Edit to the Maxx - The Art of the Digital Cut - Part 9

by Steve Mullen

Published on Sep 13, 2006 9:00 AM
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To begin Timeline editing, issue Toolset > Source/Record Editing. If you saved the arrangement you created in Lesson 8, the screen will look like that below.
 
If you prefer the Source/Record Editing arrangement defined by Avid, it looks like that below. For the remainder of the Lessons, we will use the Avid default arrangement.
 
Click the New Bin button in the Project window. The Bin window will open the SuperBin.
Select it to be a Frame-style Bin. This Master Bin will hold all the sequences for a single production. I recommend naming it for your production; for example, in my case this is Thaipusam Sequences Bin. Name it by clicking its name field.
Those of us who began editing using primitive videotape editing systems have the habit of creating a single Sequence for our entire production. That is because with videotape, a production had to be created shot-by-shot from the first to the last shot.
You will be way ahead of the game if you create a new Sequence for each scene. Now edit shots, needed for the scene, into the Sequence. If you decide to re-cut a scene, you will only need to work with a Timeline that has the shots in the scene. You will find this far simpler than a Timeline containing hundreds of shots.
Now select the Master Bin you just created. Create a Sequence in this Bin by issuing the Clip > New Sequence command. For example, Thaipusam Sequences Bin. Click OK. Give it a name for the first Scene or Topic you will be editing, e.g., Interior Temple Sequence.
You, like me, may find it very odd that Avid would name a menu “Clip” when most of the functions under it do not deal with clips, but deal with the Timeline.
Now create any additional Sequences, you will need, e.g., Exterior Temple Sequence.
Click in the Master Sequence Bin and press [CTRL+L 3 times] or to increase the size of Sequence icons.
Issue the Bin > Fill Window command to organize the Bin of Sequences.
Double-click the first Sequence to open it as a Timeline.
Click the Timeline Fast menu (hamburger-icon) button and enable Clip Frames, Clip Names, Audio Clip Gain, and Render Ranges = All.
 
Drag the Blue Position Indicator fully to the left to the beginning of the Timeline .
The blue indicator shows where in the Timeline the frame you can see in the Recorder monitor is located. You can drag it to instantly move to any point in a Timeline.
·        Non-segment—default when you open a Sequence
·        Segment: Extract/Splice-in
·        Segment: Lift/Overwrite
·        Trim mode
To minimize our use of modes, we are going to stay in one mode as much as possible.
The remainder of our lessons will be “task oriented” which means I will present a task that you will likely need to do when editing. Then I will show you exactly how to do it. This is a very different approach to learning a software product by being taught the function of every key or button, often without understanding when and why you would want to use the capability.
Our first task is to create the backbone of each Sequence. These shots define the duration of the Sequence. Typically, the clips we will use are video with sync audio, which we will place in V1 and A1. However, sometimes only audio or only video clips are used. In these cases, we will place media in either A1 or V1.
The mode we will use is the Extract/Splice-in Mode. This mode is often called the “film style” mode. That’s because in Extract/Splice-in mode, whenever we insert a clip, our video production becomes longer—just like when one splices in a segment of film, the film becomes longer. I prefer to call this Ripple mode because when you insert a clip, the clips to its right, ripple to the right.
When one removes a segment of film, a film becomes shorter. Likewise, when in Extract/Splice-in Mode, deleting a clip causes the clips to its right to ripple to the left.
Now enter Extract/Splice-in mode by clicking the yellow Segment: Extract/Splice-in button at the bottom of the Timeline. The button will turn silver.
Please stay in this mode unless I tell you to switch modes.
You need to see the Bin that holds your clips. Single-click on the Bin name and it will open within the SuperBin.
Double-click one of your odd numbered clips to open it in the Source monitor. These are the clips you rough trimmed. Trim away anything that cannot be used, but do not trim too tightly.
You now have a clip in the Source monitor you want to move to the Timeline. Specifically you want to accomplish one of five tasks. Note that in the description below, the words insert and place are italic. The word insert will mean moving a clip into a Timeline with ripple. While the word place will mean moving a clip into a Timeline without ripple. (These are my terms, not Avid’s.)
When you are working with video that has sync monaural audio, you will insert clips into V1 and A1. You may later place audio clips into Track A2 below the audio in A1. You may also later place video clips into Track V2 above the video in V1.
First, set the Source and Recorder Path Selectors. These are at the extreme left of the timeline. Two Source (V1 and A1) should automatically be selected (silver). Two Record (V1 and A1) Selectors are made active by clicking on them. Their color will turn to silver. All other Source and Record Selectors are made inactive by clicking on them. Their color should be gray.
 
Click the yellow Splice-in button between the Composer windows to insert the clip into the Timeline.
 
The images in the Frame track are a simple way to “see” what video is in the Timeline.
Many productions consist of video to which narration or music is later added. Begin by inserting these video clips into the V1 Track. You will later place audio clips into A1 or A2 or both A1 and A2 below the video in V1. You may also later place video clips into Track V2 above the video in V1.
One Source (V1) should automatically be selected (silver). One Record (V1) Selector is made active by clicking on it. It will turn to silver. All other Source and Record Selectors are made inactive by clicking on them. Their color should be gray.
 
Click the yellow Splice-in button between the Composer windows to insert the clip into the Timeline.
Many productions consist of audio, often narration, to which video is later added. Begin by inserting these audio clips into the A1 Track. You will place the video clips in V1 above of the audio in A1. Optionally, you will place video clips in V2 above V1. You may later place audio clips into Track A2 below the audio in A1.
One Source (A1) should automatically be selected (silver). One Record (A1) Selector is made active by clicking on it. It will turn to silver. All other Source and Record Selectors are made inactive by clicking on them. Their color should be gray.
 
Click the yellow Splice-in button between the Composer windows to insert the clip into the Timeline.
In the next Lesson, I will describe two more Timeline editing tasks.

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Steve Mullen owns Digital Video Consulting located in Las Vegas. DVC has been supporting videographers for over a decade with seminars, consulting, training, and tutorials. A Contributing Editor for Video Systems for many years, he has also written for A/V Video, Camcorder, DV, Etown, millimeter, The Perfect Vision, Video Pro, and Video Review. Steve taught at Rutgers University and the University of the Arts, and most recently has published two eBooks: the Sony HDV Production Guide and the JVC ProHD Production Guide.