My major beef

[Douglas K. dempsey]

I agree, it’s stupid and annoying … and fuel for the “It’s not ‘Pro'” argument.

Doug D

[Bill Davis]

Flip the concept.

Why, when video and audio is digitized together in a SINGLE FILE at the camera – is the DEFAULT to expect to be split up so it can be treated as separate elements?

It can be argued that for the the VAST majority of users, if they shot video and recorded sound simultaneously (and other than shooting MOS, that’s pretty much what everyone does!) – what’s the purpose of treating that single digital file as TWO THINGS by default?

Isn’t it only because that’s how NLEs traditionally have worked? With Video up there – and Audio down there?

What if instead of a history of double system, the EARLIEST cameras had generated AV muxed files?

Wouldn’t everyone just EXPECT to break apart the files ONLY when you need to?

I’m not saying one or the other is better or worse, just asking which “default” makes more sense if you detach it from what we all learned in the beginning, when film didn’t have sound, so things HAD to be separate.

Interesting question, huh?

Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.

[Jeremy Garchow]

Bill, it’s a shitty design.

Let’s just let this one go, and then go ask Apple to fix it. That’s the only thing interesting about this particular “feature”.

A camera that records “muxed” audio and video as you call it, does not adjust the audio as your adjust the iris, and would be swiftly thrown out the window if it did.

[Neil Goodman]

Cant tell if Bill is being serious or not.

[Andrew Kimery]

[Neil Goodman] “Cant tell if Bill is being serious or not.”

This one’s for you, Neil.

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Is there not a way to make this in Motion and then make it your default transition? I would presume if it’s possible to make an audio-only transition, it’s also possible to make a video only transition?

I think it’s a handy default, but more options would be handy.
One of my biggest irritations is that if you choose to expand audio, you have to expand again for every new clip you throw in the timeline. Instead of being in an ‘expanded’ view. I’m not talking about audio components, but just the ‘normal’ expanded view that let’s you easily do J-L cuts. I’ve asked for this in feedback many times, but oh well.

https://mathieughekiere.wordpress.com

[Herb Sevush]

[Bill Davis] “I’m not saying one or the other is better or worse, just asking which “default” makes more sense if you detach it from what we all learned in the beginning, when film didn’t have sound, so things HAD to be separate.
Interesting question, huh?”

This is an interesting question and here’s my take on it:

First, on a pragmatic level, the default should be separate because the number of times an editor wants to dissolve both audio and video at the same time is much, much less than the times they wish to do it separately. Quite simply every editorial decision is specific to it’s situation and tying 2 decisions together because of a given production acquisition technique is, more often than not, less productive.

Second, on a more abstract level, I believe that anything that fosters the illusion that any sound is tied to any visual limits the imagination. Everything about what we do is an illusion — there are no “movies” — just still images and elements of digitized sound. Every element we have to play with should be as freely manipulated as possible and tied to nothing but the editors purpose. It is often convenient to use and move and manipulate audio that was recorded at the same time as video, which is why the ability to tie the two together in a sync relationship is crucial – but it is limiting to think they are to be muxed together on your timeline because that was how you imported the file.

Which is why in my own workflow once I assemble an edit I always detach all my audio from my video using whatever tools a given NLE will have – I’ve never performed a J or L cut in my life. Instead I cut the audio where the audio wants to be cut, I cut the video where the video wants to be cut and I never have to worry that if I’m manipulating one piece of media, another “connected” piece of media somewhere else in the timeline is being affected.

YMMV

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin\’ attached to nothin\’
\”Deciding the spine is the process of editing\” F. Bieberkopf

[Tony West]

[Mathieu Ghekiere] “Is there not a way to make this in Motion and then make it your default transition? “

That’s a good question.

I’m trying to think of how often I would actually use it.

For the most part if I have an interview and the subject says,” I started playing baseball at 16″

I just have that b-roll on top of his primary and make a dissolve on that footage while his audio underneath keeps going, and since the b-roll audio is together (how I prefer it) I just reach up and adjust that b-roll sound.

Are you guys wanting to do your video only transitions in the primary all the time? I’m trying to picture it.

[Bob Woodhead]

I thought that when you 1st expand audio, then apply trans, collapse audio, it doesn’t effect audio.

[David Mathis]

I tried to build a video only cross dissolve for FCP X in Motion. The problem is that audio does not exist in Motion unless I missed something.

I basically opened up a transition thingy and expanded both transition clips to fill the entire timeline. I added a keyframe at the beginning and end of each clip for the opacity. Published that out hoping that the audio would not be affected. My dream boat made like the Titanic and sank.

As to why you can make an audio only dissolve in Motion is the change in the video transition only applies to the video. All one has to do is select transition from the welcome screen and publish out the transition with no changes being made.

Bill does raise an interesting question but have to disagree with him there.