Prepare an interchange copy of the edit
Keep the original Premiere sequence intact and make a handoff copy. Record the sequence start, exact frame rate, DF/NDF setting and required tracks. Export a reference movie from the same version so the colorist can compare cut boundaries, framing and timing.
Agree how to handle nests, multicam, speed changes, graphics and effects. Some need a native handoff or rendered elements. Deleting them just to make a converter accept the file changes the edit; any simplification should be a deliberate production decision.
Export XML or an EDL from Premiere Pro
For an XML handoff, use Premiere’s File → Export → Final Cut Pro XML command. This produces the FCP7 XML interchange dialect, not modern FCPXML. Review the accompanying translation report; Adobe documents limits on transferred effects and audio settings.
An EDL is useful when the recipient needs a compact cut list, for example for a single-layer picture conform or a source-range check. Export the required sequence and track selection deliberately. If several picture tracks matter, a layered interchange and a reference movie explain the edit more clearly than assuming one EDL captures the composite.
Where EDL Toolbox helps
Open the exported list to inspect source and record timing before the handoff. Validate an EDL, normalize reel identifiers, remove agreed comment types or apply a known source offset. For supported multitrack FCP7 XML, XML → EDL creates separate lists at their original record positions.
Keep audio selected when it belongs to the handoff. Unsupported structures are reported and block conversion rather than being silently discarded. The toolbox does not render Premiere effects or reconstruct missing source media.
Example: V1 interview with V3 inserts
A sequence starts at 01:00:00:00. The main interview is on V1; inserts appear on V3 after a gap. When converting supported XML to separate EDLs, V3 must retain its original track identity and record addresses. Moving those inserts to the start of the timeline would create a different edit.
Compare the track map and the exported record ranges with the reference movie. Confirm that the recipient needs separate lists; importing the original XML directly into Resolve may be the simpler handoff when it works correctly.
Diagnose a Resolve conform mismatch
- Media offline: check that the intended files are available, then inspect filename, reel and source-timecode matching. An offset cannot fix a missing file.
- Every cut has the same displacement: compare source timecode origins and sequence starts before applying an offset.
- Errors increase through the edit: check playback rates and timecode interpretation; a fixed offset may hide the first error without fixing the cause.
- Only effect shots differ: check the originating effect and translation report. Comment cleanup does not remove a real speed change.
Menu names and import options can differ between versions. Use the documentation for the installed editor and verify first, middle and last shots plus audio sync after relinking.