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Posted at 5:25 PM |

Here at GeniusDV, we recieve a large number of calls on a daily basis from editors seeking support on a wide variety of issues that can arise in a day in the life of a working editor , but occasionally, we receive calls that would seem better suited for someone who works in the paranormal!

one of our past Avid students, who produces two shows a week for his local church service, called us and stated that he was hearing strange voices as he was putting together his projects. Naturally, we all looked at one another and wondered if this guy had a late night and was hearing the voice of Jack Daniels, but as we dug deeper and deeper into his situation, we discovered something quite fascinating!

This producer was using a cheap, unshielded firewire cable and everytime someone was on a cell phone, or when the church used their wireless microphone system while he was capturing his material into Avid Xpress, those signals became mixed with his audio signal. He had the better part of an entire conversation and a sermon intertwined in his audio tracks. He went out and bought a heavy duty firewire cable and that solved his problem. We didn't need Scully and Moulder after all!

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Posted at 6:21 PM |

Yet again, another great story has popped up using Avid software and showcasing Avids ability to manage media and play all format types. When snowboard enthusiast Anthony Cupaiuolo first launched First Tracks Productions in 2001, it was purely an experiment to see if he could turn his high-flying hobby into a well-grounded business venture. The experiment worked. Since it first burst out of the gate, First Tracks Productions has hit its mark in the world of snowboarding and action-sports videos - despite its limited resources and small staff of fellow snowboarders-turned-entrepreneurs. First Tracks Productions shoots much of the footage for its snowboard videos with its Panasonic HVX200 cameras at 100 Mbps DVCPRO HD quality in 720p/24PN mode.

Read the full story and sign up for one of our next up and coming Avid classes and get started on your dream!

Posted at 6:38 PM |

When you are in the Color Corrction toolset within Avid Xpress Pro and have finished making adjustments to a clip, you can save the color correction parameter to use later on a similar clip.

1 After you have finished color correcting the clip, control click for Mac or Option click for PC the C1 bucket to save the adjustment parameters.

Keep in mind that when you end your Avid Session these saved parameters will not be retained. Create a color correction bin and drag the icon from the C1 bucket to the bin to save it.

Take a look at this segment editing technique in Avid Xpress Pro!

Posted at 10:15 AM |

Avid Technology announced yesterday that it will not have an exhibition booth at the upcoming NAB (National Association of Brodcasters) show
The company plans a major shift in terms of how it deals with customers. A series of new innovative products will be announced starting in Februrary. Avid Technology does plan on attending NAB to meet with customers, It is unclear where customers will be able to meet with company representatives during the exihibition..

http://www.avid.com/company/releases/2007/071113_customer_avid.html

Posted at 6:24 AM |

Let's say that you have created the popular white flash effect for your Avid project via the Fade to Color Effect located in the Effects Pallete. For consistency, you may want to save the effect that you have already created for repeated use throughout the program. That way you wouldn't have to keep recreating the effect everytime you wanted to use it, you could just tweak the one you have already made or use it as is.

Storing an Effect

1 After you have tweaked the Fade to Color Effect in the Effect Editor and applied it to an edit point in your sequence, Notice the icon representing that effect at the top of the Effect Editor Pallete.

2 Activate the Bin window by clicking in it and Press Control N for a PC or Command N for a Mac to create a new bin and name it Effects.

3 Simply drag the effect icon from the top of the Effect Editor into the new bin. Now at any point in your sequence when you need this pre-tweaked effect, all you have to do is drag this icon from the Effects bin you have made and place it into your sequence.

Posted at 10:12 AM |

To create a PIP effect in Avid Xpress Pro, you must first have two video tracks with the desired footage placed over top of one another. You could perform the PIP effect with just one video track if you desired, but remember that the video in the track would then be placed on a black background. For this example, make sure you place the footage that you want to appear in the PIP effect on top of the footage that you wish to serve as the backdrop.

1 Open the Effects bin and under the Blend options select Picture-in-Picture.

2 Drag the PIP icon over the video clip in track 2. You will then see the effect in the Composer Window.

3 Click the Effects Mode icon and you will see a bounding box surround your PIP effect. Click in the middle of the bounding box to move it and use the handles to change its size. In the Effect Editor Palette you will be able to further manipulate the PIP effect.

Posted at 9:20 AM |

If you are experiencing errors or poor 3D DVE performance within your Avid Xpress or Media Composer software, it may be because you are running the wrong drivers for your graphics card.

Posted at 10:36 AM |

Posted at 8:58 PM |

When editing with Avid or any other editing application drive speed is very important. The manufacture of your drive normally lists the speed of the drive but this may not be accurate or through time you may have a problem in your system either with the drive or maybe a cable. There is a great utility called HD_Speed produced by Steel Bytes. This tests the speed of all of your drives including your CD or DVD rom. This is a freeware and is a fast download. Measures both sustained and burst data transfer rates of your hard disks, cd/dvd-roms and floppy. Real-time graphical display. Download it today and make sure you are running at full capacity!

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Posted at 11:36 PM |

Crazy Sexy Cancer is a documentary you need to take a close look at. This is a great story I wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to check out. Not only does this story talk about the power of had and its ability to handle all types of media shot under all conditions but truly the power of people.
When Avid editor Brian Fassett was presented with a batch of 25 MiniDV tapes and a request to create a promotional trailer out of the footage, little did he know the project would turn into a life-changing experience.
In order to bring the story to life, Fassett set up a home-based workflow that initially consisted of an Avid Xpress system running on a Macintosh G4 desktop. Because Fassett was digitizing at DV25 resolution, he was quickly maxing out his storage capacity, so he kept adding 180- and 200-gigabyte FireWire drives to his rig. As cumbersome as it was, the system performed well and got Fassett and Carr through the critical, early phase of the project.

Check out the complete story and do not forget to sign up for our next Avid training class and get on your way to producing the next great film!

Posted at 8:47 AM |

Avid has a great new plug in that speeds up the process of getting your sequences straight into YouTube. You will have the ability to easily create a Send To template that will export a QuickTime movie and launch the YouTube upload web-page simultaneously. This is very useful and a great way to get your sequences from your Avid timeline to YouTube. Check out the full details and the step-by-step instructions and do not forget to download the .bat file at the bottom of the tutorial. Also our latest Avid training class is filling up quickly so do not sign up soon and get a seat in one of the most personalized Avid training classes in the country!

Posted at 6:44 PM |

If you are wondering the differences between Avid Media Composer and Xpress Pro then you need to look no further. The main differences are the available formats, media delivery features and resolutions you have the option of working with in Media Composer versus Xpress Pro. There are 25 more resolutions available in Media Composer than in Xpress Pro and most of the HD resolutions in Xpress Pro only allow 1 stream. Media Composer allows you to adjust motion effects and Xpress Pro only has presets. These only scratch the surface of differences, for full details checkout this chart and see if the added features in Media Composer are for you and don't forget Genius Dv offers both Media Composer and Xpress Pro training classes!

Posted at 3:27 PM |

I always like to stay on top of the latest movies and what the editors are using to put together the latest blockbuster! This summer, Jason Bourne returns to unlock the secrets of his mysterious past in The Bourne Ultimatum, the latest espionage thriller in the popular film franchise. Matt Damon stars as the memory-challenged international spy, Jason Bourne, who must outwit the authorities and an assortment of assassins who keep him constantly on the run. Based on the novel by Robert Ludlum, this installment promises to uncover the truth behind Bourne’s dangerous and never-ending search for his own identity.

"I equate the Avid (system) to being part of the editing team. There is no way we could get everything done with this kind of time crunch without the ability to add machines
and people and just keep working."
-Mark Fitzgerald, Additional Editor, The Bourne Ultimatum

Some members of the editing team, such as Malina, also used their own Macintosh-based laptops equipped with Avid Xpress Pro software to handle a quick comp or other offline task. The easy exchange of media and files between the Macintosh- and Windows-based systems gave them the flexibility to handle a one-time job speedily and keep the project moving smoothly.

Check out the complete story and do not forget to sign up for our latest Avid Training Bundle, seats are going fast!

Posted at 5:27 PM |

You can trim a transition on either the outgoing side (A-side or tail), the incoming side (B-side or head), or both sides (dual-roller). Understanding what each version of Trim mode does is critical to successful trimming. You can use a single roll trim or a dual roll trim depending upon what you are trying to achieve. With a dual-roller trim you are not adding any more content to your program. You are simply either adding more and taking away from one shot or the other. This can appear to be very complex yet once you start playing with the basics of trimming you will find it to be very simple ans straight forward. If you perform and single-roller trim then you are adding footage from one clip. This can be done from either side and will lengthen your timeline. I will spend time breaking each down and how to use each one over the next few entires. Here are the ways you can enter and exit trim mode.

To enter trim mode:

1. Park on the transition you want to trim and press the Trim mode key
on the keyboard.

2. Lasso the transitions in the timeline. Draw the lasso by clicking at a point above the top track in the Timeline and by dragging to surround the transitions. You can drag from right to left or from left to right, and you can lasso single transitions across several contiguous tracks.

To exit trim mode:

Click the Trim Mode button on the Tool palette.

1. Press the Right Arrow key or the Left Arrow key.

2. Press Esc.

3. Click a specific location in the Timecode (TC1) track at the bottom of the Track Selector panel. The position indicator moves to that location.

Stay-tuned for more trimming tips.

Posted at 7:07 PM |

Knowing the keyboard shortcuts for any given program will greatly increase your workflow speed. Some overlooked shortcuts are the bin shortcuts in the Avid application. Of course you won't use them all but knowing just a few key shortcuts will help your speed up your day. The bin shortcuts are very important shortcuts to know and utilize. Here is the list of general bin shortcuts:

Ctrl + N Creates new bin
Ctrl + A Selects all items in a bin or project
Ctrl + W Closes the open window or dialog box
Ctrl + P Prints active bin
Ctrl + D Duplicates selected clip, sequence, or title
Ctrl + I Opens Console window
Shift + Ctrl + click Bin Menu Alternates Relink and Unlink commands in the Bin menu
Alt + drag clips between bins Copies clips instead of moving them.

Make sure you do not miss out on our latest Avid bundle training class. Seats are very limited!

Posted at 10:58 AM |

When using Avid Xpress or Media Composer, make sure you have the video quality menu button set to solid green when you are laying back to tape.

A critical mistake is to leave this button set to 'yellow' or 'yellow/green', because you won't be outputting at full quality.

Solid Yellow: 1/16 single field quality (optimum for heavy effects editing with maximum real-time effects)

Yellow / Green: 1/4 single field quality (default setting)

Solid Green: Full Quality with both fields

Posted at 9:37 PM |

If you are an Avid Xpress or Media Composer user, you've probably discovered that when you perform a motion effect, the audio doesn't slow down with the video.

To have matching audio that is 'time compressed', you will need to use an audio suite filter called 'time compression expansion. Better yet, you can change the speed of the audio without changing it's pitch. Here is how it works:

Continue reading "Slowing Down Audio in Avid Xpress" »

Posted at 7:41 AM |

If you are trying to upgrade to Media Composer and you are currently running Avid Xpress Pro you need to follow a few simple steps to get up and running with Media Composer. Before you can upgrade, you need to uninstall any older version of Avid already installed on your computer. Newer versions of Media Composer and Xpress Pro have separate applications, Avid Uninstallers, that make this process very easy. But older versions didn't have separate uninstaller applications. This includes Xpress Pro 4.8.x and Media Composer 1.8.x. So, make you sure check out the step-by-step instructions on how to uninstall your older version of Avid and don’t forget to sign up for one of our up and coming Avid training classes, seats are limited.

Posted at 8:13 PM |

What happens to your original file after you delete it from Avid. A student of mine asked me this today and he brings up a good point. What he is referring too is he had a QuickTime file that we imported into Avid and it from that import Avid created one OMF file and two AIFF files. The OMF is the video and the two AIFF files are the left and right audio files. We ended up not needing this particular file so we deleted it from our system, but he still needed the QuickTime file for another project. What happens when you tell Avid to delete the one master clip and the three media files?

Continue reading "Avid Xpress Pro- Media Composer: Deleting Files" »

Posted at 7:37 PM |

Having the ability to get your sequence back out on to tape as quickly as possible is very important. If you shoot in DV 50 or DVCPRO HD you are in luck. You can output DV 50 or DVCPRO HD sequences directly to a DV device. This lets you output without any loss due to compression and decompression.

You just need to make sure you are working in one of these following formats:

You can output:
DV 50-in any SD Project

DVCPRO HD-in this and only these projects: 720p/23.976·
720p/59.94·
1080i/50·
1080i/59.94

Posted at 8:57 PM |

Creating a 'speed ramp' effect with Avid Xpress can be a little tricky. Especially since you must create all speed changes directly within the Source Window.

This tutorial will walk you through on how to change the speed of a clip at a certain point, and then return to its original speed. Before, you begin I reccomend that you create an entirely new Avid sequence and practice this exercise using a single clip.

Continue reading "Slow Motion Speed Ramp with Avid Xpress" »

Posted at 1:07 PM |

If you are looking to find the Read Me Files for and version of Avid there is one page that has them all. The Read Me files are great for configuring, determining compatibility, and what fixes have been made from the previous version. Avid has included PC, Mac and Mac Intel. The list spans from version 4.6 up to the latest 5.72. You will also find some extra documents at the bottom for Mojo and Mojo SDI. Now you can look up and see your documentation or see if upgrading to the next version is in your future.

Posted at 6:35 PM |

Mapping your Avid keyboard is a critical step in becoming efficient with the Avid software. Important commands such as match frame, replace edit, and fit-to-fill are crucial commands when becoming an efficient editor.

Did you also know you can map any menu command to a keyboard shortuct with Avid Xpress or Media Composer? This is very useful for menu commands such as:

- Turning on-off the Audio Waveforms (Sample Plot)
- Creating Freeze Frames
- Displaying Media Relatives
- Full Screen Playback
- Activating Customized Workspaces

Every menu command can be mapped to a single key by using Avid's command palette.

Continue reading "Mapping Menu commands to an Avid Keyboard" »

Posted at 10:43 AM |

Imagine if you are working on your Mac using Final Cut Pro or Avid as you receive the dreaded error message 'Disk Not Readable on this computer' What do you do?

I reccommend that you keep a program called 'Disk Warrior' from AlSoft in your arsenal of troubleshooting tools. It will fix most disk directory problems. It will also fix most many OS X problems. You can download a full version directly from Alsoft's website.

Posted at 10:57 AM |

QUICKTIME 7.2 and Avid Editing
I always want to download and take advantage of the latest release of software. This is not a good idea for Avid editors. Avid engineers spend many hours testing and making sure that software works with Avid. If you download an untested version of Quicktime or another software you may run into many problems that seem unrelated but they will make your editing life a disaster. Recently, Apple released the 7.2 update to their popular media player, Quicktime. As always, it is not recommended to upgrade to the newest version until Avid has been able to test and qualify this version with our editing products. Do not download the latest versions of Quicktime. Once Avid has been able to test the 7.2 release, and code any required patches for it, another Tech Alert will be posted on the Avid knowledge base web site. It is advised that you turn off "Automatic Updates" for Quicktime to prevent unexpected / undesired updates from happening. This is a way for you to control when you want to update.

Posted at 7:16 PM |

A very important link is the end action override. This is an optional setting that can override the end action of the destination. The standard link sets the next destination; the override sets the end action of that destination, replacing its default end action. Overrides give you dynamic control over the navigation through a DVD. You can change the path through the DVD according to what the viewer has just watched.

Continue reading "Adobe Encore: Override End Action" »

Posted at 8:28 PM |

Understanding how to create navigation in a DVD can sometimes be overwhelming and confusing. Well one of the greatest misunderstood navigations is the end action. There are many ways you can navigate after your clip or menu ends. The end action specifies what happens when an item finishes playing, or when you have specified a duration for a menu and the viewer takes no action within that time.

Continue reading "Adobe Encore and End Action" »

Posted at 8:18 PM |

If you are looking for a quick way to get the letterbox 16x9 look fro your projects then Avid has a quick solution. It is called the 16:9 mask. This is treated just like any other effect and is a quick way to make your footage a have the HD or film letterbox. This effect is under Film>16:9 mask. There are a couple of way sot apply this effect to your footage and I have the best way is to put it on it’s own video line so you can turn it on or off. I put this effect on the upper most video line. The great thing is that if you have graphics or titles it will only mask the whole region and not reformat every line like the reformat effects do. This is a quick way to get the 16x9 look with minimal effort. Make sure you check out our latest Avid bundle class, seating is limited!

Posted at 8:03 PM |

Would you like to be able to quickly export a QuickTime movie from your timeline or from a subclip ? Well, look no further Avid Express Pro makes this task simple. There are a few simple steps to accomplishing this task so here is the quickest way to export a QuickTime file:

Continue reading "Avid Xpress Pro - Media Composer and Exporting a Quicktime" »

Posted at 1:50 PM |

I recently ran across a problem importing P2 files off a FireStore drive. I am unfamiliar with P2 files and when I tried to import them could not find anything to import so I blamed the cameraman for the error. Well come to find out Avid has a cure for this:

When attempting to import P2 media from a FireStore 100 drive, the Import P2 Clips to Bin or Import P2 Media commands do not find anything to import. The FireStore has an application command called "Organize P2;" this places all of your P2 media into a folder structure that most NLEs can understand. However, this command places the Contents folder on the root of the drive. When navigating to the drive through an Avid application, the application can not recognize the Contents folder as a P2 source, nor can it recognize the root level of the drive.

After running the "Organize P2" command on the FireStore, navigate into the drive through your OS and create a new folder on the root of the drive (the name of the folder can be anything you chose.) Place the entire Contents folder (and everything in it) inside this new folder. Now, when using the Import P2 commands in Avid, select this folder but do not navigate further into it. The application will recognize your clips and/or media and complete the import command.

This is very similar to how we had to handle the old OMF files on our first FireStore hard drive and it is a very simple fix!

Posted at 11:46 PM |

With the introduction of the intel based iMac's and Mac Pro systems, you may have the opportunity to use your Avid software in conjunction with many of the video editing applications that are available for Macintosh.

This is particularly true for authoring DVD's. I have yet to find an easier DVD authoring program than Apple's iDVD. For sounds effects, and sound design I prefer Apple's SoundTrack Pro.

Better yet, if you are lucky enough to have Apple's Final Cut Studio, you can use the best of both worlds! For myself, I prefer to edit my content with Avid Media Composer, but then I'll use DVD Studio Pro for my DVD authoring. I also use Apple Motion and LiveType for effects and compositing.

You can even import Motion or LiveType project files directly into an Avid bin window without ever having to export the file from Motion or LiveType.

Better yet, the Avid software will build a real-time moving matte for you, which will enable you to make keyframe adjustments in terms of your objects position. Here's how it all works.

Continue reading "Motion and LiveType with Avid Xpress" »

Posted at 1:50 PM |

As editors in the NLE world we all must contend with computer problems. Instead of have great knowledge of our application software we must also be computer technicians of software and hardware. I edit in Avid Xpress Pro on an HP 4300 machine and for the most part I run day to day without to many problems. Well not eveyr day is perfect and I came across the dreaded error Exception: DISK_ACCESS_DENIED filename: C:\OMFI media files. This message usually means trouble. In the past this has meant that I had a corrupt hard drive or corrupt files in that hard drive. Well, this happened again to me earlier this week and I this time it appeared to not be a corrupt file but somehow, permission was changed on one of drives. If this happens to you you need to immediately check out this how to change your permissions article and hopefully your problem will be fixed because if you have a corrupt file life will not be easy until it is rooted out.

Posted at 11:57 PM |

Capturing media is a very important yet time consuming process. As an editor you know that spending time capturing is a part of every editing project. The capture tool in Avid Express Pro displays various information about what you are about to capture. When it comes to media management do not forget to check the Target Drive area of the capture tool. This is key for making sure that you select the preferred drive and make sure you have enough space on that drive to capture the amount that you need. You select the target-drive from the pop-up menu and check your amount of free disk space from the Time-Remaining display. The Time-remaining display is an estimate based on your resolution settings, the number of tracks you have to be stored on the drive, and the free space available on the target drive. Always make sure that if your only need the audio from a 3-track source, that you turn off the video to save space. This also make it very easy to keep track of your work. When you capture paying close attention to detail will help you manage your projects in the long run. Avid Xpress Pro and Media Composer have on of the best media capture tools in the business, so make sure you take advantage of it power!

Posted at 11:48 PM |

Frame view in Avid is a very fast way to look at your clips visually. Having the correct frame to look at though is the only way to make good use of the frame view. By default, Frame view displays the first frame of each clip in the bin. You can, however, change the displayed frame with a frame that has meaning to you or a frame that actually identifies the clip.

To change the frame identifying the clip:

1. Select the clip that you want to change by single clicking on it. .
2. Do one of the following:
-Press and hold the K key on the keyboard (Pause), and press the L key (Play) to roll the footage within the frame forward at slow speed. To move backward through the footage, press and hold the K key and press the J key (Reverse Play).
-Press the 3 key or the 4 key on the keyboard (Step Forward or Step Backward) to move from frame to frame.
3. When you see the frame that you want use, release the keys.

The Avid application saves the displayed frame as part of the bin configuration. Make sure you don't miss out on the few remaining seats in our next Avid Training bundle, you will be glad you attend one of the most powerful and intense Avid training in the country!

Posted at 6:15 PM |

When you open your capture tool in Avid Express Pro you may have a power scheme warning pop-up. This will more than likely pop-up if you are editing on a laptop. If you do not remedy this problem your capturing may be interrupted either by your screen saver or your hard disks shutting down. This can be very aggravating if you are interrupted during a very long batch capture. To fix this on a Windows System, open your control panel and navigate to power options. Click the power schemes tab and choose Always On in the Power Schemes drop-down menu. As you can see all the boxes now say Never. The other tab you need to check is the Hibernation tab. Make sure that this is unchecked so that your computer will not go into Hibernation. Learn this and other valuable inside tips from one of our great up and coming Avid classes and get started in becoming the top in your profession.

Posted at 3:19 PM |

How movies are made is more interesting to me than the actual movie itself. Once again Avid has pulled through with a new big blockbuster, Ocean's Thirteen. North Hollywood-based Pivotal Post provided four Macintosh-based Media Composer Adrenaline systems to Academy Award winning editor Stephen Mirrione , Academy Award winning director Steven Soderbergh , and a team of editorial assistants for editing the film. Soderbergh also used his own Intel-based Macintosh laptop with Media Composer software on the project to choose selects and review edits. The filmmakers chose an HD workflow to enable editing with visually rich data, while streamlining the creation of as many as a half dozen large-format screenings. The film, which was shot on 35mm film, was telecined to HDCAM for editing and screening and to SD tape for backup and syncing of audio dailies. This was a great test for Media Composer (software version) and Avid came through with flying colors! Kick start your movie editing career by signing up for the latest Avid Bundle Training course!

Posted at 11:21 PM |

Do you have your Avid interface setup just the way you want but do not know how to save it so that you can return to it at any time? Or you may want to have multiple workspaces, for example, one for capturing, one for color correction, one for audio editing, etc. I have four separate workspaces that I use almost everyday. These workspaces not only make my interface easier to use but it also allows me to be more efficient at my job. Now isn’t that what we all want? Here is quick breakdown of how to save your favorite workspace:

Continue reading "Avid Xpress Pro Media ComposerWorkspaces" »

Posted at 11:17 PM |

There is a free media management tool for Avid Xpress / Media Composer that allows you to easily identify OMF or MXF files on your hard-drives. This software is only available for Windows users.

The current release is (build 19 pre-beta 0.3). I've tested it with media recorded from Avid Xpress 5.7, and Media Composer 2.5 It seems to work perfectly fine.

A media management tool is an absolutely necessity for anyone who uses Avid Xpress or Media Composer software.

If you are looking for a commercial Media Management Tool, you can always check out 'Media Mover 3.0' which is available for OS X and Windows. A free working evaluation version is available.

Media Mover has long been the stable Media Management software for Avid users, and has been recently upgraded,

New features in MediaMover 3.0:
-- Compatible with all Avid media formats - MXF, OMF, AIF, SDII, WAV
-- Works with local storage, Avid Unity or any other SAN storage system
-- Supports all Avid editing systems
-- OS X and Windows versions available
-- Dynamic storage space monitoring
-- Generates detailed reports on each project's media
-- Integrated backup function makes archiving projects easy

Posted at 3:38 PM |

Once you have spent time building many different projects and have a few hard drives on your system it may become hard to find where your project bins live. You can easily find where your media is located using the reveal file feature located in each bin’s fast menu. What if you need to find where the bin is located on your hard drive? There is also a reveal file for your bin but it is located in the project window. You need to highlight the bin you want to locate in the project window and the right-on it and choose reveal file. The system searches all available drives, opens the Windows Explorer, and highlights a related media file. This is a great way to stay organized and find the location of your bin file for transfer or back-up purposes. Our up and coming Avid classes are filling up fast, sign up now and reserve one of the last seats available.

Posted at 5:07 PM |

Giving your text that extra look is a very important part of taking your work to the professional level. I frequently use some form of glowing title. You can add a glow very easily in the new Avid Marquee Title Tool which is now bundled with Express Pro HD. To simulate a glow follow these few steps.
1. Highlight the object you want to glow and choose windows then properties and shadow.
2. Adjust your shadow properties to match these.
-Show shadow need to be selected
-Type: Drop
-X offset: 0
-Y offset: 0
-Opacity: 50 or higher
-Softness: 50 or higher
-Shadow color: glow color
You can adjust your opacity and softness to your application. The opacity is really depending on the color you choose and the background color in which the graphic will live. Try this the next time you want to spice up your text and discover the power and ease of Avid Marquee. Marquee is now part of our very popular Avid Training Bundle, sign up now!

Posted at 10:02 PM |

Would you like to be able to quickly export a QuickTime movie from your timeline or from a sub-clip? Well, look no further Avid Express Pro makes this task simple. There are a few simple steps to accomplishing this task so here is the quickest way to export a QuickTime file:

1. Mark an in and out around the area you want to make your movie from. Either in the source or record monitor.
2. Now right click on the desired monitor and select export. An export as dialogue box will open and you will need to select options in the lower right hand corner.
3. An export settings box will now open and you will have many choices for exporting your movie. For this example we will choose QuickTime movie.
4. You now need to decide the other elements you want to go along with your movie, for example Audio only, Video only or Video and Audio.
5. Make sure that Use Enabled tracks is selected in the upper right hand corner.
6. Depending on which color levels you are using RGB or 601/701 just make sure if you are going to import this into another program that the settings are the same.
7. I leave everything else the same unless you know specifically you need to change them. The same as source with Avid codec should be left on and the aspect ratio set at native dimensions.
8. If you will be using these settings over and over you can now save these settings at the bottom by selecting Save As. You can now give this a name that is relevant to the settings and access it any time from the Export dialogue box.
This should get you on you way to exporting a QuickTime movie and you can use this same technique for other exports.

Posted at 10:27 PM |

When you already have one effect applied to a transition in a sequence, you can apply an effect to multiple transitions at the same time.

How to apply an effect to multiple transitions in the Timeline:

1. If there is not already an effect on one of the transitions, add a transition effect.
2. Enter Effect mode, for example, by selecting Toolset > Effects Editing.
3. Click the existing transition effect to select it.
4. Click above the Timeline and begin dragging to activate a selection box. Continue to drag down and either to the left or right to include additional transitions in the selection.
5. Release the mouse button when you have lassoed all the transitions you want.
6. If the transitions where you want to apply the effect are not contiguous, Shift+click any transition to deselect it.
7. In the Effect Palette, double-click the icon for the effect that you want to apply to the transitions.

Do not forget to sign up for one of up and coming Avid classes!

Posted at 11:53 PM |

Once again I have found a great story about Avid equipment in use and utilizing HD.
From its modest roots as regional entertainment in the Southern U.S., NASCAR (the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing) has grown to become the second most popular televised professional sport, ranking only behind the National Football League in U.S. ratings. As NASCAR has evolved, so has the technology behind the scenes. For the past six years, senior editor Jeffrey Cline and editor Barry Bennett have cut all of NBC’s NASCAR race coverage on the road, following races across the U.S. in their 53-foot NEP Supershooters mobile production truck. Inside the truck are two Media Composer Adrenaline systems with Avid DNxcel cards for editing projects in HD. Both systems are connected to an Avid Unity MediaNetwork shared-storage solution with 5 TB of shared storage. This reliable and flexible Avid editing and shared-storage setup with the Avid DNxcel card - which utilizes the Avid DNxHD codec for easier HD media exchange and reduced storage size - is essential for creating as many as 10 pieces per week, for 20 straight weeks on the road. Check out the full story!

Equipment used:
Camera: Panasonic Varicam HD cameras 720p, 24fps
Telecine: Converted to 1080i for input via HD-SDI
Offline: HD, using Avid DNxHD 145 codec
Mastering: HD, 1080p

Posted at 11:54 PM |

In today’s world of HD, the price drop in hard drives, and large the hard drives required to store all your media, more than likely you will need drives in excess of 200 gigs. I work on a system that has 4 terabytes which includes several hard drives in the 250-300 gig range. This amount of storage is very necessary for my workflow and you may have a need for even more storage. I discovered the one flaw in having drives over 200 gigs. I opened a project to find some of my media offline. The media was on the hard drive and after banging my head against my desk I found a recommendation from the Avid support center and fixed my issue. Avid systems have a hard time keeping track of media over 200 gigs. You may see this error:: HP_Domain_Failed // Frequent media corruption // not rebuilding Media Databases // over-all performance slowdown // media management. If you have any drive over 200 gigs simply partition them down to 200 gigs or smaller and this will eliminate any errors in the future. As far as which brand you should choose to start archiving all of your media, take a close look at G-Tech. They are fast and have great capacities!

Posted at 10:22 PM |

If you've ever editing a long-format program, I am sure you have come across a situation where you can't seem to find a certain clip that you have edited to the Avid Xpress timeline. Or worse yet, you have having problems with trying to figure out whether a certain clip has been used somehwere else in the timeline.

Did you know you can turn on clip colors in your bin and display those colors for clips in the timeline?

You will need to do 2 things. First, you'll need to display the (color) heading in your bin, and assign some colors to your clips.

Next, you need to navigate to your timeline menu and select Clip Colors - Source Colors. Save the insanity! Don't lose track of clips again.

Posted at 12:18 PM |

At times, you may find it useful to enlarge the tracks that you are working in for a better view. Simply select the track or tracks that you wish to enlarge

and press Control L, for PC, or Command L, for a Mac, to enlarge the selected tracks. Press CTRL K or Command K to decrease the size of the tracks.

Posted at 11:39 AM |

Having the ability to adjust audio in your editing g application is crucial step in the editing process. Once you have adding and adjusted your audio keyframes you may need to move your keyframe from the left or to the right. It is not obvious how to obtain the results to make this happen but the procedure is very simple. Once you have placed your keyframes and you have determined you need to slide your keyframe to an earlier or later time down the timeline, simply place your mouse pointer over the keyframe until a hand appears. Once the hand appears you now hold down the alt key and click and hold the key frame. (You must press the alt key first and then click the keyframe.).

Now you can slide your audio keyframe to the left or right while preserving the audio level. Make sure you sign up for our next Avid Training class or Avid Training bundle, you will be glad you did!

Posted at 1:59 PM |

If you are editing HDV footage in Avid Xpress Pro or Media Composer then you need to utilize the Export to HDV Device feature. I use it on all of my productions. Not only is it the best way to get your productions back out to tape but it is the cleanest way to down-convert your footage to a form of Standard Definition. My daily workflow consists of editing all my work in HDV and then outputting two forms of my productions: one version in SD and one in HD. I tired many different ways to get from HD to SD always keeping in mind that I not only wanted the highest quality but also the quickest down-convert. This is the breakdown of what I found to be the best way to not only output to HD but also down-convert to SD using Avid:

1. Export final program using Export to HDV device to my JVC BR-HD50 (this now gives me my master HDV copy of my edited program for archive and duplication). Also, remember, you will always have the original HDV transport stream on your hard drive until you delete it.
2. Play out of JVC HD50 through fire wire into my Sony DSR-11. This now gives me a master copy in Standard Definition.
3. I now capture the SD version from my DSR-11 back in Avid so that not only have an SD version to edit but also I can easily output to an SD DVD.

These steps not only give you an HD and SD version but it also perseveres quality as long as you use Fire wire and not your analog cables.

Posted at 4:04 PM |

Avid has a great way to save the day if you either mess up your project, if something becomes corrupt or if you just need to go back to an older version of a sequence. This great tool is called the Avid attic. The attic provides you with a history of versions of your bins. If you manually save or auto save your bins are backed up in the attic. The biggest misconception of the attic is that is will bring back deleted media. The attic does not make copies of your media; it just saves versions of you sequences and clips information. If you delete the raw media you cannot retrieve it in the attic. The other thing you need to be aware of is the attic saves a default of 30 files; this is fine if your frequency of saves is 60 minutes or more but I like to save at least every 20 minutes so I like to bump my number to around 100. This allows me to go deep if I need to retrieve from a very old version. Just remember the attic is a great place to retrieve your lost clips and sequences but it will not bring back deleted media.

Posted at 1:32 PM |

There are many uses of the locator within the Avid editing application. I use them on a daily basis and I thought it would be good for you to put them into practice.

1. Visual track alignments: Use locators at matching points in synchronized audio and video tracks so that if the tracks lose sync, you can visually realign the locators in the Timeline to restore sync.

2.Music cues: Use locators to mark the IN and OUT points for music.

3. Trim markers: Use locators in the Timeline to return directly to an edit you have designated for further trimming at a later time.

4. Cutaway markers: Use locators to identify cutaway shots with comments so that when you return to cover jump-frame edits with cutaway footage, you can use Find procedures to quickly access the shots.

5. Replace markers: Use locators to mark filler segments with comments to identify the items that should replace the filler.

6. Semipermanent IN or OUT points: Use locators with the Mark Locators button to put multiple sets of locators on a long clip, and so on.

7. Add comments for EDLs: Use locators to add comments to sequence clips to appear in lists that you create, such as an EDL or cut list.

8. Print a list of reviewer comments: Use the Locators window to print a list of changes or comments that you can distribute to other people in the production. ( i use this on big projects where there is several people involved.

This is just a few ideas and I am sure once you begin to use them you won't know how you lived without them!

Posted at 5:50 PM |

Transitions are a part of our daily editing lives. There are several pitfalls when making your edit decisions but the main error you need to be aware of is having enough handles to edit your footage. As with FCP you need to have enough footage left over on the incoming shot and the outgoing shot to create any kind of transition. Fades, dissolves, dips and so on require the amount of footage you are requesting in your transition. Avid has a great graphical representation of this in every quick transition that you perform. If you have enough handle or if you need to make more handle it is very obvious to see. (I will cover how to fix this in the future.) Compare these two graphics and see for yourself an edit with plenty of handle and one with none on the outgoing shot.

Posted at 9:01 PM |

When you utilize the matchframe capability of Avid Xpress Pro, you are calling up the frame that the blue locator bar is currently parked over in the timeline, from the original clip, which may be burried deep within a bin under many other clips. Perhaps you are looking for different framing of the shot you that you currently have in your sequence. Match Frame keeps you form having to manually dig through a sea of clips to find the original file.

If you find yourself using a particular clip over and over again, keep in mind that each time you perform a Match Frame the previously set in and out points for the clip will be erased. There are two things you can do to prevent this from happening:

After you have set the in and out points for the clip that you have added into your sequence, go back and replace those points with locators.

You can also hold down the ALT key for a PC or Option key for a Mac and click on Match Frame icon to preserve your in and out points when you recall that clip. If you do not have the matchframe icon assigned to your timeline toolbar, simply go to Tools > Command Palette > Other > Match Frame and drag the icon to a button you least use in the timeline toolbar to replace it.

By utilizing the Command Palette, you can assign the Option key modifier to the Match Frame icon so that this process will be automated. Go to Tools > Command Palette > Other > Add Option Key and drag it to the Match Frame icon in your timeline. You will see a black dot at the foot of the icon to signify a modifier has been added.

Posted at 10:35 AM |

As an editor you know that spending time capturing is a part of every editing project. The capture tool in Avid Express Pro displays various information about what you are about to capture. When it comes to media management do not forget to check the Target Drive area of the capture tool. This is key for making sure that you select the preferred drive and make sure you have enough space on that drive to capture the amount that you need. You select the target-drive from the pop-up menu and check your amount of free disk space from the Time-Remaining display. The Time-remaining display is an estimate based on your resolution settings, the number of tracks you have to be stored on the drive, and the free space available on the target drive. When you capture paying close attention to detail it will help you manage your projects in the long run.

Our next Avid class is filling up quickly and seating is very limited!

Posted at 11:52 PM |

What are some of the critical settings within Avid Xpress or Media Composer that you should be aware of?

There are many different settings within the Avid software. At last count there are roughly 40 different categories of settings within Avid Media Composer, and that doesn't count all the various settings within each category.

We've compiled a list of common 'critical settings' that you might want to check before launching the software.

Continue reading "Avid Xpress Media Composer Settings" »

Posted at 6:40 PM |

The color correction tool inside Avid is a great way to quickly get color correctins you are looking for. Match Control is a great way to get some good cosistant color corrections.
Both Color Correction groups include a Color Match control. This control allows you to quickly make a correction by selecting input and output colors from your images, or from the Windows Color dialog box. If you select the Eyedropper option in the Correction Mode Settings dialog box, you can also select colors from any other location within your Avid application, such as a custom color swatch saved in a bin.
When you use the Color Match control, the system replaces the input color value with the output color value and adjusts all the other color values in the image proportionally. The system also automatically adjusts the other controls in the group to reflect the change. You can set the combination of color channels or components the system uses to determine the match by making menu selections.
For example, if you want to replace the blue sky tone in one image with that in another to match the two shots, you can use the Color Match control to pick the two colors and automate the color adjustment. Because the Color Match control can display the RGB color values for any point in an image, it is useful as an information palette that allows you to check how far the colors in an area of an image depart from the color values you want to achieve.

Don't forget to sign up for our Avid color correction class our sign up for our all inclusive Avid bundles!

Posted at 7:07 PM |

Being able to load a sequence into the source monitor is one of the great features of Avid. Taking certain elements from your sequence and applying them into your timeline is something you will find yourself doing if you work projects that require the use of the same media. The one problem you might find is how do you look at your sequence and its edits without loading them into your record monitor. Avid has a great solution for this and it is called Toggle Source/Record in Timeline.

The Toggle Source/Record in Timeline button allows you to view multitrack source material quickly in the Timeline for selecting and marking specific tracks. I use this in all of my editing to select specific portion of my sequence for editing into my new timeline. This is a great feature that you should learn to use to get the excat results you are looking for.

Posted at 6:45 PM |

Making sure that your Avid system runs smooth without interfering with your operating system is very important. Avid tests the Microsoft Windows OS for issues that may hinder Avid's products from running at the top potential.

I thought it would be very important to make you aware of the latest Service Pack issues with Avid. Avids strategy is to test all Windows Service Packs and all security patches which apply to the environments in which Avid products run. Their current methodology is to utilize Windows Update on a representative sample of Avid products under test upon notification of new security Bulletin availability by Microsoft. These systems are updated and observed while under test. Once the test period has completed (2 -4 days), support for the latest release of security bulletins is announced. It is Avid's goal to protect our customers’ infrastructures from the resource-draining effects of an enterprise-wide virus attack.

Check out the full .pdf of the service bulletins and make sure you will run smooth

Posted at 5:52 PM |

One of the most common errors you may recieve while capturing is an audio error. At first glance this does not appear to be an audio error until you read more about the error. I have found that determining which rate to set your audio project to can take a few tries but once you set it for that tape you should be set.

If you receive this error message the audio sample rate in your 48kHz project does not match the audio sample rate on the tape. To fix this error, go to your main project window and select the Settings ab. Next, double-click Audio Project and change the Sample Rate to 32kHz.
If you are already in a 32kHz project sample rate and receiving this error message, switch your sample rate to 48kHz.

Posted at 1:20 PM |

Avid Marquee can be a mystery to many Avid editors. It's really a seperate application within itself, but yet tightly integrated with Avid Xpress and Media Composer.

The problem is, learning Marquee can be a daunting task. Marquee is an incredibly powerful program allowing for true extruded 3D characters with 3D lighting effects.

This short marquee training tutorial will show you how to create and animate a basic 3D title.

Continue reading "Avid Marquee Training basic animation" »

Posted at 3:12 PM |

To become an effective and efficient editor you must learn as many shortcuts as possible. My favorite and most used shortcut is the Fade Effect. Not only do I use this effect to fade but I created a keyboard shortcut for it because I use it so much. I have many titles through out my shows and about 90 percent of them need to fade up and then down. The fastest way to accomplish this is the first edit all of your titles into the timeline and then select multiple titles by using the segment mode.

Here is the breakdown:

1. Edit your titles, graphics, clips, ect. into your timeline.
2. To fade multiple titles at once, with the same values, enter either segment mode, and press the shift key while selecting your desired segments.
3. Click the Fade Effect button from the Tool Palette Fast Menu or use your keyboard shortcut once you have created one.
4. In the Fade Effect dialog box, enter the number of frames to fade up, down or both.
5. Click OK and you’re done.

Take this opportunity to sign up for one of our next Avid Xpress Pro/Media Composer classes, seating is very limited and going fast! Now go out and fade away!

Posted at 11:28 PM |

The task sounds simple. You have a job where you need to put together a quick 'montage video' or 'slide show' with a few hundred photos.

Here is the problem: With Avid Xpress or Media composer, How do you mark in-out points for all those clips at the same time? Plus, don't forget that you will need some handles in order to add all your favorite transitions.

I once had a nightmare job where I had to mark in-out points for hundreds of clips, and then the client kept changing their mind about how long each clip was supposed to be. Don't worry, there is an undocumented trick that will allow you to mark durations for all your clips in a few quick key strokes.

Continue reading "Setting Duration for Multiple Clip with Avid Xpress" »

Posted at 12:19 PM |

Being able to capture from a non-timecode source is a very real part of an editors day to day routines. Avid allows you to ingest almost any source you need to edit. The source may be VHS, CD, DAT or some other source that has no timecode. To capture this material you need to capture on-the-fly.
To capture from a non-timecode source:

1. Click the deck button in the Capture tool.
2. Click once on the Tape Name box.
3. Either select an existing tape name or create a new one.
4. Choose an option from the Timecode Source Menu.
5. Play the material and click the record button.
6. Click the record button when you are done.

This is a very simple way to ingest any material you need to edit. Just remember you cannot recapture this material with the form of timecode you selected you must manually ingest the material again if you lose it.

Make sure you sign up for our next Avid Xpress Pro Training class, seats are always limited to enhance your learning experience!

Posted at 11:48 PM |

My favorite feature of the latest version of Avid Xpress Pro HD 5.64 is the full screen playback. It is great to be able to view your video on a full monitor. This really takes advantage of two monitors, if you are using one monitor you may want to consider getting a second monitor just for this feature alone. I thought a rundown of the settings would be important for an introduction to this great feature:

1. Scaling: Select the desired scaling.
-Project uses the actual project type and monitor aspect ratio to determine the scaling
-4x3 (Standard) If you are editing an HD project that contains a lot of SD material that is being stretched to fit the 16x9 aspect ratio, you might want to select this scaling option, letting you restore its original aspect ratio.·
-16x9 (Widescreen) If you are in a 4x3 SD project, working with actual wide-screen material (such as 16x9 material captured by a DV Camcorder); you can select this option to display the material as 16x9 wide-screen.
-Raw Pixel allows you to see the frame in the full screen window, pixel for pixel, with no scaling. If the image is larger, it is scaled to fit the screen. This is only useful when viewing SD in which pixels are non-square. Raw Pixel Aspect ratio is slightly wider than 4x3.

2. Full Screen :By default, Full Screen is enabled. Disable this option to view the video on the full screen window with as little scaling as possible. The application will try to display the image at its native height, and then match the width of the height using the Aspect Ratio selection from above. Turning off Full Screen and working in Draft quality (green/yellow) mode or Best Performance (yellow/yellow) mode can also improve performance with some older video cards, which do not have the highest pixel shader processing power.

3.Display Both Fields: Select this option when the system is connected to an interlaced display. If a progressive display (for example, an LCD monitor) is connected to the graphic card's video output and you select this option, tooth combing will appear in an interlaced image.

4.Current Monitor Position: You can choose the monitor where you want to see the full-screen playback. Drag the entire Full Screen Playback Settings dialog box to the desired monitor, and then click Select Monitor. (Macintosh only) If two or more graphics cards are installed, select a monitor that is connected to the primary graphics adapter.

Stay tuned for more about this great new Avid Xpress Pro HD feature.

Posted at 11:32 PM |

Customizing your bin headings is a great way to get the information you want to see about your master clips, clips, sub-clips and sequences. I stumbled across a feature today, which may or may not be new to you, but it sure helps customizing your bin view and headings. At the top of your bin you will notice a little black hash mark (in text view). This hash mark can be moved to the left or right to keep certain headings in place while you scroll from right to left.

As you can see in my example I have placed it so that my color and name will not move while I scroll. You can customize this anyway you prefer keeping the headings that you want to always view available while you scroll from left to right.

Posted at 8:12 PM |

Within Avid Xpress Pro, learn how to create a page curl with different media on the front and back of a 3D page curl.

Continue reading "Page curl Avid Xpress with two sides" »

Posted at 9:32 AM |

Using Avid Xpress or Media Composer, is there an easy way to flip a picture-in-picture on the x or y axis that has a different front and back? The Avid software makes this relatively easy using a feature called nesting.

Continue reading "Avid pip rotating with front and back sides" »

Posted at 7:18 AM |

Did you know you can easily add a plasma wipe, or any other transition to a title without affecting the background? The trick is to nest the plasma wipe inside the nested fill layer of a title.

Continue reading "adding plasma effects avid titles" »

Posted at 6:55 PM |

Editing any sports type programs has many challenges that are not only stressful but take editing to the ultimate level of creativity. Having an editing suite that can only perform reliably but also respond to your every move is essential. When it comes to this type of performance Avid is top notch. Kevin Tolbert is responsible for makeing the Charlotte Bobcats look good on TV.

Continue reading "Avid Xpress Pro / Media Composer and Sports Editing" »

Posted at 9:59 PM |

Do you shoot in 24P, 23.976P, 30i, 60i, 30p? It can be confusing what format to choose. Then if you choose 24P, you are faced with the question. Do you shoot with the standard pull-down method, or the advanced pull-down method?

Advanced pull-down is 2:3:3:2
Standard pull-down is 2:3:2:3

If you are going back to film, shoot with the Advanced Pull-down Method, and then edit directly in 24P when using Avid or Final Cut Pro.

If you are going back to video, then you should really edit at 29.97 and go back to video at 29.97. This method will give you the 'film look' with 29.97 television. If this is the result you want then shoot with the Standard Pull-down method.

For more information about video or film-making using 24P formats, you can visit the Adamwilt.com webpage. He has some fanastic tutorials that go into great details about the various video formats.

Posted at 8:03 PM |

If you have spent much time using locaters in Avid before the HD version you may find the way that locaters in Avid Xpress HD work very annoying. The default set-up in HD is every time you insert a locater the locater dialog box opens and asks you to type in your comment. This is great for organizational purposes but if you want to add them On-the-Fly this new feature is in your way. The only advantage to this is once you are done you can go back to this dialog box and insert you comments. If you want to disable this feature and add locaters on-the-fly then here are the steps you need to take:

1. Map a locater to your keyboard
2. Right-click the Source or record monitors and select locators.
3. Choose Disable Locaters Popup from the Fast Menu.

Now you can play your sequence and add locater's on-the-fly.

Posted at 11:42 PM |

Logging your clips before you capture them onto your hard drive is a great way to not only save space but is a great time to name all of your clips. If you stick an hour long tape in and log straight through the hour you will most likely have a lot of wasted space and you will have a bunch of unnamed clips, or one big clip if you do not turn on sub-clipping. To log clips from an Avid controlled deck simply follow these steps:

Continue reading "Avid Xpress Pro / Media Composer Logging Clips" »

Posted at 5:42 PM |

Being able to capture from a non-timecode source is a very real part of an editors day to day routines. The source may be VHS, CD, DAT or some other source that has no timecode. To capture this material you need to capture on-the-fly.
To capture from a non-timecode source:

1. Click the deck button in the Capture tool.
2. Click once on the Tape Name box.
3. Either select an existing tape name or create a new one.
4. Choose an option from the Timecode Source Menu.
5. Play the material and click the record button.
6. Click the record button when you are done.

This is a very simple way to ingest any material you need to edit. Just remember you cannot recapture this material with the form of timecode you selected you must manually ingest the material again if you lose it.

Posted at 11:36 PM |

Having shortcuts not only saves time but allows more time for you to be creative. When using the effect pallete shortcuts are a great way to navigate.

1.Tab-In Effect Editor, moves from one active slider to next
2. Shift + Right and Left Arrow keys-In Effect Editor, moves 10 units on a slider instead of 1
3. Alt + drag corner, side, or center of wire frame-Updates image as you drag, rather than moving only wire frame
4. Alt + drag keyframe- Allows you to move a keyframe
5. Ctrl + Alt + click on keyframe- Selects all keyframes when monitor is active
6.Ctrl + A- Selects all keyframes when monitor is active
7. Highlight segment + Backspace- Removes effect when Timeline is active
8. Highlight segments, then Alt + double-click an effect in the Effect Palette-Nests effect if effect is already present
9. Ctrl + click in monitor-Changes cursor to magnifying glass and zooms in on video image
10. Ctrl + Alt + click and drag in monitor- Changes cursor to hand and moves frame in monitor
11. Alt + Render button- Renders to last drive selected, avoiding dialog box
12. Press T while rendering- Opens a timer in the Render message box
13. Press P while rendering- Opens percentage rendered in the Render message box
14. Esc- Exits Effect mode

Hopefully some of these shortcuts will help speed up your life and workflow!

Posted at 6:54 PM |

I stumbled across a great way to save yourself some time once you have made all of your trims in Avid. Now I must admit it has been in my face as every time I have performed a trim but I have never taken advantage of this time saving process. Once you are done trimming your two clips you can then add a quick transitions of your choice. Here’s how:

1. Click a transition in the Timeline while in Trim mode.
2. In the source monitor, or composer monitor depending how you have your Avid setup, your will see the transition button.
3. Click the Transition Effect Alignment button, and select the effect's position relative to the cut point.

This will save you a step of comig back later and adding your transitions! This is one more way to make your workflow more effective.

Posted at 6:39 PM |

If you have ever wondered about what movies are created using Avid, then look no further then the latest Academy Award nominations. Babel, The Departed, Dreamgirls, Pan's Labyrinth are just a few in the long list. I have always been intrigued by what goes on behind the film almost more than the actual film itself so when you really look at the Academy Awards and the products used to make the best movies year after year Avid and Avid products are always on top! Check out the compete list of movies that are up for an award using Avid!

Posted at 10:51 PM |

Do you have your Avid interface setup just the way you want but do not know how to save it so that you can return to it at any time? Or you may want to have multiple workspaces, for example, one for capturing, one for color correction, one for audio editing, etc. I have four separate workspaces that I use almost everyday. These workspaces not only make my interface easier to use but it also allows me to be more efficient at my job. Now isn’t that what we all want? Here is quick breakdown of how to save your favorite workspace:

Click the Settings tab in the Project Window.

1. Click the Settings tab in the Project Window.

The Settings scroll list appears.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the Settings scroll list and click Workspace.
Workspace is highlighted.
3. Select Edit > Duplicate.
A new Workspace setting appears in the Settings scroll list. If you are duplicating a previously named workspace setting, a .1 appears at the end of the new name.
4. Click to the left of the new workspace you want to set.
A check mark appears next to the workspace. workspace.

5. Assign a custom name to the new workspace:
a. In the column between Workspace and User, click until you see a text cursor and box. Make sure you click the Custom setting name column and not the Setting name.
b. Type a name for the new custom workspace, for example, Capturing.
c. Press Enter.
6. Open the windows and tools with which you want to associate the workspace. Resize and move the windows to the location where you want them to appear on the monitors.
7. Double-click the custom workspace setting.
The Workspace Settings dialog box opens.
8. Select options. For information about options, see Workspace Settings.
9. Click OK.

Posted at 5:24 PM |

Would you like to be able to quickly export a QuickTime movie from your timeline or from a subclip? Well, look no further Avid Express Pro makes this task simple. There are a few simple steps to accomplishing this task so here is the quickest way to export a QuickTime file:

1. Mark an in and out around the area you want to make your movie from. Either in the source or record monitor.
2. Now right click on the desired monitor and select export. An export as dialogue box will open and you will need to select options in the lower right hand corner.
3. An export settings box will now open and you will have many choices for exporting your movie. For this example we will choose QuickTime movie.
4. You now need to decide the other elements you want to go along with your movie, for example Audio only, Video only or Video and Audio.
5. Make sure that Use Enabled tracks is selected in the upper right hand corner.
6. Depending on which color levels you are using RGB or 601/701 just make sure if you are going to import this into another program that the settings are the same.
7. I leave everything else the same unless you know specifically you need to change them. The same as source with Avid codec should be left on and the aspect ratio set at native dimensions.
8. If you will be using these settings over and over you can now save these settings at the bottom by selecting Save As. You can now give this a name that is relevant to the settings and access it any time from the Export dialogue box.
This should get you on you way to exporting a QuickTime movie and you can use this same technique for other exports.

Posted at 5:03 PM |

The sync lock feature allows you to maintain sync among several tracks while adding, moving, trimming, or removing frames in a sequence. For example, if you insert an edit into one track that is sync locked to a second track, the system automatically inserts filler in the second track to maintain sync between the two.
You activate sync locking by clicking the Sync Lock button in the Track Selector panel to display the Sync Lock icon. You can also switch all sync locks on or off by clicking the Sync Lock All button.
Here are some of the things you need to be aware of when using the sync lock feature:

1. Edits performed in editing, Segment, or Effect mode override sync-locked tracks.
2. Sync locking applies to single-roller trims only because dual-roller trims do not break sync.
3. You can sync lock any number of tracks in any combination. The tracks do not require matching timecode or common sources, and can include multiple video tracks as well as audio tracks.
4. Sync locking affects entire tracks. This means that parallel segments in other sync-locked tracks are affected when you add, move, trim, or remove material anywhere in the sequence.

I use sync lock in all of my editing and is it very important to utilize it once you have a completed sequence.

Posted at 12:30 AM |

If you have ever experienced the dreaded corrupt file then you know first hand how it can ruin a good day of editing. You will not be able to continue until you seek out this demon of a file and kill it! Avid has just posted a way to Divide and Conquer this type of file. This is method that I have used ever since I began editing and you will, more than likely have to use some time in your future. The divide and conquer technique is a process of locating the corrupt file through the process of elimination. It is truly pain staking but the only way that works. Read the complete technique!

Posted at 9:49 PM |

The number one thing every editor needs to avoid is the flash frame. It is normally undetected until you play out your final show. Avid has a great tool to help you detect these mistakes in your sequence. The Find Flash Frames command helps you quickly find parts of your sequence that you might want to delete from the final sequence. Flash frames are clips that have an extremely short duration, for example, less than 30 frames.
To find flash frames:

You first need to set up your parameters:
1. Check or set the maximum frame length that you want the system to detect:
a. Click the Settings tab in the Project window.
b. Double-click Timeline.
c. Click the Edit tab.
d. In the option "Find Flash Frames Shorter Than n frames," indicate the maximum number of frames you want the system to detect. The default is 10, which tells the system to detect clips with 9 frames or fewer.
e . Click OK.

Now you can search with your parameters set:
2. Click the Timeline window to activate it.
3. Select the tracks you want to search.
4. Place the position indicator at the beginning of the sequence or before the part of the sequence you want to search.
5. Right-click in the Timeline, and select Find Flash Frames.
The position indicator moves to the first flash frame.
To find the next flash frame:
Right-click in the Timeline, and select Find Flash Frames again.

These steps will keep you from making the dreaded flash frame mistake!

Posted at 7:05 PM |

Almost all of your productions should start off with some kind of black at the start if you are rolling off to tape or if you need a clean fade from black. Avid Xpress Pro and Media composer have a fast and effective way to add black to the start of all your sequences. It is called Add Filler at start. The best way to access this is to right-click in the Timeline and choose Add Filler at start. This will give you an automatic 30frame black header. If you need more repeat the steps and every time you do you will gain an additional 30 frames.

Posted at 8:24 PM |

Using locators in the editing process in one of the most valuable tools you have in perfecting you edits. The reason and how to use them is endless and I will cover them at another time. If you are already using them you can benefit from the various uses of the Avid locator. One great practice you can use when applying your locators is that you can put them on different video or audio lines. By default the locator will stick to the upper most track that is enabled. If you want to put one on A2 all you need to do is turn off every line but A2. Now apply your locator and it will stick to A2. The great thing about this is you can apply a locator on A2 to fix an audio issue, one on V1 to make a color correction and then maybe one back down on A1 for a volume adjustment. This is only touching the surface of the possibilities of what you can do, so just remember to locators can be one of your greatest assets.

Posted at 8:25 PM |

The Avid Dupe Detection is a great tool to use to see if you have used the same media twice in your sequence. This can either be a huge mistake that you will want to correct before final output or you may have done it on purpose. Avid has a great tool to help you avoid such kind of mistake, Dupe Detection. Dupe detection will keep track of the frames in your timeline and locate every instance that a frame is duplicated on any of the video tracks. You can also use dupe detection to make sure you have certain duplicated elements in your timeline that you want to have repeat. All you have to do is turn dupe detection on in your timeline. Navigate to your fast menu in the bottom left corner of your timeline and when the fly out menu opens select Dupe Detection. Now you can rest assured you won’t have to worry about this mistake or make sure that your duplications are in the right place.

Posted at 11:30 PM |

Here is an excellent tutorial that will teach you many of the basic compositing techniques available in Avid Xpress or Media Composer. Once you've mastered this technique, you can use the same skills to build moving walls, spinning 3D worlds, story-books, and a variety of other effects.

*Don't Worry if your a Final Cut Pro user, you can find the same steps for building a moving filmstrip with Final Cut Pro.

Here is what the finished sequence should look like when you are finished with this tutorial.

Continue reading "Avid Xpress Creating a Moving Film Strip" »

Posted at 3:25 PM |

Here is a fantastic tutorial on how to use all your favorite Photoshop filters for video.

This training lesson is invaluable for anyone who uses Photoshop. We'll show you how to create a droplet that will process a set of actions so Photoshop will automatically do all the processing for you.

Continue reading "Photoshop for Video with Avid or FCP" »

Posted at 9:39 PM |

The great thing about being an editor is having the ability to learn something new everyday. I discovered a new feature in Avid that I think you'll find very useful. It's called Loop Selected Clips. An important part of the editing process is the ability to review footage and, more importantly, to compare takes in order to use the best shot, angle, or performance for the edit. Loop Selected Clips allows you to do just that. Here is a quick overview of how it works.

Select the clips in the bin that you wish to review. Then go the bin menu at the bottom left corner of the bin and select Loop Selected Clips. This function can also be mapped to a button or keyboard if needed. Once selected, the clips play back in order, one right after the other, in the source monitor and on the client monitor. If "in-out marks" are present in the source clip, the play back will be restricted to just that range. This is great for selecting a preferred reading or action for a given span across multiple takes.

Each clip will play in turn when the end of the clip or the Mark Out point has been reached. The user can also use the TAB key to advance to the next clip before the end of play or use SHIFT TAB to go back to a previous clip. This enables easy navigation and clip selection for finding that perfect shot among multiple sources.

Posted at 3:42 PM |

Now here is a true success story in the video production business. Captured light studio is a company that competes in the global medical market, producing CDs, DVDs, streaming media, and satellite telecasts that train physicians on the newest surgical tools and techniques. It has grown to a full-time staff of five (including an Avid editor, a Flash programmer, two writers/producers, and an office manager) supported by a dedicated team of freelance cameramen, animators, and lighting directors. Collectively, the staff has captured more than 5,000 surgical procedures on video and has worked with more than 1,000 surgeons worldwide - and Avid systems continue to support their work. The company offlines and finishes each project on its Windows XP-based Avid editing systems. These include an Avid Media Composer Adrenaline system equipped with the Avid DNxcel card (for future editing in HD); the powerful yet affordable Avid Xpress Studio Complete with an integrated set of audio and video editing, effects, animation, and DVD authoring tools; and the portable Avid Xpress Pro software for laptop use. The company plans to add a second Avid Media Composer Adrenaline system, along with an Avid Unity LANshare system for shared storage and networking, in the near future. Check out the complete story!

To get started in your future production career or to become better in your craft sign up for one of Genius DV's up and coming classes!

Posted at 11:16 PM |

Sometimes after upgrading to the latest version of Avid Express Pro HD you may have found that you can no longer control your deck and the capture controls do not work. This happened to me with the latest version of Avid Express Pro HD 5.2. It appears to that this only happens with HD versions of the software.

When trying to capture directly to the CPU from a deck/transcoder/camera via firewire, you may notice that there the deck is not recognized or communicating to the software.
Although, this problem is specific to communicating from the CPU directly to the capture device, there have been cases when this method has rectified capture issues with a DNA device (Mojo or Adrenaline) as well.
This can be resolved by registering the DVBuffers. (this file is a part of the DIO Runtime, which is installed with the Avid software, and is essential for Avid's communication with external capture devices).
To register the buffers:
1.Click Start, then click Run

2.In the command line, type : regsvr32 DVBuffers.ax

If you typed this line correctly, a popup window will display a message "DLLRegisterServer in DVBuffers.ax succeeded" (the message may vary from version to version) If the line was typed incorrectly, the message will report that the registration failed.

Posted at 11:13 PM |

Often you need to know a few things about the clips that are in your timeline. This is often overlooked but a very powerful way to get quick information about the clips that reside in your
timeline. Well, once again I want to share with you another very useful and powerful tool that you should turn on in your timeline fast menu. It is called clip color in your Avid timeline menu and there are four options to choose from under this heading. The one I want to call your attention to is the Offline setting
.

When you select the Offline option all of the clips in your timeline will be colored red. This is very important to know before you begin editing. This will allow you to become aware of the clips that are missing due to either deleted media, hard drives that are not on or a corrupt file. I make sure this is always on and it not only will save you time when you go to export but it will save the dreaded media offline clip in your final output!

Posted at 7:19 PM |

I have found the most efficient way for me to edit is using the three-point editing method. It not only allows me to quickly edit my sequence together but it also very accurate. The best way for me to describe this method to you is simply this: You mark an in and out in your source monitor and then either an in OR and out in your timeline.

Remember the blue line can also be used as your in to save time. You mark your in and out in the source monitor for the material you want in your timeline and the in or out in your timeline will either dictate the material starting at the in or ending at the out point. This is very simple way to edit and will speed up your workflow. The best way to get familiar with the three-point edit is to practice it and you more than likely end up using it for almost all of your sequences.

Posted at 6:50 PM |

This error occurs when you either don't have a dongle attached or the driver cannot communicate with the dongle properly. The OS will install the incorrect drivers if the dongle is attached during installation necessitating a manual uninstall/reinstall of Avid.

You can manually remove the Sentinel System Driver from your system if your dongle will not be recognized. Sometimes the driver will become corrupted or you may have had the dongle connected to the sytem while the software was being installed.

Step 1. Remove the dongle from the system.
Step 2. Remove the SSD from your system using the Add/Remove programs Utility.
Step 3. Get the Sentinel System Driver install package
Step 4. Reinstall the SSD making sure the dongle is NOT connected to your system.
Step 5. Reconnect the dongle to your system and let the New Found Hardware Wizard find the dongle and driver on it's own.

You may not need to go through all of these steps to reinstall the driver sometimes just simply reinstalling the Avid software and all of it's components will fix the problem but this is a sure way to fix your dongle problems.

Posted at 11:50 PM |

I find it very important to mix down my audio tracks when I am done editing my sequence and I am ready for output. Not only does this keep my audio from being moved it also allows me to put all of audio onto one drive and assures me smooth playback. This is a very simple process that you may want to put into your workflow.

To mix down several edited audio tracks to one or two audio tracks:

1. Load a sequence into the Composer monitor.
2. Click the Track buttons in the Track Selector panel to select the audio tracks you want to mix down.
3. Mark an IN point and an OUT point at the start and end of the material you want to mix down.
If you do not mark the section of audio you want to mix down, the system mixes down all of the selected audio tracks.
4. Select Clip > Audio Mixdown.

The Audio Mixdown dialog box opens. The top of the dialog box displays the source audio tracks and the start and end timecodes for the section of audio you selected to mix down.
5. Do one of the following:
Select Mono and select the target track to which you want to mix down the audio.
Select Stereo and select two target tracks for the mixed-down audio.
6. Select a destination drive and a destination bin.
The destination drive is the media drive where the system stores the media files for the mixed-down audio.
7. Click OK.
The audio is mixed down and the Avid system displays the new master clip in the bin.

This is also very useful to save hard drive space. If you have no need to edit the original content again you can now delete the un-mixdowned audio and just save the mixdown version, just make sure you will not to edit the original!

Posted at 6:17 PM |

If you want your images from Adobe Photoshop to look good in TV land then you need to pay close attention to a few critical steps when setting up your document in Photoshop.
To make them look they way you intended for your NTSC monitor here are a few key steps. There are various version depending if you are making an image for SD or HD these steps are for NTSC SD 4:3.

1.Create a new document.
2.In the New dialog box, choose the appropriate preset from the Preset menu for the video system on which the image will be shown.
3. I like to turn on the Action Safe and Title Safe areas to make sure that my image will be seen they way I want it displayed.
4. (Optional) Choose View > Pixel Aspect Ratio Correction to turn off the scaling correction and view the image as it displays on a computer (square pixel) monitor.

Follow these few steps and your image will turn out just as you inteded.

Posted at 7:51 PM |

Often you need to know a few things about the clips that are in your timeline. This is often overlooked but a very powerful way to get quick information about the clips that reside in your
timeline.

There are quite a few different options under your Avid timeline fast menu so I thought we would start with specific clip information. For my personal workflow I always run with clip name, clip duration and clip resolution. The other options I rarely use and I never run with the clip frame turned on. Of course this is my person preference and you may find the others useful to you. Here is a quick rundown of what each one does for you and the information it will display:

1.Clip Frames: Displays the first frame within a clip in the Timeline.

2.Clip Names: Switches on and off the display of clip names in the Timeline.

3.Clip Durations: Switches on and off the display of clip durations in the Timeline.

4.Clip Comments: Switches on and off the display of clip comments in the Timeline.

5.Source Names: Switches on and off the display of source material names in the Timeline.

6.Media Names: Switches on and off the display of original media file names in the Timeline.

7.Clip Resolutions: Switches on and off the display of the video and audio resolutions of each clip in the Timeline.

Posted at 7:03 PM |

Being able to load a sequence into the source monitor is one of the great features of Avid. Taking certain elements from your sequence and applying them into your timeline is something you will find yourself doing if you work projects that require the use of the same media. The one problem you might find is how do you look at your sequence and its edits without loading them into your record monitor. Avid has a great solution for this and it is called Toggle Source/Record in Timeline. The Toggle Source/Record in Timeline button allows you to view multitrack source material quickly in the Timeline for selecting and marking specific tracks. I use this in all of my editing to select specific portion of my sequence for editing into my new timeline. This is a great feature that you should learn to use to get the exact results you are looking for.

Posted at 4:54 PM |

If you have tried typing in the title tool and all that you get is question marks then you need to make sure that your regional and languages are set up to except the fonts and characters you are tying to type. Follow these few steps and you will get the characters you ask for:

1. Go to Accessories in the system tools in windows XP.

2. Check the Advanced tab and select the language that contains the character you are trying to type.
3. The next step is to open your regional and language set control panel Locate the character or letter you wish to use, highlight, hit select and copy. Click on the Advanced tab and select the language you are using from the list below. You may have to restart your computer at this time.

4. Launch your Avid editing software and open your title tool. Position your mouse in the title creation area, and from the Edit Pulldown menu, paste.

You'll now see the character you selected in Character Map in your title tool don’t forget in the title tool, you have to select paste from the Edit pulldown menu; control V does not work.

Posted at 4:08 PM |

Adding mutiple dissolves with Avid Xpress or Media Composer is a simple task. All you need to do is add in-out points for the area in your sequence that requires dissolves. Then click on the Quick Transition button.

Then make sure you click on the 'Apply to all Transitions Box'. This will add that particular effect to all your edit points between your in-out marks.

*If you need an effect other than a dissolve that is not listed in the pull-down menu, you can create any effect template that you need. Continue reading on using multiple transitions with Avid if you would like to find out how.

Tricks like these are the types of things we teach in our Avid Xpress courses. If you are looking to expand your knowledge with Avid Xpress or Media Composer, consider some certified training.

Posted at 8:58 AM |

There are times in a production when the footage only exists in one format and the user needs it in another. A common example is a 24p project being handed an establishing shot on digibeta. In this case, the footage is interlace, 60 fields at 30 frames per second, while the project type is progressive and 24 frames per second.

Using the Timewarp effect - part of the FluidMotion effects engine in Media Composer Adrenaline HD and Avid Xpress Pro HD - the user can create alternate frame rates and keep the original audio in sync.

The Timewarp effect can be used to create all the frame rate conversions needed. The table below gives all the values needed to crate any frame rate.

1. Create 30I NTSC project
2. Capture shot to be converted
3. Edit onto timeline (V and A)
4. Apply the Timewarp effect from the effects palette
5. Select FluidMotion from the Render Using menu
6. From the Formats menu, select Interlace as input and Progressive as Output
7.Open the Speed graph and enter 125 into value entry box at the bottom of the window.
8. Render

The result will be a progressive clip of the same duration but now running 125% faster. When this clip is imported back into a 23.976p project, it will be slowed down by 25% due to the 1:21 frame relationship. This way, durations remain the same and the original audio remains in sync.

In order to get the clip back into a 23.976p project, export V only as a QuickTime reference and the audio as a WAVE file.

Import these two files back into a 23.976p project and sync the V-only clip with the A- only clip using AutoSync. The result is a sync VA clip in a 23.976 frame progressive format.

When importing the QuickTime file into the 24p project in either Media Composer Adrenaline HD or Avid Xpress Pro HD, the OK and continue.

Posted at 11:26 PM |

A split edit is where the video and audio start or end at different points. This is essential for good editing and helps break up the boring straight cuts. Some good uses for the split edit include: extending the video so that it overlaps the beginning of other audio from the proceeding shot, get a different tempo out of your production, or to fix a bad incoming or outgoing shot. To create a split edit follow these simple steps.

1. Park your blue line where you want to perform your split edit and enter trim mode.
2. Turn off either the video or audio buttons depending on which track you want to extend.
3. Now in dual roller trim mode slide the edit point either right or left on the timeline.
4. Do not exit trim mode until you preview your work while you are still in trim mode. This allows you to make adjustments and watch them as you go.
5. When you are down exit trim mode and sit back and enjoy!

Posted at 6:43 PM |

If you are new to Avid or a seasoned veteran you may or may not know how to create multiple versions of a setting. Being able to create multiple settings in Avid Express Pro is essential to a fast workflow. I have many different settings for my timeline views and a couple of settings for my keyboard. If you find yourself always resetting some of your settings or views in Avid Express Pro here is a great way to change those settings with a click of the mouse.

1. Choose all settings from the project window.
2. Single-click the setting from the project window that you want to make a duplicate to highlight it.
3. Press Cntl+D to create a copy.
4. Double click the new setting to set it to your custom settings.
5. Now click the name next to your new setting and name it something that will help you remember it for easy retrieval.
6. Now all you need to do is activate these settings by clicking once in the check mark column on the left of the setting in the project window.

Check out our new listing for Avid classes in Seattle!

Posted at 5:09 PM |

HP workstations are the logical choice if you are going to edit with Avid editing products. Avid spends a lot of R&D time testing and configuring the HP Workstations to run as solid as possible. The HP xw8400 is one of the best solutions for editing with Avid. It is not only one of the most rock solid solutions on the market it is also one of the quickest! The xw8400 is update and used in all of Avid’s testing. Avid supports Avid Xpress Pro, Avid Media Composer, NewsCutter XP and NewsCutter Adrenaline. All of these also support the Mojo and Mojo-SDI. Check out the full details of Avid configurations and also all of the information on the HP xw8400.

Posted at 5:23 PM |

One limitation within the standard Avid Xpress or Media Composer title tool is that you cannot create a title that is larger than your project's frame size. In many cases this will be 720 x 480 if you are working within a DV 25 project. If you create a title that extends outside the title tool window the title will be cropped.

By using the title crawl function, you can create your own moving matte. The trick is to create a giant crawling title and then perform a video mixdown to create a physical piece of media that can then be used in conjunction with a matte key.

Continue reading "Avid Title Crawl for moving matte" »

Posted at 10:58 AM |

When it comes time to export your sequence to any format there are a few things you need to make sure you do to not only have a successful export but to also speed up the time your export will take.

1.Consider rendering all effects in advance. Although any unrendered effects are rendered on export (except for an OMFI or AAF export), rendering effects in advance saves time during the export process.
2. Always render fast-saved titles before using OMFI or AAF to export a sequence, or before creating an EDL from the sequence.
3. If your sequence contains numerous video tracks, consider mixing down the tracks in advance for faster export, unless you need to preserve the multiple- track information. For more information about mixing down video tracks, see "Performing a Video Mixdown" in the Help.
4.If your sequence contains numerous audio tracks with various audio effects and level adjustments, consider mixing down the tracks in advance for faster export, unless you need to preserve the multiple-track information.
5. If your sequence contains audio clips with different sample rates, use the Change Sample Rate dialog box to ensure that all the clips have the same sample rate. You can also use OMFI or AAF to change the sample rate. See "Exporting OMFI and AAF Files" in the Help.
6. Check and adjust all pan and audio levels in advance. All current Pan and Level settings in the sequence are carried to the exported media. For information on adjusting level and pan.
7. You cannot export OMFI files that are larger than 2 GB. For OMFI files, consider consolidating the sequence to create smaller source clips, thereby saving time and disk space. For more information on consolidating media, see "Using the Consolidate Command" in the Help. You can also consolidate as part of the export. See "Exporting OMFI and AAF Files" in the Help.
8. OMFI or AAF files with very complex sequences can fail during import into some applications due to memory limitations. Try one of the following solutions:
1.) Break the sequence into smaller sequences and export the new sequences.
2.) Add more physical memory.
9. To export multiple clips in a single file, create a sequence from them. For example, you can select all the clips, Alt+drag (Windows) or Option+drag (Macintosh) them into the Record monitor to create an instant sequence, and then export the sequence.

Posted at 11:30 PM |

Being able to capture from a non-timecode source is a very real part of an editors day to day routines. The source may be VHS, CD, DAT or some other source that has no timecode. To capture this material you need to capture on-the-fly.
To capture from a non-timecode source:

1. Click the deck button in the Capture tool.
2. Click once on the Tape Name box.
3. Either select an existing tape name or create a new one.
4. Choose an option from the Timecode Source Menu.
5. Play the material and click the record button.
6. Click the record button when you are done.

This is a very simple way to ingest any material you need to edit. Just remember you cannot recapture this material with the form of timecode you selected you must manually ingest the material again if you lose it.

Check out our hot new Seattle location for your next Avid Class!

Posted at 11:42 PM |

If you want to make sure that none of your material is deleted inside your bin then you need to lock them up. This will assure that your clips, sub-clips, sequences and master clips will not be deleted. You will still be able to modify all of your items as usual but with peace of mind that they cannot be deleted by you or any of your collegues. Here’s the few simple steps you must take to make your editing world safe from deletion.

1. Display the lock settings in you bin by navigating to headings from the fast menu at the bottom of your bin.
2. Click the item you want to lock or select multiple items by shift clicking.
3. Now go to Clip> and lock items in bin,

A lock will now appear next to your chosen items. To unlock you simply select the item you want to unlock and navigate to Clip>Unlock Bin Selection.

Don’t forget to sign up for the up and coming Avid class in Seattle. Seating is very limited and time is running out!

Posted at 9:01 PM |

Avid has spun itself another huge with Charlotte’s Web. The filmmakers used multiple Avid Media Composer Adrenaline systems connected to an Avid Unity MediaNetwork on location and at the studio to handle the massive amount of source material and provide cuts in progress to visual effects houses. Avid Xpress Pro software on a laptop was used at the director’s home to cut storyboards during pre-production.The editors used the Media Composer Adrenaline system to work with as many as 10 layers at a time, compositing and rendering the effects to ensure that all of the elements came together smoothly in a given scene. "We couldn’t have done it without the AniMatte tool. We were always comping all of these layers together," says Plisco "For example, the geese were always shot by themselves because they were so feisty and could not be in scenes with the other animals, so they’d always be on a separate plate. I can’t imagine another system being able to handle what we did." -Sabrina Pilsco, Editor, Charlottes Web
He used Avid Xpress Pro software on his own Macintosh laptop during pre-production to handle pre-visualization tasks quickly and conveniently at home. Explains Plisco, "During the storyboard phase, he would work with our additional editor on the Media Composer Adrenaline system in the editing suite, and then he would literally take the laptop home and work on the storyboards himself, so he could refine what camera angles and shots he wanted. It really helped him plan production."
For more check out the official web site and don’t forget to sign up for the up and coming Seattle Avid 119-129course, Feb 5th-9th!

Posted at 4:43 PM |

If there is one piece of advice I can give when capturing your media it is that you need to label your tapes and name them, in the capture tool, the exact name of that particular tape. If you have several tapes that might correlate with the same name just simply number them in order by date or just numerically. The main reason for this comes into play with batch capture. If you delete your media to save hard drive space or more than likely it is lost when you least expect it. This is not a problem if you did your job. Avid uses the time code from your video cassette to navigate to the various frames. Every tape has the same time code so if you put in the wrong tape then your Avid system will go out a search those time codes on the tape in the deck, right or wrong and batch capture that media. So if you name your tapes correctly and insert the tape Avid asks for then there will be no worries of capturing the wrong media. Just remember do not forget to name your tapes in your Avid the same name that your write on your tapes!

Don’t miss out on my up and coming Avid class in Seattle, seating is limited!

Posted at 6:17 PM |

Editing brings many different challenges everyday. From color correction problems to audio issues, it always seems something needs to be fixed. Well a problem I ran into recently was some footage that I had obtained to edit for a client did not have enough handles to perform any kind of transition. In other words when the action was over he immediately pressed the stop button and only pushed the start button within maybe one second of the action beginning. The major problem with shooting like this is that he had many shots that I had to use to the very last frame and the nest shot I had to start within the first few frames. This leaves no frames to make your dissolves or fades. So first of all hopefully if you shoot your own footage or have an excellent cameraman this will not happen very often but when it does here is a quick solution. Open of the title tool and create a black title. Just make a square the size of the box and fill it with black. Save to a bin. Now you have a fade to black transition. All you have to do is determine the size of fade and apply directly above the transition. So, if you what a 30 frame fade then simply load the black title into the source monitor and mark an in and an out to equal 30 frames. In your time line find the edit point and place an in point 15 frames to the left of the edit point. Now overwrite the black title to the video track above your edit point. The next step is to make this title fade. Select the black title and enter into the effects edit mode. Now all you have to do is place a key frame 7 frames from the first key frame and 7 frames from the last key frame.

Or you can use the fade effect button and set the same parameter. Now select your first and last key frames and make the foreground to equal zero. Select the second and third key frames and set the foreground to 100. Before you close the effects editor drag the effect icon into a bin so that you can use this effect without having to make again. You now have built a perfect 30 frame fade to black for any situation.

Posted at 11:46 PM |

Once you start working with advanced keyframes you will need to become aware of what you are looking at. Commands you select in the Effect Editor window apply to the keyframes in the Effect Preview monitor. For example, if you select "Add Keyframes to Enabled Groups" from the Effect Editor shortcut menu and then deselect all groups, you cannot add any keyframes to the Effect Preview monitor. In this case, enable a group in the Effect Editor shortcut menu before you add keyframes or select another command from the shortcut menu.

When you select a keyframe in the Effect Preview monitor, the system automatically selects the corresponding keyframe in the effect track and all keyframes directly under that keyframe. The following illustration shows the result of selecting a keyframe in the Effect Preview monitor.

Dont' forget to sign up for my up and coming Seattle course.......seating is very limited!

Posted at 1:39 PM |

Have you ever wondered what the different colored bars mean at the bottom of your timeline after playback ends. Well, those little bars are an indicator about the difficulties that your avid application is having during playback. This can help you determine the important parts to render or help you find problems tha may come up later during playback.

Red bars mark the ranges where the Avid editing application was unable to display frames.

Yellow bars mark the ranges that caused difficulty for the Avid editing application during playback because of processor limitations. No frames were dropped; this is only a warning.

Blue bars mark the location of frames that caused difficulty for the Avid editing application because of disk speed limitations. No frames were dropped; this is only a warning.

If you find that your playback information often includes blue bars, it is likely that replacing your media disks with faster drives will improve the Avid editing application's ability to play back effects in real time.

Posted at 1:21 PM |

If there is one piece of advice I can give when capturing your media is that you need to label your tapes and name them the exact name of that particular tape. If you have several tapes that might correlate with the same name just simply number them in order. The main reason for this comes into play with batch capture. If you delete your media to save hard drive space or more than likely it is lost when you least expect it, then no problem if you did your job. Avid uses the time code from your video cassette to navigate to the various frames. Every tape has the same time code so if you put in the wrong tape then your Avid system will go out a search those time codes on the tape in the deck, right or wrong and batch capture that media. So if you name your tapes correctly and insert the tape Avid asks for then there will be no worries of capturing the wrong media.

Just remember do not forget to name your tapes in your Avid the same name that your write on your tapes!

Posted at 11:20 PM |

Giving your text that extra look is a very important part of taking your work to the professional level. I frequently use some form of glowing title. You can add a glow very easily in the new Avid Marquee Title Tool which is now bundled with Express Pro HD. To simulate a glow follow these few steps.

1. Highlight the object you want to glow and choose windows then properties and shadow.

2. Adjust your shadow properties to match these.

-Show shadow need to be selected
-Type: Drop
-X offset: 0
-Y offset: 0
-Opacity: 50 or higher
-Softness: 50 or higher
-Shadow color: glow color

You can adjust your opacity and softness to your application. The opacity is really depending on the color you choose and the background color in which the graphic will live. Try this the next time you want to spice up your text and discover the power and ease of Avid Marquee.

Posted at 11:09 PM |

The outside elements always seem to get in the way of your productions. I am always fighting the wind. The first and foremost thing you should make sure you have good windsocks on all of your mics. Even the lavalieres need to be socked up! But no matter how hard you try you will always have some sort of wind issues. Avid has some great tools to help fix tow of the most common audio issues! If you're shooting on a windy day, you can resolve the rumble on the mic by using the Audio Suite 7Band EQ. Just take the high-pass filter and move the frequency to 100hz. With the Db slider, move the slider to the far left until the wind rumble disappears. Move the frequency around until you get the desired results. If you shot your video near electric cables or a light, you may hear a buzz on your tape. You can remove this with your 7Band EQ. Just take a notch filter and move the frequency to 60hz. If it still buzzes, widen the Q setting. Then, take that dB slider and remove the frequency until the buzz disappears.

These tips should help you get rid of unwanted background noises!

Posted at 7:59 PM |

HP computers and Avid go hand in hand. Avid spends a lot of time with the HP products so they work seamlessly with all Avid products. If you are using the HP XW8200 with SATA boot hard drives and have noticed slow playback then you may have a bios issue. To fix this you need to enter into the bios menu. First you need to restart your computer and wait for the blue and white HP screen during the boot process hit the F10 key. You will see the word Setup in white appear in the lower right hand corner of your monitor if done properly. If you miss it just hit Ctrl+Alt+Del during the boot process to restart the computer.

Once inside the BIOS select English then go to:

Storage (menu) -> Device Configuration (hit enter) -> SATA 0 (hit enter) -> Arrow down to Transfer Mode

If it set to something other than Ultra DMA 0, change it to Ultra DMA 0. Hit F10, then F10 again, then F10 again to save changes and exit.

This should if your sluggish issues.

Posted at 2:25 PM |

In director Tony Scott's highly anticipated film Deja vu Denzel Washington plays a federal agent who travels back in time to save a woman from being murdered and falls in love with her in the process. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, this visually complex and dynamic film delivers all the action that fans have grown to expect from a Hollywood blockbuster. Viewers are kept on the edge of their seats as realities and timeframes cross over and merge and the main character catapults through the mind-bending plot.

Bond, who had been a beta tester for Media Composer software, says that Avid's newest software-only solution provides the entire toolset found in prior Media Composer systems as well as some new enhancements at a fraction of the cost.

Because Media Composer software was so affordable, we could expand our implementation and bring in more systems for greater efficiencies.
- J.C. Bond, Associate Editor, Deja vu

Read the full story at Avid customer site!

Posted at 7:02 PM |

Translating you Avid or Final Cut Pro sequences to other programs has never been easier. A company called Automatic Duck has the solutions you are looking for. They have a program that is simple to translate Avid sequences to FCP or just the reverse or with Pro Import AE for Adobe After Effects, your digital desktop has never been more powerful or compete. Translating a sequence from an Avid or Final Cut Pro editing system, or a project from Apple's Motion 1.0 takes just seconds, importing all your media and clips in one step. Effects are translated and recreated for you and your timeline becomes a composition in After Effects, ready for you to take your vision to the next level. I use Automatic Duck at least 3 to 4 times a week and it saves me hours of valuable time. Try it you will love it!

Posted at 8:56 PM |

Storyboard editing is a real effective way to quickly add clips in order to your timeline. I found this to be very useful in the last show I put together.

I had never tried this form of editing before and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works under the right circumstances. If you have all the clips you need and they follow some form of order than storyboard editing might be for you. Here is a quick rundown on how to Storyboard edit. First enter the Frame View in your bin (not storyboard view). Now mark in and outs for the each clip in the bin, by loading them into the source monitor. Once you have all the clips marked then arrange them from left to right in the order you would like them to be in your timeline. Avid will read your order as left to right and top to bottom. Drag a lasso around all of your clips to highlight them all. Now drag one of the clips into your timeline and “presto” you now have a sequence that is ready to edit.

Posted at 8:56 PM |

You need to become very familiar with the Fade Effect button in you Avid editing application. I use this several times on each program that I edit and it not only makes for uniform edits but saves you a lot of time.

I use it so much that I mapped the fade FX button to my keyboard, Shift+F. Once you make your title or clip you can apply this to any line that you want to fade in, out or both, just position the indicator in the title segment and select the track your title is on. Now either click the fade FX button or press the keys that you have mapped it to. In the dialog box, enter the number of frames for the fade up and fade down that you desire. The real cool thing is that you can apply this to multiple titles or clips at once. All you need to do is enter the segment editing mode and Shift click the desired segments and follow the procedure above. This has been on of the biggest timesavers I have found yet in my editing workflow and I think once you start using it you will agree!

Posted at 10:53 AM |

If you are new to using the Avid Xpress software, you will certainly encounter a job where you will need to create a DVD.

Continue reading "Creating a DVD with Avid Xpress" »

Posted at 10:27 PM |

One of the most overlooked features of Avid Xpress or Media Composer is the media tool. The media tool makes it extremely easy to view media across all of the hard drives connected to the system.

Continue reading "Using Avid Media Tool" »

Posted at 1:38 PM |

You need to take a minute and become familiar with Joesph Kahn. Joseph started is own production company in 1999 called Supermega. He currently works out of his Hollywood home, where he has his own Avid editing suite. With two Avid Xpress Pro systems and Avid Mojo hardware, Kahn and his assistant Chris Abel rely on the system's creative toolset and portability to work at home or on location, under the banner of their production company Supermega. Kahn is a hands-on creative professional who handles everything from conception to shooting, directing, and editing. In fact, he has been single-handedly credited with helping to launch the careers of artists that he has worked with, and his lineup includes: U2, The Chemical Brothers, Blink 182, Eminem, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Moby, Black Eyed Peas, and Muse. He has garnered multiple awards for his music videos, including several MTV Music Video Production Awards and a Grammy award for Eminem's Without Me video. His roster of commercial spots is equally impressive. Corporate clients include Acura, Ford, Budweiser, Miller, Sony, and, most recently, British Telecom, for whom Kahn launched one of the most expensive and aggressive advertising campaigns ever produced in the U.K. His Fox/NASCAR campaign won a 2004 Clio award for visual effects. And in 2003, he found time to make his feature film directorial debut with Torque, a tongue-in-cheek motorcycle action movie, starring Martin Henderson and Ice Cube.
Kahn is one of the most creative filmakers you will come across and to know he does all of the work himslef makes it more impressive. So if you are wanting to be successful in the filmaking business then look to Joseph Kahn for a great rolemodel.

Posted at 2:26 PM |

This is a continuation for Avid Express/Composer definitions. I have compiled what I feel are some misunderstood terms to help you communicate with your peers. I hope that these terms and the entry before this will be of help to you. I will continue to add more definitions so stay tuned for more!

Kerning: The space between text characters in print or media.

Luminance: The measure of the intensity of the combined color (white) portion of the video.

Nonlinear editing: A type of editing where you do not have to edit from start to end. This includes all the types of computer editing and there is no physical order in which the shots must be assembled. This is the modern way of editing and can be used for traditional film cutting once captured digitally.

Postroll: A preset period of time during a preview when a clip will continue to play past the out point before stopping.

Preroll: The process of rewinding tapes to a predetermined cue point so the tape stabilizes before it reached the desired edit (in) point.

Progressive media: Media composed of single frames; each is scanned as one pass.

Replace edit: An edit in which a segment in the sequence is overwritten or replaced with source material of the same duration.

Hopefully this will give you a little more vocabulary knowledge to either impress your peers or at least understand what they are talking about. Stay tuned!

Posted at 11:38 PM |

Converting Sample Rates with Avid Xpress or Media Composer

If you are receiving any of the following error messages it is probably because you are using mismatched sample rates within you Avid Xpress project.

AdmAdm Overrun error
AMDConsumer error
Audio Underrun
Video Underrun

Continue reading "Audio Video underuns in Avid Xpress" »

Posted at 1:05 PM |

I know when I first started editing and got into this great business, there were a lot of terms being thrown around that I did not understand. Having an understanding of some key words in the video and film world will help you communicate much better with your peers and co-workers. I will spend the next few entries defining a few key terms you may not hear enough to understand but when they do come up you will want to know what they mean.

Anti-aliasing: A computerized process of digitally smoothing out jagged lines around a graphic or title. This is especially important with large text and high contrast graphics.

Codec: This is simply either a compressing or decompressing of data to fit into package of either software or hardware. Some examples of codec are QuickTime, OMFI, MXF and so on.

Field: This is concerning interlaced video. A field is half the scan lines of each frame of interlaced video. Standard NTSC video contains 60 fields in the 30 frame per second. So their exists two fields per frame of video. You will mostly find that most systems use the odd numbered lines to make up one field and the even numbered lines for the other.

Video Gain: This refers to the amount of white in a video picture.

Gamma: This is the measurement of the midpoint in the luminance range of an image. Used in color adjustment to control proportions of brighter and darker areas in an image.

IRE: This is a very important unit of measurement if your productions go to broadcast. IRE is used to measure the video waveform for your video levels. You do not want to exceed 235 IRE in your broadcast productions.

Hopefully this will give you a little more vocabulary knowledge to either impress your peers or at least understand what they are talking about. Stay tuned for more!

Posted at 4:08 AM |

Here is a simple tutorial on how to create a gleam of light that travels through a title.
The first step is to navigate to the clip menu, and select new title. The title tool window will appear.

Continue reading "Special Effects with Avid Titles" »

Posted at 1:37 PM |

This tutorial is not for the light hearted. I have included as many screenshots of the Avid Xpress software as possible. If you are having a difficult time mastering this effect, I reccomend that you take a certified Avid Training course. In particular, take a look at the Photoshop for Video graphics course, Avid Xpress 210.

I will also mention, that this tutorial is only going to work with certain effects. For this particular example, I will use the 'swirl' effect that is located in the illusion plug-ins folder.

Many seasoned Avid editors are used to holding down the (alt, or option) key to auto-nest effects on top of exisiting effects. The problem with this method, is that it will not work with titles, or keyable graphics. The end result will look like this:

Continue reading "How to apply effects to Avid titles" »

Posted at 8:40 AM |

There are many different ways to export a movie file from Avid Xpress. Fortunately, it isn't that difficult. I reccomended keeping the original source media as clean as possible. Avid's build in 'Create DVD' function that was present in Avid Xpress DV 3.5 has dissapeared. It wasn't as reliable as everyone hoped, so here are some suggestions on how to create a DVD on your own.

Navigate to the project window, and double click on the export settings. This will bring up an export dialouge box.

Continue reading "HOW TO EXPORT FROM AVID TO CREATE A DVD" »

Posted at 9:00 AM |

Finding out what systems the "Big Boys" use and how they use them has always fascinated me. The show Punk'd on MTV is no exception. To meet the show's ever-increasing demands for more sophisticated content, the post team upgraded its editing setup this season to include three Media Composer Adrenaline systems with speedy, 10-bit, real-time video processing, running on Macintosh G5 systems. The systems are all linked through an Avid Unity Media Network shared-media solution with 3 TB of storage, providing the entire editing team with simultaneous access to any footage that they need. Prior to the new Media Composer Adrenaline system setup, Punk'd editors Miles Barken, Ramin Mortazavi, and Grant Houser and assistant editor Sam Eskandari used Avid Meridien hardware-based systems. The changeover was easy, which is what Barken appreciates most about working with Avid systems.

"When it comes to an industrial job and doing the heavy lifting, Avid is an industrial tool. It has the horsepower, the strength, and the stability to get the job done."
- Miles Barken, Editor, Punk'd

For more check out Avid's customer profile!

Posted at 7:23 PM |

If you are new to editing or even a seasoned veteran being able to move through your footage and make your edits fast and efficiently is a very important part of your editing process. Using the JKL keys to move through your footage is a great way to view your shots. The great thing about JKL is those keys are right below I and O. So all you have to do is press I for you in and O for your out. A lot of editors use this technique for editing on a daily basis. Using this method you only use a small portion of the keyboard and save time over most other methods of editing. This may seem simple to most editors but if you are use to not using the keyboard this is a great place to start.

Posted at 11:56 PM |

Creating the 'Plesantville' effect in Avid Xpress or Media Composer is a fairly simple task. In fact, a similar technique can be used in almost any other non-linear editing system.

For learning purposes, find a short clip that has a dominate object that contains mostly one shade of color. In this example, the orange flower.

Start by editing the same exact clip to V1 and V2 on the timeline as shown below. Make sure the starting and ending points and each clip match up exactly.

The next step is to navigate to the Avid Xpress DV – Pro effects palette and place a color effect onto V1.

After you apply the color effect to V1, click on the effects editor button. The effect editor button is located in the upper left corner of the timeline window. It looks like a pair of seatbelts. *Make sure that the purple monitoring icon is placed on V1, so you can see that changes that you make to V1 while in the effect editor window.

Now, once you are in the effects editor mode. Drag the (sat) slider to -100. This should make the clip that is on V1 turn to black and white.

The composer window should now display the clip as a black and white video image.

Go back to the effects tab within the project window and apply the croma key effect to V2.

Enter into effects mode on V2. *Make sure the purple monitoring icon is placed on V2 so you can see the changes that you make in the effects editor window. Before moving forward, your timeline should like like the example below.

Now, here is the tricky part. Within the effects editor, you need to specify the color that you want to key out. In this case, the orange color. You can click in the key color box and drag your cursor to the composer window to pick the color you want by using the eyedropper. This will give you a good start to matching the color.

Make sure you click on (invert key) to see the black and white image underneath V2.

*The controls are extremely finicky. It will take some experimenting to find the correct value. Normally, it is a fine mix between the Hue, Gain and Softness controls. Once you get the correct mix, the effect can be spectacular.

Posted at 1:35 PM |

The Microsoft Windows XP operating system limits every program to 2 gigabytes
(GB) of address space. It reserves the remaining 2 gigabytes of address space for its
own use. Avid provides a utility for setting the boot-time mechanism to extend the process
address space. Setting your Avid editing system to access a larger virtual address space might
improve working with HD projects without running out of memory.
Use the following procedure to extend your usable address space.

1. Double-click Program Files\Avid\Utilities\3GB\Install3G.bat.
The following window opens.

2. Choose one of the following:
If you want to always use the extended memory every time you boot
the system, type D.
If you want the option to choose between the extended memory and the
original default setting whenever you reboot, type M.

3. Restart your system.

This should help with memory allocation and keep you from recieving the memory errors.

Posted at 11:32 AM |

There is nothing worse than sitting around watching your computer work while you do nothing until it is done. Well, as we become more complex with our amount of layers and the detail of effects we can now perform our rendering times become longer and longer. With deadlines to meet and no extra time to spare cutting render times is a huge benefit to us all. One of the most common mistakes is to do a straight render from "in to out." This may be the fastest way for an editor to describe which effects to render, but the amount of render time will offset that. Selective rendering may require more effort up front, but your efforts will be rewarded with lower render times and less consumption of hard disk space with unused precomputes. But to really get a grasp of how to cut your render times check out this Tips and Tricks to see many different ways you can speed up your render times!

Posted at 7:38 PM |

Importing PSD files from Photoshop CS may result in an error saying: The layered Photoshop file was not saved with a composite image. The problem is caused by a setting within Photoshop CS. There are a few simple steps to resolve this issue:

1.Open Photoshop and go to the edit menu>preferences.
2.Under preferences choose File Handling.

3.Under File Compatibility make sure Maximize PSD File Compatibility is set to Ask or Always. Click OK.
4.Now resave your document and re-import back into Avid.

Posted at 12:15 PM |

Many of the deck control problems you may encounter may have something to do with the firewire connection. A faulty cable can also cause intermittent problems.

If have you have a high-end tape machine, chances are it may have a 9-pin serial R422 connection on the back. In this case, you would benefit from purchasing a simple adapter cable that will allow your Avid or Final Cut Pro system to take advantage of direct deck control using your Deck's 9 pin RS 422 control.

If you are using a PC, all that is required is a simple cable that converts the RS 422 (serial) - to RS 232 (serial).

If your computer does not have a 9 pin serial port, or if you are using a MAC. You'll also need an USB to serial adapter.

Next, all you need to do is change your device control options to use RS 422 control instead of firewire. You will immediately notice that your device will control much better than it did with the firewire cable. You will still leave your firewire cable connection to your system for Video and Audio input. You will be using the RS 422 connection from timecode and deck control.

Posted at 12:43 PM |

Suspense, violence, and obsession are often key themes associated with director Brian De Palmas films (Scarface, Blow Out, Dressed to Kill), and his latest feature, The Black Dahlia, is no exception. Based on the James Ellroy novel, the film constructs a fictionalized, mysterious labyrinth surrounding one of the most sensationalized, unsolved murders in California history - that of Elizabeth Short, a young, glamorous, and would-be Hollywood starlet who came to be known simply as The Black Dahlia.
For added flexibility and efficiency, Pankow used a Macintosh G4 Powerbook laptop equipped with Avid Xpress Pro software, which allowed him to travel with the cut in progress to review and approve edits with creative team members, regardless of their location. Avid Xpress Pro was great for when Bill had to fly back to L.A. from Toronto to look at the digital intermediate, or to show what he had already cut to the director and try out new ideas with him, or to set it up on the mix stage in order to have a copy of the movie. The Avid Xpress Pro on the laptop saved a lot of time and made things very convenient, says Johnston.

The Avid Xpress Pro on the laptop saved a lot of time and made things very convenient.

Check out the offical The Black Dahlia site for the full details.

Posted at 7:37 PM |

When you already have one effect applied to a transition in a sequence, you can apply an effect to multiple transitions at the same time.

How to apply an effect to multiple transitions in the Timeline:

1.If there is not already an effect on one of the transitions, add a transition effect.

2.Enter Effect mode, for example, by selecting Toolset > Effects Editing.

3.Click the existing transition effect to select it.

4.Click above the Timeline and begin dragging to activate a selection box. Continue to drag down and either to the left or right to include additional transitions in the selection.

5.Release the mouse button when you have lassoed all the transitions you want.

6.If the transitions where you want to apply the effect are not contiguous, Shift+click any transition to deselect it.

7.In the Effect Palette, double-click the icon for the effect that you want to apply to the transitions.

Do not forget to sign up for one of up and coming Avid classes!

Posted at 10:08 PM |

Adding multiple effects within Avid Xpress Pro can be trickier than it seems. Most novice users will eventually figure out that if you hold down the alt-key, you can stack multiple effects on to of each other. This method may produce undesirable results, because holding down the alt-key will nest one effect inside another. Using this method may cause require a user to think backwards, because of the way effects are nested inside each other.

An alternate method is to use the 'red segment' arrow and double click on an effect icon within a video segment. This will open up the effect so you can see its nested background. You can then drop an additional effect onto the background layer. If you need additional effects you can repeat the process by double clicking on an effect segment within a nest. (V1.2).

Posted at 8:35 PM |

The basic software interface and editing functions are practically identical. A novice Avid editor would never know the difference between Avid Xpress HD and Media Composer Adrenaline. Therefore, the same Avid editing class is applicable to both software products.

Both applications can run as software only. Just make sure you are running the software on one of Avid's qualified and recommended computer configurations.

The key functions that are only available in Media Composer are:

A vector based paint system
A 4 point motion tracker
Timewarp and motion effects that can be graphed out
SpectraMatte chroma keyer
Film Composer toolset

My favorite features in the Media Composer software that are not available in Avid Xpress are the integrated paint system and the motion tracker. These two features really add a lot of power when it comes to compositing effects.

There are differences between the two software options, but they may not be obvious to the typical Avid editor. You can visit Avid Technology's website for complete technical specifications of Media Composer or Avid Xpress HD.

Posted at 11:18 AM |

Now that I have introduced you to the Avid Pan and Zoom there are a few parameters you need to take into consideration. Rendering options for Pan and Zoom are very important to the quality of output of your production. You might not always want the sharpest possible result. Images with many sharp edges might look better with a softer rendering. So here is the break down of your options and what they do. Remember to always try a few different ones until you get the results you are looking for.

• Real Time: renders most quickly but results in a draft-quality image.
  
• Triangle: results in fairly soft images.
  
• Quadratic: has slightly sharper images than Triangle filtering.
  
• Cubic: results in sharper images than Quadratic filtering although they are still fairly soft.
  
• B-Spline Catmull: When you use this option and shrink an image (zoom out) by a large amount, the result is similar to that produced by Cubic filtering. B-Spline Catmull produces a sharper image than Cubic filtering when you:
  
• Gaussian: results in an image that is relatively soft but sharper than B-Spline Catmull.
  
• Avid Hi Qual: creates sharp images when you shrink the original (zoom out).
  
• Avid Ultra Qual: creates extremely sharp images when you shrink the original (zoom out).
  

Posted at 12:27 PM |

In today’s world of broadcast you need to be thinking ahead of the curve. The main issues today is most stations that want HD also want the SD down convert or you may want to shoot in HD for archive purposes without and HD output. If you are stepping up to HDV and you want the advantages of shooting progressive HD footage then you have a few extra steps you need to take when editing in Avid if your output is standard definition. I now shoot with the new JVC HD-GY100U. This phenomenal camera takes high quality 720P pictures with vibrant color and clarity. You have the option of shooting is HD or DV but I have opted to shoot in 720 30P. This makes for the highest quality image and allows me to archive all of my footage in HDV. The main problem I run into is that my final output needs to be SD. There are many ways around this issue but I have discovered the best on that works for me. If you edit in the 720P mode in Avid you cannot output to 30i, this is a huge issue once you are done editing your program. The GY100U has a built in down convert to SD but it stretches the image. So I uses that cameras SD down convert and make a copy of my raw footage into my Sony DSR-11. I then bring that footage into the Avid and use the reformat effect to return to the 16x9 format. Making this conversion has it’s own set of problems (no DV scene extraction, ect.) This takes one extra step but I still have my original footage in HD format for future use.

Posted at 12:06 PM |

Knowing the keyboard shortcuts for any given program will greatly increase your workflow speed. Over the next week I want to give you the most shortcuts that you will need to know for your Avid NLE to become a fast an efficient editor. The audio shortcuts are some of the most underused shortcuts but very useful. This shortcuts are not only shortcuts but also very necessary for performing the task at hand.

1.Alt + click Pan slider Snaps to Mid in Audio Mixer tool
2.Alt + click Volume slider Snaps to 0 dB in Audio EQ and Audio tool
3.Alt + click Audio Track Monitor button Selects track for audio scrub monitoring
4.Ctrl + click Audio Track Monitor button Solos the audio track
5.Alt + click Track Solo button (Automation Gain tool) or Alt + numbers 1 through 8 at top of keyboard Mutes the selected track
6.Alt + drag keyframe Moves selected audio keyframe horizontally in Timeline
7.Alt + click digital scrub parameters Opens Audio Settings dialog box

Stay tuned for more great shortcuts and do not forget to sign up for one of our up and coming Avid classes!

Posted at 12:37 PM |

The Consolidate feature allows you to create and save copies of the sequence's media files to a selected drive. This makes it relatively simple to move source files with you when you work on a different system. Using the Consolidate feature has the advantage of copying only the amount of media necessary; you save only the sequences and clips used in the project. For example, it does not copy an entire 1-hour audio file to consolidate a single 10-second clip.

Sequences: When you consolidate a sequence, the system copies only the portions of media files edited into the sequence, and creates new master clips for each clip in the sequence. The file name extension .new is attached to the master clips, along with incremental numbering beginning with .01. The sequence is not renamed but is automatically relinked to the new media files.

Subclips: When you consolidate a subclip or group of subclips, the system copies only the portion of the media files represented in the subclip, and creates a new master clip that is the duration of the subclip and a new subclip. The file name extension .new is attached, along with incremental numbering beginning with .01.

Master clips: When you consolidate a master clip, the system creates exact copies of the media files. If you link the original master clip to the new files, the system creates a master clip with the file name extension .old that remains linked to the old files. If you maintain the link between the original master clip and the old media files, the system creates a new master clip with the file name extension .new that is linked to the new files. The new clips are also numbered incrementally beginning with .01. Consolidating master clips does not save storage space because the system copies the same amount of media for each clip.

Posted at 7:50 PM |

Is there a way to apply multiple transitions other than a dissolve, when using Avid Xpress or Media Composer? The answer is, yes. It's done by creating an effect template that can then be access in the Quick Transition dialouge box.

Continue reading "Multiple transitions with Avid Xpress" »

Posted at 6:25 PM |