Rick Young's Blog

FCP7 to FCP6

November 16, 2009

Posted by: Rick Young

Each successive version of Final Cut Pro has required users to update older projects to the latest version. The works well, and I've never had a project develop problems as a result. However, the one inconvenience is that if one needs to go back to the older version of the project there is no obvious means to do this.

This week I was cutting a job in FCP6. The suite was hired, great location, good support, and all was going well. As I left on Friday night I media managed everything to drive, planning to continue work away from the edit suite over the weekend.

And continue I did. I knocked the footage into shape, sorted the graphics, mixed the audio, all in FCP7.

Monday back in the edit suite and I'm working with the producer who hired me.

I'm chained to my laptop - the suite with the big HDMI monitor and 30 inch display in front of me is unused and inactive, and we're staring at a 15 inch laptop screen. I'm aware this is not the way it should be, the producer comments, I tell him I'll sort it out.

How to get a FCP7 project to open in FCP6 is the issue? XML. I don't really know what XML is, though I've heard it mentioned enough times by enough people to know it is a way of transferring information, to be read and opened in different applications. Sort of like a protocol which a lot of software can understand.

So I Export the project as Apple XML Interchange Format, version 5.

The export is done in Final Cut Pro 7, I then try and import this into Final Cut Pro 6. I get a message asking for a Template - I can't provide, seems there is no way forward.

I export EDLs from the FCP7 project and try to bring these into the FCP6 project. EDLs can be the most confusing information anyone has ever had to look at - I know, I spent years in online suites working with them. This isn't going to do it - I abandon the idea of using EDLs for this purpose.

Then I try one more time - Export XML from the FCP7 project - this time I choose Apple XML Interchange Format, version 4.

I open this in Final Cut Pro 6 - like a lightning bolt my world is illuminated. It has worked - though I do have to manually reconnect the media.

I'm elated that I've been able to successfully convert a project from FCP7 to FCP6.

Now that I know I can always do this if needed - always easy if you know what to do.