What I do at Fox 47

I’ve been working at WMSN Fox47 since May, 1991. Since March, 1999, I’ve been a Producer/Director/Editor there.

What this entails is mainly creating broadcast quality television commercials often from concept to completion. I say often because not every single commercial production I work on is written, shot and edited by me, however, many of the spots that air on the station are. For example, all three of the demo videos Fox47 has on it’s website were all produced by me. You can see these at http://fox47.com/sections/station/creative/

Generally, I help clients convey their message to grow their businesses by promoting their product(s) or service. This usually begins by a client being sold air time at the station. Then I, or someone on the production staff, will meet with the client to discuss the message they want to send to the demographic they want to reach.

I then write them a script that best conveys this through video, most often in the form of a 30 second commercial. Although the concept and creativity can vary widely for each individual client, most have some elements in common which includes the “headline” or the “attention getter”, the message, and the call to action; what the client wants the viewer to do whether that is calling, visiting their website, or stopping by their business in person.

When the script is approved by the client, we then shoot the footage according to the script and after that’s done, begin the editing process. As with every aspect of a production, the time this takes varies widely, especially considering the variance in complexity of any given production.

When the production is finished by way of being edited and all the visual effects and audio sweetening is completed, I’ll usually send the client an email draft version for approval. Next, the client will view it, and tell me something like, “Oh my God, Mark, that is excellent! Let’s air it!” and we’re done, and the spot airs, the client’s business grows, and I have another fine production in my library of video productions!

If, on the other hand, the client desires some adjusting, we also work with them through the revisions until they are satisfied with the end product. We never air a spot a client has not approved.

Most of the time, there are little to no revisions on my productions, and this has been the case for the vast majority of the time in the past year or so. My theory for any successful video production is the “domino effect”, which is a good client consultation meeting makes for a good script, a good script makes for a good shoot, a good shoot makes for a good edit, and a good edit makes a good spot, and a good spot makes a satisfied and happy client because it will work for them.

I’ve been doing this for the past 10 ½ years so far.

Before that, I worked a second shift (about 3pm – 11:30pm) as a Video Editor. I edited mainly for the Promotions Department. even though I was in the Production Department.

This was by far mostly editing promos from scratch as well as tagging national promotional spots with local information such as air times and dates. I did that for 3 ½ years, beginning in October, 1995.

The four years before that, I ran Master Control Monday through Friday (and an occasional Saturday) of the sign off shift. Yes, this was long before Fox 47 was on the air 24 hours a day! I also aired some “golden oldies” such as The Arsenio Hall Show, 21 Jumpstreet, and Beverly Hills 90210. I also had plenty of other duties during my shift and also kept up on my tape to tape editing anyway I could during that period.

I began working at Fox 47 back in May, 1991.

How to Archive Projects in Avid Media Composer

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!

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.

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!

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!