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May 13, 2015

Exporting the Final Project

STEP 1. You can either select your Work Area or insert IN and OUT points onto your timeline to determine what you are exporting. Your Work Area is determined by extending the grey bar in the below image over your edited clips. 


STEP 2. FILE > EXPORT > MEDIA

STEP 3. In the pop-up window, select the following export settings for Vimeo: 
Format: H264
PRESET: Vimeo HD 1080 23.976

STEP 4. Output Name: Click on the yellow text to name your movie and save it to your project folder.

STEP 5. Source Range: In the drop down menu select either 'Work Area" or "In & Out Points"
Note: "Export Video" and "Export Audio" must be checked.
 

STEP 6. Click Export.

Once your project has exported, open it and watch it from beginning to end to make sure it has exported properly.

  
STEP 7. Login to your Vimeo account and click on the UPLOAD link at the top of the page.

Apr 29, 2015

End of semester timeline

Reminder of what we will be doing the last few weeks of the semester. 

April 29: 
2nd Shoot day or re-shoot, if necessary / Start Editing Final Project
Each group member should bring external hardrives (thumbdrives)
**Blog #4 (MOMI reflection) is due TODAY** 

May 6:
Edit Final Project
Each group member should bring external hardrives (thumbdrives)
-Outside editing time might be necessary this week, between these two labs- 

May 13:
Edit Final project and Upload. Post to Blog with production reflection. 
FINAL PROJECT DUE TODAY
*This is our last Lab!*
May 20
FINAL Exam: 9-11am 
(No lab today)

Mar 18, 2015

Premiere Pro Audio Editing Step by Step

In Adobe Premiere Pro, you can edit audio, add effects to it, and mix as many tracks of audio in a sequence as your computer system can handle.
There are various types of tracks in Premiere Pro. We will use Standard tracks for this project.
Before importing audio
You can import digital audio clips stored as audio files or tracks in video files.
Using compressed audio formats
Music stored in formats such as MP3 and WMA are compressed using a method that removes some of the original audio quality. To play back compressed audio, Premiere Pro must decompress the file and may need to resample it to match your output settings. Although Premiere Pro uses a high-quality resampler for this purpose, the best results come from using an uncompressed or CD audio version of the audio clip whenever possible (AIFF or WAV files).  
Please note that some of the material you find on line or from other sources may have a sample rate such as 44.1 kHz.
Editing your audio project
1. Open Premiere Pro and create a new project
2. Create a new sequence File>New>Sequence
3. In your settings look at Tracks and set your Master Audio to Stereo and your tracks to Standard, see picture below. For this project please don’t use more than 3 tracks of audio.


4. Now import your audio files: File>Import> select the folder where your files are stored and click Import.
5. Double click on your folder to see your files and double click on your files to listen to them.



Screen Shot 2015-03-15 at 4.53.42 PM.png


6. You can adjust the volume by clicking on >Effects Control on top of your viewer (top left) Volume>Level.

7. Listen to your track and give Inpoints (I) and Outpoints (O) when you hear a good sound bite that you might want to use and bring it into your timeline just like we did with video.

Make sure you can properly see the audio waveforms:
Hover over the track selector, scroll up with the mouse wheel, and adjust the height of the track.

Monitor the audio levels. Do not rely on your hearing to measure the audio levels. Use the audio meter to help to measure:
Interviewee’s voice: should peak between -24dB and -12dB. Between -12dB and -6dB is okay.
Other sounds: louder sounds can peak between -6dB and 0dB, and quieter sounds can peak between -30db and -24db.
NOTHING can ever get above 0db.

Adjust the audio level:
To lower the audio level of a clip: click and drag the yellow line downward.
To higher the audio level of a clip: click and drag the yellow line upward.

*If you don’t see the yellow line: click the “volume menu” at the top of the clip (fx), then select “Volume” and “Level”.

Adjust the audio gain - only if it’s really necessarily!
If you have higher the audio level (see point 3) but the voice still not loud enough, you have to adjust the audio gain: right click on the clip and select “Audio Gain”.
The “Audio Gain box” automatically opens. Select the option “Adjust Gain by” and set the dB gain value until the voice peaks properly.



Track Targeting & Source Patching

Now let’s try and understand how our timeline “thinks” !

There is an area responsible for Source Patching and it only becomes available when something is selected in your source viewer and when selected it does exactly what it says, which is patch the source to where it goes on the timeline when doing an Overwrite (.) or Insert (,) edit.
Source Patching Area:
Screen Shot 2015-03-15 at 5.56.52 PM.png


Let’s say you want to add music into your timeline, which you can import in your Project Panel the same way you imported your interview files. You want your music track to go below your interview track.

I’m going to select my source patch on my second track (A2) and do an overwrite edit - see pic below:

Screen Shot 2015-03-15 at 6.57.23 PM.png



*Source Patching is not the same as Track Targeting. In a way Source Patching is how your timeline communicates with your viewer. Track Targeting is the way the timeline talks with its tracks.

Targeting Tracks (area to the right of the lock) - allows you to decide which track you want your files to go into and also what tracks you’re targeting at any given time. This tool is particularly useful if you’re copying and pasting sound bites and you want to avoid overwriting onto other tracks.

All you have to do to target a track is to select the track with the toggle tool on the controls at the left of your timeline viewer, see picture below, and then copy and paste.

Screen Shot 2015-03-15 at 5.32.10 PM.png

See how the second track is selected and the other tracks are not so that when I copy and paste my music track or effects it will not overwrite on my interview.

If your clip is still not pasting where you want it I suggest you double check where your timeline indicator is (the blue triangular indicator) - the clips will paste where the indicator is positioned in your timeline.



Audio Transitions

Audio transitions are similar to Video transitions already explored for the first assignment.


Fade in or fade out clip audio

Make sure that the audio track is expanded in a Timeline panel. If necessary, click the triangle to the left of the track name to expand the audio tracks that you want to crossfade.
Do any of the following:

1. To fade in a clip’s audio, drag an audio transition from the Effects panel to a Timeline panel so that it snaps to the In point of the audio clip. You can also select the applied transition in a Timeline panel. Then, in the Effect Controls panel choose “Start At Cut” from the Alignment menu.

2. To fade out a clip’s audio, drag an audio transition from the Effects panel to a Timeline panel so that it snaps to the Out point of the audio clip. You can also select the applied transition in a Timeline. Then, in the Effect Controls panel, choose End At Cut from the Alignment menu.

Use any of the three types of audio crossfade transitions to fade in or fade out.

Adjust or customize an audio transition

Do any of the following:

1.To edit an audio transition, double-click the transition in a Timeline panel and adjust the transition in the Effect Controls panel.

2. To customize the rate of an audio fade or crossfade, adjust the clip’s audio volume keyframe graph instead of applying a transition. In order to do that you must first expand the audio track with the bar on the bottom left side of timeline. Then select the Pen Tool and give your track a keyframe (a marker) at the beginning and then another one after a few seconds. If you drag the second keyframe up with your pen tool, the volume will go up. See picture below:

Screen Shot 2015-03-17 at 11.03.59 PM.png



Export

Once you’re ready to export, give your timeline an Inpoint (I) and Outpoint (O) and then select File>Export>Media

In your export window deselect video.

Format: Quicktime.  Look at your Audio settings:

Codec: AAC
Sample Rate: 48000Hz
Single Track
Bitrate: 320

When you’re finish exporting you can listen to your track and if you like it you can go ahead and upload!

Free music internet resources:

Free Music Archive http://freemusicarchive.org/
Internet Archive Audio Archive https://archive.org/details/audio
Petrucci Music Library http://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page
Public Domain 4U http://publicdomain4u.com/
The Music Bed http://themusicbed.com
Vimeo Music Store https://vimeo.com/musicstore
With Etiquette http://withetiquette.com
Freesound (SFX) http://www.freesound.org/

Mar 11, 2015

Interview Basics for Project 2

PRE-INTERVIEW:
The pre-interview is designed to identify interesting areas for an interview. Use your 'story radar' to find areas of special interest, or intriguing aspects of the life story of your interview subject. If you are interviewing someone about a specific topic, it is better to have good questions. If you pre-interview and someone tells you they are really into tennis, and you know nothing, you might
want to do a bit of research to be able to ask a good question. On the other hand, you don't want to get people giving you staged or rehearsed answers, so don't get too specific.

FORMAL ISSUE:
You need to figure out if your questions are going to be in the final product and let people know if they're not.

LOCATION:
Minimize background noise that is very obvious, such as a piece of music, both for interference and for editing.

WRITTEN QUESTIONS:
Have questions written down. On the other hand, don't consult your list too often or you will lose rapport with your interviewee. A related idea is to have more than one approach to a difficult question.

THE SOUND BITE:
In TV news the average answer to an interview question is 9 seconds long. In documentary people speak more in 'paragraphs' where one answer is one idea or thought.

FLOW:
There is always a tension between breaking flow vs. getting something you'll need. Be ready
to both interrupt and not interrupt. Don't be afraid to ask someone to rephrase for either an incomplete answer, or condensing an answer that is too convoluted. But stay calm and your subject probably will too. Don't be afraid to wait for an answer. One way to get people going is to ask them to 'tell a story' or 'relive' an event. Try to develop 'story radar.' Be tuned in to when someone is not giving you anything new. It's up to you to move on or dig more.

FAIR QUESTIONS:
What is a 'leading' question? (You were at Duffy's Bar on the night of the 15th, weren't you?”) What is a 'loaded' question? (Have you stopped beating your wife?)

Interview Tips:

1- Listen to the background noise. Is a fan on? Air conditioner? Can you move to a quieter location? Can you close a window? If outside, is there wind noise? Cars, airplanes?

2- Have the subject talk about their breakfast so that you can get the correct audio level. If you're just doing sound (no video) make sure the mic is about 4 to 6 inches from the subject's mouth. And check the audio level. It should be a little above the middle. Around -12 db.

3-Notice your subject's speaking style and body motion. If they have a very dynamic way of speaking, be prepared for louder moments like laughter and move the recorder slightly farther away or slightly closer when they are talking softly.  If they are a little nervous, they might fiddle with something in their hand or chew gum. Try to make them feel comfortable, have them remove the gum and reduce noises in the audio.

4-Try not to ask Yes or No questions. If you don't want your voice in the audio, remind the subject to answer questions in a complete sentence, including your question in the answer.

5-Don't suggest an answer in a question or finish sentences. Try not to say, "mmhmm, or "right right", or make any remark as they are talking even if it makes both of you feel a little uncomfortable. Just nod your head quietly to let the subject know you are listening.

6-Listen to their answers instead of thinking about your next question. Follow up with questions related to their answers if they are telling a story that warrants more exploration or details or clarification.

7- Ask questions that conjure a story and give the listeners a sense of being there. For example, a line of questioning could be: Tell me about the day you first came to the United States. What were you wearing? What was the weather? How did it smell? What were you surprised by? How did you feel?

8-A good ending question is to ask the subject if there is anything else they'd like to add and/or anyone else you should talk to for more about the story.

9-Make sure to record some room tone while no one is talking!! At least 1 or 2 minutes, so that you can use it for editing.

Mar 7, 2015

Zoom H2 Audio Recorder Tutorial


  

Power
Turn the recorder on with the power switch on the left side (U).  The Zoom H2 Handy Recorder runs on 2 AA batteries, and an AC power adapter (V).  Keep track of the battery meter in the lower left corner of the screen (E).

Using the Menus on the Zoom H2 Recorder:
Press the Menu button to get into the menu. Use the double arrow (fast forward and rewind) buttons (G) to move up and down in the menu Use the the Record button (L) to select/activate a menu item. 

Recording to SD Card 
The Zoom H2 records onto an SD card, located in a slot on the bottom of the device (N). We lend it with a card, so you do not need to provide your own unless you prefer to do so. 

Format the SD Card (warning: this will erase ALL of the data on the SD card):
Formatting the SD card will remove all of the data remaining (if any) from the previous user, and prepare the card for you to make your own recordings. This step is a good habit to get into.
1. Press the Menu (K) button
2. Press the left double-arrow/rewind button 3 times to move to the "SD CARD" menu item.
3. Select "FORMAT"
4. Select "YES"
The Zoom will then format the SD card.


Choose an audio recording format/quality:
1. Press Menu
2. Choose REC MODE
3. Use the double-arrow buttons to choose a recording format and quality.


File type:
.wav 48kHz, 24bit


4. Press the Menu button to exit back to the main screen.
5. The bottom right corner of the screen will indicate how much recording time you have left in hours, minutes, and seconds. (J)


Make sure your recording settings are correct:
LoCut: Off
AGC/COMP: off

folder: 01 (unless you want to select another folder for each person in the group)
Monitor: off
Plug-in: off

Pre rec: off
Auto rec: off
L/R Position: Player
Mono Mix: off


Select mic pattern: for interview, select 2Ch Surround

Getting Ready to Record:
Press record once (L). This puts the recorder into record-ready mode. The Recorder status (C) will change from "STOP" to "REC" and the level meters (D) will start moving. Plug a pair of headphones into the Phones/Line Out jack (S) and you will be able to hear what your recording will sound like. 

Adjust the "Gain" and recording level
Change the gain setting with the switch on the side of the Zoom (P)
  • Low is best for recording loud sounds (a band performance, for example) 
  • Medium is good for recording acoustic instruments or other sounds with a moderate volume. (Recommended for this project)
  • High is good when you're recording a lecture or other situation where the sound is quiet or far away.  
Listen with the headphones and watch the level bars (D) while you try all 3 to determine which gain setting will work the best for you. To ensure good sound quality, make sure the level bars (D) are generally moving to the right half of the screen, but not hitting the far right side.

Set you recording level with the fast-forward and rewind buttons (G) Audio should maintain at -20db and peak no further than -12db. 

Set your headphones volume levels.(T) 

Recording: When you're happy with the volume, press record again to start recording. The counter (B) will now start counting upIf it isn't counting up, it isn't recording.

When you are finished recording, press record (L) again to stop. The counter (B) will stop counting up. 

Playback: 
Check recording by hitting “play” button and a green light will come on as playback occurs. To see a list of your files, use the “File” option in the menu. Each audio clip will be stored in the Folder you have selected in the menu (probably 01), and numbered sequentially.  

When you go to retrieve or playback your file, it will be located in the folder indicated in the upper right corner (H) of the Zoom screen.
  • The Zoom does not have a built-in speaker. You will need to connect headphones or external speakers to the Zoom's Phones/Line Out jack (S) to hear the recording. 
  • The file whose name is shown in the center of the display (I) is the one that will be played back.
  • Use the fast-forward and rewind buttons (G) to select a different file.
  • Press the Play button (M) to begin playback.
  • Press it again to pause/stop playback. 
  • Press fast-forward or rewind to skip to the next/previous recording.
REMEMBER TO TURN THE RECORDER OFF (U) when you are done, as the battery will continue to drain as long as it is turned on.

Connect the SD card to a computer

1. Access the contents of the SD card by inserting the SD card reader.
2. An icon for the SD card will appear on the desktop of the computer
3. Browse to the folder where your recording is located (Probably in FOLDER01 for a stereo file, or in 4CH for a 4-channel file)

4. Drag your recording from the Zoom folder to your hard drive. 
5. Eject the SD card from your computer

Mar 4, 2015

Exporting and Uploading Project 1

1. Select IN and OUT point on your timeline (beginning and end of your sequence)
2. File > Export > Media
3. In the pop-up tab, select: Format: H264
    Vimeo 720p 23.97
    Output name: click on the yellow text, name your sequence and select your USB drive.
4. Click Export.

Once your project has exported, open it and watch it to make sure the full sequence has exported and there are no glitches.

5. Login to your Vimeo account and click on the UPLOAD link at the top of the page.

6.Click on Choose a Video to Upload, and select the video you just exported. Give your Video a Title and short description.

10) Once this is finished, "Go to Your Video" Once the video finishes encoding you will see an icon of a paper plane in the top right corner of your video screen. Click on this and copy the EMBED CODE

POSTING TO YOUR BLOG:

In Blogspot, create new post, and choose to work in HTML mode. PASTE the EMBED code in to the HTML window and PUBLISH your post. If that does not work, then make a link on your blog to your video on Vimeo. 
 

Feb 24, 2015

Editing Vocabulary & Basic Editing

Here are some basic Non-linear editing terms that you'll need to know:

in point
outpoint
three point editing 


Four types of edits: 
  1. overlay 
  2. insert edit 
  3. lift delete 
  4. ripple delete
drag and drop (as a style of editing) 

sequence 
bin
clip 


Window names in Premiere Pro
  • project panel 
  • source panel
  • timeline
  • program panel 

project file 
scratch disk 
render


SOURCE

Three points editing:
basics.jpg

Drag Video Only/Drag Audio Only:
drag.jpg




TIMELINE

Zoom in/out into the Timeline (+ / -):
zoom.jpg

Cut (C):
razor tool.jpg



TIMELINE TOOLS

tools.jpg



TRANSITIONS

  • Cross-dissolve (COMMAND + D: Video; SHIFT + COMMAND + D: Audio)
Premiere Pro > Preferences > General: select frames (or double click on the transition effect)

Other transition effects: WINDOW > EFFECTS > VIDEO TRANSITIONS
  • Dip to black / Dip to white
* To delete an effect: CLICK and DELETE. To delete multiple effects: SHIFT + CLICK and DELETE.



ADDING TITLES

  • TITLE > NEW TITLE > DEFAULT STILL
title.jpg

*Stay within the safe action and the safe title border area.