Switching and Postproduction Editing

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Switching and Postproduction Editing
COM 112 TV PRODUCTION
VOLUNTEER STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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OVERVIEW

• SWITCHING, OR INSTANTANEOUS EDITING
• BASIC SWITCHER LAYOUT
• MULTIFUNCTION SWITCHERS
• SWITCHER

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OVERVIEW

• POSTPRODUCTION EDITING
• LINEAR AND NONLINEAR SYSTEMS
• EDITING PREPARATIONS
• PRODUCTION TIPS FOR EASIER POST PRODUCTION
• OFF LINE AND ON LINE EDITING
• OFF LLINE PROCEDURES
• ON LINE PROCEDURES
• DESKTOP VIDEO

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SWITCHING

• SELECTING AND COMBINING OR JOINING VIDEO SOURCES
• 2 OR MORE CAMERAS W/ TRANSITIONS
• MADE POSSIBLE BY A PRODUCTION SWITCHER
• POSTPRODUCTION SWITCHERS CREATE TRANSITUIBS
  BETWEEB 2 SHOTS

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KEY CONCEPT 1

• SWITCHING MEANS INSTANTANEOUS EDITING FROM
  SIMULTANEOUSLY AVAILABLE VIDEO SOURCES

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PRODUCTION SWITCHERS

• MADE FOR INSTANT EDITING
• HAS LOTS OF REDUNDANCY
• TYPICAL LAYOUT
• PROGRAM BUS
• MIX BUS
• PREVIEW BUS

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PRODUCTION SWITCHER

• PROGRAM BUS (A ROW OF VIDEO INPUTS)
• TYPICALLY THE ON AIR BUS
• HAS BLACK AND OTHER VIDEO SOURCES
• SENDS SELECTED VIDEO TO AIR OR TAPE

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PRODUCTION SWITCHER

• MIX (OR MIX/EFFECTS) BUS
• ALLOWS TRANSITIONS, IE. DISSOLVES
• USES FADER BARS
• MIX/EFFECTS REQUIRES A AND B ROWS

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PRODUCTION SWITCHER

• PREVIEW BUS
• ALLOWS DIRECTOR TO VIEW SHOTS, CUTTING TOGETHER
  AND SEQUENCE ARE DESIRED PRIOR TO SELECTION
• ALLOWS YOU TO CHECK SUPERS, WIPES, DISSOLVES,
  KEYS ETC

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MULTIFUNCTION SWITCHERS

• BUSSES AND FADER BARS ARE FUNCTION SELECTABLE
• PROGRAM AND PREVIEW BUSES MAY BE COMBINED AS A
  PRE-SET BUS OR MIX/EFFECTS BUSES
• PROGRAM BUS CAN SERVE AS BACKGROUND BUS

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MULTIFUNCTION SWITCHER

• PROGRAM BUS - W/ FOUR FUNCTIONS
• DIRECT SWITCHING BUS
• TEMPORARY MIX A BUS
• TEMPORARY EFFECTS BUS
• BACKGROUND

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MULTIFUNCTION SWITCHER

• PRESET BUS - SOURCES SELECTED ARE ON PREVIEW
  MONITOR AND REPLACES PICTURE ON AIR WHEN YOU
  SELECT TAKE OR AUTO TRANSITION BUTTON
• KEY BUS - SELECTS KEY SOURCE IE. TITLES FROM
  CHARACTER GENERATOR
• DELEGATION CONTROLS - ASSIGN USE OF BUS FOR
  MIX/EFFECTS OR OTHER TRANSITION

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KEY CONCEPT 2

• SWITCHERS ALLOW THE SELECTION OF MULTIPLE VIDEO
  INPUTS AND THE IMMEDIATE CREATION OF VARIOUS
  TRANSITIONS AND EFFECTS.

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SWITCHER OPERATION

• PROGRAM BUS - CUTS ONLY
• SELECTING VIDEO SOURCES ON THE SAME ROW OR BUS
• THE LIGHTED BUTTON IS ON AIR AND SEEN ON ON AIR
  MONITOR
• TO PREVIEW OTHER SHOTS YOULL HAVE TO SELECT THEM
  ON PREVIEW BUS

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KEY CONCEPT 3

• THE PROGRAM BUS SENDS THE SELECTED VIDEO INPUTS
  DIRECTLY TO THE LINE OUT. IT IS A CUTS-ONLY
  DEVICE.

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Mix Busses cuts

• To dissolve or any other mix of video busses must
  be selected or designated as M/E (mix effects)
  busses.
• Typically the sources from which you are
  selecting will alternate on the program and
  preview monitors as they are selected.

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Mix Busses Dissolves

• Use the fader bars to transition between your
  video sources
• Preview and program monitors will change as the
  shot transitions

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Key Concept 4

• Mix busses (or buses in the mix mode) let you do
  cuts, dissolves, superimpositions, and fades.

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Effects Busses Wipes and Keys

• Wipe patterns are made with the fader bars like
  dissolves except you must select wipe and you
  should select a pattern
• An auto transition button does the wipe at a pre
  determined speed
• To key, you select a source and a background

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Key Concept 5

• The effects and key buses can accomplish various
  wipes, keys, and special effects
• Nearly all production switchers are multi
  functional

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POSTPRODUCTION EDITING

• FINAL STAGE OF PRODUCTION
• PUTTING TOGETHER THE VIDEO AND AUDIO SEGMENTS

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Postproduction Operation

• Linear and Non Linear Editing Systems
• Editing Preparations
• Off-line and On-line Editing
• Off-Line Procedures
• Linear and Non-Linear on-line procedures
• Desktop Video

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Key Concept 6

• The use of VTRs designates linear editing,
  whether the recording is analog or digital.
  Nonlinear editing uses only digital information
  stored on hard drives.

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Linear and Nonlinear Systems

• If you are editing using Video Tape, it is linear
  editing. If its on tape you have to go to it
  in order on the tape, even if you do it at high
  speed.
• If its non-linear, you can choose any sequence
  from the hard drive.

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Key Concept 7

• Normally, single source VTR editing systems are
  limited to cuts only transitions.

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Single Source Linear System

• One PLAY (SOURCE) machine and one RECORD machine
• Generally cuts only editing with monitors for
  each machine
• Control Track is essential to all editing

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Edit Controller

• Editing control unit
• Marks and remembers exact frames on source and
  record tapes
• Allows pre-roll for speed and synchronization of
  machines for edits

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Edit Controller Tasks

• Control VTR Search modes
• Read and Display elapsed time and frame numbers
• Mark and remember precise edit points (in and out
  cues)
• Back spaces each machine for exact pre-rolls
• Starts machines simultaneously and holds them in
  sync

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Edit Controller Tasks

• Runs trial (preview) edit before actual edit
• Rewinds to allow actual edits
• Assigns either video or audio (or both) track
  edits
• Assigns either assemble (add on) or insert
  (in-between scenes) edit
• Permits expansion to multiple sources

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Multiple-Source Linear System

• 2 or more source VTRs Generally A, B, etc.
• Thus an A/B roll system
• One machine has a material (I.e. interview
  answers and video of news maker
• Other machine has cut aways shots of interviewer
  and things talked about
• Most edit controllers are computer controlled but
  this is still linear editing

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Key Concept 8

• Multiple source editing systems expand the
  transitions from cuts-only to dissolves and a
  great variety of wipes, and special effects.

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Time Code

• Hours Minutes Seconds Frames
• 01 23 15 25
• Timing to the 1/30 of a second

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Pulse Count

• Not as accurate as SMPTE Time code

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Key Concept 9

• The time code provides a unique address for each
  frame of recorded video

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Editing Preparations

• Shoot with continuity in mind
• Make protection copies
• Add time code to source tapes
• Make a window dub
• Review and log source tapes
• Transcribe audio text
• Lay control track on edit master tape

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Shooting Phase

• Thinking ahead is part of editing
• Slate each take
• Leave margins for editing (head and tail video)
• Record background sounds (ambient noise)
• Keep a field log
• Tape cut-a-way shots

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Key Concept 10

• Always make a protection copy of the original
  source tapes

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Time Code/Window Dub

• Can be recorded w/ material or added afterwards
• Window Dub is a lower quality (VHS) copy with
  time code burned into each frame.
• Allows logging of each scene/shot and preparation
  of edit decision list

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Reviewing and Logging

• Tape, Scene, and Take number
• In-cue and Out cue code for each shot
• OK or NG for each shot
• Prominent Sounds
• Remarks
• Vector Diagram (main direction of graphic)

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Key Concept 11

• Vector notations on VTR log facilitate locating
  shots for continuity and complexity editing
• Circled dot z-axis vector toward the camera
• Single dot z-axis vector away from the camera
• Arrows point motion vectors

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Other preparations

• Transcribe speech typing what is said
• Recording black on edit master lays down control
  track and provides a constant to which to edit.

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Off line and On line Editing

• Off line is making rough decisions to get a
  concept of what final program will look like.
• Produces an Edit Decision List
• On Line final edit decisions.
• Making the final program

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Key Concept 12

• If the intent is to produce an EDL or rough cut,
  the editing is off line. If the editing produces
  the edit master tape, it is on line. On-line
  equipment is usually higher quality than off line.

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Key Concept 13

• The EDL (Edit Decision List) is the road map for
  on line editing.

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Key Concept 14

• Non linear off line editing produces an EDL. (It
  is a computer generated list. Often can be saved
  to disc and moved among edit suites)

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Assemble Editing

• Video and Audio edited simultaneously
• Also called add on editing
• Advantage is control track un-needed

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Insert Editing

• Requires control track on edit master
• Uses edit master control track for sync
• Allows shots within scenes on edit master
• Audio and video can be separated

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Key Concept 15

• For insert editing, the edit master tape must be
  prepared by recording black prior to editing.
  (places control track on edit master)

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Desktop video

• Using PC or Mac for manipulating video and audio
• Quality increasing daily