Digital Audio and Video Techniques
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Digital Audio and Video Techniques
Pearson Custom Publishing
Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Custom Publishing All rights reserved. This copyright covers material written expressly for this volume by the editor/s as well as the compilation itself. It does not cover the individual selections herein that first appeared elsewhere. Permission to reprint these has been obtained by Pearson Custom Publishing for this edition only. Further reproduction by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, must be arranged with the individual copyright holders noted. e the . Adobe Premiere is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. Sound Forge is a registered trademark of Sony, Inc. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN 0-536-90411-1 2004200352 JC Please visit our web site at www.pearsoncustom.com
PEARSON CUSTOM PUBLISHING 75 Arlington Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02116 A Pearson Education Company
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction About the Book ................................................................................................................................................ix Conventions Used in the Book ..................................................................................................................... x
Chapter 1—Filmmaking: An Overview 1.1 World of Films ...................................................................................................................................... 1.2 1.1.1 Evolution of Filmmaking ........................................................................................................1.2 1.1.2 Categories of Films..................................................................................................................1.7 1.2 The Language of Films ........................................................................................................................ 1.9 1.2.1 Writing a Script........................................................................................................................1.9 1.2.2 Creating a Storyboard............................................................................................................1.12 1.2.3 Identifying the Tools to Tell a Story.....................................................................................1.14 1.3 Filmmaking Process........................................................................................................................... 1.17 1.3.1 Pre-Production Phase ............................................................................................................1.17 1.3.2 Production Phase ...................................................................................................................1.20 1.3.3 Post-Production Phase...........................................................................................................1.22 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 1.24 Lab Exercises............................................................................................................................................. 1.27 Exercise 1 ........................................................................................................................................1.27
Chapter 2—Camera and Composition 2.1 Camera Basics....................................................................................................................................... 2.3 2.1.1 Components of an Electronic Video Camera.........................................................................2.4 2.1.2 Recording Formats ..................................................................................................................2.9 2.1.3 Camera Lens ..........................................................................................................................2.12 2.1.4 Camera Controls....................................................................................................................2.18 2.2 Using the Camera ............................................................................................................................... 2.20 2.2.1 Defining a Shot......................................................................................................................2.20 2.2.2 Creating Shots........................................................................................................................2.25
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2.2.3 Placing the Camera................................................................................................................2.27 2.2.4 Moving the Camera...............................................................................................................2.29 2.2.5 Setting the Camera Height ....................................................................................................2.34 2.3 Composition......................................................................................................................................... 2.40 2.3.1 Composition by Selection .....................................................................................................2.40 2.3.2 Principles of Composition.....................................................................................................2.40 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 2.45 Lab Exercises............................................................................................................................................. 2.47 Exercise 1 ........................................................................................................................................2.47 Exercise 2 ........................................................................................................................................2.52
Chapter 3—Lighting 3.1 Lighting a Scene.................................................................................................................................... 3.3 3.1.1 Characteristics of Light ...........................................................................................................3.4 3.1.2 Three-Point Lighting System..................................................................................................3.6 3.2 Controlling the Light.......................................................................................................................... 3.10 3.2.1 Controlling Intensity..............................................................................................................3.10 3.2.2 Controlling the Direction.......................................................................................................3.13 3.2.3 Balancing Color Temperature...............................................................................................3.14 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 3.16 Lab Exercises............................................................................................................................................. 3.17 Exercise 1 ........................................................................................................................................3.17
Chapter 4—Fundamentals of Editing 4.1 Editing: An Overview .......................................................................................................................... 4.3 4.1.1 Types of Editing ......................................................................................................................4.4 4.1.2 Sound Editing ..........................................................................................................................4.6 4.2 Transition Techniques ......................................................................................................................... 4.8 4.2.1 Cut ............................................................................................................................................4.8 4.2.2 Fade........................................................................................................................................4.10 4.2.3 Dissolve..................................................................................................................................4.10 4.2.4 Wipe.......................................................................................................................................4.11 4.2.5 Split Screen ............................................................................................................................4.12 4.2.6 Linear and Non-Linear Editing.............................................................................................4.12 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 4.16 Lab Exercises............................................................................................................................................. 4.17 Exercise 1 ........................................................................................................................................4.17
Chapter 5—Getting Started with Adobe Premiere 5.1 Exploring the Premiere Interface ...................................................................................................... 5.3
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5.1.1 Setting up the Workspace........................................................................................................5.3 5.1.2 Components of the Premiere Interface ...................................................................................5.5 5.2 Creating Projects in Premiere .......................................................................................................... 5.21 5.2.1 Starting a Project....................................................................................................................5.21 5.2.2 Specifying Project Settings ...................................................................................................5.23 5.3 Capturing Video ................................................................................................................................. 5.32 5.3.1 Capturing Analog Video .......................................................................................................5.32 5.3.2 Capturing Digital Video ........................................................................................................5.35 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 5.37 Lab Exercises............................................................................................................................................. 5.39 Exercise 1 ........................................................................................................................................5.39
Chapter 6—Editing Video with Adobe Premiere 6.1 Organizing Clips................................................................................................................................... 6.3 6.1.1 Importing Clips into the Project Window ..............................................................................6.4 6.1.2 Viewing Video Clips.............................................................................................................6.10 6.1.3 Adding Video Clips to the Timeline Window .....................................................................6.22 6.1.4 Trimming Video Clips ..........................................................................................................6.25 6.2 Editing Clips........................................................................................................................................ 6.36 6.2.1 Editing Clips in the Monitor Window..................................................................................6.36 6.2.2 Editing Clips in the Timeline Window.................................................................................6.48 6.3 Adding Transitions Between Clips................................................................................................... 6.54 6.3.1 Using the Transitions Palette.................................................................................................6.54 6.3.2 Inserting Transitions..............................................................................................................6.58 6.3.3 Previewing a Transition.........................................................................................................6.65 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 6.72 Assignments............................................................................................................................................... 6.73 Lab Exercises............................................................................................................................................. 6.75 Exercise 1 ........................................................................................................................................6.75
Chapter 7—Adding Special Effects to Video 7.1 Superimposing Video Clips................................................................................................................. 7.3 7.1.1 Adding Tracks to the Timeline Window................................................................................7.3 7.1.2 Fading Video Clips..................................................................................................................7.7 7.1.3 Using Transparency Keys and Mattes..................................................................................7.11 7.2 Adding Titles to Video ....................................................................................................................... 7.20 7.21 Interface of the Title Window................................................................................................7.20 7.2.2 Creating a Title Object ..........................................................................................................7.24 7.2.3 Saving a Title Object.............................................................................................................7.27 7.2.4 Formatting Text in Title Objects...........................................................................................7.29 7.2.5 Adding Effects to Titles.........................................................................................................7.42 7.3 Adding Animations to a Video Clip................................................................................................. 7.47
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7.3.1 Introduction to Keyframes ....................................................................................................7.47 7.3.2 Defining a Motion Path.........................................................................................................7.48 7.3.3 Adjusting Animation Settings...............................................................................................7.54 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 7.62 Assignments............................................................................................................................................... 7.64 Lab Exercises............................................................................................................................................. 7.65 Exercise 1 ........................................................................................................................................7.65 Exercise 2 ........................................................................................................................................7.66 Exercise 3 ........................................................................................................................................7.67
Chapter 8—Working with Audio 8.1 Introduction to Audio .......................................................................................................................... 8.3 8.1.1 Basics of Sound .......................................................................................................................8.3 8.1.2 Audio Digitization ...................................................................................................................8.6 8.2 Working with Sound Forge................................................................................................................. 8.9 8.2.1 Exploring the Sound Forge Interface......................................................................................8.9 8.2.2 Recording Audio with Sound Forge.....................................................................................8.15 8.2.3 Applying Effects to Audio ....................................................................................................8.20 8.3 Working with Audio in Premiere..................................................................................................... 8.29 8.3.1 Importing Audio Clips ..........................................................................................................8.29 8.3.2 Adding Audio Clips to the Timeline Window.....................................................................8.33 8.3.3 Editing Audio Clips in the Timeline Window .....................................................................8.38 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 8.52 Assignments............................................................................................................................................... 8.54 Lab Exercises............................................................................................................................................. 8.55 Exercise 1 ........................................................................................................................................8.55
Chapter 9—Exporting Video for Output 9.1 Considerations in Selecting an Export Medium .............................................................................. 9.3 9.1.1 Types of Export Media............................................................................................................9.3 9.1.2 Export Parameters ...................................................................................................................9.5 9.2 Exporting to Different Media ............................................................................................................. 9.7 9.2.1 Exporting a Video Project to a Videotape..............................................................................9.7 9.2.2 Exporting a Video Clip to the Web ......................................................................................9.10 9.2.3 Exporting a Video Clip to a CD-ROM.................................................................................9.17 9.2.4 Exporting a Video Clip to Another Program .......................................................................9.22 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 9.25 Lab Exercises............................................................................................................................................. 9.27 Exercise 1 ........................................................................................................................................9.27
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Appendix A.1 Video Broadcast Standards................................................................................................................A.3 A.1.1 NTSC .....................................................................................................................................A.3 A.1.2 PAL ........................................................................................................................................A.4 A.1.3 SECAM..................................................................................................................................A.4 A.2 Additional References.........................................................................................................................A.6 Glossary....................................................................................................................................................... G.1 Index ..............................................................................................................................................................I.1
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About the Book Digital Audio and Video Techniques explores the techniques involved in the process of filmmaking. It provides an insight into the evolution of various filmmaking media and the phases involved in the process of filmmaking. The book discusses the various aspects of filmmaking, such as camerawork, lighting, and editing. In addition, it provides hands-on learning of audio and video editing techniques using two editing software programs, Adobe Premiere and Sound Forge. The book is divided into two parts. The first part, Chapters 1 to 4, explains the basics of filmmaking. The second part, Chapters 5 to 9, describes the ways to perform audio and video editing by using Adobe Premiere and Sound Forge. Chapter 1 identifies the tasks involved in each phase of filmmaking. In addition, it also discusses the importance of a script in a film. Chapter 2 covers the types of camera movements. Chapter 3 details how to light a scene for a film. This chapter discusses the three-point lighting system. Chapter 4 explains the basic principles and techniques of editing. Chapter 5 introduces the interface components of Adobe Premiere. Chapter 6 discusses the ways to edit video clips in Adobe Premiere. Chapter 7 explains how to add special effects to video clips in Adobe Premiere. Chapter 8 describes the ways to record and edit audio in Sound Forge. Finally, Chapter 9 explains how to select a medium to which a video clip can be exported.
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Conventions Used in the Book This book contains features, such as notes, tips, warnings, and references, identified by various icons. Each of these icons presents a different type of information. Following is the list of icons that will be used in the book: A note provides information about the topic in context. This is additional information related to the topic.
A tip provides an alternative method for performing a task. It can also contain a simplified, although unconventional, method of doing a task. Just-a-Minute presents nice-to-know information or a quick question that checks the learners’ understanding of the current topic. A warning informs you about the dire effects of an action. Focusing on these warnings reduces the likelihood that learners will make the same errors. A reference provides links to Web sites or relevant books and white papers for further study on a particular topic.
Each topic begins with objectives that inform learners about the learning outcome of a topic. In addition, you will come across italicized text that represents newly introduced terms.
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Filmmaking: An Overview
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: • Trace the evolution of different media in filmmaking. • Identify the types of films. • Identify the components of a script. • List the tools required to tell the story of a film. • List the phases involved in making a film. • Identify the tasks involved in each phase of filmmaking.
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1 1.1 World of Films 1.2 The Language of Films 1.3 Filmmaking Process
1.1 World of Films “Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.” —Ingmar Bergman Everybody has a story to tell and a dream to share. You might often wonder how you can bring to life your dreams and stories and share them with others. A film could be the ideal way to get across what you want to say. Over the last century, films have emerged as one of the most powerful ways of communicating to mass audiences. Filmmaking is an art as well as a science. The art of filmmaking consists of writing, directing, shooting, and editing your own films. To become a filmmaker, you need to develop the skill of telling your story in an audiovisual form. For this, you must know the technology involved in filmmaking. You must know how to operate a camera, light a scene, and edit a film. This book explains the basics of filmmaking, the theoretical and practical aspects of camerawork, lighting, and video and audio editing. This chapter explains the evolution of different audiovisual media, such as motion pictures and television. It also tells you about turning a good concept or story into a film and about the activities involved in each phase of filmmaking.
1.1.1 Evolution of Filmmaking The concept of filmmaking is based on an illusion, a trick played on the eye, called persistence of vision. The human eye retains an image for about one-sixteenth of a second after it is removed from vision. Within this time, if the same image is brought back in front of the eye, the human vision cannot detect that it had been removed. If a rapid succession of images, each of which is slightly different from the preceding one, is shown to the human eye, then due to persistence of vision, the brain comprehends the result as an unbroken flow of movement. When a film or a video camera records a scene, it actually captures a series of static, photograph-like images. Each image captures successive moments of an action. This sequence of images, when played back in front of a viewer, causes the illusion of a real-life movement. A film is a series of images accompanied by sound and music and structured carefully to tell a story. This seemingly magical way of capturing movement
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on screen has profoundly changed the world over the last century. Over the years, audiovisual media has evolved along the following broad lines:
Cinema Television Video on the Internet
Cinema Motion pictures constitute the mainstream cinema that is played in theatres. These pictures have evolved from the silent era to talking movies and now to special effects and computer-generated images. Motion pictures started with the invention of a projector that was used to show films in theatres. The use of the projector to show a film in a theatre soon became a lucrative business and this evolved into mainstream cinema. Today, cinema is one of the largest industries in the entertainment business. The very first experiments carried out in the concept of persistence of vision were in 1824, when the thaumatrope was invented. A thaumatrope is a small circular disk of cardboard held by strings on two sides. An image is drawn on each side of the circular disk. For example, one side of the disk has the image of a bird and the other side has the image of a cage. When the disk is twirled, both images seem to superimpose, making it appear as if the bird is in the cage. Figure 1.1 shows a thaumatrope.
Figure 1.1: Thaumatrope
A few years later, in 1834, William Horner invented a device called a zoetrope. In a zoetrope, a sequence of pictures is pasted on the inside wall of a cylindrical drum. The Filmmaking: An Overview 1.3
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drum has slits through which you can see the picture on the inside wall diametrically opposite to the slits. As the drum rotates, the pictures pass in front of the eye in rapid succession. The pictures are a sequence of an action, and they create the illusion of motion. Figure 1.2 displays a zoetrope.
Figure 1.2: Zoetrope
By the end of the 19th century, Thomas Edison had invented a kinetoscope. A kinetoscope uses a sequence of pictures in the form of a 56-foot filmstrip. A lamp is positioned behind the filmstrip to project the picture onto a screen. A motor is used to move the filmstrip in quick succession. However, only one person can view this film at a time because the kinetoscope has only one aperture, at the top. This device was the earliest prototype of the modern day movie-theater projector. Figure 1.3 displays a kinetoscope.
Figure 1.3: Kinetoscope
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A filmstrip consists of a sequence of images that can be projected one image at a time. Examine a filmstrip and you will clearly see the subtle difference between each successive image.
The Lumiere brothers developed the first movie camera, or cinematographe, in 1895. The cinematographe can record and project images. A cinematographe is similar to a kinetoscope but differs in size. A kinetoscope is a large cupboard-sized machine, but a cinematographe is much smaller. This device was portable and soon became popular, leading to the beginning of the era of motion pictures.
The first film shot by the Lumiere brothers was the “The Arrival of a Train at the Station” (1895). It is said that the audience started to scream and rush out of the room.
Filmstrips were soon used to project small entertainment sequences, which developed into films that had stories running into an hour or more. In the 1920s, sound and storyline were added to movies, and the silent movies became talkies. The 1960s and 1970s saw rapid development of filmmaking for mainstream cinema. Today’s movie theaters use a high-definition film projection that displays images larger than life. In addition, multiple-channel digital soundtracks give the experience of stereo surround sound, which creates the feeling of sound coming from all directions in the movie theater.
Television Today, it has become difficult to imagine life without television programs beaming round-the-clock into our homes and workspaces. However, television is a recent phenomenon compared to motion pictures. Television broadcasts live events, news, and other entertainment programs. Television is based on the concept of converting light signals into electrical signals and electrical signals back into light signals. J.L. Baird developed the first television in 1926. A television camera converts a visual image into an electrical signal. These signals are recorded and transmitted through space as electromagnetic waves. A television set receives these electromagnetic waves through the antenna and converts them back into electrical signals, which can then be seen as visual images on the television screen. Filmmaking: An Overview 1.5
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Earlier television broadcasts could only transmit black-and-white images. Color television arrived in the market in the 1950s and soon became a popular household electronic gadget.
The television set is also called the tube because the main part of a television set is the picture tube, or the cathode ray tube (CRT), which converts the received signals into visuals that appear on the screen.
Video on the Internet In the 1990s, a digital revolution took place in the electronic media industry and the digital format became the de-facto standard in all types of video and film formats. The increase in processing power and storage capacity of computers has facilitated faster operations on digital formats of video and film and easier manipulation of these formats. Computers are digital and can easily capture and edit digital video format without expensive conversion equipment. The developments in telecommunication technology have made it possible to transfer large amounts of digital data over great distances in real time. Any signal or data can be converted into digital format and manipulated by computers. Therefore, there is a clear preference for digital formats in today’s world. The Internet has provided quick and easy access to information. The development in the area of information technology (IT) has made it possible for digital data to travel at the speed of light. The World Wide Web (WWW) has brought in new concepts, such as instantaneous connectivity through the Internet. Digital video can be transmitted through the Internet in various formats, such as Windows Media Video (WMV), Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG)1, MPEG2, MPEG3, MPEG4, and QuickTime Movie. The file sizes of multimedia-rich content are usually quite large. This makes data delivery over the Internet a slow process. Compression techniques considerably reduce file sizes for use on the Internet. Streaming techniques allow you to view or listen to the video or audio while the file is downloading.
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1.1.2 Categories of Films Films serve not only as a medium that delivers information and shares knowledge but also provides entertainment. Mainstream cinema is a front-runner in terms of opportunities, creativity, and the business it generates. The evolution of digital technology, especially since the mid-’90s, has made filmmaking possible even for amateurs. Films can be categorized into the following categories based on their similarities in themes, styles, situations, and characters:
Fiction films Non-fiction films
Fiction Films Fiction films narrate an imaginary story. Cinema or television actors perform these stories in artificially created environments known as sets. The stories that fiction films tell can be based on original ideas or on earlier works of literature. Fiction is by far the most-popular and most-watched type of film. Fiction in mainstream cinema can be further categorized into genres or types based on similarities of theme, content, and audiovisual styles. Some of these genres include action, romance, horror, science fiction, and period films. Action films typically have a fast-paced storyline and include plenty of stunts, fights, and chase sequences such as those in James Bond movies. Romantic films revolve around love themes, and the mood is accentuated with the use of music and soft lighting. Well-known romantic movies made in Hollywood are Love Story and Roman Holiday. Science fiction films feature speculative scenarios based on scientific and technological developments. These films may narrate a story that takes place in far-off galaxies, perhaps in another millennium, and depict fantastic technology that exists only in the imagination. Fiction forms a significant part of modern-day television programming. However, the segmented nature of television programming has created some new genres that are unique to television. Some of these genres are television series, music videos, and advertising commercials. Television series are usually 30-minute to hour-long films that are structured in the form of episodes. Music videos are short films that picturize the music of pop, rock, and other musical bands. Music videos have a unique aesthetic style with quick cuts and stylized visuals and have also set trends in the use of extensive computer graphics. Commercials are extremely concise, with durations usually ranging
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between 10 seconds to a minute. Advertisement commercials market products, services, and political candidates.
Non-Fiction Films Non-fiction films present factual information about their subject matter and are often made without the use of actors or sets. The primary aim of these films is to present reality in an interesting way, without distorting facts or relating an imaginary story. The subject matter of these films may be historical, cultural, scientific, biographical, or geographical. Non-fiction may also deal with current events. Categories in non-fiction filmmaking include biographies, documentaries, news, and training videos. Biographies are staged like a fictional film but are based on the life of a real person. Documentary films record aspects of real life. In documentary filmmaking, nothing is staged before the camera, and the role of the cameraman is very significant. Documentary films cover a large spectrum of issues related to science, geography, people, and wildlife. Television has usurped much of the role of the traditional newspaper. Twenty-four-hour news channels use satellites to bring world news instantly, long before the newspaper arrives in the morning. Electronic news gathering (ENG) is the system deployed by news agencies. In this system, news channels post their correspondents all over the world. The correspondent reaches the place where an incident or an event is taking place and reports the latest news. News features are extensive reports on a particular issue or an incident. News features are crisp, sharp, and to the point. Training videos are used widely in education, industrial training, and in the corporate world. These films impart knowledge and skills in specialized subjects. Training videos help institutions to cut costs by eliminating the need to take large teams on site to train them.
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1.2 The Language of Films “I write scripts to serve as skeletons awaiting the flesh and sinew of images.” —Ingmar Bergman Be it fiction or non-fiction, the ultimate goal of a film is to communicate with the audience. The action sequence in a thriller must be able to get the audience on the edge of their seats, and a romantic scene should make them walk in the clouds. A television wildlife documentary, apart from being informative, must be gripping enough to keep the viewer from flipping channels. Whatever the end product, the storytelling has to be captivating. All films begin with a script. This section explains the components of a script. This chapter also describes how to create a storyboard from a script and the tools of filmmaking.
1.2.1 Writing a Script A film tells a story in an audiovisual language. What transforms a story into the audiovisual language of film is a script. A script is a story written in a particular format using the language of filmmaking. It is a blueprint of a film and details the placement of the camera in each scene, the action that needs to be covered, and the lines that the actors are going to speak in each scene. To read scripts of famous Hollywood movies, visit the following Web sites:
http://www.screentalk.org http://screenwriting.about.com
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Figure 1.4 displays a sample script. 1. DAY. INTERIOR OF KITCHEN, DEBBIE’S HOME—WIDE SHOT DEBBIE AND KEN IN THE KITCHEN DEBBIE, age 32, gets up from the kitchen table, and turns toward the refrigerator. 2. MEDIUM SHOT—DEBBIE reaches for the refrigerator handle and she pulls the door open. 3. CLOSE UP—DEBBIE looks into the refrigerator. DEBBIE Ken! Who’s been nosing around in the fridge? 4. MID SHOT—DEBBIE seen from KEN’S point of view—DEBBIE turns around and holds up a plate with a half-eaten cake in it. There is a bewildered look on her face as she looks at KEN. 5. MID SHOT—KEN seen from DEBBIE’S point of view—KEN is sitting at the kitchen table. He returns a surprised look at DEBBIE. KEN What? Why are you looking at me like that?… I… I’ve got nothing to do with that… 6. CLOSE UP of the cake. The cake is half-eaten and kind of messed up on the plate. DEBBIE It’s Tim! I know … Its Tim and that little … 7. MID SHOT of kitchen. The kitchen door opens, cutting Debbie's sentence. TIM, age 8, bursts in through the door. TIM stops abruptly and looks at DEBBIE and then at KEN. 8. FULL SHOT of TIM from DEBBIE'S point of view—TIM has stopped in his tracks. He immediately takes his hands to his back, as if hiding something. 9. WIDE SHOT from behind TIM—All three are in the shot, DEBBIE puts the plate with the cake on the table on her left and bends down toward TIM. DEBBIE What is it, TIM? … What are you trying to hide behind your back?… 10. CLOSE SHOT of TIM's face—TIM looks scared. 11. CLOSE SHOT—TIM’S HANDS BEHIND HIS BACK—TIM’S hands hold a cute fat rat that is white in color.
Figure 1.4: Sample Script
A complete script consists of many scenes. Each scene is a subunit of the script and consists of a sequence of events that take place in the same setting. The sample script shown in Figure 1.4 is a complete scene. It opens with Debbie’s discovery of a
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half-eaten cake, introduces Tim, and ends with the audience discovering what Tim has been hiding. All this takes place in a single setting, a kitchen. Each scene is further broken down into shots. A shot can be defined as one continuous recording by the camera. For example, in the sample script, the first shot involves Debbie and Ken, and Debbie gets up from the kitchen table and turns toward the refrigerator. This type of shot is described as a wide shot (also called a long shot.) A wide shot shows a large area of the space in front of the camera. In the sample script, the wide shot covers the room in which Debbie, Ken, and the refrigerator are placed. A wide shot has been used to open the scene because it immediately familiarizes the audience with the location in which the characters are present, the kitchen. The audience also knows the relative position of the characters. In the next shot of the same scene, Debbie’s hand reaches out for the refrigerator handle. This shot is described as a medium shot. A medium shot covers a person from waist up. The camera is now showing a closer view of Debbie’s action. The audience’s attention is focused onto a particular action. In each shot of the sample script, some interaction takes place between the subjects. These are called actions. The lines that each character speaks in a particular shot are called dialogues. For example, in shot 9, the action is that Debbie puts the plate with the cake on the table on her left and the dialogue for Debbie is “What is it, TIM? … What are you trying to hide behind your back?”
You will learn more about the different types of shots in the next chapter, “Camera and Composition.”
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1.2.2 Creating a Storyboard After the script is ready, you need to visualize what each shot is going to look like in the final film. You need to sketch what you have in mind for each shot in the form of a storyboard. A storyboard is a visual representation of the script in a sketched format. It consists of small rough sketches or colored artwork in comic book style and is also called a picture book of shots. A storyboard helps members of the crew know clearly what is expected of them in each shot. Figure 1.5 shows the storyboard for the sample script in Figure 1.4.
1. A wide shot of Debbie’s kitchen. Debbie and Ken are seated at the kitchen table. Debbie gets up from the kitchen table and turns around toward the refrigerator.
3. Close up of Debbie looking into the refrigerator.
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2. Debbie’s hand reaches out for the refrigerator handle and she pulls the door open.
4. Debbie turns around holding a plate of half eaten cake. She gives a bewildered look to Ken.
5. Ken is sitting at the table. He returns a surprised look at Debbie and says, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
6. A close-up shot showing the cake half-eaten and messed up on the plate. Debbie says, “It’s Tim! I know…It’s Tim and that little…”
7. The kitchen door opens, cutting off Debbie's sentence. Tim is shown entering the kitchen.
8. Full shot of Tim (from Debbie’s point of view). Tim stops and immediately takes his hands to his back, hiding something.
9. Wide shot taken from Tim’s back. Debbie, Tim, and Ken in focus (Ken is sitting at the table). Debbie puts the plate on the table and bends down toward Tim and says, “What is it, Tim, that you are hiding?”
10. A close shot of Tim. Tim has a scared look. He looks at Debbie with his eyes wide open.
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11. A close shot of Tim’s hand behind his back. Tim is holding a cute white rat in his hands.
Figure 1.5: Storyboard of the Sample Script
1.2.3 Identifying the Tools to Tell a Story To shoot a film, you need the following tools:
Camera Lights Sound equipment
Camera The primary tool in filmmaking is a camera, which captures images on film, video, or hard disk. To make effective films, you need to know what you can do with the camera. You have visualized your shots, but now you have to decide where you are going to place your camera, and how you are going to arrange elements so that the scene looks as described in your storyboard. The process of arranging elements within the visual field or frame of the camera is known as composing the shot.
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Lights To capture an image on camera, you need light. An object becomes visible only when light reflects off it. If you do not have adequate light illuminating a scene, the camera will not be able to record an image of good quality. Shooting outdoors in bright daylight automatically solves the problem of inadequate light. Inside a studio, you need artificial lights to throw enough light on your subject. In film or video, you need more light to record or expose an image than is provided by ordinary sources of illumination. The human eye may perceive a room to be adequately lit, but the recording of an image in the same room may look dark and poorly lit. By accentuating or reducing light and shadow, you can create a desired mood in a film. Good lighting also enhances the quality of a shot.
Sound Equipment Film is an audiovisual medium, and sound plays an important role. To observe the importance of sound, play back a riveting sequence from any film with the audio turned off. A good example would be a chase sequence from a film such as “The French Connection.” Without the soundtrack, the sequence loses much of its effect. Sound equipment include the microphones, audio control devices such as mixers, and audio recording devices such as digital audio tape (DAT) and compact disc (CD) recorders.
The audio in a film is recorded from various sources and should be carefully controlled and blended to remove noise and distortion from audio. Audio control devices, such as the mixer, help you control audio levels and distortion.
Depending upon the direction from where a microphone can pick up sound, microphones are categorized as:
Unidirectional microphones: Capture sound emanating from one particular direction only. This helps cut off all unwanted sound at the filming location and lets you concentrate on the sound that is relevant to the film. For example, you can use these microphones to record a scene with a single person standing in his backyard. The unidirectional microphone records this person’s voice clearly but leaves out the sound of the dogs barking down the lane, and that of the cars passing on the nearby highway.
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Bidirectional microphones: Capture sound from two opposite directions. This type of microphone is used in scenes where two people sit across a table and talk.
Omnidirectional microphones: Capture sound from all directions. This type of a microphone is also called non-directional. An omnidirectional microphone records a conversation among a group of people seated together. However, you have to be very careful not to create a jumble of background noises. Figure 1.6 shows the graphical representation of the three types of microphones.
Unidirectional
Bidirectional
Figure 1.6: Types of Microphones
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Omnidirectional
1.3 Filmmaking Process “If you make films, you’re changing rhythm the whole time. You go from a quiet life to an absolutely turbulent life, which is typical of moviemaking. And then you get back to your normal life and you have to have nerves of steel.” —Geraldine Chaplin All types of film are made in three phases: pre-production, production, and post-production. Feature films, television and video productions, commercials, documentaries, music videos, training films, and educational films go through the same sequence of activities. This section explains the three phases of production in filmmaking. It also describes all activities and sequences of these activities in each phase of filmmaking.
1.3.1 Pre-Production Phase The pre-production phase is also called the planning phase. In this phase, you plan all activities that you will carry out while making a film. As a filmmaker, you may have a bright idea or a great concept, but you need to plan meticulously to develop the concept into a feasible project. Prepare a proposal and present it along with the script to a producer who can fund the project. Sell the idea to the producer, who looks at the project from a commercial and financial viewpoint. The pre-production phase consists of the following activities:
Preparing the script Creating a budget Identifying the roles of the people involved Deciding the cast Designing costumes Identifying the locations Designing and constructing sets Determining logistics Performing rehearsals Preparing schedules
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Preparing the Script The first step in the pre-production phase is to develop the concept or the story into a script. As discussed in the preceding section, the script is not only the foundation of the project but the backbone for the filmmaking process. The script is used in all stages of film production as a reference document.
Creating a Budget You need to work out a budget to assess the monetary requirements for completing the project and compare the requirements with your existing resources. The available funds have to be put to optimum use during the filmmaking process. You need to find alternate options for parts of the script that have expensive shooting requirements that you cannot afford. Budgeting is important and should consider even minute details.
Identifying the Roles of the People Involved Roles must be assigned to people to carry out specific responsibilities. You must clearly define the role of the director, producer, cinematographer, art director, film editor, and sound operator to coordinate the structured development of the film. The people involved in the making of a film must stick to their specified roles and not interfere in each other’s tasks. Table 1.1 lists some of the important roles and responsibilities. Role
Responsibility
Director
Translates the script into a film
Producer
Gets the finances for the film and handles all the monetary aspects of filmmaking
Cinematographer
Translates the vision of the director into visuals using camerawork and lighting
Sound recordist
Records the dialogues, atmospheric sound, and sound effects
Art director
Supervises the construction of the sets at the location of the shoot and looks into the design aspects, such as the props and color schemes in a scene
Editor
Edits the raw footage and puts together the final product
Casting director
Helps match the cast requirements with appropriate actors who fit the roles
Table 1.1: Roles and Responsibilities of People Involved in the Making of a Film
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Deciding the Cast You need to create a cast of actors that suit the script. Finalizing the cast takes up a considerable amount of time and you also need to know the availability of the cast during the planned shooting schedule. Casting directors are specialists who help you match the cast requirements with the appropriate actors. Casting directors have a keen eye for talent and are in contact with professional actors.
Designing Costumes Different films require different types of costumes. For example, the costumes for a film set in contemporary times can be normal daywear clothes. On the other hand, a period drama may require specific costumes to be designed. After the costumes are decided on, they become a part of the inventory for the duration of the shoot.
Identifying Locations Locations for every scene must be decided well in advance and can be a time-consuming exercise. Before finalizing a location, you must ascertain the feasibility of conducting a shoot at the location. You must obtain permission to film at the location. You need to also identify alternative locations.
Designing and Constructing Sets Sets are physical and temporary environments that are created in a studio. Set construction can take a long time and a lot of resources in terms of money, people, and effort. Art directors supervise the construction of the sets.
Determining Logistics Formulate a detailed list of equipment required for the film. The equipment has a direct bearing on the budget. For example, you need to choose a single camera or a multiple camera shoot depending on the requirements and budgetary constraints. Decide whether you will buy or rent equipment. Often, to keep the cost of the film low, much of the equipment for the shoot is rented.
Performing Rehearsals You need to hand out scripts in advance to the cast, to prepare for the shoot. Rehearsals help achieve good results and meet deadlines for the project. During rehearsals, a director hones the acting skills of his cast and fleshes out details of the characters. In musicals, rehearsals are especially critical because the movements of many dancers have to be carefully choreographed and synchronized. Filmmaking: An Overview 1.19
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Preparing Schedules Prepare schedules based on the dates committed by people involved in the shoot. Tasks such as placing the camera and other equipment happen simultaneously during the production phase. Therefore, it is very important that the schedule is laid down in advance and is a realistic one. It should be created after taking into consideration unexpected delays that may come up during the shoot, such as bad weather in an outdoor location.
1.3.2 Production Phase The production phase involves the shooting of the film. In this phase, the schedule that is planned in the pre-production phase is put into practice. The shooting progresses according to the schedule. In a perfect scenario, everything falls into place during the shoot. The production phase starts when the cameras begin to roll. The activities that happen during a typical day of a shoot are:
Reporting for the shoot Briefing for the day Setting up the equipment Setting the preview monitor Identifying the camera positions and movements Executing the shoot Logging the tapes Packing up for the day Conducting a debrief for the day
Reporting for the Shoot The reporting time for the crew is generally a few hours before the camera starts to roll. The crew must assemble on time to maintain the project schedule. Usually, the director issues a call sheet, which details the scenes to be shot during the day. This sheet describes the order and time of each shot and the reporting time for the crew and cast members. Typically, the camera crew and other technicians arrive well before the shooting begins to set up the lights and other equipment. The arrival time of actors depends on the amount of makeup they require and the scenes that they have to enact. 1.20 Filmmaking: An Overview
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Briefing for the Day It is good practice for the director to hold a morning briefing before the shooting starts. In this briefing, the director announces the planned activities for the day and the crew knows what is expected of them during the day. Any last-minute doubts or changes are also discussed.
Setting Up the Equipment You need to unpack and set up the equipment used for shooting. The makeup artists need to start working on the cast and get the cast ready for the shoot. You need to set up and test the lighting. All these activities must be done prior to the start of the shooting. To keep the project on schedule, ensure that all equipment is set up before the shoot begins.
Setting the Preview Monitor The preview monitor is the display monitor that gives a preview of what is being captured in the camera frame. In a fiction film, the director usually takes position in front of the preview monitor and observes the shot and camera movements during the shoot.
Identifying the Camera Positions and Movements To get the right shot, identify camera positions and movements before each shot. Good camera positions and movement add to the impact of the film. The director and the cinematographer go over all these details during the planning stage. Things change very often during shooting because it is only during actual production that all elements finally come together. A movement that seemed fine on paper may look weak in execution. The camera may be casting a shadow on the actors as it crosses them. In such an event, a new movement is devised on the spot.
Executing the Shoot The director takes charge of the shoot and orchestrates the movements and actions of everybody present on the sets. The cast and the crew are expected to carry out the instructions of the director according to the role they have been entrusted with. The cameraman takes the shots according to the script and directions given by the director.
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Logging the Tapes A scene is split into many shots, each of which must to be taken from various camera angles. A shot may require many retakes before a satisfactory shot gets an okay from the director. For every take of a shot, the camera rolls. All the takes get recorded on tape. A time counter that specifies the position of the recorded shot is displayed on the camera. Note the readings of the time counter in a notebook or a log, and the details of the shots corresponding to each reading. This practice is called logging the tapes. This helps in identifying the good shots during editing.
Packing Up for the Day The director announces the end of the day’s shoot. Until this time, everybody is supposed to stay attentive on the set. After the shoot, the equipment is packed and moved off. All equipment and costume inventory should be taken over by the people responsible for their safe custody.
Conducting a Debriefing for the Day A debriefing at the time of packing up for the day is a good practice. The director addresses the production crew regarding shortcomings in the day’s shoot, if any. The director and key persons of the crew and the cast go through the day’s recording to identify any discrepancies that may need to be looked into. A plan and a rehearsal for the next day’s shoot can also be discussed.
1.3.3 Post-Production Phase The output of the production phase is called raw footage. The editors and the director study the raw footage, select the best shots, and put them together to give the final shape to the film. This is a phase that can make or break a film. At this stage, all the hard work put in during the preproduction and production phases starts showing results. This is the final phase of making a film and is crucial. It is possible for a well-scripted story to end up being ineffective because of careless editing. A few missing shots can be made up in the editing room by appropriate fillers if the editor is smart and innovative. The post-production phase starts when the shoot is over. The footage is brought to the studio for editing.
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The activities involved in the post-production phase are:
Viewing the footage Capturing the footage Adding sound Editing the footage Creating an output on the desired medium
Viewing the Footage You need to familiarize yourself with the footage. Review each moment of the acquired footage and identify good shots and reject the shots that are not required.
Capturing the Footage If the film is edited using a computer, the footage recorded on tape is digitized onto the hard disk by using a capture card. A capture card is a computer hardware component that converts a video signal into a digital format. You will learn more about capturing video in the chapter “Getting Started with Adobe Premiere.”
Adding Sound After the raw footage is transferred to the hard disk of the computer, sound needs to be added to the film. This involves adding and mixing dubbed voices, sound effects, and music.
Editing the Footage Editing is performed using film-editing tools. The director and editor make an edit decision list by referring to the script. This is a list of decisions taken about the intended sequence of the shots that need to be inserted. You will learn about editing in the chapters “Fundamentals of Editing” and “Editing Video with Adobe Premiere.”
Creating an Output on the Desired Medium An edited movie, in which all shots are placed one after the other, is a complete film ready for viewing. However, the movie must be converted to a chosen format. Regardless of the medium you have worked in, it is possible to transfer the output to another medium. A film edited on a tape can be converted into a digital format, such as a DVD. Conversely, a film edited in the digital format can be exported onto a tape. A film can also be exported as a QuickTime Movie™ or other format for use on the Internet. Filmmaking: An Overview 1.23
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Summary Filmmaking is an art as well as a science. It is an art form because you have to develop the skill of telling your story in the audiovisual form, and a science because you must know the technology of filmmaking.
Films have evolved into the following media: •
Cinema
•
Television
•
Video on the Internet
Films can be divided into two main genres: •
Fiction films
•
Non-fiction films
The first step in creating a full-length film is preparing a script. A script is the document that gives shape to the story of the film in the form of detailed narratives, dialogues, and scene formation details.
The components of a script are: •
Scenes
•
Shots
•
Dialogues
A storyboard is a sequential representation of the script in a sketched format. It consists of small rough sketches or colored artwork in comic book style.
To shoot a film, you need the following tools: •
Camera
•
Sound equipment
•
Lighting
The filmmaking process can be divided into the following phases: •
Pre-production
•
Production
•
Post-production
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The pre-production phase consists of the following activities: •
Preparing the script
•
Creating a budget
•
Identifying the roles of the people involved
•
Deciding the cast
•
Designing costumes
•
Identifying the locations
•
Designing and constructing sets
•
Determining the logistics
•
Preparing schedules
•
Performing rehearsals
The following activities occur during a typical day of a shoot: •
Reporting for the shoot
•
Briefing for the day
•
Setting up the equipment
•
Setting the preview monitor
•
Identifying the camera positions and movements
•
Executing the shoot
•
Logging of the tapes
•
Packing up for the day
•
Conducting a debrief for the day
The activities involved in the post-production phase are: •
Viewing the footage
•
Capturing the footage
•
Adding sound
•
Editing the footage
•
Creating an output on the desired medium
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1.26 Filmmaking: An Overview
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Lab Exercises
Lab Exercises
Objectives Trace the evolution of different media in filmmaking. Identify the types of films. Identify the components of a script. List the tools required to tell the story of a film. List the phases involved in making a film. Identify the tasks involved in each phase of filmmaking.
Exercise 1 Problem Statement Write a script of 10 shots on any of the following:
Murder mystery Advertising commercial for a mobile phone Use the table provided to perform the exercise.
Hints Take up one shot at a time.
In the first column, write down the person or object involved in a shot. In the second column, mention the action occurring in the shot. In the last column, specify the dialogues or sound effects required in the shot. For example, in the script for the commercial for a mobile phone, you can mention the sound of the ring tone of the mobile phone.
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Solution S. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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Person/Object
Action
Dialogues/Sound
7.
Lab Exercises
8.
9.
10.
Observations/Learning
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Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
Wrote a script for any of the given topics
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No
Camera and Composition
2
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: • Identify the components of a camera. • Distinguish between digital and analog formats. • Describe the function of lenses. • List the characteristics of a lens. • Identify the types of camera lenses. • Identify the types of shot sizes. • Explain the types of camera movements. • Explain the principle of line of action. • Explain the triangle system of camera placement. • Describe the principles of composition.
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2.1 Camera Basics 2.2 Using the Camera 2.3 Composition
2.2 Camera and Composition
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2.1 Camera Basics “The camera always sees the truth.” —Bernardo Bertolucci The primary tool in filmmaking is a camera, which records images on film or on video. To capture the desired images, you need to understand the basics of the camera and how it works. You need to learn about the camera and its functions to compose shots with the correct camera angle and capture images to get the desired effect. The art of cinematography involves skillfully lighting a set, composing good frames for each shot, getting the right amount of light on your recording medium to record an image, and devising and executing camera movements. Cinematography is a result of teamwork. The director works closely with the cinematographer to plan each shot. In a large-scale feature film, the director of photography lights up the sets and devises the camera movements, and a camera operator actually handles the camera during the filming. More than one camera can be used simultaneously while filming important scenes, such as a car crash in an action film. Shooting with multiple cameras is an expensive process and requires detailed planning. Given the prohibitive costs of filmmaking and the high level of professional training required, the world of feature films is often an exclusive one. However, things are changing rapidly. With the advent of the videotape and recently digital photography, filmmaking has become a less exclusive process. Video has become a popular medium for telling a story. Video is inexpensive, and a number of independent filmmakers use video technology to make low-budget movies. Video technology is also useful for shooting news, documentaries, music videos, and corporate education programs. This chapter explains the basic principles camerawork and the features and basic operations of a video camera. This chapter also covers the different shot sizes and camera movements that you can use to enhance the storytelling in a film or a video production. It also describes principles for composing effective shots.
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2.1.1 Components of an Electronic Video Camera All video cameras including consumer and professional models have common components such as lenses, focus and exposure controls, filters, and zoom controls. To be able to use a video camera properly, you need to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the components of a camera. You also need to have a sound understanding of how video cameras work. Figure 2.1 shows the essential components of an electronic video camera.
Figure 2.1: Electronic Video Camera
Lens To understand the functionality of a camera lens, consider the analogy of the human eye. To see anything, the human eye needs light. When light strikes an object, light reflects from the surface of the object and enters the eye. The human eye has a retina, a lens, and an iris. The iris allows the required amount of light to pass through the lens. The lens, in turn, converges this light to form an image on the retina. You can detect the shape and texture of an object by the manner in which the object reflects light into the eye. You can see a bright patch, known as a highlight, in the spot from where a large amount of light is reflected into the eye. You can see a dark area, or a shadow, from the spot where less light is reflected. It is through this combination of light and shadow that you distinguish the shape and texture of any object.
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A video camera functions in a similar manner to the human eye. You control the amount of light falling onto the lens of the camera through its aperture. The function of the aperture is quite similar to the iris in the human eye. Try a simple experiment. Take a magnifying glass or a reading glass near a simple source of light such as a single light bulb. Now, hold the lens between the bulb and a sheet of paper. If you move the lens back and forth, at a particular distance, you see an inverted image of the bulb on the paper. This act of moving the lens back and forth until you get the sharpest possible image of the bulb is known as focusing. The lens can gather light and form an image because light travels slower through a lens as compared to the surrounding air. The surrounding air causes the light rays to bend and this process is known as refraction. If you now focus this lens, an image can be formed on a recording surface.
CCD A video camera uses a lens to focus light on a light-sensitive electronic chip known as a charge-coupled device (CCD). The CCD contains thousands of light-sensitive diodes called pixels. When light falls on the pixels, it is converted into an electrical charge. The bright part of an image results in a high electrical charge while the dark portion of the image results in a low electrical charge. The electrical charge generated by a CCD is measured by the circuits in the camera and converted into video signals. This video signal is then recorded on a recording medium. The recording medium can be videotape or digital video disc (DVD).
Most consumer video cameras have a single CCD. However, professional video cameras usually have three CCDs to obtain better color recording and picture quality.
Viewfinder All cameras enable you to see the image you are trying to capture. Still cameras have a small window called a viewfinder through which you can see what you are going to capture in a photograph. The viewfinder enables you to decide what you are going to include in your photograph and what you want to leave out. Similarly, video cameras also have a viewfinder that helps you compose and focus a shot. There is usually a small monitor screen that flips out and you can see your Camera and Composition 2.5
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recorded image if you play back the video signal captured. This helps you to queue your shots. Most of these monitor screens give you only black-and-white pictures. This feature in fact helps you adjust and achieve the desired contrast and luminance levels. However, some of the digital cameras have color viewfinders as well.
Automated Controls All video cameras are equipped with automated controls that enhance picture quality and help during editing video clips. Some of these automated controls are:
White balance Time code Focus control
White Balance All good video cameras have a control called white balance. This control can be used with preset positions or can be set manually. You may have noticed that sometimes an image produced by a video camera while filming in places lit by fluorescent lights has an overall greenish hue. Alternatively, you may have seen an outdoor scene with a peculiar blue tint. Red, blue, and green are called the primary colors of light. A mixture of these colors produces all other colors in the color spectrum. Sunlight on a bright day seems almost white because all the primary colors are equally mixed. At sunset, you get a reddish hue because at that time, the red color dominates. The human brain corrects such color biases normally and, when seen from the shade, sunlight appears normal to the eye. However, a camera has no perceptions of light and records the real cast of the light. Therefore, an outdoor shot in the afternoon may appear normal to you when shooting, but when you see the image, it has a blue cast. The white balance system was developed to help make the colors captured by the camera match human perception. Modern video cameras interpret colors accurately because they incorporate automatic white balance controls that compensate for different kinds of lighting conditions. If you want to set the white balance manually, you can hold a white card in front of the lens, keep the camera aperture at Auto mode, and adjust the focus ring to get a sharp image. On achieving a sharp image, press the white balance button on the camera. The camera normally takes a few seconds to adjust the settings. In some cameras, a “White Balance OK” message might be flashed on the viewfinder. It is important to remember that you choose the right filter for the lighting condition in which you are shooting. If you change the filter, you need to white balance the camera once again. 2.6 Camera and Composition
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You will learn about filters in detail in Chapter 3, “Lighting.”
You should refer to the user manual of your camera for finding the exact procedure for setting white balance. This is because the procedure may differ for cameras of different makes.
Time Code When you are shooting a long film, you will find yourself taking hundreds of shots. Later, while editing, it may become very difficult for you to find a particular shot. To locate the position of an image on a tape accurately, you use a time code, which is an electronic signal that is added to the videotape, while recording. Time code is similar to a fixed address and is unique for each frame. Time code appears on the digital display of a videocassette recorder (VCR), showing the exact location of the shot that you are watching on the videotape. The time code is recorded in the following order: hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. If you are recording a 30-minute video, the time code starts at 00:00:00:00 and ends at 00:30:00:00. While editing, you can use the time code to find the position of a particular shot on the tape. This makes editing easier and accurate.
There are 25 frames per second in the Phase Alternation Line (PAL) recording system, and 30 frames per second for National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) recording system.
Focus Control Focusing is the act of adjusting the lens of the camera to achieve the sharpest possible image. Use the focus control ring that is a part of the lens assembly in all video cameras. This control has distance settings shown in meters or in feet. Most video cameras offer you a choice between manual and auto focus.
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Auto focus can be overridden to enable manual focus. Beginners may find it easier to use the auto position while learning how to compose a shot or move the camera.
Power and Batteries A video camera can run on batteries or on a continuous supply of electric current. The batteries are usually nickel-cadmium or lithium batteries, and are rechargeable. Batteries can be used in both outdoor and indoor locations. If you are shooting inside a studio, and an electrical outlet is available, you can use an alternate current (AC) adaptor.
Microphone Video cameras usually have a built-in microphone to record sound along with video. However, built-in microphones have the tendency to pick up extraneous noise. If you change the frame by using the zoom while recording, the sound of the zoom motor may also be recorded. You can usually connect an external microphone, which can be placed closer to the subject to avoid extraneous noise and obtain better sound quality.
Camera Accessory: Tripod An essential accessory to a video camera is a tripod, which helps you to take more stable shots. A tripod is a three-legged support for the camera, as shown in Figure 2.2. A tripod helps avoid jerkiness while shooting. Unless you hold a camera very steadily, the image you record shakes when seen magnified on a screen. In addition to using a tripod, use lenses that have long focal lengths, such as telephoto lenses. The degree of movement is accentuated because magnification increases and the field of view decreases. A tripod also helps you adjust the height and placing of a camera to achieve a precise position and angle for the shot.
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You can easily manipulate a camera mounted on a tripod for smooth horizontal and vertical movements.
Figure 2.2: Tripod
The parts of a tripod are:
Legs: You can individually adjust the length of each leg of a tripod and position a camera steadily even on uneven surfaces.
Central column: You can mount the camera on the head, which is at the top of the central column.
Head: You can mount the camera on the head of the tripod itself. To move the camera, you need to move the head. Professional cameras use a fluid head that allows you to move the camera smoothly. A tripod should be portable and not very heavy, but light tripods are not too stable and may tip over if you move the camera quickly. When you choose a tripod, you need to strike a balance between the type of camera you have and the kind of filming you do.
2.1.2 Recording Formats Unlike a motion picture camera, an electronic video camera does not capture an image on film. In an electronic video camera, the video signal is recorded on a videotape. A videotape is a cassette with a tape that has a thin magnetic layer on top. The image is recorded on the thin magnetic layer. It is similar to audiocassettes, on which music is recorded. Videotapes are less expensive than films. A movie captured on videotape can be viewed immediately after shooting. On the other hand, a motion picture film has to be Camera and Composition 2.9
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developed before it can be viewed. Another advantage of video recording is that after you record a video signal, it can be easily and instantaneously copied to other devices or played on television. Using a video camera, images can be recorded in two different formats. These are:
Analog Digital
Analog An electronic video camera that uses analog format records video and audio signals as a steady magnetic pattern on videotape. In analog video recording systems, read/write rotating video heads are used to record information in alternate tracks on videotape wound on a drum. Consumer-grade analog cameras do not produce images of a very high resolution. Resolution is the degree of sharpness of an image and is measured by the number of pixels displayed on the screen. In analog video, there is a loss in the quality of image when you copy the footage to another videotape. This is known as generation loss. There are different types of analog formats. A format refers to the system of recording video data onto the tape by using a camera. A format affects the size and weight of the tape, which, in turn, affects the size and weight of the video camera. A format acts as an indicator of the picture quality from a camera. Depending on the video format you use, you get images of different quality and resolution. The following are some commonly used analog formats:
Video home system (VHS): Video cameras using the VHS format utilize tapes that are used in a standard VCR. VHS tapes provide a recording time of three to four hours. Video cameras using this format are bulky because the tapes are big. The picture quality is also poorer than that of other formats.
VHS-C: The VHS-C tape is smaller than a standard VHS tape, and cameras using this format are compact and portable. The recording time offered by this format is 30 to 45 minutes. The recording time is lesser than that of VHS because the VHS-C tape is small. The picture quality of a VHS-C tape is similar to that of a VHS tape.
8mm: A video camera using this format uses cassettes about the size of an audiocassette. The recording time is about 60 to 90 minutes and the picture resolution is similar to that of the VHS format. However, the sound quality is relatively better. A variant of this format called Hi-8 offers twice the video resolution of the standard 8mm.
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Betacam: This recording format designed by Sony has become the broadcast video standard for the world. This format offers a superior picture quality compared to earlier formats, such as U-matic. Betacam is still widely used in television shows, documentaries, and training programs. It is quickly being replaced by digital Beta.
Digital In digital video systems, the video signal from the camera is converted to a digital format through a process known as sampling, which converts samples of the signal into a series of numbers. The digital video signal is compressed and recorded to the tape using rotating video heads similar to those used in analog systems. In digital video systems, you can store the digital footage on videotape, a hard disk, or a DVD. To edit video data on a computer and post it on the Internet, you need to transfer the video data to a computer. The process of transferring video from a camera to a computer is called digitization or capturing. To transfer footage from a digital camera to a computer, you can use a capture card or a Firewire cable. After you transfer video data, you can edit the scenes and add titles by using editing software. Most digital camera manufacturers provide an editing program with their cameras.
The analog video footage can be digitized using a video capture card. The video player is connected to the card and the video footage is imported and digitized.
The commonly used digital formats are:
Mini-DV: Mini-DV cassettes are extremely compact and smaller than standard audiocassettes. Cameras using this format are compact, some being even smaller than a paperback novel. You can record high-resolution images on mini-DV that are comparable to high-end analog formats, such as Betacam. Mini-DV can record up to 60 or 90 minutes of video.
Digital 8: This format is exclusively used in video cameras manufactured by Sony. The video cameras using this format use Hi-8 tapes, which provide a recording time of 60 minutes. These tapes are less expensive than mini-DV tapes and offer similar resolution.
Digital Betacam: This format, also known as Digi-Beta, is the professional digital version of Betacam. It offers high resolution and picture quality. Digi-Beta is
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increasingly being used in television movies, serials, and commercials that would have earlier been shot on film.
2.1.3 Camera Lens The lens is the most important component of the video camera because it determines the quality of the image generated. The lens in a camera gathers light on a recording surface and gets an image. A lens is a single piece of glass or a similar transparent substance that has one or more curved surfaces. It is used to change the direction of light rays and converge light rays at a point.
Characteristics of Lenses Lenses have certain key characteristics that can be manipulated to get the desired effect. These characteristics are:
Focal length: Defines the distance between the optical center of the lens and the point where the image is formed when the lens is focused on infinity. Infinity is a point represented by any object very far away from the camera. Focal length is measured in millimeters (mm). The focal length of a lens affects the size of the image produced by a camera. Filming an object using a lens with a long focal length gives a larger image than filming from the same distance with a shorter focal length lens. The long focal length magnifies the image, making it seem closer to the camera. In contrast, a lens with a short focal length forms a smaller but wider-angle image. Figure 2.3 shows the focal length of a lens when it is focused on infinity. Focal Length
Lens
Figure 2.3: Focal Length
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Lens angle: The focal length of a lens determines the lens angle or the angle of view. The lens angle is the amount of area of a scene covered by a lens. The coverage provided by a lens varies with the focal length of the lens. For a given camera position, a lens with a long focal length has a narrow lens angle, which implies that the subject appears closer but the coverage of the scene is less. At the same camera position, a lens with a shorter focal length has a wider lens angle, which implies that more of the scene is visible but the subject will appear distant. Figure 2.4 shows how the lens angle varies with the focal length.
Figure 2.4: Variation in Lens Angle with Focal Length
Types of Lenses Video cameras come with a variety of lenses to suit individual needs. The types of lenses are:
Fixed lens Zoom lens Camera and Composition 2.13
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Fixed Lens Fixed lenses, or block lenses, have a predefined focal length. There are several types of fixed lenses available, with different focal lengths. The types of fixed lenses are:
Normal: The image formed by a normal lens is closest to what is seen through a human eye. The normal lens offers a natural perspective and an angle of view that is similar to that of a human eye. This lens is generally used to show a scene as it is without emphasizing any one element in the scene. Figure 2.5 shows a shot taken through a normal lens.
Figure 2.5: Shot Taken through a Normal Lens
Wide angle: A wide-angle lens has a shorter focal length than a normal lens and has a wider lens angle or a wider angle of view as compared to a normal lens. From a given position, a shot taken through a wide-angle lens captures more elements of the scene than a shot taken with a normal lens. The effect is that the elements in the scene appear smaller and farther apart than they actually are. In addition, a wide-angle lens distorts depth and perspective to give a dramatic effect. For 2.14 Camera and Composition
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example, a close-up shot of a person through a wide-angle lens exaggerates and distorts the shape of the face. A wide-angle lens is ideal for shooting wide areas, such as landscapes. A wide-angle lens can be used to emphasize space. For example, a wide-angle lens can make a small room look spacious. The widest view is captured by a fish-eye lens, which is an extreme example of a wide-angle lens. However, this type of lens causes major distortion in an image. When you use a fish-eye lens, the straight lines at the edges of an image become curved, causing the final image to appear circular. Figure 2.6 shows an image captured using a fish-eye lens.
Figure 2.6: Shot Taken through a Fish-Eye Lens
Telephoto: A telephoto lens has a longer focal length and offers a narrower angle of view than a normal lens. This lens covers a smaller part of the scene than the telephoto lens and magnifies the subject while the background and the foreground become blurred. This blurring is due to shallow depth of field and is a characteristic of telephoto lenses. A telephoto lens enables you to capture a detailed view of a subject from a distance. It is useful in situations where you cannot move the camera close to the subject: for example, while photographing wild animals. Another area where telephoto lenses are used commonly is sports events, such as horse races or baseball games. Camera and Composition 2.15
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Figure 2.7 shows the shot of a baseball player taken by using a telephoto lens. The shot was taken from a distance.
Figure 2.7: Shot Taken through a Telephoto Lens
Macro lenses: A macro lens is used for a detailed close-up shot of a subject. When you use a macro lens, tiny objects appear larger than life. A macro lens can have a focal length of 60 mm, as in a normal lens, or 200 mm, as in a telephoto lens. Unlike other lenses with similar focal lengths, the macro lens allows sharp focusing just inches from the subject. Macro lenses are often used to capture images of nature. For example, macro lenses are useful in a documentary on various species of insects.
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Figure 2.8 shows an image captured using a macro lens.
Figure 2.8: Shot Taken through a Macro Lens
Zoom Lens Most video cameras have a built-in zoom lens, which is a combination of lenses rather than one lens with a fixed focal length. A zoom lens can change focal length continuously without the object going out of focus. This type of lens has a variable focal length. You can also change the image size without changing the distance of the camera from the subject. This allows you to use the zoom lens as a wide-angle lens for one shot and a telephoto lens for another. Therefore, you can take different types of shots without moving the camera.
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2.1.4 Camera Controls There are two fundamental controls in a video camera that can help you obtain the desired effect in images. These are:
Focus Aperture
Focus Focusing a camera involves adjusting the lens so that the lens perfectly collects all the light entering the camera and the image appears sharp. If you are using a lens of a fixed focal length, manipulate the distance between the lens and the recording medium. To focus on a distant object, move the lens closer to the object. For an object close to the camera, move back some distance to achieve the perfect focus. When you are using a zoom lens, zoom in as much as possible to the subject to obtain the maximum focal length and then focus the shot. Zoom back to the required shot size and the picture is in focus. Every lens has a minimum focusing distance, which is the minimum distance between the camera and a subject for the subject to remain in focus. The minimum focusing distance is different for different types of lenses. For example, a wide-angle lens can focus on an object that is few centimeters away from the camera and the minimum focusing distance of telephoto lenses is a few meters.
Aperture A lens of a video camera has a circular diaphragm that consists of several metal blades that overlap each other. This mechanism is known as the aperture. The aperture of a camera is similar in function to the iris of the human eye. The iris has the ability to dilate or contract depending on the amount of light. Similarly, the aperture determines the amount of light entering the camera. By varying the diameter of the aperture, you can control the amount of light passing through the lens. Therefore, the aperture controls the brightness and quality of the image produced.
Depth of Field Photographs in which a subject is in focus while the rest of the elements and the background are blurry have shallow depth of field. Photographs in which all the elements in the foreground and the background remain in sharp focus have a greater depth of field. The term “depth of field” is a measure of the distance between the nearest and farthest elements that remain in reasonably sharp focus in an image. 2.18 Camera and Composition
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Figure 2.9 shows two characters that stand out from the background. This is because the image has been shot using a shallow depth of field.
Figure 2.9: Image Showing Shallow Depth of Field
Figure 2.10 shows the same image captured using a greater depth of field to focus both the background and the foreground.
Figure 2.10: Image Showing Greater Depth of Field
The aperture affects the depth of field of an image. The smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field. The depth of field is directly proportionate to the shooting distance, or the distance between the camera and the subject. The depth of field also depends on the focal length. The depth of field is greater for lenses with short focal lengths: for example, a wide-angle lens. In contrast, lenses such as telephoto lenses, which have long focal lengths, provide shorter, or shallow, depth of field.
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2.2 Using the Camera “The camera is my tool. Through it I give a reason to everything around me.” —Andre Kertesz Several techniques can help you to creatively illustrate a story. These techniques determine how a camera should be placed or moved to create the maximum impact. This section explains the types of shots and camera movements that help you to shoot effective scenes for your film.
2.2.1 Defining a Shot A film consists of multiple scenes played one after another. A scene consists of a number of shots, which are the basic units of a film or a video. A shot can be defined as one continuous recording by the camera. A shot when recorded by the camera is called a take. A shot not only conveys information to the audience but also manipulates their emotions and reactions. For example, long shots in a documentary showing landscapes give a sense of panoramic and majestic sweep. In a drama, close shots highlight minute changes in facial expression, revealing the emotional reactions of subjects, and add drama to the scene. The selection of a shot in a given situation determines how the audience connects and responds to the story. To understand which shot to use and when, you should plan the shots while storyboarding. This helps clearly communicate the intended message through a video or a film. To describe a shot, define its size. The shot size describes the relationship between the subject, its size, and the picture area. There are three generally accepted shot sizes. Shot sizes are generally used to describe the human figure but they can be used to describe any subject or location.
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Figure 2.11 shows a human figure and the parts of the body framed by each shot.
Close-up Shot
Medium Shot
Long Shot
Figure 2.11: Framing Heights for Each Shot
The three shot sizes are:
Long shot Medium shot Close-up shot
Long Shot A shot that shows the subject completely against a background is called a long or full shot. A long shot is typically used as an establishing shot, or a shot in the beginning of a sequence, to depict the relationship between the subject and the location. It helps familiarize the audience with the location of the action.
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A long shot is effective in giving information about the setting where the action is taking place but makes it difficult for the audience to see the subtleties of facial expressions of actors. If you want to highlight the body language of the actor, you have to use another type of shot. Figure 2.12 shows a long shot.
Figure 2.12: Long Shot
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Medium Shot A medium shot shows a human figure from the waist up. It is widely used in television shows and movies to focus the audience attention towards the action. This is because a long shot appears small on a television set, though the same shot stands out on a large screen. Medium shots are an integral part of television films. This type of shot captures the gestures and body movements of an actor but subtle variations in facial expressions are still not visible. Figure 2.13 shows a medium shot.
Figure 2.13: Medium Shot
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Close-Up Shot A close-up shot reveals the individual details of a subject such as a human face or a whole object lying on a table. Figure 2.14 shows a close-up shot.
Figure 2.14: Close-Up Shot
A close-up shot generates interest by drawing attention towards the reactions and emotions of an actor. A close-up shot also brings a viewer closer to the action in a scene. These shots are widely used in television programs. To use close-ups effectively, adhere to the following guidelines.
A close-up shot should not restrict the viewer from seeing an interesting action taking place somewhere else in the scene.
You should not use close-up shots to focus on details with which the audience is already familiar or on details that are obvious. However, telling a story exclusively by using close-up shots can confuse the audience by restricting them from knowing about the setting in which a story is unfolding. A judicious use of long shots in between close-up shots helps the audience to orient themselves better. A variation of the close-up shot is the extreme close-up shot, which is used to show certain features of a subject’s face such as the eyes or the mouth. An extreme close-up shot creates a dramatic impact. It can also be used to show the significant details of an object. For example, in a car chase, take an extreme close-up shot of the fuel gauge of a car, indicating that the vehicle is running out of fuel. This can add tension to the scene. 2.24 Camera and Composition
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2.2.2 Creating Shots You can create a long, medium, or close-up shot by:
Changing the lens: Change the focal length of the lens or zoom the lens, causing the size of the subject to change in relation to the overall frame. Figure 2.15 shows how close-up, long, and medium shots are created by zooming.
Figure 2.15: Creating Shots by Zooming
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Moving the camera: Move the camera closer to or farther from a subject to vary the shots. Figure 2.16 shows how moving the camera results in different shots.
Figure 2.16: Creating Shots by Moving the Camera
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2.2.3 Placing the Camera You need to understand how to place the camera to capture these shots. When you sequence shots taken from different angles, you must be careful to film the shots in a way such that after editing, the action appears smooth and continuous. While filming from different angles, there are two basic rules that help you create continuity in your video or film. These rules are:
Line of action Triangle system
Line of Action The line of action helps you organize camera angles to effectively use screen space, without confusing the audience about the spatial relationship between characters and objects in the scene. The line of action is an imaginary line passing through the main characters in the space in front of the camera. The line of action ensures that shots taken from multiple angles can be edited together without a reversal in screen space. For example, to ensure consistency and continuity in a scene that shows two characters seated across each other, an imaginary line is drawn between them. The direction of the line depends on the line of sight between the characters. After the line is drawn, a semicircle covering an area of 180 degrees is drawn, as shown in Figure 2.17. F
A
C
B
Figure 2.17: Line of Action of a Shot
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Take the shots of the scene by placing the camera within the semicircle. As a result, there is no confusion between the area to the left and right of the screen space, and the shots are consistent with each other. The shots taken from camera positions A, B, and C within the semicircle are consistent. Any camera position outside the semicircle is over the line. Therefore, if you edit two shots taken from either side of the line of action simultaneously, the result is as shown in Figure 2.18. The shots taken from camera positions A and F are inconsistent. In Figure 2.18, A and C shots show that a character is facing the other character while talking. A
B
C
A
F
Figure 2.18: Consistency of Shots
Triangle System When you use the line of action, follow the triangle system while deciding the placement of the camera. According to this system, you can take the basic shots for any scene from three camera positions in the 180-degree space on one side of the imaginary line. These three points can be joined together to form a triangle. You can vary the shape of the triangle by placing cameras in another set of three points in the semicircle. Shots within a triangle cut seamlessly with each other.
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2.2.4 Moving the Camera In addition to taking a shot from a single viewpoint and a stationary camera, you can move the camera while taking a shot. A moving shot can be used to follow a subject. It adds variation and energy to an otherwise static composition. You can use camera movements to heighten storytelling and affect the emotions of the audience. The following are the ways in which you can move the camera:
Panning Tilting Zooming Tracking Dollying
Panning Panning involves turning the head of the tripod on which the camera is resting horizontally. The head can be smoothly turned in a complete circle. Panning can be used to follow characters as they walk from one point to another in a scene. Another type of panning shot is a surveying shot, when a camera looks for a subject or an object. For example, a character is already present in the scene, and the camera pans to reveal him or her.
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Panning is the easiest shot to execute in comparison to other moving shots. Panning does not involve physically moving the camera from its position. A pan can quickly cover a wide area on a location. For example, in the same shot, the pan can frame one end of a bridge and move left or right to show the other end. It is also commonly used in movies to show wide spaces, such as a landscape. Figure 2.19 shows a shot taken by panning the camera. Subject
Camera
Figure 2.19: Panning Shot
Tilting Tilting involves moving a camera up or down through an angle of 90 degrees on the tripod head. It is used to illustrate vertical action in a scene. You can also tilt the camera up and down to denote height, for example, to show a man climbing a tall and steep ladder. Tilting is often called a vertical pan.
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Figure 2.20 shows a shot taken by tilting the camera.
Figure 2.20: Tilting the Camera
Zooming Zooming is another way of simulating camera movement. By changing the focal length of a zoom lens, the camera appears to move closer to or farther from the subject in a scene. Zooming is convenient because it allows you to stand in one position instead of moving the camera around and yet gives the impression of movement. A quick zoom draws the attention of the viewer to a detail of a scene from a wider shot, and can add to dramatic effect. For example, in an action film, quickly zooming in on a gun in the hand of a bank robber adds to the dramatic effect.
Dollying You can also move a camera backward, forward, and diagonally across a scene by putting the camera and its tripod on a dolly, which is a small platform or a cart. The dolly has noiseless wheels, so that it can be physically moved around by crew members.
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Dollying is used to move the camera towards or away from a subject or object in a scene, as shown in Figure 2.21.
Figure 2.21: Dollying the Camera
To increase emphasis on the subject in a scene, you need to move the camera towards the subject. To emphasize an expression such as a character’s moment of realization, the camera may dolly into the character’s face, instead of taking a closer view of his or her face. The effect created by dollying the camera underscores the emotion of the character in the scene. To create a sense of isolation and loss, you can move the camera away from the subject. For example, a man is standing on an island shore and a ship is moving away from the island. The camera can simulate this movement and move backward, showing him becoming smaller and smaller. This can be used to convey that the man is being left behind and is lonely.
Tracking A tracking shot is similar to dollying a camera and is used to follow the movement of a subject or to reveal a location. A tracking shot involves moving the camera and its tripod on a platform that runs along tracks or rails. In dollying, a camera can follow any path in a scene, but in a tracking shot a camera moves along a specific track.
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Figure 2.22 shows a tracking shot.
Figure 2.22: Tracking Shot
You can use a tracking shot to establish a location by selectively revealing the details of the location. An example of a tracking shot is a shot that follows two or more subjects who are in conversation with each other. The camera can track along the subjects from various positions, such as directly ahead of or behind the subjects. The camera can also track with the walking subjects at a position slightly ahead of them or behind them.
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2.2.5 Setting the Camera Height You can use different camera angles in a shot to influence audience perception about a character. A camera angle is the viewpoint that is used to shoot a subject. By changing camera angles, you can change the point of view of the audience and enhance the mood of a scene. You can manipulate camera angles by setting the height of the camera. Figure 2.23 shows a neutral camera height. The camera records the view from the subject’s eye level. In this case, the subject and the audience are at eye level. Such shots convey a feeling of stability.
Figure 2.23: Camera Height Set at Eye Level
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Figure 2.24 shows a shot taken at the subject’s eye level.
Figure 2.24: Shot Taken at Eye Level
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In Figure 2.25, the camera height is set above the subject’s eye level. From this angle, the camera looks down at the subject. This suggests the feelings of weakness and submission.
Figure 2.25: Camera Height Set Above Eye Level
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Figure 2.26 shows a high-angle shot.
Figure 2.26: High-Angle Shot
A high-angle shot is also used to show expanse: for example, a view of the city from a skyscraper. This adds drama to the scene.
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In Figure 2.27, the camera is set at the waist height of the subject. A shot of the subject taken from this angle is often used to convey a sense of power and superiority, with the subject appearing to loom over the audience.
Figure 2.27: Camera Height Set at Waist Height
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Figure 2.28 shows a shot taken by setting the height at a low level. Notice how the subject in the shot appears powerful.
Figure 2.28: Low-Angle Shot
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2.3 Composition “A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.” —Orson Welles A film is a visual medium that tells a story by arranging images, which change from frame to frame. A filmmaker needs to create images that direct audience attention towards the message of the story. The way the audience responds to your vision depends upon how skillfully you compose your shots. The composition of shots involves the placement of different elements within the frame to form a harmonious whole. This section explains how to use certain principles and guidelines to compose interesting scenes that influence the way the audience reacts to the story.
2.3.1 Composition by Selection To create an effective shot, you need to carefully select and manipulate the available elements. For each shot, plan the distance between the subject and the camera, the kind of lens to be used, and the viewpoint or angle from which the shot will be taken. You can then compose your shot by moving the camera and adjusting the shot size and the lens angle to modify proportion. In effect, you are selecting elements that need to be emphasized to make the story convincing.
2.3.2 Principles of Composition The principles of composition help organize the elements in your scene to lead the attention of the audience in the direction you want. Focusing audience attention is also necessary to ensure that viewers do not get bored or interpret the visual incorrectly. Some of the principles of composition are:
Rule of thirds Balance Visual rhythm
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Rule of Thirds You can use the rule of thirds to create visually pleasing compositions. To use the rule of thirds, imagine that two vertical and horizontal lines divide a frame into three parts resulting in nine smaller rectangles. The lines intersect at four points and provide four positions at which to place the main subject of your composition. When you place the elements at the intersection points, you obtain a pleasing and balanced picture. This also implies that you should not place a subject in the exact middle but at a slight off-center in the composition. The rule of thirds helps obtain a composition that is dynamic and interesting to the eye. Figure 2.29 shows a frame that is divided using the rule of thirds.
Figure 2.29: Applying the Rule of Thirds
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Figure 2.30 shows a shot where the rule of thirds is used to create a strong composition.
Figure 2.30: Composition Using the Rule of Thirds
Balance Balance is essential to compose an effective shot. You can create a balance by carefully placing the subject and selecting the camera viewpoint in the scene. You can also create a balanced composition by arranging shapes, colors, or areas of light and dark in the composition. There are two types of balances:
Symmetrical balance: In a composition, you can observe symmetrical balance by dividing the composition with an axis running through its center. The elements on one side of the axis are balanced by those on the other side.
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Figure 2.31 shows a composition using symmetrical balance.
Figure 2.31: Composition Using Symmetrical Balance
Asymmetrical balance: A composition using asymmetric balance is not uniform but is balanced. Balance is achieved by carefully distributing the visual weight of elements. Asymmetric compositions are more interesting than symmetric ones. Figure 2.32 shows a composition using asymmetrical balance.
Figure 2.32: Composition Using Asymmetrical Balance
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Visual Rhythm Rhythm in a composition is closely related to the repetition of elements. However, rhythm can result from repeating large patterns instead of individual elements. Figure 2.33 shows a shot that demonstrates rhythm.
Figure 2.33: Rhythm in a Row of Houses
Some compositions seem to flow slowly like a piece of music and some cause the eye to move from one point to another in a fast and abrupt manner. Both of these compositions illustrate two different types of rhythm. For example, to convey a serious mood, you can use smooth, flowing lines. Rapid and jerky elements can be used to show excitement.
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Summary An electronic video camera has the following components: •
Lens
•
CCD
•
Viewfinder
•
Power and batteries
•
Microphone
Using a video camera, images can be recorded in the following two formats: •
Analog
•
Digital
An electronic video camera using the analog format records the video and audio signals as a steady magnetic pattern on videotape. The following are some commonly used analog formats: •
VHS
•
VHS-C
•
8mm
•
Betacam
An electronic video camera using the digital format records audio and video signals as a series of numbers. The commonly used digital formats are: •
Mini-DV
•
Digital 8
•
Digital betacam
Focal length is the distance between the optical center of the lens and the point where the image is formed when the lens is focused on infinity.
The angle of view is the area of a scene covered by a lens. The types of lenses are: •
Fixed
•
Zoom
The types of fixed lenses are: •
Normal
•
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•
Telephoto
•
Macro
The minimum focusing distance of a lens is the distance that should be maintained between the camera and a subject so that the subject remains in focus.
A shot can be defined as one continuous recording by the camera. The three shot sizes are: •
Long shot
•
Medium shot
•
Close-up shot
You can create a long, medium, or close-up shot in two ways: •
By changing the lens
•
By moving the camera
Line of action and the triangle system are two basic rules that help create continuity in your video or film.
The following are the ways in which you can move the camera: •
Panning
•
Tilting
•
Zooming
•
Dollying
•
Tracking
The composition of shots involves the placement of the elements of the narrative to form a harmonious scene.
Principles of composition help organize the elements in your scene to lead the attention of the audience in the direction you want. These principles are: •
Rule of thirds
•
Balance
•
Visual rhythm
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Lab Exercises
Lab Exercises
Objectives Identify the components of a camera. Distinguish between digital and analog formats. Describe the functions of lenses. List the characteristics of a lens. Identify the types of camera lenses. Identify the types of shot sizes. Explain the types of camera movements. Explain the principle of line of action. Explain the triangle system of camera placement. Describe the principles of composition: rule of thirds, balance, and visual rhythm.
Exercise 1 Problem Statement Classify the given photographs into different types of shots, such as close-up, extreme close-up, medium shot, and long shot.
Hints The three types of shots are:
Long shot Medium shot Close-up shot
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Solution Photograph
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Type of Shot
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Lab Exercises
Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
No
Identified the type of shot for each photograph
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Exercise 2 Problem Statement Record the following scenes by using a digital camera:
Movement of a person from one place to another A conversation between two persons View the recordings and note, in the table below, the different camera movements used to record the scene.
Hints To record the movement of a person from one place to another:
Put a camera on a tripod and make a student walk from one place to another. Pan the camera in varying shot magnifications. Perform this on a road and follow passing vehicles after you are more confident. To record the conversation between two persons:
Put a camera on a tripod and make two students sit facing each other. Pan the camera in varying shot magnifications.
Solution Movement of a Person from One Place to Another
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A Conversation Between Two Persons
Lab Exercises
Observations/Learning
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Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
Recorded the movement of a person from one place to another
2.
Recorded the conversation between two persons
3.
Noted down the different camera movements for recording each scene
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No
Lighting
3
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: • Identify the need for lighting a scene. • List the characteristics of light. • Describe the three-point lighting system. • Explain the process of controlling the intensity of light in a scene. • Describe the process of controlling the direction of light.
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3.1 Lighting a Scene 3.2 Controlling the Light
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3.1 Lighting a Scene “Lighting creates mood. The mood places the audience into the story. You laugh. You cry. You feel happy. You feel sad. This is done by us—cinematographers—mainly with lighting.” —Vilmos Zsigmond You see things around you only because light falls on them. You can say that actually what you see is not any object itself but the light that is reflected off the object. Every object reflects and modifies the light falling on it in a different way. The human brain interprets this modified light pattern to give you a sense of the shape and texture of the object. A camera captures an image when light reflects from an object and passes through the camera lens. How the image finally appears depends on how the subject is illuminated. Too much light in a scene can overexpose your image, washing out the details in the scene. Too little lighting can make the image look darker than the original and can underexpose the image. You need to carefully control the illumination on the scene to obtain correct amount of exposure. The right amount of exposure gives you the best picture and minimizes defects. Light strongly affects the mood of the scene. For example, patches of light along with dark shadows can be used to create a sinister look in a horror film. On the other hand, a romantic scene can be illuminated with soft light. The way a scene is lit can also suggest the time of day and weather condition of the location. Lighting can be used to direct the eye of the viewer to a particular element in the frame. In a commercial, the main product that is being advertised is highlighted so that the product is lit up to look its best and the attention of the viewer is drawn to the product. For example, to highlight a computer monitor you can put the monitor on a turntable against an attractive background, and slowly rotate it. A shaft of light highlights the computer, and the part of the frame that displays the monitor is brightly lit while the rest is relatively dark. As a result, the viewer’s eyes are automatically drawn to the product. This chapter describes the characteristics of light and the three-point lighting system, which is the most commonly used technique in video lighting. This chapter also explains how to control the characteristics of light to vary the mood of a scene.
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3.1.1 Characteristics of Light To properly light a scene, you manipulate the following characteristics of light to achieve the desired effect in the film:
Quality Direction Intensity Color
Quality of Light The hardness or softness of light is referred to as the quality of light. Observe what happens when a person stands outdoors on a bright and clear afternoon. The light of the sun casts sharp, well-defined shadows and is called hard light. On a bright sunny day, the sun acts as a source of hard light. Look closely at the face of the person standing in the hard light of the sun. You notice that the prominent shadows make the face look unattractive. The harsh light accentuates flaws in the skin and features. However, if you make the same person stand out in the sun on a cloudy day, the soft light makes him look completely different. The shadows now are much softer because the clouds diffuse the sunlight. A soft light casts soft and less-defined shadows. You can try to simulate the effects of hard and soft light with an ordinary light bulb too. When you cast the light of the bulb directly onto an object, it acts as a source of hard light. If you bounce the same light off a wall, the light falling on the object becomes soft. You may have seen pictures of fashion photographers bouncing light off umbrella-like reflectors onto a model’s face in a studio. You may have wondered why they do this. The light brightens the features with soft, shadowless lighting, making the model look attractive. Cameramen place plastic diffusing material, wire nets, and meshes in front of light sources to soften the light. When transmitted through material such as white satin cloth, light diffuses to reduce the harshness of the shadows.
Differences Between Hard and Soft Light Hard light produces sharp-edged shadows and reveals the contours and texture of the subject. Hard light is more often used for dramatic and strong effects. For example, you can use hard light to depict a negative emotion.
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Soft light reduces contrast and minimizes surface details. It is commonly used to glamorize the subject because it hides blemishes such as the lines and wrinkles on a subject’s face.
Direction of Light The direction of light depends on the location from which the light emanates, the angle at which it strikes a subject, and the relative height of the light source. The direction of light is defined in relation to the viewpoint of the camera. Depending on the direction of light, one part of the scene is illuminated while the other part lies in shadows. The direction of light also determines how the texture and contours of the subject appear in the final image. By changing the direction of light, you can either emphasize or suppress the surface details of an object. If you project light directly onto the face of the model, the result is rather unflattering. For one, there are no shadows, and all facial features lose contour. If you raise the light, the effect worsens. Deep shadows appear under her eyes and the shadow of the nose gets stretched, making the nose look prominent and long. Cameramen usually avoid front lighting. Now, observe what happens if you place the light at a 45-degree angle to the model. The resulting shadows bring out the definition and texture of the face. From this angle, you can light up the model well without creating nose shadows and other such disastrous effects. Place the light at an angle of 90 degrees to the subject now. The subject is lit from an extreme side angle, and the light just skims along the surface of the skin. This kind of light placed somewhat behind the subject casts a rim of light and is called rim light.
Intensity of Light Intensity is the brightness of light. It is also referred to as the quantity of light. The intensity of light is measured in foot-candles or candelas. In cinematography, it is necessary to calculate the intensity of light falling on various areas of the scene so that you can work out a proper ratio for the light falling from various sources. Cinematographers use an instrument known as a light meter to measure the intensity of light. Using the light meter, you can adjust the light depending on the requirements of the scene.
The intensity of light is measured using an incident-light meter and a reflected-light meter. The incident-light meter measures the incident light falling on an object, and the reflected-light meter measures the light that reflects from an object and reaches the camera lens. The reflected light is measured from the camera position.
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Color of Light Light from different sources not only differs in intensity but also in color. The color of light depends on the way in which the source generates light. For example, light from a light bulb with a tungsten filament has an orange hue, and sunlight is yellow-white in color. The color of light is also known as the color temperature, which is the measure of the color of light emitted by a source. Color temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin (°K). For example, the color temperature of daylight is approximately 5,400 °K, and that of artificial light ranges between 3,200 °K and 3,400 °K. Low temperature implies warm light. The color of warm light ranges from yellow to red. In contrast, high temperature implies that the light is cool. The color of cool light tends towards blue.
Color temperature is defined with reference to a black body. A black body does not reflect light. On heating the black body, the spectrum distribution of the resultant light changes with its temperature, which is measured in degrees Kelvin (°K = 273 °C).
3.1.2 Three-Point Lighting System To light solid objects or characters in a scene, you need three basic light sources that cast light from different directions. The combined effect of the three lights placed in the right positions and set at the right intensity and quality can give you an optimum result. This system is called three-point lighting. Three-point lighting provides you professional results when lighting any scene, be it an interview or a dramatic scene. Place the three lights in their positions after you decide where you are going to put the camera. The light sources in three-point lighting are:
Key light Fill light Back light
Key Light Key light, or the main light, is the primary source of illumination for the subject in a scene. The key light covers the entire set or the subject, illuminating the whole set uniformly. A key light is usually placed to the side and at a somewhat high angle because that is the kind of light you are normally used to, in your daily life. If the key 3.6 Lighting
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light is at a very low angle, the effect is rather bizarre because all shadows are prominent and thrown upward. This is best avoided unless deliberately used for dramatic purposes. The main light usually casts strong shadows. After placing the main light, plan what to do with the strong shadows. You can diffuse the light somewhat to make the shadows softer by placing diffusers or nets in front of the light. You can also reduce shadows by placing the fill light. Figure 3.1 shows a scene and the position of the key light.
Figure 3.1: The Position of the Key Light
When you are lighting for a scene that has a dialogue between two characters, both characters should be illuminated from the same direction.
Fill Light Key light produces prominent shadows. To fill in the shadow areas created by the key light, you use a fill light. The light source used for a fill light is diffused and placed near
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the camera because the purpose of using a fill light is to reduce the shadows seen from the angle of the camera. The fill light is always weaker than the key light. The soft light lowers the contrast between the light and dark areas of the scene. A fill light does not produce an opposing shadow for the subject. If the amount of fill light in a scene is less, the scene becomes more dramatic. The position of the fill light often varies between 0 and 30 degrees from the camera lens and lies opposite to the key light. Figure 3.2 shows the placement of the fill light in a scene.
Figure 3.2: Placement of the Fill Light in a Scene
Back Light The backlight is used to make the subject appear distinct from the background. This creates an illusion of depth. When a backlight is not used, the subject tends to blend into the background, reducing the depth in the scene. You might have noticed a rim of light around a character in movies and television programs. This is due to the presence of a backlight that helps in highlighting the contours of the subject. The backlight is also referred to as hair light because it brings out the color and texture of a person’s hair.
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The backlight is usually a source of hard light, but it is smaller than a key light. It is usually placed behind a subject. If the backlight is placed too low, it can be captured by a camera in a wide shot. If the light is placed too high, it can spill over the subject’s head, lighting the nose of the subject.
If you only use a backlight without illuminating the subject with a key light, a silhouette effect is created. This can be used for dramatic effect. For example, you can create a sense of mystery by hiding the identity of the subject. Figure 3.3 shows a scene with all types of light sources: key, fill, and back lights.
Figure 3.3: Scene Lighted Up from Three Types of Light Sources
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3.2 Controlling the Light “The art of cinematography is the art of lighting and making that light tell the story.” —Stephen H. Burum, ASC As a filmmaker, you must create a picture on the movie screen that makes the audience fall in love with the movie. Lighting plays an integral role in drawing the attention of the audience to the important elements in a shot. Improper lighting can ruin the best shots in a movie, whereas proper and controlled lighting can even improve the worst shots. Proper lighting depends upon the intensity of light, the position of the source of light, and the color of light falling on the subject. For example, when there is a change in the mood from one shot to another, you need to change and control the lighting. This section explains how to control the intensity and direction of light and how to balance the color temperature of light.
3.2.1 Controlling Intensity The intensity of the light source determines whether the light brightly illuminates an object. For example, if a subject wearing bright-colored clothes is illuminated using a dim light, the bright-colored clothes appear dim. To ensure that the subject is illuminated properly, you need to control the intensity of light falling on the subject. The intensity of light you need for illuminating a subject is both a technical as well as an artistic decision. You can control the intensity of light by:
Changing the distance between the subject and the light source Using scrims and dimmers Using barn doors
Changing the Distance Between the Subject and the Light Source You can control the intensity of light by moving the lights closer to or farther away from the subject. With the increase in distance between the subject and the source, light disperses over a larger area and the intensity decreases. According to the inverse square
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law, if you double the distance between the light source and the subject, the intensity of light decreases to one-fourth of its original value.
The intensity of light is also measured in lux. One candela is equal to approximately 10.74 lux.
Figure 3.4 shows how to change the intensity of light by increasing the distance. Initially, the light is five feet away from the subject, and the intensity of light that is falling on the subject is 2,000 lux. When the distance between the subject and the light is increased to 10 feet, the intensity of light decreases to 500 lux, which is one-fourth of the initial intensity.
Figure 3.4: Changing the Intensity of Light by Increasing the Distance
Using Scrims You can also use scrims to control the intensity of light falling on a subject. A scrim is a large metal frame made up of finely woven wire and can be placed in front of a light source to reduce the intensity of light that is emitted from the source. You can use Lighting 3.11
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single- or double-thickness scrims depending on the intensity required. Figure 3.5 shows a scrim placed in front of a light source.
Figure 3.5: Scrim Placed in Front of a Light Source
In addition to scrims, you can control the intensity of light by using dimmers. A dimmer helps you to control intensity by reducing or increasing the voltage of the lamps used in light sources. However, dimmers also change the color temperature of the light source.
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Using Barn Doors Another method of controlling the intensity of light is by using barn doors. A barn door is an attachment to a light source. The barn door consists of black metal flaps, which are adjustable and can be used to cut down the light emitted by the light source. A barn door also helps prevent light from falling on areas where it is not required. Figure 3.6 shows a barn door attached to a light source.
Figure 3.6: Barn Door Attached to a Light Source
3.2.2 Controlling the Direction To capture a properly lit shot, you need to control the direction of light, in addition to the intensity of light. You can use a reflecting surface to change the direction of the source of the light. For example, in a close-up shot in which light falls from one direction, a shadow forms on the other side of the subject’s face. To control shadow formation, you can use a reflector. A reflector is a white board or a mirror that is placed in the direction of light. The reflector must be positioned so that it points toward the shadowed side of the subject. The light that falls on the subject is reflected by the reflective surface of the board or the mirror. You can use the reflector to light up the side of the face on which the shadow falls.
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Figure 3.7 shows the use of a reflector.
Figure 3.7: Using a Reflector
3.2.3 Balancing Color Temperature Knowing the color temperature helps you decide whether the color gives a warm or cool feeling to a scene. To impart a warm feeling, you use lighting that has color temperature of less than 4,000°K. For example, a home must evoke the feeling of comfort and safety, and you need to use lights with colors such as yellow and orange. Table 3.1 lists the sources of warm lighting and the corresponding color temperatures. Light Source
Color Temperature
Candlelight
1,750 °K
Incandescent lamp
2,900 °K
Floodlights
3,200 °K
Sunlight at sunset or sunrise
2,000 °K
Table 3.1: Sources of Warm Lighting
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The use of cool lighting makes a scene harsh and tense. Table 3.2 lists the sources of cool lighting and the corresponding color temperatures. Light Source
Color Temperature
Daylight
5,400 °K
White fluorescent
4,000 °K
Strobe light
6,000 °K
Table 3.2: Sources of Cool Lighting
You can vary the color temperature to change the mood of a scene and make an impact on the audience. You can balance the color temperature of light so that it appears normal to the human eye by using filters. A filter is a colored lens that is used to lighten or darken a particular color. For example, in outdoor photography, you can use a polarizing filter to deepen the blue color of the sky and to reduce glare. You can use the fog filter to give a misty look to the scene and add drama.
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Summary Light not only exposes the image but also strongly affects the mood of the scene. The following characteristics of light determine its behavior: •
Quality
•
Direction
•
Intensity
•
Color
The three-point lighting system can be used in most situations to obtain the required look for the scene. The light sources in the three-point lighting system are: •
Key light
•
Fill light
•
Back light
Proper lighting depends on the intensity of light, the position of the source of light, and the color of light falling on the subject.
You can control the intensity of light by: •
Changing the distance between the subject and the light source
•
Using scrims and dimmers
•
Using barn doors
To control the direction of light, you can use a reflector. Color temperature is the measure of the color of light emitted by different sources. You can use filters to balance the color temperature by lightening a particular color or darkening it.
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Lab Exercises Lab Exercises
Exercise 1 Problem Statement Set up the following light sources, one by one, to record a subject:
Key light Fill light Back light Note the changes that occur in the appearance of the subject in the following table. Type of Light
Observations
Key light
Key light + fill light
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Key light + fill light + back light
Observations/Learning
Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
Set up a three-point lighting system
2.
Recorded the subject with the three light sources
3.
Noted the changes that occurred with key light
4.
Noted the changes that occurred with key light + fill light
5.
Noted the changes that occurred with key light + fill light + back light
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No
Fundamentals of Editing
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: • Identify the types of editing. • Identify the importance of sound editing. • List the transition techniques. • Identify the techniques of editing.
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4.1 Editing: An Overview 4.2 Transition Techniques
4.2 Fundamentals of Editing
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4.1 Editing: An Overview “In an art form like filmmaking, we know that editing and revising cannot be dismissed as superfluous, for they are an integral part of the whole process. In fact, what we eventually see on the screen is not what was filmed, but what was edited.” —William Irmscher Editing plays an important role in the process of filmmaking. Editing involves assimilating the visuals that you have shot into a coherent structure in an appropriate manner. To start the editing process, select the good takes from the raw footage. Discard takes that contain camera shakes, bad focus, acting errors, and poor audio. Decide which bits to use from the selected shots of the film. Finish by combining the selected shots, narration, sound effects, music, graphics, and titles into a smooth-flowing film. Editing helps you to guide the interpretations and reactions of the audience. For example, in a dialogue between two performers, the shots show the hand movements of one of the performers. The body language of the speaker determines the attitude of the audience towards that performer. You can also use editing to direct the focus of audience interest to different elements in a scene. If you are directing a scene of a playground, you can put in various shots that show the actions of different individuals in the playground. A combination of many such shots can present an overall picture of the activities in the playground. Technically, editing involves deciding the point from where you move from one shot to another in a film. You also need to decide the manner and speed of transitions. Editing also involves maintaining a smooth flow of audio and video in a film. This chapter describes the types of editing, principles and techniques of editing, and different transition techniques.
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4.1.1 Types of Editing The principles of editing are:
Simple editing Parallel editing Montage editing
Simple Editing In this technique, various shots are combined in a simple and continuous manner. As a result, actions flow smoothly across shots and scenes without any jerks. Simple editing enables you to give a settled idea of space to the viewer. For example, you are watching a video recording of an interview. When the interviewee is answering a question, you see a close-up shot of the interviewee talking animatedly. Next, you see a close-up shot of the interviewer listening. This close-up shot is called a reaction shot. You also see a tilt down from the face of the interviewee to his hands as he gestures to make a point. Then, you see a cutback of both people in a studio and a third person joining them. All these shots in the video have been combined using the continuous editing technique to give the impression of a continuous action happening in one place. With this technique, the viewers feel that the subjects are sitting together in one place and talking to each other in real time. An editor needs to ensure continuity throughout a film. The term “continuity” denotes the level of smoothness of the actions and compositions across cuts. For example, you switch from one camera angle or magnification to another during an action. You wish to show one action in two shots taken from two different angles. In such a situation, the movements of the actors within the sequence should be a smooth, unnoticeable, and continuous action, although the sequence consists of different takes merged together. For example, an actor steps on an escalator in a medium shot. You switch to a long shot showing that the escalator is in a hotel lobby. The position of the actor, relative to the escalator, should match across the two shots. If the positions across the two shots do not match, the actor will seem to have physically shifted to another place. This break in continuity is called a jump. A proper cut must match the exact movements of the actor between the two shots, although they are two different takes of the same action. This kind of cut is called a match cut. In this example, you can smooth the action if an error occurs during shooting. You can show some other relevant visuals between the two
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shots of the actor stepping on the escalator. An example of a relevant visual is a visual of a guest in the hotel looking up briefly from his newspaper in the direction of the actor, and this type of a visual bridge is called a cutaway. You can also show a close-up of the hand of the actor reaching for the safety rail of the escalator, and this type of shot, which shows the details of the ongoing action, is called an insert. Sometimes, a jump is deliberately used as a stylistic device called a jump cut, which can be used to jolt the audience into paying attention to an action, such as in a horror film.
Jean Luc Godard, the French New Wave director, introduced the jump cut in his film Breathless (1959).
In general, bad continuity in the film disturbs the audience. Viewers may lose interest in the film if they observe too many inconsistencies between different shots. Continuity jumps can also appear in the form of inconsistent movement of individuals in different shots. For example, a film has a shot of a child who is cycling from right to left and is approaching a garden. However, in the next shot, you see the child entering the garden from the left side. This confuses the audience. Keep editing in mind while shooting the film.
It is a good practice to hold establishing and wide shots longer on the screen as compared to close-up shots. The audience takes longer to absorb the information in establishing and wide shots.
Parallel Editing Parallel editing involves showing two different locations and sets of action simultaneously. You can use the parallel editing technique to introduce an element of suspense in the story. By cutting back and forth between the two sets of action, you heighten the tension of the audience. For example, a man is told by the doctor to get a particular medicine for his sick child immediately. The sequence shows him rushing to the chemist. Next, you see shots of the child’s deteriorating condition. Then, you see the shot of the father at the chemist shop asking for the medicine. The following shot has the doctor trying to revive the Fundamentals of Editing 4.5
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child. By cutting between these two actions and developing them in a parallel fashion, you introduce suspense and involve the audience more intensely.
Montage The montage editing technique combines short shots in a quick succession. The link between the short shots is a common theme. A rapid succession of these images gives comprehensive information within a very compressed time frame. For example, you can use the montage editing technique and present visuals along with a fast-paced music track to show the various types of sports included in a sports event. This succession of shots can be the opening segment of a television special on the event. Figure 4.1 shows a montage of visuals of various sports.
Figure 4.1: Rapid Succession
Montage editing is used extensively in television promotions and commercials. The concept of montage has undergone a change since the great pioneering Russian filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein, conceptualized it. He explained montage as a joining of separate shots with their individual meanings, to create a greater third meaning. Eisenstein’s idea of montage editing is best seen in the famous Odessa Steps sequence of his film, “Battleship Potemkin.”
4.1.2 Sound Editing Editing is not just about pictures alone. The soundtrack of a movie is as important as the visuals. In a film, the soundtrack is not just the audio that has been recorded along with the visual. In films, you might have noticed how many different sounds are blended together into a new soundtrack. Dialogues are one of the main components of the soundtrack. In feature films, these are usually dubbed later, because the original sound during the filming (called the pilot track) also includes other distracting sounds, such as the sound of the passing traffic and instructions from the director. 4.6 Fundamentals of Editing
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In addition, there are atmospheric sounds used to build up the ambience. Examples of such sounds are the sirens of passing police vehicles, barking dogs, and creaking doors. The soundtrack also includes music to generate emotional reactions in the audience or to induce anticipation among them. All these sounds are carefully edited and then blended or mixed together. For example, a movie can have a shot that shows a large gathering of people celebrating at a party. In this shot, you would want to include music being played at the party. In the next shot, you could show two partygoers talking to each other. Here, you can hear their conversation but the music that is playing at the party is mysteriously missing or is playing in the background at a much lower volume than the conversation. However, in the following shot, the music resumes in normal volume. Such a shift breaks the involvement of the audience in the make-believe reality of the scene. As an editor, you must specifically look out for such inconsistencies and remove them.
Dialogues in feature films are usually dubbed later, but with the advent of highly sophisticated microphones, the trend of shooting on location with synced sound is on the rise.
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4.2 Transition Techniques The type of editing technique that you use also depends on the transition techniques that you employ when moving from one shot or one sequence to another. The response that a transition evokes from an audience depends on the transition technique used in a film. This section explains the transition techniques used while editing shots for creating an interesting film. These techniques include:
Cut Fade Dissolve Wipe Split screen
4.2.1 Cut A cut is the simplest and most widely used transition technique for building a link between two distinct shots. The editor decides the point where the shot begins, and where it ends, giving way to the next shot. The editor then removes the part of the shot that lies before the starting point, or the in point, and the part of the shot that lies after the ending point, or the out point. A cut can be jarring for the audience and can break the flow in a movie if the cut is not well planned and executed at the right point. With each cut, the audience has to shift their attention from one shot to the other to interpret the new shot. This attention shift can be disturbing for the audience, unless all cuts are made unobtrusively. The following are specific situations in which you avoid the cut transition technique:
Similar or near-similar shots: Introduces a break. The audience experiences a jump if you place these shots next to each other.
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Figure 4.2 shows similar shots placed next to each other.
Figure 4.2: Similar Shots
Extreme change in size: Disorients the audience and is avoided in the classical style of filmmaking. However, contemporary music videos may include such a transition. Figure 4.3 shows an extreme change in size.
Figure 4.3: Extreme Change in Size
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4.2.2 Fade The fade technique is generally used as punctuation, to show transition from one scene to another. The fade transition technique can be divided into:
Fade in Fade out Fade out-in
Fade In In the fade in transition technique, the image gradually appears on the screen. The shot begins in darkness and slowly light increases to show the entire image. For example, a fade in can appear at the beginning of a film, after the credits have been shown. The credits appear against a black screen, with the music playing in the background. The first visual of the film can then fade in as the music goes down in volume.
Fade Out The fade out technique is the opposite of fade in. In this transition, the image slowly gives way to a black screen. Fade out may be one of the ways of ending a film, where the last shot fades into a black screen with titles scrolling across.
Fade Out-in This technique is a combination of fade out and fade in. The most common use of this transition technique is to indicate the end of one scene and the beginning of another. The audience knows clearly that one segment has ended and that another has begun. If a cut is used in place of a fade out-in, the audience feels that the same scene is being continued and gets confused when the new set of shots shows another location and a different series of actions.
4.2.3 Dissolve The dissolve transition technique is used when you want a shot to gradually come onto the screen while the earlier shot is fading out. The two shots superimpose for a fraction of time during the transition.
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Dissolves are used to denote a passage of time. For example, show a shot of a tree in full bloom and dissolve the shot to show the tree that is covered in snow during winter. A dissolve between these shots indicates that the season has changed. Another example is a shot of a young boy playing soccer in an alley that dissolves to a shot of a professional soccer player in a stadium. The audience understands that the boy has grown up to become a professional soccer player.
4.2.4 Wipe This technique was commonly used in the early days of Hollywood cinema. In this transition technique, the new shot appears from a corner of the frame and pushes the preceding visual out of the frame, taking its place, as it were. This transition is again used as a way of changing from one scene to another.
Earlier, the wipe transition technique was implemented optically as a special effect in a laboratory. With the advent of video production, you can implement the wipe transition technique by pressing a button on the editing machine.
Wipe transition technique is often used in music videos and cartoons to provide a special visual effect. Modern video-editing systems offer various types of wipe patterns. However, this transition technique must be used very sparingly because an overuse of different wipe styles can make a video look too loud and amateurish.
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4.2.5 Split Screen The split screen divides the screen into two parts to show two visuals simultaneously. You can use this technique to show a telephone conversation between two persons where both speakers are visible to the viewer at the same time, or to show a comparison between the behaviors of two animals in a wildlife documentary. Figure 4.4 shows a split screen transition technique that illustrates a telephone conversation between two persons.
Figure 4.4: Split Screen Transition Technique
4.2.6 Linear and Non-Linear Editing Digital technology provides a better and faster way of editing with non-linear editing machines. Non-linear editing is not only more efficient as compared to linear editing but also ensures a better picture quality.
Linear In linear or analog editing, you physically copy shots from one or more tapes onto a new tape called the edit master tape. While copying the shots, the original shots are trimmed and rearranged, bad shots are removed, and effects and titles are added. A source video player plays the original footage, and a recorder is used to record the final edited movie.
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An edit controller is used to control the machines that are playing the shooting tapes back and forth. The edit controller helps find the beginning and ending points of each selected shot.
The method of locating shots through a count of control track pulses is called control track editing.
The process in which visuals from two sources are edited into one master tape is known as A/B roll editing. This process allows you to use transition effects between shots. In this type of editing, two players run simultaneously, and you can select the in and out points of the shots on the shooting tapes by using an edit controller. These shots are recorded onto the master tape with suitable effects inserted between the two shots. Linear editing can be classified into following two types:
Assemble editing Insert editing Assemble editing involves joining selected shots linearly along the associated control track. A control track is a guide pulse, acting as sprocket holes, recorded on the videotape. Control track pulses are used by servo systems to maintain a tape speed that allows precise playback head tracking. Assemble editing does not provide for changing or adding audio or video separately. In insert editing, you need to record a stable control track on the entire edit master tape before you start editing. You can add a new video clip over existing video without disturbing the existing audio track. You can also add a new audio track over the previous one without changing the previously recorded video.
Limitations of Linear Editing In linear editing, you put the film together in a linear fashion, building up sequences one after another in the same order as in the final film. You need to replay the same track repeatedly on the shooting tape to locate different shots. This is time-consuming and results in deterioration of the original shooting tapes.
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In addition, if you want to make changes in the middle of a film, you need to assimilate all the segments that come before or after the shot that you want to change. The use of linear editing systems decreased after the advent of computerized editing systems except in some television stations that still use linear editing systems for movies.
Non-Linear Non-linear editing involves editing on a computer screen using an editing program. Editing on a computer helps save time when there are many shots with complicated transition effects between the shots. In non-linear editing, analog footage is transferred onto a computer by using a capture card. A capture card converts analog footage into digital information, which can then be edited using editing software, such as Adobe Premiere. However, if the original footage has been shot using a digital camera, you can directly transfer the footage onto the computer using a FireWire cable, and you do not need a capture card.
A FireWire cable is used to directly transfer raw footage from the camera to the computer.
Advantages of Non-Linear Editing Non-linear editing does not involve physical copying of footage onto tapes used in editing. This helps avoid loss of information, or generational loss, which happens while making copies of tapes. Non-linear editing makes it easy to modify the sequence of shots in a movie. Any amount of modification is possible without having to reassemble previous sequences. Therefore, non-linear editing systems have become extremely popular. Music videos and commercials are created with non-linear editing systems.
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Before you start editing, you need a log of visuals. This contains the details of all the visuals that have been filmed while shooting. Using the log, you can determine which shot is present in which tape and at what point in that tape. Time code is used to mark the position of shots in the shooting tape.
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Summary Editing helps combine different shots into a meaningful and smooth-flowing film. In addition, editing helps you influence the interpretations and reactions of the audience.
The types of editing techniques are: •
Simple
•
Parallel
•
Montage
Editing a movie includes editing audio and video. The transition techniques that you can use while editing include: •
Cut
•
Fade
•
Dissolve
•
Wipe
•
Split screen
Editing can be of the following two types: •
Linear
•
Non-linear
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Lab Exercises Lab Exercises
Objectives Identify the types of editing. Identify the importance of sound editing. List the transition techniques. Identify the techniques of editing.
Exercise 1 Problem Statement Study the shots provided by the instructor. Arrange these shots to form a scene. In the following table, paste the shots in a logical sequence and add narration about each shot in the space provided. The narration must include the type of shot, the action occurring in each shot, the type of camera movement, and dialogues, if any.
Solution Shot
Narration
1
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2
3
4
5
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Lab Exercises
7
8
9
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Observations/Learning
Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
Pasted the shots in the table
2.
Identified each type of shot
3.
Identified the action occurring in each shot
4.
Identified the type of camera movement and dialogue
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No
Getting Started with Adobe Premiere
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: • Identify the interface components of Adobe Premiere. • Set up the workspace for a project. • Specify project settings using the Project menu. • Capture analog video using the Movie Capture dialog box. • Capture digital video using the Movie Capture dialog box.
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5 5.1 Exploring the Premiere Interface 5.2 Creating Projects in Premiere 5.3 Capturing Video
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5.1 Exploring the Premiere Interface So far in this book you have learned to record shots on videotapes using well-planned camera work and lighting. However, sometimes, during a shoot, you may not capture all scenes in their proper sequence. For example, while recording an interview, you record the questions asked by the interviewer in one shot and the answers given by the interviewee in another. In this situation, after the shooting is complete, you need to place the shots in their proper sequence. Adobe Premiere non-linear editing software enables you to edit audio and video clips. You can randomly edit any frame of a Premiere project. You do not need to reassemble the entire project after randomly editing the project. Adobe Premiere is different from linear editing software. In linear editing software, you need to reassemble the entire project from the point where you started editing, which is quite tedious and timeconsuming. Adobe Premiere provides digital video-editing tools to edit video clips and create a movie. In addition, you can export completed movies to media such as DVD, tape, and the Web. In this chapter, you will learn to identify the components of the Adobe Premiere interface. You will also learn to work with projects using Adobe Premiere.
In this chapter, Adobe Premiere will be referred to as Premiere.
5.1.1 Setting up the Workspace When you begin to work with Premiere, you need to first set up the workspace. A workspace is an arrangement of windows, window features, and palettes in a particular style. The selection of the workspace depends on the type of editing you want to perform. You can specify the type of workspace when you start Premiere for the first
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time. The Initial Workspace dialog box, which is displayed when you start Premiere for the first time, allows you to choose an appropriate workspace. You can select one of the following types of workspaces in the Initial Workspace dialog box:
A/B editing Single-track editing Figure 5.1 displays the Initial Workspace dialog box.
Figure 5.1: Initial Workspace Dialog Box
A/B Editing When you select the A/B editing option in the Initial Workspace dialog box, various windows are displayed in a basic format. This format is similar to the simple A/B roll-editing environment, in which you edit a video clip by using two sources of video or rolls A and B. In addition, a separate transition track is used to provide transition between the video clips. In an A/B editing workspace in Premiere, the video clips (A and B) and the transition track are displayed in separate windows. If you are not sure about which option to select, you can select the A/B editing option.
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A transition is an effect that is introduced between two video clips or two scenes to provide a seamless crossover from one clip to another.
Single-Track Editing In this type of workspace, video clips and transitions are placed on the same track, which you can then expand to display a transition track in between the two tracks. After you start working on a project in Premiere, you should avoid switching between the two editing workspaces. This is because A/B editing requires two tracks and single editing requires one. Therefore, one workspace does not support positions of clips in the other, and some formatting can be lost.
When using Premiere, you can click Workspace on the Window menu and then choose the type from the Workspace submenu.
5.1.2 Components of the Premiere Interface To work with projects in Premiere, you need to be familiar with the Premiere interface. The various components of the interface are user-friendly and help select, edit, or view video clips. You can create or open an existing project in Premiere. You can edit a new or an existing project by using the different components of the Premiere interface. The components help you perform actions such as select, edit, or view on video clips. The Premiere work area displays the following components:
Menu bar Windows Palettes
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Figure 5.2 displays the Premiere interface.
Figure 5.2: Premiere Interface
Menu Bar The menu bar is located at the top of the interface, as shown in Figure 5.2. It consists of menus such as File, Edit, Project, and so on. Each menu consists of commands that enable you to manage video and audio clips.
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Table 5.1 describes the different menus available in Premiere. Menu
Function
File
Provides various commands related to file management, such as create, open, save, import, export, and close
Edit
Provides commands for performing general edit-related functions, such as undo, redo, delete, copy, and edit clips
Project
Provides commands for specifying various types of project settings, such as general, audio and video, and utilities, such as batch processing
Clip
Provides commands to work with clips, such as view the properties of a clip, add a clip to a project, and specify the duration and speed of a clip
Timeline
Provides commands to perform tasks in the Timeline window, such as preview a project, add and delete tracks from the Timeline window, and render audio
Window
Provides commands to view other components of the Premier interface, such as windows and palettes
Help
Provides access to help options in Premiere
Table 5.1: List of Adobe Premiere Menus with Their Functions
Windows Windows form the main part of the interface in Premiere and enable you to work with clips. The following three windows are available in Premiere:
Project Timeline Monitor
Project Window The Project window enables you to manage the various components of a project, such as video, audio, and effects. It contains all references to the audio and video files that are part of the project. To begin editing, you need to import the audio and video files that you require in the movie into the Project window. The audio and video files are arranged in the form of bins. A bin is a folder-like view in the Project window, which enables you to organize a large number of audio and video clips in the form of a hierarchical structure. The bin view is similar to the folder structure in the Windows Explorer of the Microsoft Windows operating system.
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The Project window also includes a preview area that displays information such as the duration of the clip. You can play the thumbnail view of the clip in the preview area.
You may not need to use every clip you import into the Project window.
Figure 5.3 displays the Project window.
Figure 5.3: Project Window
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Timeline Window The Timeline window allows you to edit video and audio clips, add transitions, and apply special effects. The Timeline window provides a time-based view of the project and displays the placement of each clip in relation to both time and other clips in the project. You can perform editing in the Timeline window. The window displays five rows called tracks. There are different tracks to place the audio and video clips and transitions in the Timeline window. Figure 5.4 displays the Timeline window in the A/B Editing workspace.
Figure 5.4: Timeline Window in the A/B Editing Workspace
Based on the number of tracks, there are two types of workspaces, A/B Editing and Single-Track Editing. The Timeline window in the A/B Editing workspace displays the following tracks:
Video 1: Contains the first video clip Transition: Contains transitions between two or more video clips Audio 1, 2, and 3: Contain audio tracks to be played with video clips Video 2: Contains the second video clip. The Video 2 track is also called the superimpose track.
The track that contains the clip to be superimposed is called a superimpose track. Superimposing is the process of playing one clip over another.
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The tracks on the Timeline window in the Single-Track Editing workspace are similar to the tracks in the A/B Editing workspace. Figure 5.5 displays the Timeline window in the Single-Track Editing workspace.
Figure 5.5: Timeline Window in the Single-Track Editing Workspace
In addition to tracks, the Timeline window also displays a toolbox that enables editing tasks, such as selecting clips in the Timeline window. The toolbox is located at the top-left corner of the Timeline window. It contains tools for selecting, editing, and viewing clips. To select a tool, click the respective button on the toolbox. Figure 5.6 displays the Timeline toolbox.
Figure 5.6: Timeline Toolbox
Table 5.2 lists the tools in the Timeline toolbox along with their names and uses. Icon
Name Selection Tool
Allows you to select any clip in the Timeline window
Range Select Tool
Allows you to select multiple clips by creating a range in the Timeline window
Block Select Tool
Allows you to select a rectangular block of a clip in the Timeline window
Track Select Tool
Allows you to select a complete track in the Timeline window
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Used to
Multi-track Select Tool
Allows you to select multiple tracks in the Timeline window
Slide Tool
Allows you to move a video clip ahead or back in the Timeline window without affecting the duration of the video clip or the program. Use of this tool also affects the duration of adjacent clips in the Timeline window.
Rolling Edit Tool
Allows you to edit a clip in the Timeline window without affecting the total duration of the program. Use of this tool also affects the duration of adjacent clips in the Timeline window.
Ripple Edit Tool
Allows you to edit a clip in the Timeline window without affecting the duration of adjacent clips. Use of this tool affects the total duration of the video program.
Rate Stretch Tool
Allows you to change the speed of a clip
Slip Tool
Allows you to shift the in and out points of a clip in the Timeline window without affecting adjacent clips or the video program in any way
Fade Scissors Tool
Allows you to adjust the audio levels of a clip
Razor Tool
Allows you to cut a section of an audio/video clip
Multiple Razor Tool
Allows you to cut sections of multiple clips at the same point
Hand Tool
Allows you to navigate and scroll through the Timeline window
Zoom Tool
Allows you to zoom in and out of the Timeline window to facilitate easy editing
Link/Unlink Tool
Allows you to link and unlink audio and video clips
Cross Fade Tool
Allows you to adjust a seamless continuation between changes in the modulation of one clip with respect to the other
Fade Adjustment Tool
Allows you to fade in or fade out a clip
In Point Tool
Allows you to mark the start point of a clip
Out Point Tool
Allows you to mark the end point of a clip
Table 5.2: Tools with Their Uses
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Tools such as the Range Select and Ripple Edit tools contain additional hidden tools, which are represented by a small triangle on the bottom-right corner of the tool. To select a hidden tool, click the required tool in the toolbox, and then select the tool displayed in the fly-out.
Monitor Window In addition to Project and Timeline windows, the third window available in Premier is the Monitor window. This window helps you preview the individual clips imported into the Project window. It displays both individual video clips and the complete edited movie. The edited movie is also called the program. The Monitor window provides the following two views:
Source view: Allows you to see the video clip used as the source to create the final movie
Program view: Allows you to see the edited movie while you edit the movie in the Timeline window Figure 5.7 displays the Monitor window.
Figure 5.7: Monitor Window
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The Monitor window differs in the A/B Editing and Single-Track Editing workspaces. It includes both the Source and Program views in the Single-Track Editing workspace. In the A/B Editing workspace, the Monitor window includes only the Program view.
Palettes In addition to the menu bar and windows, the Premiere work area also displays palettes, which contain tools to monitor, modify, and enhance your work in Premiere. The various features offered by palettes are grouped under different tabs in a palette. You can view any palette by clicking its tab in the palette window. Premiere provides the following palettes:
Audio and Video Effect Controls Navigator Commands History Info Transitions
Audio and Video Palettes Audio and Video palettes provide effects that you can apply to clips in your project. For example, for an audio track, you can specify the bass and treble settings in the EQ folder of the Audio palette. Similarly, for a video track, you can adjust the brightness and contrast settings in the Adjust folder of the Video palette.
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Figure 5.8 displays the Audio and Video palettes.
Figure 5.8: Audio and Video Palettes
There are 21 audio effects and 74 video effects available in the Audio and Video palettes.
Effect Controls Palette When you apply an effect from the Audio or Video palette to a clip in the Timeline window, it is stored in the Effect Controls palette. In this palette, you can view effect settings, turn effects on or off, and delete effects. For example, if you select the bass and treble effect in the Audio palette, it gets stored in the Effect Controls palette. You can then change the bass and treble settings in the Effect Controls palette.
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Figure 5.9 displays the Effect Controls palette.
Figure 5.9: Effect Controls Palette
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Navigator Palette The Navigator palette is a smaller representation of the Timeline window that allows you to change the view of tracks in the Timeline window. This can be done by dragging the view box in the Navigator window. The view box is a green-colored box in the Navigator palette. The region inside the view box in the Navigator palette represents the Timeline window. Figure 5.10 displays the Navigator palette.
Figure 5.10: Navigator Palette
Commands Palette The Commands palette displays a list of shortcuts for commonly used tasks in Premiere. To perform a task listed in the Commands palette, you can either click the appropriate button or press the keyboard shortcut keys mentioned on the button, such as the F2 key to create a project. You can also create your own set of commands and assign keyboard shortcut keys to them.
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Figure 5.11 displays the Commands palette.
Figure 5.11: Commands Palette
A shortcut is a key or a combination of keys that helps perform an action without requiring the user to use menu options.
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History Palette Similar to a Web browser that stores the history of all the Web sites you have visited, Premiere stores all actions that you perform within a project in the History palette. The different actions performed in the current session of the project are displayed in the History palette. Every time an action is performed in the project, the current state of the project is stored in the palette. By clicking any of the actions, you can jump to any previous state of the project. Figure 5.12 displays the History palette.
Figure 5.12: History Palette
You can use the History palette to correct any mistakes that you have made in the project.
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Info Palette You can view the information about a selected audio or video clip or a transition in the Info palette. The Info palette displays data such as the name, duration, and start and end times of the selected clip in the Timeline window, as shown in Figure 5.13.
Figure 5.13: Info Palette
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Transitions Palette A transition is an effect in which a video clip or a scene crosses over to another video clip or scene. You can select various types of transitions. Similar to the Audio and Video palettes, transitions are organized in folders, such as 3D Motion, Dissolve, and Map. You can choose a transition depending on your requirement. You can select the Curtain transition from the 3D Motion folder to provide a curtain-like effect when the second clip begins in the movie. You can preview and apply settings, such as speed, to a transition by double-clicking the transition in the Transitions palette. Figure 5.14 displays the Transitions palette.
Figure 5.14: Transitions Palette
By default, all transitions in the Transitions palette are not animated. You need to double-click the transition to preview the transition. Alternatively, you can animate the transitions in the Transitions palette by selecting the Animate command from the Transitions menu. You can access the Transitions menu by clicking the button in the top-right corner of the Transitions palette.
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5.2 Creating Projects in Premiere A project is a file in Premiere that contains all information about a movie, such as arrangement of video clips and effects. After specifying the workspace, you need to start a new project or open an existing project. Depending upon the use, you need to specify different types of settings for a project. You can edit video and audio clips only after you create the project and specify required settings. In this section, you will learn to start a project and specify settings, such as audio and video. You will also learn to specify settings for video, audio, and keyframes or rendering for a project.
5.2.1 Starting a Project To start a project, click New Project on the File menu. This displays the Load Project Settings dialog box with a list of preset project settings, such as Digital Video (DV), QuickTime, and National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) or Phase Alternate Line (PAL) Video for Windows. These are predefined settings depending upon the video format, such as NTSC, PAL, or System Electronique Couleur Avec Memoire (SECAM), that is used for the project. You can choose a preset that matches your editing environment.
NTSC is the North American broadcast standard that sets 29.97 frames per second. SECAM and PAL are the European and Asian broadcast standards, respectively, that set 25 frames in a second.
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Figure 5.15 displays the Load Project Settings dialog box.
Figure 5.15: Load Project Settings Dialog Box
If you are unsure of the option to be selected, select the Multimedia Video for Windows option in the Load Project Settings dialog box.
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Project settings, such as audio and video settings, for the specific preset that you selected are displayed on the right of the Load Project Settings dialog box. You can also specify your own settings for the project. To do this, click the Custom button in the Load Project Settings dialog box. In the New Project Settings dialog box that is displayed, you can choose specific settings, such as General, Audio, and Video. Figure 5.16 displays the New Project Settings dialog box.
Figure 5.16: New Project Settings Dialog Box
You will now learn about the various types of project settings that you specify to edit audio and video clips.
5.2.2 Specifying Project Settings When you begin working with projects, you need to ensure that Premiere correctly handles video clips. You can do so by specifying various project settings that determine how Premiere processes audio and video as you edit the clips in the project. The settings also allow you to edit and view your work quickly and easily and prevent undue processing time. Project settings are organized into five categories in the New Project Settings dialog box. You can switch between different categories by clicking the Prev and Next buttons in the New Project Settings dialog box.
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You can also specify the various categories of project settings after you start working on a project by clicking Project Settings on the Project menu. From the displayed submenu, you can select the settings options to display the respective dialog boxes. This displays the Project Settings dialog box. The five categories of Project Settings are:
General Video Audio Keyframe and Rendering Capture
General Settings The General settings option allows you to specify the basic properties of a program. This includes how Premiere processes video files and the advanced settings provided by third-party manufacturers. You can specify the following properties in General settings:
Editing Mode Timebase Time Display Figure 5.17 displays the General settings panel of the Project Settings dialog box.
Figure 5.17: General Settings Panel
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Editing Mode The Editing Mode option specifies the mode in which a particular video clip would play from the Timeline window. Using this option, you can also specify the video compression method that is to be applied. Premiere provides two main video editing modes: QuickTime for Macintosh computers, and Video for Windows and DV Playback for Microsoft Windows computers. The General settings panel also displays a summary of current settings. You may need to select the Advanced Settings option if you install a third-party plug-in for playing the video clip in a project.
Timebase Using the Timebase option, you can divide a project into multiple time divisions. You need to specify time divisions because you edit a project within a time division. You can use the Playback Settings option when you select the QuickTime or DV Playback mode in the Editing Mode option. Using this option, you can choose to play the video clip either on a camcorder or on the desktop.
Time Display The Time Display option enables you to specify time code for a video clip. Time code is defined as the count of hours, minutes, and seconds of each frame. Organizing a frame in a time code enables you to easily identify a particular frame and specifically edit only that frame. It is similar to assigning a unique ID to a frame.
Video Settings Video settings determine the video compression scheme, the amount of compression, the color depth, and the frame size of the program that you play back. If needed, you can choose the settings that match your source video footage. You need to specify the following properties in the Video settings section:
Compressor Depth Frame Size Frame Rate Quality Data Rate
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Figure 5.18 displays the Video settings panel of the Project Settings dialog box.
Figure 5.18: Video Settings Panel
Compressor You select the Compressor option to specify the compressor and decompressor (codec). A codec enables you to compress or decompress a video file for editing. A fast codec enables quick editing of a video file by appropriately compressing it. You can configure a compressor to restrict a video file to black and white or compress the colors of a video file.
Depth The Depth option enables you to set the number of colors that will be supported by a particular video. To set the number of colors that the video footage should support, you need to load a color palette by clicking the Palette button next to the Depth option. Figure 5.18 displays the Palette button. Note that the Palette button is enabled only when you select the Microsoft RLE or None options with 256 Colors. The rest of the compressors do not support a wide range of color schemes, and the Palette button is not provided. When you click the Palette button, the Make Palette dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 5.19. To load the required palette, click the Load Palette Now option button, and then select the required palette available on your computer.
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Color palettes are available for QuickTime and Windows.
Figure 5.19: Make Palette Dialog Box
Frame Size The Frame Size option is used to set the size of a frame in a project. The size of a frame is determined by the width and height of the frame, measured in pixels. You need to select the frame size very carefully because a video file can be exported to a variety of media, such as videotape, DVD, or even the Web. Therefore, when you export your video to the Web, you should select a small frame size that would facilitate fast and easy download of the video clip from the Web. The default frame size provided by Premiere for the Web is 320x240.
Frame Rate Using the Frame Rate option, you can set the number of frames to be played in one second. This value can be similar to the frame rate of video or can be low to enable easy preview of the video clip. You can choose from various international frame rate standards, such as NTSC, PAL, and SECAM.
Quality The Quality option controls the quality of the picture and the disk space used when playing a video clip from the Timeline window. You can set the Quality option to Low so that the video clip plays faster and uses less disk space. If you select the High quality option, you will get a superior video or image. However, this requires more disk space.
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Data Rate This option sets the rate of data transfer at which you can preview a video clip present in a project. This value should not be more than the processing capabilities of your computer, as the preview would become very slow.
Audio Settings Audio settings control the attributes of the audio clip that the program plays back. When you choose the Audio option in the Project Settings dialog box, you can select the data rate, format, type of audio codec, audio interleave, and processing options. You need to match the source audio settings. When the source audio files differ, choose the audio quality based on the output goal. Figure 5.20 displays the Audio settings panel of the Project Settings dialog box.
Figure 5.20: Audio Settings Panel
You need to specify the following properties in the Audio settings panel:
Rate Format Compressor Interleave Processing Options
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Rate The Rate option enables you to specify how frequently the audio is sampled and converted to the digital signal. If you specify a higher frequency, the quality of audio will be high. In contrast, if the frequency is low, the quality of audio will be low. You can specify various sample rates for this option to match those for a CD, DV, or AM radio.
Format The Format option defines the bit depth of the audio. Bit depth refers to the number of bits of audio that you need to transmit in one second. You can specify two types of bit depths, 8-bit and 16-bit sound. The 16-bit sound is of a higher quality than the 8-bit sound and is used for CD quality, while the 8-bit sound is used for FM broadcast.
Compressor Similar to video, you need to compress audio using a codec. The Compressor option enables you to specify a codec to compress audio. Compressing audio helps you transfer audio across a limited bandwidth.
Interleave The Interleave option enables you to specify how often you want the audio to interject in between the video frames. For this, you first need to load audio into the RAM of the computer and then interject it between video frames. This increases RAM utilization and affects the speed of the editing process. A value of one frame means that, when Premiere plays back a frame, audio for the duration of that frame is loaded into RAM so that it can play until the next frame appears. The other options on this drop-down menu play back audio with respect to the limit set in seconds, such as half a second, one second, or two seconds.
Processing Options Processing Options include a collection of advanced options that enhance the quality of audio. Using these options, you can make the audio sound soft or loud. You can also create sample audio files if there are a certain number of tracks in your project. For example, if a project has more than five audio tracks, you need not process all of them. Only the first five audio tracks will be processed while the rest of the audio tracks will be created as preview files. This saves the resources of the computer and enables faster editing. Getting Started with Adobe Premiere 5.29
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Keyframe and Rendering Settings Keyframe and Rendering settings work in conjunction with Video settings to determine how the frames of the program are processed and played back. Rendering options become especially important when you preview the program and the rendering effects of the project. Keyframe options determine how certain types of video compression are applied. These options are more pertinent when you export a movie file. However, Keyframe options are usually not as important as Project Settings. Figure 5.21 displays the Keyframe and Rendering settings panel of the Project Settings dialog box.
Figure 5.21: Keyframe and Rendering Settings Panel
You need to specify the following properties in the Keyframe and Rendering settings:
Keyframe options Rendering options
Keyframe Options You need to select this option if you have selected the compression mode in the Audio and Video settings of the project. This option enables the codec to compress video in a project. You can use this option to add keyframes for compression in two ways:
Adding keyframes at markers: Enables you to insert keyframes in a video clip at regular intervals. This option enables intensive and meticulous compression. This is generally used when the video project is very large.
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generally used when the video project is not too large and consists only of a few clips.
Rendering Options This set of options enables you to specify the options to play the video clip in the project. You may not choose to play the entire project because of resource constraints or your current need. For example, if you need to review only the video portion of a project, you can select the Ignore Audio Effects option. Similarly, if you need to edit and review only audio in the project, you can select the Ignore Video Effects option. This option suppresses the video portion in a project and plays only audio.
Capture Settings Before you capture video, you must specify the characteristics of the digitized clips, such as the file format, frame size, frame rate, and so on. You can specify various capture settings using the Project Settings dialog box. Figure 5.22 displays the Capture settings panel of the Project Settings dialog box.
Figure 5.22: Capture Settings Panel
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5.3 Capturing Video Premiere enables you to transfer and store the video footages from a camcorder or a video camera on a computer. You can import a wide range of digitally stored content including still images, audio, and video into your computer. Capturing video is the process of transferring the video file from a tape to the hard disk on the computer. After you capture the video, you can edit it to enhance its quality according to your requirements. It is important to note that capturing does not mean shooting a real-life still image on a camera or camcorder. Capturing is a technical term that means transferring the video footage to the hard disk of your computer. For example, suppose that a video shoot of a birthday celebration shows some cake stains on the child’s clothes. By capturing and editing the video shoot of the birthday celebration, you can remove cake stains from the child’s clothes. Your video file has to be in a format that is practical for editing. If you are using the increasingly popular DV format, the capture process is a lot easier. DV cameras compress the video file in the camera, and record the resulting DV signal on any of several DV tape formats, such as miniDV. If your computer is equipped with a port commonly known as FireWire, iLink, or IEEE-1394, you can easily transfer footage from a DV camera or videotape to the hard disk. This is similar to copying files from one disk to another. A single cable delivers the video, audio, and time code information. Using Premiere, you can capture the following types of videos:
Analog Digital
5.3.1 Capturing Analog Video Analog video records the video as a continuously variable electromagnetic wave. To capture analog video, first digitize it and then capture the digitized video. Digitizing means converting analog video to digital video. Premiere and other editing software programs enable only digitized video to be captured. Capturing analog video is a two-step process:
Digitizing analog video Capturing digitized video
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Digitizing Analog Video To digitize an analog video, connect a video-capture card to your computer. This card converts analog video to digital by connecting the camcorder to the computer. There are three types of connections that can be made using a video-capture card.
Composite S-Video Component With every connection, the quality of digitization diminishes. Therefore, if the video content that you require is less expensive, you can use any of the first two connections. If the video content is very significant and expensive, you should use the component connection. The process of digitizing analog video is shown in Figure 5.23. Computer
Analog Signal
Digital Signal
Analog Video Source Video Capture Card
Hard Disk
Figure 5.23: Digitization of Analog Video
Capturing the Digitized Video In Premiere, the Movie Capture window provides the controls to capture analog video. The window includes two tabbed palettes, Logging and Settings. The Logging tab displays controls that you can use to define the part of the video clip you want to capture. On the Settings tab, you can view and change the capture settings or set up scratch disks and device controls. A scratch disk is the additional space consumed by Premiere to process and capture videos. This additional space is stored on the hard disk of a computer. If your computer has multiple volumes, you can explicitly specify a volume as a scratch disk to be used by Premiere.
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Figure 5.24 displays the Movie Capture dialog box with the Logging and Settings tabs.
Figure 5.24: Movie Capture Dialog Box
After an analog video is digitized, it is ready to be captured. With digital video on the hard disk of your computer, you can easily edit or enhance it in Premiere. To capture video: 1.
Click the File menu.
2.
Point to the Capture submenu, and click the Movie Capture command. This displays the Movie Capture window.
3.
Using the controls of the videotape deck, play the tape for several seconds, before you begin capturing, to allow the deck to reach normal speed. If the system is properly configured, the video clip should appear in the preview area of the Movie Capture window.
4.
In the video image in the Movie Capture window, click Record. Premiere begins capturing video on the hard disk.
5.
To stop capturing, click Stop. You should also stop playback on the camera or deck.
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6.
If a project is open, the clip appears in the selected bin of the Project window. If no project is open, the captured clip appears in a clip window. You can use the playback controls on the clip, displayed in Figure 5.25, to check the clip.
Figure 5.25: Playback Controls
5.3.2 Capturing Digital Video The digital video file need not be digitized because it is already in the digital format when it is shot. You only need to capture the digital video and store it on the disk. Capturing the digital video involves transferring video and storing it on the hard disk of your computer. You can use FireWire, IEEE1394, or iLink ports to connect a DV camcorder or a DV tape deck to the computer that has Premiere for editing captured video. These hardware components or ports are in the form of cards that are fitted to the motherboard of the computer.
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In addition to these ports, you also need a DV codec, a component that facilitates the transfer of video images from a digital source to a computer. A DV codec can be either inserted as a hardware chip on the motherboard of a computer or installed as a software program. The next step is to specify the Video and Capture settings in the Project Settings dialog box. You learned to set these options in the previous section, “Creating and Initializing a Project.” Finally, you are ready to capture digital video by using the Movie Capture window. The steps to capture digital video are the same as the steps to capture analog video that has been explicitly digitized.
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Summary Adobe Premiere non-linear editing software is used by professionals to edit audio and video clips.
You need to first set up the workspace to begin to work with Premiere. A workspace is the arrangement of windows, window features, and palettes.
You can select from the following two options in the Initial Workspace dialog box: •
A/B editing
•
Single-track editing
The Premiere work area displays the standard command menus at the top of the screen along with the following components: •
Windows
•
Toolbox
•
Palettes
A project is a file in Premiere that contains all information, such as arrangement of video clips and effects, about a movie.
To begin working with Premiere, start a project by selecting the File → New Project command.
The following are the five categories of project settings: •
General
•
Video
•
Audio
•
Keyframe and rendering
•
Capture
Projects settings need to be specified before you begin capturing video to a computer.
Project settings prepare a workspace for video or audio capture. Capturing is the process of transferring a video footage onto the hard disk of a computer.
You can capture two types of videos in Premiere: •
Analog
•
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To capture an analog video, you need to digitize it and then capture it to your computer.
In the case of digital video, you do not need to digitize it, but only capture it directly from the video camera.
You use the Movie Capture dialog box to capture both analog and digital videos in Premiere.
To capture digital video, you need to connect ports such as FireWire, IEEE1394, and iLink to your computer.
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Lab Exercises
Identify the interface components of Adobe Premiere. Set up the workspace for a project. Specify project settings using the Project menu. Capture analog video using the Movie Capture dialog box. Capture digital video using the Movie Capture dialog box.
Exercise 1 Problem Statement SuperGraphics Inc. has created a video clip that introduces its clients to the audioediting facilities that exist in the organization. The video clip displays the various equipment and facilities at the SuperGraphics audio-editing room. The video clip exists in two video files, Office1 and Office2. You have been assigned the task to edit these video clips in Adobe Premiere. Perform the following tasks in Adobe Premiere:
Set the workspace as A/B editing. Start a new project. Specify the following project settings: •
Editing Mode: Video for Windows
•
Timebase: 30
•
Video Compressor: Microsoft Video 1
•
Quality: 80 percent
Save the project with the name Office.
Hints You can select a workspace either through the Initial Workspace dialog box or from the Window menu.
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Lab Exercises
Objectives
The Editing Mode and Timebase settings are included in the General settings category, whereas the Video Compressor and Quality can be found in the Video settings category.
Observations/Learning
Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
Set the workspace as A/B Editing
2.
Started a new project
3.
Specified the following project settings: Editing Mode: Video for Windows Timebase: 30 Video Compressor: Microsoft Video 1 Quality: 80 percent
4.
Saved the project with the name Office
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No
Editing Video with Adobe Premiere
6
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: • Import video clips into a Premiere project. • Organize clips by using bins in the Project window. • View video clips in the Thumbnail viewer. • View video clips in the Clip window. • View video clips in the Monitor window. • Add video clips to the timeline. • Trim video clips in the Monitor window. • Trim video clips in the timeline. • Edit video clips in the Monitor window. • Edit video clips in the timeline. • Add transitions between clips by using the Transition palette. • Preview transitions by render scrubbing.
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6.1 Organizing Clips 6.2 Editing Clips 6.3 Adding Transitions Between Clips
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6.1 Organizing Clips Adobe Premiere enables you to create your own video productions. A production in Premiere is called a project. A Premiere project is a compilation of a number of clips in various formats. The clips can contain audio, video, or still images. The number of clips in a project depends on the size of the project. The project can contain a few lengthy video clips or many short ones. You can include up to three hours of video. A project with a large number of clips needs an efficient and organized system to manage these clips. When film editing was a manual process, film clips were cut and edited in a place called the cutting room. Apart from other equipment, the cutting room included storage shelves, also called horses. These shelves stored film rolls containing the clips to be used in film production. The film rolls were marked and arranged on the shelves according to their usage in the film. Film rolls were bulky because they contained clips, but storage shelves simplified the management of clips. The problem of bulky film rolls was solved with the innovation of digital video and compact data storage devices. For example, Premiere manages clips with the help of bins. This chapter explains how to import and manage clips in a Premiere project. This chapter also describes the tools and techniques of editing in Premiere.
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6.1.1 Importing Clips into the Project Window A Premiere project can include a number of audio and video clips and still images. These clips are imported into the Project window within Premiere. By default, the Project window is located on the top left of the Premiere interface. Figure 6.1 shows the Project window containing several clips.
Figure 6.1: Project Window
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The Project window contains references to the audio and video clips that are a part of the project. You can import new clips into a Premiere project and add them to the Project bin. To import the video clip Man2 into the Project window, perform the following steps: 1.
In the File menu, point to Import, and click File, as shown in Figure 6.2.
Figure 6.2: File Menu
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This displays the Import dialog box. Figure 6.3 displays the Import dialog box containing the media files that can be imported into a Premiere project.
Figure 6.3: Import Dialog Box
2.
In the Import dialog box, select the Man2 video clip. The Man2 video clip is listed as Man2.avi in the Import dialog box, as shown in Figure 6.3.
3.
Click Open to import the clip into the Project window.
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The Man2.avi video clip is added to the Project window and listed with the other clips already present in the Project window. Figure 6.4 shows the Project window with the Man2 video clip along with other clips.
Figure 6.4: Project Window with the Man2 Video Clip
Similarly, you can add other clips to a Premiere project by importing those clips into the Project window. As discussed in Chapter 5, clips are arranged in bins in the Project window. By default, there is one bin in the Project window. All clips imported into the Project window are added to this default bin. You can create additional bins in the Project window and insert clips into these bins.
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For instance, you want to create a bin called Video Clips to store the video clips within your project. After creating the Video Clips bin, you can move clips from the default bin into it. To create the bin in the Project window, perform the following steps: 1.
. This is the button with a folder In the Project window, click New Bin icon. It is located at the bottom-left corner of the Project window. This action displays the Create Bin dialog box, as shown in Figure 6.5.
Figure 6.5: Create Bin Dialog Box
2.
In the Create Bin dialog box, type Video Clips, and click OK. A new bin named Video Clips is created in the bin view area of the Project window. Figure 6.6 displays the Video Clips bin in the Project window.
Figure 6.6: Video Clips Bin Added to the Project Window
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The clip area in the Project window is empty because the new Video Clips bin is selected in the bin view area, but the bin does not contain any clips at this point. You can now insert clips to this bin by dragging clips into the bin. 3.
In the bin view area of the Project window, click the default bin to select it. This displays the clips within the default bin in the clip view area on the right. Figure 6.7 shows the Project window with the default bin selected.
Figure 6.7: Clips in the Default Bin
The default bin contains four video clips, which can be identified by the video clip icon to the left of the clip name. You can move any clip, say Man1, to the Video Clips bin. 4.
In the clip view area of the Project window, point to the left of Man1 video clip. The cursor changes to a hand, as shown in Figure 6.8.
Figure 6.8: Selecting the Man1 Video Clip
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5.
Click Man1 and drag it over the new Video Clips bin in the bin view area of the Project window. The Man1 video clip is moved from the default bin to the Video Clips bin. Figure 6.9 shows the Project window with the Video Clips bin selected.
Figure 6.9: Man1 Clip in the Video Clips Bin
The Man1 video clip can be seen in the clip view area of the Project window. Similarly, you can add other clips to this bin by dragging the clips from the default bin. You can create several bins in a Project window to organize clips within a Premiere project. You can create a hierarchy of bins by moving an entire bin into another bin. To move a bin into another bin, drag the bin over another bin in the bin view area of the Project window. When you import a clip into a Project window containing several bins, the imported clip is added to the bin that is currently selected.
6.1.2 Viewing Video Clips If you have imported a large number of video clips into the Project window, it becomes very difficult to locate a clip that you need to use in the project. You can organize the clips in bins by categories. In addition, you can look for a clip within a bin by the name of the clip, provided you have used descriptive names to name the clips. Even if the names cannot help you locate the required clip, the icon and thumbnail views in the Project window give you a preview of the content of a clip by displaying a snapshot of the clip beside the clip name. 6.10 Editing Video with Adobe Premiere
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For example, you need a clip that contains a video of a presenter called Sam. You know that in the video, Sam introduces the viewers to an audio editing room. While looking for the video clip in the Project window, you come across a bin called Video Clips, which includes another bin called Sam Clips. Within the Sam Clips bin, there are two video clips, Man1 and Man2. From the names of the clips, it is not clear what the two clips contain. You can select the icon view to try and identify the clip by the snapshot on the icon. Figure 6.10 shows the Project window containing the Man1 and Man2 clips.
Figure 6.10: Project Window Containing the Man1 and Man2 Video Clips
Notice that the icons on both the clips are similar. By looking at the icons, you can tell that both clips contain a video of Sam in a room, which might be an audio editing room. The only way to identify the clips is by playing the clips. In Premiere, there are three methods of viewing a video source clip. These are:
Viewing in the thumbnail viewer Viewing in the Clip window Viewing in the Monitor window
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Viewing in the Thumbnail Viewer The thumbnail viewer is located at the top of the Project window. It allows you to preview a source clip in a small icon-sized area. Figure 6.11 displays the thumbnail viewer.
Play Button
Shuttle Slider
Figure 6.11: Thumbnail Viewer in the Project Window
The thumbnail viewer consists of a thumbnail view area on the left, and a clip information area on the right. The thumbnail view area contains a Play button and a shuttle slider showing the position of playback within the video clip. To view a clip in the thumbnail viewer: 1.
In the Project window, click the icon or thumbnail next to the clip Man1. This displays Man1 in the thumbnail viewer, as shown in Figure 6.11.
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2.
In the thumbnail viewer, click Play to playback the clip. The Play button is located under the thumbnail preview area in the thumbnail viewer, as shown in Figure 6.12.
Figure 6.12: Playing the Clip Man1
The Man1 clip is played in the thumbnail preview area. The shuttle slider below the thumbnail preview shows the current position of playback in the video clip. 3.
To stop the playback of Man1, click Play again.
It is useful to preview a clip in the thumbnail viewer when you want to get a rough idea about the content of the clip. However, the thumbnail viewer displays the clip in a very small area and does not give you much control over the playback. For more control and a better view of a video clip, you can view the clip in the Clip window.
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Viewing in the Clip Window After you have located the desired video clip in the Project window, you can view the clip in detail using the Clip window. The Clip window is similar to a personal video player or a video clip. You can view and compare multiple video clips at the same time by opening the clips in separate Clip windows. Figure 6.13 shows the Man1 video clip in a Clip window.
Figure 6.13: Man1 Clip Playing in the Clip Window
The Clip window displays the name of the clip in the title bar. The clip is played in a video playback area below the title bar. The window contains a set of playback control buttons below the video playback area, which enables you to control the playback of the clip with great precision.
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Table 6.1 lists the video playback controls on the Clip window with a brief description of each control. Icon
Name
Used to
Play
Start playing a video clip
Stop
Stop playing the video clip
Loop
Repeatedly play a video clip
Frame Forward
Move ahead by one frame in the video clip
Frame Back
Move back by one frame in the video clip
Play In to Out
Play a section of the video clip marked using the in and out points
Table 6.1: Video Playback Controls on the Clip Window
The Clip window also includes a shuttle slider area between the video playback area and the playback controls. A blue, triangular shuttle slider displays the current playback location within the video clip. You can also jump to a particular scene in the clip by clicking the exact point on the shuttle slider area or horizontally dragging the shuttle slider to that point. You can view the exact location within the clip from the time code displayed to the right of the playback buttons. The Clip window also displays the total clip duration on the left of the playback buttons.
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To view the Man2 video clip in a Clip window: 1.
In the Project window, click the Man2 clip to select it. The clip is highlighted, indicating its selection, as shown in Figure 6.14.
Figure 6.14: Selecting the Man2 Clip
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2.
On the Clip menu, click Open Clip, as shown in Figure 6.15.
Figure 6.15: Clip Menu
This displays a Clip window containing Man2, as shown in Figure 6.16.
Figure 6.16: Man2 Clip in the Clip Window Editing Video with Adobe Premiere 6.17
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3.
In the Clip window, click Play to start playing Man2. Figure 6.17 shows the Play button in the Clip window.
Figure 6.17: Playing the Clip Man2 in the Clip Window
As Man2 is played in the Clip window, the shuttle slider moves to the right, indicating the current location of the clip. The time code on the right of the play back buttons also increases constantly, displaying the elapsed playback time. 4.
To stop the playback of Man2, click Stop.
You can open multiple clips in separate Clip windows and play all the clips together.
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Viewing in the Monitor Window Apart from viewing video source clips in the Clip window, you can also view them in the Monitor window. By default, the Monitor window is displayed on the right side of the Project window in the Premiere interface. Figure 6.18 displays the Monitor window.
Figure 6.18: Monitor Window
The two views of the monitor window are:
Source view Program view
Source View The left half of the Monitor window is called the Source view. As the name suggests, this part of the window is used to view source clips. The Source view is similar to the Clip window. You can view a video clip in the Source view. To view the Man2 video clip in the Source view: 1.
In the Project window, place the cursor on the thumbnail or icon of the Man2 clip.
2.
Click Man2 and drag it onto the video playback area of the Source view.
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This action displays Man2 in the video playback area in the Source view, as shown in Figure 6.19.
Figure 6.19: Man2 Clip in the Monitor Window
3.
In the Source view, click Play to start playing Man2. Figure 6.20 shows the Play button in the Source view of the Monitor window.
Figure 6.20: Playing Man2 in the Source View
As Man2 is played in the Source view, the shuttle slider moves to the right, indicating the current location of the clip. The time code on the right of the play back buttons also increases constantly, displaying the elapsed playback time. 4.
To stop the playback of Man2, click Stop.
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You can simultaneously open a number of video clips in the Source view. A drop-down list at the bottom of the Source view displays the currently opened clips. You can select the clip to be played from the drop-down list. Figure 6.21 displays the drop-down list containing the two clips, Man1 and Man2, that have been opened in the Source view.
Figure 6.21: Selecting Between Two Clips in the Source View
In addition to viewing source clips, the Source view is used to prepare a video clip that needs to be added to the final video.
Program View The right half of the Monitor window is called the Program view. In Premiere, the final video produced after editing the source clips is called a program. The Program view is used to preview the video program during the editing process. The controls in the Program view are similar to the Source view and the Clip window, but the Program view displays the clips as they appear in the final video, whereas the Source view and the Clip window show source clips that might not even be a part of the final video. The Program view is also used to edit a video program.
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6.1.3 Adding Video Clips to the Timeline Window In a cutting room, film rolls were arranged on storage shelves. After the rolls were placed on the storage shelves, they were available for use in a film. However, the clips in those rolls were not a part of the film until they were taken from the shelves and added to the final movie roll, also called the master roll. To add a roll to the final movie, the roll must be placed on the cutting table, edited using the tools on the table, and inserted at an appropriate point in the master roll. Similarly, in Premiere, when a clip is added to the Project window, it is available for use in the project. However, the clip is not a part of the final video until you add it to the timeline. A timeline in Premiere is comparable to the editing table of the cutting room. On the timeline, you can edit a clip using the tools available in Premiere, and arrange the clip with other clips already present. The timeline represents the final video in Premiere. In the final video, the clips are played in the order in which they have been arranged on the timeline. Figure 6.22 shows the Timeline window in Premiere.
Figure 6.22: Timeline Window in Premier
The timeline gives you a time-based view of the project. You can identify the time at which a clip starts and ends in the film. The time is displayed in the time ruler at the top of the Timeline window. The time increases as you move from left to right in the timeline. A clip placed on the left would be played before the clips on its right in the timeline. 6.22 Editing Video with Adobe Premiere
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For example, you want to add two video clips, Man1 and Man2, present in the Project window, to your final video. Figure 6.23 shows the two clips in the Project window.
Figure 6.23: Man1 and Man2 Clips in the Project Window
You want to play Man1 first, followed by Man2. To add these clips to the final video, you must place them on the timeline and arrange them so that Man1 is played before Man2. To arrange these clips in the timeline: 1.
In the Project window, point to the thumbnail or icon of the clip Man1. Note that the cursor changes to a hand.
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2.
Click the clip Man1, and drag it to the Video1 track in the Timeline window. The clip is added to the Video1 track. Figure 6.24 shows the Timeline window after Man1 has been added to it.
Figure 6.24: Man1 Clip in the Timeline Window
3.
In the Project window, point to the thumbnail of the clip Man2. The cursor changes to a hand.
4.
Click the clip Man2 and drag it to the right of Man1 in the Video1 track.
Man2 is added to the Video1 track beside Man1. Premiere automatically snaps Man2 into position next to Man1 as you drag Man2 close to Man1 in the timeline. Figure 6.25 shows the Timeline window after Man2 has been added to it.
Figure 6.25: Two Adjacent Clips in the Timeline Window 6.24 Editing Video with Adobe Premiere
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In the arrangement of Figure 6.25, Man1 is played first, followed by Man2. You can also simultaneously play two clips in a project, by placing the clips in different rows in the timeline, during the same time interval. In Premiere, these rows are called tracks. The timeline includes separate tracks for audio and video clips. This enables you to play an audio clip in one track when a video clip is playing on another track simultaneously.
6.1.4 Trimming Video Clips A video or movie created in Premiere is a collection of several video clips edited and assembled together to make sense to the viewer. While shooting these clips, you may not know where exactly the clips would fit in the final movie. Some clips may not be used at all in the final project, and others may have to be refined. You may find only a portion of the video within a clip useful to the project and you need to cut out the portions of the clip that are not useful to the project. This is known as trimming. The ways to trim clips in Premiere are:
Trimming clips in the Monitor window Trimming clips in the Timeline window
Trimming Clips in the Monitor Window You can trim clips in the Monitor window by specifying the in and out points within the clip. The in point represents the beginning of the useful segment within a clip, and the out point denotes the end of that segment. The Monitor window includes two views, Source and Program views. When the Monitor window is expanded to display both the Source and Program views, it is called the Dual view. The clip to be trimmed is opened in the Source view of the Monitor window, and you can mark the in and out points within the source clip. After marking the in and out points, when you move the clip from the Source view to the timeline, only the video between the in and out points is added to the timeline. For example, the video clip Man1 contains a video of Sam. In this clip, Sam introduces the viewers to the equipment in an audio editing room. The video clip also contains extra video footage at the beginning of the clip, which shows Sam preparing to speak. The last part of the video shows Sam telling the cameraman to cut the recording. You do not want to include these sections of the clip in the final video. To omit these undesirable sections of the clip, you must trim the clip at both ends in the Monitor window. Editing Video with Adobe Premiere 6.25
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To trim parts of a video clip in the Monitor window: 1.
In the Monitor window, click Dual View to open the Monitor window in the Dual view. The Dual view button is located near the top of the Monitor window. Figure 6.26 shows the Monitor window in the Dual view.
Figure 6.26: Monitor Window in Dual View
2.
In the Project window, click the icon or thumbnail of the clip Man1 and drag the clip to the video playback area of the Source view. This action displays Man1 in the video playback area in the Source view, as shown in Figure 6.27.
Figure 6.27: Man1 Clip in the Source View
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3.
In the Source view, click Play. This plays the Man1 video clip in the Source view, as shown in Figure 6.28.
Figure 6.28: Playing the Man1 Clip
4.
After you reach the beginning of the required segment of the clip, click Stop to stop playing the clip at that point.
The video clip pauses just before the required segment starts. You must fine-tune the current position of the clip to point to the exact frame where the useful segment of the video clip starts.
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5.
In the Source view, click Frame Back to move backwards or click Frame Forward to move forward by one frame within the video clip. You can repeatedly use the two buttons to move to the first frame of the useful segment. Figure 6.29 shows the Frame Back and Frame Forward buttons.
Figure 6.29: Fine-Tuning the Position with the Frame Back and Frame Forward Buttons
The video clip Man1 is now positioned at the first frame of the useful segment within the clip. This is the last frame before Sam starts talking about the audio editing room. 6.
In the Source view, click Mark In to mark the current frame as the in point. Figure 6.30 shows the Source view with the Mark In button clicked.
Figure 6.30: Marking the In Point
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Notice that on the shuttle slider, an in point icon appears at the point corresponding to the current location of the clip. The shuttle bar area between the in point and the out point is highlighted. By default, the out point is the end of the clip. You can mark the out point at a different location. 7.
In the Source view, click Play to start playing Man1.
The video clip starts playing from the in point, where it was paused. 8.
When you reach the end of the useful section of the clip, click the Stop button to stop playback at that point.
The video clip pauses at a point near the end of the useful section. As with the in point, you must fine-tune the current position of the clip to point to the exact frame where the useful segment of the video clip ends. 9.
In the Source view, click Frame Back or Frame Forward to move to the exact frame where the useful segment ends.
Figure 6.31 shows the clip positioned at the last frame of the useful segment.
Figure 6.31: Positioning the Out Button at the End of the Useful Segment
The video clip Man1 is positioned at the last frame of the useful segment within the clip. This is the frame near the end of the clip, after which Sam tells the cameraman to cut the recording.
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10.
In the Source view, click Mark Out to mark the current frame as the out point. Figure 6.32 shows the Source view with the Mark Out button clicked.
Figure 6.32: Marking the Out Point
On the shuttle slider, an out point icon appears at the current location of the clip. The shuttle slider area between the in and out points is highlighted. You can add the section of the clip between the in and out points to the final video by moving the clip from the Source view to the timeline. 11.
In the Source view, place the cursor on the video playback area displaying the clip Man1. The cursor changes to a hand.
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12.
Click on the clip and drag it to a desired track on the timeline. The video clip Man1 is added to the timeline. Figure 6.33 shows the Timeline window after Man1 has been added to it.
Figure 6.33: Trimmed Man1 Clip in the Timeline
The clip added to the timeline is only a part of the original Man1 video clip. It contains only the section of the video between the in and out points.
Trimming Clips in the Timeline Window You can also trim a clip in the Timeline window by dragging the edges of the clip. To trim the clip at the start of the clip, drag the left edge of a clip to the right. Similarly, trim the clip at the end by dragging the right edge of the clip to the left. In the timeline, the left edge of a clip corresponds to the in point of the clip, and the right edge of the clip corresponds to the out point of the clip. For example, you can trim the Man1 video clip in the timeline. To trim a video clip, you must first add the clip to the timeline.
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Figure 6.34 shows the Man1 clip in the Video1 track on the timeline.
Figure 6.34: Man1 Clip in the Timeline
To trim the clip Man1 at both ends using the timeline, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Timeline toolbar, click the Selection tool. The Selection tool is the button with an arrow icon on the top left corner of the toolbar, as shown in Figure 6.35.
Figure 6.35: Selection Tool in the Toolbar
2.
In the timeline, point to the left edge or the in point of the clip. The cursor changes to a red trim tool. The trim tool is a red square bracket with a single-sided arrow pointing to the right.
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Figure 6.36 shows the cursor positioned over the left edge of the clip.
Figure 6.36: Trim Tool on the Left Edge of Man1
3.
With the cursor as the trim tool, click the left edge of the clip and drag it to the right. Figure 6.37 shows the left edge of the clip Man1 being dragged.
Figure 6.37: Trimming the Left Edge of Man1
The segment of the Man1 video clip between the previous in point and the newly set in point is trimmed off. Similarly, you can trim the clip at the end.
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4.
In the timeline, point to the right edge or the out point of the clip. The cursor changes to a red-colored trim tool. This time the arrow on the trim tool is double-sided, indicating the clip can be trimmed in either direction. Figure 6.38 displays the cursor positioned over the right edge of the clip.
Figure 6.38: Trim Tool over the Right Edge of Man1
5.
With the cursor as the trim tool, click the right edge of the clip, and drag it to the left. Figure 6.39 shows the right edge of the clip Man1 being dragged.
Figure 6.39: Trimming the Right Edge of Man1
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The Man1 video clip is trimmed at the end. The segment of the clip between the previous out point and the newly set out point is trimmed off.
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6.2 Editing Clips You need to edit clips after you have trimmed clips to filter out the extra footage. By trimming clips, you are preparing the clips to be edited in Premiere, and the editing process begins when you arrange clips in the video program. You can insert video clips into the video program and edit them using the two major components of the Premiere interface. These components are:
Monitor window Timeline window
6.2.1 Editing Clips in the Monitor Window A sample video shows Sam in an audio editing room. Using Premiere, you edit the clips containing the video footage. After you have inserted and arranged the clips in the video, you play back the video. During playback, you notice two flaws in the video. You realize that Sam completely forgot to mention an important piece of audio mixing equipment. At another point, you notice a clip that shows a monitor in the audio editing room. The monitor was supposed to display audio editing software, but the monitor actually displays a screen saver. Instead of filming the whole video again, you decide to film only the two short segments, and insert them in the video. You film the mixing equipment in an audio editing room and store the video in a clip named Equipment. You store the new video showing the monitor in a clip named Screen. Using Premiere, you can insert these clips in the video program through the Monitor window. In the Monitor window, you can insert clip segments in a video program at the correct frame. To insert a clip, or part of a clip in the program, you must open the clip in the Source view of the Monitor window. In the Source view, you can specify the in and out points within the clip to mark the desired segment of the video clip. From the Source view, move the clip segment to the Program view. In the Program view, you can specify the in and out points to designate a region in which the clip segment would be added in the final video. While inserting clips using the Monitor window, you can specify a total of four points to precisely control the source and destination of a video segment. These four points are
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the in and out points in the Source view and the Program view. Based on the number of points specified, the two techniques of editing in the Monitor window are:
Three-point editing Four-point editing
Three-Point Editing In three-point editing, a total of three points are specified between the Source and Program views of the Monitor window. You can choose to specify both the in and out points in the Source view, and only one of either in or out points in the Program view. You can also specify only one point in the Source view and both the in and out points in the Program view. For instance, you can insert the video of the mixing equipment into the video program using the three-point editing technique. The mixing equipment footage is stored in the clip Equipment. To insert the clip into the video program, open the Equipment clip in the Source view of the Monitor window. Figure 6.40 shows the Equipment clip opened in the Monitor window. The Program view of the Monitor window shows the video program within which the clip is to be inserted.
Figure 6.40: Equipment Clip in the Monitor Window
The Equipment video clip contains some extra footage at the beginning and end of the clip. Mark the in and out points within the clip and extract the required portion of the clip. To insert the Equipment clip segment within the video program at the point where Sam stops describing another piece of equipment, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Source view, click Play to start playing the Equipment video clip. Editing Video with Adobe Premiere 6.37
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This plays the Equipment video clip in the Source view, as shown in Figure 6.41.
Figure 6.41: Playing the Equipment Clip in the Source View
2.
After you reach the beginning of the required section of the clip, click Stop to stop the clip at that point. The video clip pauses at the beginning of the required segment where Sam is describing the mixing equipment.
3.
In the Source view, click Frame Back or Frame Forward to move to the first frame of the useful segment. The Equipment video clip is positioned at the first frame of the useful segment within the clip. This is the last frame before Sam starts talking about the audiomixing equipment.
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4.
In the Source view, click Mark In to mark the current frame as the in point. Figure 6.42 shows the Source view with the Mark In button clicked.
Figure 6.42: Marking the In Point within the Equipment Clip
Notice that on the shuttle slider, an in point icon appears at the point corresponding to the current location of the clip. 5.
In the Source view, click Play to start playing the Equipment clip again. The video clip starts playing from the in point, where it was paused.
6.
After you reach the end of the required section of the clip, click Stop to stop the clip at that point. The video clip pauses at a point near the end of the useful segment.
7.
In the Source view, click Frame Back or Frame Forward to move to the last frame of the useful segment. The Equipment video clip is positioned at the last frame of the useful segment within the clip. This frame is near the end of the clip, after which the extra footage begins.
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8.
In the Source view, click Mark Out to mark the current frame as the out point. Figure 6.43 shows the Source view with the Mark Out button clicked.
Figure 6.43: Marking the Out Point within the Equipment Clip
On the shuttle slider, an out point icon appears at the point corresponding to the current location of the clip. The shuttle slider area between the in and out points is highlighted. You can add the section of the clip between the in and out points to the final video by specifying a point of insertion in the Program view. 9.
In the Program view, click Play to start playing the video program. This plays the master video in the Program view, as shown in Figure 6.44.
Figure 6.44: Playing the Video Program in the Program View
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10.
When you reach the point at which the new video is to be added, click Stop to stop playing the clip. The video pauses at the beginning of the video segment in which Sam describes another piece of equipment. Remember that you have to add your new video footage before this segment.
11.
In the Program view, click Frame Back or Frame Forward to move to the exact frame where you need to insert the video.
12.
In the Program view, click Mark In to mark the current frame as the in point. Figure 6.45 shows the Program view with the Mark In button clicked.
Figure 6.45: Marking the In Point in the Program View
On the shuttle slider, an in point icon appears at the point corresponding to the current location of the clip. Notice that, in the Program view, the in point marks the point where a clip is inserted. After marking both the in and out points in the Source view and an in point in the Program view, you can move the required segment from the Source view to the specified location in the video program.
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13.
In the Source view, click Insert at the bottom-right corner to insert the marked segment, from the Source view, at the marked location in the Program view. Figure 6.46 shows the Insert button being clicked.
Figure 6.46: Inserting the Source Clip into the Program View
The clip segment between the in and out points in the Source view is inserted at the in point in the Program view. The first frame of the source segment appears after the frame marked as an in point in the video program. The frames that previously appeared after the in point in the program are shifted to the right to make way for the newly inserted frames.
Four-Point Editing The sample video has a faulty segment that shows the screen saver in the audio editing room. You have to replace this segment of the video with a new video segment. The new video of the monitor is stored in a clip named Screen. You can do this using the four-point editing technique. In four-point editing, you must specify a total of four editing points between the Source and Program views within the Monitor window. You must specify the in and out points within the source clip in the Source view and the in and out points within the video program in the Program view. The video segment between the in and out points of the source clip is placed over the segment between the in and out points of the video program. This is called overlaying. In this process, the video segment from the source clip is laid over the faulty segment in the target video program. While overlaying, you must make sure that the length of both the segments is equal. 6.42 Editing Video with Adobe Premiere
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To insert the clip into the video program, you must open the clip Screen in the Source view of the Monitor window. Figure 6.47 shows the video clip opened in the Monitor window. The Program view of the Monitor window displays the video program within which the clip is to be inserted.
Figure 6.47: Screen Video Clip in the Source View of the Monitor Window
The Screen video clip contains some extra footage at the beginning and end of the clip. Mark the in and out points within the clip to extract the useful portion of the clip. To insert the Screen clip segment within the video program, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Source view, click Play to start playing the Screen video clip. The Screen video clip plays in the Source view.
2.
When you reach the beginning of the required section of the clip, click Stop to stop the clip at that point. The video clip pauses at the beginning of the required segment, which shows a monitor in an audio editing room.
3.
In the Source view, click Frame Back or Frame Forward to move to the first frame of the useful segment. The Screen video clip is positioned at the first frame of the segment within the clip. This is the last frame before the monitor is displayed.
4.
In the Source view, click Mark In to mark the current frame as the in point.
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Figure 6.48 shows the Source view with the Mark In button clicked.
Figure 6.48: Marking the In Point in the Screen Video Clip
On the shuttle slider, an in point icon appears at the point corresponding to the current location of the clip. 5.
In the Source view, click Play to start playing the Screen video again. The video clip starts playing from the in point, where it was paused.
6.
After you reach the end of the useful section of the clip, click Stop to stop playback at that point. The video clip pauses at a point near the end of the required segment.
7.
In the Source view, click Frame Back or Frame Forward to move to the last frame of the required segment. The video clip, Screen, is positioned at the last frame of the useful section within the clip. This frame is toward the end of the clip, after which the extra footage begins.
8.
In the Source view, click Mark Out to mark the current frame as the out point.
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Figure 6.49 shows the Source view with the Mark Out button clicked.
Figure 6.49: Marking the Out Point in the Screen Video Clip
On the shuttle slider, an out point icon appears at the point corresponding to the current location of the clip. The shuttle slider area between the in and out points is highlighted. You can add the section of the clip between the in and out points to the final video by specifying in and out points in the Program view. 9.
In the Program view, click Play to start playing the video program. The master video plays in the Program view, as shown in Figure 6.50.
Figure 6.50: Playing the Video Program in the Program View
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10.
Click Stop to stop playback at the point where the new video is to be added. The video pauses at a point near the start of the video segment where a monitor is shown with a screen saver display. Recall that you have to overlay your new video footage over this segment.
11.
In the Program view, click Frame Back or Frame Forward to move to the exact frame where you want to start the overlay. The video program is positioned at that point.
12.
In the Program view, click Mark In to mark the current frame as the in point. Figure 6.51 shows the Program view with the Mark In button clicked.
Figure 6.51: Marking the In Point within the Video Program
On the shuttle slider, an in point icon appears at the point corresponding to the current location of the clip. 13.
In the Program view, click Play to start playing the video program again. The video program resumes playback from the in point, where it was paused.
14.
When you reach the end of the faulty section of the clip, click Stop to stop playback at that point. The video clip pauses at a point near the end of the faulty segment. The marked segment in the Source view replaces this faulty segment.
15.
In the Source view, click Frame Back or Frame Forward to move to the last frame of the faulty segment to be replaced. The video program is positioned at the last frame of the faulty segment within the clip.
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16.
In the Program view, click Mark Out to mark the current frame as the out point. Figure 6.52 shows the Program view with the Mark Out button clicked.
Figure 6.52: Marking the Out Point in the Video Program
After you have marked both in and out points in the Source view and the in and out points in the Program view, you can move the required segment from the Source view in the video program. 17.
In the Source view, click Overlay to overlay the marked segment from the Source view on the marked segment in the Program view. The Overlay button is located below the time code display. Figure 6.53 shows the Overlay button.
Figure 6.53: Clicking the Overlay Button
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The clip segment between the in and out points in the Source view replaces the faulty segment in the Program view. The first frame of the source segment appears on the frame marked as in point on the video clip. The frames that previously appeared between the in and out points in the Program view are replaced by frames between the in and out points in the Source view.
6.2.2 Editing Clips in the Timeline Window There are editing techniques that enable you to trim a clip after it has been arranged in the timeline along with several other clips. This topic discusses the editing techniques that enable you to trim adjacent clips in the timeline. Based on the ways in which the adjacent clips are affected, techniques of editing can be classified as:
Rolling edit Ripple edit Slip edit Slide edit
Rolling Edit The rolling edit technique can be used to trim a set of clips arranged on the timeline, as shown in Figure 6.54.
Figure 6.54: Three Adjacent Clips in the Timeline 6.48 Editing Video with Adobe Premiere
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If you want to increase the length of the clip Man2 at the beginning but do not want to change the overall duration of the program in the timeline, decrease the length of the adjacent clip Man1 to balance the increase in the length of Man2. This process is called rolling edit. In this type of editing, as the length of one clip increases, the length of an adjacent clip decreases by an equal amount. To perform rolling edit between the video clips Man1 and Man2, perform the following steps: 1.
On the Timeline toolbar, click the Rolling Edit tool. The Rolling Edit tool is located on the top of the toolbar, as shown in Figure 6.55.
Figure 6.55: Rolling Edit Tool in the Toolbar
2.
In the timeline, position the cursor on the left edge or the in point of the clip Man2. The cursor changes to a Rolling Edit tool. This tool is a red square bracket with two double-sided arrows. Figure 6.56 shows the cursor positioned over the left edge of the clip.
Figure 6.56: Rolling Edit Tool on the Left Edge of the Man2 Clip
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3.
Click the left edge of the clip, and drag it to the left. Figure 6.57 shows the left edge of the clip Man1 being dragged.
Figure 6.57: Dragging the Left Edge of the Man2 Clip
The Man1 video clip is trimmed at the end. The Man2 clip is lengthened at the beginning.
Ripple Edit The ripple edit technique can be used to trim a set of clips arranged on the timeline, as shown in Figure 6.58.
Figure 6.58: Three Adjacent Clips on the Timeline
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If you want to trim the video clip Man2 at the end but do not want the change to affect the duration of the adjacent clip, Screen, shift the entire Screen clip to the left, so that it is aligned along with the right edge of Man2. This type of editing is called ripple editing. In ripple editing, as the length of one clip in the program decreases, the rest of the video program shifts to accommodate the change. You can apply ripple edit just as you apply the rolling edit. Figure 6.59 shows Man2 after the ripple edit has been applied.
Figure 6.59: Applying Ripple Edit on the Man2 Video Clip
Slip Edit The slip edit technique can be used to trim a set of clips arranged on the timeline, as shown in Figure 6.60.
Figure 6.60: Three Adjacent Clips in the Timeline
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Assume that you want to shift the in and out points within the Man2 clip without affecting the length of the clip or the length of the program. You also do not want the change to affect the adjacent clips, Man1 and Screen. The adjacent clips and the video program are not affected by the change because the length of the clip Man2 does not change in the process. The slip edit enables you to shift the in and out points of a clip without affecting the length of the program. In this type of editing, even as the clip is slipped, the rest of the video program remains unaffected by the change.
Slide Edit The slide edit technique can be used to trim a set of clips arranged on the timeline, as shown in Figure 6.61.
Figure 6.61: Three Adjacent Clips in the Timeline
To move the clip Man2 ahead in the timeline without affecting the length of the entire video program, readjust the lengths of the adjacent clips to accommodate the slide of the clip Man2. As Man2 is dragged to the left, the Man1 clip on the left is trimmed from the end, and the Screen clip on the right is lengthened. This process is called slide edit.
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In this type of editing, as you slide the clip, the adjacent clips are trimmed to accommodate the change. A slide edit can be applied in the same way as the rolling or ripple edit. Figure 6.62 shows Man2 after slide edit has been applied.
Figure 6.62: Timeline after Slide Edit
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6.3 Adding Transitions Between Clips Preview the sample project that you have created. In this project, when one clip ends, the next clip starts playing abruptly. To avoid this interruption, you need to add transitions. In Premiere, a transition defines the way one scene or clip gives way to another clip on the screen. Premiere provides over 75 different types of transitions. The default transition between two clips in a project is the cut. In a cut transition, the last frame in one clip is immediately followed by the first frame in the next clip. You can access transitions in Premiere from the Transitions palette.
6.3.1 Using the Transitions Palette The Transitions palette lists all transitions that can be applied between two adjacent clips in a Premiere project. By default, the Transitions palette is displayed on the right in the Premiere interface. If the Transitions palette is not visible, you can view it by clicking Transitions in the Window menu as shown in Figure 6.63.
Figure 6.63: Transitions Option in the Window Menu
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This displays the Transitions palette, as shown in Figure 6.64.
Figure 6.64: Transitions Palette
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Within the Transitions palette, transitions are grouped into folders based on the type of effects that they produce. To view the transitions that are included in a group, you can expand the group folder. For instance, to view the transitions within the 3D Motion on the left of the folder name 3D group, in the Transitions palette, click Expand Motion, as shown in Figure 6.65.
Figure 6.65: Expanded 3D Motion Group
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The 3D Motion group expands vertically, displaying a list of effects below the group name, as shown in Figure 6.65. The icon on the left of each name in the transitions list shows a sample of the effect produced by the transition. By default, these icons are static, but you can animate them to preview the effects produced by the transitions. To animate the transition icons, perform the following steps: 1.
. This button is On the Transitions palette, click Transitions palette located on the upper-right corner of the Transitions palette. The pop-up Transitions palette menu is displayed, as shown in Figure 6.66.
Figure 6.66: Transitions Palette Menu
2.
On the Transitions palette, click Animate. All the transition icons are animated; showing a preview of the effects produced using two sample frames. The two sample frames display the letters A and B, and the preview displays the effect produced as the A frame transits to the B frame.
For example, the 3D cube spin transition is a part of the 3D Motion group of transitions. In this type of transition, the two clips are displayed on adjacent faces of a Editing Video with Adobe Premiere 6.57
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three-dimensional cube. Initially, the first clip is displayed on the face toward the screen. As the cube slowly spins, the adjacent face of the cube turns toward the screen with the second clip playing over it. Figure 6.67 shows three stages within the 3D cube spin transition using sample frames A and B.
Figure 6.67: Three Stages of the 3D Cube Spin Transition
In the transition of Figure 6.67, the A frame appears first. The first stage on the left shows the point at which the cube is just about to spin. In the second stage, the cube has spun halfway. The final stage on the right shows the point at which the cube has almost completely spun. You can select any transition and insert it between two video clips in the timeline.
6.3.2 Inserting Transitions You need to decide the number of frames in each clip that would be consumed by the transition effect. You must specify where the transition process is required to begin in the first clip and where it should end in the second clip. The frames at the end of the first clip are collectively called the tail material, and the frames at the beginning of the second clip are called the head material.
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The transition begins at the first frame of the tail material and ends at the last frame in the head material. The collective length of the tail and head material decides the duration of the transition effect. For instance, if you want to apply a 3D cube spin transition between the Man1 and Man2 video clips in the timeline, add the clips to the timeline. Figure 6.68 shows the two clips Man1 and Man2 in the Video 1A and Video 1B tracks, respectively.
Figure 6.68: Clips Man1 and Man2 in the Timeline
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To insert a 3D cube spin transition between the two clips, perform the following steps: 1.
In the timeline, click the video clip Man2 and drag it horizontally to set the head and tail material for the transition. Figure 6.69 shows the Man2 clip being dragged to the left.
Figure 6.69: Dragging the Man2 Clip
An overlapping region is created between Man1 and Man2 clips. The frames at the end of Man1 that occur in the overlapping region constitute the tail material. The frames at the beginning of Man2 that occur in the overlapping region constitute the head material for the transition.
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2.
On the Transitions palette, point to the Cube Spin transition. The Cube Spin transition is located in the 3D Motion group folder within the Transitions palette. The cursor changes to a hand icon, as shown in Figure 6.70.
Figure 6.70: 3D Cube Spin Transition in the Transition Palette
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3.
Click the Cube Spin transition and drag it onto the overlapping region in the Transition track. A blue-colored icon representing the Cube Spin transition appears in the overlapping region on the Transition track. Figure 6.71 shows the transition.
Figure 6.71: Inserting a Transition
The transition does not cover the entire overlapping region. You must adjust the length of the transition to cover the overlapping region.
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4.
In the Transition track, click the Cube Spin transition and drag it to the left such that the left edge of the transition coincides with the start of the overlapping region. Figure 6.72 shows the transition after it has been dragged.
Figure 6.72: Aligning the Transition
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5.
In the Transition track, position the cursor on the right edge of the transition. The cursor changes to a red trim tool. The trim tool is a red square bracket with a double-sided arrow. Figure 6.73 displays the cursor positioned over the right edge of the transition.
Figure 6.73: Trim Tool on the Right Edge of the Transition
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6.
Click the right edge of the clip and drag it to the right such that the right edge of the transition coincides with the end of the overlapping region. Figure 6.74 shows the transition after its right edge has been dragged.
Figure 6.74: Transition after Alignment
7.
Expand the 3D Cube Spin transition to fit the overlapping region in the Transition track. This implies that the duration of the transition effect is equal to the length of the overlapping region between the two clips, Man1 and Man2.
6.3.3 Previewing a Transition View the effect created by the transition. A simple playback of your program at this stage shows you that the transitions you applied are not visible. This is because effects are not applied to the program during playback. To view the effects of transitions in your program, you have to build a preview of the program.
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Building a Preview To build a preview of the entire program, or a part of it, you first have to set the work area bar. The work area bar is a yellow bar above the time ruler in the Timeline window. The bar is used to mark the segment of the program for which a preview needs to be built. Figure 6.75 shows the work area bar in the timeline.
Figure 6.75: Work Area Bar in the Timeline
The work area bar has two markers at the start and end of the bar, which can be dragged to adjust the length of the bar. For instance, you want to preview the 3D Cube Spin transition that you inserted between the clips Man1 and Man2. To build a preview for a segment of the program, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Timeline window, horizontally drag the work area bar and position it over the required segment of the program. Figure 6.76 shows the work area bar dragged over the segment containing the transition.
Figure 6.76: Positioning the Work Area Bar over the Transition 6.66 Editing Video with Adobe Premiere
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You must adjust the left and right markers of the work area bar to fine-tune the position of the work area bar. 2.
On the work area bar, drag the left marker to set the starting point of the preview. Figure 6.77 shows the left marker positioned at a point before the start of the transition.
Figure 6.77: Positioning the Left Marker of the Work Area Bar
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3.
On the work area bar, drag the right marker to set the ending point of the preview. Figure 6.78 displays the right marker positioned at a point after the end of the transition.
Figure 6.78: Positioning the Right Marker of the Work Area Bar
Now that you have marked the region in the timeline that you want to preview, you can generate the preview.
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4.
On the timeline menu, click Preview. Figure 6.79 displays the timeline menu.
Figure 6.79: Preview Option on the Timeline Menu
This action displays the Building Preview dialog box, as shown in Figure 6.80.
Figure 6.80: Building Preview Dialog Box
The Building Preview dialog box contains a progress bar, which shows you the status of the preview build. After the preview is built, it is automatically played in the Program view of the Monitor window. Editing Video with Adobe Premiere 6.69
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The time taken to build a preview depends on the length of the segment for which the preview is to be generated and the number of effects that have been applied within that segment. This method of previewing is time-consuming, but it gives you a preview that you can play at the normal playback speed. To quickly preview a transition effect without spending time in building a preview, use the process of render scrubbing.
Render Scrubbing Render scrubbing enables you to quickly preview segments of the video program in the timeline. You can preview a video segment on the timeline by dragging the edit line over the segment in the timeline, while holding down the Alt key. Recall that the edit line is used to show the current location in the timeline. Figure 6.81 shows the edit line in the Timeline window.
Figure 6.81: Edit Line in the Timeline Window
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To preview a section of the program using render scrubbing, perform the following steps: 1.
In the time ruler of the Timeline window, click the edit line while holding down the Alt key. The pointer changes to a down arrow, as shown in Figure 6.82.
Figure 6.82: Render Scrubbing through the Timeline
2.
On the time ruler, drag the edit line over the area containing the transitions to be previewed. The program is displayed in the Program view of the Monitor window, showing the effects of transitions.
This method of previewing usually produces a jerky display in the Monitor window because the quality of the preview depends on how smoothly you can drag the edit line over the timeline. While choosing between building a preview and render scrubbing, you must make a tradeoff between quality and time. If quality is more important, build a preview, but if you need a quick preview, use the render scrubbing method.
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Summary You can add clips to a Premiere project by importing them into the Project window. You can arrange clips in the Project window within bins, similar to folders in the Windows operating system.
You can trim clips in the Monitor window by specifying the in and out points within the clip.
You can insert a clip segment from the Source view of the Monitor window into the video program in the Program view by specifying the in and out points in both the views.
Based on the total number of in and out points specified in the Source and Program views, you can perform the following types of editing in the Monitor window: •
Three-point edit
•
Four-point edit
You can use four types of editing techniques in the timeline. These are: •
Rolling edit
•
Ripple edit
•
Slip edit
•
Slide edit
A transition specifies the effect applied when one clip gives way to another clip on screen.
There are over 75 types of transitions in Premiere. These transitions are listed in the Transitions palette.
You can add a transition effect between two clips in the A/B editing mode of the timeline by simply dragging the transition from the Transitions palette onto the timeline.
You can preview transition effects by either building a preview or by render scrubbing in the timeline.
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Assignments 1.
Define a bin in a Premiere project.
2.
List the two views available in the Monitor window.
3.
What effect does a rolling edit have on the clips adjacent to the edited clip?
4.
Identify the difference between a ripple edit and a rolling edit.
5.
Define the following terms: a.
Transition
b.
Render scrubbing
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6.74 Editing Video with Adobe Premiere
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Lab Exercises SuperGraphics, Inc. has created a video that introduces its clients to the audio-editing facilities that exist in the organization. A video has recorded the equipment and facilities at the SuperGraphics audio-editing room. The video exists in two video files, Office1 and Office2. You have been assigned the task to edit these video clips in Adobe Premiere. You have already created a project in the lab exercise of the preceding unit. Now you need to begin editing the clips Office1 and Office2.
Problem Statement 1 Create a bin named “Office Clips” and import the two video clips in the Project window.
Hints The clips are imported to the currently selected bin in the Project window. Before importing the video clips, make sure the target bin is selected.
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Lab Exercises
Exercise 1
Problem Statement 2 Trim the video clip Office1 and add the trimmed clip to the video program. While trimming the clip, from the Office1 clip extract the segment of the video clip:
Starting at the point where the clip starts displaying the audio editing equipment.
The Office1 Clip at the Beginning of the Useful Segment
Ending at the point where the clip stops displaying the equipment and starts focusing on the glass panel.
The Office1 Clip at the End of the Useful Segment
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Hints You can trim a clip by marking in and out points on a clip.
From the Office2 clip, extract the segment of the video clip:
Starting at the point where the clip starts displaying the monitor.
Office2 Clip at the In Point
Ending at the point where the clip stops displaying the monitor.
Office2 Clip at the Out Point
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Lab Exercises
Problem Statement 3
Insert the trimmed Office2 segment at a point in the video program before the clip begins panning from the audio-mixing equipment toward the glass panel.
Hints To insert a segment of video in the program, you can use the three-point editing technique.
Problem Statement 4 Add the segment of the Office2 clip to display a wooden door at the end of the video program. At the start of the Office2 clip, insert a dissolve transition effect.
Hints To add the video segment at the end of the program, you can simply mark the in and out points and drag the segment to the right end of the clips in the timeline.
Observations/Learning
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Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
Created a bin named “Office Clips”
2.
Import the video clips Office1 and Office2 into the Office Clips bin
3.
Trimmed the video clip Office1
4.
Added the trimmed clip to the video program
5.
Trimmed the video clip Office2
6.
Inserted the trimmed Office2 to the video program
Lab Exercises
1.
No
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6.80 Editing Video with Adobe Premiere
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Adding Special Effects to Video
7
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: •
Superimpose video clips by using the superimpose tracks in the Timeline window.
•
Fade video tracks by using the opacity rubberband.
•
Make parts of a video clip transparent by using transparency keys.
•
Add titles to a video by using the Title window.
•
Create rolling and scrolling titles by using the Rolling Text tool.
•
Animate video clips by defining a motion path and keyframes.
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7.1 Superimposing Video Clips 7.2 Adding Titles to Video 7.3 Adding Animations to a Video Clip
7.2 Adding Special Effects to Video
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7.1 Superimposing Video Clips Special effects play an important role in professional film production. They add life to simple shots and make ordinary stunts look spectacular. Most science fiction films, admired by millions in recent times, would have been impossible to make without these special effects. Using Adobe Premiere, and a creative mind, you can recreate the magic of your favorite Hollywood flicks with your video clips. Special effects are often used to show a subject in an environment in which it would be impossible to shoot in real life. For example, you can show a person flying around in the sky or dancing along with cartoon characters. Adobe Premiere includes a range of specialized tools that make it very easy to add these special effects. Superimposing is one such technique available in Premiere. Superimposing refers to the process of playing one clip on top of another. Superimposing of clips can be done in two ways:
Fading the upper clip using the opacity rubberband Making a part of the upper clip transparent using transparency keys and mattes In this chapter, you will learn to apply special effects to video clips by superimposing and adding titles and animations.
7.1.1 Adding Tracks to the Timeline Window To superimpose one clip on another, you need to simultaneously play both clips. You can do this by placing both clips within the same time interval, in separate tracks on the Timeline window. The track that contains the clip to be superimposed is called a superimpose track.
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By default, the Timeline window contains two video tracks, Video 1 and Video 2, in which Video 2 is the superimpose track and Video 1 is the main editing track. A clip placed in the Video 2 track is played on top of a clip in the Video 1 track. Figure 7.1 shows the arrangement of two clips in the Video 1 and Video 2 tracks in the Timeline window.
Figure 7.1: Video 1 and Video 2 Tracks in the Timeline Window
In Figure 7.1, the Man2 and Man1 video clips are placed in the Video 1 and Video 2 tracks, respectively. In this case, Man1 has been superimposed on Man2. You can also say that a composite of Man1 and Man2 has been created.
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In Premiere, you can also superimpose a clip on a composite of other clips. You can do this by adding more superimpose tracks above the Video 2 track. The Timeline window can contain up to 97 superimpose tracks above the Video 1 track, starting at the Video 2 track. This creates a hierarchy of tracks in which a clip placed in a higher track is displayed over the clips in the tracks below it. To add two superimpose tracks above the Video 2 track, perform the following steps: 1.
On the Timeline menu, click Track Options, as shown in Figure 7.2.
Figure 7.2: Timeline Menu
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2.
The Track Options dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 7.3. The Track Options dialog box displays the tracks available in the Timeline window. You can add, delete, and rename tracks in the Timeline window using the Track Options dialog box.
Figure 7.3: Track Options Dialog Box
3.
To add more video tracks, click Add in the Track Options dialog box.
4.
The Add Tracks dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 7.4. To add two video tracks in the Timeline window, type 2 in the Add Video Track(s) text box and click OK.
Figure 7.4: Add Tracks Dialog Box
Two tracks are added to the Timeline window above the Video 2 track. Figure 7.5 displays the Timeline window after the tracks have been added. By default, 7.6 Adding Special Effects to Video
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the added tracks are named Video 3 and Video 4. You can insert clips into these two tracks to create multiple layers of superimpositions.
Figure 7.5: Adding Superimpose Tracks
Notice that the clip Man1 has been superimposed over Man2. During playback, for the duration of the Man1 clip, you would only be able to see Man1 on the screen. This is because Man1 is on a higher track and is played over Man2. Only when the Man1 clip ends would the Man2 clip be visible.
7.1.2 Fading Video Clips Fading is used to adjust the intensity of a clip such that the clips that have been superimposed can be seen through it. This can be used to create effects such as fade in and fade out, in which clips slowly appear or disappear from the screen. A clip can be faded using the opacity rubberband. This is a thin red line stretching across the length of a clip in the Timeline window. Figure 7.6 displays the opacity rubberband for the video clip Man1 in the Video 2 track.
Figure 7.6: Timeline Window Displaying the Opacity Rubberband
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You can vertically drag the opacity rubberband at any point to adjust the transparency of the clip at that point. This point is called a handle and is shown as a small red square on the rubberband.
The Video 1 track does not have an opacity rubberband. A clip in the Video1 track cannot be superimposed on any other clip.
The opacity rubberband is not visible in the normal track view. Premiere allows you to expand a video track to display the opacity rubberband below the video clip in the track. For example, you can view the opacity rubberband for the Man 1 video clip by expanding the Video 2 track in the timeline. To expand a track and display the opacity rubberband, perform the following steps: 1.
On the Video 2 track, click the triangular Collapse/Expand Track control. This control is located on the left of the Video 2 track name, as shown in Figure 7.7.
Figure 7.7: Collapse/Expand Track Control
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2.
The Video 2 track vertically expands, exposing an area containing additional controls below the Video 2 track name. Figure 7.8 displays the expanded Video 2 track.
Figure 7.8: Expanded Video 2 Track
3.
On the Video 2 track, click the Display Opacity Rubberband control. This control is located below the Video 2 track name in the expanded region of the track, as shown in Figure 7.9.
Figure 7.9: Display Opacity Rubberband Control
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The red rubberband is displayed under the Man1 video clip name and thumbnail. Figure 7.10 shows the opacity rubberband.
Figure 7.10: Opacity Rubberband
To adjust the transparency of the video clip, you can vertically drag the red rubberband at any point. Dragging the line downwards makes the video transparent, and dragging the line upwards makes the video opaque at that point. Using the opacity rubberband, you can control the transparency of the video at multiple points within the video track. You can do this by creating handles on the opacity rubberband. A handle is used to pivot the rubberband at a specific point. The slope of the segment between two handles defines the fading effect on the video during that segment. If the rubberband slopes upward, the video fades in, which means, it gradually appears on the screen. If, on the other hand, the rubberband slopes downward, the video fades out, that is, it slowly disappears from the screen. By default, there are two handles at the endpoints of the rubberband. By vertically moving these handles, you can gradually fade the video through the length of the audio clip.
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For example, in Figure 7.11, the starting handle of the Man1 clip is moved to the bottom, creating an upward slope through the length of the clip.
Figure 7.11: Fade-In Effect
On playing the video clip in Figure 7.11, you will first see only the underlying video clip Man2, but gradually the Man1 clip would appear over the Man2 clip on the screen, which means that the Man1 clip would fade in and superimpose itself on the Man2 clip. You can also create more complicated fade effects by repositioning the rubberband at several points. For this, you must create additional handles on the rubberband. You can create a handle by clicking the rubberband at any point. Using an opacity rubberband, you can fade a clip and also vary the fading effect over time. The effect is equally applied throughout the screen. But if you wish to fade only a certain region on the screen, you can use transparency keys and mattes.
7.1.3 Using Transparency Keys and Mattes Another method for superimposing clips is with the use of transparency keys and mattes. Transparency keys are used to make a certain area of the clip transparent, so that the clip below is completely visible through that area. An example of keying is the blue screen technique that is used in movies. In this technique, a subject is filmed against a color screen, usually blue or green. This color, known as key, is then made transparent whenever it appears on the screen, so that the underlying clip can be viewed through the transparent region. The subject, in effect, appears to be a part of the environment depicted in the underlying clip. Adding Special Effects to Video 7.11
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A key specifies a method for creating a transparency. It identifies a color or a range of colors that are made transparent in the clip. You can also designate a specified area, called a matte, to be totally transparent. Keys and mattes provide you the flexibility of varying the type and intensity of transparency applied to different areas of the clip. This enables you to cut out a subject and superimpose it on another clip in a lower track. In such a case, the subject appears to be a part of the clip in the background. Premiere includes 15 keys that allow you to create various types of superimpositions. Depending on the method used to create transparency, these keys can be broadly classified into the following four types:
Color-based keys: Color-based keys are used to make a region within a clip transparent, based on the colors in that region.
Brightness keys: Brightness keys are used to make a region in a clip transparent based on the intensity of light in that region.
Alpha channel keys: Alpha channel keys are used to create transparency in clips that contain an alpha channel. All colored images contain three basic channels— red, green, and blue—collectively called the RGB channel. Some images and video clips might also contain a fourth channel, called the alpha channel. This channel affects transparency of images.
Matte keys: Matte keys are used to select a transparent region using an image as a reference. The image used to map transparent regions on the clip is called matte. A matte is a grayscale image. The region to be made transparent corresponds to either the black or the white region in the image matte. Table 7.1 lists the keys in Premiere along with a brief description of each one. Category
Color-based keys
Brightness keys
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Key
Used to Apply Transparency to
Blue Screen key
Blue regions in the clip.
Green Screen key
Green regions in the clip.
Chroma key
A range of colors in the clip.
RGB Difference key
A range of colors in the Red, Green, and Blue regions of the clip. It is a simpler version of the Chroma key.
Non-Red key
Both blue and green regions within a clip.
Luminance key
Dark areas in the clip.
Multiply key
Areas of the clip corresponding to bright areas in an underlying clip.
Alpha channel keys
Matte keys
Screen key
Areas of the clip corresponding to dark areas in the underlying clip.
Alpha Channel key
A clip based on the alpha channel within a clip. This key can only be applied on clips that contain an alpha channel.
Black Alpha Matte key
A black background in a clip.
White Alpha Matte key
A white background in a clip.
Image Matte key
A clip using an image as a reference.
Difference Matte key
Regions similar to a reference image.
Track Matte key
A clip using a moving image as a reference.
Table 7.1: Transparency Keys
Consider that you want to add a logo at the top-right corner of a video clip. Figure 7.12 displays a sample logo.
Figure 7.12: Logo
You want to add this logo to the clip Man 1. To add the logo, you need to first superimpose the logo on the video clip. You then need to set the transparency key of the
Adding Special Effects to Video 7.13
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logo so that the clip is visible through the logo. To add a logo on top of a video clip, perform the following steps: 1.
Add the Man1 clip to the Video1 track of the timeline.
2.
Import the file logo.bmp in the Project Window. To import the file, click File, point to Import, and click File. The imported file, logo.bmp, is added to the project window, as shown in Figure 7.13.
Figure 7.13: Logo File Added in the Project Window
The size of the image is equal to the frame size of the video clip. This ensures that the logo will display on the top-right corner of the clip.
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3.
To superimpose the logo, place the logo on the Video 2 track of the timeline. To do this, drag the logo.bmp file from the Project window to the Video 2 track of the timeline, as shown in Figure 7.14.
Figure 7.14: Adding the Logo to the Video 2 Track of the Timeline
4.
Select the image of the logo in the timeline.
5.
To set the transparency of an image, access the Effect Controls palette by clicking Show Effect Controls on the Window menu.
6.
To set the transparency of the image, on the Effect Controls palette, click Setup next to Transparency, as shown in Figure 7.15.
Figure 7.15: Effect Controls Palette
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Alternatively, right-click the image in the timeline, and then, on the shortcut menu that is displayed, point to Video Options and click Transparency.
The Transparency Settings dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 7.16.
Figure 7.16: Transparency Settings Dialog Box
7.
In the Transparency Settings dialog box, to specify the type of key, select Chroma from the Key type drop-down list, as shown in Figure 7.17.
8.
To choose the key color, click the color swatch in the color area and select the color of the background in the Transparency Settings dialog box. You can also use the eyedropper tool to select the color, as displayed in Figure 7.17.
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Figure 7.17 displays the Transparency Settings dialog box, in which you can use the eyedropper tool to select the color.
Figure 7.17: Selecting the Color by Using the Eyedropper Tool
9.
To adjust the key effects, specify the following settings in the Transparency key dialog box, as displayed in Figure 7.18: a.
Similarity: Drag the similarity slider to adjust the range of colors that matches with the color you specified in the Color area.
b.
Blend: Drag the Blend slider to blend the logo with the clip that plays below the superimposed logo.
c.
Threshold: Drag this slider to adjust shadow areas. If the threshold value is more, the shadow areas in the clip will be clearly visible.
d.
Cutoff: Drag this slider to darken or lighten the shadow imposed by the logo.
e.
Smoothing: Select an option from the Smoothing drop-down list to specify the sharpness of the edges of the logo.
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Figure 7.18 displays how to adjust key effects.
Figure 7.18: Adjusting Key Effects
10.
After specifying all settings, to preview the keying effect, select any of the following settings given below the Sample area in the Transparency Settings dialog box: : Use this option to view a black-and-white preview of
a.
Black/White the clip.
b.
Checkerboard : Use this option to view the transparent areas of the clip as checked patterns.
c.
Image : Use this option to display the underlying clip (on the Video 1 track) in the preview.
tool for a detailed preview of the clip. In addition, You can also use the Zoom tool to drag the clip into the Sample area. you can use the Hand
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Figure 7.19 displays a clip in the Monitor window with the logo on the topright corner.
Figure 7.19: Video Clip with a Logo Displayed on the Top-right Corner
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7.2 Adding Titles to Video In addition to superimposing, you can enhance video clips by adding titles. For instance, at the beginning of a video film, you can add text to display credits of the film. You can also display names of the speakers, news flashes as scrolling text, or translation sub-text at the bottom of the screen. All such text added to video conveys relevant messages to the viewer while the video is being played. In video terms, this text is referred to as a title. In this section, you will learn how to create titles for your project. You will also learn how to format text within a title, apply effects to titles, and add motion to titles.
7.21 Interface of the Title Window In Premiere, titles are created and stored in title objects. These objects are stored in separate files and can be imported into the project in the same way as source clips. You can apply effects to title objects. For instance, you can arrange a title object on the Timeline window and fade and superimpose it on other clips using the methods explained in the section “Superimposing Video Clips.” Within a title object, text is grouped into text objects. A text object may contain multiple lines of text. You can apply various effects, such as rolling and crawling, to text objects within a title object.
A project can have multiple title objects, a title object can have multiple text objects, and a text object can have multiple lines of text.
In Premiere, title objects are created using the Title window. You can use the Title window to add and edit text objects within a title object.
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Figure 7.20 displays the Title window.
Figure 7.20: Title Window
The Title window is divided into two parts:
Work area Toolbar
Work Area The text and graphics that make up the titles are added to the work area, located on the right of the Title window. Text objects can be arranged on this area to control the way they appear on the screen. The work area includes two safe zones represented by dottedline boxes. These are:
Title-safe zone Action-safe zone
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These zones are called safe zones because text and graphics that are positioned within these zones are safe from distortion. Figure 7.21 displays the title-safe zone and the action-safe zone in the work area.
Figure 7.21: Safe Zones in a Work Area
In Figure 7.21, the inner dotted box represents the title-safe zone and the outer dotted box represents the action-safe zone. These safe zones are used to check incompatibilities that arise in the way images are displayed on different television screens and monitors. Television sets usually overscan the display and cut off parts of the screen near the edges. Titles placed outside the title-safe zone might appear distorted on some television screens. Similarly, titles placed outside the action-safe zone might not be displayed at all.
You should always place your text within the title-safe zone to prevent it from being truncated or distorted near the edges.
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Toolbar Premiere includes several tools for formatting text and applying effects to titles. These tools are placed in the toolbar and located on the left of the Title window. Table 7.2 lists various tools of the Title window Toolbar along with their functions and keyboard shortcuts. Icon
Name
Used to
Shortcut
Selection Tool
Select text or text objects in the work area
V
Type Tool
Add text to the work area
T
Eyedropper Tool
Pick a color that exists in the Title window
I
Line Tool
Draw a straight line
L
Rectangle Tool
Create a rectangle. The left half of the Rectangle tool creates a framed rectangle and the right half creates a filled rectangle.
S
Rounded Rectangle Tool
Create a rectangle with rounded corners. The left half of the tool creates a framed rounded-rectangle, whereas the right half creates a filled one.
R
Polygon Tool
Create a framed or filled polygon
P
Oval Tool
Create a circle or an oval shape
O
Rolling Title Tool
Make text scroll vertically or horizontally across the screen
Y
Table 7.2: Tools and Their Functions
In case of a rectangle, rounded rectangle, polygon or oval, you can choose to create either a framed figure or a filled figure. To create a framed figure, you need to click on the left half of the tool, whereas to create a filled figure, click on the right half of the tool.
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7.2.2 Creating a Title Object Consider the following example. You need to create a title object and display the text “Editing Video using Premiere” in this object. To do this, perform the following steps: 1.
On the File menu, point to New, and then select Title, as shown in Figure 7.22.
Figure 7.22: New Title on the File Menu
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2.
An empty Title window is displayed, as shown in Figure 7.23. To add text to the work area, click the Type tool to select it. This is the tool with the T sign.
Figure 7.23: Empty Title Window
3.
When you select the Type tool, the pointer changes to an insert icon (I). On the Title window work area, click to add text at that point.
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4.
An empty text box appears at the point, with a blinking insert-text pointer, as shown in Figure 7.24. In the text box, type “Editing Video using Premiere,” and click anywhere outside the text box in the work area.
Figure 7.24: Empty Textbox
5.
The border of the text box disappears, and only four corners of the text box are visible. This text box is referred to as a text object. Figure 7.25 displays the text object.
Figure 7.25: Text Object
You can create multiple text objects in the work area. 7.26 Adding Special Effects to Video
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7.2.3 Saving a Title Object To use the title object in a project, it must first be saved in a file and imported into the project. By default, title objects created in Premiere are saved in files with the .ptl extension. To save a title object, perform the following steps: 1.
On the File menu, click Save As to save the title object created, as shown in Figure 7.26.
Figure 7.26: File Menu
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2.
The Save File dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 7.27. In the Save File dialog box, enter a name, Title1.pt, in the File Name field, and click Save.
Figure 7.27: Save File Dialog Box
The title is saved and added to the active Project window in the Premiere project. Figure 7.28 shows Title1 added to the Project window.
Figure 7.28: Project Window
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From the Project window, you can add the title object to the Timeline window and edit it. You can superimpose titles on other clips by adding title objects to any of the superimpose tracks. You can also apply the effects discussed in the previous chapter to these title objects. In addition, some specialized effects can be applied to these titles. These effects are discussed later in the section. Before you add effects, you must learn how to format text within the title object.
7.2.4 Formatting Text in Title Objects Premiere includes a number of text formatting and editing controls in the Title window. You can change attributes of a text object and of words or individual characters within an object, using these controls. Premiere includes the following formatting options for text in a title:
Text and paragraph attributes Text color and gradient Text stretching Text kerning
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Text and Paragraph Attributes Text attributes include options such as Font, Size, Style, and Justification, which affect the text selected in the text object. Paragraph attributes affect the entire object and are set by selecting a particular object. In addition to specifying attributes of text within the object, you can also specify options like bring-to-front, send-to-back, and alignment of objects. These attributes can be set using a pop-up menu. You specify text attributes while creating a title object, before the object is saved and added to the project. You can also change these attributes after the title object has been added to the Project window. For instance, you can change the style of text within the Title1 object to Italic after the Title1 object has been added to the Project window. The steps to change such text attributes are: 1.
In the Project window, double-click the Title1 object icon, as shown in Figure 7.29.
Figure 7.29: Project Window
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2.
This displays the Title window with the Title1 object opened inside it, as shown in Figure 7.30. On the Title window, you can see the text object created earlier with the text “Editing Video using Premiere.” You can change text attributes for the entire object or for a part of the text within the object. On the text object, double-click to display the object as a simple text box.
Figure 7.30: Title1 Title Window
3.
The text object appears as a simple text box with a blinking insert-text icon, as shown in Figure 7.31. In the text box, click the space before the word “Video” and drag to the end of the word to highlight the word.
Figure 7.31: Text Object
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4.
The word “Video” is highlighted, as shown in Figure 7.32. On the highlighted word, right-click to display a pop-up menu.
Figure 7.32: Highlighted Text in Text Object
5.
A pop-up menu is displayed, as shown in Figure 7.33. On the pop-up menu, position the mouse at Style and then select Italic to change the style attribute of the text.
Figure 7.33: Text Object Pop-up Menu
The pop-up menu displayed in Figure 7.33 is also called a shortcut menu. Alternatively, you can use the Title menu at the top of the Premiere interface for selecting the same options that are given in the shortcut menu.
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The word “Video” is displayed in italics, as shown in Figure 7.34.
Figure 7.34: Text Object
You can also change attributes of the entire text within a text object by selecting the entire object instead of a part.
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Text Color and Gradient You can apply color to groups of characters within a text object or to the entire text object. When a color merges into another, a gradient is created. In addition to specifying solid colors, you can also apply gradients to text in a title. For instance, you can apply a gradient to the text in the Title1 object such that it changes from blue to red. To apply a gradient, you must select a gradient start color and a gradient end color. To apply a gradient to the color of text, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Title window, click the text object to select it. The four corners of the text object appear, indicating that the object has been selected. Figure 7.35 displays the selected text object.
Figure 7.35: Selected Text Object
2.
On the toolbar, click the Gradient Start Color swatch. Figure 7.36 displays the Gradient Start Color swatch.
Figure 7.36: Gradient Start Color Swatch
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The Color Picker dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 7.37. You use this dialog box to select the starting color for the gradient. It includes a wide range of colors for you to choose from. You can select a color by clicking a visible color in the window. The dialog box includes two color boxes on the top-right corner to contrast the selected color with the existing color of the object. The upper box indicates the existing color, while the lower one indicates the new selected color. 3.
In the Color Picker dialog box, click a shade of blue to select it as the gradient start color. Figure 7.37 displays the Color Picker dialog box.
Figure 7.37: Color Picker Dialog Box
The selected shade is displayed in the lower color box on the top right of the dialog box, as shown in Figure 7.38.
Figure 7.38: Selected Color Box Adding Special Effects to Video 7.35
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4.
In the Color Picker dialog box, click OK to finalize the selection of the gradient start color.
5.
The gradient start color is applied to the text in the text object. Figure 7.39 displays the text object after the color has been applied.
Figure 7.39: Text Object
6.
To specify the gradient end color, click the Gradient End Color swatch on the toolbar, as shown in Figure 7.40.
Figure 7.40: Gradient End Color Swatch
The Color Picker dialog box is displayed, in which you select the ending color of the gradient. Click a shade of red to select it as the gradient ending color.
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7.
The selected shade is displayed in the lower color box on the top right of the dialog box, as shown in Figure 7.41.
Figure 7.41: Selected Color Box
8.
In the Color Picker dialog box, click OK to finalize the selection of the gradient end color. The gradient end color is applied to the text in the text object. Figure 7.42 displays the text object after the color has been applied. The color of each letter of the text within the text object appears as a gradient between blue and red.
Figure 7.42: Text Object with a Color Gradient
Gradients can also be applied to a part of the text within a text object by highlighting the desired text. The procedure to highlight a part of the text within a text object was
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explained in the last topic, when you learned how to change the style attribute of a word in the text object.
Text Stretching In Premiere, a text object can be stretched to a desired shape. Stretching increases the length or breadth of characters within a text object, depending on the direction in which stretching is applied. Stretching can be applied to entire text objects only and not to selected text within an object. To apply stretching to a text object, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Title window work area, click the text object to select it. The four corners of the text object appear, indicating that the object has been selected. Figure 7.43 displays the selected text object.
Figure 7.43: Selected Text Object
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2.
Position the pointer on a corner of the text object, while pressing the Ctrl key. The pointer changes to a T sign with four arrows pointing outwards. Figure 7.44 shows the pointer placed on the lower-left corner of the text object while the Ctrl key is pressed. On a corner of the text object, click and drag the corner while keeping the Ctrl key pressed.
Figure 7.44: Stretching the Text Object
The characters within the text object are stretched in the direction of the drag. Figure 7.45 shows the text object after the lower-left corner of the text object is dragged further down and to the left.
Figure 7.45: Stretched Text Object
Each character within the text object is lengthened. You can stretch a text object in any direction by dragging any of the four corners of the object. Adding Special Effects to Video 7.39
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Text Kerning In addition to stretching, you can also adjust the space between individual characters within a text. This is called kerning. Stretching distorts the shape of the individual characters within the text object, whereas kerning only increases or decreases the space between characters. Kerning does not affect the shape of characters. Unlike stretching, kerning can be applied to only a portion of the text within a text object. You can adjust the kerning of text using the Increase/Decrease Kerning tool on the Toolbar. Figure 7.46 displays the Increase/Decrease Kerning tool.
Figure 7.46: Kerning Tool
By default, the Increase/Decrease Kerning tool is not visible on the toolbar. It appears only when the text in a text object is highlighted.
To increase the character spacing within the word “Premiere” in the Title1 title object, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Title window, double-click the text object to display the object as a simple text box.
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2.
The text object appears as a simple text box with a blinking insert-text icon, as shown in Figure 7.47. In the text object, click the space before the word “Premiere” and drag to the end of the word to highlight the word.
Figure 7.47: Selected Text Object
3.
The word “Premiere” is highlighted, as shown in Figure 7.48. To increase the spacing between characters, click the Increase Kerning button.
Figure 7.48: Highlighted Text in the Object
The spacing between characters increases as the button is clicked. You can repeatedly click the button to increase the spacing between characters.
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Figure 7.49 shows the text object after the button has been clicked eight times.
Figure 7.49: Text Object after Changing the Kerning
Similarly, you can use the Decrease Kerning button to decrease the spacing between characters of the selected text within a text object.
7.2.5 Adding Effects to Titles Premiere also lets you add horizontal and vertical motion to titles on screen. This is very useful for displaying long or multiple lines of text that do not fit on the screen as a whole. You can apply two types of effects to titles. These are:
Rolling text: The rolling text effect is used to vertically scroll titles across the screen in an upward or downward direction. This effect is usually used to display rolling credits at the end of films.
Crawling text: The crawling text effect is used to horizontally scroll titles across the screen. For instance, a news flash rolling across the bottom of the screen during a news broadcast is displayed using this effect.
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Both these effects are applied to titles using the Rolling Text tool in the toolbar. To create a rolling text, you must insert multiple lines of text in a rolling text object. To create a rolling text object in the Title1 title object, perform the following steps: 1.
On the toolbar of the Title window, click the Rolling Title tool to select it. This is the tool with the T sign surrounded by four outward arrows, as shown in Figure 7.50.
Figure 7.50: Rolling Title Tool
2.
When you select the Rolling Title tool, the mouse pointer changes to a cross (+). On the Title window work area, click and drag to create a square area.
3.
An empty text box with vertical and horizontal scroll bars appears, as shown in Figure 7.51. This text box can be called a rolling text object. In the rolling text object, type multiple lines of text and click anywhere outside the text object in the work area.
Figure 7.51: Rolling Text Object
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4.
The border of the text object disappears, and only four corners of the text object are visible. Figure 7.52 displays the text object with multiple lines of text. On the rolling text object, right-click to display a pop-up menu.
Figure 7.52: Adding Text to the Rolling Text Object
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5.
On the pop-up menu, click Rolling Title Options, as shown in Figure 7.53.
Figure 7.53: Text Object Pop-up Menu
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6.
This displays the Rolling Title Options dialog box, as shown in Figure 7.54. The dialog box includes four options for the rolling text in four directions. Click Move Up to roll text in an upward direction on the screen.
Figure 7.54: Rolling Title Options Dialog Box
To apply crawling effect to the text, you can select the Move Left or Move Right radio button.
7.
To apply settings to the rolling text object, click OK.
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7.3 Adding Animations to a Video Clip One of the fascinating parts of video is motion. A video in itself is nothing but a fastmoving sequence of images, which gives an illusion of motion. Motion is what distinguishes a video from a still image. You can add another dimension of motion to video. For instance, imagine a clip being played on a screen. While the clip is being played in the background, another clip might fly in from any side of the screen and move around the screen in a spiral path, before replacing the existing clip on screen. This effect would be much more exciting than the first clip disappearing, and the second clip simply appearing on screen. The type of motion used to animate video clips is different from the motion within a video clip. The motion used to animate video clips is synthesized, whereas the motion within a video clip is natural. A video clip is a recording of the actual motion of objects within the clip. In Premiere, a video clip is animated by setting a motion path for the clip. In this section, you will learn to apply a motion effect to video clips.
7.3.1 Introduction to Keyframes A video is a collection of sequence of frames. A keyframe is a frame within the video clip that is used to mark a change in the direction and nature of the motion of the clip. Generally, keyframes can be used to apply any effect to a video clip. Whenever an effect is added to a clip, keyframes are added to the clip, marking the start and end of the effect. If an effect is added to the entire video clip, only two keyframes are added, at the beginning and end of the clip. However, if you wish to apply multiple effects during the length of the clip or apply an effect to only a part of the clip, you will need to add keyframes in the middle of the clip as well.
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7.3.2 Defining a Motion Path A motion path is the path along which a video clip moves on the screen. The path includes a starting point, an ending point, and a desired number of keyframes in between. You can obtain the path followed by the video clip by joining the starting point and ending point through all keyframes. The number of keyframes in the motion path depends on the complexity of the path. In Premiere, a motion path for a clip is defined using the Motion Settings dialog box. This dialog box includes a Motion Path window, which displays the motion path of the selected clip. The path is displayed as a collection of straight-line segments. The endpoints of each segment denote keyframes. Consider an example in which a video clip, Clip1, is played on the screen. You want to replace Clip1 with another video clip, Clip2, while Clip1 is playing. However, instead of simply cutting Clip1 and displaying Clip2, you want Clip2 to make a circle along the edges of the screen, before occupying the screen. To implement such an effect, Clip2 must be placed on a higher track than Clip1. Figure 7.55 displays Clip1 and Clip2 in the Video 1 and Video 2 tracks, respectively.
Figure 7.55: Clip1 and Clip2 in the Timeline Window
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Notice that in Figure 7.55, Clip2 overlaps Clip1 in the Timeline window. This ensures that while Clip2 moves around the screen, covering parts of the screen, Clip1 is visible through the uncovered parts of the screen. To assign a path for Clip2 to follow on the screen, you need to define a motion path. To assign a motion path, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Timeline window, click Clip2 to select it. A blinking, dotted-line frame surrounds Clip2, as shown in Figure 7.56.
Figure 7.56: Selected Clip2
2.
On the Clip menu, position the mouse pointer to Video Options and then select Motion, as shown in Figure 7.57.
Figure 7.57: Clip Menu
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The Motion Settings dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 7.58. This dialog box contains a Motion Path window at the top right. This window shows the path taken by the clip with respect to the screen. The screen is depicted by a shaded rectangle marked Visible Area, at the center of the Motion Path window. Only those parts of the clip that overlap with the visible area are visible on the screen when the video is played. By default, the motion path is a straight line from the left of the visible area to the right. Only the Start and End keyframes are defined at this stage. You can change the motion path of the clip by adding other keyframes to the path and rearranging these keyframes in the Motion Path window. 3.
In the Motion Path window, click the path between the Start and End keyframes to create a new keyframe, as displayed in Figure 7.58.
Figure 7.58: Motion Settings Dialog Box
4.
A new keyframe is created at the point clicked. The keyframe appears as a black outlined square, as shown in Figure 7.59. You can refer to the keyframe created as keyframe1. In the Motion Path window, click keyframe1 and drag it
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to a point such that only a part of the upper right edge of Clip2 overlaps the visible area.
Figure 7.59: Creating Keyframe1
5.
The adjoining path segments of keyframe1 are readjusted, as shown in Figure 7.60. On the motion path segment between keyframe1 and the End keyframe, create another keyframe as in step 3 and drag it to a point such that only a part of the upper left edge of Clip2 overlaps the visible area.
Figure 7.60: Arranging Keyframe1
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6.
Figure 7.61 displays the Motion Path window after the new keyframe has been added and positioned. You can refer to the new keyframe created as keyframe2. On the motion path segment between keyframe2 and the End keyframe, create another keyframe as in step 3 and drag it to a point such that only a part of the lower left edge of Clip2 overlaps the visible area.
Figure 7.61: Arranging Keyframe2
7.
Figure 7.62 displays the Motion Path window after the new keyframe has been added and positioned. You can refer to the new keyframe created as keyframe3. On the motion path segment between keyframe3 and End keyframe, create another keyframe as in step 3 and drag it to a point such that only a part of the lower right edge of Clip2 overlaps the visible area.
Figure 7.62: Arranging Keyframe3
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8.
Figure 7.63 displays the Motion Path window after the new keyframe has been added and positioned. You can refer to the new keyframe created as keyframe4. In the Motion Path window, click the End keyframe and drag it to the center of the visible area.
Figure 7.63: Arranging Keyframe4
9.
Figure 7.64 displays the Motion Path window after the End keyframe has been repositioned. The motion path of Clip2 starts from the left of the visible area, goes around the visible area in a counterclockwise direction, and finally ends at the center of the visible area. You can preview the motion path in the Sample window on the left of the Motion Settings dialog box.
Figure 7.64: Arranging the End Keyframe
10.
In the Motion Settings dialog box, click OK.
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7.3.3 Adjusting Animation Settings A clip does not always have to move in a linear path between two keyframes in the motion path. You can add other effects to a path segment between two keyframes. These effects include:
Rotation Zoom Delay You can apply these effects to keyframes at both ends of the path segment.
Rotation This effect rotates the clip as it moves between keyframes in the motion path. The clip rotates in clockwise or counterclockwise directions, with the center of the clip as the axis of rotation. The degree of rotation can vary between –1440 to 1440 degrees; where a negative value denotes a counterclockwise rotation and a positive value denotes a clockwise rotation. You can rotate a clip by specifying the degree of rotation at a particular keyframe. For example, consider the example in the previous topic in which you defined a motion path for Clip2, with Clip1 in the background. Suppose you want Clip2 to rotate once in the clockwise direction, as it moves from the Start keyframe to keyframe1. One complete rotation corresponds to 360 degrees. Therefore, to add this effect, you can specify a rotation value of 360 degrees to the Start keyframe. To add the rotation effect, perform following steps: 1.
In the Timeline window, click Clip2 to select it. A blinking, dotted-line frame surrounds Clip2, as shown in Figure 7.65.
Figure 7.65: Selecting Clip2
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2.
On the Clip menu, select Motion from the Video Options sub-menu. This displays the Motion Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 7.66.
Figure 7.66: Motion Settings Dialog Box
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3.
The Motion Settings dialog box contains a set of sliders to control effects at keyframes. The topmost slider is the Rotation slider. A text field is also present on the right of the slider, in which you can type the required value of rotation. In the Motion Path window, click the Start keyframe to select it. The Start keyframe is surrounded by a square boundary to indicate selection, as shown in Figure 7.67.
Figure 7.67: Start Keyframe
4.
On the Rotation slider, click the right handle of the slider to increase the value in the rotation field to 360. Figure 7.68 shows the Rotation slider. You can also directly type in the value 360 in the Rotation field on the right of the slider. You can preview the rotation effect in the Sample window on the left of the Motion Settings dialog box.
Figure 7.68: Rotation Slider
5.
In the Motion Settings dialog box, click OK.
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Zoom The Zoom effect increases or decreases the size of the clip at the keyframe to which it is applied. The measure of zoom is specified as a percentage increase in the size of the clip and can range from 0 to 500 percent. You can adjust the size of a clip by specifying the percentage of zoom at a particular keyframe. To continue with the example in the previous topic, suppose you want Clip2 to zoom out (decrease in size) to 10 percent of its original size as it rotates from the Start keyframe to keyframe1, and then return to its original size as it moves from keyframe1 to keyframe2. To add this effect, you can specify a zoom value of percent to the Start keyframe. To add the zoom effect to a motion path, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Timeline window, click Clip2 to select it. A blinking, dotted-line frame surrounds Clip2 to signal the selection of the clip.
2.
On the Clip menu, select Motion from the Video Options sub-menu. This displays the Motion Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 7.69.
Figure 7.69: Motion Settings Dialog Box
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3.
The Motion Settings dialog box contains a set of sliders at the bottom to control effects at keyframes. The slider in the middle is the Zoom slider. A text field is also present on the right of the slider where you can type the required percentage of zoom. In the Motion Path window, click keyframe1 to select it. The keyframe1 is surrounded by a square boundary to indicate its selection, as shown in Figure 7.70.
Figure 7.70: Keyframe1
4.
On the Zoom slider, click the left handle to decrease the value in the zoom field to 10. You can also type the value 10 directly in the Zoom field to the right of the slider. Figure 7.71 shows the Zoom slider. You can preview the zoom effect in the Sample window on the left of the Motion Settings dialog box.
Figure 7.71: Zoom Slider
5.
In the Motion Settings dialog box, click OK.
You can create more complex effects by specifying different values of zooming for other keyframes within the motion path.
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Delay The Delay effect makes the clip pause for a specific time on the motion path. The clip is paused on the Keyframe at which delay settings are applied. The duration of delay is specified as a percentage of the total duration of the clip and must be less than the duration of the path segment before the next keyframe. For example, to stop Clip2 at keyframe1 for 5 percent of the total clip time, before moving again towards keyframe2, perform following steps: 1.
In the Timeline window, click Clip2 to select it. A blinking, dotted-line frame surrounds Clip2.
2.
On the Clip menu, select Motion from the Video Options sub-menu. This displays the Motion Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 7.72.
Figure 7.72: Motion Settings Dialog Box
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3.
The Motion Settings dialog box contains a set of sliders to control effects at keyframes. A text field is present to the right of the Delay slider, where you can type the desired percentage of delay. In the Motion Path window, click keyframe1 to select it. The keyframe1 is surrounded by a square boundary to indicate its selection, as shown in Figure 7.73.
Figure 7.73: Keyframe1
4.
On the Delay slider, click the right handle to increase the value in the delay field to 10. You can also type the value 10 directly in the Delay field on the right of the slider. Figure 7.74 shows the Delay slider. You can preview the delay effect in the Sample window to the left of the Motion Settings dialog box.
Figure 7.74: Delay Slider
5.
In the Motion Settings dialog box, click OK. The Delay effect is applied to keyframe1 within the motion path for Clip2. You can add delays to all keyframes in the motion path for a clip. However, the duration of delay at a
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keyframe cannot exceed the duration of the path segment between this and the next keyframe.
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Summary Superimposing involves playing a partially transparent or faded clip with a second clip in the background, such that the background clip is visible through faded regions of the foreground.
A video clip on a higher video track is displayed over other clips in the lower video tracks.
You can fade clips using the video opacity rubberband. You can make regions within a clip transparent using transparency keys and mattes. The four categories of transparency keys are: •
Color-based
•
Brightness
•
Alpha channel
•
Matte
Title objects are used to add text to video. These objects are saved in files and can be imported and used in a project in the same way as source clips.
The work area in the Title window contains two overlapping safe zones. The text placed outside these regions might appear distorted on screen. These zones are: •
Title-safe
•
Action-safe
You can apply colors and gradients to the text within a title by using the Color Swatch tool.
You can stretch the text within a title to change the length and breadth of individual characters in the title.
You can kern text within a title to adjust the character spacing of the text. Titles can be vertically or horizontally scrolled across the screen by using the Rolling Text tool.
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You can make video clips move around the screen along a specified motion path. Keyframes are used to signal a change in the direction and nature of the motion of a clip along the motion path.
You can apply three types of effects to keyframes within the motion path. These are: •
Rotation
•
Zoom
•
Delay
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Assignments 1.
What are superimpose tracks? Why are they used?
2.
What is a transparency key? What are the four categories of transparency keys in Adobe Premiere?
3.
How is fading a clip using transparency keys different from fading a clip using the opacity rubberband?
4.
What are safe zones?
5.
What is text kerning? How is it different from text stretching?
6.
What is a motion path?
7.
What is a keyframe? What is the significance of a keyframe in a motion path?
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Lab Exercises
Problem Statement Add the Office1 clip to the Video1 track in the timeline. Superimpose the first half of the Office2 clip over the second half of the Office 1 clip. Adjust the transparency of the Office2 clip such that it starts playing as completely transparent but is completely visible at the point where the Office1 clip ends.
Hints Place the Office2 clip on the Video2 or higher track. You can adjust the transparency of the Office2 clip using the opacity rubberband.
Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
Added the Office1 clip to the Video1 track in the timeline
2.
Superimposed the first half of the Office2 clip over the second half of the Office 1 clip
No
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Lab Exercises
Exercise 1
Exercise 2 Problem Statement Create a title object that contains the text “The Audio Editing Room is where sound is added to a Video Project.” The underlined parts of the text should appear in a different color from the rest of the text. Make the text appear at the bottom of the screen throughout the length of the video program. The text must scroll horizontally, from right to left, across the screen.
Hints To display the title object, place it on the Video3 track above the rest of the video. To make the text appear at the bottom of the screen, move the text object containing the text to the bottom of the work area in the Title window.
Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
Created a title object with the given text
2.
Specified color settings for the underlined part of the text
3.
Made the text appear at the bottom of the screen
4.
Made the text scroll horizontally on the screen
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No
Exercise 3 Animate the Office2 clip at the end of the video program such that during the final 25 percent of the Office2 clip:
The Office2 clip makes two complete rotations in the clockwise direction. The Office2 clip zooms out of view, which means it decreases in size until it is invisible.
The clip moves from the center of the screen to the top-left corner of the screen.
Hints To apply these settings to the final 25 percent of the Office 2 clip, specify a delay of 75 percent at the start frame.
Two complete rotations correspond to 720 degrees of rotation.
Observations/Learning
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Lab Exercises
Problem Statement
Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
Animated the Office2 clip at the end of the video program
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No
Working with Audio
8
This chapter introduces students to the basic properties of sound, which are important to understand audio. This chapter describes how to record audio using Sound Forge, and to perform basic audio editing operations in Adobe Premiere. At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: • Describe the basic properties of sound. • Describe the process of audio digitization. • Record audio by using Sound Forge. • Filter noise from a recorded audio sample by using Noise Gate. • Adjust the frequency of an audio sample by using the Pitch Bend control. • Adjust levels of frequency bands within an audio sample by using Graphic EQ. • Add audio clips to Premiere by using the Timeline window. • Apply effects to audio clips by using the pan/balance rubberband. • Adjust the volume of audio clips by using the volume rubberband.
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8.1 Introduction to Audio 8.2 Working with Sound Forge 8.3 Working with Audio in Premiere
8.2 Working with Audio
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8.1 Introduction to Audio Imagine watching “The Lion King” without Mufassa’s growl or Pumba’s hollers, or without the songs. You probably would not have enjoyed the movie. After all, silent movies are a thing of the past. Similarly, people who like action movies would not fancy Sylvester Stallone firing silent bullets and missiles at enemy camps. Without sound effects, Rocky’s punches would seem harmless. The terms “audio” and “sound” are often interchangeably used in casual conversation. However, there is a basic difference between the two. Audio is a combination of a number of different sounds. For example, water droplets falling on a calm pool of water make a sound. This sound cannot be referred to as audio. But the same sound of droplets can be used as a backdrop in a soft song. In this case, the song is an example of audio. Therefore, you can say that a song is audio obtained by combining various sounds, or in more general terms, audio is derived from sound. While shooting a film, if you are using a digital camera, audio is recorded automatically. However, there might be instances where you need to record audio separately and then integrate it with the video. Sound Forge and Premiere provide you with tools and options for recording and integrating audio with video. In this chapter, you will learn to record audio using Sound Forge and integrate that sound into your Premiere project. However, before looking at audio recording, you should understand the basics of sound and the properties of sound. This is because the quality of audio is affected by the properties of sound.
8.1.1 Basics of Sound When something vibrates in the air, it creates waves of pressure. When these waves spread and reach your eardrums, you experience the changes of pressure as sound. Therefore, sound is a wave that is created by the vibrations of an object and is transferred through a medium from one location to another. If you graph the intensity of vibrations over time, you will get a smooth curve or waveform. The waveform used to represent sound is also called a sine curve.
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A sound wave is called a sine curve because it resembles the curve obtained by plotting the mathematical sine function on a graph.
Figure 8.1 shows a sound wave represented as a sine curve.
Amplitude
Sine Curve
Median
Wavelength Sound Wave
Figure 8.1: Sound Wave
Properties of Sound There are a number of properties of sound that you must understand before you record and digitize audio. These properties can help you make some crucial decisions that affect the quality of recorded audio. The properties of sound are:
Amplitude Wavelength Frequency Pitch Median
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Amplitude Amplitude is the measurement of air pressure. In general terms, amplitude means the strength of a signal or sound. The amplitude of a sound wave is the maximum displacement of the vibrating particles from their original positions. Figure 8.1 displays the amplitude in a sound wave. As mentioned earlier, the vibration of particles produces sound. The larger the amount of vibrations, the higher the amplitude, and consequently, the louder the sound. The amplitude of sound is measured in decibels (db).
Wavelength To understand wavelength, you must know the meaning of a cycle. In Figure 8.1, the sound wave travels in a repetitive path, rising to a peak position before falling and rising again. When a sound wave starts from one position and comes back to the same position after traveling through the central line, it completes a cycle. The wavelength of a sound wave is the distance covered by the wave in completing one cycle. Figure 8.1 displays the wavelength of a sound wave. Wavelength can be measured from its waveform as the distance between the two endpoints of a complete cycle. Wavelength is measured in meters (m).
Frequency Sound waves always pass through a medium, such as air. A medium has many microscopic particles in it. The frequency of a sound wave refers to the rate at which these particles vibrate when a sound wave passes through the medium and is measured in cycles per unit time or waves per unit time. Frequency can also be measured in hertz (Hz). One Hz is equal to one cycle per second.
Pitch You hear sounds when your eardrums detect fluctuations in air pressure. Sound waves of different frequencies produce different sounds. Humans can detect waves with frequencies ranging from 20 to 20,000 Hz. The human ear can distinguish sounds having different frequencies by the sensations produced by these sounds. These sensations are referred to as the pitch of the sound.
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In other words, the human ear can distinguish frequencies of sound through the pitch of the sound. A high pitch would correspond to a high frequency sound and a low pitch would signify a low frequency. In general terms, pitch is used to measure the shrillness of a sound. As the pitch gets lower, the sound gets heavier. Usually, a male voice has a low pitch whereas a female voice is associated with high pitch.
Median The central line passing through the length of the sine wave is called the median. Figure 8.1 displays the median of a sine wave. Parts of the wave close to the median signify low amplitude or less vibration of particles. The farther the wave is from the median, the greater is the amplitude.
These properties of sound differ from one type of sound to another. As a result, waveforms used to represent different types of sounds are also different. When a number of such waveforms combine, they form a common waveform. Audio represented as a combination of waveforms is referred to as analog audio. Analog audio is usually stored on vinyl records and analog tapes. Earlier, all audio was in analog form. Today, you can store audio in another form known as digital audio.
8.1.2 Audio Digitization The music industry has benefited greatly from the advent of computers and digital media. Computers have played an important role in enabling people to create and record music. Today, you can match professional audio recording standards by using your own computer. To be able to play and process audio using computers, you must first store audio in a computer-readable format, referred to as digital audio. Digital audio is the representation of sound as binary digits. It can be read and processed by a computer in the same way as ordinary binary data. Music stored on a compact disc (CD) is an example of digital audio. Most musicians use digital media to record and edit music.
Concept of Digitizing Digitizing is the process of converting analog audio into digital audio. As mentioned earlier, analog audio is represented using continuous waveforms or sound waves. To
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digitize such a sound wave, it is divided into a series of snapshots, or samples, at equal intervals. This is known as sampling. Figure 8.2 displays sampling of a sound wave. Sample
Sampling Figure 8.2: Sampling of a Sound Wave
In Figure 8.2, each vertical bar is a sample. The height of the bar represents the amplitude of the wave at that point. Each sample is analyzed and a value is assigned to it depending on the average strength of the signal in the sample. This value is then stored in binary format on a digital storage device. In this way, an audio track can be stored as a stream of sample values in a file.
Limitations of Digitizing While digitizing audio using sampling, you must make some important decisions on how to convert the audio waveform into samples. These decisions have a direct impact on the quality of the digitized audio obtained after sampling. You have to take into consideration the available processing power and memory while making these decisions. The quality of digitized audio is affected by the following:
Bit depth Sampling rate
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Bit Depth Bit depth refers to the number of bits used to represent one sample of an audio signal. The higher the number of bits used to represent a sample, the more accurate the sound produced. A high bit depth also means that more memory would be required to store each sample. You can improve the quality of audio by using extra bits to represent a sample. You must also consider that thousands of samples are used to represent each second of audio and every bit added to a single sample will make a big difference in the size of the complete audio file. The standard bit depths used are 8, 16, and 24. Today, professional audio recording systems use 32 bits as well.
Sampling Rate The sampling rate refers to the number of samples recorded per second from the source audio. A higher sampling rate leads to better sound quality. A high sampling rate also means that more processing power is required while recording and playing back an audio sample. This is because the computer has to repeat a set of operations for every sample within the audio. The more samples used to represent each second of audio, the more operations that the computer must process. The sampling rate of a sound wave is different for different delivery media. For example, the sampling rate is about 48 kHz for a CD and about 11 kHz for sound that is to be broadcast over AM radio.
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8.2 Working with Sound Forge In the previous section, you learned how audio is digitized. You can record and play digital audio without the in-depth knowledge of the sampling process. There are several audio-editing applications that let you record audio directly in a digital format. A basic knowledge of digitizing is important to understand and make judicious use of the options available in these applications. One such application is Sound Forge. Sound Forge is a digital audio-editing application from Sonic Foundry. It gives you a great degree of control and extensive features to manipulate audio files. In this section, you will learn how to record digital audio using Sound Forge. You will also learn how to process audio files using the tools and effects in Sound Forge.
8.2.1 Exploring the Sound Forge Interface Sound Forge includes a wide range of tools and effects to record and manipulate digital audio. Figure 8.3 displays the Sound Forge interface.
Figure 8.3: Sound Forge Interface
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The Sound Forge interface consists of the following elements:
Data window Toolbars Status bar
Data Window The Data window is used to display the waveform for an audio file. Whenever you open an audio file in Sound Forge, it is opened in a new Data window. The Sound Forge workspace can contain multiple Data windows, each displaying the waveform for a separate audio file. Figure 8.4 displays a Data window for the audio file sample.wav.
Figure 8.4: Data Window
In the waveform display of the Data window, time is displayed on the horizontal axis. The vertical axis displays the amplitude of the waveform at different points in the time ruler.
Toolbars Sound Forge includes a wide range of tools that help you edit, play back, and control the display of the Sound Forge interface. Some of the frequently used tools have been arranged as buttons in toolbars on the workspace.
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Sound Forge includes the following three types of toolbars:
Standard Transport Status
Standard Toolbar The Standard toolbar provides quick access to some of the commonly used tools for file control and basic editing. Figure 8.5 displays the Standard toolbar in the Sound Forge interface.
Figure 8.5: Standard Toolbar
Some of the tools on the Standard toolbar, such as File Open, Save, Cut, and Paste, are common to most Windows-based applications. Table 8.1 gives a brief description of each tool on the Standard toolbar. Icon
Name
Used to
Shortcut
New
Create a new audio file. The new file is opened in a new Data window.
Ctrl + N
Open
Open an existing audio file
Ctrl + O
Save
Save the current audio file
Ctrl + S
Save As
Save the audio in the current Data window in a different file
Alt + F2
Cut
Cut a selected audio segment from the Data window. The audio segment is stored in the Clipboard.
Ctrl + X
Copy
Copy a selected audio segment from the Data window to the Clipboard
Ctrl + C
Paste
Insert the audio segment from the Clipboard to the current cursor position in the Data window
Ctrl + V
Mix
Mix the audio from the Clipboard with the audio starting at the current cursor position in the Data window
Ctrl + M
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Play Clipboard
Play the current audio in the Clipboard
-
Trim/Crop
Delete all audio in the Data window except a selected segment
-
Undo
Undo the last edit operation performed
Redo
Re-perform an operation that was undone earlier
Ctrl + Shift + Z
Repeat
Repeat the last edit operation that was performed
Ctrl + Y
Edit
Enable selection and editing of audio in a Data window
-
Magnify
Magnify a segment of the audio waveform
-
Pencil
Edit an audio file by manually drawing on the audio waveform
-
Ctrl + Z
Table 8.1: Tools on the Standard Toolbar
Transport Toolbar The Transport toolbar contains some commonly used tools for audio playback. The buttons on the Transport toolbar resemble the playback buttons on any common VCR or CD player. Figure 8.6 displays the Transport toolbar.
Figure 8.6: Transport Toolbar
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Table 8.2 briefly describes each of the tools on the Transport toolbar. Icon
Name
Used to
Shortcut
Record
Display the Record dialog box, which enables you to record audio
Ctrl + R
Play All
Play the complete audio file from start to end, irrespective of selections made in the audio waveform
Shift + Spacebar
Play
Play the audio file or a selected segment of the audio
Spacebar
Pause
Pause the playback of audio at the current point. On playing again, playback resumes at the point where it stopped.
Enter
Stop
Stop the playback of audio. The cursor returns to the point where it was when playback started.
Spacebar
Go to Start
Position the cursor at the beginning of the audio file
Ctrl + Home
Rewind
Move the cursor backward in the audio file
Forward
Move the cursor forward in the audio file
Ctrl + Right Arrow
Go to End
Position the cursor at the end of the audio file
Ctrl + End
Ctrl + Left Arrow
Table 8.2: Tools on the Transport Toolbar
Status Toolbar The Status toolbar is used to change the display status of the Data windows. Using the tools in the Status toolbar, you can change the units of the horizontal axis in the waveform display. For instance, by default, the horizontal axis in the waveform displays time. It can be changed to display the number of samples or frames. Figure 8.7 displays the Status toolbar.
Figure 8.7: Status Toolbar
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You can view audio in a Data window using different units of measurement along the horizontal axis. Each of the tools in the Status toolbar changes the units of measurement to a specific format. Table 8.3 lists the tools on the Status toolbar along with a brief description of each. Icon
Name
Used to
Samples
View audio data as samples along the horizontal axis
Time
View the length of audio in a Data window in the units of time
Frames
View audio data as frames along the horizontal axis
SMPTE
Change the units of measurement along the horizontal axis to SMPTE codes
Measures and Beats
Change the units of measurement along the horizontal axis to measures, beats, and one-fourths of a beat
Table 8.3: Tools on the Status Toolbar
Status Bar The Status bar is used to display important information about the status of the audio clip in the Data window currently in focus. The Status bar is displayed at the bottom of the Sound Forge interface. Figure 8.8 displays the Status bar containing information about an audio file.
Figure 8.8: Status Bar
The information in the Status bar is divided into separate fields. The first field on the left displays the sample rate of the audio. In Figure 8.8, the sample rate is given as 44,100 Hz. The second field displays the sample size. In Figure 8.8, the sample size is 16 bits. The third field displays information on the number of audio channels in the audio being played. If the audio being played is stereo, it contains two separate audio channels for the left and right sides, and if mono, it contains only one audio channel. The audio in the example is mono audio. The fourth field displays the total length of the audio file being played. The total length of the audio file in the example is 9.858 seconds. 8.14 Working with Audio
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The last field on the extreme right displays the total free space available for recording audio.
8.2.2 Recording Audio with Sound Forge Sound Forge allows you to record digital audio directly from a CD or from an external source by using a microphone attached to your computer. The recording process in Sound Forge gives you a great deal of flexibility by providing various modes of recording. For example, you can record audio in a new audio file or insert audio at the end of an existing one. You can even overwrite sections in the middle of an audio file with great precision. To record audio in a new file using Sound Forge, perform the following steps: 1.
On the transport toolbar, click Record, as shown in Figure 8.9.
Figure 8.9: Record Button on the Transport Toolbar
The Record dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 8.10. The Record dialog box includes several options for specifying the record settings.
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2.
In the Record dialog box, click New to open a new file for recording audio, as shown in Figure 8.10.
Figure 8.10: Record Dialog Box
3.
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The New Window dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 8.11. In the New Window dialog box, you must specify the following three properties for the new audio file: •
Sample rate: You can select a sample rate in the range of 2,000 to 96,000 Hz.
•
Sample size: The sample size can be either 8 or 16 bits.
•
Channels: You can specify whether you wish to record stereo or mono audio.
4.
After specifying the sample rate, sample size, and channels, click OK.
Figure 8.11: New Window Dialog Box
5.
A new audio file is created. The new audio file appears as a blank Data window behind the Record dialog box. Select a recording mode in the Record dialog box. The following recording mode options are available: •
Automatic retake: In this mode, recording starts at a specified point within the audio sample. The starting point is specified in the Start field. In the automatic retake mode, Sound Forge automatically resets the pointer to the previously specified starting point when you stop recording. The next time you start recording, the new audio overwrites the previous recording. This method is useful in situations when you wish to repeatedly record the same piece of audio until you get it right. You can play back the recorded audio after every take and decide if it is good enough or if you wish to record it again.
•
Multiple takes: This mode is similar to the automatic retake mode, except that the pointer is not repositioned at the start of the previous recording. When you stop recording, the pointer stays at the end of the previous take, and any new recording is stored beyond this point in the audio file. This method can be used when you wish to record a long audio sequence in parts. After recording one part of the audio, you can take a break, and continue recording from where you left off.
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•
Punch-in: In the punch-in mode, you can specify the start and end points within the audio file where you wish to insert an audio sequence. This mode is useful in situations where you wish to overwrite a section of audio within a previously recorded audio file. The recording starts at a specified point and automatically stops at the specified ending point.
6.
In the Record dialog box, click the required recording mode. In case you selected the automatic retake or multiple take mode, only the Start field is activated. In the punch-in mode, the End and Length fields are also activated along with the Start field.
7.
In the Start field, specify the time at which you wish to start recording within the audio file.
8.
Click Record to start recording, as shown in Figure 8.12.
Figure 8.12: Record Button in the Record Dialog Box
The recording procedure begins. The Record button changes into a Stop button and a flashing Recording sign appears to the right of the Transport toolbar. A recording meter displays the time recorded and the total time left on the storage device. The recording meter is located below the Transport toolbar in the Record dialog box, as shown in Figure 8.13.
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Figure 8.13 displays the Record dialog box after the recording process has begun.
Figure 8.13: Recording in Progress
9.
On the Transport toolbar, click Stop to stop the recording process. You can see the total recording time from the recording meter.
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10.
In the Record dialog box, click Close. The new Data window displays the waveform of the audio sequence recorded. Figure 8.14 shows the Data window after the recording.
Figure 8.14: Recorded Audio Clip
You can save the newly created audio sequence as an audio file by clicking the Save button on the Standard toolbar.
8.2.3 Applying Effects to Audio Recording an audio sequence is only the beginning of an audio editor’s work. The audio usually goes through several stages of refinement before it can be used in professional video production. In Sound Forge, you can apply a number of effects to an audio clip in the Data window to refine sounds within the audio clip.
Reducing Noise with Noise Gate Undesired sound or disturbance within an audio is known as noise: for example, the hissing sound heard in empty parts of an audio track. While recording speech, the sound of traffic in the background is also considered noise. Noise enters the audio during recording. Noise cannot be eliminated from audio, but can be minimized. To minimize noise within the audio, the recording area should be insulated from environmental disturbances. This is the reason why professional recording studios are made soundproof. However, it is not possible to insulate an area completely from its surroundings. 8.20 Working with Audio
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You can reduce the noise in an audio sample in Sound Forge by using Noise Gate. Noise Gate identifies noise by comparing the amplitude of noise with that of the surrounding content you need. To reduce noise from an audio file, perform the following steps: 1.
On the Effects menu, click Noise Gate, as shown in Figure 8.15.
Figure 8.15: Effects Menu
2.
The Noise Gate dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 8.16. It contains a Threshold slider on the left of the dialog box, which can be used to set the level of noise to be removed from the audio. In the Noise Gate dialog box, drag the Threshold slider to an appropriate level. Signals below the threshold level are eliminated from the audio sample.
Figure 8.16: Noise Gate Dialog Box Working with Audio 8.21
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Frequency Modulation with Pitch Bend Frequency modulation means changing the frequency of a sound wave. This affects the pitch of the sound. As explained in the section “An Introduction to Audio,” the pitch is the frequency of the sound experienced by the human ear. Increasing the frequency heightens the pitch, and decreasing it lowers the pitch. In Sound Forge, you can increase or decrease the pitch of an audio clip using the Pitch Bend control. The Pitch Bend control allows you to adjust the pitch of an audio clip to different levels at different points in time. 1.
To adjust the pitch of a sound clip, on the Effects menu, click Pitch Bend, as shown in Figure 8.17.
Figure 8.17: Effects Menu
2.
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The Pitch Bend dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 8.18. The Pitch Bend dialog box includes an envelope, within which the pitch of the audio clip is adjusted at various points. In the envelope, the vertical axis represents the pitch of the audio, and the horizontal axis represents the length of the audio clip, or a selected segment of the clip.
The Pitch Bend dialog box displays a sample audio clip on a horizontal axis in Figure 8.18.
Figure 8.18: Pitch Bend Dialog Box
In the envelope, repeat the following steps to adjust the pitch of the audio clip to the desired level. 3.
In the envelope, click the pitch bend to create a point (or handle). Figure 8.19 shows a handle created on the pitch bend.
Figure 8.19: Creating a Handle
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4.
Click the newly created handle and drag it vertically to increase or decrease the pitch at that point. Figure 8.20 displays the point dragged up to increase the pitch.
Figure 8.20: Increasing Pitch
5.
In the Pitch Bend dialog box, click OK. The pitch settings are applied to the waveform in the Data window.
Frequency modulation of an audio clip affects the duration of the audio clip. The frequency of sound determines the rate at which the sound is played. Increasing the frequency of an audio clip makes the audio play faster and decreases the total duration of the audio clip. Similarly, decreasing the frequency of an audio clip increases its length.
Equalization with the Graphic Equalizer To learn about equalization, you must understand the composition of audio. You must know what an audio sample is made up of. Audio is a collection of several sounds. Each sound within an audio sample might have a different frequency. Therefore, an audio sample is a combination of sounds at various frequencies. A song can be considered an audio sample. Within the song, the guitar would be playing at a different frequency from the vocals. In this case, the guitar and the voices of the singers are examples of two different sounds that make up the audio. On closer analysis, you will notice that the individual voices might be at different frequency levels, or that the sounds produced by different strings of the guitar might be at different frequencies.
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In the earlier sections of this chapter, you learned how sound is represented by a waveform. If you graphically represent an audio sample, it would be a combination of several waveforms at varying frequencies, as shown in Figure 8.21. Figure 8.21 displays a graphical representation of an audio sample.
Audio Waveform Sound Waves
Figure 8.21: Audio Waveform
The range of frequencies within an audio sample is called a frequency spectrum. The frequency spectrum can be divided into a number of regions, where each region corresponds to a sub-range of frequencies within the spectrum. Such a region is called a frequency band (or simply band). In Sound Forge, you can adjust the level of individual frequency bands within the frequency spectrum of an audio sample. This process is known as equalization (EQ).
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To equalize the audio clip sample.wav, perform the following steps: 1.
On the Process menu, click Graphic EQ, as shown in Figure 8.22.
Figure 8.22: Process Menu
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2.
The Graphic EQ dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 8.23. It contains sliders to adjust the gain (amplitude) levels of 10 different frequency bands. To adjust the gain of a particular frequency band, click the slider handle and drag it vertically to increase or decrease the gain.
Figure 8.23: Graphic EQ Dialog Box
Figure 8.24 shows how to increase the gain of the 62 Hz frequency band by dragging the slider handle upwards.
Figure 8.24: Increasing the Gain at 62 Hz
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The value assigned to a frequency band is displayed at the bottom of each slider. This value is measured in Hz. The letter k suffixed to the value refers to a thousand. Therefore, 1k is equal to 1,000 Hz and 16k equals 16,000 Hz. The value assigned to a frequency band is the median frequency of the frequency band that it represents.
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8.3 Working with Audio in Premiere In the previous section, you learned how to record digital audio using Sound Forge. This audio can be used in different ways, depending on the type of audio recorded. For instance, you can record a piece of music using Sound Forge and play back the music. You can also add the recorded audio to a video project using Premiere. Premiere is an application for digital video production. A video production is rarely considered complete without the associated audio. Apart from video-editing capabilities, Premiere also provides users with a wide range of built-in controls for audio processing. Proper audio editing can add realism to video. For instance, consider a video clip that displays a car moving from left to right across the screen. You can edit an audio track containing the sound of a moving car in such a way that when the car is on the left of the screen, the sound is emitted from the left audio channel, and as the car moves from left to right, the sound in the left audio channel decreases, and the sound in the right channel increases. You can add this edited audio track to the clip and give a realistic touch to the moving car. This effect is known as panning. In this section, you will learn how to add sound effects to a Premiere project. Before applying effects, you must learn to import and add audio files to the Premiere project.
8.3.1 Importing Audio Clips In addition to the synchronous audio that is recorded when you shoot the video, you can import and add to the project a number of audio clips, which play back along with the video. These files might contain narration that you want to play while the video is displayed. You can import audio clips to your project through the Project window.
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To import the audio clip sample.wav to your project, perform the following steps: 1.
On the File menu, select Import, and then click File, as shown in Figure 8.25.
Figure 8.25: Import Option on the File Menu
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2.
The Import dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 8.26. Select the required file, sample.wav, from the displayed list of the files in the system, and click Open.
Figure 8.26: Import Dialog Box
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The sample.wav audio clip is added to the Project window. Figure 8.27 displays the Project window after the clip is added. Notice that the sample.wav audio clip is added to the default bin, Bin 1, in the Project window.
Figure 8.27: Project Window
From the Project window, you can add audio clips to the Timeline window and edit these as required.
Create a separate bin for audio files in the Project window. This helps you manage audio clips, especially in large projects.
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8.3.2 Adding Audio Clips to the Timeline Window You can add audio clips to the Timeline window within audio tracks. Audio tracks appear below the video tracks in the Timeline window. By default, the Timeline window includes three audio tracks, wherein you can insert audio clips. Figure 8.28 displays the audio tracks in the Timeline window.
Figure 8.28: Audio Tracks in the Timeline Window
The default names given to the three audio tracks are Audio 1, Audio 2, and Audio 3. You can add an audio clip to any of these tracks by dragging the clip from the Project window to the track.
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To add the audio clip sample.wav from the Project window to the Audio1 track in the Timeline window, perform the following steps: 1.
In the Project window, place the cursor on the audio icon to the left of the file name sample.wav. The cursor changes to a hand, as shown in Figure 8.29.
Figure 8.29: Sample.wav in the Project Window
2.
With the hand cursor, click sample.wav and drag it onto the Audio1 track in the Timeline window. The clip is added to the Audio1 track. Figure 8.30 displays the Timeline window after sample.wav has been added to it.
Figure 8.30: Sample.wav in the Timeline Window
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Other clips can be added similarly to the Timeline window on the same track or on a different track. These will be placed after the sample.wav file.
Adding Audio Tracks You can add up to three overlapping audio clips in the three audio tracks provided on the Timeline window. You can insert more audio clips into your project by adding them below the existing audio tracks. The Timeline window can include a maximum of 99 audio tracks at any time. To add two additional audio tracks below the Audio 3 track, perform the following steps: 1.
On the Timeline menu, click Track Options, as shown in Figure 8.31.
Figure 8.31: Track Options on the Timeline Menu
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The Track Options dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 8.32. In the Track Options dialog box, you can add, delete, and rename tracks on the Timeline window. 2.
To add more tracks, click Add on the Track Options dialog box, as shown in Figure 8.32.
Figure 8.32: Track Options Dialog Box
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3.
The Add Tracks dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 8.33.
Figure 8.33: Add Tracks Dialog Box
To add two audio tracks in the Timeline window, type 2 in the Add Audio Track(s) text box, and then click OK. Two tracks are added to the Timeline window below the Audio 3 track. Figure 8.34 displays the Timeline window after the tracks have been added.
Figure 8.34: Added Tracks in the Timeline Window
By default, the added tracks are named Audio 4 and Audio 5. You can insert audio clips to these two tracks to simultaneously play multiple audio tracks.
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When you add video clips in different tracks, the clip in the upper track covers the clip in the lower tracks unless a transparency setting is provided to the upper clip. When you add audio clips to different tracks, audio on all tracks are mixed so that you can hear the audio simultaneously.
8.3.3 Editing Audio Clips in the Timeline Window After you have added audio clips to the Timeline window, you need to fine-tune the audio to make it fit the video in the project. You can use Premiere to edit audio clips and apply audio effects even after you have added the clips in the Timeline window. Premiere allows you to expand the audio tracks in the Timeline window and visualize an audio clip as a waveform. The waveform graphically displays the audio within the clip as the change in amplitude or volume over time. This enables you to identify areas within the clip from the height of the peaks at different points in the waveform, and simplifies the clip editing process. To expand the Audio 1 track and view the waveform of the audio clip sample.wav, perform the following steps: 1.
On the Audio 1 track, click the triangular Collapse/Expand Track control. This control is located on the left of the Audio 1 track name, as shown in Figure 8.35.
Figure 8.35: Collapse/Expand Track Control
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The Audio 1 track expands vertically, exposing an area containing additional controls below the Audio 1 track. Figure 8.36 displays the expanded Audio 1 track.
Figure 8.36: Expanded Audio 1 Track
2.
In the expanded region of the Audio 1 track, click the Show Audio Waveform control. This control is the leftmost control in the expanded region below the track name, as shown in Figure 8.37.
Figure 8.37: Show Audio Waveform Control
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The audio waveform is displayed under the audio clip sample.wav in the Audio 1 track, as shown in Figure 8.38. Figure 8.38 displays the Audio1 track after the waveform is displayed.
Figure 8.38: Waveform Display in the Audio 1 Track
The waveform stretches across the length of the audio clip in the Timeline window.
When you expand an audio track containing a clip, the waveform may already be visible. In this case, you need not click the Show Audio Waveform control. However, the control can be used to toggle between the two views at any time.
The expanded-track view also exposes additional controls under the track name. These controls are used to add the following effects to audio clips:
Panning and balancing with the pan rubberband Fading with the volume rubberband
Panning and Balancing To use panning and balancing, you must first understand the difference between stereoscopic and monophonic audio. Stereoscopic audio consists of two separate audio channels for the left and right sides. A stereoscopic, or stereo, system is used to play stereo audio. Such a system includes a 8.40 Working with Audio
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provision for two speakers with separate audio from the left and right speakers. For instance, if you play a song on a stereo system, you might hear drums on the left speaker, guitar on the right, and the vocals might be balanced on both sides. Most of the music systems manufactured today are stereoscopic. Monophonic, or mono, audio consists of a single channel. A mono system usually has a single speaker. Even if you play monophonic audio using two speakers, both would play the same audio.
Mono audio can be played on a stereo system, but a stereo audio loses its stereo effect if played on a mono system.
When a mono audio clip is played on a stereo system, the content of both the left and right audio channels is the same. However, in Premiere, you can adjust the intensity of the left and right audio channels to different levels, even for mono audio clips. This is known as panning. Panning is done using the pan rubberband in the Timeline window. The pan rubberband is a blue line stretching across the length of an audio waveform in the Timeline window. By default, the line passes through the center of the waveform. To display the pan rubberband, perform the following step: 1.
On the Audio1 track, click the blue Display Pan Rubberband control. This control is located under the Audio1 track name in the expanded track, as shown in Figure 8.39.
Figure 8.39: Display Pan Rubberband Control
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The blue pan rubberband is displayed on the waveform under the sample.wav audio clip. Figure 8.40 displays the pan rubberband.
Figure 8.40: Pan Rubberband
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To adjust the pan for the audio clip, you can drag the blue rubberband vertically at any point. Dragging the line upwards pans the audio to the left, and dragging it downwards pans the audio to the right. Using the pan rubberband, you can control the positioning of audio between the left and right sides at multiple points within the audio track. You can do this by creating handles on the pan rubberband. A handle is used to pivot the rubberband at a specific point. The slope of the segment between two handles defines the effect on the audio in that segment. If the rubberband slopes upward, the audio pans from right to left, and if the rubberband slopes downward, the audio pans from left to right. By default, there are two handles at the endpoints of the rubberband. By vertically moving these handles, you can gradually pan the audio through the length of the audio clip. For example, in Figure 8.41, the starting handle is moved to the top, creating a downward slope through the length of the clip.
Figure 8.41: Adjusting the Starting Handle
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On playing the audio clip in Figure 8.41, you would initially hear audio only in the left audio channel, and gradually from both the channels. Since the ending handle is not moved vertically, at the end of the clip the audio would remain balanced between both channels. You can also create more complicated pan effects by repositioning the rubberband at several points by creating additional handles. You can create a handle by clicking the rubberband at any point. As an example, consider adding a pan effect to the clip sample.wav using the pan rubberband. You can arrange the pan rubberband in such a way that the audio starts from the center, pans to the left, and then pans to the extreme right before returning to a central position. To apply this effect to the clip sample.wav, perform the following steps: 1.
On the Audio 1 track, display the audio waveform and the pan rubberband for the sample.wav audio clip. Figure 8.42 displays the waveform and pan rubberband for sample.wav.
Figure 8.42: Waveform and Pan Rubberband for Sample.wav
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2.
On the pan rubberband, click at a point approximately one-third of the length of the rubberband, to create a handle. A handle appears on the rubberband as a blue square, as shown in Figure 8.43.
Figure 8.43: Creating a Handle
3.
Click the handle and drag it to the top of the waveform, as shown in Figure 8.44. The adjoining rubberband segments on both sides of the handle are readjusted.
Figure 8.44: Moving Up the Handle
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4.
The audio at this point is completely aligned towards the left audio channel. On the pan rubberband, click at a point approximately two-thirds of the length of the rubberband to create another handle. The handle appears on the rubberband as a blue square, as shown in Figure 8.45.
Figure 8.45: Creating a Second Handle
5.
Click the handle and drag it to the bottom of the waveform, as shown in Figure 8.46. The rubberband segments on both sides of the handle are readjusted.
Figure 8.46: Moving Down the Handle
The audio at this point is completely aligned towards the right audio channel. If you play the audio track on a stereo system with two speakers or a set of headphones, you will realize that the desired effect has been achieved. There can be many uses of this audio effect when you add it to a video project. One such example was given at the 8.46 Working with Audio
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beginning of this section, in which the audio of a car moving across the screen was panned to add realism to the video. This example is set for you as an exercise at the end of this chapter.
Fading In the Timeline window, you can also adjust the volume of an audio clip at any point to create a fading effect. The volume of a clip is adjusted using the volume rubberband. The volume rubberband is a red line stretching across the length of an audio waveform in the Timeline window. To display the volume rubberband for the sample.wav audio clip, perform the following step: 1.
On the Audio 1 track, click the red Display Volume Rubberband control. This control is located under the expanded Audio 1 track, as shown in Figure 8.47.
Figure 8.47: Display Volume Rubberband Control
The red volume rubberband is displayed on the waveform under the sample.wav audio clip, as shown in Figure 8.48.
Figure 8.48: Volume Rubberband in the Audio1 Track
To adjust the volume of the audio clip, you can vertically drag the red rubberband at any point. Dragging the line upwards increases the audio volume at that point, and dragging it downwards decreases the volume. The volume of the audio at any point can range from 0 to 200 percent. At the default central position, the volume is at a 100 percent level.
Working with Audio 8.47
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You can create a fading effect by adjusting the volume at different points to slowly decrease (fade out) or increase (fade in). For example, you can adjust the volume rubberband of the audio clip sample.wav to create a fade-in effect at the beginning and a fade-out effect at the end. To create such an effect, perform the following steps: 1.
On the Audio 1 track, display the audio waveform and volume rubberband for the sample.wav audio clip. Figure 8.49 shows the waveform and volume rubberband for sample.wav.
Figure 8.49: Waveform and Volume Rubberband
2.
On the volume rubberband, click the starting handle of the rubberband and drag it to the bottom of the waveform, as shown in Figure 8.50.
Figure 8.50: Dragging Down the Starting Handle
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The volume at the starting point is reduced to zero. The rubberband is readjusted to form an ascending slope from the starting handle to the ending handle. The volume increases as the clip is played from left to right. 3.
On the volume rubberband, click at a point approximately one-fourth of the length of the rubberband to create a handle at this point. The handle appears on the rubberband as a red square, as shown in Figure 8.51.
Figure 8.51: Creating a Handle
4.
Click the new handle and drag it to the center of the waveform, as shown in Figure 8.52. The adjoining rubberband segments on both sides of the handle are readjusted.
Figure 8.52: Dragging the Handle to the Center
The volume at this point is adjusted to 100 percent of the original volume. The volume increases from zero to 100 percent during the section between the starting
Working with Audio 8.49
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handle and handle1. From handle 1 to the ending handle, the volume remains constant at 100 percent. 5.
On the volume rubberband, click the ending handle of the rubberband, and drag it to the bottom of the waveform, as shown in Figure 8.53.
Figure 8.53: Dragging Down the Ending Handle
The volume at the ending point is reduced to zero. The rubberband is readjusted to form a descending slope between handle 1 and the ending handle. The volume decreases as the clip is played from handle 1 to the ending handle. 6.
On the volume rubberband, click at a point approximately three-fourths the length of the rubberband to create another handle. The handle appears on the rubberband as a red square, as shown in Figure 8.54.
Figure 8.54: Creating a Second Handle
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7.
Click the new handle and drag it to the center of the waveform, as shown in Figure 8.55.
Figure 8.55: Dragging the Handle to the Center
The volume at this point is adjusted to 100 percent of the original volume. The rubberband segments on both sides of the new handle are readjusted. The volume stays constant at 100 percent between handle 1 and handle 2. The volume decreases from 100 percent to zero between handle 2 and the ending handle. If you play the audio track, you will realize that the desired effect has been achieved. The audio starts off with no volume and fades in from the starting handle to the first handle. It then stays constant till the second handle before fading out towards the end.
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Summary Audio is derived from sound. Sound can be graphically represented as a waveform that shows the amplitude of the sound over time.
Audio digitizing is the process of converting a waveform into binary data that you can store and process using a computer.
The quality of the digitized audio depends on two properties: •
Bit depth
•
Sampling rate
Sound Forge can be used to record audio from an external source or CD. There are three modes of audio recording in Sound Forge. These are: •
Automatic retake
•
Multiple takes
•
Punch-in mode
You can eliminate noise from audio by using Noise Gate in Sound Forge. You can adjust the pitch of an audio clip by using Pitch Bend in Sound Forge. An audio sample consists of several sound waves of different frequencies. You can adjust the levels of different frequency bands within an audio sample by using the graphic equalizer.
You can include audio in a Premiere project by importing audio clips in the Project window.
You can play audio clips in the Premiere project by arranging them on audio tracks in the Timeline window.
The Timeline window can contain up to 99 audio tracks. You can add, delete, and rename tracks in the Timeline window.
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You can arrange audio in the left or right channel by using the pan, or balance, rubberband.
You can adjust the volume of an audio clip at different points in time and apply fading to the clip by using the volume rubberband.
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Assignments 1.
What does the bit depth of an audio sample mean? How does increasing the bit depth affect the sound quality of the digitized audio?
2.
What is a sample?
3.
What does the term “sampling rate” mean? How does it affect the quality of digital audio?
4.
What are the three modes of audio recording in Sound Forge? Briefly explain each one of them.
5.
What is a frequency band?
6.
What is panning?
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Lab Exercises In the video that you have made for SuperGraphics, Inc. in the preceding lab exercises, you also need to incorporate audio in the final edited movie that introduces the audio-editing room to its viewers.
Problem Statement 1 Using Sound Forge, record a narration of 10-second duration. This audio should be played at the beginning of the video created in the preceding lab session. In the narration, you must give a brief introduction of what you think the viewer is about to see in the video program. Save the narration in an audio file, named MyVoice. Add the MyVoice audio clip at the beginning of the video program in Adobe Premiere.
Hints You can add the MyVoice audio clip to the Audio1 track in the Timeline.
Problem Statement 2 Import the audio clip Music.wav into your Premiere project. Add the audio clip to the project as background music that is played throughout the duration of the video clip.
Hints You can add the Music.wav audio clip to the Audio2 track in the Timeline.
Problem Statement 3 At the start of the clip Music.wav, when the music overlaps with the narration in the file MyVoice, reduce the volume of the Music.wav audio.
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Lab Exercises
Exercise 1
Hints To adjust the volume of audio in the Music.wav audio clip, you can use the volume rubberband.
Problem Statement 4 Using the pan rubberband, adjust the audio at the end of the video program so that as the Office2 video clip moves to the top-right corner of the screen, the audio slowly pans from the center to the right.
Hints You can use the pan rubberband to adjust the alignment of audio between the left and right audio channels.
Observations/Learning
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Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
Recorded a narration of 10-second duration
2.
Saved the narration in an audio file, named MyVoice
3.
Imported the audio clip Music.wav into the Premiere project
4.
Added the MyVoice audio clip at the beginning of the video program in Premiere
5.
Reduced the volume of the Music.wav audio clip by using the volume rubberband
6.
Adjusted the audio at the end of the video program by using the pan rubberband
Lab Exercises
1.
No
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8.58 Working with Audio
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Exporting Video for Output
9
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: • Define the term “export.” • Select a medium to export a video clip. • Identify the considerations in exporting video clips. • Export a video clip to videotape by using the File menu. • Export a video clip to a CD-ROM by using the File menu. • Export a video clip to the Web by using the File menu. • Export a video clip to another program by using the File menu.
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9.1 Considerations in Selecting an Export Medium 9.2 Exporting to Different Media
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9.1 Considerations in Selecting an Export Medium Exporting is the process of transferring the contents of an edited video to a medium such as videotape, compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), Web, or a program such as Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Flash, or Director. You need to specify appropriate settings in Premiere, depending on the medium to which you choose to export the clip. This chapter describes the various media to which you can export a video clip or a still image. In addition, this chapter discusses how to choose an appropriate medium and explains how to make media-specific settings in Premiere.
9.1.1 Types of Export Media To play a video clip outside of the editor, you need to export it in the appropriate format. You can export an edited video clip to the following types of media:
Videotape CD-ROM Web Another program
Videotape You can export a video to VHS videotape, which plays in a videocassette recorder (VCR). To export an edited video that depicts motion and broadcast the video on a wide area network (WAN), the video needs to conform to the international broadcast standards. For example, to broadcast a video in the United States, the video needs to conform to the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) standard. To broadcast to the European or Asian regions, the video should conform to the Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire or the Sequential Color with Memory (SECAM) and Phase Alternate Line (PAL) standards, respectively. An advantage of exporting a video to a videotape is that you can record a video image to multiple videotapes and play them whenever required. Exporting a video to a videocassette also enables you to play a video for extended periods, as long as two hours or more.
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CD-ROM You can use a CD-ROM to store an edited video less than 700 MB in size. You can play a video exported to a CD-ROM whenever required. A CD-ROM is handy, and you can back up data on a CR-ROM by simply copying the content to various remote locations. You can use CD-ROM to store an expensive or sensitive video because the CD-ROM offers high quality of video and can store videos for a long time without any loss in the quality of data.
Web Exporting a video to the Web is becoming a popular method of distributing images worldwide. However, you need to keep the file size of the video small to export it to the Web. Small file size enables fast and error-free download of video and still images even across lower bandwidth connections. Images exported to the Web can be used on intranets or be made available to the public domain by using the Internet.
Software Programs To add special effects to a video, you need to export the video to software programs, such as Macromedia Flash. For example, if you want to change the basic shape of an image, you can export the video to Adobe Photoshop. You cannot modify the shapes or colors in a video clip in Premiere. To add another image to an existing video, use a graphic-editing software program, such as Macromedia Flash or Adobe Photoshop. Export the entire video clip in a single file known as a filmstrip that contains all the frames of the clip in one large document, and edit the frames individually.
The process of combining static images in a video is called rotoscoping.
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9.1.2 Export Parameters To export effectively, you need to specify properties such as the mode of compression, file format, and form of output. The important export parameters are:
Quality Size Format Play speed
Quality If the quality of an image is not up to expectations, the image does not have the required impact on the viewer. The compression technique that you use for the image affects the quality of a clip. The quality of the video clip is inversely proportional to the degree of compression. You need to select the required compression technique judiciously. Audio clips do not require a high degree of compression because audio clips do not use as much hard disk space as compared to video clips. Video clips require high compression if the storage space is limited and quality is not a major concern. You need to strike a balance between quality and compression of the video clip.
Size The duration of a clip, together with its quality, determines the size of the file. Reduction of the file size can cause compression of the color resolution in a video clip and affects the video quality. You need to make a tradeoff between the quality and the download time of a clip. If the clip is not meant for the Web, retain the original file size. Reduce the file size if it is to be played on the Web. Use a codec to reduce the size of a file. A codec is a software program that uses a specific algorithm to compress a clip. In addition to the file size, you also need to consider the size of a frame in a clip. For example, a large frame of 720 x 480 pixels slows down the playing time of a clip. Frame rate, the number of frames that are exported in a second, is another size factor that affects the playing time of a clip. An increase in the number of frames exported per second causes an increase in the playing time.
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Format Premiere supports a variety of file formats to export a clip. You can use any of the following file formats to export a video clip:
Audio Video Interleaved (AVI): You can use this format to export short digital video clips. AVI is the default video format for Windows, but also plays on Apple Macintosh computers with QuickTime 5 and later.
QuickTime (MOV): This format, developed by Apple Computer, is available on the Macintosh, Windows, and Unix platforms by downloading the free codec. This platform is widely used on the World Wide Web (WWW) and is the format of choice for creative professionals.
Animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIF): This file format is used for exporting a video clip as an animation. The animation is saved with a .gif extension. A .gif file is a cross-platform file format and can be exported to the Web.
Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG): This is also a cross-platform file format for videos. This compression method yields high-quality results, with the file size depending on which version is used. MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 are used for large files that are not suitable for use on the Web. MPEG-2 is the compression method used for DVD video. MPEG-4 is the newest version and produces small files that offer high-quality video.
Play Speed Data rate is defined as the amount of data per second that is processed while exporting a clip. Different media have different data rates and you need to set the data rate accordingly. For example, to export a clip to a CD-ROM, the export data rate needs to match that of the CD-ROM drive. For organizational intranets, which usually have high network bandwidth, you can specify a high data rate of 1,000 KB or more. For exporting to the Web, the file size is more significant as compared to the data rate. The speed of data transfer over the Web is determined by the bandwidth of the modem. For example, if you specify a data rate of 1,000 KB for exporting video and the modem speed is just 56 KBps, the effective data rate is 56 KBps and not 1,000 KBps.
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9.2 Exporting to Different Media To export a video from Premiere to a medium or to another software program, you need to specify settings in Premiere for the medium or software program. To specify these details, use the Export Timeline command on the File menu. You export a video project or a still image with the Export Timeline command. This section lists the steps to export a sample video project, Screen.ppj, to different media by using Premiere.
Before exporting a movie project, ensure that your project is saved as a .ppj file. Saving a movie project into a .ppj format enables easy re-editing and reuse of the components of a movie project.
9.2.1 Exporting a Video Project to a Videotape You can use the following commands to export a video clip to videotape:
Export to Tape command Print to Video command
Using the Export to Tape Command to Export a Video Clip to a Videotape You use this command to export the video clip by using device controls. You can use device controls if the computer on which you edit and export is attached to a DV camcorder or a digital tape deck. To export a video clip to a videotape: 1.
Click the Open command on the File menu and select the Screen.ppj file.
2.
On the File menu, click the Export Timeline option. You select Export Timeline because you need to export an entire video project.
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3.
On the Export Timeline submenu, click the Export to Tape command, as shown in Figure 9.1. The Export to Tape Settings dialog box is displayed.
Figure 9.1: Export to Tape Command
4.
In the Export to Tape Settings dialog box, select the Assemble at time code check box. Selecting this option enables you to begin exporting the video clip from a specific time code. In addition, you can specify the Preroll time. Preroll time is the initial time lapse of blank video recorded before the clip begins to be recorded.
Using the Print to Video Command to Play a Video Clip to the Monitor Use the Print to Video option if the computer on which you edit the video clip is not attached to any DV camcorder or tape deck. This command is available on the Export Clip and Export Timeline submenus and plays a preview of the video on the computer monitor. To export a single piece of clip to a medium, select the Export Clip submenu.
9.8 Exporting Video for Output
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Use the Export Timeline submenu to export an entire movie project present on the timeline. To export the sample project Screen.ppj: 1.
On the File menu, click the Open command and open Screen.ppj.
2.
On the File menu, click the Export Timeline command.
3.
On the Export Timeline submenu, click the Print to Video command, as shown in Figure 9.2.
Figure 9.2: Print to Video Command
The Print to Video dialog box appears. In the Print to Video dialog box, use the Full Screen option to specify whether you need the video to play on the entire screen. You can also specify the total time for which you need to play the video on a TV, computer screen, or a camcorder screen. The Loop Playback option enables you to continuously play the video clip.
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9.2.2 Exporting a Video Clip to the Web The Web is a fast and economical avenue for distributing video and audio clips to a larger audience. However, you need to adhere to the prescribed guidelines regarding the size and quality of video clips while exporting them on the Web because video clips are inherently very large, which adversely impacts the speed. Premiere provides the following plug-ins for exporting video clips to the Web:
Cleaner 5 EZ Advanced Windows Media Advanced RealMedia These plug-ins are installed automatically when you install Premiere.
Using the Cleaner 5 EZ Plug-in to Export a Video Clip to the Web Use the Cleaner 5 EZ plug-in when the requirements for exporting a video clip have not been clearly specified. Cleaner 5 EZ provides for an interactive process for exporting and enables you to export a video clip in QuickTime and Windows formats. You can choose to either export an entire video clip or parts of a clip that are present on the Timeline. To export the Screen.ppj file: 1.
On the File menu, click Open.
2.
On the File menu, point to the Export Timeline command. The Export Timeline submenu appears.
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3.
On the Export Timeline submenu, click the Save for Web command, as shown in Figure 9.3.
Figure 9.3: Save for Web Command
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The Save for Web dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 9.4.
Figure 9.4: List of Export Options in the Save for Web Dialog Box
The Save for Web dialog box provides a list of export options, shown in Figure 9.4. These options enable you to export the movie clip in various formats on Windows and QuickTime platforms. These export options also enable you to export a video clip for specific bandwidths, such as 28.8 KBps, 56 KBps, ISDN, or broadband. You can also specify whether you want to include music or voiceover, or export a video clip as a still image, MPEG, or MP3. You can make bandwidth-related decisions depending upon the bandwidth available to Web servers in a particular geographic region.
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4.
After you select an option from the list, click Start. The Cleaner EZ dialog box is displayed as shown in Figure 9.5.
Figure 9.5: Cleaner EZ Dialog Box
In this dialog box, specify the server name that will host the video file. If you chose the QuickTime format, specify the Web server name that has the QuickTime software installed on it. Similarly, specify the name of the Windows Media Server if you choose the Windows Media-Video and Windows Media-Audio options. In Figure 9.5, you can see the text box in which you enter the name of a RealVideo Web server. You need to enter the name of the RealVideo Web server because you selected the RealG2 Streaming option in the Save for Web dialog box. After specifying the Web server name, you need to specify the name of the .rm file. This is the extension of the video clip that is to be exported in the RealVideo format. After the file is exported in the required format, you can copy this file to a Web server for everybody to access.
Using the Windows Media Plug-in to Export a Video Clip to the Web This option helps export a video clip specifically to the Windows platform. You can use this option if the Web browser is Internet Explorer and supports Windows Video Media (WVM) files. WVM files are Windows-compatible video and audio clips. To export a video project in the WVM format: 1.
Open the movie clip Screen.ppj.
2.
On the File menu, point to the Export Timeline command.
3.
On the Export Timeline submenu, click the Advanced Windows Media command. Exporting Video for Output 9.13
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The Windows Media Export Plug-in for Adobe Premiere dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 9.6.
Figure 9.6: Windows Media Export Plug-in for Adobe Premiere Dialog Box
In this dialog box, you see a list of bandwidth-related options. Select the bandwidth available to Web servers in your specific geographic region. To understand what each option means, you can read the description and technical details of each option in the Description and Details box below the Profiles list. Remember that bandwidth varies greatly from one location to another. In addition to specifying the format, you also need to provide details for export, such as the title of your video project, the description of your project, and the rating for the video project, if any. 4.
To specify the location where you want to save the video WVM file, click the button in the Destination area. Refer to Figure 9.6 for the location of the Destination button, which has three dots. Click the Destination button to display a dialog box in which you can specify the name of the file in a specific folder.
5.
Specify the name of the WVM file and location where you want to save the file, and then click Save. Clicking the Save button returns you to the Windows Media Export Plug-in for Adobe Premiere dialog box.
6.
Click OK.
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The WMV file is saved at the location you specify. You can copy the file to a Web server so that it can be accessed worldwide.
Using the RealMedia Plug-in to Export a Video Clip to the Web RealMedia is a new entrant in the audio-video delivery technology. RealMedia saves a file in the .ram format. To play a .ram file, you need to install the RealMedia player from the RealMedia Web site, which you can access at www.realmedia.com. RealMedia uses streaming technology for playing video files on the Web. Streaming enables a user to watch a video play while it is being downloaded from the Web. Before the advent of streaming, users had to wait long hours for a video to completely download before it could be played. Another advantage of using RealMedia is that you can export a single video clip for multiple bandwidths in the different regions of the world. To export a video project to RealMedia: 1.
Open the Screen.ppj file.
2.
On the File menu, click Export Timeline.
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3.
On the Export Timeline submenu, point to Advanced RealMedia Export, as shown in Figure 9.7.
Figure 9.7: Advanced RealMedia Export Command
The Advanced RealMedia Export dialog box is displayed. In this dialog box, you can specify the bandwidth that is used to play the exported video clip. You can provide details such as the clip name, copyright information, and a short description of the clip. After providing these optional details, specify the file name and the location to which you want the RealMedia file to be exported. 4.
To specify the name of the .ram file and the location at which you need to save the file, click the Browse button. For specifying optional details for an audio clip, such as the rating for the clip, enabling only download service of the file, saving a clip in obsolete formats, and compression techniques, you can click the Preferences button in the Advanced RealMedia Export dialog box.
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9.2.3 Exporting a Video Clip to a CD-ROM Another medium to which you can export a video clip is CD-ROM. Exporting a video clip to a CD-ROM enables you to easily carry your video clip to multiple places and play on any computer. However, with CD-ROMs, the size of the clip is limited to only 700 MB. For exporting a video clip to a CD-ROM, the frame size has been standardized to 320 × 240 pixels with 24-bit color depth and a frame rate of 15. You can export a video clip to a CD-ROM by using:
Export movie settings Cleaner 5 EZ
Using the Export Movie Settings to Export a Video Clip to a CD-ROM Use the Export Movie Settings dialog box if you are sure about what specifications you need to provide for exporting a video clip. If you want to export an entire video project on the Timeline, select the Export Timeline command on the File menu. If you want to export a piece of a video clip, select the Export Clip command on the File menu. Export the timeline because you need to export an entire movie project, Screen.ppj. To export an entire clip, perform the following steps: 1.
On the File menu, point to Export Timeline.
2.
On the Export Timeline submenu, click Movie. This action displays the Export Movie dialog box.
Exporting Video for Output 9.17
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3.
In the Export Movie dialog box, click the Settings button. The Export Movie Settings dialog box is shown in Figure 9.8.
Figure 9.8: Export Movie Settings Dialog Box
4.
In the Export Movie Settings dialog box, to export a video clip, select Video in the drop-down box, as highlighted in Figure 9.8.
5.
Set Frame Size to 320 h and 240 v.
6.
Set Depth to Millions.
7.
Set Frame Rate to 15.
8.
Click OK to begin exporting the video clip.
Using the Cleaner 5 EZ Plug-in to Export a Video Clip to a CD-ROM Cleaner 5 EZ is a plug-in that enables you to export a video clip by a step-by-step process. You can use this option if you are unsure of the specifications for the video clip being exported to a CD-ROM. Presuming that the video clip is open, perform the following steps to export a video to a CD-ROM: 1.
On the File menu, click Export Timeline.
2.
On the Export Timeline submenu, click Save for Web.
3.
In the Settings box of the Save for Web dialog box, click the Settings Wizard option.
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4.
Click Start. The Save for Web dialog box is shown in Figure 9.9.
Figure 9.9: Save for Web Dialog Box with the Settings Wizard Option
Click Start to display the Settings Wizard dialog box, shown in Figure 9.10.
Figure 9.10: Settings Wizard Dialog Box
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This dialog box is interactive and contains explanatory text for each option on every screen. Some specifications that you are required to specify are: •
The delivery medium for exporting the video clip. In this case, select the CD-ROM, DVD-ROM option, as shown in Figure 9.10.
•
The speed at which a movie needs to play from the medium.
•
The target computer on which the CD-ROM will be played. For home and office environments, you can select Low-end or Midrange options.
Figure 9.11 displays these options.
Figure 9.11: Target Machines Screen of the Settings Wizard Dialog Box
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•
The format into which the video clip is to be exported, such as QuickTime, AVI, or MPEG. Figure 9.12 displays these options.
Figure 9.12: File Format Screen of the Settings Wizard Dialog Box
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5.
After specifying the options on all the screens, click Finish. Premiere exports the video clip into a CD-ROM format. The last screen of the Settings Wizard dialog box is shown in Figure 9.13.
Figure 9.13: Last Screen of the Settings Wizard Dialog Box
After the video clip is exported, you can write a CD-ROM of the same and use it in any kind of production.
9.2.4 Exporting a Video Clip to Another Program You can also export a video clip to another software program. You need to do this if you want to add still images to a video clip or modify the color scheme in the video, which cannot be done well in Premiere. Presuming that the project file is open on the Premiere screen, to export the file to Adobe Photoshop, perform the following steps: 1.
On the File menu, click Export Timeline.
2.
On the Export Timeline submenu, click Movie. The Export Movie dialog box is displayed.
9.22 Exporting Video for Output
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3.
In the Export Movie dialog box, click Settings. The Export Movie Settings dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 9.14.
Figure 9.14: Export Movie Settings Dialog Box
4.
In the File Type box, select the Filmstrip option, as shown in Figure 9.14. The default option is the Microsoft DV AVI. You select the Filmstrip option because a video is exported to another program as a filmstrip. A filmstrip is a single file that consists of multiple frames. This facilitates easy identification of the frame that needs further editing.
5.
In the Export Movie Settings dialog box, select the Export Video check box.
6.
Click OK to close the dialog box. The Export Movie dialog box is displayed.
7.
In this dialog box, specify the name of the file and the location where you want the video clip to be stored.
8.
Click Save. The video project is now a filmstrip that can be imported into Photoshop and can be freely edited. After editing this file, you can import the edited filmstrip file back into Premiere.
Exporting is the final activity in the process of creating a video project. Ensure that the video project is carefully exported to a medium because a lot of effort is spent on shooting and editing a video. Ensure that you choose the appropriate size for the video project, file format, and medium.
Exporting Video for Output 9.23
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Table 9.1 lists the file formats for exporting a video project to digital media, such as the Web and CD-ROM. Digital Medium
Suitable File Format
Web
RealMedia (.ram), QuickTime (.mov), advanced streaming format (.asf), Advanced Windows Media (.wmv), and MPEG-4
CD-ROM
All the above plus MPEG, AVI, and MP3
Table 9.1: List of File Formats Suitable for Exporting to a Digital Medium
9.24 Exporting Video for Output
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Summary Exporting is the process of transferring the contents of an edited video to a medium other than the one in which it was created.
You can export a video clip to the following media: •
Videotape
•
CD-ROM
•
Web
•
Another program
Considerations of a video clip that is to be exported to a medium: •
Quality
•
Format
•
Size
•
Play speed
You can export a video clip to a videotape by using the following two commands on the File menu: •
Export to Tape
•
Print to Video
Use the Export to Tape command if a DV camcorder or tape deck is attached to a computer.
Use the Print to Video command if you simply want a movie clip to play on the screen of a TV, computer, or a camcorder.
To export a video clip to another software program, use the Movie command on the Export Timeline submenu.
You can use any of the following three methods to export a video clip to the Web: •
Windows media
•
RealMedia
•
Cleaner 5 EZ
Exporting Video for Output 9.25
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You can use either of the following two methods to export a video clip to a CD-ROM: •
Export Movie settings
•
Cleaner 5 EZ
9.26 Exporting Video for Output
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Lab Exercises
Define the term “export.” Select a medium to export a video clip. Identify the considerations in exporting video clips. Export a video clip to videotape by using the File menu. Export a video clip to a CD-ROM by using the File menu. Export a video clip to the Web by using the File menu. Export a video clip to another program by using the File menu.
Exercise 1 Problem Statement SuperGraphics, Inc. has created a video that introduces its clients to the audio editing facilities that exist in the organization. The video has recorded the different equipment and facilities at the SuperGraphics audio editing room. The video exists in two video files, Office1 and Office2. You have edited these video clips in Adobe Premiere and created the final video. The video must be available on the organization’s Web site so that the clients can view the video through the Internet. To export for the Web, use the interactive procedure that allows you to choose from various options for the Web. The video must be available on CD-ROMs for the marketing executives who will use this CD-ROM on their laptops to make presentations to different clients across the globe. Specify the following settings while exporting for CD-ROMs:
Frame Size: 320 × 240 Depth: Millions Frame Rate: 15 Export the project to the appropriate media.
Exporting Video for Output 9.27
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Lab Exercises
Objectives
Hints You can use the Cleaner 5 EZ plug-in to export the video clip to the Web. You can use the Export Movie settings to export the video clip to a CD-ROM.
Observations/Learning
Lab Activity Checklist S. No.
Tasks
Completed Yes
1.
Used the Cleaner 5 EZ plug-in to export the video clip to the Web
2.
Exported the video clip to the Web
3.
Used the Export Movie settings to export the video clip to a CD-ROM
4.
Exported the video clip to a CD-ROM
9.28 Exporting Video for Output
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No
Appendix
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A.2 Appendix
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A.1 Video Broadcast Standards Video broadcast standards are a set of standards that countries around the world follow to display video on television. These standards are not compatible with each other. For example, suppose that you have to create a multimedia project that is to be broadcast on television in the United States. You decide to include video in the project. The video used in your project may not play properly in a country such as Australia because Australia has a different broadcast standard, which is not compatible with the standard used in the United States. Therefore, you should know the different standards and the countries in which they are implemented. Countries across the world follow one of the following standards:
National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) Phase Alternate Line (PAL) Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire or Sequential Color with Memory (SECAM)
A.1.1 NTSC The specifications that NTSC laid down were the first set of standards for broadcasting and displaying video. These standards were implemented first in the United States in 1953, and are known as NTSC standards. NTSC uses an interlaced display for videos. NTSC standards specify the following:
Each video frame must contain 525 horizontal lines. The frame rate must be 29.97. Some of the countries that use the NTSC standards are:
United States Japan Korea Canada Mexico
Appendix A.3
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A.1.2 PAL The PAL standard was established in the 1960s for broadcasting and displaying videos. The PAL standard specifies that:
Each video frame must contain 625 horizontal lines. The frame rate must be 25. Some of the countries that use the PAL standard are:
Most of the European countries, such as Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, except France
New Zealand Australia China South Africa South America United Kingdom Asian countries, such as India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan
Similar to NTSC, PAL uses an interlaced display for videos.
A.1.3 SECAM The SECAM standard was established and implemented in France after the PAL standard was established. It was then implemented in other countries. The SECAM standard has the same specifications as the PAL standard. Some of the countries that use the SECAM standard are:
France Greece Hungary A.4 Appendix
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Russia Some countries use the PAL and SECAM standard together to display video. Table A.1 summarizes the three broadcast standards. Feature
NTSC
PAL
SECAM
Frame rate
29.97
25
25
Number of horizontal lines displayed
525
625
625
Display type
Interlaced
Interlaced
Interlaced
Table A.1: Video Broadcast Standards
Appendix A.5
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A.2 Additional References http://photographytips.com www.mavart.com www.cybercollege.com
A.6 Appendix
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Glossary
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G.2 Glossary
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A
B
A/B Roll Editing—Involves using two sources of video or rolls (A and B) for editing. In addition, a separate transition track is used, which provides transitions in between video clips.
Back Light—Used to make the subject appear distinct from the background.
Amplitude—Refers to the maximum displacement of vibrating particles from their original positions. Analog Audio—Uses waveforms induced by electrical voltage to reproduce recorded sound. Analog Video—Consists of waves that are electrical signals. Aperture—A circular diaphragm that consists of several metal blades that overlap each other. The aperture determines the amount of light entering the camera. Assemble Editing—Allows you to join selected shots one after the other along with the associated control track. Asymmetrical Balance—Enables you to achieve balance by carefully distributing the visual weight of elements. A composition using asymmetric balance is not uniform but is balanced. Audio—Refers to various sounds collated and put into an application.
Barn Door—An attachment to a light source that is made up of black metal flaps. These flaps are adjustable and can be used to cut down the light emitted by the light source. Bin—A folder-like view in the Project window that allows you to organize a large number of audio and video clips in the form of a hierarchical structure. Bit Depth—Refers to the number of bits used to represent one sample of an audio signal while digitizing.
C Camera—A device that gathers light on a recording medium to capture an image. Camera Angle—The viewpoint that is used to shoot a subject. CCD—A light-sensitive electronic chip containing diodes called pixels. Cinematographe—The first camera developed by the Lumiere brothers, which could both record and project images. Composition—Involves the placement of various elements within the frame to form a harmonious whole.
Glossary G.3
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Control Track Editing—The method of locating shots through a count of control track pulses. Cut—The simplest and most used transition technique for building a link between two distinct shots.
D Depth of Field—A measure of the distance between the nearest and farthest elements that remain in reasonably sharp focus in an image. Dialogue—Refers to the words that each character speaks in a particular shot. Digital Audio—Refers to the representation of sound as binary numbers. Digital Format—Used in a video camera to record video signals in a series of numbers. Digital Video—A form of video that can be stored and played on computers and televisions. Digital video is based on digital signals. Digitizing—The process of converting analog audio into digital audio. Dissolve—A transition technique that allows a shot to gradually come onto the screen while the earlier shot is moving out. Dollying—Refers to moving a camera backwards, forwards, or diagonally across a scene by putting the camera and its tripod on a dolly, which is a small platform or a cart.
G.4 Glossary
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E Edit Master Tape—A new tape that is used to physically copy shots from one or more tapes in linear or analog editing. Editing—The process of joining shots in a particular order. Electronic News Gathering—Refers to the system deployed by agencies that report news. In this system, news channels post their correspondents all over the world. Equalization—A process in which you can adjust the level of individual frequency bands within the frequency spectrum of an audio sample. Exporting—The process of transferring the contents of an edited video to a medium such as a videotape, compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), Web, or a program such as Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Flash, or Director.
F Fade—Used as punctuation, showing transition from one scene to another. Fade In—A transition technique in which the image appears from a black screen. Fade Out—The opposite of a fade in. In this transition, the image slowly gives way to a black screen.
Fill Light—The light that is used to fill in the shadow areas created by the key light. Filter—A colored lens or a thin paper that is placed between the light source and the subject to either lighten a particular color or darken it. Focal Length—The distance between the optical center of the lens and the point where the image is formed when the lens is focused on infinity. Focusing—Refers to the act of adjusting the lens of the camera to achieve the sharpest possible image. Frequency—Refers to the rate at which particles of a medium vibrate when a sound wave passes through the medium. It is measured in cycles per unit time or waves per unit time. Frequency Band—Refers to a range of frequencies within the spectrum. The frequency spectrum can be divided into a number of regions, where each region corresponds to a sub-range of frequencies within the spectrum. Such a region is called a frequency band (or simply band). Frequency Modulation—Involves changing the frequency of a sound wave. Frequency Spectrum—Refers to the range of frequencies within an audio sample.
H Hard Light—Refers to the light that casts sharp, well-defined shadows.
I Insert Editing—Involves recording a stable control track on the entire edit master tape before beginning to edit.
K Kerning—Refers to the space between two characters. Key—Specifies a method for creating transparency. It identifies a color or a range of colors that are made transparent in the clip. Key Light—Refers to the primary source of illumination for the subject of the scene. It covers the entire set or the subject and illuminates the whole set uniformly. Keyframe—A frame within the video clip that is used to mark a change in the direction and nature of the clip’s motion. Kinetoscope—A device in which Edison used a sequence of pictures in the form of a 56-foot filmstrip. A lamp was positioned behind the filmstrip to project the picture on a screen. In addition, a motor was used to move the pictures in the filmstrip in quick succession.
Glossary G.5
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L Lens—An optical device that focuses light from the surroundings into the camera.
Montage—The editing technique that combines short shots in quick succession, the main link between them being a common theme.
Lens Angle—Refers to the area of a scene covered by a lens.
Motion Path—The path along which a video clip moves on the screen.
M
N
Macro Lens—A lens that is used for a very detailed close-up shot of a subject to capture minute details.
Noise—Undesired sound or disturbance within an audio, such as the hissing sound heard in empty parts of an audio track.
Master Roll—Represents the final movie. In the old audio editing room, source video clips were cut from rolls and pasted onto one roll called the master roll.
O
Match Cut—Refers to the cut made to match the exact movements of the actor between two shots. In reality, the shots are two different takes of the same action. Matte—Refers to the image used to map transparent regions on the clip. Median—Refers to the central line passing through the length of the sine wave. Minimum Focusing Distance—Refers to the minimum distance that must be maintained between the camera and a subject so that the subject remains in focus. Monophonic Audio—Consists of a single channel. Even if you play monophonic audio using two speakers, both would play the same audio. G.6 Glossary
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Opacity Rubberband—Refers to a thin red line stretching across the length of a clip in the Timeline window.
P Panning—An effect that makes the audio file seem to move from left to right or right to left. This is done by increasing the volume of one channel and simultaneously decreasing the volume of the other channel. Panning the Camera—Involves turning the head of the tripod on which the camera is resting in a horizontal movement. Persistence of Vision—The phenomenon in which the human eye retains an image for
about one-sixteenth of a second after it is removed from vision. Within this time, if the same image is brought back in front of the eye, the human vision will not be able to know that it was removed. This is called persistence of vision. Pre-Roll Time—The initial time lapse that you need to allow to prevent disturbances that might have gotten recorded while capturing or recording a video clip. Preview Monitor—The display monitor that gives the preview of what is being captured in the camera frame. Program—Refers to the edited movie in Adobe Premiere.
Sampling—Refers to the process of dividing a wave into a series of snapshots or samples at uniform intervals. To digitize an analog sound wave, the wave is divided. Sampling Rate—Refers to the number of samples recorded per second from the source audio. Scene—Represents a sub-unit of the script, where a sequence of events takes place in the same setting. Scrim—A large metal frame made up of finely woven wire that is usually placed before a light source to reduce the intensity of light that is emitted from the source.
Project—Refers to a video sequence or a movie created in Adobe Premiere.
Script—A blueprint of a film that details the location of each scene, action that needs to be covered, and the dialogues in the scene.
R
Shortcut—A key or a combination of keys that performs an action without requiring the user to perform several menu selections.
Resolution—The degree of sharpness of an image. It is measured by the number of pixels displayed on the screen. Rhythm—Results from repeating large patterns instead of individual elements.
S Safe Zone—A component of the work area of the Title window in Adobe Premiere. Text and graphics that are positioned within these zones are safe from distortion.
Shot—Defined as one continuous recording by the camera. Shot Size—Describes the relationship between the subject, its size, and the picture area. There are three generally accepted shot sizes: long, medium, and close-up. Sine Curve—Refers to the waveform used to represent sound. A sound wave is called a sine curve because it resembles the curve obtained by plotting the mathematical sine function on a graph. Single-Track Editing—Involves placing
Glossary G.7
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video clips and transitions on the same track. Soft Light—The light from a diffused and large light source that creates soft and lessdefined shadows.
Thaumatrope—A device in which a small circular disk of cardboard is held by strings on two sides, and on each side of the disk an image is drawn. When the disk is twirled, both images seem to superimpose on each other.
Sound—Vibrations transmitted through an elastic material or a solid, liquid, or gas that can be detected by the human ear.
Tilting—Refers to moving a camera up or down through an angle of 90 degrees on the tripod head.
Stereoscopic Audio—Consists of two separate audio channels for the left and right sides. A stereoscopic (or simply called stereo) system is used to play stereo audio.
Time Code—A system of numbering that allows you to find any image you have recorded with pinpoint accuracy. The time code is recorded in an ascending order of hours, minutes, seconds, and frames.
Storyboard—A visual representation of the script in a sketched format, which consists of small rough sketches or colored artwork in a comic book style. Superimpose Track—Refers to the track in the Timeline window that contains the clip to be superimposed. Superimposing—Refers to the process of playing one clip on top of another. Symmetrical Balance—Possible if the elements on one side of the axis running through the center of a composition are exactly similar to those on the other side.
T Telephoto Lens—A lens that has a longer focal length and offers a narrower angle of view than a normal lens.
G.8 Glossary
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Track—Refers to the rows in the Timeline window, on which the various video and audio clips are placed. Tracking—Involves moving the camera along a specific track. Transition—An effect that is introduced between two video clips or two scenes to provide a seamless crossover from one clip to another. This prevents the edited clip from appearing jerky. Trimming—Refers to the process of cutting out unwanted segments from a video clip. Tripod—A three-legged support for the camera. It is required to avoid jerkiness while shooting.
V
place. This transition is used to switch from one scene to another.
Video Broadcast Standards—A set of standards that countries around the world follow to display video on television.
Workspace—An arrangement of windows, window features, and palettes.
Viewfinder—A small monitor screen that helps you compose and focus a shot. A viewfinder also enables you to see your recorded image by playing back the captured video signal.
W Waveform—Vibrations of particles in the air produce sound. When the intensity of these vibrations is mapped graphically over time, you obtain a smooth curve known as a waveform or sound wave. Wavelength—The distance covered by the wave in completing one cycle.
Z Zoetrope—A device in which a sequence of pictures is pasted on the inside wall of a cylindrical drum. The drum has slits through which you can see the picture on the inside wall diametrically opposite the slits. As the drum rotates, the pictures are visible through the slits that pass in front of the eye in rapid succession. Zoom Lens—A combination of several lens elements. It is not a single lens. Zooming—By changing the focal length of a zoom lens, the camera appears to move closer to or farther from the subject in a scene.
White Balance—A control that compensates for different kinds of lighting conditions. It is so named because the camera selects a portion of the image it records which is closest to white, takes it to be pure white, and then changes all the other colors accordingly. Wide-Angle Lens—A lens that has a shorter focal length than a normal lens. It therefore has a wider lens angle or a wider angle of view than a normal lens. Wipe—A transition in which the new shot appears from a corner of the frame and pushes the preceding visual out of the frame, taking its
Glossary G.9
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G.10 Glossary
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Index
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I.2 Index
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A
Commands palette, 5.16, 5.17
A/B editing, 5.4, 5.9
Compressor, 5.25, 5.26, 5.28, 5.29, 5.39, 5.40
Amplitude, 8.4, 8.5
Costumes, 1.19
Analog, 2.10, 2.45, 5.32, 5.33, 5.37, 8.6
Cut, 4.8, 4.16, 8.11
Aperture, 2.18 Asymmetrical balance, 2.43 Audio tracks, 8.33, 8.35
D Data rate, 5.28
B
Depth, 2.18, 2.19, 5.25, 5.26, 9.18, 9.27
Back light, 3.8, 3.18
Digital, 1.6, 1.15, 2.5, 2.10, 2.11, 2.45, 4.12, 5.21, 5.32, 5.35, 5.37, 8.6, 9.24
Balance, 2.40, 2.42, 2.43, 2.46
Digital audio, 1.15
Barn door, 3.13
Digitizing, 5.32, 5.33, 8.6, 8.7
Bin, 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, 8.32
Director, 1.18, 9.3
Bins, 6.1
Dissolve, 4.8, 4.10, 4.16, 5.20
Bit depth, 8.8
Dollying, 2.29, 2.31, 2.32, 2.46
Blue screen, 7.12
Dual view, 6.26
Budget, 1.18
C
E Editing mode, 5.24, 5.25
Camera, 1.11, 1.14, 1.21, 1.24, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.8, 2.12, 2.18, 2.20, 2.26, 2.27, 2.29, 2.31, 2.32, 2.34, 2.36, 2.38
Editor, 1.18
Capturing, 1.23, 1.25, 5.1, 5.32, 5.33, 5.35, 5.37
Exporting, 9.1, 9.3, 9.4, 9.7, 9.10, 9.17, 9.22, 9.23, 9.24, 9.25
Effect controls palette, 5.14, 5.15, 7.15 Equalization, 8.24
Cast, 1.19 Cinema, 1.3, 1.7, 1.24 Cinematographer, 1.18 Cinematography, 2.3 Clip window, 6.14, 6.15, 6.17, 6.18 Close-up shot, 2.24
F Fade, 4.8, 4.10, 4.16, 5.11, 7.1, 7.11 Fade out, 4.10 Index I.3
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Fill light, 3.7, 3.8, 3.17, 3.18 Filmmaking, 1.1, 1.2, 1.17, 1.24
K
Filmstrip, 9.23
Kerning, 7.40, 7.41, 7.42
Filter, 8.1
Key, 3.6, 3.7, 3.16, 3.17, 3.18, 7.12, 7.16, 7.18
Focus, 2.6, 2.7, 2.18 Focus control, 2.7 Footage, 1.23 Four-point editing, 6.42 Frame rate, 5.27, 9.18, 9.27
Key light, 3.6, 3.7, 3.17, 3.18 Keyframe, 5.24, 5.30, 5.37, 7.53, 7.56, 7.59 Keyframe options, 5.30 Kinetoscope, 1.4
Frame size, 5.27, 9.18, 9.27 Frequency, 8.4, 8.5, 8.22, 8.24 Frequency modulation, 8.22
G General settings, 5.24
H Handle, 8.23, 8.43, 8.45, 8.46, 8.48, 8.49, 8.50, 8.51 History palette, 5.18
I
L Lens, 2.4, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.45 Locations, 1.19 Logistics, 1.19 Long shot, 2.21, 2.22
M Matte, 7.12, 7.13, 7.62 Median, 8.4, 8.6 Medium, 1.23, 2.21, 2.23, 2.46, 2.47, 9.1, 9.3, 9.24 Medium shot, 2.23
Ignore audio effects, 5.31
Microphones, 1.16
Ignore video effects, 5.31
Monitor window, 5.12, 6.19, 6.20, 6.25, 6.26, 6.36, 6.37, 6.43
Image, 2.19, 7.13, 7.18
Monophonic, 8.41
Import dialog, 6.6, 8.31
Motion path, 7.48, 7.50, 7.52, 7.53, 7.56, 7.58, 7.60
Info palette, 5.19 Insert, 4.13, 6.42, 6.78, 8.11 Intensity, 3.4, 3.5, 3.10, 3.11, 3.16 I.4 Index
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N Navigator palette, 5.16 Noise, 8.1, 8.20, 8.21, 8.52
Q Quality, 3.4, 3.16, 5.25, 5.27, 5.39, 5.40, 9.5, 9.25
Noise gate, 8.1, 8.20, 8.21, 8.52
O Opacity rubberband, 7.7, 7.9, 7.10, 7.65
R Reflector, 3.14 Rehearsals, 1.19 Render scrubbing, 6.70, 6.71
P Pan rubberband, 8.41, 8.42, 8.44 Panning, 2.29, 2.30, 2.46, 8.40, 8.41
Rendering options, 5.31 Resolution, 2.10 Rolling edit, 5.11, 6.48, 6.49 Rotation, 7.54, 7.56, 7.63
Parallel editing, 4.5 Pitch, 8.1, 8.4, 8.5, 8.22, 8.23, 8.24, 8.52 Pitch bend, 8.1, 8.22, 8.23, 8.24, 8.52
S
Pre-production, 1.17
Sampling, 8.7, 8.8, 8.52
Preview, 1.21, 6.1, 6.54, 6.66, 6.69
Sampling rate, 8.8
Preview monitor, 1.21
Scene, 3.1, 3.3, 3.8, 3.9
Producer, 1.18
Scrim, 3.12
Production phase, 1.20, 1.22
Script, 1.9, 1.10, 1.14, 1.18
Program, 5.12, 5.13, 6.19, 6.21, 6.25, 6.36, 6.37, 6.40, 6.41, 6.42, 6.43, 6.45, 6.46, 6.47, 6.48, 6.69, 6.71, 6.72, 9.22
Sets, 1.19
Project, 5.1, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.12, 5.21, 5.22, 5.23, 5.24, 5.26, 5.28, 5.30, 5.31, 5.35, 5.36, 5.37, 5.39, 6.1, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.14, 6.16, 6.19, 6.22, 6.23, 6.24, 6.26, 6.72, 6.75, 7.14, 7.15, 7.28, 7.29, 7.30, 7.66, 8.29, 8.32, 8.33, 8.34, 8.52, 9.7
Simple editing, 4.4
Shot, 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.20, 2.21, 2.27, 2.30, 2.33, 2.35, 2.37, 2.39, 2.48, 4.17 Slide edit, 6.52, 6.53 Slip edit, 6.51 Soft light, 3.4 Split screen, 4.12 Stereoscopic, 8.40 Storyboard, 1.12, 1.14
Index I.5
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Superimpose track, 7.7 Superimposing, 5.9, 7.1, 7.3, 7.20, 7.62
Transition, 4.1, 4.8, 4.12, 5.9, 6.1, 6.58, 6.61, 6.62, 6.63, 6.64, 6.65, 6.66, 6.73
Symmetrical balance, 2.43
Transitions palette, 5.20, 6.54, 6.55, 6.57 Triangle system, 2.28
T Take, 1.27, 2.5, 2.28 Three-point editing, 6.37
Trim tool, 6.33, 6.34, 6.64
V
Thumbnail viewer, 6.12
Visual rhythm, 2.44
Tilting, 2.29, 2.30, 2.31, 2.46
Volume rubberband, 8.47, 8.48
Time code, 2.7 Time display, 5.24, 5.25 Timebase, 5.24, 5.25, 5.39, 5.40 Timeline, 5.7, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.14, 5.16, 5.19, 5.25, 5.27, 6.22, 6.24, 6.25, 6.31, 6.32, 6.36, 6.48, 6.49, 6.50, 6.51, 6.52, 6.53, 6.59, 6.66, 6.69, 6.70, 6.71, 7.1, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.15, 7.20, 7.29, 7.48, 7.49, 7.54, 7.57, 7.59, 8.1, 8.32, 8.33, 8.34, 8.35, 8.36, 8.37, 8.38, 8.40, 8.41, 8.47, 8.52, 8.55, 9.7, 9.8, 9.9, 9.10, 9.11, 9.13, 9.15, 9.16, 9.17, 9.18, 9.22, 9.25 Timeline window, 5.9, 5.10, 6.22, 6.24, 6.31, 6.48, 7.3, 7.4, 7.7, 7.48, 8.33, 8.34, 8.37, 8.38 Title, 7.1, 7.20, 7.21, 7.23, 7.24, 7.25, 7.27, 7.29, 7.31, 7.32, 7.34, 7.38, 7.40, 7.43, 7.45, 7.46, 7.62, 7.66 Title objects, 7.29 Tracking, 2.29, 2.32, 2.33, 2.46 Tracks, 7.3, 7.4, 7.6, 8.37
I.6 Index
Pearson Custom Publishing
W Waveform, 8.25, 8.39, 8.40, 8.44, 8.48 Wavelength, 8.4, 8.5 White balance, 2.6 Wipe, 4.8, 4.11, 4.16 Work area bar, 6.66, 6.67, 6.68 Workspace, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.9, 5.10, 5.37, 5.39
Z Zoom, 2.13, 2.17, 2.18, 2.45, 5.11, 7.18, 7.54, 7.57, 7.58, 7.63 Zooming, 2.25, 2.29, 2.31, 2.46
