There are a couple of add-on products for Vegas (full or Pro) that have supported multi-cam editing for years, but Vegas 8 Pro added built-in multi-cam editing. It's pretty easy to use.

First, you load all your clips onto the timeline -- separate track for each camera -- and slide the clips left and right to synchronize them (just as you've already been doing).

Next, you select (ctrl-click) the track headers of all the tracks that you want to be available as multi-cam choices, then click Tools > MultiCamera > Create MultiCamera Track. At this point, Vegas will combine all the selected tracks as separate "takes" on one track. For example, if you had 3 cameras you would now have a single track with 3 takes on it.

Now, you can use Ctrl-Shift-D to toggle in and out of multi-camera view in your preview window. In multi-cam view, you will see all three of your videos playing (in a 2x2 grid of miniature screens), and as the videos play you simply click on the desired window wherever you want to change to a new camera. Click for a "cut" to the new camera, or Ctrl-click to change to the new camera with a crossfade.

Once your edits are complete, you can create transitions between camera changes just like any other pair of events on the timeline. Overlap them to crossfade, apply a transition if desired.

As suggested above, give the trial version a test drive.

Tim L

Thanks for the replies!

TimL, what you mentioned w/ being able to click on the preview window I want to "cut" to is pretty much what I need. That's actually easier than what I mentioned by typing the number of the camera or track!

I'll definitely give the trial version a spin!

What I found very easy to use with multi-cams is from Vasst. The Ultimate S.
They also have one that can give you unlimited cams.

Checked out the vasst web site. Ultimate S has some features I could use especially the auto still and transition plug-in. I can see myself using the auto ducking for the audio tracks because I manually move the envelopes on the background audio track to do this right now..

Would anyone happen to know if Ultimate S is compatible with Platinum 9?

The "Movie Studio" versions of Vegas do NOT support scripting. It's a pro-only feature.

Thanks jetdv!

First, you load all your clips onto the timeline -- separate track for each camera -- and slide the clips left and right to synchronize them ...

Hmmm .. question .. I'm new to Pro, but have use VMS for years .. I will have a use for Multi-Cam editing mode sometime in the future.

My Question: One thing you didn't address is the audio from each track.. In this mode does the audio switch with each change of camera, or can you set one camera's audio to be the default?

I think you can choose to switch audio with vision, but it also allows you to treat the audio mix as a separate part of the job, and I always take this latter course. You then have the option of using a single audio source, or a mix between all audio tracks.

I just finished a 5 camera multicam edit in V8 Pro and, for me, one audio track was designated as the master audio track.
I then synced the rest of the (scratch) tracks to it, deleted the unneeded audio tracks and started the process.

edit 1: it's critical that, once cameras start rolling, they are not to be stopped for any reason except a tape change.

Mike

you tell 'em mike!!!!!

NEVER, NEVER stop a camera on a multi-cam shoot for ANY reason other than to change tape!!!!!

shouting, exclamation marks, and anything else that'll attract attention.

the amount of jobs i've had, and the time (cost!) wasted because some operator thought nothing of importance was happing so stopped recording, has lead to some pretty gruelling, not to say expensive sessions.

leslie

Amen! And one thing I've been doing for the past 18 months is to record the master camera directly to a hard drive on a laptop. I use OnLocation but Scenalyzer Live is also usable for the purpose. That way I have an uninterrupted [by tape change] master track that I can synchronize everything else to. Makes life in post not just bearable, but enjoyable.

Byron:

Even without the multi-cam question, It's time to switch to Pro. I too was on VMS Platinum a few years ago and went to 6, 7 & Pro. The full editions do a lot more stuff you need and it's gonna take time to learn. I would start ASAP.

The scripting is a great feature. The deshaker (a script) is a must have.

On multi-cam, does Platinum 9 allow you to create a video event and right click to add opacity points to the video? Thats an option for fading between the tracks besides cutting/truncating.

The multi-cam feature in Pro is really nice, but I am constantly time shifting the video to give the best shots and it obviously can't work that way, at least on the multi-cam enabled tracks.

I just finished a 5 camera multicam edit in V8 Pro and, for me, one audio track was designated as the master audio track.

Mike:

When you use an out of time sync capture, do you just add the track again as a 6th camera with it synced where you want it?

I agree that a master audio track is nice. I need to simplify my audio in 2009. Im getting 4 channels that need to be used currently. That's painful sometimes.

Jeff

Jeff, in the multicam edit I'm working on right now, I had the luxury of shooting it in a studio with 5 cameras (one of which was on a jib).
Each camera was a camcorder model so each one had a tape in it with instructions to the operator to keep the tape rolling at all time.
I also fed all cameras through a video switcher which was recorded to hard drive (Vegas, of course!!).
Because I was working with college students in a program called Entertainment Technology, the show was mixed both for the floor PA as well as a separate 24-track mix to computer.
This was eventually mixed down and supplied to me as both a stereo and 5.1 mix.
I already had the master track on Vegas so all I had to do was load in the camcorder tapes and sync them up to the master.
Drum beats made this very easy to do :-)
I then had the flexibility of correcting any shot I wanted for whatever reason.
Trust me when I say that it was much easier in the "old days" when it was a straight "direct to tape with no post production" shoot :-)

Mike

And one thing I've been doing for the past 18 months is to record the master camera directly to a hard drive on a laptop.

Add another Amen to that.
The show I just did was recorded direct to hard drive (fed from a studio switcher) as well as each camcorder having it's own tape.
Makes syncing things up SO much easier ;-)

Mike

I am working on a small project (Wedding) that had 4 cameras. The clip of the bridal party entry and the bride entry was shot using 2 cameras. There are 2 separate songs played. I got both shots in Multi Cam Editing in Vegas. I'm able to press play and see both videos from each camera in my preview screen with the appropriate names for the 2 shots. So all is well up to this point. My question is: How do i edit between the 2 cameras? Am i able to cut scenes out from one camera? When i play the video, cam1 is not starting were cam 2 is. For example: the 1st couple entering from the bridal party is 20 secons off from that same couple entering on cam2. I have tried cutting out the first 20 seconds of cam1 but is seems to mess the timing up. What suggestions would y'all have.

Thanks to you all.

The basic thing to do before starting multicam editing is get the footage in synch. If the two cams were both running throughout this is easy, just find a synch point using either audio or vision and line up the clips. If one cam stopped shooting then started again, find the point where this occurred, split the clip and move the restart up till it matches the other cam.

How to edit between the two? either use the keyboard number corresponding to the cam you want to cut to, or click on that thumbnail in the preview window, and you will see the tally rectangle shift to the new cam.