CS4 Multicamera: 2 Source Cameras

[Lance Lewis]

Bill,

I do this kind of thing all the time (usually use three cameras though).

I have found it to be a tad more time consuming to use the multicam feature when only using two cameras. For two cameras (and even sometimes three) here is the workflow that I use.

1. Place camera that contains wide shot on track 1. Place camera that contains close up shots on track 2. Sync cameras.

2. Place additional audio on timeline if you have any. Sync audio to above tracks. (check multiple points on timeline to verify that everything is in sync and stays in sync as you will want to correct this before starting any editing)

3. From this point it’s relatively simply to start cutting away the footage that is no good. In our case, the wide shot is nearly 100% good. So we focus on the close up camera. I just start cutting away the footage that I don’t want (because it was no good…or because it makes more sense to be on the wide shot at that moment).

I don’t know how much you are into editing, so I am leaving a bunch of stuff out here. The reason that I don’t like using multicam for a dance recital is because with multicam, I have to watch the footage twice (once to make the switches and once to fine tune the exact moment of the switches… e.g. you switch to camera 2 anticapting a pan, but camera 2 starts the pan right when the group condenses on center…better off staying with camera 1). With the above method, I watch the footage only once. However, I am manually doing work the multicam would do. We have found it’s a little less time consuming to do it this way.

When I cut weddings, I always use multicam. Much easier to see what all three cameras are doing at one moment in time. With dance recital, especially a two camera shoot, I have a really good idea of what both cameras are already doing.

Again, I am leaving a lot of stuff out here in regards to how my company produces dance recitals. If you want to know more about any of that, feel free to ask.

[William Mcqueen]

Lance, thanks so much for your suggestions. I believe I will skip the multicam approach. Syncing will likely be a challenge with the introductory remarks by the event organizer and as we couldn’t use a clapboard (or clapping hands); there is little audio at all with the dance routines. However, sync is still required and since I want to output a DVD (with menu), I am unsure whether to place each of the three routines into a separate sequence.

A problem with the wide shot was that while the routines are actually quite exiting and innovative – a group of 3 or 4 persons, combining people with a variety of disabilities – the blocking of the staging area had not been fully prepared and so sometimes persons went outside the camera range on both left & right at the same time and I could not move the camera for a wider perspective. We were not able to see any rehearsals in the performance space (a large studio with a small audience), so there were a lot of unexpected moves on the part of the dancers.

Since the video is mainly for the dancers to see their work, the wide-shot may be the best continuous footage, but then the organizer also wants to use some of it for a fund-raising effort eventually.

I’m more used to cutting simpler, documentary pieces involving IVUs and b-roll, and recognize the opportunity to be more creative myself, but see the challenges.

Once synced, I was planning to nest the edit in a separate sequence for the titling purposes.

But I ramble, and again, thanks.

Cheers,
Bill in Toronto

[William Mcqueen]

Ooops, since I didn’t use a clapboard, I can see/hear where words/ phrases end. Any suggestions on marking and matching? Use an unnumbered marker? I can switch to an audio waveform in the source window and can see beginnings/endings quite well when they’re enlarged. But the audio waveform in the sequence timeline is too small for my vision.

I guess I also need to know more about “sync lock” as I directly cut into the original footage. I.e., Once I do get the original sync between Camera A-vid1 (wide) and Camera B-vid2 (CU), how do I maintain the sync as I cut and delete sections of either camera? Just leave the resulting gaps? Replace?

Sorry for my awkwardness…and learning curve.

But your help is gratefully appreciated.

Cheers,
Bill in Toronto

[Lance Lewis]

William,

I find it easiest to sync off of audio when using two different camera shots (close up and wide). Here’s what I do:

1. I put my wide track on the first line and then I listen to the audio. Let’s say someone says, “Welcome to the 29th annual YMCA dance review” I would hit stop right after review. Then I put a clip marker on this clip. Then I do the same thing with the close up video (either in the clip window…or if I do it in the timeline window than I turn off any other audio of course. Then I line these two markers up. This gets me close (I’m pretty consistent, so this usually gets me within 2 frames…sometimes I get lucky and nail it).

2. Now I expand the audio tracks for both cameras. I make them bigger as well so I can see the wave forms much better. I then use the audio wave forms to get the sync perfect. When you are syncing off of camera audio, the sound will contain a lot of ambient sound, so I look for a very clear cut point in the audio. You will have to zoom all the way in on your timeline as well because you will be moving your track just a few frames to make it perfect.

As far as keeping the two tracks in sync, this is easy: After cutting your first dance number, just do a fade to black at the same time that the theater did there fade to black, or when the group left the stage. Now cut out the footage that you are not going to use. Once both cameras have had the “dead time” cut out you will have a big blank spot on your timeline. Just do a ripple edit (right click your timeline, and ripple edit). The deadspace will be taken out. Again I am leaving out a few things here such as placing a title in between numbers…but it’s the same idea.

By the way, for the method of cutting that I described in my previous post, I just leave the entire wide shot on the line (minus the dead spots of course). The close ups are on the track above that, so really, I am only cutting the close ups away. There are many ways to skin the cat though.