This :30 second CT Public Television editing assignment required combining a set of still images with audio to promote a radio program about veterans.

11 of Us – [:30 sec]

The new Gateway campus in New Haven offers lessons in video editing that includes the Adobe Creative Suite of tools to help students understand current non-linear editing techniques.

Notes from 8 week video editing class
Week 1 

20180320 – 1st class Tues
Tue: Reviewed syllabus, set up email access, logins etc. Discuss book In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch.

Rule of 6 – Emotion, Story, Rhythm, Eye Trace, Planarity (car exits left side of screen should enter right side next shot), Spacial Continuity (line between 2 characters and camera, camera should stay on one side of line unless show camera actually move across line

Intro to Premiere Pro, discussed quick keys, sequence timeline, source monitor etc.

20180322 – Thursday
Premiere Pro intro (continued): File organization is very important.
Project name

  • cache
  • exports
  • media
    • images
    • video
    • audio
  • docs
  • project Files

Project file sizes are small, save copy often w/new name containing date.

Create project > File > New Project > Location > Browse > IAM_GTWY_10 drive > project folder
Settings: Video Rendering Playback (CUDA) Mercury Playback Engine
Scratch Disks > same as project (Premiere pretty good at working without proxy)

Timeline: “drop media” > no
Sequence Presets > Digital SLR > 1080p > DSLR 24 FPS
Output name > (give it a name) Scene125Seano0403
Field Order > Progressive
Aspect > Square
Compress audio > not needed, channel is usually stereo
Frame rates:
29.97 frame rate (for TV) or 23.96 (for web)
720 x 480 res – 4 x 3 ratio (standard Def for DVD and older TVs)
HD 1280 x 720
2k 1920 x 1080 res – 16 x 9 ratio (recent standard)
4k res 3800 x 2160

DVD 720 × 480 (NTSC) 345,600
DVD 720 × 576 (PAL) 414,720
720p (HDTV, Blu-ray) 1280 × 720 921,600

(latest cams are very expensive have 6k and 8k res)
CPTV usually shoots 4 k and broadcasts at 1080

Premiere setting Digital SLR > 1080p > DSLR
Auto Save: yes (but save anyway)
Edit > Prefs > Media Cache > project folder > cache folder
(other prefs not too important)

Import media > Click project panel > File > import (or Ctr I, or can drag and drop files into project panel)

Double click file icon in program opens file in source monitor,
J – K – L keys = play, stop, back
Set in and out points
Drag and drop segments from source monitor to timeline
This creates a new Sequence if none exists (or can 1st create a sequence)
Right click program panel > New item > New sequence > name > set fps, etc.
Right click on clip in timeline and select “Set to Frame Size” (not Scale to frame size)

Assignment: review Cobblestone Corner clips in preparation for importing and assembling cuts according to script
Low res files sent in email for review
[Note: high res clips and assignment on 100 gb portable drive only accessible during class.
This would prove to be a challenge throughout the class.]

Sent instructor email about certification.

Week 2

20180327 Tues & Thurs 3rd & 4th classes

Using script for Scene 125 of Cobblestone Corridor, worked on assignment to edit clips (example A39C012_160103_R406.mov) to match script. Many bad takes. Some clips have 5 audio tracks but only need 2, ok to delete other 3, need to right click clip > Unlink > delete 3 empty tracks > select remaining video and 2 audio tracks > right click > Link

File names important, designate which cam, card, scene, etc.)
Quicktime player sometimes has issues, there is a free app called VLC possible alternative.

Jump cut – plain cut to next clip
J and L cuts (where we lead or trail audio to make a cut less jarring).
Unlink 2 clips (video from audio tracks) that are adjacent in the timeline,
J Cut: start the audio for 2nd clip a few frames (or secs) before 1st track vid ends.
L Cut: End the audio for 1st clip a few frames (or secs) after the 2n track vid starts.

New Black Matte
Project Panel > rt click > New Item > New Color Matte
Paul recommended Sennheizer HD202 headphones
Tutorials:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANK8UpPPFlg&t=3s

Continue reading In the Blink of an Eye book

Asked about script software, CPTV doesn’t have a standard app, can use Word to format how you like.
Found several apps online for script writing, Fade in is free, the television hour long template seems to have longer dialogue lines example:

Suggested links on script writing:

https://courses.desktop-documentaries.com/courses/7-day-documentary-crash-course

https://www.desktop-documentaries.com/how-to-write-a-script.html

Week 3

20180403 – Tues & Thurs 5th & 6th classes

Worked on Cobblestone editing assignment
Export – Video Codecs
png or tiff export will create photos for every frame (not likely want this)
H.264 most common – Can also export as DPX
Ask client what they want.
Notes:

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1669794
“DPX” makes a sequence of individual frame files each with a DPX extension, and exporting as “H.264” makes a .mp4 file with an H.264 format video track and an AAC format audio track. Only DPX and H.264 allow changes made by your Develop settings copy-pasted to the Library video to be a part of the output.

Best Video Export Settings for YouTube in Premiere Pro CC

In HD video, the Target rate in Premiere Pro CC determines the actual size of the rendered file; (standard fps 24-30: rec 720p/5 Mbps, 1080p/8 Mbps, 1044p (2k) 16Mbps, 2160p (4k) 35-45Mbps)

Export Settings
Sequence Presets > Digital SLR > 1080p > DSLR 24 FPS
Output name > Scene125Seano0403
Field Order > Progressive (interlaced is bad)
Aspect > Square
not need to compress audio, channel is usually stereo
Never click Use Previews
Que good if exporting multiple videos, not need for only one

Make sure you watch your video after it exports

Continue reading book

Week 4

20180410 Tue/Thur 7th & 8th class
Learned about keyframes, got grade for Cobblestone Corridor 38/50
(Talked to Cheryl about CTV – left thank you cards and cookies for Merilee, Tyler and Paul)

20180412 Thur 8th class

Discussed copyrights
Do not commit copyright infringement, no one will hire you.
BMI.com will hunt down copyright for you for $$$
ASCAP
copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html
Look for royalty free music
Libraries – premiumbeat.com pay/track
5 to 9 and NPR audio use APMmusic.com (annual fee)
freesound.org, unsplash.com
Terms can vary depending on the license
Kevin Macleod – popular free music creator
incompetech.com/music/royaltyfree
MP3 are more compressed than .wav
creativecommons.org/licenses

assignment – WeTransfer.com almost 2 gigs of data Punky Bruiseher, Blenheim
choose one of two shows to create a 60 second trailer
5-9: Punky Bruiseher Length- 11 minutes
A peak inside the world of a young woman who wanted more out of her time outside of work.

You Are Cordially Invited: Blenheim Palace Length- 27 minutes
A tour of the private living spaces inside a beautiful British palace.

Called Soundview, need 4 programs for a weekly show, ex: 30 min 12 weeks season, submit dvd or …
Same for CTV Joe Scofield

Week 5

20180417 Tue/Thur
Creative Cloud 1 yr $239.88/yr

Worked on Blenhiem trailer,
A Trailer is not a summary, not want to give it away – review clips and audio, take notes, select appropriate.
[observation: feedback from other students suggests questions in class and efforts to excel are not really appreciated by the instructor who’s responses are noticeably short.

20180419 Thur 10th class
Arrived early to work on Blenheim project but 2 people in room (1 teacher 1 student) preventing use of the lab.  Asked the workforce office about access to another lab but no success. (instructor seemed puzzled that I asked). Sent email with questions about info on finding work.

Week 6

20180424 Tue 11th class
Arrived early, around 4 to work on Blenheim project, was sent to other lab that did not have Premiere installed.
Instructor showed up around 5, went back to classroom, not much accomplished on project. Lack of access to files and software is big problem. Since class is no cost, impractical to say anything
Lecture on using Premier text – best to use legacy text not recent text feature, left at 7:15 for Toastmasters
Two ways to add text:
1) not so good – at bottom of tool bar select “T” – this only works in the program monitor
this will add a piece of video in the timeline with text
Click on this in the timeline and now see it in the source monitor > effects
Need to highlight text in the program monitor to see font changes,
this way text is only in the timeline not in the project bin, may be hard to find for long/multi sequences
2) Legacy Title
File > New > Legacy Title
can work inside a dedicated title window with many options
can use as template Right click > Duplicate

Lower 3rd suggest adding inside “Safe” area
tell audience when they can watch full show. should be able to read 3x’s

20180426 Thur 12th class
Submitted Blenheim trailer – lecture about codecs.
Codec – compression decompression
Apple gave up on codecs, not read all mp4
Interlaced, old TV’s showed every other line, single frame blurry but eyes don’t notice.
Progressive frames show all lines. only use progressive unless client tells you to.
Spatial compression vs Temporal compression see ppt and youtube link
Chroma sub sampling
8 bit (256 levels of gray) vs 10 bit (1024 levels of gray)
most videos are 8 bit
constant vs variable bit rate
Use variable unless client asks for constant

H.264 codec very common
Avid DNxHD also common

YouTube will recompress your work, best to submit Hi Res version let them deal with it.

Week 7

20180501 Tue 13th class
Before class discussed finding work, editors often work with shooters. Much of finding work involves connections. Need to avoid working for free. This topic will be covered in more detail in future class.
Reviewed submitted 1 min trailers for Blenheim and Punky Bruiser. Feedback on my piece included:
Too jumpy, or fast at beginning
Conclusion the voice seemed clipped for “Please join me [today] “
Would have helped to have added “Private rooms” in the narration.
There were two adjacent shots with the two women in a room, would have helped to put some other b roll of something else between them to break it up.
The more you watch your edited piece the more normal these errors seem (Stockholm syndrome)
make sure text fades out before end of shot or is cut off when shot cuts off.
[Thoughts: 3 classes + 2 hours per class = 6 hrs total to finish an assignment in an unfamiliar app. was a challenge]

End of class discussed next project – 3-5 min documentary on either Puppets or Skateboards. Only 3 classes left.

See powerpoint Codecs.ppt in projects/video/gateway_/docs

20180503 Thu 14th class
Worked on Puppets reviewed clips, took notes on clips, disregarded bad clips, reviewed audio choices, decide which to use

Week 8

20180508 Tue 15th class
Arrived early to work on Puppets added After Effects intro of the Lion.

20180510 Thu 16th Last class for editing
Worked on Puppets (mine was incomplete, the audio was out of sync)
[link to video]