Avid Editing A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users
Contents
1. Avid Editing A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users Sam Kauffmann Avid Editing Fourth Edition This page intentionally left blank Avid Editing A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users Fourth Edition Sam Kauffmann POU AMSTERDAM e BOSTON e HEIDELBERG LONDON NEW YORK OXFORD PO JE PARIS SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE e SYDNEY e TOKYO Focal ELSEVIER Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier Press Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier 30 Corporate Drive Suite 400 Burlington MA 01803 USA Linacre House Jordan Hill Oxford OX2 8DP UK 2009 Samuel H Kauffmann Published by Elsevier Inc All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier s Science amp Technology Rights Department in Oxford UK phone 44 1865 843830 fax 44 1865 853333 E mail permissions elsevier com You may also complete your request on line via the Elsevier homepage http elsevier com by selecting Support amp Contact then Copyright and Permission and then Obtaining Permissions Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Kauffmann Sam Avid editing a guide for beginning and intermediate users Sam Kauffm2. Avid it comes with nearly 1500 pages of documentation And because the Avid comes with so many sophisticated tools the editor is supposed to do things that were once handled by scores of other people In the past someone else designed and shot the titles there was a team of sound and music editors and a highly trained group of talented individuals created all the special effects Now a single editor is often the entire post production team Today s NLE editors are expected to be computer savvy while possessing video engineering skills Often an editor must set up connect and troubleshoot an incredible array of video decks operat ing systems audio drivers and FireWire cards So while it s true that a computer can make an edi tor s job easier and faster it can also make the job longer and more difficult An editor s job has gotten more difficult and complex but the rewards and satisfaction are greater as well You the Avid editor have far more creative control over the project than at any time in the history of editing You may have more to do but you don t need much help getting the job done and you can make sure everything looks and sounds just the way you want it Figure 1 1 Students at Makerere University in Kampala Uganda using Avid software Chapter 1 Getting Started Loading Your Avid Software Of the two main players in the NLE sweepstakes Final Cut and Avid only the Avid is a cross platform system
3. Command key If you are using Windows you ll use the Control Ctrl key instead Windows users will also use the Alt key instead of the Macintosh Option key That s it That s about the only difference between the Mac and Windows versions Obviously no one book can hope to explain all of the Avid s features or keep up with changes I won t show you every technique found in the Avid s many manuals but I ll show you all the ones you need to know The Avid s interface is the most stable in the industry and this edition should last you for many years XXV This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments I have many people to thank for their assistance none more so than the many students I ve had the pleasure to teach during the past decade There are too many to name but all of them taught me as much as I taught them I want to give special thanks to Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg Their son David graduated from our film program and after his graduation the Katzenbergs gave us a generous gift which allowed us to move into high definition and outfit our Avid labs accordingly David was a talented student and a joy to teach Special thanks go to Avid employees Bob Russo Greg Staten Bob Barnshaw and Ashley Kennedy for their many suggestions along the way Loren Miller taught me how to use Avid s software many years ago and I m grateful to this day My colleagues at Boston University have given me advice and enco
4. Install P2 Driver Software Importing Directly from the Camera Using the PCMCIA Slot in the Computer Using Panasonic s P2 Gear AG HPG10 FireStore Portable Hard Drive Recorder Accessing P2 Cards on a DVD or External Drive Backing Up Your P2 Media Protection Master Downconverting to SD Sony XDCAM EX Importing Other HDV Media Working with Imported HD Media Chapter 8 Sound The Importance of Sound Importing an MP3 File or Audio From a CD Adding Audio Tracks Patching Audio Tracks Track Monitors Monitoring Only One Track The Hollow Speaker Icon Audio Scrub Selecting the Tracks for Scrubbing Scrolling Your Tracks Deleting Tracks Changing Audio Levels xiv 108 108 108 110 112 113 113 114 114 115 115 115 116 117 117 118 119 119 121 122 122 124 124 125 125 126 126 127 127 128 128 128 129 129 129 129 Fixing Volume Output Levels Audio Mixer tool Speed Tips Panning Changing Volume and Panning on Multiple Clips Audio Data Auto Gain Placing Keyframes Automatically Waveforms Using Trim Mode with Waveforms to Fix Audio Equalization Setting the EQ EQ Templates Saving Your EQ Effect When to Use the Different Audio Tools What Level is Correct Other Audio Techniques to Fix Problems Replacing Bad Sound Timeline Views Setting Up Your Tracks Pro Tools Tell the Story First Suggested Assignments Chapter 9 Segment Mode Editing Timeline Setting Extract Splice Segment Mode Button Lift Overwrite
5. Segment Mode Button Moving Sound to Different Tracks Lassoing to Get into Segment Mode Suggested Assignments Chapter 10 Advanced Editing Trimming in Two Directions Watch Point Slipping and Sliding Slip Slide Contents 130 130 132 132 153 134 134 136 137 138 138 139 140 141 141 142 143 143 143 144 144 144 145 147 148 148 150 152 153 154 155 155 157 158 158 160 XV Contents J K L Trimming Replace Single Mark Editing Match Frame Mapping Menu Items to Keyboard Suggested Assignments Chapter 11 Saving Your Work If it s a Computer it will Crash Backing Up USB Flash Drives After the Crash Saving User Settings Copying User Settings The Attic Retrieving a File from the Attic Batch Capture Offline Media Backing Up Media Files Drag and Drop Your MediaFiles Folder Back Up Daily Suggested Assignments Chapter 12 Titles Opening the Title Tool Choosing a Background Creating Your First Title Selection Tool Shadows Saving Titles Cutting Titles into Your Sequence Adjusting the Title Length Adding Fades to Your Title Colored Titles Blending a Title Creating Title Style Sheets Soft Shadows Glowing Titles Drawing Objects Delete Key xvi 161 162 163 164 164 165 167 167 168 169 170 170 170 171 171 172 173 173 174 174 175 175 177 177 177 178 179 179 181 181 181 182 183 183 185 185 186 Titles with Objects Transparency Alignment M
6. film in the days of film editing The Avid recognizes that you might be starting an ambitious project involving the creation of many bins each holding up to 100 clips and provides sophisticated search and find tools to help you locate just the shot you are looking for Now that you have organized the material it s time to edit Edit When you open up a master clip think of an entire shot from head to tail and select a part of it to be included in your project you are making your first cut The Avid calls any material that is cut together a sequence You create a sequence by editing together clips In traditional film editing the editor starts by putting together an assembly which includes all the clips that might appear in the final film spliced together in the right order You could call your first sequence an assembly sequence Once you have assembled the material the next stage is to create a rough cut in which the clips are placed in the right order and trimmed to approximately the right length You might name this a rough cut sequence Because the material is digital sequences are easily duplicated You might create a sequence on Tuesday duplicate it on Wednesday morning and start making changes to it At any time you can open up the Tuesday version for comparison As you get to the end of your editing you are working on what is normally called a_fine cut Shots are trimmed to give each scene the right pace and timing Ad
7. meaning it runs on both Macs and PCs either laptops or workstations The Avid website maintains a list of qualified computers that are approved for the Media Composer family Go to www avid com products media composer and click on Tech Specs to check out the quali fied computers and their specifications Assuming you ve got a qualified computer running the correct operating system loading the soft ware is fairly straightforward Put the SafeNet dongle that comes in the pink bubble wrap into a USB port and insert the Media Composer DVD disk that comes in the box you got when you purchased the software Double click on the DVD and you ll see contents similar to Figure 1 2 AMC30Mac v le 5 je ror Avid Media Other installers Goodies README_AvidMediaCompo Composer mpkg ser pdf Figure 1 2 Contents of Installer DVD Open the README pdf and note if your specific computer system has any issues that you may need to address These README documents provide way too much information for the beginner but you should read over the section Before You Install the Editing Application Now open the Other Installers folder and load the EDL Manager first Then load the contents of the Goodies folder and last install the Avid Media Composer software It should take about five to ten minutes to install the software The tricky part is that you should now go to the Avid website and download the latest version Yeah I know you just b
8. 5 Introduction Since the last edition came out in 2006 Avid has made significant changes to the way it oper ates It has simplified its entire product line by cutting the Xpress line of software and building everything around Media Composer software Avid is holding meetings all over the country and inviting editors to start a dialog about Avid s products and support Most incredibly the company has lowered the price of the academic version of Media Composer to below that of Final Cut so that a student with a valid student ID can purchase the industry s leading software for under 300 I applaud these initiatives and the whole new way Avid is going about its business Avid has always sold great editing software but it s often been overpriced without great customer support Now you can t help but marvel at the changes in price and value This book concentrates on the latest Media Composer software and because that software offers so many more features there is a great deal of new material in this edition Every chapter has been rewritten to keep abreast of the changes in the production world and Avid s responses to those changes Chapter 6 demystifies the capturing process including capturing HDV and DVCPro HD tapes Chapter 7 explains the entire P2 workflow so that you can easily import media from Panasonic s P2 cameras and other P2 devices It also tackles importing media from Sony s memory cards Chapter 14 explains how t
9. 7 sF 58 59 59 60 60 60 60 61 63 63 63 64 64 65 66 66 67 68 68 69 69 70 72 73 Ta 74 74 79 79 80 81 83 Story Structure Beginning Middle and End Documentary Issues Short is Better than Long Screening a Work in Progress Being Your Own Projectionist Grilling Your Audience Developing Thick Skin Suggested Assignments Chapter 6 Starting a New Project and Capturing from Tape Starting a New Project Standard Definition NTSC Interlaced Scanning Progressive Scanning NTSC Avid Project Choices The PAL Standard The SECAM Standard Forgetaboutit High Definition Raster Type HDV DVCPro HD Standard HD Connecting Your Equipment Cables Connecting HDV Cameras and Decks Configuring a Deck or Camera Naming Your Tapes Organizing Your Bins The Capture Tool Working with the Capture Tool If the Avid Says NO DECK Capturing Logging Batch Capturing Your Logged Clips Subclipping Video Resolutions Drive Space Contents 84 85 86 86 87 87 88 88 89 89 91 91 92 92 92 92 93 93 93 95 95 95 96 96 97 97 29 100 100 100 102 103 104 105 106 106 107 xiii Contents Audio Audio Sampling Useful Settings Configuring Avid In Out Hardware Devices Suggested Assignments Chapter 7 Importing from P2 and Memory Cards The Panasonic HV X200 Working with P2 Cards and P2 Devices Choosing the Right Format and Frame Rate My Recommended Settings P2 is for Shooting Not Editing
10. Break Indicators Many Tracks Mean Many Sync Problems Locators Deleting Locators Editing Tricks to Stay in Sync Trimming in Two Directions A Review from Chapter 10 Sync Locks Locking Tracks Suggested Assignments Chapter 16 Importing and Exporting Importing Importing a Graphic File xviii 209 210 211 211 211 213 214 215 217 219 220 222 223 224 226 227 227 228 228 228 229 231 251 252 232 232 233 235 235 235 236 240 240 241 241 243 Contents Computers Versus Television 244 Import Options 245 Importing Color Bars 247 Importing a QuickTime Movie 248 Exporting 249 Preparing to Export 250 Exporting a Production Still 250 Exporting Motion Video 252 Exporting a QuickTime Movie 253 Exporting a High Resolution QuickTime Movie 253 Exporting a QuickTime Movie for You Tube Google iTunes or Your Website 254 Exporting a QuickTime Reference Movie 257 Exporting Audio to a Pro Tools Work Station 259 Going to Pro Tools 259 Exporting Other File Types 261 Suggested Assignments 261 Chapter 17 Working in HD 263 HD Primer 264 DV 264 720p 265 10801 265 1080p 265 HDV 266 All Those Pesky Frame Per Second fps Rates 267 HD with the Mojo DX Adrenaline or Nitris DX 268 Connecting the HD Deck to Your Avid HD Box 269 Capturing HD with Adrenaline HD Mojo DX or Nitris DX 269 Playback Performance 272 Creating HD Titles and Importing HD Graphics 272 Mixing SD and HD in the Timeline 272 U
11. Interface on Your Computer Toolset Menu Project Window Bins Clips Bin Views SuperBin XXL xxvii OO CMA WANN DWAAUN NN FHA HHA HBO KH Sg ee ae See Se ee NPP PWONNYF CTC OS Contents Source Monitor Record Monitor Timeline Commands The Keyboard Three Button Play The Spacebar The I and O Keys Other Important Commands Active Window Practice Starting an Editing Session Making Your First Cut Adding Shots to Your Sequence Ending an Editing Session Script for Wanna Trade Chapter 2 Basic Editing Editing Rules Starting Your Second Editing Session Basic Editing Skills Marking Clips Splice and Overwrite Source Monitor Menu The Timeline Selecting and Deselecting Tracks Navigating the Timeline Home and End Snapping to Cut Points Position Indicator Single Frame Keys Changing the Timeline View The Timeline Fast Menu Scaling and Scrolling the Timeline Enlarge or Reduce Tracks Track Monitor Icons Marking Clips in the Timeline Duplicating a Sequence 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 18 18 19 T9 20 21 22 24 25 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 30 31 31 31 32 SZ 32 33 Ja 34 34 35 35 Lift and Extract Trim Shots Using Extract It Takes Three Marks to Make an Edit Like a Mantra Using the Clipboard Undo Redo List Suggested Assignments Chapter 3 Trimming Trim Mode Trim Mode Practice Dual Roller Trim Mode Leaving Trim Mode Lassoing the Transition Single Roler Trim Mode Getting into Single Rolle
12. It s on the DVD that comes with this book Loading the project onto your Avid is amazingly easy Look for DVD Instructions at the end of the book You will simply be dragging some folders and files from the DVD to your computer In Chapter 1 I have used Wanna Trade for most of my examples There is also a two page script for the scene at the end of the first chapter If you re in a class ideally your professor instructor or teacher will mount the scene onto the Avid so you can begin editing after the first or second class Inside the Wanna Trade project is a folder called Chapter 3 When you reach Chapter 3 open this folder and then the bin called Trim Practice The sequence you ll find in the bin has prob lems that you ll correct using Single Trim Mode It s a great way to practice the trimming tech niques outlined in Chapter 3 I have included a new project in this edition called Kizza s Portrait It s on the DVD that comes with the book It contains documentary footage about a six year old boy from Uganda who is HIV positive The clips come from my film Living with Slim Kids Talk About HIV AIDS which I shot while teaching video production at Makerere University in Kampala Slim is what many Africans call AIDS The film is used all over the world to educate people about the AIDS pandemic in Africa It will help you practice your editing skills and introduce you to the plight of the millio
13. ann 4th ed p cm Includes index ISBN 978 0 240 81080 5 pbk alk paper 1 Video tapes Editing Data processing 2 Motion pictures Editing Data processing 3 Avid Xpress 4 Media composer I Title TR899 K38 2009 778 59 3 dc22 2008044537 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library For information on all Focal Press publications visit our website at www books elsevier com 09 10 1154321 Printed in the United States of America Working together to grow libraries in developing countries www elsevier com www bookaid org www sabre org ELSEVIER BOOKAID Sabre Foundation For Katie Allie and Derek This page intentionally left blank Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure Nelson Mandela This page intentionally left blank Contents Introduction Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Getting Started The Editor s Job Loading Your Avid Software The Many Parts of Your System Operating System System Memory Capture Boards Media Drives The Dongle Monitors Speakers The Client Monitor UPS Input Devices A Word About Timecode Avid Editing Workflow Gather Tapes Files and Drives Create a New Project Capture Import Create Bins Edit Add Titles and Effects Do Sound Work Output Your Project Getting Started The Avid
14. close to capturing the critical role the editor plays in any production There are thousands of tasks involved in editing a film or video and thousands of decisions must be made along the way And all of them are important Which take is best Are the lighting and com position better in this shot or that Is the pacing of these shots too fast Will cutting out the charac ter s entrance make the scene more or less confusing Although the editor s primary job remains the same the manner in which an editor works was transformed during the 1990s by the development of computer based nonlinear editing systems NLEs The Avid was one of the earliest NLEs and it is perhaps the best known system in the world Today the transformation from analog editing machines to computer based editing systems is com plete Compared with analog devices computer based systems make the editor s job much easier and faster yet these systems can also make an editor s job harder and take a lot longer to complete It may seem like a paradox but it s true Avid Editing A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users Editing on a computer is much easier and faster than on an analog machine because nearly every task is executed with a single keystroke or the push of a button Yet there is a price for all this speed The Avid and the other popular computer based systems are much more difficult to mas ter than analog film or a video system Today when you buy an
15. d Titles and Effects Once you have edited your sequence you can easily add titles and effects to it The Avid has tools for creating multilayered effects and titles Titles can be created and added to a sequence in min utes Most effects take only a few seconds to create When all the titles and visual effects have been added you have reached the stage called picture lock No more changes are made to any of the pic ture tracks Do Sound Work Once you have reached picture lock it s time to add the many sound effects and music cues that will make for a rich and powerful sound track The Avid can monitor up to 24 sound tracks and by using built in tools you can make intricate sound adjustments to any and all tracks Output Your Project Finally the end of the Avid workflow takes place when the final edited sequence is sent out into the world The many output options include e Record the finished sequence onto videotape e Create a DVD e Create an edit decision list EDL for an online videotape editing session e Turn your sequence into AVI MOV WMV or MPG files for posting on the web Chapter 1 Getting Started With that overview behind us let s turn on the computer launch the software and explore the workspace the Avid provides us Your system may be set up in a slightly different manner than what is described here but all systems are fairly similar Getting Started If you haven t already mounted the Wanna Trade Sc
16. d creates two things a media file which is the Avid s digital version of your picture or sound and a master clip which is a virtual copy of the media file Media files are stored on media drives One media file is created for each track of picture and sound If you have video and stereo sound the Avid will create three media files for that digital material one media file for the picture and two media files for the stereo sound recorded with that picture see Figure 1 8 Mh Brief Text Frame Script Name Start Clinic waiting room 00 274 001690F7VO1 47069596 A7SEF0 mat 33 8 vE O01 690F7A01 47D69996 A7SBEO mal Lina 00 1690F 7A02 47069596 A7S 800 maf Lime Figure 1 8 This single master clip is linked to three media files stored on the drive You don t edit or work with media files you work with the master clip Think of the master clip as a shot You can edit the shot duplicate the shot or flip the shot and all of these actions affect the clip while the media file the captured picture or sound is safe on the media drive Create Bins When you capture or import your source material you organize it into bins You might have a bin for all the material from tape number one and a second bin for all the audio files imported from a memory card Bins are like folders on your home or office computer The name comes from the Avid Editing A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users trim bins used to hold strips of
17. ene project found on the DVD that comes with this book or that your instructor has loaded for you this would be a good time Make sure you Quit your Avid software if it s open Follow the DVD ROM Instructions section found at the end of the book Once you ve finished restart your computer and you re ready to go Figure 1 9 Students practice editing techniques in a classroom If you have another project mounted and want to work on that instead excellent The process for launching your Avid is pretty much the same whether you re on a Mac or a PC running Windows When the software is first loaded onto the system a short AvidMediaComposer Avid cut or alias is usually created and left on the desktop When everything is turned on you simply click on the shortcut or alias icon to launch your Avid software Figure 1 10 An alias located in the dock To launch your Avid on a Mac Click it to launch 1 Turn on the power to all the devices that make up your system That means the speakers the external media drives the deck or camera and the client monitor 2 Press the Power key or button that turns on the CPU Wait for the system to mount Avid Editing A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users 3 If there is a log on process type in your user name and password Click on the shortcut or alias for the Media Composer or Xpress application 5 When the Avid Project window appears click on the project you have bee
18. enu Lines and Arrows Other Buttons Changing or Fixing a Title Rolling Titles Cutting in Rolling Titles Rendering Your Titles Adjusting the Speed of the Rolling Titles Crawling Titles Marquee Suggested Assignments Chapter 13 Effects Kinds of Effects Effect Palette Applying an Effect Applying More Effects Deleting Effects Real Time Effects Effect Editor Effect Editing Tools Working with Keyframes Saving an Effect as a Template Effect Quick Review Adding Dissolves Freeze Frames Two Field Motion Effects Motion Effects Slow Motion Fast Motion Reverse Motion Strobe Rendering Two Field Motion Effects Rendering Rendering Single Effects Rendering Multiple Effects Waiting for Effects to Render Contents 186 187 188 188 188 189 189 189 190 190 191 191 191 193 193 194 195 196 197 197 198 200 204 204 204 204 205 206 206 207 207 208 208 208 209 209 209 xvii Contents Fixing Titles with Effect Mode Practice or Else Chapter 14 Advanced Effects and Color Correction Advanced Effects Paint Clone Scratch Removal Picture in Picture PIP Advanced Keyframes 3D Warp or 3D Picture in Picture Color Correction Pulldown Menus Your Tools Groups Automatic Color Correction Returning to Default Saving Your Color Correction Settings Color Buckets HSL Controls Curves Rendering Complex Effects A World of Effects Chapter 15 Keeping in Sync Sync Problems The Source of Your Problems Sync
19. icture and sound elements that form the source material for your project These may include Videotapee HDV HD DVCAM DVCPro or miniDV Memory cards Used by many cameras such as the Panasonic HVX200 to store pictures and sound Audio CDs Optical discs Such as the Sony blue laser discs which can be recorded over hundreds of times and have a much longer shelf life than tape formats Picture and audio filee Computer graphics animation pictures and audio files on a flash drive CD or DVD Hard drives Such as those mounted on cameras that can be connected to a Mac or PC via FireWire Figure 1 7 A Panasonic HVX200 with a P2 memory card courtesy of Panasonic Chapter 1 Getting Started Be sure to develop an inventory system that will track all of these sources throughout the project in case you need to recapture or reimport them Create a New Project When you start up the Avid software it asks you to tell it which project to open You might share an Avid with other students or other editors all working on different projects If you are beginning a new project you would click the New Project button name the project and begin work on your new project Capture Import The Avid will open up the Project window for your new project You can now begin to capture from your videotapes onto your computer s media drives or import files from memory cards or DVDs As soon as you capture or import your media the Avi
20. ing in standard definition digital signals via its serial digital interface SDI connections as well as uncompressed high definition signals via its HD SDI connections In order to connect to Avid s Mojo DX and Nitris DX hardware boxes your computer must have either an available PCI Express slot or an Express Card port A Word About Timecode All NLE systems the Avid included are based on the videotape tracking system called timecode As sound and pictures are recorded onto the videotape by means of a camera or deck unique numbers the timecode are placed onto the videotape as well There are approximately 30 frames of video per second and each frame has its own timecode number Whereas film numbers are based on the length of the film timecode is measured in time The first frame on the videotape is designated as 00 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds 00 frames or 00 00 00 00 The next frame is 00 00 00 01 Since video Avid Editing A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users is based on 30 frames per second after 00 00 00 29 the next frame would be 00 00 01 00 Because each frame has its own unique address its timecode it s easy to keep track of them Computers are good at numbers so it is through timecode that the Avid keeps track of your pictures and sound Avid Editing Workflow Editing a project with lots of different elements requires a great deal of organization Gather Tapes Files and Drives First gather together all the p
21. is backup system which provides a stable Chapter 1 Getting Started electrical current and will keep everything running in case of a power failure The idea is not that you keep editing but rather that you use the backup power to save your work and then shut down your system If you do not get a UPS at least get a surge protector Input Devices Many people use their cameras to capture tapes into their Avid system using a single FireWire cable This is especially true with HDV cameras Although an added expense a deck becomes a necessity whenever the camera is needed elsewhere The Avid website maintains a list of supported devices that work well Go to the page that lists specifications www avid com products mediacomposer If the page moved as they often do search Avid s website www avid com For capturing mini DV and DVCAM tapes I really like the Sony DSR 11 deck which can handle NTSC and PAL DV tapes Avid sells external interfaces such as the Nitris DX and Mojo DX Both allow you to capture and play uncompressed HD signals The Nitris DX is shown in Figure 1 6 It offers sophisticated HD compression and decompression together with a huge variety of In Out connections so you can connect your computer to digital and analog audio and video recorders You can record to and from just about any deck including VHS S Video Beta SP DigiBeta and high definition decks Figure 1 6 Avid Nitris DX The Mojo DX is designed to br
22. n assigned If it s on a different drive click on the folder icon to browse in other drives Figure 1 11 If it has been mounted click on Wanna Trade Scene 6 Click OK The project will open showing you the Avid interface Click on the folder icon to browse for projects on external drives Figure 1 11 The Avid Interface on Your Computer Toolset Menu Before we begin editing lets make sure we are all using the same editing interface Go to the menu bar at the top of your computer Toolset Windows Script I screen and pull down the Toolset menu I want you to select the Color Correction Source Record Editing Mode as shown in Figure 1 12 It s proba vi ounce fects Editing bly already set that way but if not let s all start off on the same foot Reber Just drag your mouse down the menu list and click on Source Fi 1 12 The Toolset Record Editing Arrange the window to look like Figure 1 13 se D The Media Composer and Xpress applications can work with just one computer monitor which shows the Project window containing all your bins the Composer window containing the Source and Record monitors and the Timeline Figure 1 13 You select clips in the bins and place them in the Source Monitor on the left which holds the clips that will be edited into the project The 12
23. ns of children who are born HIV positive When you get to Chapter 16 you will import graphics from the DVD including a title with and a title without an alpha channel These will help you understand the import process and the way the Avid deals with transparency The DVD also contains a second sequence called Gaffer s Delight Whereas Wanna Trade is a relatively easy scene to get you started Gaffer s Delight is more complicated and was shot in the 16 9 aspect ratio This scene was covered by many different camera angles and involved several takes making it a good candidate for using Avid s Script Integration features explained in Chapter 18 The script for Gaffer s Delight is included on the DVD so you can bring the script into your Avid and then following the instructions provided attach clips to the action and dialog Here you can practice using ScriptSync the voice recognition software to quickly join the Gaffer s Delight script to the Gaffer s Delight clips We ll use the Countdown included on the DVD when going out to tape in Chapter 19 XXIV Introduction Because Avid systems come on Windows and Macintosh platforms I ve used both Macintosh and Windows screens to guide you through the instructions Mac and Windows screens are almost iden tical The main difference between cutting on a Mac and cutting on a PC is the shortcut keys you use On the Macintosh you ll often use the
24. o use several advanced effects that you will find useful in your everyday work such as Paint and Scratch Removal The Color Correction tool is examined in much greater depth in this edition Chapter 17 is devoted to working in HD and explains how you can easily create SD and HD versions of your sequences using Avid s Transcode feature Chapter 18 explains the use of ScriptSync the voice recognition software that makes Avid s script based editing a breeze Think of this as a textbook workbook and user manual all rolled into one It s written so you can read it while lounging on a couch or sitting in front of an Avid following the book s step by step instructions Suggested assignments at the end of most chapters are there to encourage you to practice the tech niques and skills explained in that particular chapter The DVD that comes with the book contains exercises that will help you master some complex concepts Because each chapter builds on the ideas presented in the previous chapter it s a good idea to practice one set of skills before moving on to the next xxiii Introduction I believe you will learn to use the Avid more quickly if you start by editing a short narrative scene rather than a short documentary project With a script for the scene in front of you you know where you are going and you can concentrate on how to get there To get you started I ve enclosed a short scene for you to edit entitled Wanna Trade
25. ought the software but that DVD has been sitting in the box for several months and problems that could cause you headaches may have been fixed since that DVD was shipped Go to www avid com support downloadcenter and scroll down the page to Additional Support Updates Find your Media Composer application Pick the Mac or PC Make sure there is a newer version and select it The problem is you have to reinstall the whole Media Composer software and it s a big file to download from the web Be patient and you ll soon have the latest version up and running Avid Editing A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users The Many Parts of Your System Operating System Whether you have a Mac or a Windows PC make sure it is running the correct Operating System version Leopard Vista or whatever the site says All Macs and PCs have system drives or internal hard drives On a Windows computer it s the C drive and on a Mac it s the Macintosh HD hard drive Figure 1 3 Avid Media Composer on a PC laptop courtesy of Avid Technology System Memory As incredible as it sounds your computer should have at least 4 GB of system RAM Capture Boards Your computer must have IEEE 1394 FireWire or i Link to bring in both video and audio dig ital formats All Macs and most PCs are sold with IEEE 1394 ports already installed If your system doesn t have such a port you can usually add one via an add in card Media Drives In the pa
26. r Avid Editing A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users Speakers Sound is a critical part of any film or video and having good external speakers is of utmost impor tance If you are putting your own system together don t try to save money here Plan on spending about 100 for a speaker system The Client Monitor A monitor is helpful no matter which system you cut on With digital video footage a monitor may seem less critical because you can t alter the image coming into the system But you can change it once it s in the Avid and knowing how the signal will look on a television monitor once you put it back out to tape is important The monitor has long been called a client monitor because it s the one the client is supposed to look at when the editor hits Play With widescreen LCD screens dropping in price they re a good choice because they can handle high and standard definition projects You can pay over 25 000 for a top of the line model but smart shoppers can get a quality HD or SD monitor for under 1500 Figure 1 5 An Avid system with a high definition client monitor UPS When you spend thousands of dollars on a computer you should consider buying an electrical backup device called a UPS uninterruptible power supply Because your work is important and because you can t run a computer without electricity common sense suggests that you plug the CPU the computer monitor and the media drives into th
27. r Trim Mode Trim Frame Keys Review Transition Button Trim by Dragging Trim Practice Undo in Trim Mode Frame Counters More Practice Using Dual Roller Trim Mode Split Edits or L Cuts Removing a Split Edit Changing from Single Roller to Dual Roller Trim Mode Adding and Removing Rollers Advanced Trim Mode Techniques Trimming While Watching Trim One Side Then the Other Dragging to a Mark Sync Problems in Single Roller Trim Mode Enter Trim Mode on Selected Tracks J K L Trimming Trim Mode Review Getting into Trim Mode Getting out of Trim Mode Contents 36 38 38 39 39 39 40 41 42 42 42 43 44 44 44 46 47 48 48 49 49 49 51 51 52 52 53 53 53 54 54 55 56 57 57 57 57 xi Contents Switching Trim Modes Add Rollers and Delete Rollers Drag the Rollers Trim While Watching Suggested Assignments Chapter 4 The Project Window Creating a Bin All About Bins Bin Views Selecting Clips Working in SuperBin Mode Bin Headings in Text View Moving Columns Sorting Frame View Starting a New Sequence Drag and Drop Editing Deleting Sequences and Clips Getting Folders Settings Have it Your Way User Profile Kinds of Settings Bin Settings Composer Settings Interface Keyboard Settings Changing Command Buttons Saving Your Screen Set up Track Color Suggested Assignments Command Palette Tabs Chapter 5 A Few Editing Tips When to Cut Continuity and Eye Trace Screen Direction Pacing xii EFi 57 5
28. sing Transcode to Make a SD Version 273 Downconverting HD Master Clips to SD 273 Relinking to Your HD Media 274 Downconverting an HD Sequence to SD 275 Squeezed 276 Switching from 16 9 to 4 3 Source Record Monitors 277 4 3 Letterbox Version 277 XIX Contents Pan and Scan Effect Crossconverting HDV to HD Have an HD Year Chapter 18 Script Integration Hollywood Style Editing An Example Using Two Monitors Naming Clips Getting the Script into the Avid Linking Clips to the Script Adding Takes Changing the Appearance of the Slate Adjusting Take Lines Moving Slates Deleting Takes and Slates Loading and Playing Takes The Tab Key Script Marks Placing Script Marks Manually The Fastest Way ScriptSync Playing Marked Takes Looking at Your Coverage Page and Scene Numbers Find Script Off Screen Dialog Only One Take Line Color Lines Identifying the Preferred Take Other Menu Items A Select Few Script for Gaffer s Delight Chapter 19 Finishing Online or Offline Checking Your Audio Outputting to Tape Connecting and Powering Up a Deck or Camera XX 217 279 280 281 281 282 282 283 283 284 285 287 287 288 288 288 289 289 289 291 293 294 294 295 295 296 296 297 297 297 298 301 301 301 302 303 Crash Recording to Tape Using the Digital Cut tool to Record Sequence Timecode Changing the Sequence Timecode Opening the Digital Cut tool HDV Sequence to HDV Tape Uprezing Your Offline Seq
29. st all media drives were external to the computer but today many computers have large internal drives that store media efficiently Whether you store your media on an internal or external Chapter 1 Getting Started drive make sure you have 160GB or more But even if your computer comes with 160GB or more of storage it s often a good idea to store your project and media on an external FireWire drive That way you can carry your media to another Avid if your computer goes down or is needed else where How large should your external storage device be Here size does matter You can store only about 4 hours of DVCPro high definition HD footage on a 160GB drive Many people start with 320GB and go up from there Figure 1 4 Media Composer on a MacBook Pro with an external FireWire media drive The Dongle The Avid comes with a special key on a chain called a dongle You attach it to the CPU by inserting it into one of the USB ports Without the dongle you can t launch your Avid software The dongle prevents software piracy and enables certain functions or extras you may have purchased Monitors It used to be that the Media Composer was designed to work with two computer monitors and the Xpress was designed for one Now it s your choice Some people switch back and forth When they are on the road they use a portable computer with its single monitor and when they are back home or at the office they hook up a second monito
30. uence Deleting Unreferenced Precomputes Preparing to Recapture Your Sequence The Recapturing Process Decompose Timecode Breaks Replacing Your Audio Tracks Recreating Title Media Output to DVD Using Sorensen Squeeze to Make a Progressive DVD or Blu Ray Disc Creating a Blu Ray Disc Done Chapter 20 Shooting on Film Cutting on Avid Why Film The Film to Tape Transfer The 2 3 Standard Pulldown Film Transfered to Video Runs at 23 976 Types of Timecode Work Order to Your Lab and Telecine Instructions to Lab Instructions to the Transfer Facility for an Unsupervised Transfer Avid Project Format Sound and the Avid Synching Rushes Synching Tips Finishing Back to Film Feature Film Workflow Next Stop Cannes Chapter 21 Present and Future Where Do You Go from Here Information on the Internet Contents 303 304 305 306 308 308 309 310 311 311 312 312 ola 313 315 316 316 317 317 318 318 319 319 320 321 321 322 322 323 326 327 327 328 329 329 330 xxi Contents Getting a Job as an Avid Editor Other Avid Products Avid s Future Appendix Menus File Menu Edit Menu Bin Menu Clip Menu Output Menu Special Menu Tools Menu Toolset Menu Windows Menu Script Menu Help Menu Tracking and Monitor Menus Tracking Menu Source and Record Monitor Menus Index DVD Instructions xxii 330 331 331 333 334 336 oe 340 343 344 345 347 348 348 348 348 349 350 351 37
31. uragement throughout my teaching career Jamie Companeschi Jose Ponce and Jim Baab all offered invaluable technical assistance and helped my students over difficulties whenever I wasn t there Jamie Jose and DP Bob Demers shot one of the scenes on the enclosed DVD ROM I also wish to thank Mary Jane Doherty Bob Arnold Geoff Poister Bill Lawson Alan Wong and Charles Merzbacher Thanks to Joanna Jefferson Mary Choi Brad Kimbrough and my siblings Margaret Louise and Bruce Kauffmann who were my first friends and teachers Special thanks to former students Kate Shanaphy and Tim Eberle who are Kate and Tim in Wanna Trade And thanks to actors Josh Wingate and Rachel Neuman who play Peter and Michele in Gafter s Delight This book could not have been written without Kate Cress who gave invaluable support and advice every step of the way xxvii This page intentionally left blank Chapter 1 Getting Started The Editor s Job What does an editor do Some say an editor s job is to simply take out the slow parts Others say it s to follow the wishes of the director and to string together the best takes Ask an editor what the job entails and he or she will say it s to breathe life into a film or video or to find and expose its heart and soul Ask that same editor at the end of a long and difficult project and you ll probably hear It s to make everyone else look good All are true and yet none comes
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