What sound editors ask us.

What exactly does Zelau do?

Zelau is a toolbox that works on postproduction AAFs. Each function starts from the AAF exported by the picture edit and draws from it what a sound room, a lab or an effects vendor needs: a conformed AAF, a list, a report, a reference. Nothing is guessed silently, and every output comes with a log.

Which functions are there?

MATCHFRAME AAF turns the picture edit's video AAF into a conformed sound AAF, each shot laid back in place with its media.

HANDLES AAF adds handles before and after each shot, enough to make your fades without asking for the media again.

CHANGE AAF tells you what moved between two versions of the edit: added, removed, replaced, extended, trimmed.

BURN-IN AAF prepares the conform reference, to your production's convention.

PT MARKERS AAF builds Pro Tools locators from shot names, and can enrich them with the script as a PDF.

VFX TURNOVER AAF picks up the tagged VFX shots and outputs the source ranges to order, handles included.

ADR AAF picks up the lines to loop, track by track, and outputs them as AAF, CSV and PDF.

CALCULATOR TC works out timecode gaps and offsets.

What do I need to get started?

An AAF exported from the picture edit, and nothing else for most functions. Some also accept what your edit already produces: a media folder for conforming, a reference QuickTime, the script as a PDF, EDLs. Those inputs stay optional — without them the function still works, with fewer columns.

How does MATCHFRAME AAF find the right media for each clip?

The engine tries four methods in order: embedded timecode read through ffprobe, file name, a heuristic on the name tokens, then waveform comparison as an optional fallback. The method used is recorded for every clip.

Can I set the timecode tolerance and the frame rate?

Yes. The frame rate is configurable, including for projects at non-standard rates, and the timecode matching tolerance is expressed in frames and set according to your rushes.

Do I need to use a terminal?

No. Zelau runs in a web page: drop in the AAF, get the result back. No command line is required.

What happens to a clip Zelau cannot resolve?

The clip is marked « to check » and detailed in the log with the possible reasons. Zelau never guesses a match silently: doubtful cases are reported to you.

Is my media sent to a server?

From the browser, yes: your AAF and the files that come with it are sent to the Zelau server. That is what a tool running from a web page implies. They are not kept there: your uploads and the outputs produced are erased automatically after one hour, with no action from anyone.

The application, for its part, does everything on your own machine. Your files are read where they sit, nothing is transmitted, nothing leaves your computer. The details are in the privacy policy.

Does Zelau handle retimes, transitions and nested sequences?

These advanced cases are at the very least detected and flagged in the log so they can be checked by hand. The application stays stable even when it cannot fully interpret a complex element.

Is there a processing report?

Yes. Besides the live execution log, Zelau can produce a CSV report listing, for each clip, the media selected, the method and the timecode difference.

What languages does Zelau come in?

In French, English and Chinese: the site, the tool and the video tutorials. Reports and spreadsheets come out in the language you choose, with one exception — headers that reuse the name of an Avid column stay in English in all three languages, because that is the name you will find them under in the software.