For a Final Cut Pro–to–Resolve colorist handoff, send camera originals plus a tested FCPXML timeline whenever possible. Keep the reference movie separate, and document every rendered shot’s color space so the colorist can apply the correct transform.

This workflow is for a Mac editor preparing a finished cut for grading in DaVinci Resolve. It uses Apple’s Final Cut Pro 12.4 documentation and Blackmagic Design’s Resolve 21.1 and Fusion 21.1 manuals. Treat interchange compatibility as something to test with the receiving version; the instructions below do not assume every effect or XML revision transfers intact.

Choose what the colorist will actually grade

Start by distinguishing three things: the media being graded, the timeline describing the edit, and the reference showing its intended appearance. A movie that looks correct in your editing project may already contain a conversion you want the colorist to control.

Apple documents that Final Cut Pro’s project color space determines its rendered and exported color space, subject to destination codec support. Consequently, choosing ProRes alone does not establish that an export preserves the camera’s original log encoding. Check the project and export settings together. Apple’s wide-gamut color-processing guide.

Use this decision aid to select the handoff before exporting. It is a practical workflow derived from the documented processing and interchange behavior.

Material Recommended handoff What to document
Original clips that Resolve can decode Originals plus FCPXML Recorded gamut and gamma, source identification, editing transforms
Shots dependent on effects that do not conform correctly Originals plus a separately rendered replacement Rendered gamut and gamma, effects included, handles
A timeline available only as a rendered movie Tested movie in an explicitly agreed color space Processing already applied, codec, frame rate, starting timecode
Movie showing the intended edit and temporary look Separate reference movie Viewing color space, temporary look, guide audio

Prefer the first route when the sources are available. Blackmagic documents XML workflows that relink an offline edit to camera originals, including choosing alternate media with matching metadata. That preserves the option to interpret the source again during grading. DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Chapter 22.

Record the existing color pipeline before changing it

Create a separate handoff copy of the project and preserve the editing version. Write down the installed application versions, timeline resolution, frame rate, starting timecode, library processing mode, and project output color space. Add the recorded gamut and gamma for each source group; a camera model alone is not a sufficient description of how a clip was recorded.

In Final Cut Pro, select the library and open File > Library Properties to inspect its processing configuration. Select the project and open Window > Project Properties to inspect its color space. The library controls working processing; the project controls rendered output. Apple warns that changing library processing can alter filters and blend modes, so avoid changing it merely to make a handoff appear flatter. Apple’s library and project color settings.

Next, inspect camera processing. Select a log clip, open the Info inspector, and choose General, Extended, or Settings from Metadata View. Check Camera LUT. Apple documents that Final Cut Pro can apply a camera LUT automatically from source metadata, while None turns off log processing. Apply LUTs in Final Cut Pro for Mac.

Record camera LUTs separately from creative LUT effects and color adjustments. Apple distinguishes camera LUT processing from the timeline’s Custom LUT effect. It also states that applying a camera LUT in a Standard library tone maps log media to SDR, whereas Wide Gamut HDR preserves its full dynamic range during that processing. Apple’s LUT documentation.

The practical consequence is to preserve the originals even when the edit used an SDR viewing conversion. Removing a LUT from a later render cannot be assumed to restore information that an earlier conversion discarded. A flat-looking preview is therefore an inadequate acceptance test for a grading source.

Export the edit and verify that it reaches the originals

Prepare a clearly named media folder with the original assets and their necessary companion files. Keep filenames and the existing folder organization recognizable. Include an exception list for retimed shots, composites, transitions, titles, and any replacement renders so those points receive attention during conforming.

In Final Cut Pro, activate the intended timeline and choose File > Export XML. Select the destination, metadata view, and XML version. Apple offers the current version and two previous versions for compatibility. FCPXML 1.10 and later exports use the .fcpxmld bundle extension; those versions are also required for the object-tracking and Cinematic mode features introduced in Final Cut Pro 10.6. Test the chosen version with the receiving Resolve installation. Use XML to transfer projects.

For a receiving-side test in Resolve, create a new project and choose File > Import Timeline, or press Shift-Command-I. Select the exported interchange file and inspect the import options before accepting them. Blackmagic documents controls for automatically importing referenced media, retaining sizing information, setting the timeline properties, and importing some Final Cut Pro color information. Resolve manual, Chapter 22.

For a fresh grade, leave Use color information disabled unless importing those adjustments is intentional. The documented support is a subset of Final Cut Pro color-board corrections; it is not a promise that the complete editing look transfers. If media paths are unavailable, Resolve can request another directory. Verify that the resulting clips are the intended originals rather than proxies. Resolve’s XML import options.

Compare the imported timeline with the reference from beginning to end. Check source identity, first and last frames, edit points, reframing, transitions, and speed changes. Mark discrepancies by timeline timecode. An XML that imports successfully still needs this comparison: Blackmagic’s interchange tables describe specific supported effects and transitions, with limitations. Resolve’s conforming and interchange documentation.

Specify rendered shots by their actual color encoding

Some shots need a rendered replacement to retain their appearance. For each one, agree on the output gamut, transfer function, codec, dimensions, frame rate, and required handles—the extra frames before and after the used section. Include the source elements where practical so the composite can be revised.

A useful illustrative handoff note is: “Composite 014: rendered Rec. 709 SDR; title and blend effect included; no additional camera-log transform intended; 12-frame handles.” This is an example of the information to supply, not a universal export prescription. Use the actual encoding and handle length of your render.

Keep the rendered shot’s encoding distinct from the encoding of the camera clips beneath it. In Resolve Color Management, the input assignment describes the incoming clip, the timeline space governs working processing, and the output space determines the rendered result. Input assignments can be overridden for individual clips, which matters when a timeline contains both log originals and display-referred replacements. Resolve manual, Chapter 9.

Do not use an output tag as a substitute for a conversion. Resolve’s Color Space Tag and Gamma Tag, under render Advanced Settings, control embedded metadata for supported formats. They describe the encoding to downstream applications. Changing a tag is not a documented way to reverse an already rendered transform. Resolve’s QuickTime color-space metadata documentation.

If the entire edit must be delivered as one movie, agree on its processing before rendering. A Rec. 709 movie should arrive identified as Rec. 709. A log or other intermediate handoff requires a tested pipeline that actually produces that encoding. Relabeling a display-rendered movie does not make it a camera-original substitute.

Check Fusion composites at the output, not just in the viewer

For a Fusion replacement, document the composition’s processing and its intended output. Fusion’s manual distinguishes viewer LUTs used to preview an image from processing within the composition. A Gamut View LUT can display linear material in an intended viewing space while the node tree continues processing in linear gamma. The viewer’s appearance alone therefore does not establish the rendered file’s encoding. Fusion 21.1 Reference Manual, Chapters 7 and 17.

Inspect the path that produces the delivered image, then reimport a short rendered sample. Preserve any transform needed to encode that output correctly. If its color interpretation remains uncertain, resolve the sample before rendering every composite.

Package the reference and test one representative section

Export a separate reference movie showing the intended timing and temporary appearance. In Final Cut Pro, choose Optimized/Original from the viewer’s View menu before using File > Share > Export File. Apple states that this setting exports from optimized media when available, otherwise originals. It does not force original-media use when optimized media exists. Export final mastering files.

Keep guide audio with the reference to help check synchronization, and label its role clearly. If audio is also being imported into Resolve, the XML import option for linked multichannel groups changes Fairlight track organization; it does not establish picture color processing. Resolve’s XML and Fairlight import options.

Before transferring the complete package, test a short section containing each materially different source type and at least one rendered replacement. Use the following diagnostic sequence:

  1. Confirm the imported clip resolves to the intended source file.
  2. Confirm its input gamut and gamma against the recorded source information.
  3. Inspect camera processing, creative LUTs, and output transforms for unintended duplication.
  4. Confirm the replacement render is interpreted according to its own encoding.
  5. Compare timing and composition against the reference, then compare appearance using the intended viewing transform.
  6. Record exceptions before repeating the workflow across the full timeline.

Deliver the tested FCPXML, original media, rendered exceptions, reference movie, and a concise color-pipeline note together. The handoff is ready when another editor can identify what each file contains, reconstruct the cut, and distinguish source encoding from temporary appearance without guessing.

Sources