-
Logging Footage for a Documentary
I could really use some help here now…
I am editing a documentary and I have about 50 hours of footage.
Most of the footage was shot on XDCAM or AVCHD and even Mini DV
Im using Sony Vegas Pro to do the edit.
Ive begun logging and now I’m worried about the way I have begun….
Can you please offer any advice?The footage is arranged in folders each dated the day of recording.
Each folder contains all the recordings on that date in seperate clips.
One folder might contain 50 clips totaling an hour of recording etc..
There are about 50 folders.What I have done is grab all the clips from one folder, put them on
the timeline, export and burn a dvd, then watch the dvd noting the time
in minutes and seconds with the usual descriptions.Is this making sense ? I mean I should probably be calling the 1st folder I burned to DVD marked ‘tape 1’ and note take the usual way. My concern is when I go editing that i wont be pulling from a DVD but instead a list of clips in a folder that dont play in sequence like the dvd did… what do you think of my way of reviewing and note taking?
Can anyone offer any advice??
-
6 Replies
-
I never use the trimmer, preferring to edit on the timeline itself, but your situation calls for using the trimmer to create subclips.
Here is an excellent tutorial By Gary Rebholz from Sony that shows how to add subclips to your Project Media window, and how to organize them into folders:
https://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegas_pro_trimmer_window
It’s an educational read, but what you want is about halfway through the tutorial starting with: “Now let’s carry the discussion a little bit further “.
For clarification, THERE ARE NO CLIPS ON THE TIMELINE! Everything on the timeline is an event. Clips exist only in the Project Media window.
Vegas also has a Media Manager option, but I’ve never used it, and don’t know anyone who does.
Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com -
Thanks for the reply Stephen
In that reply you actually addressed another issue I had
Everytime I used the stabalize effect it never worked because as you said I was applying it to an ‘event’ and not a clip! So thanks two fold! but I’m not sure if the fog is gonna clear on my approach to logging and organising… I will check out what you have suggested…
thanks very much for your reply
Neil -
” I was applying it to an ‘event’ and not a clip!”
Remember, you can have hundreds of events from one media clip. Any f/x that you apply to an event, is applied to that event only. If you want to apply an f/x to all events, then apply it to the clip or subclip in the Project Media window.
Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com -
Will do Stephen, and thanks, you enlightened me to an issue that I hadn’t even thought about asking of.
Also, If anyone out there has any other opinions on methods of organizing my footage as asked in my 1st question, id also be grateful…
Neil -
[Neil Hynes] “Is this making sense ?”
_______________________________________________________________
Yes. Completely. We have all been here before and will revisit this “workflow” issue again and again. Not you, but me: “Am I doing this correctly? Wont I get into a mess?” – sure….
[Neil Hynes] “My concern is when I go editing that i wont be pulling from a DVD but instead a list of clips in a folder that dont play in sequence like the dvd did… what do you think of my way of reviewing and note taking?”
_______________________________________________________________
OK, turn this on its head: What IS needed for the Project? What has the Client asked for? What is the outcome of the doco? These are THE only motivations that should drive workflow and media organisation.
So, write a physical list of has to be in the Video and arrange your Bins within Vegas accordingly.
1] “And so it begins . . .” The Story Outline
2] “This is what we did . . . ” Details of that same outline
3] “The Big Picture!”
Call your BINS exactly what you need them to be called.
In the past I’ve used many approaches to make sense and give direction to the Edit: Media Manager – this allows for a GLOBAL access to your Media and have called the Folders in there that which captured on the day; BINS – these are specific to THAT Vegas VEG, but allow for large scale reorganisation and searching too.
Here’s the thing – Once you have logged ALL the media and have it available on hard discs, its up to you to dictate your workflow. And the only driving, or leading force behind that is the requirement of the Doco.
Look, during 2010 > 2012 was my most active capture > upload > logging> edit > Q&A > Client Delivery period I’ve ever had. 5 clients with upwards of +400 hours of footage spread over SD and HD cameras; masses of graphics and audio files – V/Os, output from studio audio decks and one live audio stream from a BBC OB too. Had I known all of this in late 2010 I would have been truly scared – but it just “grew” . Oh yes, while this was going on SCS, decides to push through their GPU options for VP10…VP11.
So, let the Project dictate your media retrieval methods, not the other way around!
OK, that’s been my experience so I really hope some of my drivel above makes sense and is of value. Keep us informed.
Oh yes . . Have FUN! – Enjoy what you do and don’t loose sight of the prize at the end.
Cheers
Grazie
Video Content Creator and Potter
PC 7 64-bit 16gb * Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core 3.40GHz * 2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 Ti
Cameras: Canon XF300 + PowerShot SX50HS Bridge -
Documentary logging:
I have been looking at the Media Manager as well, to date I have only been using bins, With VP12 you can “tag” clips, but I find the comments area in the list view more useful.
When syncing footage on the timeline, I had used markers to log, as they can be printed out with timecode! But when I use markers in the trimmer, I cannot figure out how to print them, is this possible? I have very long clips, easily 30 minutes and there is not enough room in the comments area to log footage, thus I am still using markers.
Rating: I am not able to get the “rating” feature working, supposedly a drop down box should open, it does not, anyone using this feature in the media bins, list mode?
Any ideas?
Cheers,
Malcolm
Malcolm
http://www.malcolmproductions.com
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up