Avid Media Log

Avid Media Log is a standalone app supplied with Avid systems enabling assistants on non-Avid machines to select and log raw (as opposed to RAW) footage in a manner that can easily be transferred into an Avid session/system elsewhere, where the result appears as an Avid Project.  Apparently, Media Log is much like the digitize tool on Media Composer.  But I’ve never used that either…

{Voice from 2011-12-08: Installing Avid MC 6.0 to Mac, under “Helper Applications”, the MediaLog  option has text saying”Avid recommends installing your Avid MediaLog on a separate system from your Avid Media Composer”.  That makes sense.}

Example Usage:

  • Enter the Time Code numbers in the start and end fields and then click the log button.
  • Type in your slate number followed by your shot description.
  • Once you have completed all of your shots, break the main bin down into scenes, with a new bin for each scene.
  • Now you can organize shots in order by either slate number or order in which it was shot with the click of a button.
  • Once complete, drag the folder with your project into “Composer Projects” on the AVID’s hard drive.
  • Then, when you launch AVID .. your project will automatically appear as one of the projects and you are ready to digitize.

Research:

  • http://aviddssupport.avid.com/legacy/download/medialog/MediaLogGuide11_5.pdf
    • MediaLog is a tool that helps you select and log footage before your edit session.
    • Although you can log footage with Avid editing system products, using MediaLog can free up your Avid editing system for editing rather than for logging footage.
    • After logging shots (for example, on a laptop), you can use your Avid editing system to digitize and edit the footage. In addition, you can transfer film to (NTSC) or (PAL) video, use MediaLog to log the material, and then transfer the logged shots (also known as clips) to an Avid editing system for digitizing and editing.
  • http://www.filmunderground.com/26/Article/NWFS/media%20log.htm
    • Medialog is companion software distributed by AVID for its editing platforms. Medialog is designed so that you can do your time consuming data entry of shot information and Time Code on any Mac rather than on an AVID system. This means that you can prepare all your footage ahead of time without wasting precious AVID time.
    • Medialog is a program that can be installed on any Mac with 8 megs of RAM or more. The program comes on a disk that is distributed by AVID with its other products. All you need to do is install the program on your Mac from the disk.
    • Medialog is a valuable tool not only because it allows you to create bins and enter all your information, but because it familiarizes you with the way AVID organizes footage and the interface. Once Medialog is installed, you can use it much like the digitize tool on Media Composer or MCXpress. Enter the Time Code numbers in the start and end fields and then click the log button. Then type in your slate number followed by your shot description. Once you have completed all of your shots, I suggest you the break the main bin down into scenes, with a new bin for each scene. Now you can organize shots in order by either slate number or order in which it was shot with the click of a button.
    • Transferring your project:
      • Once you have completed logging, close Medialog. Find the folder marked “Composer Projects” on the hard drive. Open “Composer Projects” and drag the folder with your project in it onto your disk on the desk top. Once the folder has copied, remove your disk.
      • Once your paper logs are entered and made into bins on disk, you are ready to walk into the edit bay with your tapes, your disk and your paper logs. Put your disk in the drive with the project you created with Medialog into the AVID. Before launching the AVID application, drag the folder with your project into “Composer Projects” on the AVID’s hard drive. When you launch the AVID application (i.e. Media Composer) your project will automatically appear as one of the projects and you are ready to digitize.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.