tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314494089691716462024-03-13T12:14:20.656-04:00DV Fanatics BlogA discussion of digital video techniques and technology in film and video production and post production.mBloggerDVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03493865071313304205noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1031449408969171646.post-63299231635159262592014-11-24T12:00:00.000-05:002014-11-24T12:00:06.049-05:00The Avid Media Composer Licensing Plan<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xrjrKcADqA/VHJhuL1zmkI/AAAAAAAABWI/accDYBCATAM/s1600/avid_perpetual_license.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Licensing the Avid Media Composer video editing system going forward." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xrjrKcADqA/VHJhuL1zmkI/AAAAAAAABWI/accDYBCATAM/s1600/avid_perpetual_license.jpg" height="240" title="Licensing the Avid Media Composer video editing system going forward." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Licensing the Avid Media Composer going forward.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For those of you in the US, happy Thanksgiving week. For everyone else, happy last week of November. December is the last month <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3GF3M53VXBABGK5E" target="_blank">Avid Media Composer</a> editors have to decide whether to continue with the Avid Media Composer as a subscription or as a perpetual license that can be upgraded annually.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>For anyone who has read my blog titled, <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/06/my-problem-with-adobe-creative-cloud.html">My Problem with Adobe Creative Cloud</a>, you know where I stand on Adobe's decision to go with a subscription-only model. I'm a consumer who likes to have a choice. Much like with a car, a house or video production gear, I want to be able to decide whether it's in my best interest to make the purchase or rent.<br />
<br />
I feel the same way when it comes to all video tools. I prefer the ability to choose whether I rent or own my software (although, you never actually own the software, you license it). That's what I like about the Avid software plan. Under the Avid plan you can either rent the software from month to month or purchase a perpetual license and <a href="http://www.avid.com/US/products/media-composer/specifications#licensing" target="_blank">upgrade it each year for a price of about $300</a>. If you decide you want the perpetual plan and then you don't upgrade the following year, you will have to start new and purchase the software outright at full cost (or rent it).<br />
<br />
Thank you Avid for giving us a choice. I only hope Adobe takes notice and decides to offer perpetual plans as well. I miss being able to a one-time purchase of tools like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS802X2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS802X2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=WHLWW2NUC6ETOKMH" target="_blank">Adobe After Effects</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS76BL0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS76BL0&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=UYGTBDKLOQAOSSCC" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS75YKE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS75YKE&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=Y36XN34RAFQQ5NPN" target="_blank">Premiere Pro</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xYpK2hsUM38/VEex2gDIBDI/AAAAAAAABVY/TxhAOb0qZe0/s1600/avid_tips_tricks_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tips and tricks to speed up your Avid video editing workflow." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xYpK2hsUM38/VEex2gDIBDI/AAAAAAAABVY/TxhAOb0qZe0/s320/avid_tips_tricks_12.jpg" title="Tips and tricks to speed up your Avid video editing workflow." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tips and tricks to speed up your Avid editing workflow.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is the twelfth edition of the <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/Avid%20Tips%20and%20Tricks">Avid Editing Tips and Tricks blog series</a>. This week we'll discuss some tips and tricks that I've been using for a while. Please bear with me if you have too.<br />
<br />
As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, you can reach me through the comments of this blog, through <a href="http://google.com/+JamesBurkevideo" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/mblaze" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> or Twitter, using the <a href="https://twitter.com/mBlazeVideo" target="_blank">@mBlazeVideo</a> handle.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Again, keep in mind that I work on an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3GF3M53VXBABGK5E" target="_blank">Avid Media Composer</a> on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746WPXI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00746WPXI&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=D4MX3ZPUWUNNQP3X" target="_blank">Mac</a>. If you are using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=microsoft%20windows&linkCode=ur2&qid=1405968183&rh=n%3A229655%2Ck%3Amicrosoft%20windows&rnid=2941120011&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=O7XDWIW7GAHC74MB" target="_blank">Windows</a>, the OPTION key on Mac is the same as the ALT key on Windows and COMMAND on the Mac works like the CTRL on Windows.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-n6aVWRcRs/UDZUoQ8irUI/AAAAAAAAAOo/2y7_LdLsApc/s1600/quick_transition.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The non-realtime effect, FluidMorph in the Quick Transitions tool." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-n6aVWRcRs/UDZUoQ8irUI/AAAAAAAAAOo/2y7_LdLsApc/s1600/quick_transition.png" height="148" title="The non-realtime effect, FluidMorph in the Quick Transitions tool." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FluidMorph in Quick Transitions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Speeding Up the Use of Non-Realtime Effects</b> - Back in the first <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2012/08/avid-editing-tips-and-tricks.html">Avid Editing Tips and Tricks</a> of the series, we discussed creating a "Quick Transitions" bin to enable you to have custom transitions show up when using the Quick Transitions tool.<br />
<br />
If you use the same non-realtime effects on a regular basis, like I do with FluidMorph, this trick will save you multiple steps. Put the effect you would like to use in the Quick Transitions bin. Now when you want to apply that effect, you can use the Quick Transition tool and click the "Add and Render"button. The effect will be applied and rendered in much less step than applying it from the Effect Tool or from a saved bin.<br />
</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hE_j1Tl8xlk/VEecHrUOypI/AAAAAAAABVI/S3Cash5DLvY/s1600/metadata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Add metadata to multiple clips in the bin." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hE_j1Tl8xlk/VEecHrUOypI/AAAAAAAABVI/S3Cash5DLvY/s1600/metadata.jpg" height="200" title="Add metadata to multiple clips in the bin." width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add metadata.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<li>
<b>Assign Metadata to Multiple Clips</b> - On a lot of occasions, I like to apply the same metadata to multiple clips. This isn't exactly a hidden feature, but I was unaware of it until it was shown to me by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BAVUG">BAVUG</a> colleague, Bill Kenney.
<br />
<br />
In the bin, select the clips you would like to add metadata, then RIGHT-CLICK in the selection under the column that you'd like to add the metadata. Choose "Set <column name> column for selected clips…" and enter the data in the set window that appears.
</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>
<b>Save All Bins</b> - My general workflow is to have all of the bins I regularly use open in tabs. If I'm doing work in the bins, like moving clips from one bin to the other or adding metadata, I like to have an easy way to save all bins without having to click on each tab and save.<br />
<br />
A quick way to save all open bins is to hit COMMAND-9 followed by COMMAND-S. Hitting COMMAND-9 activates the project window and if you save from the project, it will save all open (changed) bins. The same is true if the Composer window or the Timeline is selected.
</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>
<b>Minimize Number of Tracks in Timeline</b> - If you're importing stereo, import the audio as Multichannel Audio. That way it will only take up a single track when edited into the timeline. This makes audio mixing a lot easier, since any mixing you need to do can be done on single track.
</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4km0b2yg6g/VEfACktfhYI/AAAAAAAABVw/ZFor_dZV5rQ/s1600/avidfx_tab_open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Avid FX (Boris RED) Open Tab in New Window." border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b4km0b2yg6g/VEfACktfhYI/AAAAAAAABVw/ZFor_dZV5rQ/s200/avidfx_tab_open.jpg" height="114" title="Avid FX (Boris RED) Open Tab in New Window." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open Tab in New Window.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Separate Avid FX (Boris RED) Windows</b> - When I use Avid FX, I use it with 2 screens and like to have the video window on a screen by itself. I don't find Avid FX to be the most intuitive tool out there and it's not all that easy to find additional information about it online (even when searching on Boris RED).<br />
<br />
So here's a tip on how to undock windows and customize your workspace. RIGHT-CLICK on the tab and select "Open Tab in New Window". This will pull the current tab out from where it is docked and let you place it wherever you want.
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
I hope some of these tips and tricks have been useful. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions you may have for future <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/Avid%20Tips%20and%20Tricks">Avid Editing Tips and Tricks</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HqIP8gvNLOs/VEUVOvRX8GI/AAAAAAAABU4/L9vFPRHS-Tg/s1600/classic_scary_movies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Classic scary movies available on DVD or streaming." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HqIP8gvNLOs/VEUVOvRX8GI/AAAAAAAABU4/L9vFPRHS-Tg/s1600/classic_scary_movies.jpg" height="240" title="Classic scary movies available on DVD or streaming." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classic scary movies available on DVD or streaming.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since this is Halloween week, what better time to look at some of the truly classic scary movie made over the years. The selection we'll discuss this week are films that were made at least 20 years ago and still hold up well.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>All of these films are available for home viewing either via DVD or streaming. They're perfect for watching during the Halloween season while waiting for Trick-or-Treaters to ring the doorbell.<br />
<br />
This list of classic scary films is listed according to each film's IMDB ranking (highest to lowest).<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007STBUIW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007STBUIW&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=RUTBXB2JGGSFQIFC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Jaws" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B007STBUIW&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" title="Jaws" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007STBUIW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007STBUIW&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3AOEL3CADK3UJSU3" target="_blank"><b>Jaws</b></a> - Academy Award-winner Steven Spielberg directs one of the most influential and gripping adventures in film history about the hunt of a deadly great white shark. Filmed right here in Massachusetts, Jaws was an instant classic when it was released in the summer of 1975. This movie stars Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss as the men determined to destroy the killer shark.</li>
<br />
<li>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DYRNGQ6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DYRNGQ6&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=JRZFSL4GP5GLIDTG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00DYRNGQ6&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" /></a>
<a 1em="" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007STBUIW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007STBUIW&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3AOEL3CADK3UJSU3" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" target="_blank"><b>The Exorcist</b></a> - An innocent girl is possessed and a doubting priest becomes her last hope. Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn star in this two-time Academy Award® winner that shocked the world. This film featured the special effects make-up of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_(make-up_artist)" target="_blank">Dick Smith</a>, who died this year. The realistic effects of this film caused such a stir, that audiences of the time it was released, required EMTs on standby. </li>
<br />
<li>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000JMOF/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00000JMOF&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=HKXVSPWAXR5I7YRB" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00000JMOF&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" /></a>
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000JMOF/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00000JMOF&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=HKXVSPWAXR5I7YRB" target="_blank">Frankenstein</a></b> - Boris Karloff is the screen's most memorable creature in the story of Dr. Frankenstein, the scientist who tampers with life and death when he pieces together salvaged body parts to create a human monster. This film is a true classic from the golden age of Universal Studios monsters. To this day, the look of the monster created by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Pierce_(makeup_artist)" target="_blank">Jack Pierce</a> is a horror icon. His initial appearance builds on the suspense by having him back into the room. He slowly turns after entering the room to reveal his iconic face.</li>
<br />
<li>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0792846443/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0792846443&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=ETHMJDBJIAZX6TR7" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Misery" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0792846443&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" title="Misery" /></a>
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0792846443/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0792846443&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=ETHMJDBJIAZX6TR7" target="_blank">Misery</a></b> - Rob Reiner directs this adaption of a Stephen King novel. James Caan stars as a successful romantic novelist, Paul Sheldon, who just had his life saved by an obsessed fan, now lives to regret it. When Ann Wilkes (Kathy Bates) discovers that her favorite character, Misery Chastain, has been killed off in his latest novel, she'll do anything to make sure he brings her back to life. Now Paul Sheldon must write as if his life depended on it and it does.</li>
<br />
<li>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004TS0G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004TS0G&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=6LBUBITFRQQH2MGB" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Omen" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00004TS0G&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" title="The Omen" /></a>
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004TS0G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004TS0G&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=6LBUBITFRQQH2MGB" target="_blank">The Omen</a></b> - The first film in classic, four-part legacy of terror stars Gregory Peck as an ambassador who is talked into switching his wife's (Lee Remick) stillborn baby with an orphaned infant. When young Damien is Five, the horror begins with his nanny's dramatic suicide. As the death toll escalates, Damien's father, realizing his son is the antichrist, decides that he must kill the boy and rid the world of the evil.</li>
</ol>
Happy Halloween to all of you who celebrate. If there are any standouts that I missed, please add them to the comments below.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-opR3KB0gKMc/VCwAc_jXd2I/AAAAAAAABUk/czkJO5WHFWQ/s1600/editing_mouse_failure_sound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Editing sound using the Adobe production tools." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-opR3KB0gKMc/VCwAc_jXd2I/AAAAAAAABUk/czkJO5WHFWQ/s1600/editing_mouse_failure_sound.jpg" height="240" title="Editing sound using the Adobe production tools." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Editing sound using the Adobe production tools.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/10/real-workflows-mouse-failure-pt-2.html">Real Workflows: Mouse Failure (Pt 2)</a>, we discussed some of the editing and effects required to restore the video <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/p/mouse-failure.html">Mouse Failure</a>. This week we'll talk about building the sound for the video.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>As I mentioned in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/10/real-workflows-mouse-failure-pt-1.html">Real Workflows: Mouse Failure (Pt 1)</a>, one of the reasons for this restoration was to replace some of the copyrighted music that was originally part of the cut. I found music that fit the piece by searching through the tracks available at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music" target="_blank">YouTube Audio Library</a>.<br />
<br />
Almost all of the sound effects were part of the original source tapes. During the post production of the original piece, Jeff Jemison roamed the corridors and stairwells of Avid Technology searching for appropriate sounds. Jeff used everything from fire extinguishers to salt shakers to create <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=foley&linkCode=ur2&qid=1413749483&rh=n%3A283155%2Cn%3A8622819011%2Ck%3Afoley&rnid=1000&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=6F2MOI2KMDZ6ZQEY" target="_blank">Foley effects</a>. For my part, I chose the sounds that best fit the action of the video.<br />
<br />
Any additional sounds that were needed for the restoration, were recorded directly to disk using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PMNVWA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007PMNVWA&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=NQ5HQRTNNAGKPU25" target="_blank">Adobe Audition</a>. In addition to recording sound, I used Adobe Audition for sound design and for creating any sounds that needed looping.<br />
<br />
The most sound design for the piece was the elevator scene, where the hapless editor, ends a bad day in a malfunctioning lift. This scene included recordings of the actual mechanicals of the Avid elevator, Foley sounds of crashes, as well as a slide down the neck of an acoustic guitar and Jeff's own vocalizations. The line "mother" was Jeff doing his best impression of the cartoons we had grown up watching.<br />
<br />
The lock to picture and the final audio mixing was done right in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS75YKE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS75YKE&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=Y36XN34RAFQQ5NPN" target="_blank">Adobe Premiere Pro</a> timeline. Once the audio was complete, the video was sent to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS74YQO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS74YQO&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=PAVSGCY62GSFRL4W" target="_blank">Adobe Media Encoder</a> to output in various formats. The film was a lot of fun to create when it was originally produced and it was a lot of fun to restore.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8h9sid8BwaM/VCvvEflVQyI/AAAAAAAABT4/bUufGbZkJ_4/s1600/editing_mouse_failure_premiere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Editing the electrocution scene in Mouse Failure using Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8h9sid8BwaM/VCvvEflVQyI/AAAAAAAABT4/bUufGbZkJ_4/s1600/editing_mouse_failure_premiere.jpg" height="240" title="Editing the electrocution scene in Mouse Failure using Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Editing the electrocution scene in Mouse Failure.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Continuing the <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/Real%20Workflows">Real Workflows series</a>, this week we pick up where we left off in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/10/real-workflows-mouse-failure-pt-1.html">Real Workflows: Mouse Failure (Pt 1</a>). All of the original camera source clips have been laid out in an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS75YKE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS75YKE&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=Y36XN34RAFQQ5NPN" target="_blank">Adobe Premiere Pro</a> timeline, edits have been retimed based on music cues and based on the feel of the action.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The original cut of <a href="http://youtu.be/dM2VDjU8f0I" target="_blank">Mouse Failure</a> had all of the best takes selected. The restoration gave me the opportunity to adjust the timing of some of the edits to make it flow better. All of the new edits were made before any of the clips were sent to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS802X2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS802X2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=WHLWW2NUC6ETOKMH" target="_blank">Adobe After Effects</a>.<br />
<br />
After the timing of the cuts was complete, each clip in the sequence was converted to an Adobe After Effects Composition. I find that converting each cut to an After Effects comp makes it easier to adjust the clip. All clips are deinterlaced and resized a bit to get rid of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominal_analogue_blanking" target="_blank">video blanking</a> around the edges.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6czjwNQhGLo/VCv3HPWYirI/AAAAAAAABUI/8wakEvn1MQM/s1600/skeleton_effect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Animating the skeleton effect in Adobe After Effects." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6czjwNQhGLo/VCv3HPWYirI/AAAAAAAABUI/8wakEvn1MQM/s1600/skeleton_effect.jpg" height="131" title="Animating the skeleton effect in Adobe After Effects." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The skeleton effect in After Effects.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Adobe After Effects also came in very handy for some of the visual effects sections. One section happens when the hapless editor in the video touches some bare electrical wire. The result is an electrocution scene that required Time-Remapping, smoke generation and some X-ray type effects. The smoke was created by following a great online tutorial - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf3z60OSc7I&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Creating and Tracking Smoke in Adobe After Effects CS6</a>, and the skeleton was created using Shape Layers and the Puppet Tool.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS76BL0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS76BL0&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=UYGTBDKLOQAOSSCC" target="_blank">Adobe Photoshop</a> was also used extensively in the restoration of <a href="http://youtu.be/dM2VDjU8f0I" target="_blank">Mouse Failure</a>. A lot of the error screens you seen in the video had to be rebuilt and they were rebuilt using Photoshop. For the scene where the slow-motion spinning pencil drops in front of the editor's face, we had originally shot the pencil spinning against blue screen, but I wasn't happy with the key I was getting. Instead, I found the cleanest frame of the pencil, brought it into Photoshop and masked out the background. The lighting on the pencil might not be perfect, but it looks a lot better than what could have been achieved with the source video.<br />
<br />
Next week in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/10/real-workflows-mouse-failure-pt-3.html">Real Workflows: Mouse Failure (Pt 3)</a>, we'll look at how the sound for the piece was built.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sno8yfV8GlM/VCv-yAh_ZEI/AAAAAAAABUY/6yFcOxrk6aU/s1600/mouse_failure_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Using Adobe video tools to restore Mouse Failure." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sno8yfV8GlM/VCv-yAh_ZEI/AAAAAAAABUY/6yFcOxrk6aU/s1600/mouse_failure_cover.jpg" height="240" title="Using Adobe video tools to restore Mouse Failure." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using Adobe video tools to restore Mouse Failure.</td></tr>
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This week we continue the <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/Real%20Workflows">Real Workflows</a> series with another personal project I worked on. <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/p/mouse-failure.html">Mouse Failure</a> was another restoration project, but unlike <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/06/real-workflows-flesh-meet-band-pt-1.html">Real Workflows - Flesh: Meet the Band</a>, this project was restored as SD (480p). No up-rezzing was necessary.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Mouse Failure was a video project that was originally produced for a video contest I entered while I was a employee at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3GF3M53VXBABGK5E" target="_blank">Avid Technology</a>. It's a comedy short about a hapless editor trying to finish his entry for the Avid Video Contest.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/p/mouse-failure.html">Mouse Failure</a> was produced with Jeff Jemison, a collaborator I had worked with since elementary school days. The video was written, shot and edited over the Thanksgiving weekend in 1994. The entire video was written around a sight gag Jeff came up with while we were tossing out ideas.<br />
<br />
Mouse Failure was restored because the only copy I had of the finished piece was a dupe of a VHS tape. Some of the detail was gone and the video levels were horrible. Also, the original cut used copyrighted material and I wanted to make sure I had the right to show it anywhere. Luckily I still had all of the original source.
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jXvGIawTxK0/VCvlTH_Xe-I/AAAAAAAABTo/U_YYGxPEhHc/s1600/editing_mouse_failure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Editing the Mouse Failure using Adobe Premiere Pro in 480p SD. " border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jXvGIawTxK0/VCvlTH_Xe-I/AAAAAAAABTo/U_YYGxPEhHc/s1600/editing_mouse_failure.jpg" height="150" title="Editing the Mouse Failure using Adobe Premiere Pro in 480p SD. " width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Editing the Mouse Failure in 480p. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For this restoration project, I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS75YKE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS75YKE&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=Y36XN34RAFQQ5NPN" target="_blank">Adobe Premiere Pro</a>. I used Premiere Pro for its Dynamic Link to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS802X2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS802X2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=WHLWW2NUC6ETOKMH" target="_blank">Adobe After Effects</a> and because Premiere Pro was more forgiving when capturing a digital stream from my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001Y7PNK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0001Y7PNK&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=2NCBEWVJEOMC7FUB" target="_blank">Sony DVMC-DA2 Media Converter</a>.<br />
<br />
As I did in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/06/real-workflows-flesh-meet-band-pt-1.html">Real Workflows - Flesh: Meet the Band</a>, I began the process by laying down the original cut in the timeline. I used this to match frame each cut of the sequence. At this point I could tweak the edits and adjust the timing of the piece. Once all of the cuts from the original source were laid in, I would convert each cut to an After Effects comp, so I could deinterlace and add effects as needed.<br />
<br />
Next week in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/10/real-workflows-mouse-failure-pt-2.html">Real Workflows: Mouse Failure (Pt 2)</a>, we'll discuss some of the decisions that were made for each segment once the overall sequences of clips was laid out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J2-0XDNxtBg/VCVyZnCO9gI/AAAAAAAABTY/kV5v6_gdiXM/s1600/encoding_software.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Finding encoding software for your video post production workflow." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J2-0XDNxtBg/VCVyZnCO9gI/AAAAAAAABTY/kV5v6_gdiXM/s1600/encoding_software.jpg" height="240" title="Finding encoding software for your video post production workflow." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Encoding software for your post production workflow.</td></tr>
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These days, you can't be a video editor without at least being familiar with some of the options for encoding video. I'm not talking about <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/01/getting-perfect-video-encode.html">Getting the Perfect Video Encode</a>, but finding the fastest and best quality solution for your post production workflow.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I recently finished a project that included cutting a series of four videos for a client. This meant that all four videos had to be encoded and uploaded each and every review cycle. The videos ran in length from 15 to 25 minutes, so the most time-consuming part of the workflow was the preparation for the review cycle.<br />
<br />
The videos were edited using the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3GF3M53VXBABGK5E" target="_blank">Avid Media Composer</a> and because of some initial problems with my go-to encoding software - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Sorenson%20Media%20Digital%20Software&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=77QTGVUGQMVBDJMR" target="_blank">Sorenson Squeeze</a>, I ended up using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS74YQO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS74YQO&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=HZ7DPTDW7Z7YXSF4" target="_blank">Adobe Media Encoder</a>. Unfortunately, Adobe Media Encoder does <b>NOT</b> accept QuickTime reference movies. This might have something to do with Adobe Dynamic Link, I'm not sure. Anyhow, instead of exporting the incredibly quick QuickTime reference movies, I had to add about 10 minutes to my workflow for each video as I exported "<i>Same as Source</i>" QuickTime.<br />
<br />
Rendered videos always export faster, so before I exported my four videos, I used the batch render trick that I discussed in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/01/top-ten-avid-editing-tips-and-tricks.html">Top Ten Avid Editing Tips and Tricks - 2013</a>. The longest video of the bunch took about 45 minutes to encode in Adobe Media Encoder, and after reading a <a href="http://noamkroll.com/there-is-massive-quality-difference-between-fcp-x-premiere-pro-guess-which-one-is-far-better-at-compression/" target="_blank">blog by Noam Kroll</a>, I decided It would be best to find a tool that was both quicker and better quality than Adobe Media Encoder.<br />
<br />
Initially I had planned to update my Sorenson Squeeze 8.5 with Squeeze 9, but i ended up giving the trial version a spin first. While I was trying out Squeeze 9, I ended up comparing all of the encoding software I use most frequently in a very un-scientific benchmark test.<br />
<br />
These tests were done using the 25 minute 1080/24p DNxHD video from my recently completed project. All the encodes were done in 1-pass VBR at H.264, 1080/24p 10Mbps with AAC audio at 192Kbps. The machine used was a 2.5 GHz i7 MacBook Pro.<br />
<br />
Here are my time results:<br />
<center>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="20">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>ENCODER</th>
<th>TIME (MINUTES)</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sorenson Squeeze 8.5</td>
<td>0:32</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Apple Compressor 3.5</td>
<td>0:42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sorenson Squeeze 9</td>
<td>0:43</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Adobe Media Encoder CS6</td>
<td>0:44</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<br />
I was surprised at how much faster Sorenson Squeeze 8.5 was compared to Squeeze 9. I'm glad I downloaded the trial version before buying. As a footnote, the encoder built into Apple Final Cut Pro X had impressive results. Unfortunately, in my workspace, it's on a different machine which makes it more difficult when using local storage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LcLnYVJq8eI/VBxmtbo4yBI/AAAAAAAABS8/zbBJgt72yH4/s1600/bin_list_project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="An organized video project requires consistent naming." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LcLnYVJq8eI/VBxmtbo4yBI/AAAAAAAABS8/zbBJgt72yH4/s1600/bin_list_project.jpg" height="240" title="An organized video project requires consistent naming." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An organized video project requires consistent naming.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you've read my blogs in the past, you've gotten the idea that I'm a video editor. I write a lot of blogs about <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/11/how-to-become-video-editor.html">How to Become a Video Editor</a>, but there's one trait that rises to the top if you want to be a good editor, especially in a collaborative environment. That trait is having good organizational skills.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>As I mentioned in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2012/06/maintaining-raw-video-source-while.html">Maintaining Raw Video Source While Editing</a>, the best way to guarantee an efficient edit is to establish an organized workflow from the start.<br />
<br />
There are a handful of simple steps that will enable you to maintain an organized <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&bbn=290542&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1408456356&rh=n%3A229534%2Cn%3A!491286%2Cn%3A290542%2Cn%3A567572&rnid=290542&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=B5JUP2C7YXQC6TAM" target="_blank">video editing</a> workflow. This week we'll discuss what I believe to be the best and simplest ways to organize an edit.<br />
<ul>
<li>
<b>Name Your Bins</b> - Although this sounds obvious, there too many editors who stick to the default bin names when editing a video. It's always a telltale sign of an unorganized editor when the bins are called "<i>Project Name Bin</i>", "<i>Project Name Bin 1</i>", "<i>Project Name Bin 2</i>", etc. Naming your bins is an easy first step in maintaining an efficient workflow. It's also a good idea to develop a consistent naming convention for bins across every project. I mentioned this strategy in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/12/avid-editing-tips-and-tricks-part-viii.html">Avid Editing Tips and Tricks - Part VIII</a>, but it's worth repeating. When I build a project, I begin my bin names with a number to keep the bins ordered a particular way in my Project window. In every project I create, my sequences are ALWAYS in a bin called "<i>00-sequences</i>". This places the sequence bin at the top of the project window.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>Organize Media Types by Bin</b> - This idea goes hand in hand with naming bins. What good is naming your bin, if it doesn't help you going forward. Every bin in my project holds similar media types in the same place. As I mentioned above, all of my sequences go in a bin called "<i>00-sequences</i>", and only sequences go in this bin. I have separate bins for camera originals, graphics, titles, sound, music and so on. When naming bins, I alway increase the number by 10 for each different media type. For instance, camera source would go into a bin called "<i>10-source</i>" and audio would go into a bin called "<i>20-audio</i>". This allows me to add other bins into the order of the Project window like "<i>11-source-card1</i>", "<i>12-source-card2</i>", etc.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Erdv_E54iqg/VBxqQl2X_AI/AAAAAAAABTI/ttxdlvGONjg/s1600/backup_sequence_bin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A backup bin containing multiple revisions of a sequence." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Erdv_E54iqg/VBxqQl2X_AI/AAAAAAAABTI/ttxdlvGONjg/s1600/backup_sequence_bin.jpg" height="200" title="A backup bin containing multiple revisions of a sequence." width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backup bin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Name Your Sequences</b> - I know it's another obvious one, but you'd be surprised by how many video editors work on sequences called "<i>Untitled Sequence.01</i>". Generally, you want to name your sequences a name that makes sense to your client. Usually the sequence gets output for the client to review, if you name the sequence what the client expects for a filename on the approval copies, you'll save yourself the step of renaming each movie for review. The name should also include the current revision of the sequence - "<i>corporate_video_r01</i>".<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>Backup Old Revisions of Your Sequences</b> - Backing up old revisions of a sequence is a great idea. Never depend on the auto-save function as a way to get back to previous versions of the sequence. I have a bin in every project that holds nothing but backup sequences. I generally start every edit session by backing up the current sequence to the backup bin. That way if there's ever a problem, I can back to where I started earlier in the day. You never know when the client may come back and say, "I've changed my mind, can you put it back to the way it was two days ago?"<br />
</li>
</ul>
All facilities are different and each has their own strategy for keeping everything organized. Having an organization strategy of your own, even if it's different than the facility where you're currently editing will allow you to more easily adapt to their way of doing things. Organizing an edit should never be an afterthought, it should be the core strategy of every video editing workflow.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ub8kPdOxfSQ/VBbul0-JrwI/AAAAAAAABSs/wgz6tsqr6z8/s1600/career_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Charting a direction in the digital video profession." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ub8kPdOxfSQ/VBbul0-JrwI/AAAAAAAABSs/wgz6tsqr6z8/s1600/career_map.jpg" height="240" title="Charting a direction in the digital video profession." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charting a path in the video profession.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In most professions, one of the most daunting stages is just getting started. Moving forward into unfamiliar territory feels like stepping off solid ground into the abyss. It always helps to have some sort of direction to give at least some feeling of familiarity.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Over the years we have discussed strategies for getting started as a video professional in your local market. Today we'll look back at the top five <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/jobs%20in%20video">DV Fanatics blogs</a> that provide advice for a career in digital video.<br />
<br />
The lis of past blogs has been placed in a somewhat chronological order.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/11/how-to-become-video-editor.html"><b>How to Become a Video Editor</b></a> - This is a discussion of the importance of learning the grammar of film and video first. In another words, how best to tell your story. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&bbn=290542&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1408456356&rh=n%3A229534%2Cn%3A!491286%2Cn%3A290542%2Cn%3A567572&rnid=290542&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=B5JUP2C7YXQC6TAM" target="_blank">video tool</a> you learn on is not as important as learning the craft itself.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/02/creative-professionals-learn-by-doing.html"><b>Creative Professionals: Learn By Doing</b></a> - There are some people who need to read a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=video%20editing&linkCode=ur2&qid=1410781916&rh=n%3A283155%2Cn%3A4502%2Ck%3Avideo%20editing&rnid=1000&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=GID2OT7OZIBQEPHB" target="_blank">book or manual</a> before they can tackle a new tool and then there are those who need to learn by complete immersion. I happen to be the type of person who needs to learn by doing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/03/is-being-just-video-editor-enough.html"><b>Is Being Just a Video Editor Enough?</b></a> - These days a successful video editor must know all of the support tools to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&bbn=290542&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1408456356&rh=n%3A229534%2Cn%3A!491286%2Cn%3A290542%2Cn%3A567572&rnid=290542&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=B5JUP2C7YXQC6TAM" target="_blank">video editing system</a> and must be able to jump from one system to the next without hesitation.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2012/05/freelance-video-editing-determining.html"><b>Freelance Video Editing: Determining Your Rate</b></a> - Keep in mind that it's important both to you and the existing market, not to price yourself too far below the market range. Doing so sets an expectation that lowers the value of the editing craft.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/04/video-services-provided-for-free.html"><b>Video Services Provided for Free</b></a> - When performing the duties of a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=video%20editing&linkCode=ur2&qid=1410782110&rh=n%3A283155%2Cn%3A86%2Cn%3A4484%2Cn%3A4501%2Cn%3A4505%2Ck%3Avideo%20editing&rnid=1000&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=XAMFJUDX5HJBEKND" target="_blank">video professional</a>, you should never do a project if you feel that you are getting absolutely nothing out of it. For instance, when doing charity work, you are getting something out of it - there is a feeling of using your skills to help the greater good.<br />
<br />
Before starting any journey, it's always a good idea to have a map. When starting a new profession, any information you can get your hands on can become that map. I hope <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/">DV Fanatics</a> can help you build a map for the journey you are about to begin.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fUu1zMO3ngA/VAxQ1LBdTnI/AAAAAAAABSU/XNMtEvR12zs/s1600/convert_smart_object.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Preserving pixels in Adobe Photoshop is as easy as converting a layer to a Smart Object." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fUu1zMO3ngA/VAxQ1LBdTnI/AAAAAAAABSU/XNMtEvR12zs/s1600/convert_smart_object.jpg" height="240" title="Preserving pixels in Adobe Photoshop is as easy as converting a layer to a Smart Object." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preserving pixels is as easy as converting to a Smart Object.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS76BL0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS76BL0&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=UYGTBDKLOQAOSSCC" target="_blank">Adobe Photoshop</a> is one of those tools that has reached such a universal level that people use the tool name to describe the work. When someone comments on an image that was altered, most times they will say '<i>that image was photoshopped</i>'.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I've been using Adobe Photoshop for a while and it seems that Adobe is continually adding features that enable a designer to create while maintaining the original pixels of a layer. In the past, if you wanted to reduce a layer, doing so would generate a new image at the reduced size. If you wanted to enlarge the layer back to its original size, it meant you were now enlarging the pixels of the smaller layer.<br />
<br />
With conservation of the original pixels in mind, this week we'll discuss strategies for preserving pixels. Keep in mind, that if you're trying to minimize your file size, this has the opposite effect. It's a trade-off, either you maintain all of your pixels or you keep your file size down.<br />
<br />
Here are a couple of strategies I regularly use in my image editing workflow:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sbd4DeB5I5M/VAxSnppJ8tI/AAAAAAAABSc/cMe9KLA6wDE/s1600/photoshop_layers.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photoshop layers including a Smart Object." border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sbd4DeB5I5M/VAxSnppJ8tI/AAAAAAAABSc/cMe9KLA6wDE/s1600/photoshop_layers.png" height="200" title="Photoshop layers including a Smart Object." width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photoshop layers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Smart Objects</b><br />
As I mentioned in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2012/11/photoshop-panoramas-revisited.html">Photoshop Panoramas Revisited</a>, whenever I can, I will convert a layer to a <b>Smart Object</b>. For those of you more familiar with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS802X2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CS802X2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=WHLWW2NUC6ETOKMH" target="_blank">Adobe After Effects</a>, converting a layer to a <b>Smart Object</b> is a lot like using <b>Pre-compose</b> on a layer in an After Effects composition. Once a layer is converted to a <b>Smart Object</b>, it can be scaled and rotated without actually affecting its original pixel layout.<br />
<br />
The <b>Smart Object</b> can be cloned and used in multiple areas of the design. If you decide later that object needs to be changed throughout, you edit it once and all instances reflect those changes. Again, just like <b>Pre-comps</b> in After Effects.<br />
<br />
Another cool thing about <b>Smart Objects</b> is when you perform a <b>Free Transform</b> on them, the numeric data for the transform is the offset from the original. Meaning if you scale your <b>Smart Object</b> down 50%, apply that transformation and then do another <b>Free Transform</b>, its numbers will show that it is 50% of its original size. This is not the case with a pixel-based layer.<br />
<br />
<b>Place Layers</b><br />
Whenever I need to bring a logo or another image into a design, I always use the <b>Place</b> command. This preserves the size (and therefore all of the pixels) of the original object, by bringing it in as a <b>Smart Object</b>. In Creative Cloud versions you have the choice to link-to or embed, both options have their advantages. If collaborating, I will generally embed. This ensures that everything needed is contained within a single file.<br />
<br />
<b>Crop Tool</b><br />
Using the <b>Crop Tool</b> that became available in CS5 or CS6 gives you the option to Delete Cropped Pixels. Unless I am cropping to reduce the size of my file, I always keep this unchecked. Keeping it unchecked means I can go back later and crop back out - adding in pixels that were previously out of frame.<br />
<br />
<b>Mask</b><br />
Instead of cutting and removing pieces of a layer, I will generally use a <b>Mask</b> to select the area I want. Using a <b>Mask</b> gives me the flexibility to add back in portions of the original layer at a later time.<br />
<br />
Although it's a trade-off with file size, maintaining all of my original pixels allows me much more flexibility and ease in the creative process. In addition, it makes collaboration smoother because the file contains all that is needed to make changes.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FM2dh_N7qGE/VARklGXk-FI/AAAAAAAABR8/CDBfwOrhNR0/s1600/avid_fx_render.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rendering long clips in Avid FX (Boris RED) can eat up your time." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FM2dh_N7qGE/VARklGXk-FI/AAAAAAAABR8/CDBfwOrhNR0/s1600/avid_fx_render.png" height="240" title="Rendering long clips in Avid FX (Boris RED) can eat up your time." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rendering long clips in Avid FX can eat up your time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was recently editing a project for a corporate client. This particular client thought they could save some money by using internal people to shoot the video. This is usually not the best approach. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The shots were composed fine (which isn't always the case with internal shooters), but the eye for detail just wasn't there. Although the lighting was okay, the subject had an intense shine on his forehead.<br />
<br />
It never occurred to the shooter to either move the lights, or dull the shine with powder. I'm wondering if their camera even had a zebra stripes warning. I can wonder a lot of things but I was stuck with this source.<br />
<br />
I'm using a base <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3GF3M53VXBABGK5E" target="_blank">Avid Media Composer</a> with no Symphony option, and cutting on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PWS8D2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PWS8D2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe Premiere Pro</a> for Dynamic Link wasn't an option. Therefore I had a couple of choices, I could export out the source, repair it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PMNSL4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PMNSL4&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe After Effects</a>, import it back in and recut the base sequence. Did I mention the editing was started internally as well? So if I used the After Effects approach, I would have had to match the new import back to all of the edits in the sequence. Instead I chose to maintain my existing edits and source and use Avid FX (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EE4B32/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002EE4B32&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Boris RED</a>) to do the correction internally.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6oiGbJge0bs/VARlQGRHUzI/AAAAAAAABSE/pWcSQm0N4bY/s1600/boris_red-timeline.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Avid FX interface for removing the shine on my subject." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6oiGbJge0bs/VARlQGRHUzI/AAAAAAAABSE/pWcSQm0N4bY/s1600/boris_red-timeline.png" height="200" title="The Avid FX interface for removing the shine on my subject." width="118" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Avid FX interface.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Within Avid FX, I used a couple of instances of BCC Linear Color Key to isolate the reflection and replace it with a different highlight color. As I mentioned in "<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/06/avid-fx-boris-red-in-avid-media-composer.html">Avid FX (Boris RED) in Avid Media Composer</a>", I love having the toolset that is available in Avid FX. But not so fast. The problem comes in the rendering. Avid FX renders EXTREMELY slow. It took upwards of 30x realtime to render.<br />
<br />
This is all well and good if the clips are a few seconds long, but when all of the base footage of a 20 minute plus sequence has to be corrected, get ready to burn through more than a whole day. I am actually still rendering as I type. In hindsight, my workflow would have been quicker by round-tripping through After Effects, but I really like maintaining my connection to the original source.<br />
<br />
For my next project (shot internally), I will consider stepping away from my favorite editing system (the Avid Media Composer) and using Premiere Pro, so that I can take advantage of the speed that After Effects offers and still keep my connection to the original source intact. Using After Effects is about 2x realtime for this correction, and this is using the same BCC Linear Color Key that I was using in Avid FX.<br />
<br />
Although I never did a test to see how long a render would take directly out of the Avid FX interface, it seems that the speed issue has more to do with AVX than with Boris RED, which is too bad because the toolset offered in Avid FX would be great if it could be used on long sequences.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3vNsUm0tO8Y/U_n8OejvSaI/AAAAAAAABRs/Z3q8Sh-WHbI/s1600/file-based-editing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The tapeless video editing workflow." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3vNsUm0tO8Y/U_n8OejvSaI/AAAAAAAABRs/Z3q8Sh-WHbI/s1600/file-based-editing.jpg" height="240" title="The tapeless video editing workflow." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tapeless video editing workflow.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Although most of the other <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&bbn=290542&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1408456356&rh=n%3A229534%2Cn%3A!491286%2Cn%3A290542%2Cn%3A567572&rnid=290542&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=B5JUP2C7YXQC6TAM" target="_blank">video editing systems</a> out there have always used linked media for editing, AMA (Avid Media Access) is a relatively new technology. And now that it has been in use for a while, I'm of the opinion that AMA in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3GF3M53VXBABGK5E" target="_blank">Avid Media Composer</a> was worth the wait.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>As you may recall from <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/06/ama-in-avid-editing-system.html">AMA in the Avid Editing System</a>, my workflow is normally to transcode into a native DNxHD format before I begin the core of my editing. Being able to transcode in the background makes the workflow even smoother. Whether the clips are imported media or AMA, I love how versatile Avid is when dealing with its media management. During an edit, I can easily jump back and forth from linking to AMA clips to linking to DNxHD media.<br />
<br />
I tend to bring any camera original source using AMA, but any <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&bbn=491286&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1408456431&rh=n%3A229534%2Cn%3A!491286%2Cn%3A229614&rnid=491286&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=353DA3HYYLI5CNIP" target="_blank">graphics</a> that I need to import, I tend to import directly as DNxHD. For still files, the media import doesn't take much longer than the AMA link and the Batch Import feature makes incorporating graphic changes almost as easy as linking. There is one thing I would caution against, I would never AMA link to files with alpha. Avid still has some work to do on how it treats alpha, so its media management of alpha clips is still lacking.<br />
<br />
Using AMA is a great improvement to my Avid editing workflow and I look forward to a day when clips with alpha are no longer a problem (media management-wise) than they are today.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6xQfxAuKOhA/U-tnlPpJ99I/AAAAAAAABRQ/yMPk-v918Ys/s1600/camcutter_rig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Avid Technology CamCutter disk-based field system." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6xQfxAuKOhA/U-tnlPpJ99I/AAAAAAAABRQ/yMPk-v918Ys/s1600/camcutter_rig.jpg" height="240" title="The Avid Technology CamCutter disk-based field system." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Avid Technology CamCutter disk-based field system.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There once was a time when shooting video in the field meant loading yourself down with very heavy gear. Early portables were usually two components - the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Video-Camera-Photo/b/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=239390011&pf_rd_i=502394&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1869000242&pf_rd_r=1EAYTWSVHBFHJYWDF6FV&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-leftnav&pf_rd_t=101&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=2KANWO55GFFQ4S5R" target="_blank">camera</a> and the videotape recorder. Adding batteries to this kit for power, made recording in the field an event that either built strong backs or ruined them.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>These days a much superior image can be achieved on a device that you can fit into your pocket. Almost everyone has access to a mobile device such as an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&bbn=2335753011&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1407936691&rh=n%3A2335752011%2Cp_4%3AApple%2Cn%3A!2335753011%2Cn%3A7072561011&rnid=2335753011&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=ZQUKBLQJV3CAMPIJ" target="_blank">iPhone</a>, which is essentially a file-based video camera. <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/08/shooting-video-with-your-mobile-device.html">Shooting Video With Your Mobile Device</a> can introduce a whole new set of challenges.<br />
<br />
We've a come a long way, but it took a lot of different developments to get here. Back in the 90's when I was at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=KW3T24VOU5IYZ4KS" target="_blank">Avid Technology</a>, the company that pioneered nonlinear editing decided it was time to pursue file-based acquisition. This lead to the development of the world's first camera that recorded directly to hard drive.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CamCutter" target="_blank">CamCutter</a> was a joint venture between Avid and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikegami_Tsushinki" target="_blank">Ikegami</a> and was one of the first tapeless camcorders ever shown. Avid engineers had to develop a drive enclosure that could not only withstand the abuse from being in the field, but they had to develop a technique to eliminate the forces produced by the spinning drive. The solution was to place one disc on top of the other, spinning in the opposite direction. Doing this allowed the camera to move normally.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TBNLZS_VD0Q/U-trrKi7TEI/AAAAAAAABRc/aAAenykojBw/s1600/camcutter_drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Avid FieldPak portable hard disk drive.." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TBNLZS_VD0Q/U-trrKi7TEI/AAAAAAAABRc/aAAenykojBw/s1600/camcutter_drive.jpg" height="150" title="The Avid FieldPak portable hard disk drive.." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Avid FieldPak.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When the camera was unveiled at the 1995 NAB show, there was still a lot of skepticism that a drive could be hardy enough for the field. This skepticism was all but eliminated when as part of the demonstration, the camera operator would throw a drive with new footage to the presenter and the presenter would drop it every time.<br />
<br />
The cost of media for the CamCutter made it a tough investment to justify compared to the cost of tape, but still there were early adopters who jumped at the chance to have a tapeless video workflow. Avid mo longer develops a camera, but the CamCutter has become Ikegami's <a href="http://www.ikegami.de/products/broadcast/hdtv_camera/hdnx10.html" target="_blank">EditCam</a> which is still in production.<br />
<br />
Avid and Ikegami weren't the only companies to develop file-based cameras, but the CamCutter did pave the way for the tapeless systems we have today.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xsY6C8ho0SU/U-Ot56PWFWI/AAAAAAAABQ8/4Mo55O-qFmk/s1600/superhero_dvd_streaming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Films about superheroes available for home theaters." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xsY6C8ho0SU/U-Ot56PWFWI/AAAAAAAABQ8/4Mo55O-qFmk/s1600/superhero_dvd_streaming.jpg" height="240" title="Films about superheroes available for home theaters." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Films about superheroes available for home theaters.</td></tr>
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Continuing our series on great <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/movies">movies that are available on DVD and streaming</a>. Since the <a href="http://www.bostoncomiccon.com/" target="_blank">Boston Comic Con</a> was this past weekend, what better time to look at some of the superhero movies that are available.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The pickings in the the theaters this summer have been slim, so let's take a look at what's available for home viewing.<br />
<br />
These are some of my favorites from the superhero genre. All of these films were produced in the last 15 years and are listed according to their <a href="http://www.imdb.com/" target="_blank">IMDB</a> ranking (highest to lowest).<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009JBZH54/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009JBZH54&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=KMK5ZVUMRKCUWCSY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Dark Knight Trilogy" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B009JBZH54&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" title="The Dark Knight Trilogy" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009JBZH54/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009JBZH54&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3C2IBFV3MG4BMMKS" target="_blank"><b>The Dark Knight Trilogy</b></a> - Batman has seen a number of incarnations over the years and the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0634240/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Christopher Nolan</a> trilogy has been my favorite. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000288/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Christian Bale</a> is an amazing actor, and does a great job as Batman/Bruce Wayne. This is one of those rare series where the first film was great, only to be surpassed by its followups. Of the three films, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GZ6QEC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001GZ6QEC&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=RNE66HOX2N442JEQ" target="_blank">The Dark Knight</a> stands out as the best of the three. In addition to a great story, Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker was amazing.</li>
<br />
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00319ECGK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00319ECGK&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3FOKSUEGQ53V753M" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Matrix" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00319ECGK&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" title="The Matrix" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00319ECGK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00319ECGK&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=YG4BGOHX6LI6CIEP" target="_blank"><b>The Matrix</b></a> - Although The Matrix was technically part of a trilogy, the first film is the only one worth watching. When I mean is that the first installment of the series is completely different from what follows. The followup films play like a two-parter (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IO9G4EK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IO9G4EK&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=P5YSQY3AN6KVXPCS" target="_blank">The Matrix Reloaded</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041KW49K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0041KW49K&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=NOSC3D37Y4DCPOIZ" target="_blank">The Matrix Revolutions</a>). These films don't feel as connected to the first as they do each other. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000206/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Keanu Reeves</a> plays a computer technician/hacker who learns his life isn't really what he thought it was. That in fact, what he thought was his life was just a virtual reality fantasy. The film is a philosophical look at fate versus free will, cloaked in a science fiction, action genre.</li>
<br />
<li>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E5I2M8Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00E5I2M8Q&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=EYNMFDUQXHQ4SEDT" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Iron Man" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00E5I2M8Q&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" title="Iron Man" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E5I2M8Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00E5I2M8Q&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=BVXWWPEKH7JETYLE" target="_blank"><b>Iron Man</b></a> - This is the first film of the Iron Man series featuring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000375/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Robert Downey Jr.</a> in the title role. Downey does a great job bringing just the right touch of humor into the role of Tony Stark. After being captured in the Middle East and being forced to build a weapon of mass destruction, Tony uses the components and tools he has available to build a prototype of what will soon become Iron Man. This entry into the series is so far the best of the bunch. </li>
<br />
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FB55H6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FB55H6&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=MGXIIBBOAELIJNJK" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Watchmen" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B001FB55H6&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" title="Watchmen" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FB55H6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FB55H6&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=FYGFRCOVDCYJ4GOM" target="_blank"><b>Watchmen</b></a> - This film takes place in an alternate reality of the mid-1980's when all of the worlds superheroes have been forced to retire. After one of the heroes has been murdered, Rorschach (a superhero with a lot of anger issues and a very cool mask) begins an investigation. This film is directed by Zack Snyder, the same director who brought us <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008JFUPK8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008JFUPK8&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=VFFDIQNNMOYXFE3U" target="_blank">Man of Steel</a>. In my opinion, Snyder did a much better job bringing Watchmen to life. We'll see how he does with his Man of Steel follow-up, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2975590/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</a>. </li>
<br />
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PPGAJY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001PPGAJY&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=MHUF43QDMSZ6LLP4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="X2: X-Men United" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B001PPGAJY&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dvfabl-20" title="X2: X-Men United" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PPGAJY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001PPGAJY&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=Z63SLD7NM37MQJBI" target="_blank"><b>X2: X-Men United</b></a> - This was a great follow-up to the original <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PPGAJE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001PPGAJE&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=YX4AXNCCM532SE7L" target="_blank">X-Men</a> movie. This film picks up where the original left off and features a military scientist, Col William Stryker, who is bent on wiping the mutants from the face of the earth. Director Bryan Singer is again at the helm for this film. In my opinion, this sequel surpasses the original.</li>
</ol>
This is my list of my top 5 favorite superhero movies. There seems to be a lot of activity for future superhero movies currently in production or pre-production. That may require we update this list some time in the future.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7EgqKvTfMnA/U9-S5HSj_6I/AAAAAAAABQs/J95ryZ53WX8/s1600/shooting_mobile_video.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Properly using your mobile device for video." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7EgqKvTfMnA/U9-S5HSj_6I/AAAAAAAABQs/J95ryZ53WX8/s1600/shooting_mobile_video.jpg" height="240" title="Properly using your mobile device for video." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Properly using your mobile device for video.</td></tr>
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Now that pretty much everybody has a video camera, in the form of a mobile device, more and more video from these devices is being viewed. You see video from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/cell-phones-service-plans-accessories/b/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=2335752011&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=3SIBIHEVEOM7FCO2" target="_blank">mobile devices</a> everywhere these days, including the national news.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I have seen a lot of footage from these devices and a lot of it looks horrible. It doesn't require a whole lot of effort to make this sort of video more pleasing for viewers.<br />
<br />
Here are some tips o make your mobile device footage a lot easier to watch:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>
<b>Proper orientation of the recording device.</b> There is NEVER a good reason to shoot video when your device is vertical. Every playback device is designed to be played back horizontally. Too many times people have the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&ajr=0&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=281052&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=XKKPE4VIB55ET3LT" target="_blank">still camera</a> mentality: if the subject is vertical, match the aspect of the device to the situation. This is wrong, it just makes for a whole lot of wasted space when it's played back. If you ever see this footage on the news, the news editors usually have to come up with a creative way to fill the empty spaces left and right of the image. This is usually done by stretching and blurring the image in the background to fill up the entire screen. Do everyone a favor, shoot your video horizontal to begin with.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>Minimize quick camera movement.</b> Try not yo move the camera to different subject areas too often. Your eyes may work that way, but when it's on video, it's too much. It's never a bad idea to either use a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&ajr=0&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=499306&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=XFIPV2WM2YLGWI3V" target="_blank">tripod</a>, or a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&ajr=0&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=7161077011&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=HI2Q7OQJIQJON7SS" target="_blank">camera stabilizer</a> like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CJ8CS2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004CJ8CS2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=BG2ZGOCS44UMPUGB" target="_blank">Steadicam Smoothee</a> for the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=Apple%20iPhone&linkCode=ur2&node=2335752011&qid=1384445014&sr=8-1-acs&srs=2528944011&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=E4Y4WOMCUEPQQ6IR" target="_blank">iPhone</a>. You's be surprised at how much these devices smooth out the action. (read my review of <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2012/06/steadicam-for-your-iphone-video-camera.html">Steadicam for your iPhone Video Camera</a> or <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2012/09/a-great-tripod-for-travel.html">A Great Tripod for Travel</a>). The problem of quick movement is compounded by the rolling shutter found in most mobile devices. Instead of recording the whole frame of video at once, the rolling shutter method records the image as a scan, normally from the top down. Because of the rolling shutter method, the top of the frame is recored at a different point in time from the bottom of the frame. The artifacts can be almost as bad as those related to <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/06/interlaced-video-has-served-its-purpose.html">interlaced video</a>.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>Hold you shots. </b>A lot of times people will take video shots the same way they take a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&ajr=0&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=330405011&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=XOCJRMQG3H6XRQFU" target="_blank">snapshot</a>. Shoot a quick bit of footage and then move on to the next thing. This isn't a still photo, you need to hold your shots longer than you think you need. As an editor, I can tell you - it's never long enough. If the shot is too long, it can be trimmed in the edit. Extending a shot in the edit is much more noticeable.<br />
<br />
</li>
</ol>
I see these mistakes all the time and it's a very easy fix. Most important is holding the phone horizontally. If the video is worth shooting, it's worth shooting correctly. Why not put a lille more thought into it and make it a whole lot more watchable.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1Wr0fK_pT0/U86gL9IDvuI/AAAAAAAABPA/pucqfxR6cCU/s1600/avid_tips_tricks_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Avid Editing Tips and Tricks that use the OPTION / ALT modifier key." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1Wr0fK_pT0/U86gL9IDvuI/AAAAAAAABPA/pucqfxR6cCU/s1600/avid_tips_tricks_11.jpg" height="240" title="Avid Editing Tips and Tricks that use the OPTION / ALT modifier key." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avid Tips and Tricks that use the OPTION / ALT key.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is the eleventh <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/Avid%20Tips%20and%20Tricks">Avid Editing Tips and Tricks</a> blog from the series. This week we will discuss a number of tricks that use the OPTION / ALT modifier keys. As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, you can reach me through the comments of this blog, through <a href="http://google.com/+JamesBurkevideo" target="_blank">Google+</a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/mblaze" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> or Twitter, using the <a href="https://twitter.com/mBlazeVideo" target="_blank">@mBlazeVideo</a> handle.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Again, keep in mind that I work on an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Avid Media Composer</a> on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YLCHLQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YLCHLQ&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Mac</a>. If you are using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=microsoft%20windows&linkCode=ur2&qid=1405968183&rh=n%3A229655%2Ck%3Amicrosoft%20windows&rnid=2941120011&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=O7XDWIW7GAHC74MB" target="_blank">Windows</a>, the OPTION key on Mac is the same as the ALT key on Windows and COMMAND on the Mac works like the CTRL on Windows.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>OPTION-OK on Project Selection</b> - If you have a large project that was closed with any or all of its bins open. You can open the project with all of the bins closed by holding the OPTION key down when you choose OK from the SELECT PROJECT window.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ad3bGWj_qss/U86koot8pjI/AAAAAAAABPM/Og8cAtBRL5o/s1600/mark_clip.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="OPTION-Mark Clip adds an IN and OUT point between any two edits." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ad3bGWj_qss/U86koot8pjI/AAAAAAAABPM/Og8cAtBRL5o/s1600/mark_clip.png" height="132" title="OPTION-Mark Clip adds an IN and OUT point between any two edits." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OPTION-Mark Clip.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>OPTION-Mark Clip</b> - Sometimes it's necessary to mark the closest gap between two edits. If you hold the OPTION key down when using the Mark Clip feature, an IN and OUT point will be added be added between the closest two edits, even if those edits are not on the selected track.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>OPTION-AddEdit</b> - Using the modifier with the Add Edit key adds edits to all empty tracks, regardless of what tracks are selected.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H7iJweD8p8Y/U86wnWryc4I/AAAAAAAABPo/RK97tXNnYxs/s1600/add_track.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="OPTION Add Video Track to insert a new track between existing tracks." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H7iJweD8p8Y/U86wnWryc4I/AAAAAAAABPo/RK97tXNnYxs/s1600/add_track.png" height="105" title="OPTION Add Video Track to insert a new track between existing tracks." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OPTION Add Video Track.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>OPTION-Add Tracks</b> - This is a trick for inserting a new video track underneath an existing composite in the TIMELINE. Holding down the OPTION key while choosing Add Video Track, allows you to insert a new track anyplace in the order of existing tracks. If you happen to already have clips on the track that you choose, it will move those clips to the next track above the inserted track. This works with audio tracks as well. In addition, if you have Add Audio Track mapped to a key on the keyboard, you can use the OPTION key to select what type of audio track you want to add (Mono, Stereo, 5.1 Surround, 7.1 Surround).<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>OPTION-Match Frame</b> - Using the Match Frame feature by default adds an IN point and removes any OUT points you may have. Sometimes I want to open the source clip used in a sequence, but I don't want the system to change the IN and OUT marks I already have in that clip. Using the OPTION modifier does not change IN and OUT marks when loading the clip into the source monitor.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>OPTION-Trim Mode</b> - If you hold the OPTION key down when you use the Trim Mode button, you will be taken to the last edit you trimmed, no matter where you currently are in the timeline. This tip comes from a discussion started by Steve Audette in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2244549459/permalink/10153366927829460/" target="_blank">Avid Editors of Facebook</a>.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIBfg9M-8D8/U86u3KAPK5I/AAAAAAAABPc/GoFV1dOGsTE/s1600/copy_clipboard.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mapping Copy to Clipboard with an OPTION modifier to the keyboard." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIBfg9M-8D8/U86u3KAPK5I/AAAAAAAABPc/GoFV1dOGsTE/s1600/copy_clipboard.png" height="114" title="Mapping Copy to Clipboard with an OPTION modifier to the keyboard." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mapping with OPTION key.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>OPTION-Copy to Clipboard</b> - Copy and load clipboard contents directly to the source monitor. I like the Copy to Clipboard feature but have often felt like it's strange to then have to go to the source and "Load clipboard contents" - it's a waste, why else would you need to copy something if you weren't going to actually use it. Holding down the OPTION key as you Copy to Clipboard will automatically load the media to the source monitor. Better yet, add the OPTION modifier button to the mapped key that has the clipboard and you can do the action in one step - no additional modifiers.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>OPTION-Clip Name Menu</b> - By Default, when looking at the Clip Name Menu, the clips are ordered in alphabetical order. If you have a full list (20 items) and you want to quickly find the last clip you opened, hold the OPTION key and click the Clip Name Menu. This will show the list in chronological order instead of alphabetical. Thanks to Christian Jhonson From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152584713586873&set=gm.10153347572059460&type=1&permPage=1" target="_blank">Avid Editors of Facebook</a> for this one.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>OPTION-Play IN to OUT</b> - This one has been around almost since the beginning. If you want to play a clip and have it loop continuously, mark an IN at the head of the clip, an OUT at the tail and hit OPTION-Play IN to OUT button.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cKcW-OtzEkc/U9EGE3KKE3I/AAAAAAAABQQ/8BZ2wyNKKLg/s1600/replace_view.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Replace timeline views in the Avid Media Composer." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cKcW-OtzEkc/U9EGE3KKE3I/AAAAAAAABQQ/8BZ2wyNKKLg/s1600/replace_view.png" height="91" title="Replace timeline views in the Avid Media Composer." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Replace timeline views.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>OPTION-Timeline View (OPTION-Bin View)</b> - If you've changed a Timeline View or Bin View and you want to replace the current view with those changes, hold down the OPTION key as you click on the Timeline View (or Bin View) menu. The menu appears with the option to replace any of the existing views.<br />
<br />
<b>OPTION-Drag Keyframe</b> - Holding down the OPTION key and clicking and dragging a keyframe allows you to move that keyframe in time. This is true for audio keyframes as well as video keyframes.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>OPTION-Click Custom Fields</b> - If you have custom fields in your bin and you're entering data into those fields. Holding the OPTION key and clicking on a field in the same column, will display any data that has been previously entered in and other clips.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ge8ddmDIeiM/U867U3l7CtI/AAAAAAAABP4/t9wfFLMNlX8/s1600/bin_effect_parameters.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Saving video effect parameters with or without source." border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ge8ddmDIeiM/U867U3l7CtI/AAAAAAAABP4/t9wfFLMNlX8/s1600/bin_effect_parameters.png" height="88" title="Saving video effect parameters with or without source." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saving effect parameters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>OPTION-Drag Title Effects</b> - Want to re-use a title move or other effect properties on another title? If you OPTION-Drag a title from the EFFECT EDITOR to a bin, you save the only the effect parameters of a title without the source. This means it will not save the title text information, just the properties added to that title in the EFFECT EDITOR. The opposite works on effects applied to segments. If you OPTION-Drag the effect that is applied to a segment, from the EFFECT EDITOR to a bin, you can save the effect with source.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>OPTION-Double-Click Title in the Bin</b> - A quick way to edit titles, or to use an existing title as a template, is to edit the title directly from the bin. This is done by pressing the OPTION key and double-clicking the title in the bin. The title will open in the Title Tool, ready for editing.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>OPTION-COMMAND-Click in Timeline</b> - Holding down both the OPTION and the COMMAND keys when clicking in the Timeline aligns the status bar with the tail frame of the segment. This is useful when adding an OUT point.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmApJXbVwKk/U869j_gDSXI/AAAAAAAABQA/u9QSyC0FrN0/s1600/effect_select_box.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Effect Select Box in a title that has been promoted to 3D." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmApJXbVwKk/U869j_gDSXI/AAAAAAAABQA/u9QSyC0FrN0/s1600/effect_select_box.png" height="132" title="The Effect Select Box in a title that has been promoted to 3D." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Effect Select Box.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>OPTION-Click Effect Select Box</b> - If the effect you're working with has a select box between the twirl down arrow and the parameter name, it can usually be reset back to its default state. By holding down the OPTION key and clicking the select box to the left of the parameter name, the parameter will return to its original default setting. Keep in mind, not all effects have this select box. 3D Effects and any effects promoted to 3D have the Select Box on all adjustable parameters.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b>OPTION-Drag Timeline Tracks</b> - If you want to re-arrange the placement of tracks in you timeline, holding the OPTION key and clicking and dragging a track will change its placement. This is tricky with video because layering is still based on the original layout of tracks. I use this technique to place my Timecode track between the audio and video tracks. If you hold down the OPTION key and then click and drag between tracks, you can change the height of the tracks in the timeline.<br />
<br />
</li>
</ul>
I hope some of these tips and tricks using the OPTION / ALT modifier have been useful. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions you may have for future <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/Avid%20Tips%20and%20Tricks">Avid Editing Tips and Tricks</a>.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxX1Mz2W_Jc/U8awCmEo65I/AAAAAAAABOw/3FUy5YGzUIk/s1600/getting_started.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Getting started in the video industry is not always easy." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxX1Mz2W_Jc/U8awCmEo65I/AAAAAAAABOw/3FUy5YGzUIk/s1600/getting_started.jpg" height="240" title="Getting started in the video industry is not always easy." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting started in video is not always easy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As most newbies know, there's a catch-22 when trying to get that first job in video. You can't get a job without experience and without a job you can't gain experience. So how do you gain that elusive experience?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>In most markets there are different avenues to gain experience. But as I mentioned in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/04/video-services-provided-for-free.html">Video Services Provided for Free</a>, giving away your work for zero compensation is never a good idea. Donating your services to a charitable organization is something altogether different.<br />
<br />
A great place to look for experience when just starting out in a video career is your Local Access TV station. Most communities have one and they usually offer free access to gear and training. In a lot of cases, the gear is pretty state-of-the-art. If you volunteer, it's a great place to build your skills in all aspects of the video production process.<br />
<br />
It's important to tailor your skills to the needs of your local area. In my local market, most companies use the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Avid Media Composer</a> editing system. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PWS8D2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PWS8D2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe Premiere Pro</a> is a close second with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002J1UJ4A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002J1UJ4A&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20">Apple Final Cut Pro</a> trailing just after that. I even worked at one company where <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009H9HLVQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009H9HLVQ&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Sony Vegas</a> was part of the workflow, but it was used more for rough utility work. The finished work was done on a networked Avid Media Composer system.<br />
<br />
Your market may be different in respect to what is the editing system of choice. The important thing is not to put all of your eggs (skills) in one basket. The more tools you know, the more easily you can jump into that next job. Also, depending on your local market, a good question to ask might be: <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/03/is-being-just-video-editor-enough.html">Is Being Just a Video Editor Enough?</a> Sometimes, it's important to learn other related crafts in order to strengthen your core discipline.<br />
<br />
The key is to stay busy using your skill set, whether volunteering or working on your own personal projects. I believe that <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/02/creative-professionals-learn-by-doing.html">Creative Professionals Learn By Doing</a> - if you continue to push yourself, you develop a unique style of your own. The more projects you work on, the more comfortable you become with the tools and the grammar of video (see also <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/11/how-to-become-video-editor.html">How to Become a Video Editor</a>).<br />
<br />
It's important to know what tools are used in your market. This may take a little bit of research, but it's worth the effort. Check out video-related job postings in your area, or go to the editing facility websites to see what most use as their editing system. Matching your skill set to the local market is one of the keys to getting your first gig.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9s7dWE9-kFU/U6hbK55IhPI/AAAAAAAABN4/J4Y2xHP5gz0/s1600/meet_the_band_workflow03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Using Adobe After Effects to upscale SD video." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9s7dWE9-kFU/U6hbK55IhPI/AAAAAAAABN4/J4Y2xHP5gz0/s1600/meet_the_band_workflow03.jpg" height="240" title="Using Adobe After Effects to upscale SD video." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using Adobe After Effects to upscale SD video.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last week in his week in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/07/real-workflows-flesh-meet-band-pt-2.html">Real Workflows - Flesh: Meet the Band (Pt 2)</a>, we discussed some of the creative decisions that were made while restoring and re-editing the intro video for the band <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004F1CW2O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004F1CW2O&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=PS63QP2U7LEUHCPW" target="_blank">Flesh</a>.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>This week we continue our discussion of the workflow used in restoring the <a href="http://youtu.be/hdcZRjpmA6I" target="_blank">Flesh: Meet the Band video</a>, including some of the music decisions that were made. One such music decision was the choice to use music available from the YouTube music library. This was a budget friendly way to guarantee that there would be no copyright issues going forward.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nv0KrgwOUWY/U6he5HN9zBI/AAAAAAAABOE/JJ4NN3dXwxU/s1600/band_id_markus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mark Cherone, lead guitar for the band Flesh." border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nv0KrgwOUWY/U6he5HN9zBI/AAAAAAAABOE/JJ4NN3dXwxU/s1600/band_id_markus.jpg" height="150" title="Mark Cherone, lead guitar for the band Flesh." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Markus, lead guitar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For the sequence with lead guitarist, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Cherone/112498078795803" target="_blank">Mark Cherone</a>, we used a dance studio in Medford, MA as our location. We shot with what was to be the music bed playing back in the background (this happened to be the copyrighted track that was removed for this revision of the video).<br />
<br />
None of the natural sound was usable from the raw source. This meant any sounds, such as Mark's feet landing from his dance jump, were added in post.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GjfayhV5DE/U6hhdlrgccI/AAAAAAAABOQ/kRFWB4tPTxY/s1600/band_id_paul_bettencourt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Paul Bettencourt, lead vocalist for the band Flesh." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GjfayhV5DE/U6hhdlrgccI/AAAAAAAABOQ/kRFWB4tPTxY/s1600/band_id_paul_bettencourt.jpg" height="150" title="Paul Bettencourt, lead vocalist for the band Flesh." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Bettencourt, lead vocalist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Singer Paul Bettencourt's sequence was another location shot. This was shot in one of Paul's sibling's home. The Bettencourts were also able to supply all of the children for the shot.<br />
<br />
We were able to use a lot of the sound recorded with the video for this shot. The only sounds added in post were the yawn of the baby and Paul's sigh as he removes his wig.<br />
<br />
After laying down all of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/480i" target="_blank">480i</a> source clips into my sequence and replacing each clip with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p" target="_blank">720p</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PMNSL4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PMNSL4&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe After Effects</a> Composition of that clip, I selected the music for each section and laid that into my sequence. After the music was laid in, I was able to fine tune the edits in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PWS8D2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PWS8D2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe Premiere Pro</a>. Some of that fine-tuning was done to correspond with musical cues while others were edits that just made more visual sense.<br />
<br />
Choosing the right sound and music during a video edit can help establish the mood. One piece of music was chosen for each member of the band. For Stephen's music, a driving hard rock piece was chosen to push the tracking shot along. For Michael's section, another hard rock piece was used, this time a more percussion-driven piece. Since Markus' scene took place in a dance studio, it was decided to use something with more of a disco feel. Finally, Paul's birthday party incorporates a music selection that was more of an up and bouncy feel.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Mf_pDLCNDY/U6h1LlarNzI/AAAAAAAABOg/jUaqV2RqiC4/s1600/flesh_street_performers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The band Flesh performing on the street." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Mf_pDLCNDY/U6h1LlarNzI/AAAAAAAABOg/jUaqV2RqiC4/s1600/flesh_street_performers.jpg" height="112" title="The band Flesh performing on the street." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flesh performing on the street.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For the final scene where the band is performing on a street, we set up again in downtown West Acton, MA. This shot also incorporates a low-tech tracking shot. This time it was shot from the back of a pickup truck. Instead of using YouTube's royalty free music for this section, I decided to go with one of the band's actual songs. The song I chose was one of the songs they played live a lot. It also helped that it was it's tempo was very close to the song the band is performing on the street.<br />
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It was a lot of fun to work with each of the band members. They all were very easy to direct and were able to adjust their performances appropriately with each take.<br />
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Flesh performing the song "Almighty Man" live on the radio in Boston, MA
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</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CwNEwe8yCUA/U6G3rudre_I/AAAAAAAABM4/EyTLOquBA7A/s1600/meet_the_band_workflow02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Editing the "Flesh: Meet the Band" video in Adobe Premiere Pro." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CwNEwe8yCUA/U6G3rudre_I/AAAAAAAABM4/EyTLOquBA7A/s1600/meet_the_band_workflow02.jpg" height="240" title="Editing the "Flesh: Meet the Band" video in Adobe Premiere Pro." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Editing the "Flesh: Meet the Band" video.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last week in <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/06/real-workflows-flesh-meet-band-pt-1.html">Real Workflows - Flesh: Meet the Band (Pt 1)</a>, we discussed rebuilding a video for the band <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004F1CW2O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004F1CW2O&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=PS63QP2U7LEUHCPW" target="_blank">Flesh</a>, by eye-matching the source clips to the original edit. Why go through all this trouble you ask?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Unfortunately, the original video used a piece of copyrighted music, and I couldn't post it publicly until that music was removed. The original edited video did not include split audio tracks, so I had to go back to the original source for the rebuild. I decided to upscale the video to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p" target="_blank">720p</a> at the same time.<br />
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I knew that I would be passing every source clip through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PMNSL4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PMNSL4&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe After Effects</a>, so I decided I would use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PWS8D2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PWS8D2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe Premiere Pro</a> for my edit. Most of the time, I prefer using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Avid Media Composer</a>, but for this project, Adobe Premiere Pro worked best for my workflow. As I wrote in "<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/11/what-is-best-video-nle-out-there.html">What is the Best Video NLE Out There?</a>", the best system is the one that works best for the workflow of your current project.<br />
<br />
For the person-on-the-street interviews, all the chroma was removed and a scan-line look was achieved by adding a partially transparent black layer with a venetian blind effect on it.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTs_y3jNEKw/U6hXm6Pk1-I/AAAAAAAABNk/UifXA7Y_9Ws/s1600/band_id_stephen_powell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stephen Powell, bass guitar for the band Flesh." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTs_y3jNEKw/U6hXm6Pk1-I/AAAAAAAABNk/UifXA7Y_9Ws/s1600/band_id_stephen_powell.jpg" height="150" title="Stephen Powell, bass guitar for the band Flesh." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen Powell, bass guitar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first band member in the video was the bassist Stephen Powell. For this scene, we built the set in the West Acton apartment I was renting at the time. We concentrated all of the debris along the path the camera would travel. This sequence was a very low-tech hand-held tracking shot that was achieved by having two camera operators. Half way through the shot, the camera is handed off from one camera operator to the next.<br />
<br />
The ambient sound recorded by the camera included all the vocal instructions that the operators were giving each other and the cues given to Stephen as the camera approaches his face. For that reason, none of the ambient sound at the time of the shoot was usable. The sounds such as the scratch and yawn were done in post production.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ah5VEudN1QQ/U6G7qyx9zFI/AAAAAAAABNE/CE0y-vnS76U/s1600/time_remapping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Adobe After Effects timeline with a HOLD keyframe on the Time Remapping effect." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ah5VEudN1QQ/U6G7qyx9zFI/AAAAAAAABNE/CE0y-vnS76U/s1600/time_remapping.jpg" height="102" title="The Adobe After Effects timeline with a HOLD keyframe on the Time Remapping effect." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adobe After Effects timeline with a HOLD keyframe on Time Remapping.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Using the Adobe Premiere Pro / After Effects workflow also allowed me to take advantage of the very elegant Time Remapping feature in After Effects to create the freeze frame for the lower third. As I've mentioned in the past, <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/01/motion-effects-in-avid-editing-system.html">Motion Effects in the Avid Editing System</a>, aren't as intuitive as in Adobe After Effects. In After Effects I just create a HOLD keyframe on whatever frame I want to freeze.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YLprGGx6y0c/U6hYGOFu7mI/AAAAAAAABNs/C8bgCZRwW5g/s1600/band_id_michael_katz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Michael Katz, drums for the band Flesh." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YLprGGx6y0c/U6hYGOFu7mI/AAAAAAAABNs/C8bgCZRwW5g/s1600/band_id_michael_katz.jpg" height="150" title="Michael Katz, drums for the band Flesh." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Katz, drums.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The second band member to be introduced in the video was drummer Michael Katz. This scene was shot in downtown West Acton, MA, where I was living at the time. For Michael's section, no other sounds other than the nat sounds recorded by the camera were required. For Michael's lower third, the 4x3 source needed to be shifted up so that his head wasn't cropped by the 16x9 frame. In fact, there were a lot of shots that decisions were made regarding framing in their new 16x9 frame.<br />
<br />
Next week in "<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/07/real-workflows-flesh-meet-band-pt-3.html">Real Workflows - Flesh: Meet the Band (Pt 3)</a>", we'll discuss some of the music decisions that were made when restoring the <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/p/flesh-meet-band.html">Flesh: Meet the Band</a> video.
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Flesh performing the song "Simple Love" live on the radio in Boston, MA
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VR8AAaPYB_I/U4NmlqMq-vI/AAAAAAAABLY/64bNpCMhPgU/s1600/meet_the_band_workflow01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A faux news reporter opens the Flesh: Meet the Band intro video." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VR8AAaPYB_I/U4NmlqMq-vI/AAAAAAAABLY/64bNpCMhPgU/s1600/meet_the_band_workflow01.jpg" height="240" title="A faux news reporter opens the Flesh: Meet the Band intro video." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A faux news reporter opens the Flesh intro video.</td></tr>
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As a freelance video editor who loves what I do, I often fill my off-time working on personal projects. A few of the personal projects I have worked on have been restorations of older projects.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>One such project was a video I did a number of years back for the band <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004F1CW2O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004F1CW2O&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=PS63QP2U7LEUHCPW" target="_blank">Flesh</a>. Flesh was one of the only local bands in Boston during the early 90's that really incorporated video into their live shows. I wrote more about my experience with the band Flesh in the <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2012/11/video-and-rock-roll.html">Video and Rock & Roll</a> blog.<br />
<br />
The video is titled, "<a href="http://youtu.be/hdcZRjpmA6I" target="_blank">Flesh: Meet the Band</a>" and is a humorous look at how the members of the band spend their time when they weren't performing. It was written by Flesh's guitarist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Cherone/112498078795803" target="_blank">Mark Cherone</a> and myself. The video was used to open shows whenever <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012BGOQK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0012BGOQK&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=MSSMGLVYNS36XF35" target="_blank">Flesh</a> played live.<br />
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For this restoration project, I wanted to uprez a video that had been produced from VHS source, remove any copyrighted music and clean up some of the edits that were created based on a control track edit system.<br />
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The video is split into 5 sections, one section for each member of the band and then a wrap-up section with all four members of the band together. Each section is separated by a person-on-the-street interview. The video for the band member sections was scaled up to full frame 720p, while the interview bits were scaled to pillar-boxed 720p.<br />
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As most of the readers of <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/">DV Fanatics</a> know, my primary choice of editing system is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Avid Media Composer</a>, but for this project, I chose to use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PWS8D2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PWS8D2&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe Premiere Pro</a>. I chose Premiere Pro because I planned to send all of my footage through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PMNSL4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PMNSL4&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe After Effects</a> and I love how <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R0RK4A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007R0RK4A&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe Dynamic Link</a> allows me to seamlessly do so. In addition, I use a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001Y7PNK/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0001Y7PNK&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Sony Media Converter DVMC-DA2</a> to convert video from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS" target="_blank">VHS</a> deck to a digital stream and the Avid Media Composer generally errors-out before any material is captured.<br />
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As I mentioned, all of the SD video was upscaled to HD 720p. This is why I chose to use Adobe After Effects - it gives me a whole lot more options when scaling my 480i footage up to 720p. Adobe After Effects also made it a lot easier to remove any <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop-out_compensator" target="_blank">drop-outs</a> from the VHS tape.<br />
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I began the project by laying down a reference track of the original video. After laying down the reference track, I was able to rebuild the the video from its original source. The edit of the original source was done by eye - there was no data such as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edit_decision_list" target="_blank">EDL</a> available from the original edit. Each clip in the sequence was sent to After Effects for scaling, color correction and enhancing.<br />
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Just as I did when <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/02/restoring-video-with-premiere-pro-and.html" target="_blank">Restoring Video With Premiere Pro and YouTube</a>, I used royalty free music available from <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/4523596?rd=1" target="_blank">YouTube</a> for the music bed of each section. As the series continues next week in "<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/07/real-workflows-flesh-meet-band-pt-2.html">Real Workflows - Flesh: Meet the Band (Pt 2)</a>", we'll discuss the decisions made while re-editing the video.<br />
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Flesh performing the song "Alone" live on the radio in Boston, MA
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A milestone for DV Fanatics in readership - 100k page views.</td></tr>
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Back in April, we hit the milestone for the <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/04/dv-fanatics-blog-100-posts-and-counting.html">DV Fanatics Blog - 100 Posts and Counting</a>. This past week another milestone was passed, 100,000 page views.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your continued support. I hope the information you have found in this blog has been very useful in your <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=digital%20video&linkCode=ur2&tag=dvfabl-20&url=search-alias%3Daps&linkId=XEZP2KBM5VI7V2O3" target="_blank">digital video</a> workflow.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
In coming installments we will continue to explore the tools, the techniques and the tricks, that add efficiency to our daily workflows.<br />
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In addition to <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/Avid%20Tips%20and%20Tricks">Avid Tips and Tricks</a>, <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/Dissecting%20the%20Video">Dissecting the Video</a> and other <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/tutorial">tutorials</a>, we will soon begin another series called "<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/search/label/Real%20Workflows">Real Workflows</a>". This series will explore the full workflow of different video projects from start to finish.<br />
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As always, if you, the readers, have suggestions for topics to cover, please feel free to leave a comment, contact me through <a href="http://google.com/+JamesBurkevideo" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/mblaze" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> or Twitter, using the <a href="https://twitter.com/mBlazeVideo" target="_blank">@mBlazeVideo</a> handle.<br />
<br />
Have a great summer and we'll see you next week as we continue to explore the realm of <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/" target="">DV Fanatics</a> together.<br />
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</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F1EzT9Z2RxI/U43HjAvw7YI/AAAAAAAABMI/-hUplKy6p0U/s1600/interlaced_video.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Manipulating images in interlaced video footage is an uneccessary challenge." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F1EzT9Z2RxI/U43HjAvw7YI/AAAAAAAABMI/-hUplKy6p0U/s1600/interlaced_video.jpg" height="240" title="Manipulating images in interlaced video footage is an uneccessary challenge." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working with images in interlaced video is a challenge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Interlaced video, you have served the industry well. It's now time to fade off into the past with the likes of 1/2-inch <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0750683953/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0750683953&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=D3UBV64FVA3NJRIH" target="_blank">videotape formats</a>.<br />
<br />
For those of you unfamiliar with what an interlaced video format is, here's a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240809335/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0240809335&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=MR7X3NDV37NQDJ7Y" target="_blank">video primer</a>. NTSC video is comprised of approximately 30 frames per second (25fps for PAL). Each frame has two fields: an odd field and an even field.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>When a frame is recorded, the odd fields are scanned first then the scan begins again at the second line and scans all of the even lines. The result is that 60 fields are scanned every second. This was a solution to being able to scan all 480 lines of a frame of video in less than 1/30th of a second. For a more in-depth explanation, check out <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interlaced_video" target="_blank">interlaced video</a> on <a href="http://www.wikipedia.org/" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SXLleTv6dbg/U43Ny37U7LI/AAAAAAAABMY/aerg3YyLASc/s1600/interlaced_hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Video interlace artifacts on a hand in motion." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SXLleTv6dbg/U43Ny37U7LI/AAAAAAAABMY/aerg3YyLASc/s1600/interlaced_hand.jpg" height="149" title="Video interlace artifacts on a hand in motion." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interlace blur on hand in motion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The problem is that the action does not wait for the fields to scan, so the action is different in the odd fields than it is in the even fields. If you look at a frame of video that has motion, the image has combing effect throughout the frame. This is where action in the frame alternates position on every line.<br />
<br />
Fields make compositing and manipulating the image in a frame much more challenging. The quality of getting a frame out of your video is also greatly reduced when using field-based video.<br />
<br />
The solution to the problems of interlaced formats are the formats that are scanned progressively - this means the entire frame is captured at once. The image quality is essentially double the quality of the interlaced.<br />
<br />
So if I have a choice when shooting, I always choose the progressive formats such as 1080p. The image I get is so much crisper than if I choose the interlaced versions of those same resolutions (1080i). For me, interlaced formats have served their purpose and are no longer needed.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qFzPuPP6BGk/U5B4pvgvHHI/AAAAAAAABMo/yViROk1faLw/s1600/boston_avid_users_group_june_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The NAB Wrap-up panel at the June Boston Avid Users Group Meeting." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qFzPuPP6BGk/U5B4pvgvHHI/AAAAAAAABMo/yViROk1faLw/s1600/boston_avid_users_group_june_14.jpg" height="240" title="The NAB Wrap-up panel at the June Boston Avid Users Group Meeting." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The NAB Wrap-up panel at the June BAVUG Meeting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last Wednesday was the June meeting of the <a href="http://contac644.wix.com/bavug" target="_blank">Boston Avid Users Group</a> (BAVUG). This month's topic was a wrap-up of the important announcements from NAB. The NAB wrap-up discussion panel featured The <a href="http://www.wgbh.org/about/postproduction.cfm" target="_blank">OutPost at WGBH</a>'s Chris Fournelle and Michael Amundson as well as Kyle Frazier from <a href="http://hbcommunications.com/" target="_blank">HB Communications</a> and Bill Reinhart of <a href="http://www.avid.com/US/" target="_blank">Avid Technology</a>.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>This month's meeting, held at HB Communications, was a departure from a typical BAVUG meeting. Instead of a presentation, the meeting was more of an interactive discussion led by a panel of experts. The consensus was that 4k and cloud applications were the most important announcements this year.<br />
<br />
As far as 4k goes, it's believed that the end-consumers will drive the adoption, but there is value in ramping up productions now. As has always been, the higher quality of the video in the acquisition stage means a better quality final product, no matter what the final deliverable format will be. This is why in the days of SD, a lot of programming was acquired on film.<br />
<br />
With the costs of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IDV0KKS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IDV0KKS&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=JJW7UOWC77S67R4X" target="_blank">4k capable cameras</a> very reasonable, the current obstacle for full 4k adoption, is the cost of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FS69PQ6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FS69PQ6&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20&linkId=HOT7WZ37WUGK6XWE" target="_blank">quality 4k monitors</a>. Michael stated that monitors for 4k need to be at least 50 inches and you need to be close to the monitor for accurate image control.<br />
<br />
Shooting in 4k now, has other advantages as well. If you master in 4k, your projects are ready when the format is fully adopted. Another advantage is enabling an editor to modify the composition of the shot in the edit suite. Source shot in 4k can be cropped when mastering in HD without a loss of image quality. An interview can be shot wide and then different focal lengths can be extracted from the source later. Although this may not be music to a DP's ears, it allows for greater flexibility at greater economy in the edit suite.<br />
<br />
Applications in the cloud allow for greater collaboration in archiving, remote editing and review - approval. Or as Bill called it, Media Everywhere where asset management is key. The cloud doesn't necessarily mean the cloud lives outside the four walls of a facility, what is important is that everyone has access to all the media that is available.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.avid.com/US/products/Interplay-Production/overview" target="_blank">Avid Interplay</a> systems for larger facilities already have these capabilities. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Avid&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Avid Media Composers</a> within the facility and remote locations can connect to the same media and make changes. Clients of these facilities are able to review their cuts and make notations that are immediately visible to the editor.<br />
<br />
Most of the advantages of the cloud are available to the larger facilities right now. It's only a matter of time until the independent video pros will have access to this same technology.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-76ykqVQhuhk/U4jBBho9aDI/AAAAAAAABL4/l7RP7UKnvDA/s1600/after_effects_tutorials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Taking advantage of the online resources available for Adobe After Effects. " border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-76ykqVQhuhk/U4jBBho9aDI/AAAAAAAABL4/l7RP7UKnvDA/s1600/after_effects_tutorials.jpg" height="240" title="Taking advantage of the online resources available for Adobe After Effects. " width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking advantage of the online resources for After Effects.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Like a lot of editors, when I run into challenges that have me stumped, I often turn to the web for an answer. Over the years I have collected a number of links that have helped me in the past.<br />
<br />
In this week's blog we'll discuss the tutorials and tips for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PMNSL4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PMNSL4&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Adobe After Effects</a>. There are a lot of tutorials out there, but these are the ones that I have found most helpful.
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>My favorites are the ones that can be achieved within the core toolset of After Effects. Those are the ones I have included here.<br />
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://motionscript.com/">MotionScript.com</a> has a lot of great expressions to simulate things that happen in nature. One such expression that I have used (and love the result) is the bouncing ball from <a href="http://motionscript.com/mastering-expressions/simulation-basics-3.html" target="_blank">Physical Simulations</a>.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/SurfacedStudio" target="_blank">Surfaced Studio channel</a> on YouTube is a great resource for a number of different techniques in After Effects. In addition, they are somewhat entertaining to watch as well.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://youtu.be/zf3z60OSc7I" target="_blank">Creating and Tracking Smoke in Adobe After Effects CS6</a> from Stefano Virgilli. This technique came in very handy when I was restoring my video "<a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/p/mouse-failure.html">Mouse Failure</a>". There are other tutorials on creating smoke, but this one achieves the most realistic look.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zf3z60OSc7I?rel=0" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://vimeo.com/69155921">After Effects - 2D Track from 3D Camera Tracking</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/dylanreeve">Dylan Reeve</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>. This is a great idea. I haven't used it yet, but I often run into the problems that Dylan mentions when doing 2D tracking.
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/69155921" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://cgi.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-a-gas-giant-planet-scene-in-after-effects--ae-8136">Create A Gas Giant Planet Scene In After Effects</a> from <a href="http://tutsplus.com/authors/chris-johnson-standley" target="_blank">Chris Johnson-Standley</a>. This tutorial is in a written tutorial, the video is of the final effect. I have used this technique and love the result.
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QGZsN5zHScI?rel=0" width="500"></iframe>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
I hope you get as much out of these tutorials and resources as I did. Please feel free to let me know if there are any others that I may have left out.<br />
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ndvC7jjWSEc/U4NOsLK5BBI/AAAAAAAABLI/ISCGhMw6MNU/s1600/davinci_resolve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Blackmagic Design offers a Lite version of DaVinci Resolve for free." border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ndvC7jjWSEc/U4NOsLK5BBI/AAAAAAAABLI/ISCGhMw6MNU/s1600/davinci_resolve.jpg" height="240" title="Blackmagic Design offers a Lite version of DaVinci Resolve for free." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DaVinci Resolve offers a Lite version for free.</td></tr>
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For those of you in the US, happy Memorial Day. For everyone else, happy Monday as usual.<br />
<br />
In the US, Memorial day is the unofficial kick-off of the summer season. What better time to find free stuff than the unofficial start of summer.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>These are some of the tools I have found to be very useful of the post production workflow. Some of these tools are very sophisticated and I always wonder how they can continue to offer them as free.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>
<b><a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/p/avid-fx-templates.html" target="_blank">Avid FX Transition Templates</a></b> - This is my contribution to the free stuff. An Avid bin containing transitions built using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EE4B32/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002EE4B32&linkCode=as2&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">Avid FX</a>. These transition effects are ready to go, all you need to do is drag them onto a transition in your Avid timeline and render. This download was a companion piece to the <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/06/avid-fx-boris-red-in-avid-media-composer.html">Avid FX (Boris RED) in Avid Media Composer</a> blog.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b><a href="http://www.blender.org/" target="_blank">Blender</a></b> - To be honest, I still haven't been able to master the use of Blender. From what I've read it is a great application to build 3D animations and on top of that, it's absolutely free.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Blackmagic%20Design&linkCode=ur2&node=229534&tag=dvfabl-20" target="_blank">DaVinci Resolve</a></b> - Although I'm an editor more than I am a colorist, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to download a free copy of DaVinci Resolve, especially after seeing <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2014/01/davinci-resolve-round-trip-avid.html">DaVinci Resolve Round-trip Avid Workflow - BAVUG</a>. You can download the Lite version for free, by going to the <a href="http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve" target="_blank">DaVinci Resolve webpage</a>. Most companies offer a 30-day free trial, but the Lite version of DaVinci Resolve is free for however long you want to continue using it.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b><a href="http://vimeo.com/groups/freehd" target="_blank">Free Stock Footage</a></b> - The Free HD Stock Footage group on Vimeo is one of the many places to find struck footage for free. If you do a search, you're bound to find others. Some of the other <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/01/stock-footage-websites.html">Stock Footage Websites</a> I've come across were listed in a <a href="http://blog.dvfanatics.com/2013/01/stock-footage-websites.html">blog from January of 2013</a>.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mBlazeVideo" target="_blank">Free Transcriptions</a></b> - If you upload a video to YouTube and then choose the Captions tab, YouTube will do its best to transcribe whatever is spoken in the video. The caption can then be downloaded and cleaned up. Like most applications that convert speech to text, the results vary depending upon how clearly the content of the video is spoken.<br />
<br />
</li>
</ul>
For all of you in the northern hemisphere, enjoy the unofficial start of summer. I hope these links are useful. As usual, if you have any other resources that I have missed, feel free to share them.<br />
<br />
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