19 may 2008

Lesson 2: Getting Started

Oh boy... I don't know how to explain this... well, here it goes: I hate getting started. At editing, that is. It's probably an editor's most tedious, time-consuming, frustrating tasks. You may be editing a 5 minute-long videoclip, but you can be sure you'll be given at least 2 DV's with 1 hour of tape each, if you're lucky. Uploading those videos to your equipment, will take at least, two valuable hours of your life with it. And the logging!!! Oh my God, the Logging!!!

Ooookey, let us forget that awkward moment, because, let's face it, there's no way you can escape this part of the edition, unless you are given a Hard Disk Drive with the raw footage inside it.  Then, you can jump all the tedious process of Logging and Capturing, by just clicking on File>Import>Files/Folder, and selecting your desired clips from the specified folder. But, you can't always count on your clients or relatives to give you a nice HDD with the entire clips inside. After all, an HDD is kind of expensive, and most people will prefer paying the editor for logging and capturing and editing, doing the first two themselves. So, try to take your notes nice and properly and pay attention.

First of all, you've got to plug your camera or deck to your computer. WARNING: This MUST be done while your camera or deck is turned off. If done the opposite way, you could cause a short-circuit. 

Once you've done this, open FCP. Click on the Final Cut Pro tag, and select "System Settings". On the "Scratch Disks" tabs, you'll find yourself with a table with four columns and four lines. On the first line,  click on the "Set" button. This will set a scratch disk for your FCP project. A scratch disk is where all clips, audio files, pictures and other things used on your project will go. Try to select an easy to find folder to put your scratch disk. Once you've made a Scratch disk, i strongly recommend you make an autosave vault, in case your lights go out and you forgot to save during the last 20 minutes. Try to set your AS Vault on a different folder than that of your scratch disk. This way, if anything should happen to your Scratch Disk folder, you won't have to start all over again. Remember, a good editor always, always, remembers Murphy's Law.

Now, time to upload some footage!!! On the file tab, you must click on the Log and Capture button (it's the seventh from the bottom :D) 

You can choose from many different Logging and Capturing workflows, but the most common (and most efficient) are this ones

Log Your Tapes, then Batch Capture them with Log and capture window
This is the traditional method of logging and capturing. In this case, you watch your footage by playing videotapes in a deck or camcorder connected to your computer. You can set in and out points using the timecode information coming into Final Cut Pro, and creat clips that represent portions of your original tape. After you finish logging, you capture media for only the clips you think are necessary for your project

Log and Capture tapes one by one, using the Log and Capture window
With this method, you log clips using a deck connected to FCP, but you capture each clip immediately after you log it. This is the most time consuming of all the methods, because, unlike batch capturing, which is semi-automated, you must oversee the capture of each clip immediately after you log it. But you'll find that it is also the safest method. Perfect for timecode break-filled tapes, or tapes with only one or two useful clips.

Capture Entire Tapes, then create subclips in the Browser:
I consider this one my favorite. It saves time, and provides you with an overview of the material once it's on the computer. Instead of choosing small clips directly from the tape, you upload the whole tape to your compuer, and then split it into smaller clips once it's in the browser.

You can also capture your clips on another application, like iMovie, and then, Batch capture them to move them to iMovie, or create clips in the Browser with the Offline clip command in the file menu. You just set logging info (in-point, out-point, angle, name, etc) and batch capture the clips. Quite useful for very few clips.

The Log and Capture Window:

The Log and Capture window is composed of three main areas: 
  • The Preview Area: It includes your standard transport controls, as well as timecode fields, and marking controls. NOTE: Device control must be enabled for transport controls to appear. Left.
  • Tabs: Logging, Clip Settings and Capture Settings tabs. Top right area.
  • Log and Capture buttons: You use one of these buttons when you are ready to log a clip or capture media. Lower Left area
Tabs: The Log and Capture window has several tabs:

  • Logging: This tab adds descriptive information to each clip you log, such as reel name, In and Out points, scene/take number, markers, etc.
  • Clip Settings: With this tab you can choose which video and audio tracks you capture from tape. You can capture video only, or audio only, or both video and audio, specify which channels you want to capture or adjust video levels for each clips with the Waveform Monitor or Vectorscpe.
  • Capture Settings: This tab is used to select scratch disks for captures
Log and Capture Buttons:
As you log and capture, use the following log and capture buttons:
  • Log Clip: Logs a single clip with the current log info and clip settings.
  • Capture Clip: Logs and Captures a single clip with current log info, clip settings and capture settings.
  • Capture Now: Captures the current video and audio and input to a media file on disk until you press the escape key. No In or Out points here, thank you! You can use this button to capture a whole tape in a single file.
  • Capture Batch: Captures the selected clips from the browser or clips from the logging bin. 

Today's Shortcuts:

  • Apple + Z = Undo Tip: you can set how many
  • Apple + 4 = Show/Hide browser
  • Apple + F = Find
  • Apple + 8 = Show Log and Capture
  • Option + /= Play every frame
That's all for today!!! Until Next Time!!!









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