[Jeff Carpenter]

(I’m assuming this is a DV project,yes?) There is more than one way to do this, but with iDVD4 AND wih a video that’s over 20 minutes long, this is what I consider the easiest way:

Run your entire video out to DV tape over firewire. Then, shut down Final Cut and open iMovie. Use iMovie to re-capture the video. Use Apple-T to trim off the black at the start and end of your timeline. Then, create your chapter makers in the iMovie timeline. (Look in the DVD section of iMovie to see where you do that.)

Once you’ve made all of your chapters, you can click a button in iMovie that transfers your project over to iDVD. Yes, the outputting and re-capturing takes time, but once you’ve gotten to this point iDVD will not only take all of your chapter points but it will also create menus with links to each of those chapters and name them what you’ve called the markers. It will do most of the work for you. All you have to do is go back and change the syle of the menus to look like what you want them to be.

If your video is LESS than 20 minutes long you can export it from Final Cut as a Quick Time movie and then just import it into iMovie. Anything over 20 minutes would have to be broken up into small files, however, which is why I say to use tape for longer projects. It’s just easier than splitting your video up and fixing it later.

(Before you do any of this, make sure that your iDVD prefrences are set for the proper video length, in other words, less than or more than 60 minutes of video.)

[Jeff Carpenter]

Which version of iDVD and iMovie do you have?

[Jeff Carpenter]

System Drive >> Users >> “Your log-on Name” >> Library

In there you’ll find:

Keychains
Safari
Printers
Mail
Calendars
Application Support (included Address book info)

There might be some other things you care about in there too. Anyway, that’s where you want to look. Just save what you want someplace else like a CD. Might as well burn the entire library, just to be safe. Once you’ve re-installed, simply drag back what you want to restore to the new Library folder.

Be aware that there is ANOTHER “Library” folder right on the system drive. That’s NOT the one I’m talking about. The one I mean is in your user folder so it’s specific to YOU. In this other library there is ALSO a folder in there called “Keychains.” Now, I can’t really tell you what the difference is between the 2 different keychains folders. You should probably back up BOTH libraries with each being clearly labeled as to which library it is. Copy as much of it as you think you need to the new computer.

Maybe someone else can explain the differences better than I can, but backing them up and dragging them to the new drive is pretty much what you want to do.

[Jeff Carpenter]

David’s points about how long people will look are all good, but you don’t really have to edit down to the amount of time someone will be looking. You shouldn’t expect anyone to watch the whole thing no matter how short it is.

From my experience, most people will watch your video for 20 to 30 seconds and a select few will stick around for a minute or two. That doesn’t mean your video has to be 2 minutes long. Go ahead and make it 10 minutes long or more. (Broken up into segments, like David said.) Nearly everyone will only watch 5% of that, but the next time they wander by they’ll be seeing a different piece of video instead of the same 2 minute clip again and again.

Edit it so that reception and ceremony footage alternate instead of going in order and you’ll make sure everyone sees a little bit of everything.

When you get right down to it, the ONLY thing your video has to say is “I don’t suck.” That’s it. These potential brides will not remember ANYTHING they see because they’re seeing so much. Your only goal is for them to look at the screen and say “That’s not bad” and pick up one of your fliers. Passing out papers is the only thing that really matters. Hopefully, they’ll look at it later and think “I remember these guys…” and give you a call. No one is really looking AT the videos at these trade shows. They’re simply looking for people who look good enough to call back later.

I suppose it’s possible you’ll be at a small show where that’s not the case, but the ones I’ve been to were very large with thousands of people wandering around. They’re simply seeing WAY too much to absorb any of it. Just make sure they like it enough to take the paperwork and that’s about all you can do.

[Jeff Carpenter]

DV tape can only record DV signals. A DV signal is compressed with the DV codec. There’s no way around that; it’s the ONLY thing the deck knows how to do.

You’d need a different tape format to record better quality.

[Jeff Carpenter]

It could be a problem with the drive you’re capturing to. What kind is it and how is it connected and formated? How much space does it have free?

If you can, move everything off of it and re-format it.

These are just ideas, but hard drives can often be a source of capture problems.

[Jeff Carpenter]

What kind of “Sony Player” are you talking about? I’d work on finding a way to get that to work with 10.3.8. Don’t let one piece of hardware hold you back unless you absolutely have to. Let us know what it is, maybe we can help.