Expert Connections : BobRusso

Pre MC 3.5* How To transfer media using Sony XDCAM EX Clip Browser version 2.0 software

BobRusso — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

This should only be used for Media Composer 3.0 / NewsCutter 7.0 and earlier. Please see: http://www.avid.com/xdcam/

I’m Bob Russo with Avid Technology. In this tutorial I’m going to demonstrate how to transfer media using version 2 of the Sony® XDCAM® EX clip browser software with the Avid® Media Composer®.

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Along with Mac – Intel support, version 2 of the Sony XDCAM EX Clip Browser software now enables the MP4 files to be directly rewrapped to Avid Media Files. The first step is to select the destination for the MXF files. Since these are Avid Media Files the exact folder must be selected: Avid MediaFiles – MXF and the appropriate numbered folder.

Now select the SxS card or folder where the EX media is stored; choose the clips to use in the Media Composer and select File, Export, Avid AAF.

Select a location for the AAF file and click execute. AAF files are created with the clip metadata and the clips are rewrapped as OPAtom MXF files.

Now in the Media Composer, select File, Import. Navigate to the folder where the AAF files are and select them. The clips along with sequences are imported into the bin linked to the media ready for an edit. The sequences can be deleted.

And that’s how you use media from an XDCAM EX camera with the Avid Media Composer.

How To Change the Frame Rate of a P2 clip

BobRusso — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:21:00 GMT

Maximize your P2-workflow knowledge! In this video, learn how to change the frame rate of a P2 clip using DVFilm's MXFX, and edit with it in Avid Media Composer.

Video Text:

I’m Bob Russo with Avid Technology. Today I’m going to talk about how to change the frame rate and frame size of P2 clips using DVFilm’s MX – FX for use in the Media Composer.

In this example I’m working in a 1080i – 59.94 project and have a virtual P2 card with clips that were shot using a variable frame rate.

I can import the P2 clips into a bin but when I try to play the clip, I receive an error message that the frame rate doesn’t match the projects frame rate.

To change the frame rate and frame size of the clip to match my project I’ll use MX-FX.

Select Options, the options box opens. Since my clip is 23.976, I need to add 3:2 pulldown, change the frame rate to 29.97, and convert the frame size to 1920X1080.
Select OK.

I’ll drop the clip from my virtual P2 card into the window and select start.
MX – FX will create a new virtual P2 card that will retain the meta data from the original card.
Depending on the host computer and exactly what process is being performed, this could take two to four times the length of the clip.

Once it’s done I’ll go back to the Media Composer an import the clip from the new virtual P2 card MX – FX just created.

The clip imports and can play in my project 1080i – 59.94 project with the variable frame rate intact.

And that’s how to change the frame rate of a P2 clip for use in the Avid Media Composer.

How To Create an Offline-Online Workflow with Panasonic P2

BobRusso — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:16:00 GMT

One of the most popular emerging workflows in today's post-production world is the Offline-Online workflow with the Panasonic P2 camera. Watch this video to learn exactly how to take your HD media from the P2 card, edit at a SD resolution, and then relink back to its HD flavor. A transcription of my narration is posted below the video.

I’m Bob Russo, the media education evangelist for Avid Technology. Today I’m going to talk about an offline – online workflow with media from a Panasonic P2 camera and the Avid Media Composer.

One of the ways to work with media from a P2 camera is to copy the contents of a P2 card to a folder on a drive. This is what I’ve done here. The first step in working with P2 is to import the clip information into a bin. Select File, Import P2, Clips to Bin. A finder window opens. Navigate to the drive with the P2 media. The top-level folder must be selected. If this folder is not selected the Media Composer will not be able to import the clip information and you will receive this error.

Once I selected the correct folder the Media Composer indexes the media. The media isn’t being imported, instead, just the clip information is being loaded very quickly into a bin. You can see how the clips are actually linked to a virtual P2 card on the drive and can be played right away. I’ll make my selects and consolidate the media over to my local storage using the File, Import P2, Media. The clip media is now on my local drive. For storage and performance reasons, I like to edit the sequence in a standard definition resolution. To do this, change the Format tab to 30i. Select Clip, Consolidate/Transcode. The Consolidate/Transcode box opens. I now have the option to transcode the HD media to any SD resolution. I’ll select DV25. As you can see, three new clips are made, and I can start my edit.

Once the edit is done and the sequence is ready for the online, it can be relinked to the HD media. Change the Format tab back to HD. The SD media changes to yellow, warning that there is SD media in an HD sequence. With the sequence selected, select Clip, Relink. The Relink box opens and select the Highest Quality in the Video Relink Parameters. These options can be turned off, and click OK. The sequence is quickly relinked to the original DVCPRO HD media and ready for the online.

And that's an offline – online P2 workflow with the Avid Media Composer.

Pre MC 3.5* How To Edit with Media from a Sony XDCAM EX Camera

BobRusso — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:19:00 GMT

This should only be used with Media Composer 3.0 / NewsCutter 7.0. Please see: http://www.avid.com/xdcam/

Watch this video to learn exactly how to take media from the XDCAM EX card and edit with it in the Media Composer. A transcription of my narration is posted below the video.

I’m Bob Russo, the product evangelist for Avid Technology. Today, I’m going to talk about how to use media from a Sony® XDCAM® EX camera with the Avid® Media Composer®.

Using the Sony XDCAM EX Clip Browser software, select a memory card or drive where the EX media is stored. The clips load and I can play them in the viewer. Decide on the clips to use in the Media Composer and select File, Export, MXF. Choose a location for the files and click Start. The clips are quickly rewrapped as MXF files, like the files from an XDCAM™ HD camera.

Now in the Media Composer, select File, Import. The import box opens. Navigate to the folder where the MXF files are and select them. The files are added to the Media Composer very quickly, because they aren’t actually being imported. Instead, the clip information is being created in the bin and the media is being copied to the Avid media files folder. Once the clips are in, I’m ready to edit and combine them with other clips in my project.

And that’s how you use media from an XDCAM EX camera with the Avid Media Composer.

How To Change Audio Speed without Affecting Pitch

BobRusso — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:21:00 GMT

Avid makes it easy to dynamically change the speed of audio in the Timeline, without affecting its pitch. This results in a virtually undetectable speed-up or slow-down, so that you can accurately match all of your audio and video tracks. Watch this video to learn more, a transcription of my narration is posted below the video.

I’m Bob Russo, the media education evangelist for Avid Technology. Today I’m going to talk about the Time Shift Audio Suite Plug-in.

A common problem for editors is when the narration doesn’t fit the time allotted. As you can see in this example, the narration is too long. Instead of re-editing the spot, I’ll use the Time Shift Audio Suite Plug-in to get this to fit.

Select Tools, AudioSuite, the AudioSuite opens and select Time Shift from the menu. Click on the plug icon to activate the plug-in and adjust the parameters. Adjust the Shift menu in the Time parameter. Since we just need to speed the audio up by about a second. I’m going to choose a percentage just above real-time speed. Let’s start with 104%. Select Render, and OK. This will increase the speed of the audio but maintain the pitch so it’s difficult to detect. You can see from the waveform that the audio is now the correct length. And it sounds great.

This is just one use for the Time Shift Audio Suite plug-in.