Organization of Movie Files.

CkDedmon wrote on 12/9/2005, 11:10 PM

I am a newbie trying to prepare my first DVD of family home videos. I have been reading the forums and found them very helpful, but I still would like to confirm...

What is the best way to organize my movie file if I would like to create a DVD in DVDA that can either play the entire movie or only selected scenes, as in a standard DVD?

Should I...

a) Create one complete movie file in Vegas 4.0 with chapters that define the various scenes I would like to be selectable?

...or...

b) Create separate movie files in Vegas 4.0 for each scene and then link them together in DVDA?

Appreciate any guidance you can provide to make my work efficient.

Thanks in advance!

Comments

Sidecar wrote on 12/10/2005, 12:12 AM

Edit the whole thing in Vegas. You can put chapter marks in Vegas during the edit or later in DVDA. And either way you can move them in DVDA later to tune exactly where the chapters start. After you make the chapter marks, then let DVDA create the buttons for you automatically. You may need to go to more than one page of buttons if you have too many chapters, just like a commercial DVD does. They usually limit the number of chapter buttons per menu page to four or six.

johnmeyer wrote on 12/10/2005, 7:36 AM

One single file, like Sidecar recommends, provides better navigation and is generally preferred. However, working on small chunks of a project, and rendering each one to its own MPEG file is an easier workflow. If you want to maintain the same fluid navigation on your DVD, but all the MPEG files into a Music Compilation -- they will then be combined into one "Titleset" and will navigate as would one single MPEG file. There are other pluses and minuses (search my username and "music compilation." I've posted about this many times before, in greater detail).