Stephen Mann
Forum Replies Created
-
Well, actually they do, but it’s in the MHz range so it isn’t an issue for film or video.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA -
I don’t know if mine is the best approach, but I deal with crappy audio in the first place.
(I shoot theater and live performances). Every audio track is split into left only and right only tracks. It’s not unusual for me to have four to eight audio tracks for one project. Every track is assigned a bus in the mixer. I set the track level to “soft limiter”, the bus levels to -3dB hard limiter, and the master to a -6dB hard limiter.
It works for me, and a little tweaking on the track envelopes when the talent is not projecting well (I bump up the level envelope on the mic closest to the talent). Sometimes I have to bring down the volume envelope if a mic track is going into the red on the meters. Having every track on its own bus helps me visualize the levels.
I’ve never used normalization since there are some quiet parts in the productions that I shoot.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA -
So, you hit the “S” key and both audio and video split? Just making sure I know how you got here… If you didn’t change the timeline with cuts or inserts and the audio track is good except for the splits, then you can delete all but the first event then just drag the right edge to the end. (When you get a loop mark, then you’ve gone past the end.)
If you’ve done edits that change the audio timeline, then you could render the audio to a new track and normalize that.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA -
I suspect that your analog conversion is what’s messed up. Swapping the displays probably confirmed that. You can either get a two-headed card or another card identical to the one you already have, or even any other video card. The two-headed card is the best because it consumes less power than two cards and you would probably be getting it in AGP, which there is usually only one AGP slot on the motherboard. #2 is a lower-cost solution. It works best if both cards are PCI and identical models because there is only one driver loaded for both cards. The last option usually works but you risk getting driver conflict.
Windows XP will run as many monitors as you can plug cards into your PC. I am so used to editing on a dual-CRT setup that when I am in the field using a laptop, I feel terribly claustrophobic.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA -
“Wow I don’t know if I’m dumb or what but I have no clue what you’re talking about??”
Not dumb at all.
I’ve been using Vegas for over four years and I am learning something from this thread.
The greatest thing about Vegas is that there are almost always two or more ways to accomplish the same effect. (And I have yet to master the cookie cutter….)
Steve M.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA -
I always use Studio RGB, but nothing I’ve shot has gone directly to air.
Steve M.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA -
Basically, unless you are going to broadcast via analog tape, you can forget about the 7.5 setup.
Adam Wilt (adamwilt dot etc) has a nice writeup explaining 7.5 setup.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA -
If you like the demo but you aren’t sure about the cost of the package, the ‘studio’ version is under $100 and it’s exactly the same program but you’re limited to just a few tracks and AC3 is not licensed.
Where are you located? Maybe someone could volunteer a couple of hours to demo Vegas for you.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA -
I don’t think that was the question, Gary.
Most DVD players will play 5.1 audio properly on a stereo system (as stereo, of course). But some will not, so some producers put both a stereo and a surround track on their DVD and a menu button to allow the user to select the audio track at playback time.
On the other hand, I’ve noticed that it’s a rare Hollywood DVD that has this option any longer. They are almost always exclusively 5.1 surround on the DVD.
Steve M.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA -
It’s kind’a hard to say that it’s not for commercial use if it’s used in a commercial…
But, I’ll have good news for you in a moment….
“I think it would be prudent to have a waiver agreement in which the client assumes all responsibility for the material and indemnifies me of any resposibility of the content in the ad.”
An imdemnity would be absolutely worthless in court if the copyright owner wanted to press a case against you. You are the professional videographer – you are the presumed expert and you would be expected to know the law regarding copyrights. Not your client.
But, I wouldn’t worry. If the client signs an indemnification, you could probably get him to pay for your lawyer. But, here’s the good news, it will never happen.
You’ve done your due dillegence and told the client the risks of using copyrighted material in the commercial. He insists on proceeding, so do the work and take the money. The first thing the cable company is going to ask for is the rights book. This is the collection of all the model releases from the actors in the commercial and any non-participants who could be recognized. Property releases if the commercial is taped in a recognizable private property location, and finally the licenses for the all music heard in the commercial.
You see, the cable company needs to cover their collective ass also because if they air the commercial without all the rights and licenses on file, they could also be sued. Guess who has the deep pockets?
Now, are you ready for the ultimate irony? It’s perfectly legal for you to use the commercial in a demo tape for your business. (Just don’t put it on the web because that’s considered public viewing which would be a copyright violation).
Steve M.
Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA