Video Editing Stylebook
DITC Swiki (home)
Video Editing (journal)
Regrading use of Lower Third's animation, follow
ex: CoachDv7 around 2:37 in timeline when applied in sequences that it may cover infomation, but when animation will not cover information, follow ex: creatDsgv1 around 1:20 in timeline
Table of Contents
A. Definitions and Notes to Editors
B. Global Font Characteristics
C. Slates and Titles
D. Standard Endings
E. End Questions
F. Big Timeline
G. Storing Files
H. Cleaner Compression Schemes
I. Acrobat
J. Audio
K. Watermark and Copyright
A. Definitions and Notes to Editors
Definitions
"bigTimeline" – This is basically a rough cut review sequence of an entire day of shooting.
"compMovie" - compressed movie
"fullMovie" - uncompressed movie, made when all editing is completed
"refMovie" - referenced movie, made at a smaller size when the sequence is still undergoing editing
Notes To Editors
When you finish a job, do a refMovie (referenced movie) and compMovie (compressed movie) for work you've completed. During your next day's work, review the entire movie that you worked on. If the entire movie looks good to you, note this using a new line of italized text after the final line of edit requests that says "DONE compMovie", followed by your initials, and the date.
B. Global font characteristics
These variables do not change, with the exception of the end questions.
Font: Geneva
Tracking: 1.5 for italicized fonts, 2 for regular fonts
Leading: 0
Aspect: 1
Drop Shadow:
Offset: 1
Angle: 135
Softness: 20
Opacity: 80
C. Slates and Titles
A slate is typically something that is only seen by editors and the tv studio airing the reel. This will show the title of the entire piece, the running time, and usually a logo for the company that edited it. For our purposes, the slate will be the first thing the viewer sees and will contain our main title and a still (at 50%) from the particular sequence. The length of the slate will be determined by how much text is invloved: more text equals a longer "read-time" for our viewer. The slate will always be in italics.
Titles occur within the sequence to mark certain sections. A title might happen right after the slate or any time from the beginning to end. Titles typically appear like this: the last clip fades to black, then 10 frames of black, then the title fades up to 100% in 10 frames. The first frame of the video to follow is made in to a still. That still fades up in 30 frames from 0% to 100% and then the video begins to play. The title fades out in 10 frames after the video begins to play. It may sound confusing, but check sWrkDay2 for examples. Titles will always be regular (not italics or bold).
The spacing for slates will always be centered, though the vertical positioning (up and down) may change according to the still that is behind it. Do whatever looks best.
The spacing for titles will always be centered on both the horizontal and vertical axis. You may have to play with is a bit to make it look centered if the title is 2 or 3 lines in length, just use your good eye.
Opening Slate with 3 Main lines
Model: Teach Day 3; S Work Day 2
Opening Slate with 1-2 Main lines AND 1 Subtitle
Example: Teaching Day 2; Student Work Day 2
Size: 50 for the main line(s) and 40 for the subtitle
Style: Italics
Titles.
Example: sWrkDay2
Size: 40
Style: Regular
Length: 2 - 3 seconds, depending on line length.
Aesthetic: Fade up in 10 frames to white text on a black background. Then, 1 second before the first clip starts, begin to fade up a still from the first frame of the clip (0% - 100%) in 30 frames. After the clip begins to play, fade the title down (in 10 frames) to 0%.
Super
(a name tag in the lower portion of a screen that typically says something like "David Crismond - Learning by Design," short for "super-imposed.")
Font: Geneva
Alignment: Left
Length: 3 seconds
Person's Name text:
Size: 30
Style: plain
Tracking: 2
Person's Title text:
Size: 22
Style: italics
Tracking: 1.5
Drop Shadow:
Offset: 1
Angle: 135
Softness: 20
Opacity: 80
Subtitles
Jeremiah, please fill in.
D. Standard Endings
Poor Ending Frame
Sample:
1. 15 frame fade to black from clip
2. 10 frame black only
3. The next 15 frames are of a good still picture, being raised from 0%-50% in that time. 4. Leave at 50% for 15 frames (image will remain 50% for the rest of sequence).
5. Use from 15 frames to 1 sec to bring text up from 0% to 100% opacity.
6. Sequence ends with only 1 frame after the 100% of the final text.
Good Ending Frame
Sample:
1.) Create a 1-second still
2.) Fade from 100% to 50%
E. End Questions
Example: See last frame of EarlVar.mov.
Font: Geneva
Size: 26- 30 or adjust to fit
Style: italics
Alignment: Left
Tracking: 1.5 for italics
Leading: 3 or adjust to fit
F. BIG Timeline
Making a bigTimeline
Clips should be long, with segments averaging about 1-3 minutes (or shorter) in length. First show camera 1 of that time of shooting, followed by camera 2, if useful. Start each and every clip with a title that tells the tape number, start and stop time of the segment, and a log number and description if this has been done. (This info will help me identify for the editors what footage to use in the various sequences that will then be created.)
G. Storing Files
Where to save refMovies, compMovies and fullMovies - Save all of these movies on the designated external harddisk (the Firewire drive). Name and send in a the main folders called “refMovies ƒ", compMovies ƒ" and "fullMovies ƒ" 7.xx.02 folder” Put the compressed and referenced movies in within these main folders in their own daily folder with name like “compMovies 7.xx.02”, with the correct dates.
MIND YOUR SCRATCH DISKS. Every time you render a transition or the like, you are writing to the scratch disk that is noted in edit>preferences>scratch disks. These scratch disks should be "Goldman Scratch" that is located on the top level of Macintosh HD 2 or 3. There has been a problem in the past with people not checking their scratch disks and capturing important footage in to a folder imbedded deep within the drive. When someone needs to make some room on the drives and tries to throw out some old render files, they could be tossing valuable captured footage. Just be mindful of your media and everything should work out all right.
H. Cleaner 5 Compression Schemes
Image Size: 480x360
Encode: Sorenson, Millions of Colors, 29.97 fps, keyframe every 100, 120.0 Kbytes/sec video
Sorenson: High Quality (normal speed)
Audio IMA 4:1, 5.5 KBYTES/S, 16-BIT mono samples @ 11.025
kHz
I. Acrobat
Scanning documents for inclusion as PDF docs
J. Audio
Make a note to keep the peaks of the audio levels between -12 and -3 decibels. If you think that the levels are too high in any completed movie, check the 7-bar scale in the lower right hand corner of the Quicktime viewer. A peak at bar 4 (counting down from the top) is equivalent to -12 decibels, a peak a bar 3 equals -9 decibels, and a peak at bar 2 equals -3 decibels. If the audio peaks at the top bar, the levels should be changed and the movie re-rendered.
K. Watermark & Copyright
Put timecodes with a gray background and a 50% opacity DITC watermark on all videos. The Watermark should be visible AT ALL TIMES. The sequence containing the Watermark has already been set to 50%, so there is no need to adjust the opacity within the sequence you are working on. Simply drag ". watermark" in to the sequence you are working on and trim the length to fit the sequence. The timecode should fade up at the same time as the first movie clip appears and disappear along with the final clip. The timecode will have a gray background and will be placed below the watermark in the lower right hand corner of the action-safe area — both should remain visible during any fade to black between the movie’s first and final clips. One second after the final clip has been viewed and fades either to black or to a 50% freeze frame, the End each sequence with appearing along with the final textblock. Add a timestamp and DITC watermark to sequences that have been stamped DONE in my listing of movies. If such a movie gets put back to the editing cutting room, then the timecode and watermark track should be turned off (by clicking the green light to the left of the tracks) to save rendering time, until it is ready for final rendering.
Regarding the watermark, we will be using a still image instead of a movie file. The still image is in a sequence named ". watermark" The entire sequence should be used as the watermark. In this way, if we need to alter the watermark, we can do so to the ". watermark" sequence and it will update all of the sequences in the project that contain ". watermark." Using the still instead of a movie file gives us real time playback and quicker render times. Just turn off the track containing the timecode and you should be able to view the sequence in real time. Then turn it back on for the render. Note: the opacity of the water mark is controlled INSIDE of the "watermark" sequence, therefore you DO NOT need to adjust the opacity of the watermark by using the level meter in the timeline.
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