Exporting AAF Media from Davinci Resolve for Sound Design

Summary

This tutorial video guides on exporting AAF from DaVinci Resolve for sound designers. It emphasizes including a sync point at the project start for syncing later. The video covers selecting the export range, adjusting render settings for AAF with frame handles and audio format, and exporting video separately in QuickTime format with H264 codec. It also discusses audio settings like bit depth and sample rate, and how to render and organize files for sound design in ProTools.

Takeaways

• 🎵 Start by including a sync beep at the beginning of the project for easier syncing later on.
• 📽 Ensure the in and out range of the project is complete before exporting to include all necessary content.
• 🔧 When exporting, select 'Pro Tools' in the render settings to prepare the file for sound design.
• 📁 Create a new folder with your project name and include 'aaf' in the file name for organization.
• 🎞 Choose to export video separately to manage file sizes and ease of handling.
• 🎛 Set the audio format to WAV, codec to linear PCM, and frame handles to 1000 for flexibility in audio editing.
• 🔊 Consider the bit depth; use 24-bit unless recorded in 32-bit, which requires a corresponding session setup.
• 📹 For video, use 'Custom Export', choose 'QuickTime' format, and codec 'H264' for compatibility.
• 🗂 Include runtime timecode in the video to help the sound designer sync audio with video frame by frame.
• 🔊 Normalize audio if necessary and set target loudness levels according to broadcasting standards.

Q & A

What does the acronym 'AAF' stand for in the context of the video?

AAF stands for Advanced Authoring Format, which is a file format used for exchanging audio and video data between different software applications.

Why is including a sync point at the beginning of a project important?

Including a sync point at the beginning of a project allows the sound designer and editor to sync the project correctly, ensuring that the audio and video are aligned.

What does 'Del' refer to in the script?

In the script, 'Del' likely refers to the 'Delete' key on the keyboard, which is used to select everything in the timeline.

Why is it necessary to ensure the in and out range is complete when exporting AAF?

Ensuring the in and out range is complete means that the range includes everything that you want to export, ensuring that no part of the project is missed.

What is the significance of frame handles in the context of audio post-production?

Frame handles are extra frames of video or audio that are included in the export. They allow the sound designer to trim the clip left or right without losing any of the original content.

Why might exporting an AAF without frame handles be problematic?

Exporting an AAF without frame handles could result in the sound designer not having enough material to trim the audio or video properly, potentially leading to lost content or synchronization issues.

What audio format and codec are recommended for exporting AAF in the video?

The recommended audio format is WAV and the codec is Linear PCM.

What is the purpose of rendering video separately when exporting AAF?

Rendering video separately allows for greater control over the video file, such as ensuring it is exported as a single clip rather than individual clips.

What video format and codec are recommended for exporting video in the script?

The recommended video format is QuickTime and the codec is H264.

Why is it important to include runtime time code when exporting AAF for sound design?

Including runtime time code allows the sound designer to sync everything frame by frame, ensuring precise synchronization between the audio and video.

What does the term 'bit depth' refer to in the context of audio recording?

Bit depth refers to the number of bits of information in each sample of audio, with higher bit depths providing greater detail and dynamic range.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 How to Export AAF from DaVinci Resolve

This video tutorial guides viewers on how to export an AAF file from DaVinci Resolve for sound designers. It emphasizes the importance of including a sync point at the beginning of the project for syncing purposes later. The process involves selecting the entire timeline, adjusting the in and out range to ensure everything is included, and setting render settings to export to Pro Tools. The tutorial advises creating a new folder with 'AAF' in the filename for clarity. It specifies exporting audio in WAV format with a linear PCM codec, setting frame handles to 1000 frames for trimming flexibility, and choosing bit depth based on the recording setup. The video also covers exporting video separately, with settings for QuickTime format and H264 codec, and provides instructions for rendering the video and audio files.

Keywords

💡AAF

AAF stands for Advanced Authoring Format, which is a file format used in professional audio and video production. It is designed to facilitate the exchange of audio data between different software applications. In the context of the video, AAF is the format to which the final project is exported to send to sound designers. The script mentions exporting an AAF file with frame handles to allow sound designers to trim audio clips, highlighting its importance in post-production workflows.

💡Sync PEEP

A sync peep is a reference tone or beep added to a project at the beginning to help synchronize audio and video. The video script emphasizes the importance of including a sync peep at the start of a project to ensure that sound designers and editors can sync the project correctly later on.

💡Render Settings

Render settings refer to the options and parameters chosen when exporting or rendering a video or audio file. The script describes navigating to render settings and selecting Pro Tools as the destination for the AAF export, indicating the process of finalizing the project for audio post-production.

💡Frame Handles

Frame handles are extra frames of video or audio added to the beginning and end of a clip to allow for more flexibility in editing. The video script specifies setting frame handles to 1000, which is crucial for sound designers to trim clips in post-production without losing any essential audio.

💡Wave

Wave, or WAV, is a Microsoft audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. In the script, 'wave' is mentioned as the format for exporting audio, with a codec of linear PCM, indicating a standard and high-quality audio export for sound design.

💡Linear PCM

Linear PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) is an uncompressed audio codec that represents the waveform of an analog signal by using a series of values. The script mentions using linear PCM as the codec for the wave files, ensuring high-quality audio that is suitable for professional sound design.

💡Bit Depth

Bit depth refers to the number of bits of information in each sample of a digitized audio signal, which affects the quality and resolution of the audio. The script specifies a bit depth of 24 or 32, depending on the recording, which is important for maintaining audio quality during the export process.

💡Render Queue

A render queue is a list of tasks that need to be rendered or exported in video editing software. The script mentions putting the AAF export settings into the render queue, illustrating the step where the export process is prepared for execution.

💡Custom Export

Custom export allows users to specify unique settings for exporting media files that differ from the default settings. In the script, custom export is used to render the video as a single clip, which is then exported as a QuickTime file with h264 codec, suitable for compatibility with Pro Tools and other software.

💡Audio Normalization

Audio normalization is the process of adjusting the audio levels so that the loudest part of the audio does not exceed a certain dB level. The script mentions normalizing audio and setting it to the standard for broadcasting and theater exhibitions, which is crucial for preparing audio files for various playback environments.

💡Runtime Timecode

Runtime timecode is a sequence of numeric codes generated at regular intervals by a timecode generator. The script suggests including runtime timecode in the AAF file, which is essential for sound designers to sync audio with video frame by frame during post-production.

Highlights

Introduction to exporting AAF from DaVinci Resolve for sound designers.

Importance of including a sync beep at the start of the project.

How to ensure the in and out range is complete for exporting.

Instructions on how to select everything and zoom out in the timeline.

Navigating to render settings and selecting Pro Tools.

Explanation of why the file name cannot be changed and the workaround.

Details on changing the location and creating a new folder for the AAF.

The necessity of exporting video separately and the steps to do so.

Audio settings for exporting AAF: format, codec, frame handles, and bit depth.

Reasoning behind setting frame handles to 1000 for trimming purposes.

Advantages of rendering full extent versus frame handles for audio files.

How to set up the audio channels and bit depth according to the source.

Leaving file tab settings as is before exporting.

Process of exporting video separately using custom export settings.

Video export format and codec recommendations.

Importance of matching project settings for resolution and frame rate.

Explanation of subtitle settings and burning them into the video.

Final audio settings before exporting: codec, sample rate, bit depth, and normalization.

Setting target labels and loudness levels for audio normalization.

Instructions on adding jobs to the render queue and exporting.

How to include runtime time code for syncing purposes.

Importance of matching runtime time code in the picture with audio post-production software.

Review of the exported AAF files and their organization in the created folder.

Guidance on importing AAF into audio post-production software.

Link to additional videos on importing AAF into Pro Tools and starting sound design.

Conclusion and anticipation for the next video in the series.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi welcome to sound and Melodies In this

video we're going to see how to export

aaf from thein resolve to send to sound

designers at the beginning of the

project make sure to include a sync peep

that will later allow the sound designer

and Editor to sync the project

correctly once the editing is done go to

Del

Del and select everything and let's zoom

out and make sure the in andout range is

complete meaning that the range includes

everything that you want to export

aa4 and once the range is selected we go

to render

settings and select prot tools you can't

seem to change the file name for some

reason but it's all right let's change

the

location browse for location and select

this AV scratch folder and there I'll

create a new folder called AA this

should be your project name folder and

include aaf in the file name so that

it's easier to understand and it will

change the location here and we're going

to export video separately so let's

uncheck that and in the audio this is

what we need the format is wave and codc

is linear PCM and frame handles let's

make it 1,000 this allows the sound

designer to trim the clip left or right

in the audio post production

software you can also render full extent

but that will mean that the audio files

may be extremely large but definitely do

not export an aaf without any frame

handles and in the channels it can be

same as source

the bit depth is 24 unless the sound

recordist has recorded it in 32 bit but

that would mean that You' have to have

your session set up in such a way that

your audio settings has 32 bit as well

in the file tab I will leave everything

as it is and that's all we need and we

can put this to render queue and for

video we go to custom export and again I

can't change the file name here but it's

all right

and I'll render as single clip and not

individual Clips this will give me full

video as one file and I'll click export

video and here the format should be

quick time and cod can be h264 it works

very well with Protools and nendo and

the resolution you can change according

to your project settings and the frame

rate also according to your project

settings then let's go to advance we

don't need anything here and in subtitle

settings if you have any subtitles in

your project you have have to click that

and burn into video and let's check

everything once go to audio codc linear

PCM sample rate

48,000 bit depth 24 and audio

normalization we can normalize audio

just in case if you want and we can put

this at evu r128 which is the standard

for broadcasting and uh theater

exhibitions Target label is maximum Peak

or true Peak we can put it at minus one

and uh Target loudness is set

automatically and we can now put this to

render q and once the render Q jobs are

there we can just click render all and

it will start to export a AF file

including a video for

us additionally it would be helpful for

the sound designer to have a runtime

time code included which allows the

sound designer to sync everything frame

by frame and also make sure that the

runtime time code in the picture is the

exact time code in the audio

postproduction

software okay now the AA files are

exported let's see in the folder that we

created and we'll find a lot of wab

files including one aaf file

and when the video export will be done

it will also appear there as mob file

and when it's all done we can import the

aaf file in audio post production

software and start the sound design

process and on the topic of how to

import AA into Protools and start

organizing the files and start the sound

design there are a few videos in the

channel that you can check out and I'll

put the link in the description as well

and finally thank you for watching this

video and we'll see see you in next one