AV I D U s e r G u i d e

Transcription

1 AV I D U s e r G u i d e Media Studio, La Trobe University GENERAL INFORMATION 5 INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL EDITING 7 TURNING AVID ON 8 About the AVID Hard Disk 8 CLEAR SPACE FOR NEW PROJECT 8 NEW PROJECT 9 Load program 9 Rough Guide to Resolution and Media Space 9 Resolution Quality 10 Important Terms 10 Windows 11 DIGITIZING VIDEO 13 Quick Guide to Digitizing Video 13 New Bin 14 Capture Setup 14 VCR preparation 15 Capture Mode 15 Video settings 15 Audio settings 16 Recording 16 Leaving Capture mode 17 SAVING 18 When to save 18 Giving the system a rest 18 Auto-save 18 1

2 SOURCE CLIPS 19 Organising Source Clips 19 Viewing Clips 20 Keyboard commands 21 Play options 22 Time display options 22 Clip effects mini-menu 22 THE TIMELINE 23 Video and Audio tracks 23 Display Thumbnail Sequence 23 Shifting exact number of frames/seconds 23 Timeline commands 24 Zooming in and out of Timeline 24 PROGRAM WINDOW 25 The Toolbox 25 Other Features 25 SEQUENCES 26 New Sequence 26 Naming Sequences 26 Duplicating sequences 26 Loading previous sequences 26 ADDING CLIPS TO A SEQUENCE 27 Quick Guide to Adding Clips 27 Making selection from source clip 28 Select Tracks on Timeline 28 Setting In and Out points on Timeline 28 Placing clips between previous clips 29 Splice 30 Synch Splice 30 Overwrite 31 2

3 ADJUSTING SEQUENCE 32 Quick Guide to Adjusting Sequence 32 Removing clips or sections 33 Selecting clips on the Timeline 33 Rearranging the order of clips 33 Add edit mark 34 Trim Mode 34 Adjust clip timing 35 EDIT MENU AND CLIPBOARD 35 Undo 35 Copy/Cut 35 Creating clips with Clipboard 35 AUDIO 36 Quick Guide to Audio Window 36 Synchronisation 37 Extra audio tracks 37 Noise on soundtrack 37 Rubberband 37 TITLES 38 Generate Title 38 Background 38 Text 39 Saving Title 39 Applying title 40 Re-editing Titles 40 Titler Problems 41 3

4 EFFECTS 42 Filter Effects 42 Transition Effects Dissolves, Fades, Wipes 42 Removing Effects 42 Rendering 43 Freeze Frame 43 Motion Control 44 Path Editor 44 Superimposition 44 SAVING FINISHED EDIT ON TAPE 45 QUIT AND SHUTDOWN 46 Finishing off 46 Shutdown 46 EXTRAS 46 Digitizing from tape or CD 46 Saving Space 46 Importing/Exporting 46 TROUBLESHOOTING 47 Freezing, System Crashes 47 Memory issues 48 Error messages 48 Flashes in playback 48 Slip out of program 48 AVID User Guide: Third Draft, April 1999 Russell Bywater 4

5 General Information About this Guide This User Guide explains how to operate the Media Studio s AVID by following simple steps. It is best used in conjunction with the original manual (in the blue folder) which provides further details on each specific function. AVID SETUP The guide is based on the following setup: Software AVID Media Suite Pro 3.11 Hardware Video input/output Macintosh Quadra 950 with partitioned hard drive and two monitors Panasonic S-VHS Deck (black) Note: If a different video deck is hooked up, there will be some alternative procedures not described here. Seek technical assistance. MACINTOSH BASICS When you turn on the computer (p8), it begins in Finder mode, allowing you to find & run programs. The icon at the right-hand end of the menu bar signifies that the active program is the Finder. This also acts as a menu, if you need to switch between programs. A number of formats and terms are used for various operations. These are outlined below: Menu name > menu command MENU COMMANDS Pull down menu name and select menu command eg. File menu > New Project KEYBOARD COMMANDS Some keys are used singularly, eg. I to set an In point and O to set an Out point. Some commands are key combinations which use the Shift, Option or key. ( eg. - B ) 5

6 MOUSE OPERATION Select or activate an icon by clicking on it. Open a folder or clip by double-clicking it (two clicks in quick succession). Close a window by clicking the square button in the top left hand corner. Dragging - hold down the mouse button while moving the cursor Dropping - releasing the mouse button. Eg. you need to drag and drop when you bring clips onto the timeline. TWO MONITORS The two monitors together act as one simply move the cursor from one to another. You can also drag windows from one monitor to the other. 6

7 Introduction to digital editing Creating an edit digitally is a two-step process. You must first capture the media you are going to use in your edit. Then you are free to edit this digitized media in a non-linear fashion. Thus, the first part involves collecting the raw materials from which you will later organise in a precise manner. This is unlike linear editing where you have to collect and edit precisely as you go. As access time is limited, preparation is very important. Source tapes should have time sheets, with selected clips marked. When working with the AVID, the process of creating a finished edit usually involves: Digitize selected clips Edit clips on timeline (main video & audio tracks) Tighten edit: timing, transitions & rhythm Add extra music and effects, fix audio levels Add titles and credits Record finished edit to tape TIME In editing, one is always dealing with time. Allow a minimum of 2-3 hours for digitizing all clips, at least 3-6 hours editing the material and around 2-4 hours minimum for titling and saving to tape. In effect, the average edit takes 2-5 days (if you are well prepared). Advantages of the non-linear process: ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES allows very complex, smooth and precise editing free to work in any order can work from draft to finished edit in one go may fix all problems before saving final edit unlimited versions of sequences can be saved and compared Disadvantages of current setup: limited memory only one user at a time must work within tight deadline slower for simple editing, titling, effects longer learning curve 7

8 Turning AVID on First, switch on the Hard Disk. [back right-hand corner] Press the key in the top right-hand corner to startup the computer. Turn on the two monitors, the amplifier and VCR. Turn the amplifier to setting A and ensure volume is set to low level. [to prevent loud test buzz when loading program] Note: processor key must be set to I, not the lock position - otherwise mouse will freeze. ABOUT THE AVID HARD DISK The AVID Hard Disk is divided into three partitions: Macintosh HD stores the operating system and applications. It also stores your project in a folder called MSP 3.0 Projects. Media A and Media B store all video and audio clips. This is for temporary storage only and must be cleared when you have completed your project. Clear space for New Project A project stores all the data required to create your video. This includes the original media files, edited sequences, titles and effects. If you are starting a new project and require all available hard disc space then you must first clear all previous media files. If you do not need to remove previous projects then skip this section. Follow these instructions carefully. If you are unsure about this procedure then ask for assistance. Open Macintosh HD folder Place 'MSP 3.0 Projects' in Wastebasket Windows menu > Empty Wastebasket Note: A new MSP 3.0 Projects folder will be created when you create a new project. Close Macintosh HD folder Select Media A Special menu>erase Disk Select Media B Special menu>erase Disk Erasing the media drives will take 2-3 minutes. 8

9 New Project LOAD PROGRAM Press the 'Media Suite Pro' button on the Launcher. If the launcher is not present, then menu> Media Suite Pro Set amplifier volume to low (to avoid buzz) Once loaded, you are asked to create a new project or open a previous one. Press 'New' or open previous project. The project will store all your clips and edited sequences. Give project a name, eg. My Video The location of the project will be: Desktop: Macintosh HD: MSP3.0 Projects: My Video folder: My Video Select a resolution: MSP-1, MSP-2, MSP-2b, or MSP-3 ROUGH GUIDE TO RESOLUTION AND MEDIA SPACE Resolution Initial load Maximum space Length of final edit MSP-1 30 minutes 40 minutes 20 minutes MSP-2/2b minutes 30 minutes 15 minutes MSP minutes 20 minutes 10 minutes A 2:1 ratio of maximum space available to final edit time allows for excess footage, music, titles, transitions and effects. Initial load - approximately the length of video time available for digitizing with a standard edit, allowing room for music, sound effects, titles, transitions and effects generation. Assume also that you will digitize excess footage with each clip. Maximum space - approximately the length of maximum video time if footage remains unedited, requires no additional sound and no titles, transitions or effects are generated. Audio - these calculations assume the video includes stereo audio. Audio only requires far less media space than video. Complexity - the amount of material that can be digitized is dependent on its complexity: colour/black & white, detail, quality and rate of change. It is best to assume you will need more room than less, as you cannot change this once you have started. 9

10 RESOLUTION QUALITY Sound quality is the same for each resolution. MSP-1 MSP-2/2b MSP-3 Fine for S-VHS. This gives you plenty of room if you have lots of footage and wish to experiment. Note: You may wish to run a test to see how well it digitizes and save back to tape if you are concerned about image quality. Better. This would be a fairly standard choice if you have a good edit plan. Best. Only use this resolution if you know you are only loading up a small amount of material and have a tight edit plan. IMPORTANT TERMS Media Clip Sequence Bin Capture Blue line In point Out point Transition Edit mark Filter Any video or audio material footage, music & effects. A digitized segment of media. An edited series of clips. A window that stores clips, sequences, titles and effects. Recording or digitizing media and saving on disk. Indicates current time position. Indicates the beginning of a selection. Indicates the end of a selection. Each clip in a sequence is separated by a transition. Effects, like dissolves may be placed at these points. Another term for transition point. Effects that may be placed over an entire clip in a sequence. 10

11 WINDOWS After loading the program, three windows are opened: Program The Program Window displays a small screen version of your current sequence. Timeline The Timeline is where you edit your material. It displays your current sequence. 11

12 Project The Project Window stores your bins. Select/Activate windows To select or activate a window, click on it. Its title bar becomes mauve. Windows and menu bar Important: menus change depending on which window is active. If the menu item you seek is dimmed, it is because the correct window is not active. Moving windows If you wish to move a window onto the smaller screen, drag its title bar. Close windows To close any of the windows, click in the box in the top left-hand corner. Re-open windows Re-open any of the above windows via the Windows menu. Switching Finder<>Media Suite Pro If you click on the blue desktop or any windows on the desktop, you will access the Finder. To return to Media Suite Pro, simply click on one its windows or use the program menu ( ) to switch back. 12

13 Digitizing video Preparation: QUICK GUIDE TO DIGITIZING VIDEO Create bin File menu > New Bin Goto Capture setup Bin menu > Capture Setup > Select video and/or audio Click on V, A1 and A2 (boxed) Open video tool Windows menu > Video Tool > Set video input RGB/Composite S-Video Open audio tool Windows menu > Audio Tool > Set audio level Click (in Audio Tool), adjust level Cue source video Turn on TV monitor > Prevent feedback buzz Set VCR channel to 1 (green buttons) Digitize: Select bin Click on bin window Goto Capture mode Bin menu > Capture mode Start recording Press record button (allow 3s to begin) Stop recording Press stop button Leave Capture mode Bin menu > Leave Capture mode Other options: To rename clip Click clip name, type, press return. To create black & white Reduce Sat in Video Tool To record tape/cd Requires repatching, see p46 13

14 NEW BIN Bins store clips, sequences, titles and effects. In a project you can have several bins to store different types of material, eg. a source bin for clips and a sequences bin for edited scenes. Select the project window ( - 7 ) File menu > New Bin Give the bin a name, eg Clips. Select bin window CAPTURE SETUP If you have more than one bin, select the bin you wish the clip to be saved in. Bin menu > Capture Setup Select tracks to digitize: V video A1, A2 - two audio tracks for stereo audio. Click on the letters to select/de-select (boxed/unboxed) Change storage setting from Media A/Media B to Use Emptiest Disk There are two media drives you can save onto: Media A and Media B. The estimated time available refers to only one of the discs at a time. Media A is much larger than Media B. It is best to leave the setting on use emptiest disk to avoid confusion. Give the clip a generic name, eg source. Each saved clip will then be called source, source.02, source.03, etc. (and can be renamed afterwards). Press Ok. Windows menu > Video Tool ( - - ) Change input from RGB or Composite to S-Video (in order to see video) Windows menu > Audio Tool ( - = ) Click in Audio Tool window (to access sound input level) Lower sound input level to about 1/3 (to avoid distortion) Note: video and audio settings are described more fully further down, p15. 14

15 VCR PREPARATION Load your source tape into the VCR and cue the tape using the tv monitor. Note: you will not be able to hear audio through this monitor. On the VCR, set the channel to 1 (instead of AV) using the green arrow buttons. Note: Otherwise, it may cause a high-pitched buzz due to feedback. Bin menu > Goto Capture Mode CAPTURE MODE You are now asked to give your source tape a name for reference. Select new, provide tape name, eg. VHS1 and click Ok. Note: this name will appear in Bin details and on the name of the media file on disc. This is asked whenever you go into capture mode, so in future: select your tape name and click Ok. Full Screen Display The large monitor now becomes a full screen display of your source tape. It has not yet begun to digitize, but is simply acting as a monitor for the VCR. Capture Window buttons A capture window appears on the smaller monitor. This displays buttons for record and stop as well as for video tool and audio tool to adjust settings. VIDEO SETTINGS Click Video icon or Windows menu > Video Tool Change input from RGB or Composite to S-Video There are contrast settings you can adjust: Setup how black is black - default value is 9 Gain how white is white - default value is 35 Sat saturation/colour default value is 29 Black & white The easiest way to convert a colour clip to black & white clip is to set Sat to 0 and adjust the setup and gain for better contrast. Note: You can also use the black and white filter but you have to allow for very long rendering times and extra hard disc space. There is also a colour filter available. Also: While digitizing you cannot adjust settings. 15

16 AUDIO SETTINGS Click audio icon or Windows menu > Audio Tool Click in Audio Tool window Adjust microphone/sound input level Choose a strong level moving into the orange, but not the red. You may wish to check for the loudest point. Further sound adjustments may be made during editing.! Avoid level hitting red sound may distort. Note: The amplifier volume does not affect the audio level digitized. For notes on digitizing audio tape or CD: see Extras, p46 RECORDING Cue the tape about ten seconds before the desired footage, then play. Press the REC button in the capture window. Recording does not start immediately it takes a few seconds. Press STOP to stop recording. ( -. ) Not responding message A message may say that the digitizer is not responding. Press Ok, rewind the tape and try again. Recording extra It is good to record a few seconds excess either side of your edit. This allows flexibility in the edit, including using dissolves. Clip in bin Recorded clips appear in the capture mode window. You cannot view what you have recorded until you leave capture mode. Renaming clip To rename the clips in the bin capture window: Click once on the clip name, type the new name, and press return. Unwanted clips Deleting clips in capture mode is not recommended. It is better to rename your clip x and then delete it after you have quit capture mode. See Deleting Clips, p19 16

17 Time Available Time Available will fluctuate as it estimates space depending on the complexity of the media currently being digitized. Thus it will show a much greater value when only recording audio. Do not use up all your media space with clips - you still need room for titles and effects (including dissolves, audio adjustments, etc). Digitize in batches It is best to digitize clips a few at a time. Do not remain in digitize mode for prolonged periods while you decide what to digitize. Full screen display mode is less stable and may cause the AVID to freeze up see Troubleshooting: Freezing, p47 Also, since the clips are not saved until you leave capture mode, you may lose them. see Saving, p18 Note: you may be able to retrieve clips through Window menu > Media Tool. LEAVING CAPTURE MODE Bin menu > Leave capture mode ( - B ) 17

18 Saving It is a good time to save now. File menu > Save Bin ( - S ) You can save the bin individually or the project as a whole. Windows menu > Project Window ( - 7 ) File menu > Save All ( - S )! Saving regularly helps the AVID to function better. WHEN TO SAVE It is good to save before and after any complex operation. This ensures that you secure your most recent changes and it also helps the system to retain stability. Complex operations include: any full screen operation digitizing, full screen preview, titling and printing to tape rendering effects GIVING THE SYSTEM A REST If the AVID has been performing many complex operations, its system memory starts to overload. The first signs of this may be the program menu flashing, a dialogue box warning or strange behaviour. see Memory Issues, p47 It is best to save, quit and re-load the program to prevent a system crash. Save all File menu > Quit ( - Q ) If the same problems keep recurring or the system has been running for several hours: it is best to shutdown and restart the computer. Special menu > Shut Down Wait ten seconds for system to refresh. Press the key in the top right-hand corner to startup the computer. AUTO-SAVE Every fifteen minutes the project will be saved automatically. This also saves a number of backups (not of your original media, but the data that the AVID needs to access this media and your edits). Note: these backups are stored in Macintosh HD: Media Suite Pro 3.11: Attic ƒ. 18

19 Source Clips ORGANISING SOURCE CLIPS All clips, titles, effects and sequences are stored in bins. Clip Display The clips may be listed by name or displayed as a thumbnail icon. To switch between display modes: Click or in the bottom left hand corner of the bin. To rename a clip: Click on the clip name, write in new name and press return. To delete unwanted clips: Click on the clip s icon or image (not the name) and press delete. Click checkboxes for clip and media files, then press Ok. You must delete the clip and its associated media files to free memory.! Warning: you cannot undo to retrieve deleted files. Important: No matter what you edit into a sequence, these clips contain your original footage. Do not delete them unless you do not need to keep any of the clip. If you wish to shorten this clip, see Saving Space, p46 19

20 Moving bin window You can move the bin onto the second monitor by dragging it with its titlebar. Closing windows If you have too many windows open, then click the close window button in the top left hand corner of each window. If all windows closed Any window you close you can access again through the Windows menu. You can begin afresh by opening up the project window which lists your bins. Windows menu > Project Window ( - 7 ) Double-click the bin names to open each bin VIEWING CLIPS To view the clip: Double-click on the clip s icon (not the clip name) The clip will appear as a small window with its own mini-timeline. To play the clip: Press in the clip s window The clip will play from the current frame. To stop the clip: Press the Spacebar. To go to a particular frame in the clip: Click on the clip s mini-timeline. 20

21 By holding down the button you can walk through the clip s contents. To make a selection: Set In point by pressing I. Set Out point by pressing O. Once you have set In and Out points, you are ready to include the clip in a sequence. Note: if you do not set In and Out points, the default selection is the whole clip. KEYBOARD COMMANDS These apply to both clips and the Timeline, depending on which window is active. Note: The following number keys refer to the main keyboard, not the numeric keypad on the right. Finding frames: Playing clip: To shift ten frames back: press 1. To shift ten frames forward: press 2. To shift one frame back: press 3 or. To shift one frame forward: press 4 or. To play the clip (from the blue line): press 5. To play from In to Out: press 6. Making selections: To set an In point: press I. To set an Out point: press O. To clear an In point: press D. To clear an Out point: press F. To clear both In and Out points: press G. Goto In point: press Q. Goto Out point: press W. 21

22 PLAY OPTIONS The play button on a source clip or Program window also acts as a mini-menu, providing a number of play options. Click and hold down Normal play Play In>Out Full screen Full screen In>Out, then select from its mini-menu: Plays from blue line position Plays your selection: In to Out Plays in full screen mode Plays In to Out in full screen mode Problems when playing full screen! Always save before playing full screen. Full screen mode is less stable, but saving your project helps to prevent the program freezing. see Trouble-shooting: Freezing, p47 Press spacebar to stop full screen play Note: do not repeatedly press keys or click if the system seems slow to return to normal. Full Screen frame preview! Always save before previewing full screen. Press esc to preview single frame; and esc (once!) again to return to normal You can shift frame by frame, but do not remain in this mode for too long, otherwise the program may freeze. See Trouble-shooting: freezing, p47 TIME DISPLAY OPTIONS There is a time display on the top of the clip which has several options. Use P D IO mini-menu to select the following options: Program current frame number of clip Duration overall length of clip In>Out length of selection CLIP EFFECTS MINI-MENU Each clip also has an effects mini-menu. Use mini-menu to choose the following effects: Freeze Frame - see Effects: Freeze Frame, p43 Motion Control.. - see Effects: Motion Control, p44 *Warning bug here! Export.. - see Extras: Exporting, p46 22

23 The Timeline The Timeline is split into 6 tracks: 2 for video and 4 for audio. VIDEO AND AUDIO TRACKS V2 V1 Used for titles, cutaways and superimpositions The main video track A1, A2 The default audio A3, A4 Used when mixing more than two tracks. Activating/de-activating tracks Click on the track button ( ) to activate/de-activate A green light indicates which tracks are active. Using V2 There is a monitor icon - - which changes priority from V1 to V2. This allows V2 to be viewed. If you use V2, then you must switch to V2 each time the software is loaded.! Remember to check when printing to tape. Synchronisation It is crucial to be aware of synchronisation when editing sequences. Vision and sound are not locked together in tracks. When working with individual tracks, it is very easy to accidentally push clips out of synchronisation. DISPLAY THUMBNAIL SEQUENCE In the top left hand corner of the Timeline is a button which allows you to display sample frames from your sequence. Note: It selects the frame that is in line with the left hand side of each thumbnail. SHIFTING EXACT NUMBER OF FRAMES/SECONDS To shift exact number of frames or seconds: press + or, the number of frames and then enter. press + or, the number of seconds, then. and then enter. 23

24 TIMELINE COMMANDS Goto start of sequence: press Home or. Goto end of sequence: press End or. Goto left transition point: press A. Goto right transition point: press S. Zoom in.. press - M. More detail press - ]. Less detail press - [. Centre on blue line press - \. Display whole sequence press - /. The keyboard commands for source clips also apply, see p21 ZOOMING IN AND OUT OF TIMELINE The Timeline menu provides several options for getting a closer look at your sequence. Zoom in Timeline menu > Zoom in ( - M ) The cursor changes shape. Drag the cursor from left to right over the area of your sequence you wish to view More or less detail Timeline menu > More detail ( - ] ) Timeline menu > Less detail ( - [ ) Centre on blue line Allows you to remain at the same detail level, but centres the Timeline view to the current position of the blue line. By shifting the blue line on the Program menu s mini-timeline, any part of the sequence may be viewed in this way. Timeline menu > Centre position ( - \ ) Display entire sequence Timeline menu > Display entire sequence ( - / ) 24

25 Program Window THE TOOLBOX The Program Window includes a toolbox of icons: Goto Left Transition Set In Mark Clip (In & Out) Cut Transition Effect Path Editor Title Set Tab Goto Right Transition Set Out Clear In & Out Lift Filter Effect Clear Effect Clear Title Trim mode<>normal mode OTHER FEATURES Play options The play button also acts as a mini-menu, providing a number of play options. see Source Clips: play options, p22 Mini-Timeline There is a mini-timeline which always shows the entire sequence. Time display options There are two time displays which have several options. Use P D IO mini-menu to select the following options: Program current frame number of sequence Duration overall length of sequence In>Out length of selection Two mini-menus There are also two mini-menus in the top left hand corner. The first is the same as the Program menu. The second is a menu of recently viewed sequences, which may be selected and thus loaded into the Timeline. 25

26 Sequences To begin a fresh editing sequence: Program menu > New Sequence NEW SEQUENCE Select a bin to save this new sequence This will save a new Untitled sequence. To give the sequence a name: Look in selected bin for Untitled NAMING SEQUENCES Note: further sequences will be known as Untitled.02, Untitled.03 etc. Double-click on the word Untitled and write in your sequence name. This name will then appear at the top of your program window. Many sequences When you create a new sequence, you do not lose your old sequences. They remain saved in your sequences bin. You can generate as many as you like, they take up very little memory. DUPLICATING SEQUENCES Program menu > Duplicate sequence Your current sequence is now duplicated, eg. Opening Scene.copy Rename sequence. Eg. Opening Scene draft 2 After you have done a significant amount of work on a sequence, it is good to duplicate it, as a backup. You may wish to go back to an earlier edit in case your sequence develops problems and you need to re-edit it. For instance, it is good to save a copy after you have completed a rough draft and you are about to clean up all the transitions. Trimming video and audio non-linearly without ruining your synchronisation can be a tricky process, so backups are recommended. To load up previous sequences: LOADING PREVIOUS SEQUENCES drag the sequence from the bin into the Program Window (not the Timeline) Dragging a sequence into the Timeline will, instead, incorporate it into the current sequence. 26

27 Adding Clips to a Sequence QUICK GUIDE TO ADDING CLIPS Activate tracks Activate vision and/or audio tracks by clicking track buttons. Making selections Set In and Out points for source clip and Timeline Bin clip default: all clip selected. Timeline default: blue line is In point. Select clips on the Timeline by pressing T or - see Mark Clip, p29 Splice p30 Drag and drop the clip from the bin into the Timeline Creates linear sequence of clips Inserts all of selected clip into the Timeline Pushes rest of sequence along (in active tracks) Retains all footage, increases track length Synch Splice p30 Hold Shift key while you drag and drop the clip Inserts all of selected clip into the Timeline Pushes rest of sequence along (in all tracks) Maintains synchronisation across all tracks Retains all footage, increases sequence length Overwrite p31 Hold Option key while you drag and drop the clip Fills selected gap in Timeline with clip Maintains synchronisation across all tracks Replaces footage or gaps, maintains sequence length Add sound, titles to edited sequence 27

28 Open/activate source clip window MAKING SELECTION FROM SOURCE CLIP If no In and Out points are marked, the whole clip will be selected. Finding frame Use keyboard commands (p21) to determine In and Out points for the selection. Press I and O to set In and Out points Press 6 to preview selection Selection includes In and Out: A serrated edge is displayed on the frames where you mark these points, indicating that both the In and Out frames are included in the selection. Avoiding flashes in playback: Occasionally, the Avid will not be 100% frame accurate in playback, so it is best to allow for this by not selecting In points that are right next to cuts on your source clip. Instead, shift one or two frames along. This will prevent odd flashes that you cannot find in your edit, but only appear when playing the sequence. Select tracks ( ) SELECT TRACKS ON TIMELINE V1, A1 and A2 are the standard tracks for vision and stereo audio. When working on particular tracks, the other tracks should be turned off. Click to turn all tracks on or off. SETTING IN AND OUT POINTS ON TIMELINE If no In point on the Timeline, default In will be the blue line. Check edit style (Splice, Synch Splice or Overwrite) to determine selection requirements. Activate Timeline window Use keyboard commands (p21) to determine In and Out points for the selection. Press I and O to set In and Out points 28

29 Placing clips at the start or end of the current sequence Press home, then I to insert the clip at the start Press end, then I to place the clip at the very end Note: if you play the sequence, the blue line stops on the last frame, but if you add another clip, you will cut this frame off. So, always use the end key. PLACING CLIPS BETWEEN PREVIOUS CLIPS If you wish to place a clip exactly at the transition point between clips, the In point should be placed on the first frame of the second clip. To find this frame there are two quick ways: Mark Clip method Place the blue line in the middle of the clip you wish to insert before Press T or In and Out points will be now placed around this clip. Note: the selection is based on transitions points shared by all active tracks. This means more than a single clip may be selected if more than one track is active. Press F to clear the Out point An In point will now be left on the correct frame for Splice editing. Transition method Use Left and Right Transition Buttons Press A or the Left Transition button; or Press S or the Right Transition button to move between transition points Note: only transition points shared by all active tracks will be accessed.! Becomes Trim mode: be careful not to shift frames or play the sequence you may disrupt your edit Press I to set an In point Switch from Trim mode to normal display mode Press to switch between modes Note: when returning to normal display mode, the first frame of the second clip will be displayed. 29

30 Set In and Out points for clip SPLICE The Splice edit only requires an In point on the Timeline. Set In point for Timeline Drag & drop the clip onto the Timeline All the selected clip will be placed at the Timeline's In point. Note: It does not matter where you drop the clip within the Timeline window. Linear sequence If one clip is added directly after another, they will make a linear sequence of clips without needing to set In points. (The blue line acts as a default In). Insert & push If the In point is placed in the middle or beginning of the sequence, the clip will be inserted and the rest of the sequence will be pushed along. Note: this may affect synchronisation in non-selected tracks. Also: even if a track has gaps in it, they are treated as empty clips, and are pushed along as well. Frame accuracy: To be exact, the clip is inserted just before the In frame.! Always be frame accurate: loose frames can cause odd flashes and loss of synchronisation. Set In and Out points for clip Set In point for Timeline SYNCH SPLICE Hold Shift key down as drag & drop the clip onto the Timeline. The new clip pushes the clips along in all tracks. This is useful when needing to insert a clip while preserving video & audio synchronisation throughout the sequence. Another method of doing this is to turn all tracks on and use the normal Splice edit. Example: When you have finished your edit, you will need to place some black footage at the start (and end) of your edit. Use Synch Splice to ensure all footage is shifted synchronously. 30

31 OVERWRITE There are two ways of working with Overwrite: Set In and Out points for clip; set In point for Timeline or, Set In point for clip; set In and Out points for Timeline If there is only an In point on the Timeline, all the selected source clip will be included, replacing the equivalent length of footage currently in the sequence. If both an In and Out point are marked, there must be sufficient source clip to fill this selection on the Timeline. Hold Option key down as drag & drop the clip onto the Timeline. This is useful when you need to place a clip in a particular place in the Timeline, without affecting the synchronisation and overall length of the sequence. On message incoming clip is too short If the clip you have selected is too short and does not fill the Timeline s selection, you will get an error message. Remove the Timeline s Out point and try again. Adding sound effects and titles Overwrite is not only used to replace footage, but also to place footage in a partially used track, without shifting the rest of the contents of the track. For instance, if you have a series of titles in the V2 track, the track will have short segments of title, separated by long gaps. Normal splicing works fine if you are progressing linearly, but once your project becomes more complicated you will need to use Overwrite. The same applies for a sound effects track. 31

32 Adjusting Sequence QUICK GUIDE TO ADJUSTING SEQUENCE Activate tracks: Activate vision and/or audio tracks by clicking track buttons. Making selections: Set In and Out points on the Timeline Select whole clips on the Timeline: press T or Removing selections on the Timeline: Cut the selected clip and close up the gap: Lift the selected clip and leave the gap: press X or press Z or Rearranging & Cutting: Rearrange the order of clips: control + drag clip Add an edit mark: press F15. Trim mode: Switch Trim mode <> normal mode: Goto left transition point: Goto right transition point: Select trimming mode: press press A or press S or Click left, right or centre Shift individual frames: press or. Shift forward number of frames: +, number, enter. Shift back number of frames: -, number, enter. Shift forward number of seconds: +, num,., enter. Shift back number of seconds: -, num,., enter. 32

33 REMOVING CLIPS OR SECTIONS Set In and Out points Press X or Cut - the clip will be removed, and the gap closes up. Note: This may affect synchronisation. Or: Press Z or Lift - the clip will be removed, but its space will remain. Frame accuracy Selections include the In and Out points. Deleting a gap without losing synchronisation If there is a gap between clips, one of the clips may be pulled back across the gap to meet the other clip. See below: rearranging the order of clips SELECTING CLIPS ON THE TIMELINE If you need to select a whole clip (between edit marks/transition points) on the Timeline: Place the blue line in the centre of the clip Press T or The clip will now be enclosed by In and Out points. Note: If more than one track is active, transition points that are shared between these tracks will form the boundary of the selection. REARRANGING THE ORDER OF CLIPS A single clip may be dragged forwards or backwards, changing the order of clips. If a clip has synchronised sound, it may be dragged together as a whole, but only if each track of the clip shares the same transition points. Select clip track/s Hold control key down as drag clip left or right Transition points will highlight in green as it passes over. Drop the clip when you reach its destination See also: Adjust Clip Timing, p35 33

34 ADD EDIT MARK Creates an edit mark so that a clip may be separated into segments. Does not affect the clip itself. Useful for a number of actions, including rearranging clips. It also allows you to adjust sound levels or apply filters to a specific part of a clip, instead of the whole original clip. Press F15 (function key in top row of keyboard) Frame accuracy The cut is made just before the current frame. The current frame becomes the first frame of the second half of the clip. TRIM MODE Trim mode allows you to adjust your edit cut frame by frame. This may affect synchronisation. For more explanation, consult blue manual Duplicate your sequence first (as a backup) Select the tracks you wish to affect Switch to Trim mode by pressing Or find transition point by pressing or ( A or S ) The green arrow indicates the trimming method: Over left frame To trim end of left clip Over right frame To trim start of right clip By shortening a clip, frames are removed from the sequence. By lengthening a clip, new frames from the original source clip are added. This may affect synchronisation. In the middle To trim both clips synchronously While one clip lengthens, the other shortens, so the overall length of both clips is maintained. Select trim method by clicking in appropriate place Shift individual frames by pressing or. Shift exact number of frames by pressing + or -, the number of frames and then enter. Shift exact number of seconds by pressing + or -, the number of seconds, then. and then enter.! Important: Do not press play in Trim Mode as it can disrupt your sequence. 34

35 Return to normal mode by pressing Remember you may Undo or revert to the duplicate backup if you have made one. ADJUST CLIP TIMING You can use this function to solve tricky problems like adjusting the timing of audio clips without upsetting overall synchronisation. Select and lift clip Windows menu > Clipboard ( - Ø ) Note: you can save clip by dragging into bin. Select Timeline window (without moving blue line) Shift blue line with cursor keys Set In point Option + drag & drop clipboard clip onto Timeline Edit menu and Clipboard When you make a mistake: UNDO Edit menu > Undo ( - Z ) Or if you decide, it wasn t a mistake after all: Edit menu > Redo ( - R ) There are several levels of Undo and Redo saved, so you can often retrace your steps. Set In and Out points COPY/CUT Edit menu > Copy ( - C ) If you copy or cut a selection of your sequence, it appears in the clipboard. CREATING CLIPS WITH CLIPBOARD Windows menu > Clipboard ( - Ø ) Drag clipboard clip into bin A new sub-sequence can now be used as a clip, or edited as a sequence. 35

36 Audio Press the note icon in the top left hand corner of the Program window QUICK GUIDE TO AUDIO WINDOW Each audio track (A1,A2,A3,A4) has its own settings, activate to adjust. Either adjust setting for whole track or each clip within the track. The volume and left-right balance does not require rendering. The EQ must be rendered before can be previewed. Fading Sound To fade in and out, use Transition Effect: Dissolve. see Effects, p42 To adjust volume through time, use the Rubberband Noise Issues Use the EQ to help balance sound. Use edit marks or to remove clicks see Removing clips & sections, p33 36

37 SYNCHRONISATION Keeping your video and audio synchronised is a crucial issue as it is very easy to lose it. Be very careful with each edit to see what you may be affecting further down the track. Making duplicates and regular synch checking will help ensure that your edit does not develop irregularities as it can be very messy sorting out problems long after they have been created. See Adjust Clip Timing, p35 useful for timing overdubbed audio & sound effects EXTRA AUDIO TRACKS You may also use tracks A3 and A4 to create a multi-layered sound track. However, only two audio tracks may be previewed at one time. Extra tracks must be mixed down. Consult blue manual NOISE ON SOUNDTRACK A certain amount of noise reduction may be achieved on the Avid, but do not expect miracles. The best that may be achieved with difficult audio, is an evening out of noise. You can use to remove clicks, but you may hear the gap left. Another option is to add edit marks (p34) on either side of the selection, and simply reduce the volume for the clip fragment. RUBBERBAND Click the arrow next to the Timeline s audio track button A series of rubberbands for each clip appear. Hold down control while you click on the band to create nodes Drag nodes to create audio envelope A red line will underline any adjusted clips meaning that the changes are unrendered and thus not ready for previewing. Render the effects. See Rendering p43 Click the arrow again to hide rubberbands 37

38 Titles GENERATE TITLE Save all first Select sample frame to overlay title Press in the Program window toolbox Titler mode The current frame will show large screen in a pixelated form. The Titler has a toolbar and menu bar. The toolbar features an arrow for selecting & moving objects, a text cursor, a rectangle and oval maker and a line tool. The menu bar has the following headings: Edit, Fill, Shadow, Text, Line, Pict, Page, Align, Bkgnd (Background). BACKGROUND Creating a black background Bkgnd menu > Color background The default is black. At the end of your edit you will need to save a black screen to generate black leader to go before and after your sequence. Selecting a different colour background Background menu > Color palette May then change to other colours. Return to video background Bkgnd menu > Video background 38

39 TEXT Writing text Select the text cursor from the toolbox Click on the screen, then begin typing You may create many text boxes with different text or one text box with all the text in it. Moving the text Select the arrow cursor from the toolbox Click on the written text Drag & drop to move the text Drag & drop the square dots that enclose the selected text to allow a wider text box Altering the text Either use the text cursor to select individual fragments of text or the arrow cursor to select a box of text. Text Menu to change font, size, style, justification, kerning, leading Fill Menu to change colour, transparency, video fill Shadow Menu to add shadow Align Menu > Align to frame > Horiz. center, Vert. center to centre on screen Note: To fully centre the text, the text box must fit snugly around the text. Preview mode Initially, the text is displayed in a low resolution for quick editing. Layout menu > Preview mode provides a slower, but higher resolution image Note: the final digitized text image will be a slightly lower quality than this preview mode. Small text may become unreadable once recorded onto videotape. It is worth checking this before creating pages of credits, especially as Titling is a long, drawn out process. SAVING TITLE Close Titler by clicking top left hand corner box Dialogue box: Save? Yes, No or Cancel. Cancel will return you to Titler mode. 39

40 Give title a name and select a bin to save it in. Then asks to save the title s media file. Press ok. The title is now saved in the bin you selected. APPLYING TITLE There are two ways to apply a title: Overlay Title onto Sequence Select In an Out points on the Timeline for your title Activate V2 and turn off all other channels Switch monitor icon - - to V2 Option -drag & drop title into Timeline Render title - see Rendering, p43 Note: this may take some time. Creating a Freeze Frame title is much faster. Create Title Freeze Frame Open title clip Use clip s effect mini-menu to select freeze frame. > Freeze frame > x seconds Select bin to save freeze frame clip in The clip will have a suffix of FF. Open the freeze frame clip Now you may add the clip to the sequence (in V1 or V2) like a normal clip. RE-EDITING TITLES If you have to re-edit a title, then you need to place the title in track V2 as per Overlay Title onto Sequence, above. Place title in track V2 Move the blue line within the title clip in V2 Press in the Program window toolbox Note: even if you are not using V2, you must temporarily place the title in the V2 track in order to edit it. 40

41 TITLER PROBLEMS Instability Take care in Titler mode, it can be a little unstable. It is good practise to save, duplicate, quit and shutdown before a major titling session. The text cut-off problem Sometimes the titler cuts off part of the text when creating the text image. You will notice that the cut-off does not appear in the original. However, there is a method of avoiding this problem which especially tends to happen when reediting. Select the rectangle tool in the toolbar Drag out a rectangle that covers all your text. This will create a white box that covers everything up. Fill menu > Transparency > 100% The box disappears, but somehow acts to stabilize the image. If you make any changes, use the layering menu to send the rectangle to the back so that you can access the text. Select the box Page menu > Layering > Send to Back However, you will need to bring the box again to the front for it to work. Page menu > Layering > Bring to Front Then you can re-save the title. 41

42 Effects All effects need to be rendered The first thing to note with any effect is that it will need rendering. This may take a few moments or several hours. This depends on the complexity of the render and how much footage it involved. Visual effects that last seconds are ok; if you wish to tone your whole video blue, it may not be possible. Effects and Filters buttons The Transition Effects, Filter button and Clear Effect buttons are in the Program window toolbox (p25). FILTER EFFECTS Filters operate over whole clip Consult blue manual For filters, your blue line needs to be placed in the middle of the clip. Consult blue manual TRANSITION EFFECTS DISSOLVES, FADES, WIPES The blue line needs to be placed exactly on the splice between two clips - either frame. see Transition Method, p29 Black, Silence, Fades & Empty Space If two clips are placed together, a wipe or dissolve will be created; else if there is no clip next, it will be read as black (for a video track) or silence (for an audio track). Thus fades are created with a dissolve transition to empty space. You can create empty space by placing a clip and then lifting it, or you can create Black by using the Titler. REMOVING EFFECTS For removing effects, your blue line must be placed within the effect. 42

43 RENDERING Unrendered effects on the Timeline are underlined in red. Preview render Unrendered segments can not be previewed in play mode, but individual frames may be viewed. It is useful to check that the effect is working properly before rendering to prevent wasted time. Render Methods Activate all tracks Clear In and Out points Program menu > Render All or, more selectively: Activate target tracks Set In and Out points Program menu > Render In > Out Estimated rendering time The dialogue box gives you an estimate of the time it will take to render. For video effects, this is fairly accurate, but for audio effects it wildly over-estimates. Most audio effects only take a minute or less. After rendering, effects become underlined in blue. Problems with rendering Sometimes effects do not work properly, eg. causing green flashing. It is probably best to clear the effect and give the system a rest as effects are complex operations. see Resting the System, p18 FREEZE FRAME Allows you to create a clip of variable length based on a single frame. This is especially useful for creating black leader for the start and end of your edit, as well as a quick way of generating credit sequences. Accessed through the source clip s mini-menu. Consult blue manual 43

44 MOTION CONTROL Allows you to slow down, speed up and reverse video clips (vision only, no sound unfortunately).! Warning major bug Do not lift or cut segments of motion control clips on the Timeline. Instead, remove whole clip and bring in again selectively, or use trim mode. The bug can cause the bin to become unreadable. Note: if this happens, seek technical advice as backups of bins are automatically saved. Consult blue manual PATH EDITOR Only works with V2. Provides a video-in-video effect. Plus motion. However, a little tricky to operate. Consult blue manual SUPERIMPOSITION If you wish to display two images concurrently, do so through the Path Editor, so that the size, style, transparency, etc can be adjusted. Consult blue manual 44

45 Saving finished edit on tape Add black leader It is important to add black to the start and the end so that you can start playing and then start recording. You also avoid a glitch at the end of your sequence. Does not automatically generate black, use the Titler instead. Preparation Save first Check that V2 is on, if required Play full screen to check sound & vision all ok Check sound output levels on VCR adjust Left & Right audio input sliders Windows menu > Video Tool Change S-Video to RGB in Video Tool (stops feedback loop) Put final edit tape into VCR Change green channel selector on VCR to AV (the channel before 1) The VCR must be set to AV otherwise will record audio but not vision. Turn the TV monitor on Note: The TV monitor has a slight slant, so titles appear at a slight angle! Print to Tape Program menu > Print to Tape.. Give tape name and press Ok. You now have playing options: start at current frame/blue line use countdown Default setting is to start at the beginning. Press Ok. The sequence will now take a few seconds to prepare for playing out to VCR. There is a little click that signifies the sequence has started. Press record on the VCR. The sequence will record onto tape. Press stop on the VCR 45