BenB
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 01:19 PM |
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Editing digital video
Any experts out there on digital video?
If I've got video footage from four different cameras is there some cheap (or free) software out there that will let me sync all the videos then
switch between one and the next to make one master....
I've got microsoft movie maker but I don't think that will be powerful enough to do it!!! I could seperate the audio and video and then
manually remove frames from the beginning of the video stream to sync them but it sounds rather like hard work!!!!
Thanks in advance!
Ben
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Macbeast
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 01:33 PM |
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Any video editing software, eg Videostudio, will let you chop between the four cameras - just import each camera tape into a separate file and then
edit between them. But your Q about separating audio and video makes me think you want to use the audio from one master tape so as to have a
continuous audio track to which you then cut pix from the other 3 cameras. If so, I think Videostudio would let you sync up two camera tapes at a
time and cut between them but it would get horribly complicated because you would have to bear in mind what you want to do with Cameras 3 and 4 when
working on 1 and 2. Maybe I misunderstood ?
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BenB
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 01:37 PM |
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Nope- thats exactly what I wanted to do!!!! Pretty complicated!!!
Basically it's for my wedding in a week. We're having four fixed position video cameras with one master audio...
As long as I can get them all sync'd it doesn't actually matter if the audio switches between the different videos- I can always demux the
end video and re-attach the master audio. As long as I can sync and switch okay?!?! I think....
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flak monkey
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 01:40 PM |
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My mate who joined the other day (Impact301), does this for a living, I'll point him to the thread later on when he comes online. He should be
able to give you some useful pointers.
David
Sera
http://www.motosera.com
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BenB
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 02:15 PM |
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I guess the difficult thing will be synchonising the different video streams...
I suppose once I've set the videos recording I could set off a flash gun from a camera... I could then use that to sync all the videos by
deleting up until the beginning of that, split the video into sections then recombine them.... Long winded but might work!!!
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BenB
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 02:40 PM |
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Aha! Just found a nice webby showing how its done using Adobe Premier Elements....
Apparantly (never knew this!!) the clapper board is used to sync multi-angle films... In a DIY setting a hand clap works just as well!!!!
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gingerprince
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 03:06 PM |
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most commercial stuff (premier etc) will let you split audio/video into tracks and chop and change as you require.
Some unscrupulous types may acquire this software by other means (  ) but if you're at all Linux savvy then there's a very powerful and
free video product: -
http://heroinewarrior.com/cinelerra.php3
Haven't yet tried it myself but I intend to.
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BenB
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 03:14 PM |
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Ooooh! That looks interesting. Tinkered with Linux a few years ago, might give running a dual boot another go..... Free software and all that!!
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caber
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 03:46 PM |
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Go buy a Mac! you get iLife bundled which includes iMovie. It is dead easy to use and will do what you want and tons more!
Caber
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Impact301
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 04:48 PM |
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Just found the topic. Yes this is indeed what I do. The basic editors like Pinnacle Studio wont let you edit more than 2 camera angles at a time, and
you cant cut the audio from the video. The best I have found is Adobe Premier Pro (it does cost around £400 tho!) but you can separate all the
soundtracks from the video and arrange them how you want. I think you can overlay up to 99 different video & audio tracks if you wanted! A good
clap at the start of the footage is certainly all you need to sync them up, but just make sure all the cameras can either hear it or see the clap or
you will need another sync up point. There may be other editors that can split audio and video, but Premier Pro is the best for PC's. Look for
ones that say 'MULTI-TRACK EDITING' and that should do what you are after. Hope that helps.
Nick.
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snapper
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 05:07 PM |
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Another cheap trick is to make a loud noise that all cameras can hear and then go and present your watch to each one in turn, should get you ball park
close by using the time line on the editor.
Camera 1 time o o on time line camera 2 + time difference seen on watch etc.
Difficulty with most domestic editing systems is frame accuracy when you edit.
Another trick from the old days which will work until your tapes run out , then you will be out of sync again, is to set your positions with tripods
etc, decide on which camera is Fixed and the master then bring the others over, set them all going point them all at one person who claps then while
they are still running take them back to there positions.
Best of luck though, its never easy but what ever you you produce i am sure they will be greatfull. One tape off the whole event is what they expect
but if in slower time you can do a fast cut shorty i think they will love that as well.
[Edited on 16/5/07 by snapper]
I eat to survive
I drink to forget
I breath to pi55 my ex wife off (and now my ex partner)
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Hellfire
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| posted on 16/5/07 at 09:35 PM |
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Adobe Premier Pro - it is good but very resource hungry (duplicates full clips) and difficult to navigate and edit through.
Sony Vegas 7 is far easier to deal with - it will do more than Adobe Premier Pro - effects and timeline control is better. I used syncronised video
editing in our least video (Teeside second take) using an in-car camera and a handheld one. Editing is simply a case of sliding one layer behind
another, reducing the volume of the unwanted one (using envelope) placing music as a backing track etc etc...
It doesn't fill your drives full of dross and I believe is cheaper... both packages are not for the faint hearted though. The manual is 600
pages thick!
Good luck and if you want any pointers there is a brilliant Vegas Forum!
Steve
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Ratman
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| posted on 17/5/07 at 06:43 AM |
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Avid offer their superseeded product for free. I have used it and I believe it is as good as Adobe premiere.. so my Avid salesman, 7 racing, friend
tells me. I believe you can separately edit the sound track with Avid. maybe someone else can advise here. at least it is a well tried product and
FREE without strings. Brian.
http://www.avid.com/products/freedv/resources.asp
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