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Editing Audio in Interview Clips
Hi folks,
I’m making the transition from FCP7 over to Media Composer, starting out with a pretty usual job for me – slicing up interview footage into a short documentary-style video. Back in FCP I got quite used using keyframes to make very precise audio selections. That is, using quick fades to lose the “umms” or “aahs” at the start of words, or to cleanly chop out extraneous words.
I’ve been reading here and elsewhere that apparently subframe audio keyframing such as FCP7 did is not something Media Composer does (though it is a long standing request). I assume this is still the case, though I’d love to be mistaken. I can do plenty with the per-frame keyframes as they are, but it’s when it comes to the really fine details that I’m lost.
In particular I found this type of audio tweaking useful for client reviews as we’re often working with very non-video people who will be very bothered by unclean audio, despite reassurances that it will be *ahem* fixed in post.
I’m wondering how others might work around this?
Thanks
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5 Replies
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Still a longtime request. Media Composer has a frame based editing and keyframe model. The only subframe audio support is in syncing dailies where you can go up to 1/4 frame depending on film gauge project type.
Michael
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Protools is really the most logical answer. You can easily export an AAF, tweak it, then bring it back in. Going sample based is definitely a long standing request. The biggest variable in going sample based is the requests or IOps on the drive or shared storage system are significantly more than simply frames. Protools 10 changed a lot of that around, so maybe Avid can take advantage of that in the future.
I work with a lot of news organizations, and most of the time you trim it close with a frame and make it work and dissolve to try and make it perfect. That is usually fine for the 5:00 news, but if you are doing a Doc then it obviously needs to be clean.
Typically the workflow is that you create your edits as tight as possible, then toss your audio with your linked video to protools and have it dialed in properly.
James Beattie
ACSR Elite/Avid ACI, Apple Certified TechnicianConsulting for Workflow and Digital Technologies at Comprehensive Technical Group
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I would even settle for what was done in Avid DS and containerizing the audio and only working sample based within that event/clip/range. And containers have so much other other uses as well in the editorial process. The technology to tackle sample based audio or via containers is there – it’s more a matter of willingness, priorities, and resources at this point.
Michael
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I agree. And node based effects. When you need them they are great. And it would help make the system more distinctive.
James Beattie
ACSR Elite/Avid ACI, Apple Certified TechnicianConsulting for Workflow and Digital Technologies at Comprehensive Technical Group
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Thanks for the responses Michael and James.
The audio always gets passed over to a (much more experienced in this kind of thing) sound person for Pro Tooling during the finished stage so the end product isn’t going to be impacted by this change. It’s using these quick tweaks to make editorial decisions about what clips to use/avoid that I’m going to miss.
Sounds like I’ll either have to get more versatile with Pro Tools, or with reassuring clients in review that the audio will be well cleaned up.
And I’ll need to add my voice to the chorus bugging Avid to add this feature!
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