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Once you have each set of dailies in a bin, the next step is to create a bin for each scene. Between these two sets of bins, you should have everything you need to edit your project. If your project was recorded with double-system sound, you’ll probably have another set of bins that contain all the synchronized clips, and you’ll use the synchronized clips to build your scene bins.

How to Sort by Content

When sorting your footage, you should think about what you’ll need to edit each scene properly. If you’re logging tapes that were shot film-style—in other words, with slates, scene numbers, and script supervisor notes—your job will be relatively simple: just look at each slate and name each shot accordingly. However, if you’re logging something that couldn’t be meticulously organized on the set, like a typical documentary shoot, you might benefit from the following tips:

nListen to the dialogue first. Dialogue is the framework of any scene, whether scripted or documentary. Use the dialogue to separate different topics into bins.

nFind the cutaways that go with the dialogue. These are usually reaction shots of the other characters in the scene. Sometimes, cutaways will be on the tape before or after the scene itself.

nMake sure all the movements and geography are covered. Put all of the action necessary to complete a scene into the bin for that scene. For example, if a scene involves two people going out to dinner, make sure you get all the “action” or movement in the scene (entering the restaurant, sitting, ordering, and so on). Make sure that you have all of the moments that set up the scene and that define how the characters are arranged physically.

nIf you’re sorting interviews, separate each Q&A as a single subclip. In other words, keep the question and the answer together, rather than only getting the answer, and don’t include more than one question and one answer in a single clip.

nFind the establishing and wide shots that set up the scene. Separate out all the “b-roll” or scenery shots of the location.

nMake a bin for any particularly nice or interesting-looking shots. The camera operator might have shot something that’s not in the script but that will prove useful later, or maybe that beauty shot of the beach in Hawaii will serve as an establishing shot later on.

nFind the “room tone.” Room tone is the background sound at a location, whether it’s party chatter or what sounds like “silence.” You might need it for audio editing. Hopefully, the person who recorded the room tone voice slated it so that you know what it is—room tone, naturally, often sounds like nothing.

Synchronizing Double-System Sound and Picture

Synchronizing sound and picture is a process that has been around since the 1930s, and although some find it a little intimidating, it’s actually pretty simple.

nIf your project has matching timecode or slates, you can synchronize your media quickly in your editing application.

nIf your project doesn’t have slates, we recommend using one of the various synchronizing applications by Singular Software, Plural Eyes or Dual Eyes.

To synchronize in Media Composer, drag your sound and video files into the same bin or folder. If your clips have matching timecode, you can simply select the timecode, and they will be synched automatically. If not, load the video clip in the source monitor and find the frame where the slate is clapped. Set an in-point on that frame. Now find the slate clap in the audio file and put an in-point on that frame as well. Go into the Bin menu and select Auto Sync. A subclip will be created with the video clip and the audio file synched together. Once clips are synched together, Media Composer will treat them as a unit.

The synchronizing application Plural Eyes comes in a variety of flavors (stand-alone Dual Eyes, Final Cut Pro plug in, Adobe Premiere plug-in, and more) and works by comparing the waveforms on the audio tracks of the two files and synchronizing them accordingly (see Figure 13.12).

Figure 13.12

Singular Software Plural Eyes works within Final Cut Pro and other editing applications to synchronize audio and video automatically. It is especially useful if your media doesn’t have timecode or slates.

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Probably the best thing about the Plural Eyes app is that it can synchronize across breaks in the timecode or clips (for example, if your camera operator paused the camera during a scene but your sound recordist kept rolling). You might have five video clips but only one audio clip. This is especially common with unscripted shoots. Synchronizing media like this is a potential nightmare, but Plural Eyes makes it automatic. However, if for some reason you didn’t record audio with your camera, it won’t be able to synchronize your files because it needs the audio track to determine sync.

Preparing Multi-Camera Media

All of the editing applications we recommended in Chapter 12, “Editing Software,” support multi-cam editing. As with double-system sound, each clip of video is imported as a separate piece of media, and the process for grouping multiple clips is similar to synchronizing. If your footage was shot with jammed sync, you can use the source timecode of each media file to synchronize the clips. If not, you can use the slate mark (see Figure 13.13).

Grouping multi-cam shots is pretty easy unless the cameras are stopping and starting at very different times during the shooting; in that case, it can be a time-consuming process.

Figure 13.13

Grouping multi-cam footage in

Avid Media Composer.

Troubleshooting

Sometimes you run into mystifying problems when you’re editing, especially if you are working on a new system. Here’s a checklist of what to look for when you’re having problems:

nCheck your software settings. Be certain that all preferences are set properly. Video editing apps have lots of settings. Re-launch. Refer to your software documentation.

nCheck your computer. Do you have enough RAM for your editing software? Are other applications running? Are your drives full or fragmented? Mac OS users should try rebuilding the desktop, zapping the PRAM, and restarting the computer. Remember, when you shut down your computer, count to 10 before restarting.

nCheck your cables. With your computer shut down, check all your cables, connections, and routers (if you have any), and make sure everything is secure. Check to make sure that cable lengths are within the approved limits.

nCheck your hardware. Check all the settings on your hardware accessories. Refer to your equipment documentation. Make certain all your components are receiving power.

nDropped frames or stuttery playback. Frame-dropping often stems from performance bottlenecks: fragmented disk drives, an overtaxed processor, or lack of RAM. In addition, check for system conflicts, especially codecs that aren’t compatible with your editing application. External hard drives that are too slow (USB, drives with less than 7200rpms) are another culprit.

nAudio is distorted. Check the levels in your software. Are they overmodulating? If so, the problem is either due to the level settings in your software or a problem with the media file itself. If the levels in your editing app are good, use a pair of headphones. It may be a hardware problem with your mixer, cables, or speakers.

nYour software refuses to batch import a previously imported shot. This is almost always because the original source file was moved or changed, and the software can’t find it. Check to make sure all your drives are online and working properly. Also make sure that there is space on your drives for the new media that you are trying to create. If a file or folder was accidentally moved, try to restore it to its original location.

nAudio and video are out of sync. This is usually a playback problem. Some software apps are known to be unable to maintain sync in longer edits. Moreover, some lowresolution codecs aren’t capable of maintaining true sync. See also the suggestions for dropped frames and stuttery playback above. If none of those are the problem, it might be that the tracks in your timeline have accidentally gotten out of sync.

nAudio plays too fast. Make sure the audio settings in your software match the audio settings at which you recorded your sound.

nCorrupted video. Check the camera-original media. Is the problem on there as well? If the corrupted video is only in your imported clip and not the original file itself, simply re-import the clip. If it is in your original camera file, you’re probably stuck with it. You’ll have to try to fix it using your effects tools in your editing software—more about this in Chapter 17, “Titles and Effects.”

nVideo looks bad on the computer screen. Remember, if you’re using a low-res codec, your video will look lossy on your computer, especially for wide or very complicated shots. If image quality is a concern, remember to always use an intermediate codec that has the same image quality as your camera originals or better.