Preparing the external drive
Before beginning this process, be sure your hard drive archive contains no Avid Media Files nor OMFI files at the root drive level. If these files are there and you want to keep them, you can do so by simply placing them into a folder on the archive drive. The idea here is to not have any of these files "out in the open" at the root drive level, but it's perfectly fine to have as many as you want inside folders on the drive. Create a new folder and name it the project to be archived.
In the Avid
It's easier to do this if you put all your media into one bin. It is possible to archive several separate bins, however this will create several more steps to the overall archiving process. For our purposes here, we will put all our media to be archived into one bin, combining everything from the individual bins in the project.
Once all the media is in one bin, select all the clips (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A on a Mac). Next, right click and choose "Consolidate/Transcode" or choose this option from the Clip pull down menu in the main tool bar.
The Consolidate/Transcode window
The Consolidate/Transcode window will then pop up and you want to choose Consolidate on the upper left. Just below this option, check "Video and audio on the same drive(s)". In the window beneath that, choose the drive you are archiving to. All the options to the right in this window should be turned off. Select the Consolidate button below.
Relink
Another window will then pop up titled "Copying Media Files". Select the second option here, "Relink Master clips to media on the target drive." Select OK. This begins the process of consolidating the media selected to the archive. The amount of time this takes depends upon the amount and size of your media files.
The Project File
When the consolidating process is complete, exit out of the Avid application. Next, locate your Project File. The location of this could vary on different systems depending upon how your software is set up. On the system I regularly use, the path is: C:\Docs and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Avid Projects. This is where the all of the current Avid Project Folders reside. If you do not know where your project folders are, you can find out by right clicking the project icon in the main bin in the application and choosing "Reveal File". This will actually open the project folder window as well as show you the path in the address bar. Close out of the application if you did this to find the path, and open the Avid Projects file folder. Select the project folder of the project you are archiving and copy and paste it in your folder of the project on your archive drive.
Archiving for later use
All that's left to do is simply drag the Avid MediaFiles folder (containing MXF media files) and the OMFI MediaFiles folder from the root of your archive drive into the folder of your project archive. Your project is now archived! You then can get rid of the media files of this project on the Avid as well as trash the project folder there, and don't forget the project folder in the Avid Attic. You now have your project archived on another drive, saving you disc space on your Avid media drives, and can recall your project for later use as long as you have it on your archive drive.
Recalling projects
To recall a project, be sure the Avid application is not running. Have your archived drive plugged in and simply place the archived project folder back into the Avid's Project Folder and move the Avid MediaFiles folder and the OMFI MediaFiles folder from the archived project folder to the root drive of the archive. Launch the Avid application, and you'll see your project back on the projects list when you start Avid. When you open the project, everything you archived (which should be all your media, we hope) should be there. You are actually seeing everything from the archive drive, so to consolidate it back to the Avid Media Drive(s), you do what you did to archive in reverse by selecting all the clips in the bin (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A on a Mac with the bin selected) and Consolidate as described above, except you now would choose the bold Avid media drive as the bold drive simply has the most room on it. After this is consolidated, you can unplug your archive and your project will be restored as it was the day you archived it!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Shooting tips for better video
If you want to get better video, I humbly offer these few basic tips for whatever you are shooting.
First and foremost, always use a tripod unless you are going for the original MTV look, America's Funniest Home Videos look, consumer camcorder look, or just like shaky shots. By tripod, I'm strongly suggesting a fluid head tripod. These, like all other video production tools, have come down drastically in price making it more affordable for even the one man video companies. You simply can't get the same smoothness in your pans and tilts without one and a non-fluid head just won't cut it. However, if that is all you have at this time and all you can currently afford, one thing you can still do to improve your shooting is simply locking down more shots. You don't have to make a lot of camera moves to look professional, in fact, often less is better.
Why? Simply because you don't want your viewers to be aware of the camera, but of the content you are shooting. A good rule of thumb is if you are shooting something that is moving, you usually don't need to make a camera move as well. Too much camera movement is a common factor of amateur video productions. Have a look on some of the home movies on You Tube to see what I mean, and compare them to the camera moves you see on TV. In theater-type movies, you'll notice there is rarely any zooming at all, just slow, steady, and slight pans for camera movements the most, and sometimes some tilts.
Another example of this is the shooting of the NBC TV show The Office. Much of that has a lot of quick camera movement including a lot of zooms, which if you watch it, you'll soon become aware of the camera. Of course, this is a network quality program and this is done for effect, but it illustrates this concept pretty well.
Speaking of zooming in, you normally want to limit these to only details in your shot you really want the viewer to notice and focus in on. Zooming in is the camera move that will make the viewer the most aware of the camera itself. Remember, you normally want your viewers to watch what you are shooting, not create a simulated camera shoot for them.
Something else to think about is to get a variety of shots of the same scene if you can, so when you are editing your footage, you have a few different options to choose from per shot. For example, I mostly produce television commercials which often involve a lot of a client's product. If I do all zoom outs on the shoot, back in the editing suite, all I'll have will be zoom outs of everything to dissolve together. This will give a commercial an amateur look and will make it seem like the camera only has one move available! Shoot the same scene a few different ways, even from a couple of different angles. Often, you won't know what camera move will look best until you are editing. If you have a variety to choose from, you have a much better chance of making the finished product look its best. Remember Mark's rule for a successful video production is the chain reaction: good research and a good pre-pro meeting makes a good script, a good script makes a good shoot, and a good shoot makes a good and efficient edit which will create an effective video which will please your client and keep you employed!
It's also a nearly necessary rule of thumb to shoot everything static as well as things you make moves on. This way, you not only have more variety to choose from when you're editing, but static shots also come in handy to solve footage and content shortage problems during the edit. The best practice when shooting anything, no matter what the move is, is to shoot the scene static for 5 seconds, make your move, then let the camera sit static for another 5 seconds. Over movement and much constant movement without any static shots is a sure sign of an amateur or beginner shooter. Not that there's anything wrong with being a beginner, or even an amateur, but if you want to shoot more professional and get better video for your productions, you don't want to keep your camera constantly moving on a shoot.
When you are shooting, think ahead by thinking through your shot before recording. You should really make your move (if you are making one at all) and check your scene before ever hitting the record button. Be sure everything in the scene is what you want it to be, including background details. There are many things to look for which come with experience, such as lamps in the background of people shots where if positioned "just right", it can easily look like a person in your shot is wearing a lampshade! This one is amazingly common.
Besides being sure all is right in your scene, you also always want to white balance for every scene where the lighting is different from the previous scene. Of course, always white balance before your first shot, and anytime the lighting changes, be sure to do so again.
Video shooting is an art that keeps improving with practice. I've shot video for many years and am still honing this skill. The better shooter you become, the easier it will be to edit, and the more you will enjoy shooting!
First and foremost, always use a tripod unless you are going for the original MTV look, America's Funniest Home Videos look, consumer camcorder look, or just like shaky shots. By tripod, I'm strongly suggesting a fluid head tripod. These, like all other video production tools, have come down drastically in price making it more affordable for even the one man video companies. You simply can't get the same smoothness in your pans and tilts without one and a non-fluid head just won't cut it. However, if that is all you have at this time and all you can currently afford, one thing you can still do to improve your shooting is simply locking down more shots. You don't have to make a lot of camera moves to look professional, in fact, often less is better.
Why? Simply because you don't want your viewers to be aware of the camera, but of the content you are shooting. A good rule of thumb is if you are shooting something that is moving, you usually don't need to make a camera move as well. Too much camera movement is a common factor of amateur video productions. Have a look on some of the home movies on You Tube to see what I mean, and compare them to the camera moves you see on TV. In theater-type movies, you'll notice there is rarely any zooming at all, just slow, steady, and slight pans for camera movements the most, and sometimes some tilts.
Another example of this is the shooting of the NBC TV show The Office. Much of that has a lot of quick camera movement including a lot of zooms, which if you watch it, you'll soon become aware of the camera. Of course, this is a network quality program and this is done for effect, but it illustrates this concept pretty well.
Speaking of zooming in, you normally want to limit these to only details in your shot you really want the viewer to notice and focus in on. Zooming in is the camera move that will make the viewer the most aware of the camera itself. Remember, you normally want your viewers to watch what you are shooting, not create a simulated camera shoot for them.
Something else to think about is to get a variety of shots of the same scene if you can, so when you are editing your footage, you have a few different options to choose from per shot. For example, I mostly produce television commercials which often involve a lot of a client's product. If I do all zoom outs on the shoot, back in the editing suite, all I'll have will be zoom outs of everything to dissolve together. This will give a commercial an amateur look and will make it seem like the camera only has one move available! Shoot the same scene a few different ways, even from a couple of different angles. Often, you won't know what camera move will look best until you are editing. If you have a variety to choose from, you have a much better chance of making the finished product look its best. Remember Mark's rule for a successful video production is the chain reaction: good research and a good pre-pro meeting makes a good script, a good script makes a good shoot, and a good shoot makes a good and efficient edit which will create an effective video which will please your client and keep you employed!
It's also a nearly necessary rule of thumb to shoot everything static as well as things you make moves on. This way, you not only have more variety to choose from when you're editing, but static shots also come in handy to solve footage and content shortage problems during the edit. The best practice when shooting anything, no matter what the move is, is to shoot the scene static for 5 seconds, make your move, then let the camera sit static for another 5 seconds. Over movement and much constant movement without any static shots is a sure sign of an amateur or beginner shooter. Not that there's anything wrong with being a beginner, or even an amateur, but if you want to shoot more professional and get better video for your productions, you don't want to keep your camera constantly moving on a shoot.
When you are shooting, think ahead by thinking through your shot before recording. You should really make your move (if you are making one at all) and check your scene before ever hitting the record button. Be sure everything in the scene is what you want it to be, including background details. There are many things to look for which come with experience, such as lamps in the background of people shots where if positioned "just right", it can easily look like a person in your shot is wearing a lampshade! This one is amazingly common.
Besides being sure all is right in your scene, you also always want to white balance for every scene where the lighting is different from the previous scene. Of course, always white balance before your first shot, and anytime the lighting changes, be sure to do so again.
Video shooting is an art that keeps improving with practice. I've shot video for many years and am still honing this skill. The better shooter you become, the easier it will be to edit, and the more you will enjoy shooting!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
DVD Player compatibility: DVD (+)R vs. DVD (-)R
Once in a while, a DVD disc won't play in a particular player. This is due to a somewhat complex issue of various DVD formats. Unlike VHS tape which would play in any VCR, it's a whole new compatibility mess with DVDs.
The first DVD players would only play prerecorded DVD ROMS, as this was the only format available then. Eventually, recordable DVDs appeared, and today, there are 3 main recordable DVD formats: DVD (+)R, DVD (-)R and DVD RAM. Perhaps you've noticed this in the store if you've ever wanted to purchase blank DVDs.
DVD RAM is the least compatible of the recordable formats, and doesn't play on nearly as many players as DVD (+)R or DVD (-)R. The difference between these two formats is as follows:
DVD (-)R's are generally are more compatible with more DVD players than DVD (+)R's. However, the most compatible disc is a prerecorded DVD ROM as these were what most DVD players would only play pre-2004. Even players made since are more compatible with this format than (-) R or (+)R.
On a DVD disc, there is encoded information which tells the player the format of the disc. This is called the Book Type or the Bitsetting. It is possible to create the Book Type (Bitsetting) on a DVD (+)R disc to be DVD ROM, however it is not on a DVD (-)R disc. Therefore, if a DVD (+)R's Book Type or Bitsetting is set to DVD ROM, this would be the most compatible disc available as DVD players will read it as a DVD ROM. A DVD (-)R is not able to change or create it's Book Type to be anything but a DVD (-)R. So, while a DVD (-)R is more compatible than a DVD (+)R, a DVD ROM is the most compatible and it can be created on a DVD (+)R disc.
Media Art Solutions now exclusively uses DVD (+)R discs with the DVD ROM Book Type so you'll get the most compatible discs available for the most DVD players. Of course, there's always a rare chance where a disc simply won't play on a particular player.
If you have any DVD disc that won't play in your player, there's a couple things you can try. First and foremost, be sure your disc is absolutely clean. Just one fingerprint can make a DVD disc unplayable. To clean a disc, simply wipe it gently with a soft cloth such as a glasses cleaning cloth. If your disc won't play in one player, try another. You also might try playing the disc in your computer as computer DVD disc drives are generally more compatible than DVD players. Remember, if your DVD player was made before 2004, it's possible the newer discs won't play on it. Most players manufactured after 2004 should play almost any DVD disc.
The first DVD players would only play prerecorded DVD ROMS, as this was the only format available then. Eventually, recordable DVDs appeared, and today, there are 3 main recordable DVD formats: DVD (+)R, DVD (-)R and DVD RAM. Perhaps you've noticed this in the store if you've ever wanted to purchase blank DVDs.
DVD RAM is the least compatible of the recordable formats, and doesn't play on nearly as many players as DVD (+)R or DVD (-)R. The difference between these two formats is as follows:
DVD (-)R's are generally are more compatible with more DVD players than DVD (+)R's. However, the most compatible disc is a prerecorded DVD ROM as these were what most DVD players would only play pre-2004. Even players made since are more compatible with this format than (-) R or (+)R.
On a DVD disc, there is encoded information which tells the player the format of the disc. This is called the Book Type or the Bitsetting. It is possible to create the Book Type (Bitsetting) on a DVD (+)R disc to be DVD ROM, however it is not on a DVD (-)R disc. Therefore, if a DVD (+)R's Book Type or Bitsetting is set to DVD ROM, this would be the most compatible disc available as DVD players will read it as a DVD ROM. A DVD (-)R is not able to change or create it's Book Type to be anything but a DVD (-)R. So, while a DVD (-)R is more compatible than a DVD (+)R, a DVD ROM is the most compatible and it can be created on a DVD (+)R disc.
Media Art Solutions now exclusively uses DVD (+)R discs with the DVD ROM Book Type so you'll get the most compatible discs available for the most DVD players. Of course, there's always a rare chance where a disc simply won't play on a particular player.
If you have any DVD disc that won't play in your player, there's a couple things you can try. First and foremost, be sure your disc is absolutely clean. Just one fingerprint can make a DVD disc unplayable. To clean a disc, simply wipe it gently with a soft cloth such as a glasses cleaning cloth. If your disc won't play in one player, try another. You also might try playing the disc in your computer as computer DVD disc drives are generally more compatible than DVD players. Remember, if your DVD player was made before 2004, it's possible the newer discs won't play on it. Most players manufactured after 2004 should play almost any DVD disc.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Getting your old records & tapes into your iPod
If you're an "old timer" music fan like me, you probably have a significant amount of great music on an analog format, whether it's vinyl or tape... cassette, 8 track, even reel to reel! If you'd like to get this precious material into your iPod, here's how...
Real time record your content into an audio program. I use Audacity.
When the entire album is recorded, select each song by click/holding and dragging selection.
(**NOTE: click on the images for a larger view**)
Choose "Export selection as mp3" from the file menu.
Name your song and save it where you want it. To keep everything consistent and organized, you probably want it in a folder with the album name which is in a folder with the artist name. You save this to wherever you save your music on your hard drive.
Don't worry about the ID tags window in Audacity that will come up, you'll adjust these later.
When you have all your songs saved as mp3s, you're done with Audacity, so you can close it. It's up to you if you want to save the project first, but if you've saved all the individual songs right, you shouldn't need this file any longer. Also, after I select a song and have it saved to my hard drive, I delete it from Audacity. This makes it easier to find the next song, as it will be at the beginning of the timeline. You can actually undo (ctl-z) all the way back to restoring the entire album if you didn't already save the project.
Next, go to the file on your hard drive, and select all the songs you've just saved as mp3's. Right click and choose properties. A window will open where you want to select the "summary" tab.
Be sure the Advanced tab on the lower right is selected. If it's not, there will be a button that says Simple. If that's the case, click on that, and you will be in advanced mode.
You can now enter the information you want. I only enter Artist, Album, Year and Genre here.
When finished, click the OK button.
Your mp3 files should all now be named with Artist and Album title.
Next, open iTunes and drag/drop your file into your iTunes music library.
This next step I found to not always be necessary, but it is on many analog transfers to have the correct sequence in your iPod. In iTunes, right click each individual song and select "get info".
Another window will pop up where you want to choose the second tab, "info". Enter the track number in the first box under "Track Number".
Hit OK.
Finally, for the album art, select the entire album's songs and right click "get album artwork". If nothing shows up, you have another option: drag a jpeg of the album cover into the "drag album work here" box. Note, you need to have the down arrow along the bottom selected for this to show up.
If you only select one song, the artwork will only appear on your iPod during that song. If you select the entire album, the artwork will appear for all the songs on it.
The artwork can be from your hard drive, but doesn't have to be saved there first. Personally, I just grab them off the 'net where you can just drag and drop directly if right clicking "get album artwork" doesn't give me anything.
Now, the only thing left is to sync your iPod and you have your analog music digitized for the road!
It does take much longer than ripping a CD, especially one the iTunes on line database recognizes, but for us "old timers", that's not always the case with our music tastes!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Loading P2 media into an Avid Media Composer
“How to Import P2 Media into an Avid NLE”
by Mark A. Stuart
While HD is becoming the TV/video norm, so is a tapeless workflow in video production. In the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Panasonic’s P2 technology. It’s been a rather slow transition for me, not because of shooting on cards instead of tape, but learning how to import the clips into the NLE.
The NLE I work with is an Avid Adrenaline Media Composer. We use version 2.7.5 which is much more P2 friendly than previous versions, and the workflow a bit more straightforward. However, as I quickly discovered when going tapeless, things are a bit more detailed than the straightforwardness of capturing from tape, especially when you digitize on the fly and don’t batch capture. If you miss just one small step in the tapeless workflow, your P2 media will simply not import into your Avid. After discovering the process and now being used to it, I now offer this workflow that is simple and effective when you know how to do it.
You’ve come back to your “ranch” (or studio, edit suite, etc.) with a P2 card of beautiful footage you shot. To get this footage into your Media Composer, first of all, have your Media Composer application off. Next, be sure your system sees the cards. We use the Panasonic AJ-PCS060 card reader via a usb cable, which is an earlier version of their current card readers. You can also use your camera as your card reader. To be sure your system can read the media files, click on the drive letter and see if your clips are there. There should be two files: a folder named “contents” and a .txt file named “last clip”. [figure 1]
You never want to delete the last clip file, and you always want to copy that along with any P2 media from the other file folder. Deleting this file could destroy the entire process, or make later archiving a rat’s nest of stray files. If you want to see the actual clip files, open the contents folder, the video folder, [figure 2]
and there should be an .mfx (Material Exchange Format) “container” file for every clip 
you shot inside of this folder. [figure 3]
What I do next is not necessary, but I believe wise. I’ll immediately back up the entire contents of the card to a back up hard drive, and I stress immediately as well as entire. Before you ever import anything into your NLE, I think it’s a good safety measure to make a straight “ghost” for safe keeping and protection from any future or very near future errors. If you’ve read this article this far, I think it’s safe to assume you are computer savvy enough to know how easy it is to drag a file somewhere you didn’t want to, or delete something you didn’t want to lose. Remember, this is not only the contents folder, but the last clip file as well.
Now that you know your system can read the P2 media, and you’ve made your safety back up to prevent human (and machine) error, you’re now ready to actually import the files. Launch your Avid and create or open a project and have a bin open where you want to import the files.
Next, choose File/Import P2/Clips to Bin [figure 4] 
and select the root drive of your P2 card. [figure 5]
It is vitally important that this is the root drive letter, not the contents folder, another folder, or any clips. If you miss this detail, the entire process will not work! All your clips will now import into your bin.
When that process is complete, and it doesn’t take long, you’ll see the clips in your Avid bin, but you are actually looking at the media that is on the cards. At this stage, I usually like to name and sort my clips to help my edit be more efficient, but this is another option that is not required for this process to work. You can actually edit at this point as your NLE is looking at your card reader as being another media drive. If you unplug your usb connection now, you’ll get the dreaded “media offline” in your Avid monitors. This scenario is convenient for on site field editing and for quick rough cuts anywhere.
However, back at “the ranch”, once the Avid sees the clips in the bin from the cards, I consolidate this media into the Avid media drives. I do this by either selecting the P2 clips I want to use and keep (of course, you can sort your clips in the field right on the camera with P2 technology), right clicking, or choosing clip from the toolbar, and then choosing Consolidate –Transcode. There I select the Avid Media Drive with the most space available (the bold letter), select Consolidate and Video and Audio on the same drive(s), deselect everything else and hit the Consolidate button toward the bottom. [figure 6]
A window will then pop up where I’ll choose Relink Master Clips to media on the Target Drive and hit OK. [figure 7]
This consolidates the clips into the media drive, but the clips on the cards also remain. Consolidating the clips to the media could take some time, depending upon how much media you have, but this is much quicker than a real time analog capture.
In the bin, the card clips will now have an .old extension after the title (or number if you didn’t rename them) and will be offline, while the clips that are in the Avid media drive(s) will be online and will show up in the bin.
Next, unplug the P2 card reader. This is another important step as having two drives with the same clip names is an invitation of confusion for the Avid. Now all that’s left is for you to enjoy your edit with a tapeless workflow!
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