Check the following tutorial from Edward Troxel

Thanks Liam,,, that's exactly what I was trying to avoid tho (having both cameras run for the full time) It'd be impossible. As even with one camera, we have to start and stop numerous times because of the type of video,,, do you know of any other way?

That is part of the reason that moviemakers use the Clap board. To sync cameras or audio together. You can also just clap your hands at the beginning of each take in camera view. Then resync in edit.

Dave T2

Is it difficult to resync in Vegas? What if the audio and video don't start right on the frame, what happens if it's in the middle of a frame or something like that? Or is that not possible?

You're not going to be more than a half frame off. How exact do you need to be? I've never had an issue with this.

The reason for keeping the cameras running all the time is that is saves you having to go through the "sync" process over and over again.

If you had <really really really> expensive cameras you could have synced time-code in the cameras so they were all synced up in-the-camera. But most of us (me anyway) do not have that sort of money so we put up with wasting tape (tape is cheap).

You don't HAVE to do it this way. You can just go ahead and sync on each clip. It really is quite easy to sync the video on multiple tracks in vegas and for some jobs I do stop the cameras and re-start them if I know there will be a long break in the action that I want. I tend to keep the stops to a minimum simply because I want to minimize the number of times I need to mess with the sync.

How frequently do you expect that you will need to stop recording to the cameras during the music video capture? I am trying to understand why leaving the cameras rolling for a few seconds/minutes will be such an issue for you (I have never taped a music video so excuse my ignorance here).

[edit] forget the references to the music video... re-read your original post and you are talking about a guitar instruction video. My comments still stand however... same issues/questions.

I see,,, well I am not sure, that's why I asked,,, I don't want it to look like a chinese movie haha,,, I thought it had to be dead on so the audio matched the video,, apparently not tho?

Well, it's a video on jazz improvisation.. Starts with a guitar solo, and then the instructor goes back and teaches it measure by measure... problem is, since it's improvised, he has to go back and look at what he played which requires the camera to stop, have him go back and look at what he played, then start again,, over and over....

1/2 frame would equal 1/60 second and that is a pretty tiny difference. You would likely not see anything odd between the two videos.

Very infrequently, I manage to get to the UK. Last trip, I stayed in Warminster, and had to go to Salisbury to get a pint. Found a place on the high street that poured Beamish. I've enjoyed your sage advice many times in this forum, and one of these days, I may get a chance to buy you one.

-Don

Okay... that makes sense. SO you will HAVE to re-sync within Vegas every time. Not a huge deal... but I cannot see any other way around the problem.

Having a "clapper" visible (and audible) to both cameras may make it a little easier to sync although you could probably do it just using the "clap" and zooming in on the audio curves.

okay, I guess that's the way to go,,, maybe just have the cameras run for a few seconds b4 the clap and film the scene as normal,,, I think allowing extra time like that should help out,, thanks for your help!

mike

Mike, how long are these pauses as compared to the material? Does he complete is performance in less than an hour including the time to go back and look? If so, you can still keep the cameras running continuously and slice out the dead space from both cameras precisely and simultaneously. This might be easier than trying to resync each take.

In your paticular case a simple sync indicator would be to have the guitarist slap the body of his guitar with his hand before each scene. It's already visible in one camera and it will be audible in both. That should be sufficient for syncing. Of course, i presume you'll only keep one of the audio tracks when you're done, but you can use both for syncing before deleting the extra one.

. . seems like full circle here .. .

.. remove used 60 min tapes .. . . put in new tapes .. keep cameras shooting ..

Grazie

. . seems like full circle here .. .

Apart from Mike has described how the "talent" he is taping needs to review the video captured multiple times during the shoot. So... unless Mike can capture live to another system (maybe plug one of the cameras into a VHS recorder) he has to stop the cameras and re-wind the tape each time to see what he just did.

It seems to me recording to a seperate VHS tape device may make this part (the reviewing) easier in any case.

Ahhh, ok. I didn't get the idea that the talent was reviewing the tape that had just been made. Now it all makes more sense.

actually the "talent" just watches the Solo he played at the beginning of the video,,, then he teachest it measure by measure,, so yes, we'll have recorded the solo and then put it up on a monitor for him to refer to each step of the way

This would be much eaiser with pro cameras recording back to VCRs, everything is locked to SPGs so everything will stay in sync.
Obviously you don't have that sort of budget or you wouldn't even be using Vegas!

All the above advice is good but I'd seriously invest in a clapper board and slate the heads and tails of every shot, not only are you going to have the sync issue to deal with you'll have lots of clips from two cameras. Knowing which one goes with which could become a nightmare without careful logging, get a PA to do just that, sometimes it pays to have more bodies on the set and ones that are focused on just one task.

Oh and just what are you doing to record the sound?

Your on camera mics are not going to cut the mustard for something like this, you did say you didn't want it to look like a Chinese movie, I'd hope you don't want it to SOUND like one either.

no, no on camera mics,, audio is not really a concern,, , pretty much have that covered with a good microphone in front of the amplifier