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fadibitz
Participating Frequently
December 18, 2018
Answered

Complex Edit List: What is it, and how can I modify or remove it?

  • December 18, 2018
  • 6 replies
  • 10570 views

Hello, everyone.

While happily editing a number of corporate product videos, I stumbled upon an issue importing a .mov file recorded by a Mac laptop desktop recorder. On importing the .mov file, Premiere Pro CC reported that the file could not be imported because it "contains a complex edit list". This has not occurred previously with .mov files recorded on the same laptop.

There are other threads here that attempt to provide advice, but predictably devolve into pedantics, pseudophilosophy, pseudo-best practices, judgment, fanboyism, and juvenile vitriol, and anything that might be helpful is buried in pages of — (vulgar phrase removed). In this thread, I'd like to avoid this by posing the following conceptually simple questions:

  • What is a complex edit list?
  • Is the complex edit list of a file accessible, viewable, or editable?
  • If so, are there applications that can reveal the complex edit list in such a way that it can be modified?
  • If the complex edit list is editable or removable, what is the best way to edit or remove it so that PPCC can import the modified .mov file?

These are simple questions, but I suspect the answers are not nearly as simple. Kindly remain calm, level-headed, helpful, and respectful in the comments. No one is interested in anyone else's implied claims of superior knowledge or ability.

Attached is the tree view from MediaInfo (below).

Thank you all in advance for your kind help.

Moderator warning: Please avoid vulgar language. We have minors reading here. Refer to our guidelines: Guidelines & Tips for the Adobe Forums

    Correct answer Meg The Dog

    Thanks for that info, Kevin.

    Just as test, the OP might want to try and change the file extension from .mov to .mp4 and see if that circumvents the need to transcode. Just a guess.

    MtD

    6 replies

    jacobw99086600
    jacobw99086600
    Participant
    October 1, 2020

    This worked for me thanks!

    F
    fadibitzAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 21, 2018

    To the moderator who removed my supposedly vulgar phrases. You have my email address. Kindly remind me how my phrases were vulgar. I direct you to the following phrase in the guidelines:

    "If it would belong in a movie rated R (or higher), this isn't the right place for it."

    I await your reply.

    R
    rafn15406281
    Participant
    December 19, 2018

    I am unable to import my Pro Tools export .mov on windows into Premiere Pro because of the same issue. Is there any work around or should I just use Sony Vegas Pro? I ve tried importing it to Media Encoder first, can't.

    Kevin-Monahan
    Community Manager
    Kevin-MonahanCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    December 19, 2018

    Hi fadibitz,

    Sorry for this error.

    • I stumbled upon an issue importing a .mov file recorded by a Mac laptop desktop recorder.
    • On importing the .mov file, Premiere Pro CC reported that the file could not be imported

    Usually, warnings like this indicate that the file contains elements not supported in Adobe's custom-written 64-bit QuickTime codec for that file.

    This may help: Dropped support for QuickTime 7 era formats and codecs

    Quick Summary? If your files contain a QuickTime based 32-bit codec, you need to transcode it to a similar 64-bit version. Use either AME CC 2017 or something like Handbrake.

    An Adobe Premiere Pro engineer, my colleague Trent, gave the same solution that was marked as correct: Re: Premiere Pro Import: File contains a complex edit list
    Was there more info that you needed from us?

    This has not occurred previously with .mov files recorded on the same laptop.

    Were you previously using Premiere Pro CC 2017 with these files? Were these files created with a newer version of this application? Otherwise, I am not sure why other files worked. Feel free to upload files for inspection and file a bug here: https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911233-premiere-pro

    I'd like to avoid this by posing the following conceptually simple questions:

    • What is a complex edit list?
    • Is the complex edit list of a file accessible, viewable, or editable?
    • If so, are there applications that can reveal the complex edit list in such a way that it can be modified?
    • If the complex edit list is editable or removable, what is the best way to edit or remove it so that PPCC can import the modified .mov file?

    As I understand it, QuickTime can contain a good deal of data besides video. Likely, the screen capture utility placed this info into the header of the QuickTime file. Not sure that removing it or doing anything with it will help. If I were faced with this issue, I'd transcode the file and see if that works for you. If you happen upon other legacy QuickTime files like this, or a similar warning, I'd also advise you to transcode the file(s), as well. Sounds like Adobe engineering is suggesting the same.

    I hope this info clears up some of your issues. Come back with any questions.

    Thanks,
    Kevin

    Kevin Monahan - Sr. Community and Engagement Strategist – Adobe Pro Video and Audio
      M
      Meg The DogCorrect answer
      Inspiring
      December 19, 2018

      Thanks for that info, Kevin.

      Just as test, the OP might want to try and change the file extension from .mov to .mp4 and see if that circumvents the need to transcode. Just a guess.

      MtD

        Kevin-Monahan
        Community Manager
        Kevin-MonahanCommunity Manager
        Community Manager
        December 19, 2018

        Great idea, man. ;-)

        Kevin

        Kevin Monahan - Sr. Community and Engagement Strategist – Adobe Pro Video and Audio
        Ann Bens
        Community Expert
        Ann BensCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        December 18, 2018

        Premiere Pro Import: File contains a complex edit list

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          fadibitzAuthor
          Participating Frequently
          December 18, 2018

          Hi, Ann--You are linking to the very topic that I referenced above in my original post. I didn't see any answers to my question in that thread, only competitions in —.

          Moderator warning: Kindly avoid vulgar language. We have minors reading here. Guidelines & Tips for the Adobe Forums

          M
          Meg The Dog
          Inspiring
          December 18, 2018

          I'm not sure what the complex edit list is. I had thought it might be a sidecar file or a header to the file that contains information generated if the original file were edited or trimmed within QuickTime player - but I can't create a file that causes the warning box to appear.

          If this file was recorded by a Mac, how was it converted to AVC?  And I am wondering  if that conversion process may acerbate the problem?

          MtD

            F
            fadibitzAuthor
            Participating Frequently
            December 19, 2018

            Thank you for your reply, Meg. I'll investigate how the file was created, and how that process might be different from other output files that imported properly. In the meantime, I will assemble the MediaInfo trees for several videos I've used recently that import without error so that they can be compared with the non-working report. Look for that tomorrow at the earliest.

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