Switching between multiple video tracks

Adam L. wrote on 4/2/2011, 5:46 AM
I like doing music videos and I also record sports using 2 or more cameras. In the past I've synced up the video and audio clips, and then just used composite envelopes to display the various tracks to make it appear as if I've cut to different cameras. I've run into an issue though with the latest project I'm working on, since it used a green screen.

It seems that adding a simple composite envelope for each track has some undesirable side effects when using chroma keying, such as tracks bleeding though. I'm assuming composite envelopes is *not* the correct way to switch between visible tracks, at least in this scenario. I'd like to be able to switch between the various green screened tracks, which also have associated generated media tied to them. E.g. one track has a lava generated media playing in the non-masked area as the background.

Any tips or tricks for switching between multiple tracks which have chroma keys applied so that each track is its own individual entity that can be displayed independently? I'd rather avoid hacking the clips apart with splitting and deleting sections if at all possible. Thank you!

Edit: I'm using Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum Production Suite 10.0

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 4/2/2011, 7:48 AM
You're right, compositing is not the easiest way to do cutaways or multicam projects.
Since you lack the multicam mode that is in Vegas Pro, one easy method is to split the b-roll events, copy the trimmed event to a track above your main one, and size and position accordingly. By copying (instead of dragging or cutting), that trimmed event is still available if you want to use it again someplace else. With practice, this goes fairly quickly, and is how I did everything before multicam editing was introduced in Vegas Pro.

As always, TIMTOWTDI.

Oh BTW, thanks for an intelligent question.
;?)
Adam L. wrote on 4/2/2011, 10:02 AM
Thank you for the fast response, musicvid! Ugh, so Pro makes it easier for this kind of work? Dangit, I seriously just got 10 last week, and as I was comparing the two I didn't see any features where I felt I absolutely *had* to have Pro (there were some "that would be nice" items, but nothing that justified the price for me.) Had I known that it supported multi-cameras I would have bought that version instead. I must have completely missed that bullet point in the comparison between the various versions of the product. I would have purchased Pro on that aspect alone! Argh... :(

So let me ask, what approach do they use in Pro that allows easier multi-cam work?
Adam L. wrote on 4/2/2011, 10:13 AM
Apparently that's what I get for not digging deeper into the technical details. It was right there on the Pro page, and even has a video which basically makes it look so awesome it virtually reached through my monitor and slapped me across the face for not buying Pro. UGH...

Oh well, guess I'll try to Craigslist this and buy Pro.
amendegw wrote on 4/2/2011, 2:33 PM
Adam,

Here's some video tutorials: Les Stroud: Multi-camera Editing Tools
and, Vegas Pro Training Videos (click the third item down - "Improvements to multicam editing in Vegas Pro 10")

Good Luck!
...Jerry

System Model:     Alienware M18 R1
System:           Windows 11 Pro
Processor:        13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13980HX, 2200 Mhz, 24 Core(s), 32 Logical Processor(s)

Installed Memory: 64.0 GB
Display Adapter:  NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU (16GB), Nvidia Studio Driver 566.14 Nov 2024
Overclock Off

Display:          1920x1200 240 hertz
Storage (8TB Total):
    OS Drive:       NVMe KIOXIA 4096GB
        Data Drive:     NVMe Samsung SSD 990 PRO 4TB
        Data Drive:     Glyph Blackbox Pro 14TB

Vegas Pro 22 Build 239

Cameras:
Canon R5 Mark II
Canon R3
Sony A9

musicvid10 wrote on 4/2/2011, 3:37 PM
Really, you can become quite adept at adding your cutaway takes on a track above the main video. It's how I used to do all my musicals before upgrading.

And yes, the multicam editor in Vegas Pro 10 is quite nice.
amendegw wrote on 4/2/2011, 3:57 PM
Whoops! I think I mis-read the OP.

...Jerry

System Model:     Alienware M18 R1
System:           Windows 11 Pro
Processor:        13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13980HX, 2200 Mhz, 24 Core(s), 32 Logical Processor(s)

Installed Memory: 64.0 GB
Display Adapter:  NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU (16GB), Nvidia Studio Driver 566.14 Nov 2024
Overclock Off

Display:          1920x1200 240 hertz
Storage (8TB Total):
    OS Drive:       NVMe KIOXIA 4096GB
        Data Drive:     NVMe Samsung SSD 990 PRO 4TB
        Data Drive:     Glyph Blackbox Pro 14TB

Vegas Pro 22 Build 239

Cameras:
Canon R5 Mark II
Canon R3
Sony A9