In the editing bay, you may have a snakepit of excessively long cables. Try hotknifing a door through an empty DVD spool, then open it and coil up the excess length there passing both ends back through the opening. This is a great on or under the table organizer and a great use for empty DVD abd CD spools.
Glenn Mitchell
VidComm Productions
Coalinga CA.
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This page features very straight-forward, easy
to understand information about getting started in the exciting
world of Desk Top Video (DTV). We have put all the info in
a Question & Answer dialogue format. We hope you will
find this page helpful.
What is Desk Top Video?
Desk Top Video (DTV) is using your computer
to create videos. You can easily and affordably use your computer
to overlay titles & graphics, control your camcorder &
VCRs, perform digital video effects, and fully edit your videos.
You can even capture video to your hard drive and edit it
inside your computer!
What is a video overlay/genlock card?
A video overlay card lets you overlay or superimpose
computer generated titles and graphics over your video. They
work by selecting a key color such as navy blue. Wherever
the key color appears within a title page, live video will
be substituted. An overlay card has both video inputs and
outputs.
What is a scan converter?
A scan converter lets you take VGA output from
your computer and turns it into a video signal which you can
play on your TV or VCR. A scan converter is an external box
you hook up to your computer. Scan converters let you output
computer titles, but you can't superimpose them over video.
They are excellent for giving powerful presentations or software
demonstrations.
Can I edit with my computer?
We offer several different software/ hardware
packages that let your computer control your camcorder and
VCRs. You can log footage from all your video tapes, select
the scenes you want, place them in any order and even add
titles and effects automatically!
How can the computer control my equipment?
By using either infra red (IR) remote and/or
special editing jacks built into some camcorders and VCRs.
Many 8mm camcorders and Sony VCRs have a special jack called
Control L (LANC). If you have high
end editing decks with time code, we have programs
capable of using it!
What is Control L?
Control L is a protocol designed by Sony which
lets your camcorder be fully controlled by the computer. More
important, Control L lets the computer know the position of
the tape at all times by telling it the real time counter
reading. It is this 2 way communication that makes Control
L so special.
Can I mix two video sources together with my
computer?
We have video boards that let you create all
kinds of digital video effects including A/B rolls (mixing
and displaying two videos on the screen at once), dissolves
(when one video image fades directly into a second), and even
chroma key (when you superimpose one video over another, like
the weatherman effect on TV).
What is a video capture card ?
Video capture cards let you record video onto
your computer's hard drive. These cards use hardware &
software compression (Codec) to digitize the video onto your
hard drive. You can then edit the video and play it back to
tape or display the finished movie on your computer screen!
What is a Codec?
Codec stands for Compression/Decompression.
It is the method used by your video capture card to digitize
the video and store it on your hard drive. All of our cards
use Motion JPEG (MJPEG) as a Codec.
What is MJPEG & MPEG?
They are different standards for compressing
video. Our cards use the Motion JPEG standard to create AVI
files which can be played back on any Windows multimedia computer.
MPEG is the newest standard for commercial video compression
and it is primarily used for CD ROMs. MPEG video requires
a special card for playback, and for now, it is about 5 times
as expensive as MJPEG video capture hardware.
How much video can I get on my hard drive?
With the cards we carry, you will be able to
store 1 minute of video in approx. 12-50 megs of hard drive
space. The higher the resolution you need, the more space
the video will require. For short videos (under 5 minutes)
an EIDE hard drive will work fine, for longer video and the
highest possible resolution, you should get an A/V rated SCSI
(pronounced scuzzy) hard drive.
What is Non Linear Editing?
Non Linear editing (NLE) is when you edit videos
within your computer. Instead of using jog shuttles and special
video decks, you simply capture the video to your hard drive.
You can then edit and rearrange the scenes much like moving
paragraphs around in your favorite word processing program!
Since the video is digitized, you can instantly get to any
exact point in the video! Of course once the video is captured,
you can add all kinds of digital video effects, filters, titles,
morphs, just about anything you can imagine can be done.
What do I need for NLE?
Most importantly you will need a video capture
card with video output for playback. If you can't output the
video to tape, you only have half the solution! Next you will
need storage space. We recommend a minimum of 500 megs available
disk space. You will also need software to log your edit scenes
& points, plus create all the amazing effects you want
to add. All of our capture cards can be purchased as bundles,
with NLE software included.
What kind of computer do I need for NLE?
We recommend a Pentium 100 or faster, with 16-32
megs of RAM, and a very fast (EIDE or SCSI) 1 gig hard drive.
The faster your computer is, the better your video will come
out. For home use, a 486DX2 or Pentium 75 with 16 megs will
due just fine, for professional work, get the biggest, fastest
machine you can afford.
Can I install the boards myself?
Installing boards in your PC is really very
easy. You may not even need a screwdriver! Once the board(s)
is installed, you will need to install the special new video
drivers that come with them.
What is a driver?
A driver is the special software code that lets
your computer interact with the different devices hooked up
to it. Keyboards, mice, floppy disk drives, all require drivers.
The drivers supplied with your board have been specially written
to allow optimal operation of your computer once they are
installed.
What if I need help?
The Electronic Mailbox understands that even
with all this great info, you may still have questions. Our
techs, Gary & Phil, understand the equipment and they
can help you decide on the perfect system to meet your needs
and budget. If you have any problems installing and using
your new DTV equipment, we offer you free DTV technical support
(516) 759-1615. If our techs get stumped, we will refer you
to a specific tech support person at the manufacturer. We
also offer a 30 day satisfaction guarantee on all DTV purchases!
Top of Page
This page is designed to both educate you about
non linear editing (NLE), as well as help you pick out the
NLE system that is best for you. We carry several different
video capture cards and software packages that are affordable
and work great. All of our video capture cards have video
(and SVHS/Hi8) inputs and outputs. This means you can digitize
the video and store it on your hard drive, edit it, then output
your finished video to tape. All of our cards are multi system,
and work in NTSC (the US television standard) and PAL (used
in many European, South American and countries across the
globe). Although none of our cards are "broadcast"
or commercial quality, you will be amazed at the spectacular
videos you can create, and the remarkable picture quality
of this new technology. Best of all, you can now get a starting
NLE system that will work great using a typical home multimedia
computer.
Linear Editing
Most of us are familiar with linear editing.
The simplest form of linear editing is called assemble editing
or deck to deck. This is when you copy only the "good"
parts of a tape over to a new tape. Assemble editing systems
often include titlers or special effects generators to make
the videos more fun to watch. A/B roll editing is when we
edit from two or more video sources. An A/B roll system often
includes a digital mixer, to let us cut, fade, dissolve and
wipe from source A to source B. Insert editing is when we
splice in a different scene, or video only, into the middle
of an existing video tape. Only very expensive, high end editing
decks are capable of insert editing. Today, linear editing
means deck to deck. The quality of your linear editing is
dependent on the editing capabilities of your decks. For the
best results you need special editing decks with flying erase
heads, special editing jacks, pre-roll and time codes. These
decks often cost $1000 or more.
Video Capture
With non linear editing we are no longer dependent
on expensive video editing decks or multiple "black boxes"
for adding effects. Everything is done inside your PC. The
video is digitized, captured and compressed to your hard drive
and stored as an AVI file (AVI stands for audio video interweaved,
and it is a computer standard used for several different compression
types). All of our cards use Motion JPEG (M-JPEG). This is
a hardware "Codec" (compression/decompression).
This means that the files created using our cards can only
be played back in PCs having the same card installed. Lower
compression settings give you higher resolution and better
picture quality, but require more hard drive space and faster
data throughput. A standard NTSC video signal consists of
30 frames (actually 29.97) per second, and two fields per
frame. This is considered to be full speed or full motion
video (PAL uses 25 frames per second). With digital video,
full screen is considered 640x480 pixels. If you capture at
a smaller size, your computer will have to interpolate and
create the missing information when it plays back the video
full screen to your VCR or TV. The larger the capture size,
the higher the resolution, and the greater size of the file
created. As an example, we consider a 640x480, full speed
capture at 10:1 compression to be hi resolution SVHS/Hi8 quality.
You will need more then 50 megs of space per minute for hi
resolution video. We consider 320x240, full speed capture
at 16:1 compression to be VHS/8mm quality. These files are
only 20 megs per minute.
Non Linear Editing (NLE)
Once the video is captured and compressed onto
our hard drive, we can edit it. Non Linear Editing software
is timeline based. You start by selecting the in and out points
of your scene. Remember, that since everything is digital,
we can get frame accurate edit points every time! Each scene
is then placed on the timeline. You can lay down more then
one track of video and audio onto your timeline. If you want
to set your video to music, you start by placing the captured
sound file onto the timeline. Next you select and arrange
all of your video scenes. You can move scenes and clips around
in your video just by dragging them with your mouse. It really
is that easy!
The best part about NLE is the effects. Since
the video is in digital form, we don't have to worry about
time base correctors and frame synchronizers. Our effects
are only limited by our own imagination and the software we
choose to use. We can add special filters to clean up and
restore picture quality, or to place ripples or swirls in
the video. We can create awesome transitions between scenes
such as page turns, flips, roll ups, and breakaways, plus
the standard dissolves and wipes. Some software will even
let you morph one image into another, just like in commercials
and music videos!!
When it comes to titling and graphics, NLE lets
you go crazy. You can use any Windows true type font, so foreign
languages are no problem at all. Want to add a logo or computer
graphic you designed onto your video, its a piece of cake.
In fact, we can make it fly, bounce, or spin onto the video.
Of course all our titles and graphics can be superimposed
and mixed with our video. We can even add multiple titles.
filters and effects onto the same scene. The power of NLE
is truly incredible. Now every videographer can create videos
that look and feel like network productions. The video you
can create using our video capture cards and software will
have your audience cheering, with everyone wanting to see
more and asking how you did it.
Rendering
Before your edited video can be played back
to tape, the computer must "render" or "make"
the finished movie as a single continuous avi file. Once this
new file is created, you can play it back anytime you like
with the click of a mouse. I have added this section because
one of the most misunderstood aspects of NLE is rendering.
First, as the description implies, you will need to have enough
disk space to create your finished movie. The more titles,
effects and filters you use, the more megs per minute your
finished file will be. Second, the rendering process takes
up a lot of computer power and time. This is the area where
more RAM and a faster processor can really make a difference.
Rendering can take 10 to 20 times as long as the total time
of the finished movie. Rendering times of several hours are
not uncommon. Until rendering becomes faster, long videos
(over 1/2 hour) are not very practical. This combined with
the massive storage required, makes us recommend doing NLE
in segments of 15 minutes at a time. If you are planning on
creating a movie over an hour long, be prepared for the rendering
times involved.
The Electronic Mailbox
800 323-2325
http://www.videoguys.com
Top of Page
A/B Roll
- Creating fades, wipes and other transitions
directly from one video source to another
Anti-Aliased Fonts
- Computer generated fonts that have been digitally
rounded for smooth edges
Chroma-Key
- Superimposing one video source over another
using a key color (usually blue or green)
Control L (LANC)
- An editing protocol built into Sony 8mm camcorders
and clones that allows 2 way communication between camcorder
and computer
Desk Top Video (DTV)
- Use of a desktop computer for video production
Digital Video Effects (DVE)
- Special computer generated effects that manipulate
video. Video footage that bends, rolls, bounces or wraps
around objects
Edit Decision List (EDL)
- Master list of all edit in and out points,
plus any transitions, titles and effects to be used in the
video production
Flicker Stabilization
- Provides a clear flicker-free image on your
TV. Without flicker stabilization, computer output is very
jumpy on TV
Frame Capture (Frame Grabber)
- Taking one frame of video and storing it
on your hard drive for use in various video effects
Non-Linear Editing
- Video is digitized and stored on your hard
drive using video compression technology. You can then access
any part of the video and edit the footage just like re-arranging
paragraphs in a word processing program.
Scan Converter
- External device that converts your computer's
VGA output to video, so you can display it on a TV or VCR
Time Code
- Special information added to video tapes
that allows for extremely accurate editing.
Video Compression (M-JPEG & MPEG)
- Both these standards use special hardware
& software to store video directly on your hard drive.
Video compression is done in various ratios. (e.g. 16:1,24:1)
The higher the ratio, the more video can be stored per meg.
Video Overlay Card
- PC video card that allows you to pass video
in and out of your computer, and superimpose titles, graphics
and animations over video. In most cases the new overlay
card will replace your old VGA card.
Oak Tree Press
256 WP Guinea Hill Road
Slate Hill, NY 10973
Voice: (914) 355-1400
FAX: (914) 355-4807
email video@mhv.net
Top of Page
- Preview your raw footage to familiarize yourself
with everything you have shot.
- Make a video tape footage log to determine
the scenes you have shot.
- Make a story board using those scenes you
wish to keep for the final production. This is a basic outline
of what scenes you want to keep, and in what order you want
to place them. You should also note what special effects,
titles and audio mixing you will be adding.
- Set up titles and audio tracks. Now is the
time to create your title pages and a narration soundtrack.
You should also make sure you have all your music selected
and near by.
- Always use a fresh blank tape for every production.
If you use a tape that is already recorded on, you will
get glitches and rainbows caused by the pre-existing footage.
Always use the best tape available and tape on the SP speed.
- Set aside adequate time. Your editing will
go much easier if you begin and end the job in one session.
It is very difficult to cue everything up again once you
have turned off your equipment.
- Be patient. Editing is a creative process.
Be prepared to start over if the production gets bogged
down. If you try to rush, you will be more likely to make
a mistake or get sloppy edits.
- Have fun!! Enjoy making your final production.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different effects, camera
angles, sound effects or whatever other creative ideas you
may have. If it works - GREAT, if not, just cut it out.
Let your creativity go wild - you've earned it!!
- The more you edit, the better you will get!!!
Not only will your future productions look better, but they
will get easier to do. With a little practice you will be
able to edit your videos in much less time. Plus, you will
always be shooting to edit. As a result, you will get better
and better results!
The Electronic Mailbox
800 323-2325
http://www.videoguys.com
Top of Page
1. Thou shalt not screw up thy client's job.
2. Thou shalt not use fresh cassettes without
first packing them by fast forwarding to the end and rewinding
them, thereby setting thy proper head tension.
3. Honor thy vectorscope and thy waveform monitor,
for thou art guided by them.
4. Thou shalt not covet thy scene transition
for the sake of vanity, but thou shalt cut with reason and
purpose, and only then, keeping thy transitions modest.
5. Thou shalt have thy proper subject on screen
at the proper time, thy speaker when he speaketh, thy reactor
when he reacteth, thy glance and then thy object.
6. Thou shalt not cross axis.
7. Cast down thy recording tabs and breaketh
them, and loggeth thee thy master tapes, and with labels shalt
thee cover them, their nakedness sinful.
8. Thou shalt rehearse thy edits, and giveth
them bountiful pre-roll, lest ye recieveth thy glitch.
9. Thou shalt not leave thy decks in pause too
long.
10. Thou shalt not linger too long in black,
lest thy viewer kick his set reproachfully, thinking it hath
conked out again.
Oak Tree Press
256 WP Guinea Hill Road
Slate Hill, NY 10973
Voice: (914) 355-1400
FAX: (914) 355-4807
email video@mhv.net
Top of Page
by John Stubbs
Naturally, there's a rush of excitement after
completing a video shoot. You can't wait to take your raw
footage and get right down to editing. However, in video production
a quick start doesn't always mean a quick finish. Rushing
into an editing session usually gets you the case of the Let's
see disease: "Let's see, where's that shot of Ethel.
Maybe it's on this tape. Gee I thought it was right here.
Let's see maybe I need to fast forward. "
Fumbling through video tape trying to find a
shot can add hours to your editing time and become costly
as well, particularly if you're renting a video suite. The
solution is to log your video tapes before you begin editing.
This can be done early in the production process.
Before you begin video taping put a label on
your tape with name of the project you are taping and brief
description of what you are shooting. It doesn't have to be
detailed. For example: Project-Recreation in School Curriculum.
Mrs. Miller's class at skating rink.
Furthermore, if you know you are going to be
taping over a long period of time, it's a good idea to number
your tapes as well. For example: Tape #1 Recreation in School
Curriculum. Mrs. Miller's class at skating rink.
Also, try to keep a piece of paper handy and
write a brief description of everything you shoot. Once again
keep it brief: Kids walking into skating rink, shots of kids
lacing up skates- Instruction demonstration. It could be after
you're finished video taping, you might not need to use a
particular tape because you don't need the footage, but you
can't deduce that if you don't know what's on the tape.
Logging itself is simple. You just stick your
tape in your VCR, rewind it to the beginning, press the reset
button on your counter, and push play. Whenever you see an
interesting shot write down a detailed description what it
is (close up shot of kid smiling and saying I like skating)
and the numbers on your VCR counter next to it. If you can't
write the numbers down quickly enough, simply pause the tape
until you do. You'll discover that logging your shots saves
you tons of time once you begin editing. Furthermore, watching
your tapes in a relaxed state rather than in the heat of production,
might even give you a better idea of how you want to put your
production together once you start editing. It might seem
time consuming at first, but in the long run logging saves
time.
From:
http://wlrn.org/
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If you've got an A/B fader on your editing equipment
and two camcorders, you can shoot amazing old-style 3D videos.
Just set up two cameras side by side on tripods, then apply
a red filter to one camera and a blue filter to the other.
The cameras must be angled slightly inward and both must be
level. Send the two signals through your fader, set exactly
in the middle, and into an external VCR to record (if you
record on two separate tapes editing will be difficult later).
Now dig out your old 3D glasses and enjoy!
Rob Ring
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Videomaker March 1998
Top of Page
Have you ever had any problems keeping audio
sync between two sources while performing A/B-roll transitions?
Try this: route audio from source A to your recording VCR
(you'll be monitoring this audio on your TV set). Route audio
from source B to a small instrument amplifier (you won't be
recording this audio). This makes it much easier to keep sync
between sources by ear; that way, you'll know right away if
you've lost sync.
Jorge Torres
Mexico City, Mexico
From:
Videomaker
November 1997
http://www.videomaker.com/
Top of Page
If you're like me, you've often cursed those
almost invisible arrows on S-video cables (the ones that indicate
which side is up). Here's a simple solution: first, take a
small drill bit (1/16 will do) and drill a hole in the black
rubber casing of the plug just behind the arrow. After removing
any plastic shavings, fill the hole with a very tiny amount
of white silicon or white epoxy. Wipe it clean and you have
a permanent reference mark that's easy to see; no more squinting
or searching for a bright light.
Paul Gross
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
From:
Videomaker
November 1997
http://www.videomaker.com/
Top of Page
If you want to add excitement to the audio track
of your videos but you don't want to use expensive digital
effect equipment, try using a simple guitarist's stomp box
(foot switch). Great effects like reverb, delay, flange and
even pitch shifting can be found at any music store or pawn
shop for about $50. You'll need two RCA to ¼ inch adapters
to cram the effects into your setup, but you'll get great
results.
Rob Ring
Saint Catharine's, Ontario, Canada
From:
Videomaker
November 1997
http://www.videomaker.com/
Top of Page
By Rick Shaw
There's so much video being produced today that
every video professional is bound to experience the bad graphics
syndrome: text that is unreadable; flying video boxes from
every direction; or montages that make you seasick. It's all
a manifestation of inexperience, bad planning, unreasonably
fast turnaround times, new equipment, and sometimes just downright
poor taste. But you can do something about it.
With all the newcomers doing video, a lot of
them haven't had a graphics background or anyone to teach
them how to do it. In my earlier days in television, I started
out as an audio engineer and never anticipated having to design
graphics. As I became more interested in video editing, I
did a lot of watching, question asking, and evaluating what
I liked and didn't like. I think anyone in television that
enjoys what he or she does never stops doing that. Most often
you get your start by learning from others. Fortunately, I
had a few good people that helped inspire me, and I'm probably
guilty of bugging them with too many questions.
There are basics to design. You'd be surprised
that when the simplest things are overlooked, the result can
look amateurish. Get a second opinion. If good suggestions
are made, be open to making the necessary alterations. Some
designers need to be careful to not let their ego get in the
way of making a project better. It may not sound like a good
idea to start with but even the most unpretentious suggestion
sometimes can turn a project around.
One mistake that people often make is using
too many fonts or words. I've worked with clients doing commercials
where they wanted so much information on the screen it looked
like a page from a phonebook. Then there's the person who
has a million fonts and wants to use them all on the same
screen.
When you work with fonts, limit the number of
typefaces on the same page to two or three. You can get away
with a couple of fonts - such as when you're designing a name
super with the name on top and the title below in a different
font. Be sure to choose two fonts that are compatible. Beware
of serif typefaces that have thin descenders because you may
have trouble keying them over the video. A font you're accustomed
to in print may not always work in the interlaced world of
NTSC. A font that is too small also poses a readability problem.
SIMPLE FONTS
With all the available graphic tools, you might
be tempted to use too many to of them in a single session.
For example, doctoring up your fonts with heavy drop shadows,
outlines, graduated fills, and other doodads can cheapen a
production. Keep it simple. Use everything sparingly and your
look will improve. Don't assume that you have to use a drop
shadow every time you use a line of text. Try reversing the
background behind a font, black over white or white over black.
Avoid colors that crawl on NTSC, such as red against blue
or green. Heavy, black drop shadows scream "video,"
and if you're looking for a more sophisticated look, try other
ways to make the super more readable.
If you're doing the font work for an entire
production, work out the "look" with the producer
or director before you start typing in all the name supers
and title pages. Everything should have a cohesive look, which
means using the same font style throughout. A lot depends
on the equipment you have available and its capabilities.
Some character generators can produce fuzzy drop shadows,
for example, while others cannot.
Another important factor to remember when using
text is kerning and leading. Kerning (spacing) the letters
in a word too far apart can make it more difficult to read.
Viewers can read words more easily if they see the letters
as a group. This is not to say that the letters should collide
with each other, but I'd rather have them almost touching
than to have too much space between them. Tight kerning has
been proven to be more readable. The exceptions would be moving
text. Where kerning a word by tightening or loosening the
spacing is part of the effect.
The same goes for too much leading (the space
between lines of text). If you have too much space, it can
appear as if you want each line to be read as a statement
instead of a sentence. On a monitor or screen, viewers often
don't have much time to figure out the sea of characters being
thrown at them. The layout should be obvious without insulting
their intelligence.
Keeping the text away from the background to
make it more readable involves many techniques. You can add
a box or band of color behind the text, but this has to be
done tastefully or it can look like a Band-Aid. The box should
precisely fit the text, and sometimes you can use a gradated
opacity fill. If you have the means, the color band can be
filled with a moving pattern, video, or graphic, as long as
it doesn't compete with the text.
If the background is too complex or completely
motionless, it can compete with the foreground text. Normal
techniques for improving the readability of the text would
include trying different colors, adding a slow push or pull
on the text, defocusing the background, or decreasing the
luminance. All of these techniques help, but you need to avoid
a bad background if at all possible. Interestingly, even a
complex background can be used if it moves slowly in some
way. This keeps the area behind the text changing, so it seems
to float over the background, thereby making it more readable.
Another problem is getting the text on the screen
in the first place. Beware of using cheesy DVE effect that
are readily available in most edit suites. Trails, sparkles,
and 3D perspective moves can get you into trouble really fast.
Your piece could end up looking like a monster truck rally
or a low-budge car commercial with a shouting announcer. More
effective ways are simple moves, actual text animation, or
a dissolve. Don't get hung up on a new effect and run into
the pitfall of overusing it.
Selecting the right graphic effect can be a
difficult task. Sometimes it's knowing when not to get too
fancy that can prevent a job from looking cheap. Motion pictures,
while they use a lot of expensive effects, use them only where
they make sense. You don't often see scenes flipping or pushing
in from all sides. Cuts make up the majority of edits in a
movie.
That's why I use DVE effects sparingly. I try
to plan out the effects for each job so that it doesn't end
up looking like I was showing off all of the cool stuff in
the same project. I've found that the effects that look the
best aren't often found in the DVE at all. They have to be
created by layering video, masking or colorizing images, and
trying to make video have more of a film look. It's easy to
make video look like video. It's more difficult when you need
to add sophistication. Page turns, oil drops, reshaping the
video, corner pinning, stamping, flips, squeezes, and spins
all need to be used sparingly and with purpose.
REMEMBER THE BACKGROUND
If you're creating a full-page graphic, probably
the most important element is the background. You don't want
it to conflict with the readability of the text. Also, it
may look good on your RGB monitor, but how does it look in
NTSC or finally on VHS? Large areas of red should be avoided.
Red on VHS will always bleed. Because most industrial projects
eventually end up on VHS, you've got to produce with the finished
product in mind. Recently, I saw in instructional video that
was obviously created on a computer and imported to video
where green text was place over a background that used a purple
gradient. It was annoying to watch for an extended period
of time. And the background hummed in NTSC.
One problem that has emerged since background
graphics have been created on computers is "humming."
Flickering or humming places in a graphic are always caused
by one pixel-wide lines somewhere in the image. In NTSC, a
one-pixel-wide line is too thin to display properly because
of the way video is interlaced. Interestingly, even one-pixel-wide
drop shadows of a highly contrasting color can also hum in
NTSC. Humming can occur in underlines, thin graphics, or even
gradated blends created in 24-bit color.
A gradient is made up of hundreds of tiny lines
- each line a slightly different color to create the effect
of a blend. Singularly, these lines are only one pixel in
width. You can end up with the simplest background that rings
and chatters once it is transferred to NTSC.
The easiest way to fix this type of a problem
is to avoid anything less than two-pixel-wide lines in your
artwork and backgrounds. If you need to use a gradient created
in Photoshop or other paint programs, you can use this simple
fix; use Photoshop's Blur filter once, and it will usually
fix the problem. The Blur filter "fuzzes" all of
the thin lines in a gradient just enough to keep it from humming
in NTSC without ruining the effect. If only a portion of the
graphic has a problem, use the lasso tool and select the problem
area and treat it with one hit of the blur filter. Normally,
you'll need to feather the edge of the lasso tool by one or
two pixels to create an invisible edge.
The temptation always exists to create a breathtaking
background, only to end up typing over the entire page with
text. This results in sensory overload - too much information
on the screen at one time. The same goes for print. Layouts
that could have been more effective have been spoiled by clutter.
Many people are turned off by having to read so much material
and will pass over it for something a bit more intriguing
visually. We've all seen the ads where the majority of space
consists of a captivating photograph with minimal text. Those
are the exemplary ads because they get your attention. They
speak without words. Open space in a frame is important. Don't
feel like you've go to get your money's worth by overcrowding.
COMPOSING IN MOTION
In the '80s, it was a common occurrence to fly
video boxes around the screen. The opening to The Tonight
Show starring Johnny Carson may have started that trend.
Since it's ten times easier to do a multilayered effect like
that today, the temptation exists to overdo it. Pushing flat
video boxes around the screen is no longer all that visually
stimulating. If you have to do it, add depth to the images
by using cast shadows, various aspect ratios, or matting irregular
edges to the boxes. Have the background doing something interesting
without detracting from the foreground objects.
Centering images is also less interesting than
placing them slightly offset. Take into consideration the
safe action and safe title areas so an important graphical
aspect doesn't end up falling off the edge of the tube.
A different story altogether is animated graphics,
but speed and pacing affects everything. It's important to
not let things go by so fast that the viewers' eyes can't
register on what's really happening. In video camera work,
that's something analogous to what some call "firehosing."
You need to let the animation develop, lingering a bit in
the areas that are especially beautiful or complex. This is
where a few motion studies in wireframe are worth toying with
before the big render. Linear keyframes are not always that
effective because they can make the animation look too computerized.
Objects tend to snap from one position to another. Cubic keyframes
or animation systems that have adjustable acceleration curves
can help ease motion effects. As odd as it sounds, the type
of music that goes under the animation can either help or
hurt it. I've seen some reasonably good animations that have
been killed by a bad soundtrack.
KEEP IT FRESH
It's easy to get stuck in a rut. A client may
ask for the same type of effect again and again - so many
times that the effect may have already slipped out of style.
Video is a trendy business. It's important to stay energized.
I highly recommend ordering a copy of the Broadcast Design
Awards reel each year a take the time to sit down and watch
all the entries. Occasionally, you'll find a totally different
look from France or England that may inspire you creatively.
Or, go home and pop a tape in your VCR and record a few things
you may want to examine later that you particularly liked.
There are times when corporate management may
not want to look "cool." They want it plain and
simple - marble and brushed aluminum - many times to a point
where a piece can become so stodgy that it loses its effectiveness.
That's where you need to demonstrate some captivating alternatives.
By Rick Shaw
Video Systems
November 1997
Contributing editor Rick Shaw is managing director
of Z Post, a post house in Atlanta that specializes in nonlinear
editing and digital media production for a variety of broadcast
and corporate clients. Shaw can be reached at Zpostrick@aol.com.
Top of Page
Ronald M Gerogeson writes that he wants to jam-synchronize
the time code of two Hi8 camcorders so he can cut back and
forth during editing - as he used to do with SVHS camcorders
and SMPTE time code. The question: Can it be done with RC
time code?
The tip: There is no way to feed code into most
of the machines that use RC time code, so they can't be jam-synced.
But there is another way to reach the same goal: Manually
set the time codes as close as possible and record the same
audio on both VCRs. This will get you at least into the ballpark.
Set your editing system to give as long a pre-roll
as possible. Enter the edit point's time code. Try the edit
in the preview mode and listen to the audio from both tapes.
You will probably hear an echo because the tapes will not
be in sync. Trim the edit point on the play tape, and keep
previewing until the echo goes away. Then do the edit. This
takes a while, but it works.
From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in
Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner.
None can be returned. |
