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Managing multiple cameras in editing
I am doing a video coverage for an awarding ceremony for business people. Depending on the budget of my client, I might be shooting it with multiple cameras. One camera might be fixed on a tripod and pointed at the host/ stage. The other one will be moving and shooting the awardees as they are called to the stage.
Now the problem is, with the big number of awardees, how do I manage my clips from the two cameras so i don’t get confused when editing it. I could easily take the clip of the wrong person (shot from the moving camera) and put it beside the wrong clip (shot from the fixed camera) in Premiere Pro.
Also, should I have both cameras continuously turned on and shooting from start to finish? Or should I shoot only the important parts? The person whom I’m renting the cameras told me to shoot continuously and just bring lots of tapes.
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2 Replies
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Yes, the best way is to roll both cameras nonstop. If you can set the time code generators to time of day and free-run, that method would let you keep them consistent and easy to match via timecode even if they did start and stop, and someone sitting anywhere in earshot of the action can log the key events in real time using just their wristwatch and a notepad.
… but I have always just run all the cams nonstop. One thing you will want to do is start one camera 2-3 minutes before the other, so that when the first one runs out of tape or battery, the second camera is still recording a cover shot while you switch out fresh ones on the first camera. Then the fresh camera 1 is covering while you do the same switch-out to camera 2 and etc.
If possible, once all cameras are rolling and before the actual event begins, have somebody up front set off a still camera flash strobe where all your cameras can see it. Or, have them make big alligator jaws of their arms and clap them together once or twice. These give you a visual synch point common to all the cameras. When you line all these tracks up in your NLE system, make sure they all start on the same frame of the flash and you are in good shape.
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The latest version of Premiere Pro allows for multicam editing, as does Final cut and some others… The above poster is correct on all counts, I would recommend an audible “Smack” if it’s possible, I find that easier to sync video to, personally… What the software allows you to do is pretty simple, really… If the timecode’s all the same, it’s incredibly easy, but if not, and the tapes were never stopped, then, all you do is pick the inpoint within the digitized footage for all tapes, and the fotage can play back in real time in your preview window… You just click on what camera you want to use as the footage plays back in real time… Incredibly easy to set up… A real time saver.
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