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FILL IN THIS GAP!
MPEG compressors hate gaps on the video timeline, even ones as tiny as a single frame.
It is all too easy to leave gaps in the video timeline, especially single frame ones.
It is extremely time consuming to scour through an entire project, especially one an hour or more in duration, to search for gaps on the video timeline. And even when you do, it is easy to miss them.
Doing just that has cost me hours of production time. I can’t imagine that it has not done the same for other of the PREMIERE line of users.
This problem has existed for a long time. Adobe is aware that it has existed for a long time.
Adobe has always positioned PREMIERE as a professional Non-Linear Editor.
No matter what its bells and whistles, a professional NLE must be reliable and do the job it is meant to do.
What would it take for Adobe software engineers to develop a utiliy to scan a project for known anomalies LIKE a gap on the video line?
Would it not be more efficient for the user to use such a utility than his having to skim through his entire project to visually examine every single cut on his timeline?
Does Adobe really need to be told it needs this utility?
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16 Replies
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Turn on Snap while you edit and the problem will go away.
Keyborad short cut ‘S’ -
I always have SNAP turned on. There are innumerable other ways to accidentally shift material and inadvertently leave a gap. Ironically, having SNAP on is one of them!
Let’s say one of your audio tracks is a frame past the start of a video gap you want to fill by shifting your video tracks. The SNAP will find the audio end point before the video and if you don’t notice and adjust accordingly, you are going to have a gap.
A utility to detect it would be nothing for a software engineer to program. There’s just no excuse for Adobe NOT to provide the means to troubleshoot errors like this that can make life hell because they are so easy to make, but a nightmare to detect manually.
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It doesnt happen to me (and I cant recall it ever happening) but may I ask of you ?
Do you edit using the Razor tool in the timeline mostly or do you set in and out points in the Source window ?
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Even though I don’t think I’ve been afflicted with this problem, I’d like to see a “gap checker” utility. I’m definetly glad though that it doesn’t force your clips together on the timeline. Basic programs like Windows Movie maker, Producer, and Premiere elements (I think) do that. One easy way to check all of your cuts really fast is to zoom your timeline in and then use the page up and page down keys to jump to the next cut, I can check at lease 60 cuts a minute that way.
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A standard feature in Avid applications and far from rocket science to add useful features like this. I’m sure this has already been requested before.
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I use the razor pretty much exclusively.
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That’s a help. It sure beats dragging the timeline in a zooned-in mode which takes an eternity and makes it STILL easy to miss a gap.
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That is probably why you end up with so many gaps.
Do you have a particular reason for using the Razor Tool ?
Craig
Shooter Film Company
Auckland
New Zealand(Premiere Pro 1.5 / Matrox TRX100 XTreme Pro)
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Craig, my only reason for using the razor tool, not to mention the track select tool, the ripple edit and the rolling edit tools, is that it is the fastest, most intuitive way of editing.
I might add that use of these tools is not only the prefered editing technique of the vast majority of PREMIERE PRO users, it is the way ADOBE and TOTAL TRAINING demonstrate the program’s use. I don’t know many instances condusive to edit-by-numbers.
What you seem to be suggesting is that the user twist his editing technique to accomodate ADOBE’s shortcoings.
Sorry, but no.
If I have misunderstood you, by all means correct me.
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Not at all and far be it from me to say how anyone else should edit but if you are really interested, here goes with my opinion.
In my case I use the Razor tool for much less than 1% of my edit functions and I would disagree that Adobe or Total Training advise or demonstrate its use for this purpose. (It has a purpose in splitting a clip to define an area for an effect).
BTW – I did view Total Training by Jake Rosenburg ( the whole set of 7 DVDs)
It is definitely not as you say “….the prefered editing technique of the vast majority of PREMIERE PRO users
It certainly is not the fastest or most intuitive method of editing.
Prem Pro does not suggest “edit by numbers”.
Follow my workflow for example. ( I use many Keyboard shortcuts but will talk in mouse terms for this even tho’ the shortcuts are faster and more efficient again)
Drag a clip to the source monitor
Play/shuttle to In point (Spacebar or JKL or arrow keys or scrub)
Set In point (I)
Play/shuttle to out point (Spacebar or JKL or arrow keys or scrub)
Set out point (O)
Insert or Overlay to Timeline (“,” or “.”)
Play timeline (in Program monitor)Next edit…etc…
(I also use shortcuts to Play “in to out” and go to In or Out points so I can fine tune the edit before I insert or overlay to the timeline) The edit always snaps to the CTI and/or targeted tracks ( reason I never see unwanted gaps in the timeline)
The reason I edit this way is because it provides absolute frame precision edits ,un equalled by a razor cut in the timeline). although:To achieve precision for a razor cut in the timeline you can punch in the timecode number for the CTI position.
The timeline is not frame accurate and only represents the media.
I would suggest that most professional editors use the razor rarely and do something similar to what I have described.
BTW – editing in the timeline using CTR (& ALT) Drag of clips (or head and tails)is a fast way of trimming and tuning an edit.
Anyway – I am always interested to hear how others do things and I take on board good tips and techniques. You would never convince me to edit exclusively with the razor tool tho’ – Sorry
Craig
Shooter Film Company
Auckland
New Zealand(Premiere Pro 1.5 / Matrox TRX100 XTreme Pro)
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