Avid: August 2010 Archives
With the new tapeless cameras, and portable AVCHD cameras, it's becoming easier to produce multi-camera productions.
For you novices out there: It's VERY important that you establish a sync point for all your cameras. You can use one of the following methods:
- A time code reference (this option is limited to expensive gen-locked cameras)
- A slate or visual reference (a good trick is to use a camera flash)
- A sync sound point that all your cameras can hear.
In this tutorial, I had a manually had to sync the cameras by a point of reference in the video. This isn't necessarily easy. Hence, as you'll see in my video, I basically skip over the section of finding a sync point. With this in mind, I hope this tutorial is helpful to some.
Continue reading for the full transcript of this tutorial.
Continue reading Setting up Multi Camera Mode for Media Composer.
If you are producing content for broadcast television. The television or network is probably going to ask you to insert bars and tone at the beginning of your Avid sequence.
Okay, fine. Where do you find the bars and tone media?

MAC Users:
Mac HD/Applications/Media Composer/SupportingFiles/Test_Patterns/SMPTE_Bars.pct
PC Users
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Media Composer\SupportingFiles\Test_Patterns\SMPTE_bars.pct
**Make sure you import the correct bars-tone. You'll also see categories for HD and PAL formats if you are not working with SD footage. Then simply import the color bars into an Avid bin.
(continue reading...)
Okay, fine. Where do you find the bars and tone media?

MAC Users:
Mac HD/Applications/Media Composer/SupportingFiles/Test_Patterns/SMPTE_Bars.pct
PC Users
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Media Composer\SupportingFiles\Test_Patterns\SMPTE_bars.pct
**Make sure you import the correct bars-tone. You'll also see categories for HD and PAL formats if you are not working with SD footage. Then simply import the color bars into an Avid bin.
(continue reading...)
Continue reading Media Composer Bars and Tone.
In most cases, professional editors will know most of the common aspect ratios for film and video formats, but those of you who didn't think math was going to be a part of this job, here's a handy-dandy Aspect Ratio Calculator from the folks at Digital Rebellion.
The tool helps you calculate aspect ratios and pixel dimensions of video footage and will ensure that you are working with the correct resolution. It gives you height, width, and ratio.

Avid Media Composer has some great tools when it comes to mixing and matching different media formats.
It can become tricky building a project that is compatible with both the older Standard Defination television sets and the newer widescreen HD sets.
The trick is to build two versions of your sequence. Build one for your 4x3 audience, and one for your Widescreen audience.
For example, let's say I have three different media types which are:
Standard Definition 4x3 media. Standard Definition 16x9 anamorphic media, and High Definition footage.
Go ahead and import your media into Avid Media Composer (read more...)
Continue reading Mixing Aspect Ratios with Avid Media Composer.
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