[Dennis Dean]

Sometime with issues like this, I do everything needed to a copy of the source clip, then export as a new clip and swap it out with the original. If they’re the same file type you can add “old” to the name of the original, give the original name to the modified clip, save and reopen the project. Instant global swap!

[Dennis Dean]

I’ve worked projects on external drives on a Mac without issue with two exceptions: changing or modifying the project folder name or moving the project folder. Then all bets are off and I need to relink. So I don’t do that anymore.

[Dennis Dean]

Have gone through hardware / peripheral issues before, usually trying to save some $$ on my end. What I have learned is that by the time I either find a solution or give up, I’ve spent more time than a new computer would cost. Your time is worth money. I either try to hang on as long as I can or take my current edit station and move it down a notch to lesser tasks, and bring in a newer computer that will do the job for the foreseeable future. There’s also (at least there was for me) a lot less frustration and hair pulling. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[Dennis Dean]

Thanks, Hector –

I did something similar. Copied the sequence then output the mixed audio as a single AIFF file and brought it back into the timeline of the new sequence replacing all of the edited audio. Output my usual mpeg4 and everything was fine. As I mentioned earlier I think the culprit was the mp3 music bed the client supplied. I almost always use WAV files and that disappeared in the mix over to AIFF. If I have time I’ll try something else. But thanks for getting back to me!

Dennis

[Dennis Dean]

If you didn’t – always wear headphones to monitor your audio before recording. Tap on the microphone to make sure you’re monitoring the correct mic. Then set levels having your subject talk. You might ask to re-do this part of the video. OR – if the “Enhance Speech” tool Tod suggested did not work, open the sound track in Audition and use the denoiser to get rid of room noise. Then start tuning with filters to focus on the mid range so you can increase the volume. There are also tools – either in Audition or a separate software called Audacity (I forget which) that can remove echo if you have hollowness in the room. But definitely try Tod’s suggestion first! Hope all this helps.

[Dennis Dean]

I have my system configured so that everything I need is kept in a single project folder on my iMac’s internal drive. I keep a drive plugged in dedicated to Time Machine backups.

I also keep extra drives attached to my iMac and once a project is underway, I simply drag the project folder to an external drive and that becomes an on-site backup. I do that until the project is final. Then I make sure it’s on two external drives before taking it off my internal drive.

Off-site backups are always great in case of major disasters… fire, flood, etc. I currently do not have an off-site backup but that’s next on my list.

So I can take any project folder – transfer it to any computer – and pick up editing where I left off, if needed. It’s all there. I might have to let it recreate some media files, transitions etc. but it’s complete and in a single package. Just open it and edit it.

Hope that helps.

Not sure if I will use iCloud or something else for off-site. Off-site also qualifies if you take one of the backup drives out of the building with you… and leave one in the building.

[Dennis Dean]

If you have Adobe Audition installed – just option click the audio track and you can open it in Audition. All kinds of options in there. You can also output your finished audio as a wav file, run it through Audacity to do everything all at once, then put it back into your project. Though I’m sure someone has a better method than that for the entire sound track…

[Dennis Dean]

Sometimes a work-around is easier than trying to diagnose.

Have you tried creating a new sequence that plays the audio, then exporting that out to the 23.976 frame speed? Or create an entirely new project, drop the clip onto a new sequence, make sure the frame speed is correct and export the audio as either a 24.976 video or as a WAV file. Then use in your project.

[Dennis Dean]

Good ideas from Andy; usually what I do. Also – if you have a clip that has objectionable events but you can still slice a usable segment out – I’ve often simply lengthened the clip a few frames or percentage points.

Back to the photos for a minute. If you can put the photo between two other shots that are radically different… say lighting, contrast, color, movement, it might also help fool the brain of the viewer, which will be processing the radical change before it starts to process any thought that it doesn’t quite look like video.

[Dennis Dean]

No idea how this works on a PC but on my Mac I keep everything regarding a project in a single folder and simply drag the folders off to an external disk for backup. Then I drag them back onto my internal drive when I need to do a major update for a client. Or do the update on the drive itself. My projects aren’t that huge.

What will save you time and space if a project is completed is to export it using Project Manager…. it can export all the assets but ONLY the ones being used on the sequences you select. I’ve also done this with no issues.

Hope this helps. Others more experienced than me may have better solutions and precautions for you.