Edit to the Maxx - The Art of the Digital Cut - Part 17

by Steve Mullen
Published on Mar 1, 2007 9:35 AM



  

Read Previous Columns:

Part 16 - Erasing Clips

 
Adding Video Effects to a Clip - Part 2
In this Lesson, you will learn how to add Segment effects that enable one clip to overlay either another clip or a colored background. This will complete our Lessons on effects.
You can continue to use Avid’s “film style” Extract/Splice-in mode. Therefore, click the yellow button at the bottom of the Timeline to place it into Extract/Splice-in mode. [ press ; ]
 
There are several effects that can be used to combine two overlaid clips. In addition to the Superimpose filter in the Blend folder, you may find the effects in the Edge Wipe folder of value.




 
 
Blend Folder
 
Edge Wipe Folder
1.      Use the Superimpose filter to mix one clip’s video with another video clip’s video:
·      If there is no V2 track, issue the Clip > New Video Track command to place track V2 into the Timeline. (You can only do this once with Free DV.)
·      Drag—an arrow will appear—from the Source (left) V1 Track icon to the V2 (right) Destination Track icon. This will auto-unselect V1 and auto-select V2.
·      Unselect A1, and if present, unselect A2.
·      Set In- and/or Out-points in the Timeline as needed to define the “super” duration. I’m using Avid’s NTSC DV leader so you can see exactly what the effect look like. Here, both an In-point and Out-point have been set.
 
·      Double-click the clip to be superimposed into the Source Composer monitor.
·      Set In- and/or Out-points as needed to define the “super” area. Set no more than three In- and/or Out-points. Here, only an In-point has been set.
 
·      Click red Overwrite button [ press b ] between the two Monitors to place clip into the Timeline. It will be placed into V2.
 
·      Issue the Toolset > Effects Editing command.
·      Drag the Superimposition effect from the Effects Palette onto the upper clip.
 
·      Adjust the Superimpose Level control to alter the mix between the upper clip and the lower clip.
 
 
 
·      Click the Effects Palette Play Loop button to preview the effect.
·      Unless an effect icon has a green dot, click the Effects Palette Render Effect button to render the effect. Then click OK.
·      To exit from overlay editing, continue.
·      Issue the Toolset > Source/Record Editing command
·      Drag—an arrow will appear—from the Source (left) V2 Track icon to the V1 (right) Destination Track icon.
·      Re-select A1, and optionally, A2.
2.      One would expect to be able to create a Picture-in-Picture effect using the Resize effect. Unfortunately this capability is reserved for a specific Picture-in-Picture FX available only in Xpress Pro. Use the Resize filter to add motion to a full size video clip. It can also be used to resize video and, optionally, add motion to the resized clip.
·      Double-click the clip that will be resized into the Source Composer monitor.
·      Set In- and Out-points as needed to define the “resize” duration.
 
·      Issue the Toolset > Effects Editing command.
·      Drag the Resize effect from the Effects Palette onto the clip.
 
·      Click the Safe Area button.
 
·      The pink triangles at the beginning (left) and end (right) of the upper clip in the Canvas window represent two keyframes. Press the << button to move to the initial keyframe.
·      Use the parameter controls in the Effects Editor to adjust the image.
o       Background: Choose the color of the background.
o       Scaling: You can decrease or increase the size of the clip. You’ll usually want to click the Fixed Aspect button. Alter the scale value(s) as needed.
 
You can drag the upper, corner, and right bounding boxes to resize the upper clip.
o       Position: For a centered image, you do not need to position the clip. (See above.) For a static image that you want off-center, move it where you want. (See below.)
 
If you want a moving image, position the clip at its initial key frame.
 
You can define one, or more, parameters at a keyframe.
Press the >> button to move to the final keyframe.
Position the clip at its final location. You can drag the clip into position.
 
You can define one, or more, parameters at a keyframe.
Click the Effects Palette Play Loop button to preview the effect. Below you can see the clip in progress from the top-left to the bottom-right.
 
·        Crop: You can alter the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right sides of the clip. To create a widescreen look, you can crop video.
 
·      Click the Zoom-in button to increase detail in the Canvas window.
·      Click the Zoom-out button to decrease detail in the Canvas window.
·      Unless an effect icon has a green dot, click the Effects Palette Render Effect button to render the effect. Then click OK.
·      To exit from effect editing, continue.
·      Issue the Toolset > Source/Record Editing Command 
Using Keyframes
Keyframes are used to apply motion to video clips. Motion can applied in 2D space. The Resize effect can also be used to zoom into video.
·      Click in the position bar below the Preview monitor at the point where you want to add a keyframe.
·      In the Effect Preview Monitor toolbar, click the Add Keyframe button. [ press n ]
·      Manually adjust effect parameter(s)
·      Move to another point in the clip and add another keyframe
You can move a keyframe by ALT+click or Option+click the keyframe indicator and drag it to its new position.
You can delete a keyframe by clicking on a keyframe mark and pressing the Delete key.
Modify a Filter
·        Single-click a clip to select it
·        Click the Toolbar Effects Mode button—the leftmost button on the central Toolbar.
 
·        Modify the effect using the Effects Palette
·        Click the Toolbar Effects Mode button
 Remove a Filter
·        Single-click a clip to select it
·        Click the Toolbar Remove Effect button—the 8th button from the left.
 


Real-Time Performance
When real-time effects are enabled, the Digital Video Out button next to the Avid logo displays a glowing green dot. Click on the button to change the mode.
When real-time effects are disabled, the button displays a blue dot. All effects must then be rendered for playback. You can step through an unrendered effect, but the system ignores unrendered effects during playback. For example, unrendered transition effects play as cuts.
To render an effect:
·     Place the blue Position Indicator over the effect to be rendered
·     Click the Toolbar Render Effect button. (The center button below.)
 
Now click OK.
When you playback clips, yellow bars under the Timeline mark where Free DV had difficulty during playback.
Blue bars under the Timeline mark where Free DV had playback difficulty because of disk speed limitations.
Red bars under the Timeline mark where Free DV was unable to display frames during playback.
If you encounter dropped frames, and it disturbs you, you have two options:
1.      Click the Yellow/Green Video Resolution Toggle button at the bottom of the Timeline to Low-resolution mode.
 
Medium-resolution
 
 
Low-resolution
You can choose between Low-resolution mode that offers greater performance and Medium-resolution mode that offers lower performance.
2.      Bring-up the Video Display Settings (under the Settings tab) and enter the “number of seconds” to pre-fill frames into RAM. Pre-filling means you have to wait after pressing Play before playback begins. However, playback will be perfect.
Monitoring Video
If you select Special > Enable Digital Video Out, the Timeline output will be output via the computer’s FireWire port. Typically, you connect your DV camcorder to the FireWire port. Then connect a monitor to the camcorder. Now, you will be able to monitor video and audio using an NTSC or PAL monitor.
In the next Lesson, you will learn how to more precisely trim video clips.
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Steve Mullen owns Digital Video Consulting that offers eBooks on HD production. Currently, DVC (www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c) offers two eBooks: the Sony HDV Handbook and the JVC ProHD Handbook. In March 2007, DVC will offer a new title: the Sony V1/FX7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $2599) Handbook. And, in April 2007, DVC will release an eBook on “Low-cost High-Definition DVD Creation.