[Mike Kujbida]

Keith Kolbo has an excellent tutorial on his site titled Using Chroma Key and Chroma Blur in Sony Vegas.
Definitely highly recommended reading.

[Mike Kujbida]

[Harry Putnam] “Do you mean I have to render this out twice? I see no other way to accomplish what you suggest.”

That’s correct. Video (MPEG) and audio (AC-3) are separate renders.
This allows maximum control over everything when doing renders.
AC-3 renders fairly quickly (usually not even enough time to go get a coffee!!) so I don’t even think about it.
You can use a “batch render” script to automate this procedure. There’s one built into Vegas Pro 8.

“And concerning the bit rate: What does it mean to figure the bitrate according to the total time of project?”

If your video is over 70 min. long (and you’re burning to a single layer DVD), you’ll need to use a bitrate calculator to maximize the video.
Here’s a link to the one I use.
Note that this links to a zipped file.
Vol. 1 Issue 7 of Edward Troxel’s free newsletters takes you through the DVD authoring process. I highly recommend reading it.

“192′ is that a default?”

Yes, it is.

“If it is a default, is there some reason for me to mess with it?”

The only reason people mess with it is if they want to either change the data rate (I personally leave it at the default) or alter the playback level (the AGC option in the “Dolby Digital AC-3 Studio” handles the level control issue for you).

“It doesn’t really matter that its in stereo of course but just curious how I would set mono?”

You have to go into the “Custom” options for AC-3 and select 1/0 C in the “Audio coding mode” box.

“And I guess it might affect render time and final size somewhat.”

I’ve never tried a mono render so I have no idea.

[Mike Kujbida]

I grabbed this from a Sony Vegas forum somewhere a long time ago so I can’t give credit to the person that came up with it.
It’s designed to reduce echo so I think it should help you.

1. Select All, then Copy the audio.
2. Paste to a new track, invert the waveform, and apply moderate compression.
3. Reduce the new track volume so that a preselected “quiet” area is about 50% of the level of its corresponding area in the original.
4. Paste Mix the new track into the old. Renormalize if necessary.

There should be a noticeable improvement in clarity and echo reduction because you have applied negative feedback to the areas where the echo is most objectionable. Too high a compression or too high level of the feedback track will give a “pumping” effect, however.

[Mike Kujbida]

Options – Prefs – Editing
Deselect the “Automatically overlap multiple slected media when added” option.
No more overlaps 🙂

[Mike Kujbida]

You’re not saying anything that hasn’t been asked for numerous times in the past.
Here’s the link to the Sony Product Suggestion page.
Feel free to add yours to the list.
If enough of us keep asking for things like this, maybe they’ll eventually get added.

[Mike Kujbida]

I’d use VBR at 8,000,000 / 8,000,000 / 4,800,000 and AC-3 audio.

Spot will probably say to bump the 8 to 9 but this is ony of you’re using good brand-name media like Taiyo-Yuden or Verbatim.
Since it’s so short, try a 2-pass to see if you can notice a difference.

I use this bitrate calculator.
Note: this links to a zipped file.

[Mike Kujbida]

James,
Based on past experience, I know that a helicopter rental is at least $500/hr. but a small 2-person plane is around $50/hr. so that’s an option to consider.
Then again, a one-time expense for an hour or two of chopper time would get you a lot of images that might be used for other projects so that’s something to keep in mind.
If you have an airport nearby, check with local flying clubs as I’m sure they’ve done this before for other photographers.

[Mike Kujbida]

Just like owning a music CD doesn’t give you the right to use it commercially without proper clearances, the same applies to an image on a postcard.
The copyright to the image is owned by someone and it’s up to you to obtain (pay for) permission to use it in a commercial venture.
Most postcards I’ve seen have some kind of information on them somewhere and that’s where you’ll have to start.
It’s probably easier to find that same vantage point and take your own picture.

[Mike Kujbida]

To save a customized template, change the name in the template box at the top of the video tab.
Next, click the save icon (looks like a floppy disc) to the right of this box.
Now you click OK.

[Mike Kujbida]

Charlie, like you, I have yet to do any HD.
Our current setup (yours & mine) isn’t capable of displaying HD because most of the components are only SD-capable.

As I recall (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong), the way most folks are getting an HD signal to a monitor is by using the “Windows Secondary Display” feature that’s a part of Vegas.
You’ll need a graphics card capable of handling the necessary resolution.