How do you guys do this...

jgourd wrote on 6/10/2002, 9:25 AM

I did a live concert shoot on 4 DV cams and 24 tracks of audio. I have mixed down the audio and capture the DV files. Now I am editing the whole thing together and it occured to me that the method I use may not the the best and that others may want to impart some of their wisdom.

What I am doing now:
I have a top video track that starts out empty. I import the mixed down audio master to the bottom track. I import all the DV tracks and push the video up and the audio down so that I have 5 video tracks followd by 5 audio tracks.

Using mute and solo I select the camera angle I want, make an event, and push it up to the master video track. I then verify it is in sync with the master audio and correct if needed. This works fine for me but can take almost an hour to ge one 4 minute song all cut and playing the way I want.

Any of you kind folks have a more efficient / elegent method?
TIA
Jonathan

Comments

stepfour wrote on 6/10/2002, 11:40 AM

Get all the audio and all the video on all tracks synchronized. Then you can split the clip on top in two places and then delete the section you want out along with the audio, then the clip just below will be visible through the "hole" the split creates. You can also use this method to choose the audio track that best suits the event you want to see. To see the track two layers below, split and delete both tracks of audio and video above. I get the feeling you should leave the audio and video together for all tracks and then slice and dice both at the same time.

Search for the tutorial done by marty hedler. He has some good ideas in there for helping keep everything synchronized. As for the method you are using, it sounds agonizing.

FadeToBlack wrote on 6/10/2002, 1:56 PM

jgourd wrote on 6/11/2002, 9:06 AM

Your method sounds good for 2 video sources, but I have 4.

FuTz wrote on 6/11/2002, 9:29 AM

Maybe that will sound bad cause I've never done it before. But what I'd do is take the master sound track, put it on top in the timeline. Then I'd go with the "m" touch to mark the specific spots where I really want an "effect" (or specific camera shot).
I'd get rid of the "un-needed" audio tracks, then synchronise everything left, video to audio master track.
Now, we're talking about 5 "main" tracks: 1 sound tracks master sound track and your 4 video tracks.
I'd then get rid of all the "crap" on video tracks: mostly camera repositionings, weird unusable movements, etc...
Now, we're talking about 5 "clean", "main" tracks to work from. For other sound tracks from on-cam mics, I'd probalby do a little clean-up there too and put them all at the bottom, then mute them 'til I need them...
To switch without "sacrfifcing" your video footage (so you can change your mind later), maybe try the video envelopes. You then put a mark where you want your change and just do "crossfades" between your video tracks or, more simply, "cuts" by making square cuts with envelopes.
It's therefore easy to see where your cuts were made afterwhile (just looking at these purple/blue lines across your tracks...).
The only question I'm asking myself now is: with this method, will it slow down the previews since we're talking about envelopes and keeping 5 tracks all the way?
Anybody got an answer for that?
Maybe I'm all wrong but I'd try this and, like you, would probably come in this forum after to ask questions...

Frenchy wrote on 6/11/2002, 10:18 AM

You might have a look see at either of the following sites for what you want to do:

http://www.martyhedler.com/homepage/Multicam.html
http://www.creativecow.net/articles/vegasvideo.html

I haven't tried these techniques (yet), but they are explained well, and I am looking forward to trying them. Also, try a search on these forums for "Dual camera" or "multicam". Lots of info and opinions.

Frenchy