creating a concert dvd - Mike Gordon

[nelsorp]

i have 2 HD video sources that i would like to edit into 1 video.

i have all the files from the 2 cameras. i have a copy of final cut pro. i have 4 audience recorded sources to choose from, plus the cameras audio. not really sure where to start.

the first source video is all MTS, which needs to be converted for FCP
the second source video is already MPGs, i am trying to verify the lineage from the taper

anyone have any pointers or suggestions?

[xjsb125]

Start with your audio. You can either select what you feel is the best source, and make any necessary adjustments to it, or you can create a matrix from the available sources. If you create a matrix, don't just throw them all together. Pick which ones have the best high frequencies, and which have the best low frequencies. Once you have your mix ready, you can drop it in your timeline on FCP.

Now you can add your video. Make sure you line up the video so it is in sync with the audio. More than likely it will fall out of sync with the audio at some point. You will need to time stretch/compress the video to sync with your audio source. The best way to do this is to compare the camera audio with your source. Match up peaks in the audio, such as the first cymbal crash, or first vocal; repeat at the end of the video. When you begin editing your video, avoid cheesy crossfades from one track to the other. Make straight cuts, but place them where they make sense, and don't jump back and forth too much. Each video will likely have flaws, such as shaking, panning away from the band, focus, etc. Try to hide those flaws with your edits. Just some things to think about starting off. A lot of the other folks on here will have some other views and great suggestions. If you get stumped, just ask!

[nelsorp]

i have the entire first source of video into the timeline. i have left gaps indicating missing video. i am now going to put the other video into the timeline & use to fill in the gaps.

after looking at the two video sources, they are both quite different. they were both shot from tripods, adjacent to one another. the 1st source includes some closeups & pans of the band, during solos, etc. the 2nd source is completely static. another difference is the colors in the video. the 1st is really vibrant, maybe a little too saturated, but the second source is very muted, sterile by comparison. i don't know how well the 2 sources will look when cut together, especially since there is no variation in the shots from the 2nd source. i may just use it to fill in the gaps, and be done with the video portion. it really is night & day difference.

back to the audio. i get the idea of lining up the audio, and adjusting the length to correct variations. i have chosen 1 source to work from, as there is very little difference between them. they were all clamped in the same spot. how do i view the waveforms in FCP, to start lining them up & adjusting the length to the video? again, this is all completely new to me.

[xjsb125]

I'm on a PC, so FCP is Greek to me. As far as color and saturation difference, that is an issue that most multi-cam projects run into. To help, if FCP has a plug-in that will correct the white balance, you can do that to both videos and it should help out the color quality some. The one that is washed out, once you correct the white on it, you can work on adjusting some of the contrast. You can edit the static and panning shots and still get a nice video out of it. Timing is everything.

[AAR.oner]

to see the waveform, go to User Preferences > Timeline Options and check the "Show Audio Wavsforms" box...also, you have to be zoomed in on the timeline a certain amount to see any detail in the waveform

considering yer dealing with multiple cams, you should not need to alter the speed of the video or audio tracks in order to sync...fwiw, typically yer only gonna have vid/aud a handful of frames off per hour, and since you've already got cuts in yer video footage it sounds, each clip of vid should be short enough to not experience too much lag...just sync each "chunk" of vid to the audio, and fill in the gaps with the other source footage

using color correction to get a more similar look from the 2 sources is a bit more difficult that poeple usually think...built-in plug ins such as Color Corrector, RGB Balance, Brightness/Cnotrast [Bezier], etc will give you the tools -- but remember less is more!

here's an excellent site for FCP, including tutorials on color correction:
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/fcp_homepage_index.html#color

[retired]

the first source video is all MTS, which needs to be converted for FCP
the second source video is already MPGs, i am trying to verify the lineage from the taper
You need to try and get the raw files, if it's already been encoded to mpeg2, it's not going to look good at all compared to the mt2...that might also explain the discrepancy in color.

[nelsorp]

thanks for the tips. i am trying to see if there are any raw files from the 2nd source. good catch, i didn't think of that. i have all my video laid out in the timeline. while there are gaps, there really aren't many, maybe 3 over the entire show. nothing longer than 2 minutes either. going to start working with the audio tonight, while i wait to hear about the 2nd source. thanks again for the tips & link. i will keep you posted as things progress. i'm sure i will have more questions.

any recommendations for what to use to finish the disc, once i have edited everything? i will probably do a DVD version first. not sure if its worth the blu-ray treatment, plus i don't have access to a blu-ray burner. just looking to do a simple menu, like the Team Hood discs. probably can get it onto 2 single layer discs.

[AAR.oner]

DVD Studio Pro for menus/authoring

[nelsorp]

ill look into that program for menus & authoring. slowly making progress. i got an email about the 2nd source. he said that the files were mpg, when pulled from the camera, and that was the only files he had. i am wondering if the camera didn't have some software that converted it? i asked for a make & model on the camera, so that will help confirm this.

[AAR.oner]

it most likely was a harddrive cam that records in mpeg format...make and model will definitely confirm

the ken stone site i linked above has plenty of guides re: DVDSP and menu buiding as well

[bigwurock]

imo...if the 2 sources are not really close in quality i would not do the 2 cam mix....for me its very hard to watch a 2 cam if there is a big difference...plus if the hd camcorder is in mpeg format you will not want to rerender that portion of video....some of those hd camcorders can play little tricks and lable the video different but there are programs out there that will convert it to mpeg and not rerendering it...i would really just drop the whole static shot video, you are not going to gain much by it if the other one has close ups and pans of the band.....

[co9ol]

just to add my 2 cents
so far everything I've herd sounds pretty good.
Some key commands for final cut:
a = pointer tool
b = blade tool
n = takes on/off the snap feature
command+option+w = show/hide waveform

I've recently finished editing a stage show in final cut and I have to say I found those sooooo useful.

[AAR.oner]

just to add my 2 cents
so far everything I've herd sounds pretty good.
Some key commands for final cut:
a = pointer tool
b = blade tool
n = takes on/off the snap feature
command+option+w = show/hide waveform

I've recently finished editing a stage show in final cut and I have to say I found those sooooo useful.

after years of editing with a reg keyboard, i finally got one of these (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/533668-REG/Logic_Keyboard_LKBU_FCPX_APG5_US__Apple_Final_Cut.html) a few yrs ago...can't recommend it enough!

[Toadinohio]

Didn't see this covered, and it may be common knowledge-
but make sure when you go to make the DVD that the audio is PCM (lossless) not AC3 or MP2 (lossy)
It will make the DVD larger in size, but is well worth it.