how do you combine 3 video tracks into 1?

jrazz wrote on 4/30/2005, 3:00 PM
I used 3 cameras to film a wedding. I have them cut where I want and basically I want to take the second video track and plug it into the first and then take the third and fill in the rest of the gaps on the first.

The reason I want to do this is b/c I want to fade each segment into the other. If there is a different way of doing this without combining the tracks, I am open to it. Thought you guys might know something.

I am using vegas 5 still as my vegas 6 has yet to arrive- another thing, I faxed all of my stuff in to Sony the day after 6 was released- I have not heard anything and have not recieved anything as of yet... I asked for the physical version, not the download. Should it usually take this long?

Thanks for the answers.

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 4/30/2005, 3:09 PM
I'd be looking at Excalibur, it's a great tool for cutting together multi-cam stuff like this where you've got more than two cameras. Excalibur basically automates this with the fades or other transitions you're looking for, and allows you to choose cuts on the fly.
Otherwise, sync up the 3 cams, either start cutting with the split tool, or use compositing envelopes to make your fades from image to image.
ScottW wrote on 4/30/2005, 3:22 PM
I second Spots suggestion of Excalibur; just did a 3 cam wedding edit and the time saved using the multi-cam wizard more than paid for the software.

--Scott
BillyBoy wrote on 4/30/2005, 3:30 PM
Many ways... without buying anything extra try this.

If you want to fade one track into another (cross fade) or any kind of transition you could just move what's ever on camera 2 and 3 to the track of camera 1 and break (split) the track for camera one where you want to splice in 2 or 3. Once you slip, right click, select evet to end and simply slide it down, then insert from 2 or 3. Repeat as needed for as many times as your want to joint.

or...

If you want ot leave things on their own tracks, just break a tiny bit from 2 or 3, just a few seconds worth, move it to track one, then you can transition or cross fade, move what is ever on 2/3 left to avoid gaps. Play to be sure you don't create any "black" frames from any gap.
jrazz wrote on 4/30/2005, 3:45 PM
right now, I am doing option one: moving all up to track 1. I did not want to do it this way due to the possibility of error in getting the voice out of sync with the main audio file, but so far so good. I just wanted to see if there was an easier way and apparently excalibur is it. I looked at it on Sony's sight. Does the free demo let you use it and produce with it without restriction or do they have some sort of "demo" stamped on the final product? I am thinking of trying it, I just don't want to waste time using it to find out that I have "demo" stretched across the final result.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Anything on Vegas 6? Thanks.
jetdv wrote on 4/30/2005, 4:17 PM
jrazz, the demo of Excalibur is fully functional for 15 days so, yes, you can use it to fully finish this project as long as you complete it within 15 days. If you want to see a variety of ways to perform this task, you can look at Vol 1, #9 of my newsletter (or it might be #7, hard to remember which off the top of my head) which discusses four different ways to perform this task including an older version of Excalibur.