EDITING THE NARRATIVE 2

syllabus

script templates

budget templates

OFFLINE EDITING TECHNIQUES

narrative films/styles

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

OFFLINE EDITING TECHNIQUES

applicable to the DVision Pro non-linear digital editing system include giving your work an EDL number, working with power-edit moves, beginning a second EDL using the one you're on, copying footage between EDLs, finding source footage, replacing one event, keeping in synch, trimming, trimming for split edits, using the Executive Producer database application for batch ditizing, and digitizing. Click below to download. For Mac, Option+Click to download as Word file; for PC, right click. Download as "text file with line breaks" only if your computer does not support Word (click, then save the opened file from your browser to your computer):

Download Offline Editing Techniques as Word file
Download Offline Editing Techniques as Text with line breaks file

 

DVISION INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO GIVE YOUR WORK AN EDL NUMBER

• Select EDIT/FILE/NEW

• Select SAVE

• Give the file your first assisned EDL number (listed opposite your name and pasted to the work table) followed by a description that includes your initials and the month followed by the day. Example: KC330.

• SAVE

 

HOW TO BEGIN A SECOND EDL USING THE PREVIOUS EDL

• Select EDIT/FILE/OPEN

• Select the previous EDL and open it.

• Select SAVE AS.

• Give the new file your second assisned EDL number (listed opposite your name and pasted to the work table) followed by a description that includes your initials and the date. Example: KC401.

• SAVE

 

QUESTIONS & PROBLEMS

Questions: Write them down, and we’ll go over them in the workshop.

Problems: Report them to the Cage.

 

HOW TO BACK UP YOUR EDLs

See the DVision manual.

 

POWER EDIT MOVES IN D/VISION

FUNCTION KEYS & CLICKS

F1 = Help topics (very useful)

F2 = To shift the Time Line display to the actual beginning of the edl.

(or double-click outside the left of the timeline)

F3 = To shift the Time Line display to the actual end of the sequence.

(or double-click outside the left of the timeline)

F4 = Go back 1 frame.

F5 = Go forward 1 frame

F6 = Go back 5 seconds

F7 = Go forward 5 seconds

F8 = Place the time line in the viewing scale you last had (but not the previous position).

F9 = when pressed prior to playing, allows you to see the play arrow in relation to the entire timeline.

 

EDIT KEYS:

B = loads black (the 1st entry in Source Catalog); to be followed by "D" (duration).

D = duration of black

Z = gives full screen on Picture Monitor and turns on Play. Toggles to normal.

EDITING Sequence:

It is helpful to establish an editing sequence that you don’t vary--elst you spend mucho time redoing botched edits. The sequence I find helpful is this:

• first select the Insert on (blue) or insert off (red)

• then select the video/audio track(s) for the edit

• then edit

 

SOURCE FOOTAGE

If you have a lot of source footage and you know approximately where the footage you want is located, click on the word "Page" on the top right of the Picture Monitor. A dialog box will open in which you can enter the page number you want.

You can also use Key Word/Enter to use any part of a shot description to seek footage options. You can use more than one key word by typing "+" and the next key word.

 

JOGGING THROUGH SOURCE FOOTAGE

• Choose footage to be recorded. Shot is highlighted by white border.

• Click left button. Speed control indicator appears (-50X,-2X,-1X,-.5X, pause,+.5X,+1X,+2X,+50X). The 50X’s will not give audio; 1X is normal, either forwards or backwards.

 

REPLACING ONE EVENT

• Insert off

• Place cursor at head of event to be replaced

• Jog source footage to head of material to insert. Click right mouse to exit.

• Choose Record

• Place cursor at head of next event. Click. Exit Record.

This can also be done in reverse to "Backtime" an event. That is, insert cursor at head of event following the footage you wish to replace, then get the outpoint of your new footage and turn on Record. Then left-button click at head of the old footage in the timeline.

 

KEEPING IN SYNCH

Whenever you go out of synch, fix it THEN.

DVision has 2 synch counters:

Default Synch counter = lets you know how much the entire timeline might be out of synch.

Eventwise synch counter = let you know how much of a specific event your cursor is on might be out of synch. Can be turned on with this path: Configuration /Advanced Options.

When out of synch:

When synch counters show a positive number: remove video or add audio.

When synch counters show a negative number: add video or remove audio.

The F4 and F5 keys (1 frame back and 1 frame forward) are useful for accuracy.

 

COPYING EDITED FOOTAGE FROM ONE EDL TO ANOTHER

• Mark and Copy the footage you wish to transfer.

• Close that edl

• Open other edl and goto spot for transferred footage.

• Insert cursor, and Paste

 

TRIM

• Place cursor between two shots

• Choose "Trim"

• To add footage to head or tail, goto that side and type in the desired seconds/frames.

To subtract footage to head of tail, goto that side and type in a minus sign followed by the desired seconds/frames.

 

TRIM FOR SPLIT EDITS

• Trim both the video and audio to where you want the video cut to occur.

• Then trim the audio to where the audio cut should occur.

 

HOW TO LOG YOUR MASTER REEL FOOTAGE IN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

The problem:
How each editor in a class can learn how to use an autocapture database.

The solution:
Enter and check the data to be digitally captured into the Executive Producer application database; then export that database to DVision to digitize the footage automatically. A two-step process. Here’s the first step of the solution:

You make a log of footage on your dub: it clearly notes each master reel, each time code break to time code break, and includes descriptions of the footage within each break.

You’re now going to transfer this data to the Executive Producer database.

This is how to do it:

• Go to room 717 (hours open: 9:30-9:30 Monday through Thursday,
9:30--5:30 Friday and Saturday). At the west end of the lab is a stand-alone PC.

OPEN the Executive Producer application on the computer desktop.

• Choose FILE / NEW.

open the template named "DVtempl.tpl" (scroll to the bottom to find it).

• Choose FILE / SAVE AS.

Rename this file with the number of your first master reel followed by the extension ".tep". For example: "049.tep").

SAVE the file into the "DocEdit Class" folder by double-clicking through the following path: C: drive / Windows / Desktop / DocEdit Class. Once there, press SAVE.

• Now enter the data associated with that first master reel number from your log into Executive Producer. The fields in the database are in this order:

Reel Number: (enter your 3-digit reel number)

Take: (enter "1")

Description: (enter compressed version of what is happening)

Timecode In: (enter the timecode at the beginning of the scene)

Timecode Out: (enter the timecode just before the next timecode break)

Duration: (you can ignore).

Tab between the fields to enter your data.

You will make mistakes.

 

To correct text or timecode

Insert "I" beam in the Timecode or Text box.

Click to right of number or navigate with left and right arrows to it.

Press BACKSPACE and retype correct number.

To delete 1 record

Click on record to delete.

Click in left column (under the green check mark).

Choose EDIT / DELETE ENTRY.

 

To delete more than 1 record

Click on the first record to delete.

Press and hold the SHIFT key while clicking on the last record to delete.

Choose EDIT / DELETE ENTRY.

FILE / SAVE upon finishing each complete record in your database.

• Now check the timecodes for accuracy.

When you finish entering all the data associated with that first master reel, scroll to the top of the database and check the timecodes against your log, one by one. This is terribly important because one misplaced number can screw up your digitizing of that entire master reel and foul up the entire project for the class. Correct any mistakes now.

FILE / SAVE.

 

Repeat this entire process for each master reel number.

(That is to say: open "DVtemp.tpl" template; rename it with the next master reel number on your log followed by the extension ".tep"; save it to the DocEdit Class folder; enter data associated with that master reel number; check data; save). You will end up with this: the data associated with each master reel entered into its own separately-numbered Executive Producer file.

Now, while you are still within the application, you need to export these files to DVision.

 

HOW TO EXPORT EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FILES TO DVISION

Place floppy-disk in A drive.

• On the C drive navigate to the "DocEdit Class" folder.

• Open the first reel number (example: "008.tep").

• Goto FILE / EXPORT / DVISION PRO.

The EXPORT DVISION LOG dialogue box comes up.

For "Export": select "All entries".

For "File Header Information": select "Reel Number".

For "Reel Name": pull-down the menu to "Reel Number".

For "Take": select "Take".

For "Tape": select "Reel Number".

For "Description": select "Description".

• Select EXPORT, and a dialogue box comes up.

For "File Name": type your reel number followed by the .edl extension.

For "File Type" : choose "D/Vision.{*.edl}".

For "Drives": choose "a:".

Save to the folder called "DocEdit EDL’s"

 

Repeat this process to export each Executive Producer file.

 

 

HOW TO DIGITIZE MASTER REEL FOOTAGE USING EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND D/VISION

You remember last week’s problem:
How each editor in a class can digitize selects with mimimum mistakes and maximum ease.

You remember the solution:
Enter and check the data to be captured into the Executive Producer database, then let that database capture and digitize the footage automatically. A two-step process.

Last week you completed the first step; now comes the second:

Bring appropriate decks to capture area.

Clean heads of decks.

Nick has the master tapes.

Follow the following steps:

Power up the DVision computer.

3 options will come up.

Press "A" to select DVision Pro 2.2.

• Place your floppy-disk with exported Executive Producer files in A drive.

Create New Job called Thompson.

Go to DOS, Copy all Executive Producer EDLS into the Thompson job.

• Goto MAIN MENU/ PREPARE/ RTV CAPTURE/ AUTOMATIC CAPTURE/ AUTO CAPTURE FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.

• In the SELECT LOG TO CAPTURE dialogue box, find the first master reel number. (It will be in the following form: 3 digits with an "EDL" file extension. Example: "008.EDL"). Select it.

• A dialogue box now comes up with two kinds of information:

the AVS/EDL number box showing the next available AVS file number; and the AVS/EDL label that says "Autocapture from 008.EDL" (our example). Select ENTER.

• In the CAPTURE PARAMETERS dialogue box, make sure that "Capture Video" and "Capture Audio" are checked. (Note: for MOS footage, deselect the "Capture Audio" to make the file smaller and save on harddrive space). Deselect "Stereo". Press the "Video Config" button.

• In the VIDEO COMPRESSION PARAMETERS dialogue box, check "Medium Res." (Make sure the "Reference Frame" is set to "1"; the "Intraframe Quantization" is set to "0", and the Interframe Quantization" set to "0".
Leave the "SuperRTV Size Limit" blank). Press SAVE.

• This returns you to the CAPTURE PARAMETERS dialogue box. Press the "Begin" button.

• The screen will go blank for a few seconds, then the ADJUST DIGITIZER SETTINGS? dialogue box comes up. Press "No".

• The screen will again go blank, then the DESTINATION DRIVE dialogue box comes up. Select drive according to its empty space and press "OK".

The screen will go blank, then a dialogue box comes up with the following instruction (using our example): "Please load tape 008 in the source VCR. Then select OK to continue." (Very Important: actually load the tape into the source VCR before selecting OK or you will send the computer on a wild timecode goose chase with nothing to show for it but wasted time....).

Once you have selected OK, the "Capture Status" box comes up and lets you see what source Time Code the VCR is currently seeking. This dialogue box will prompt you for the next tape to be digitized when it has completed its current job.

This process will continue for all tapes to be digitized.