
• Make a fake edit using all the camera rolls and Export Film list Cinema Tools. Accept the default settings. Final Cut generates a pdf with the ‘cut list’ et the ‘pull list’. Make sure everything is correct.
Keykodes can also be burnt into the Canvas window for examining.
Make sure you create a « New project » that is a « film » project by ticking the « film » option and defining the appropriate format (16mm, 35mm, 35mm 3-perf…)
Once the rushes are loaded, find the KN START column in the bin, whether by choosing the « film » default display of bins, or manually with « choose column ».
The start key-code can be entered manually in the KN START column of the bin by clicking on the clip line in the KN START column. Beware that this is the key-code of the first image of the clip, independently from which image is currently viewed. If the punch in the negative is not the first image of the clip, one has to calculate manually the resulting key-code of the first image. Then, one can check that this is correct by going to image with the punch.
When the edit is finished, go to the « List tools » in the Tools menu which can be in different places depending the Media Composer version. Choose « Cut list » and « Columnar » as the format.
With the different options, one can choose to show the shots in the order if the rushes or in the order of the edit.
The Scotcheuses (a super 8 filmmaking collective) developped an add-on for Blender for exporting a cut-list !
https://www.blender.org/
It’s on-line on filmlabs’ framagit : https://framagit.org/filmlabs/cut-list-blender-addon
(the plugin worked in our workflow, but would need some rewrite to be more “universal”, we are keen to have your feedbacks!)
It yields results like “edit #5 uses shot #4 of reel #3, between image 101 and 145 included.”
It is unknown to us if there is a solution for handling keykodes with Premiere Pro. It doesn’t seem like there is! Let us know if you have knowledge of one…
