Pinnacle Systems Studio Online User's Guide

Studio Online

SER’S GUIDE

Studio Online User’s Guide

Version 1.0 / GB December 2000 41000357

No part of this manual may be reproduced or transferred to other media without explicit written permission from Pinnacle Systems GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany.

All brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

This manual is printed on chlorine-free paper using environmentally safe ink. Pinnacle Systems Inc. has written this manual to the best of its knowledge, but does not guarantee that

the programs/systems will fulfill the desires of the user. No warranty is made as to the specifications of features. Pinnacle Systems Inc. retains the right to make alterations to the content of the manual without the

obligation to inform third parties. All tenders, sales, supply and manufacturing contracts from Pinnacle Systems Inc., including

consultancy, installation and other contractual performance are subject exclusively to the Gereral Sales and Delivery Terms of Pinnacle Systems GmbH.

OVERVIEW 1

ENERAL

ACKAGE CONTENTS

YSTEM REQUIREMENTS

STUDIO ONLINE INSTALLATION 5

PECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF WINDOWS

NSTALLATION STEPS

TUDIO ONLINE ASSISTANT

ONNECTION OF DEVICES

THE STUDIO INTERFACE 12

DIT MODE

SING THE PLAYER

HE MOVIE WINDOW

APTURE MODE

AKE MOVIE MODE

A TOUR THROUGH STUDIO 25

2000 6

12 14 16 22 23

1 3 3

6 9

DDING VIDEO SCENES

DDING SOUND AND MAKING MOVIES

AKING A MOVIE

HARING YOUR FILM VIA THE INTERNET

RANSITIONS AND A TITLE

, T

25 36 38 39

CAPTURING VIDEO 40

BOUT CAPTURING

HE CAPTURE WINDOW

APTURING VIDEO TAPES

APTURE OPTIONS

40 40 44 46

ADDING/ADJUSTING VIDEO SCENES 47

ELECTING AND OPENING A CAPTURED SOURCE FILE

EVIEWING VIDEO SCENES IN THE ALBUM

RIMMING SCENES

PLITTING CLIPS

47 48 49 57

GRABBING AND USING STILL IMAGES 60

HE FRAME GRABBER

RIMMING STILL IMAGES

63 65

ADDING AND USING TRANSITIONS 66

HE TRANSITIONS ALBUM

DDING TRANSITIONS TO YOUR MOVIE

RIMMING TRANSITIONS

68 68 69

User's Guide

ADDING SOUND EFFECTS / MUSIC 71

ELECTING AND PREVIEWING AUDIO CLIPS IN THE ALBUM

LACING AUDIO CLIPS ON THE TIMELINE

REATING BACKGROUND MUSIC

REATING A VOICE-OVER

DJUSTING AUDIO VOLUME

DJUSTING AUDIO LEVELS

RIMMING AUDIO CLIPS

72 72 74 75 78 78 82

CREATING TITLES 84

HE TITLEDEKO USER INTERFACE

ET’S MAKE A TITLE

ELECTING TEXT AND OBJECTS

ORMATTING TEXT AND OBJECTS

AYERS

RANSFORMING TEXT AND OBJECTS

SING AND MODIFYING STYLES AND LOOKS

HE BACKGROUND

RIMMING TITLES AND GRAPHICS

85 88 93 95 98 98

99 101 103

CREATING MOVIES 104

HE MAKE MOVIE MODE

HARE YOUR VIDEO VIA THE INTERNET

AKING MOVIE FILES

104 105 105

APPENDIX A: CHANGING DEFAULT OPTIONS I

HE SETUP DIALOG BOX

APTURE TAB SETTINGS

DIT TAB SETTINGS

AKE

AKE REALVIDEO TAB SETTINGS

ILE TAB SETTINGS

AVI F MPEG F

ILE TAB SETTINGS

III

VI IX

APPENDIX B: TIPS AND TRICKS XI

NSTALLATION

PERATION

EFRAGMENTING THE HARD DISK

IDEO EDITING AND CAPTURING

XI XIII XIV

APPENDIX C: TECHNICAL DATA XIX

APPENDIX D: GLOSSARY XX

APPENDIX E: LICENCE AGREEMENT XXV

INDEX

Studio Online

About the Users's Guide

This User’s Guide explains how to install and use the Pinnacle Systerms hardware and software.

Subheadings

In the margins are subheadings to help you quickly find your way through this manual.

Important text passages are marked with the “notepad” and this format.

Numbers mark step by step instructions:

1. Start Studio.

Bullets mark instructions for optional steps the order of which is not important.

Connect the board to the camcorder.

•

All keyboard commands appear in this font:

setup

Menus, commands, options or buttons which the user can select are written in

italics.

For changes that have occurred after the manual has been printed, refer to the ReadMe file/s on the CD-ROM supplied with your system!

User's Guide

iii

OTES

Studio Online

ENERAL

Overview

What is Studio Online?

Studio is the award-winning software from Pinnacle Systems that lets you create your own digital movies right on your PC, then share your creation with family and friends through Pinnacle Systems’ free video-sharing Web site.

Capture video, edit, add styled titles, transitions, even your own sound track and narration to your digital video creation. Studio gives you options to output your video as an MPEG or AVI file, to store on CD, use in presentations on your Web site, or share a video email.

Studio makes creating exciting digital videos an easy three-step process.

First, capture your video to your PC hard drive.

•

Next, arrange the video scenes in order. Drag and drop transitions, titles

•

and still images. Complete your movie with sound effects, background music and voice-overs.

Create your final digital movie in a variety of formats.

•

Easy Video Capture on the PC

Video capture has never been easier. The Studio application has easy-to-use Good/Better/Best quality presents like a VCR, and calculates how much video your computer can store. Studio automatically detects and records scene changes, making editing a breeze.

Interactive Editing with Instant Preview

With Studio, creating a movie is a quick and interactive process. Using the Instant Preview window, you can view your movie any time during editing and get a “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” (WYSIWYG) view of your movie.

If you don’t like a title or effect, make a change and view that change instantly—video editing has never been as fast or as fun. Just drag and drop video scenes, transitions, titles and audio (effects, background music and voice-overs).

Overview

Titles

Studio includes Pinnacle Systems’ Emmy award-winning TitleDeko title creator, making it easy to add simple or elaborate titles and credits to your movie. TitleDeko features over 300 looks and styles, including metallic titles, transparent titles, neon titles and flying titles.

Special Effects

Studio creates over 100 professional-quality scene transitions such as fades, dissolves and wipes. Drag and drop these to the timeline or storyboard to add transitions to your video, or animate graphics and titles!

Audio

Adding voice-overs is a breeze—just pick up the microphone, click a button and start speaking. Studio lets you narrate as you watch the movie, so your words are in sync with the screen action.

Audio effects, such as applause, or sound tracks from an audio CD can be added easily using the Studio point-and-click interface. The SmartSound feature creates custom background music quickly and easily—choose the type of music and its length, and it appears on the sound

Make Movie

You can save your movie in a variety of formats for playback on the PC. Chapter 11 explains how to:

Share your video via the Internet

Save your movie as an AVI file

Save your movie as an MPEG file

Save your movie as a RealVideo file

On-Line Help

On-line help is right where you need it, when you need it, while you’re working in Studio.

Standard On-Line Help. Click the Help button in the Studio main menu

bar, or Press [F1] to display the table of contents page of the standard help topics.

Tool Tips. To find out what a button or other Studio control does, pause

your mouse pointer over it and a Tool Tip appears explaining its function.

Studio Online

ACKAGE CONTENTS

Before beginning the installation of Studio USB TV, please verify that the package is complete:

Studio Online

Software

Studio Online

with USB cable

The Studio Online package contains the following software:

The

Studio Software

CD-ROM with Software and

with its simple interface offers you various

drivers

Documentations

possibilities for capturing, editing, and making videoclips.

The

Studio Online Assistant

helps you to check the functionality our your computer system together with Studio Online. All relevant parameters for the correct installation and function of your system are checked and saved.

Drivers

for Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, or

Windows 2000.

YSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Before installing Studio Online, please make sure that your system meets the following requirements:

Computer

Pentium II computer (or better)

Minimum

system

an unused USB port

requirements

32 MB RAM

CD-ROM drive

Sound card, DirectX 8.0-capable

Graphics, DirectX 8.0-capable.

100 MB available hard disk space

Overview

Recommended

system

requirements:

Pentium II computer (or better)

An unused USB port

64 MB RAM or more

CD-ROM drive

Separate capture hard disk (1 GB or more available hard disk space)

Sound card, Direct-X 8.0-compatible

Loudspeakers

Microphone, if you want to record voice-over narration

Graphics card, DirectX 8.0-capable with overlay capability

200 MB (or more) available disk space

DirectDraw support:

Before you start to work with the applications, a graphics board with a complete DirectX must be installed. The installation program checks to see if DirectDraw has been installed. If this is not the case, it will install DirectX automatically.

Operating System

Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows 98 ME, or Windows 2000.

Video Devices

Composite-Video inputs:

You can connect any video device that supplys a composite video signal in PAL or NTSC (depending on delivery variant) to the Studio Online's video input, regardless of the video system used (for example, VHS, S-VHS, Hi8, Video 8), for example, a VCR, camcorder or satellite receiver.

Audio Devices

Any device with a line out audio signal can be connected to the Studio Online's audio input (for example, a camcorder).

Studio Online

Studio Online installation

This section explains you how to install the Studio Online hardware and software. During the installation, the Studio Online program group will be created and the Windows drivers, the applications, and the tools will be copied into this group.

The following illustration shows a sample configuration:

Instead of a camcorder, it is also possible to use a VCR or any other video source as a playback device.

Studio Online installation

PECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF WINDOWS

Administrator rights

For the installation you need administrator rights. In order to work with the applications you must be a member of the group Power Users.

Driver certification

During installation a Windows dialog is displayed with the information that the drivers are not certified. The Pinnacle drivers where not certified by Microsoft already when this manual was prepared but they are suitable for the use with Windows 2000. So, you can answer the question concerning the driver installation with Yes.

NSTALLATION STEPS

1. Switch on your computer and start Windows.

Switch on your computer. Windows is started automatically.

2000

If your computer is configured in such a way, that Windows is not started automatically, start Windows now.

2. Insert the installation CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of your computer.

Insert the Install CD. If you have the Autorun feature enabled for your CD-ROM, you are automatically given two choices:

I want to install the software and have some fun! (recommended) I want to take a guided tour of Studio. If you do not have Autorun enabled, navigate to your CD-ROM drive,

and double-click on Welcome.exe.

3. If necessary, change the language, click OK.

The software will be installed in the language that your Windows9x is using. If your language version cannot be detected, you will be requested now to select the language for the installation.

Studio Online

4. Select a setup type.

In the Setup Type window, select which kind of installation you prefer:

Typical: Installs all components and uses the default settings.

Compact: Skips some components (e.g. online manual) and uses the default settings.

Custom: Lets you select the components to install.

5. Change the hard disk / directory.

If you wish to copy the files to another hard disk / another directory, click on the Browse... button and define the hard disk / the directory. The software should be installed on the system hard disk and not on the video hard disk!

6. Click Next.

7. Select the components, click Next.

If you have chosen Custom as setup type, in the following dialog box you can specifically choose the components that you want to install. After having determined the components, click Next.

This installation step is not required, if you have chosen Typical or Compact as setup type.

8. Start copying, Click Next.

In the Start copying files window, all chosen components are listed. If you wish to change the chosen settings, click on Back. Click Next to start copying.

Studio Online installation

9. Connect hardware.

In the now following window you will get exact instructions for the connection of the Studio Online box to your computer. Follow those instructions and then click on Next.

In some cases on Windows 98SE systems which have been updated from Windows 98 system, get during installation you will get a question for NTCODEC.AX, MSPCLOCK.SYS, or KS.CAT. This is caused by version problems between the two windows versions. So first we recommend to use clean Windows 98 or Windows 98SE systems. Nevertheless, you can find these files by browsing to the directory C:\ISTUDIO.DRV.

10.Click on Yes if you wish shortcuts on your desktop.

11.Complete installation.

In the Complete Setup window you may be asked to restart Windows - if MS DirectX components have been updated. Please carry out this prompt and click on Finish to complete the installation.

12.Installation of further components.

Dependingt on the selected installation option there will be started further software installations, now (for example Acrobat Reader and RealPlayer). Please, follow the instructions.

13.The Studio Online Assistant is started.

The Studio Online Assistant is started automatically. The program checks the functionality of your computer system together with Studio Online.

Studio Online

TUDIO ONLINE ASSISTANT

The Studio Online Assistant helps you to check the functionality of your computer system together with Studio Online.

All relevant parameters for the perfect installation and function of your system are checked and saved.

If you encounter problems later when using Studio Online, you can use this test application to localize the problems very quickly and find solutions for them.

The Studio Online Assistant is started automatically after the restart of the system that is to say after the installation. You can start the Studio Online Assistant at other times using the Studio Online program group located in the Tools folder of the Start menu.

When the Studio Online Assistant has been started you can begin with the test.

After having completed the individual tests, proceed with the next test by clicking Continue.

If you click the button Details further information on the course of the tests and on the corresponding failure messages will be displayed.

The display Test Progress is showing you, which part of the tests is already finished.

All functional tests can be aborted by clicking Exit.

Studio Online installation

Checking the Software

The first test of the Studio Online Assistant is checking whether all required drivers have been installed correctly. If this is not the case, a corresponding failure message will be displayed. If the test has been finished successfully, you will also get a corresponding message and you can proceed with the next text.

DirectX-Installation

For a perfect function of your system, DirectX has to be installed in the version 6.0 (minimum) or higher. If the Studio Online Assistant determines that this is not the case, you can carry out this installation supplementary from the enclosed CD-ROM.

DirectDraw Suppor t

This test will check the DirectDraw compatibility of your graphics board. If your board is not compatible a failure message will be displayed and you can take corresponding measures.

Studio Online

Overlay-Test

At this point a test will check whether your graphics board is supporting a TV full screen. If this is not the case, the possibilities of TV image display of Studio Online cannot be used completely. Actually, the functionality is not

restricted by this.

Studio Online Resource Test

The last test of the Studio Online Assistant will check the functionality of the Studio Online-Box

Exit Studio Online Assistant

Once you have tested all functions successfully, click on the button Exit.

If you have problems...

All Studio Online Assistant results are saved to the text file ASSISTANT.TXT that is created in the Studio Online installation directory. If you encounter unanticipated problems when installing Studio Online, please forward a print out of this text file to the Support at Pinnacle Systems.

After you have finished the installation / configuration of Studio Online, consider visiting the Pinnacle Web site at http://www.pinnaclesys.com to look for the latest software updates.

ONNECTION OF DEVICES

Depending on your individual requirements, you can connect further devices to the Studio Online box, now.

Connect video source

• connect your video source (e.g., camcorder, VCR) to the den Studio

Online's video- and audio inputs.

Studio Online installation

DIT MODE

The Studio interface

This chapter is an orientation to the Studio user interface, and describes the main areas of the screen and the controls you’ll be using most often. Detailed descriptions are found in later chapters.

As described earlier, you make a movie in three steps: Capture, Edit and Make Movie. These modes are represented by three buttons under the main menu bar, and are ordered in the sequence used to make a movie: Capture the video, edit the video, and then make the movie by transferring files or recording a videotape.

" "

When you first launch Studio , it opens in the Edit mode, because you use Edit most often. To return to the Edit mode from Capture mode or Make Movie mode, click the Edit button on the Movie window menu bar.

The Edit mode display includes three main areas: the Album, the Player, and the Movie window.

Album Undo/Redo/Help

Player

Movie window

In addition, multilevel Undo and Redo buttons are located in the upper right corner along with the Help button. Clicking Undo repeatedly steps you back through the previous changes you made. It is essentially unlimited. You can feel free to experiment with editing because you can always Undo your way back to where you started.

Studio Online

The Album

The Album contains four tabs that access sections for Video Scenes , Graphics , Transitions ,and Sound Effects . Click on the tabs to see

their contents. Video Scenes

The Player

The Player displays a preview of the movie, or shows what is selected in the Album. During Edit, the Player displays a preview of the movie at your current position. The Player also offers controls to navigate the movie you are editing.

The Studio interface

SING THE PLAYER

What is the Player?

The Player consists of two main areas, the Preview window and the Playback controls. The Preview window displays the video at the current

position. The Playback controls allow you to play the video, or go to an exact position within it.

Player s crubber

Previe w window

Playbac k controls

Jog buttons

Current position counte rTransport controls

The Preview Window

The Preview window is a central point of focus in Studio because you use it so often. It displays moving video during play. It also displays still images and titles at your current position, or when you select a scene in the Album or clip in the Movie window, or if you advance via single frames. The Preview window is also used in functions such as capture and trimming.

The Playback Controls

➨

The buttons and controls in the Preview window let you navigate.

Play/ Pause. The Play button previews the movie from the current position. Once preview begins, Play becomes a Pause button. When paused, the scene or clip on which Preview stopped becomes the selected scene.

Fast Reverse. Plays the movie in fast-reverse mode at 10x the normal

speed.

Studio Online

Fast Forward. Plays the movie in fast-forward mode at 10x the normal speed.

Go To Beginning. Moves scrubber to the first frame of your movie.

Jog Buttons

Click the Jog buttons to step the movie forward and backward by

frames.

Player Scrubber

Use the Player scrubber to quickly traverse forward and backward through the movie. The Player scrubber shows at a glance your relative position within a movie. Regardless of actual movie length, the scrubber bar represents the entire length of the movie. The left edge is the beginning.

As you move the scrubber, the Preview window shows the current position of the movie.

The ability of the Preview to display continuous video depends on the speed of your computer. If you move the Player scrubber slowly, the Preview window display plays smoothly. As you increase the rate at which you move the scrubber, the Preview window will jump frames. The point at which it does so is dependent on your specific hardware.

Counter

Shortcuts

The Counter

Frames Seconds Minutes Hours

The Counter seeks to and displays the current position within the movie, and also lets you select the exact point at which to start play. To seek to or play from an exact point, click on the number you wish to change and type a new value.

• Step through the fields: Tab or Left/Right cursor keys

• Increment/decrement field values: Up/Down cursor keys. Hold the

Up/Down keys to continuously increment/decrement.

Current Position Feedback

Regardless which control you use to change the current position, Studio provides intuitive feedback on your current position. The feedback mechanisms provide a range from a big picture view all the way down to the specific frame. In increasing order of fineness they are as follows.

• With one or more scenes selected in the Album, the Player scrubber

shows current position relative to movie length. Its relative position within the slider bar gives only an approximate position; however, this is very useful if your album contains many scenes spanning multiple pages.

The Studio interface

• There is also a Timeline Scrubber, which we will discuss later. It shows

approximate position relative to movie length.

• The Progress indicator within the current scene in the Album or in the

Movie window when in Storyboard view shows the current position within the scene.

• The Counter displays the exact current position in numerical values.

HE MOVIE WINDOW

The Movie window menu bar contains several important controls and displays. The Toolbox button on the left opens the Toolbox, which is discussed in greater detail in the next section. To the right of the Toolbox button is the project file name, along with an area that displays messages about the action you are performing. At the right are three view buttons.

Toolbox button Message area View section buttons

File name

Progress indicator

Movie window menu bar

Movie window

Storyboard

View

The Movie window has three views: Timeline, Storyboard and Text. You switch between them by clicking the View Selection buttons in the upper right corner of the Movie window menu bar.

Storyboard View Timeline View Text View

The Storyboard view shows the order of video scenes and transitions. It is useful for quickly structuring a movie.

Studio Online

Timeline View

Text View

The Timeline view shows the position and duration of clips relative to the Timescale. This view also displays the four tracks on which you can place various types of clips: video scenes, title overlays, sound effects/voiceovers and background music.

Timescale Video scenes and their audio

Titl e ove rlays Sound effects and voiceover

Background music

The list in the Text view shows the start and end times of clips, as well as their duration. In addition, custom names for clips are visible in this view.

The Status Line

Current Position, Edit Li ne and Scrubbers

The current position is the frame shown in the Player Preview window. It is also indicated by the Edit line in the Movie window. The current position can be changed by moving Timeline scrubber. When the Change Clip Properties tool is selected, a third Scrub button, the Trim scrubber, is available for adjusting current position within the clip during trimming.

Timeline scrubber

Current position

Clip Placement Feedback

Studio gives you feedback about your actions as you place clips in the Movie window when it is in Timeline view.

The Status line is an area on the left of the Movie window menu bar that displays messages as you place clips and perform other actions in the Movie window.

The Studio interface

Placement

Symbols

Status line explains why

you see the unavailable symbol

Unavailable symbol

Studio does not allow you to create combinations that cause problems. The mouse pointer symbols and the colors of the vertical Placement lines indicate what you can and cannot do. For example, if you attempt to drag a sound onto the Video track, the Placement lines turn red, the plus sign becomes an unavailable symbol, and the Status line tells you, ”Only scenes, graphics and transitions on the video track.”

Green Placement lines with a copy sign

mean OK; red Placement lines

with the unavailable sign mean you cannot perform the action.

Available placement symbol

Green

placement lines

The Toolbox

The Toolbox provides a convenient point-and-click interface to add clips to the movie and adjust existing clips. The controls in the Toolbox can also be accessed via the main menu bar and other ways.

The Toolbox is available only in Edit mode, and is opened and closed with the buttons at the left of the Movie window menu bar.

Studio Online

Open Closed

Click the Open button. The Album is replaced by the Toolbox, which contains two main areas:

• Tool Selector buttons in a panel on the left. Clicking these displays the

corresponding tools.

• The currently selected tool on the right. Double-clicking on a clip in the

Movie window also displays the corresponding tool.

All the Tool Selector buttons, except the first, display tools with dedicated functions. The first button (Change Properties of Clip) displays the appropriate change tool for the type of clip selected.

Change properties of the selected vi deo cl ip

Grab/save a still image from a frame of video

Add a title or graphic

Record a voice-over

Create background music automatically

Add music from a CD

Adjust volumes of audio tracks

Change Clip

Properties

The Change Properties tool adjusts the start and end times of any type of clip and allows you to type in descriptive names. This is also called trimming.

The Studio interface

Grab Frames

This tool takes a snapshot of a single frame. You can use it in your movie, or save it for use in other applications.

Titles and

Graphics

Record a

Voiceover

Titles and graphics are created and trimmed with this Toolbox window.

Recording a voiceover is a snap—all you do is click the Record button and begin speaking into your microphone.

Background

Studio Online

Create

Music

The Create Background Music tool lets you add or trim background music. Studio offers a powerful background music generator. Just choose a style, song, and version.

Add Audio CD

Music

You can easily add audio tracks from an audio CD, and control their length, disk name, and track names.

Adjust Track

Volumes

Studio offers three tracks that can contain audio: one for the video/audio from your camcorder tape, and two dedicated audio tracks (one for sound effects/voiceovers, and another for background music). The Volume window displays the audio levels with volume meters, and lets you control the volume of each track with respect to the others.

The Studio interface

APTURE MODE

The Capture mode provides the control you need to capture the source video from your camcorder to your hard drive. You control the camcorder with the Transport controls on the camcorder display. As the capture process proceeds, the Album is populated with video scenes and the Player shows the incoming source video. Concurrently, the Diskometer monitors the free space on your hard drive. See Chapter 9 for detailed information on capturing video.

Player

Diskometer

Button

The Player during Capture Mode

Because the only function on the Player during capture is to show you the incoming source video, the Transport controls available during Edit mode are disabled, with the exception of the Counter window.

Start/Stop Capture Button

The Start/Stop Capture button begins and ends the capture process.

The Settings Button

Clicking the Settings button opens the Settings for Capture dialog.

Diskometer

The Diskometer tells you how much hard drive space is available in both graphical and numerical form.You can determine the quality of the video to capture by using the two buttons above Capture and Settings which allow you to select between default quality levels.

Studio Online

AKE MOVIE MODE

The Make Movie mode allows you to save digital files of your movies to disk. As the make movie process proceeds, the Timeline scrubber advances across the Movie window, and the Preview window shows the clip currently being recorded.

The Studio interface

Making Digital Movies (MPEG or AVI Files)

You can also make digital movies (MPEG or AVI files) to email to your friends, put on a Web page, or put on a CD if you have a CD-R or CD-R/W drive. The controls for making a file are displayed by clicking Make AVI file to the left of the Make Movie Status window.

The Settings button includes options for including audio, the type of compression and so forth. In addition, the Make Movie window contains the Diskometer, which is a convenient way to monitor the amount of space on your hard drive versus the amount of space used in saving the digital movie file.

Studio Online

A Tour through Studio

The previous chapter gave you an overview of the Studio interface. This chapter steps you through your first production. You don’t need to hook up any video equipment to make your first movie. All the files you need are on the Install CD-ROM, including a sample first production.

In this tour, you’ll learn how to use the user interface to edit movies. Once you know the basics, learning the details is much easier.

First, you’ll take a peek at a partially completed movie. Then you’ll create this movie yourself.

The tour is organized as a series of easy and short steps. The first half shows you how to retrieve a captured video from your hard drive into the Album, add transitions, and create a title. The second half shows you how to add a sound effect, create background music, and make an MPEG version of your movie.

DDING VIDEO SCENES

About Capturing Tapes

Normally, the first step in making a movie would be to capture video. However, this tour is designed so you can unpack Studio and use it immediately without hooking up hardware. Consequently, you will skip capturing video in the tour, which would require that the hardware be installed. Instead, the Studio Install CD contains a pre-captured videotape called A Day in the Park. After this tour, you can install and connect the hardware still missing. Chapter 9 explains how to capture video.

Take a Peek

First, take a quick look at a partially completed movie to give you a better idea of the movie you are going to build in the next few steps.

1. Select File > Open from the main menu bar.

2. Navigate to the folder where you have installed Studio Online, i.e.

C:\Programs\Pinnacle\Studio Online\Movies

RANSITIONS AND A TITLE

, T

3. Select the file “Sample1.smp”

A Tour through Studio

Click the To Start button ... ... then the Play button

4. Click the To Start button in the Player, then click the Play button, and

watch the movie play in the Preview window.

Using the Video Scenes Album

What Is a Video

Scene?

After Studio captures video, it subdivides the captured video into smaller units called “scenes.” Scene detection is based on a sophisticated algorithm called SmartCapture that knows when the incoming video changes enough to indicate a scene change.

1. Select File > New Project from the main menu bar (or Ctrl+N) to start a

new movie and clear the Movie window.

2. Verify that the Movie window is set to the Storyboard mode. If not, click

the Storyboard View button .

3. Double-click the first video scene in the Album.

The captured video scenes play sequentially in the Preview window. You also hear the Audio track from your speakers. As the scenes play, they are selected in purple. In addition, a progress indicator at the bottom of each scene thumbnail in the Album indicates your current position. Click the Play/Pause button if you want to stop.

4. Select the indicated scene.

Select this scene

Studio Online

5. Click-hold the selected scene, and drag it from the Album to the Storyboard.

Your Storyboard should now look like this:

6. Continue to drag scenes to the Storyboard as shown in the following diagram.

Note that the last four scenes are moved as a group. To select a group of scenes, marquee the group by clicking and holding the mouse button in the upper left corner of the group and dragging diagonally to the lower right corner.

A Tour through Studio

Adding Transitions

Without a transition, one scene begins abruptly after the previous one ends. This is called a “cut.” Transitions can help you set the pace for your movie, and tell your story with scene changes that fit your story line.

In this step, you will add several transitions. Your movie will fade up from black at the beginning. Successive scenes will contain a Dissolve, a Wipe and a Slide.

1. Click the Transitions tab at the left side of the Album. The Album displays the Transitions section.

2. Click on the first transition (Fade) to select it.

The Player Preview window shows an animation of the transition effect.

3. Drag the Fade transition in front of the first scene on the Storyboard.

4. Click the Play button on the Player to view the results. The screen fades up from black before the video commences. To view the

effect again, click To Start and Play again. To view the effect slowly, click the To Start button again, and click-hold the One Frame Forward button .

Now you’ll add two more transitions matched to the content of the video contained within each scene.

5. In succession, drag the Diagonal Top Right Wipe and Dissolve transitions in front of the second and third scenes.

The beginning of your Storyboard should appear as follows.

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6. Preview your video by clicking the To Start and Play buttons. When you click the Play button, you’ll see an instant preview of your

movie.

Using the Timeline View

The Storyboard view is handy for quickly laying out a movie. To make finer adjustments, use the Timeline view.

To display the Timeline and adjust the Timescale:

1. Click the Timeline view button in the Movie window menu bar. At first, the scenes on the Timeline appear very close together.

The default Timescale is assumes a normal movie length. Our example is short; the scale needs adjustment to make the scenes easier to work on.

2. Position your pointer on the Timescale, until the pointer becomes a clock symbol with left and right arrows indicating you may adjust the time scale.

Click-drag the Timescale to the right and expand the Timescale as shown below. Try slowly moving it right and left a little at a time to become accustomed to the “rubber-band” feel.

A Tour through Studio

To Scrub the Timeline:

Scrubbing is a term that refers to manually previewing the movie by sliding the Timescale scrubber back and forth. It is very useful to quickly view portions of the movie, and to go to any point on the Timeline.

1. Click the Timeline button if the Movie window is not in Timeline view.

2. Experiment by moving the scrubber left and right. A vertical bar that moves with the scrubber and is called the Edit line and indicates current position.

Timescale scrubber

Edit line (current position)

To add a Scene in Timeline view:

1. Click on the Video Scene tab in the Album to display the video scenes.

2. Drag the first scene from the right Album page to the end of the Timeline.

If you try to drop a scene or other clip on the wrong track (or another inappropriate location) Studio changes your mouse pointer to the

unavailable symbol , and does not let you drop it. In addition, the Placement lines turn red, the plus sign becomes an unavailable symbol, and the Status line displays a message such as “Must drop between clips.” For a more detailed explanation, see the section “Clip Placement Feedback” in Chapter 7.

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Status line explains why Studio

will not let you drop the new video scene

unavailable symbol

You may need to learn the feel by gradually moving to the right until the cursor comes into contact with the right edge of the Movie window.

Drag a little more to the right, and the Timeline slides to the left, providing room into which you may now drop the scene by releasing the mouse button.

A Tour through Studio

Trimming Scenes and Transitions on the Timel ine

Long clips can be trimmed to shorten them. In so doing, no data is lost—you are only setting new start (in) or end (out) points that are easily reset.

To trim a scene on the Timeline:

In addition to the following example, a detailed explanation on handling and trimming scenes can be found in Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes.

1. Select the first scene on the Timeline. The scene turns purple.

2. Move your pointer in the vicinity of the right edge of the first scene until the grabber hand becomes a left-right arrow.

A left- or right-only arrow means you are at the start or end of the video scene, and there is no more video to trim out.

3. Drag the edge of the first scene a little to the left.

Drag to the left to trim the clip

As you do so, all the scenes to the right follow along to the left. The first time you do this, you may be surprised by the large amount of movement the results from a small amount of cursor movement. But once you practice a few times, it seems very natural. If you are not able to move the right edge of the first scene, make sure that it is still selected.

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Adding an Overlay Title

Studio offers powerful capabilities for creating titles and inserting still images into your movie. The following steps show how to add a basic title.

To add a title or still image, you’ll use an integrated title editor program called TitleDeko. While doing the following steps, remember that Studio has unlimited Undo. If you encounter different results than the example, Undo your way back.

To create a title:

1. Double-click on the Title Overlay track below the first video scene. When you finish the title, Studio places it at the point on the Timeline

where you double-clicked.

2. A mini-application named TitleDeko opens with an interface for creating graphics. You might want to take a moment to orient yourself by mousing over the various buttons to see the Tool Tips.

A text I-Beam cursor awaits text entry. Type the words: A Day in the Park

Next, you will change the type size and apply a new style to it.

4. Press Ctrl+A. The text is surrounded by a selection box with handles on its sides. You

must select an object before you can modify it.

5. To display a sample of Styles, select View > Preset Styles. The Style window appears to the right of the Preview window. Scroll down to number 5, and click it.

A Tour through Studio

6. The style characteristics are applied to the text.

7. Click the Move/Resize Tool button . To resize the text, press Ctrl-A to select it, then position the cursor on the lower right handle while pressing the Shift key to proportionally shrink the text.

Move/resize cursor

Next, you’ll center the text.

8. Click the Horizontal Justify button button.

9. In the drop-down list, click the Center Your title appears as follows:

, and then click the Center

button.

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10.Finally, select the Accept button . You return to Studio from TitleDeko. Studio places the title under the

first video scene, because that is where you double-clicked on the Title Overlay track to launch TitleDeko.

Trimming the Title

You trim titles (or any other still image) just like you trimmed the video scene previously. The one exception is that you always see a left-right arrow because a still image can always be made longer, whereas a video scene contains a finite amount of video.

Keep the screen as it is. The next step is adding transitions to the title overlay you just created.

Adding a Title Transition

You can add transitions to titles just as easily as to video scenes.

To add a transition to a title:

1. Click the Transitions tab on the Album.

2. Drag two Slide Right transitions onto the Title Overlay track before and after the title overlay.

3. Preview the movie by clicking the Player To Start and Play

buttons.

When the movie plays, watch how the title slides in front of the left, pauses for a moment, and then slides off to the right.

A Tour through Studio

DDING SOUND AND MAKING MOVIES

About Studio Audio Capabilities

To complement the audio that accompanies your video, Studio offers audio capabilities that let you add WAV files and audio tracks from CDs to your movie. You can also easily record voiceovers, and automatically generate background music.

This section of the tour shows you how to add a WAV sound effect and generate background music.

To add a WAV sound:

1. Click the Sound Effects tab .

2. The Album displays the section for Sound Effects. The page is populated with sound files (if you chose to install them).

3. Click on any sound icon to hear a preview.

4. Click-hold on the WAV file CarHorns and drag it to the Sound Effects track. Release the mouse button and the sound appears on this track.

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Note: If your cursor displays an unavailable sign as in the following illustration, you are still on the Video track and need to move the pointer a little lower. The Status line tells you what you need to do.

5. Click Go to Beginning and Play buttons to preview the movie. As the car drives up, you hear the horn honk.

Creating Background Music

With Studio SmartSound, you can create background music with a few mouse clicks. You can instantly select from many types of music. SmartSound automatically creates a song that matches the length of the scenes you select in the movie. Regardless of the length, the resulting music always has a proper beginning and ending.

The first step in creating background music is to tell Studio how long you want it to be. The easiest way to do this is to select the scenes over which you want the music to play.

1. Select a range of scenes over which you want the background music to play. In this case, it will be the entire movie. Click on the first scene, hold down the Shift key, and click on the last scene.

2. Click the Toolbox button in the upper left corner of the Movie window menu bar. The Toolbox opens.

3. Click the Create Background Music button . You are prompted to insert the Studio Install CD, which is where the

sound files are located, unless you elected to copy these to your hard drive during installation. After you insert the CD, the Create Background Music tool is displayed.

4. Select the Style (Country/Folk), Song (The Great West) and Version (The Theme).

5. Click the Preview button to hear the resulting background music. Click again to stop.

6. Click the Add to Movie button. An audio clip containing the background music is placed on the

Background Music track.

7. Preview the movie by clicking the Player To Start and Play buttons.

Congratulations. You have made your first Studio movie. Next, you will output your movie.

A Tour through Studio

AKING A MOVIE

Now that you have scripted your movie, you can output it.

Save to disk as an MPEG file

Output to disk as an AVI file.

Output to disk as a Real-Video file.

An example: MPEG Movie

Saving as

MPEG Movie

Make and play

a digital movie

You can save your Studio movie as a MPEG file if you want to use your movie in a multimedia presentation on your computer, send it to a friend via e-mail, or post it on a Web page. MPEG movies can also be brought into other video applications as clips.

A MPEG is a complete file unto itself. It can be played by any MPEG player, including the Microsoft Media Player built into Windows 95 or Windows 98.

Click the Make Movie button the main menu bar. The Make Movie window is displayed along with the Make Tape controls.

1. Click the button MPEG.

2. Click the button Create MPEG file. Enter a file name an click OK.

3. Now, Studio begins to create the movie file. A dialog box shows a progress bar.

The created files are saved in the folder ...\Studio Online\Movies with the name you have determined for your project. A video file with the extension .MPG will be created. If you click on the file Cabinet button

you can navigate through die other folders/directories on your

harddisk in a comfortable manner.

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4. To view the results use for example the Windows Explorer to navigate to the folder in which you have saved your movie. Double-click on the .MPG file.

The Microsoft Active Movie Controller launches automatically and plays the MPEG movie as shown below.

HARING YOUR FILM VIA THE INTERNET

When you are finished editing your movie, you can share your creation with friends and family.

1. Click Share.

2. (Note: since you are working with the sample movie, you won’t want to upload it to the video-sharing site) To create your movie and upload it to the Pinnacle Systems video-sharing Web site, all you need to do is click the Share My Video button.

3. Studio Online then uploads your movie to the Web site, where it is converted to RealVideo and Windows Streaming Media formats.

4. Your browser opens to your personal MyStudioOnline page where you choose a template to display your video, and where you send emails to family and friends, inviting them to view your creation.

Capturing Video

Capturing digitizes video that you use in Studio editing sessions. During capture, your source video passes through the Studio hardware where it is digitized, and then stored on your computer hard drive. At the same time, Studio performs automatic detection, and populates the Album with scenes. After you have captured your video, you script it by editing scenes, inserting transitions, creating titles, and adding sound effects. Finally, you save the completed video as a digital movie on your disk.

BOUT CAPTURING

During capture, you have complete control over the video and audio you choose to digitize. This is where you choose the type of video signal (composite or S-video), how video levels are set - brightness, contrast, hue (NTSC only) and saturation - how high or low you set individual clip audio levels, whether you capture stereo or mono audio, and at what sample rate you capture your audio.

Capturing Video

During the capture process, Studio detects each edit or scene change on your source video, and creates a separate video scene in the Album. You then use the Studio editing capabilities to choose those scenes you want in your final movie from the Album containing all the available scenes.

The next sections explain the controls in the Capture window, along with some notes about the capture process. After this, subsequent sections explain how to capture in detail, using easy-to-follow steps.

HE CAPTURE WINDOW

First, you must be in the Capture mode. Click the Capture button in the Movie menu bar. The Capture window is displayed in the following illustrations, and is composed of three areas: the Album, the Preview monitor, and the Diskometer.

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Close video

control

Close audio

control

The Diskometer

The bottom half of the Capture window contains the Diskometer. The Diskometer shows the amount of space on your hard drive that’s already in use, and how much space is available for the current capture. It also contains four Quality button pre-sets that let you select different video capture qualities.

There are option control panels which slide out from either side of the Diskometer. To the left of the Diskometer is the Video Capture options, and to the right is the Audio Capture Options control panel.

Capturing Video

Folder Browser

The default location for captured video is ...\Studio Online\CapturedVideo. To save newly captured videos to a different location, click the File Cabinet

button to display a Browse for Folder window.

Disk Space

Disk space available is indicated in two ways. A Disk Space display graphically shows used and available space at a glance. The exact numbers are found to the right of the display. In addition, the Diskometer also shows the amount of capture time available at the current Quality/Size setting.

Quality / Size

Selector

This button is used to Start and Stop Capture in Studio.

It toggles to a Stop Capture button while you are capturing video.

The Settings button box. See Appendix A for complete details.

When Studio captures video, it digitizes the video and allows you to choose between the quality by choosing one of the two Quality push buttons.

If you wish to change further settings for video and audio data, please refer to Appendix A.

will open the Capture Options dialog

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About SmartCapture Automatic Scene Detection

SmartCapture is a key feature of Studio. Fast and very useful, SmartCapture's automatic scene detection eliminates the drudgery of manually marking the beginning and end of scenes in videotapes. When Studio captures the digital version of your tape to your hard drive, it automatically detects natural breaks that occurred when you made the original tape. For example, Studio knows when you stopped shooting one scene and began reshooting, or panned your camera. Studio automatically creates separate scenes for you it when it detects these situations. SmartCapture saves many hours of initial editing, so you can move right onto drag-and-drop video editing.

Automatic scene detection can occasionally produce unwanted scene changes under unusual lighting circumstances. For example, a video shot in a nightclub with a strobe light would produce a scene each time the strobe light flashed. However you can easily combine these scenes into a single scene.

Conversely, video shot in a situation where there is very little change in brightness produces the opposite result: too few scenes detected. For example, a stationary security camera aimed at a the corner of a warehouse may not yield large enough changes to produce scenes, even when thieves dash in and loot the shelves. Fortunately, there is an easy solution to this condition: subdividing scenes.

Capturing Video

Troubleshooting Tip: avoiding too many scene changes

Avoid lighting conditions that contain numerous, repetitive and large brightness changes that are not intended to mark a scene change. If you do tape during these conditions, do so knowing that you’ll need to recombine scenes.

Sporting and other events where a large number of people take flash photos

Other flashing lights, such as nightclub strobe lights and emergency vehicle lights

Sunlight reflected on surfaces moving in a repetitive way such as car wheels

Aiming your video camera at scenes, such as passing cars, where the content of the scene itself causes large brightness changes

”Whip pan” shots in which you pan the camera fast instead of making an edit

Troubleshooting Tip: avoiding too few scene changes

Stationary cameras or stationary subjects

if necessary, during capturing of scenes with constant brightness values insert other short scenes

APTURING VIDEO TAPES

The following sections explain what happens during capture, and guide you through a capture session from start to finish.

To capture a videotape:

1. Connect your source material (S-Composite, Composite, or Tuner).

2. Verify if the source audio is connected.

3. Click the Capture button in the Movie menu bar. The Capture Mode interface is displayed.

4. Select the desired quality (the higher the quality the bigger the captured files).

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The capture mode interface is displayed.

5. Click the Start Capture button . The Capture Video dialog box is displayed.

6. Type in a name for your source video.

Please, note that Video for Windows does not accept captured videos bigger than 2 GB. Studio will render the duration of the video that fills the 2 GB in the desired quality and display the maximum duration for this capture.

7. Click the Start Capture button in the Capture Video dialog box.

During capture, the Preview window displays the incoming digitized video that is being saved to your hard drive.

8. Click the Stop Capture you select (the Start Capture button toggles to a Stop Capture button while you are capturing video).

Studio automatically stops capture if your hard drive fills up.

button to end capture at a point

Capturing Video

APTURE OPTIONS

Studio provides slide-out Option trays for video and audio capture options to suit either your work style or your specific equipment configuration. This section provides a summary. See Appendix A for more information.

Capture options affect both the video and audio you are digitizing. This is a critical point in the non-linear editing process, since you are locking in the brightness, contrast, hue and saturation values of each clip you digitize. This becomes significant when you mix different video sources within a single project.

Setting your video options correctly as you capture will give your project consistancy from beginning to end in terms of flesh tones, brightness, and contrast.

Setting your audio options correctly as you capture will ensure consistent volume levels and quality.

Video Options

First choose the type of video you wish to digitize by clicking the appropriate Source button - Composite, S-Video, Tuner (default). The slideout Video Options tray then allows you to control the brightness (video gain), contrast (black level), hue, saturation and sharpness of each video clip digitized.

Audio Options

You can digitize the audio that accompanies your video by clicking the

Audio Capture On button. If your clip is video only, click the Audio Capture Off button. The slide-out Audio options tray includes settings for Volume

and Balance.

Quality Options

These buttons allow you to easily select the quality of your captured video. There are three pre-set qualities, each with its own frame size and compression ratio.

The forth button selects the Custom quality setting. This setting allows you to choose any settings you wish, including quality rates up to the Studio Online's maximum of 100%.

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Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes

This chapter explains how to use video scenes. You learn how to open a file of captured source video, and how Studio detects and creates an Album of scenes from which you can assemble your movie. Once you review and select the scenes, you manipulate and make various types of adjustments to those video scenes until the movie plays exactly the way you want.

The process of creating a movie starts with capturing a source videotape. If your hardware is connected, capture and use your own camcorder tape for the examples in this chapter. If not, use the pre-captured video A Day in the Park, which was installed along with the other Studio software if you performed a default installation. Capturing was explained in chapter 9.

ELECTING AND OPENING A CAPTURED SOURCE FILE

Captured source video files are stored on your hard drive. They are selected and opened with standard Windows file/folder navigation tools found at the top of the left Album page.

To open and select a captured video:

1. If the Video Scenes section of the Album is not already on top, click the Show Captured Tape tab on the left edge of the album.

The Album flips to the Video Scenes section and displays file navigation tools in the upper left corner.

2. If you are using the videotape you captured in the previous chapter, click the down arrow, and select it if you saved it to the default folder for captured video (...\Studio Online\CapturedVideo). If you saved it elsewhere, click the File Cabinet button, and navigate to it.

The Album is now populated with the detected scenes from your captured video. Each scene is denoted by a picture of the first frame of the scene.

Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes

EVIEWING VIDEO SCENES IN THE ALBUM

Scenes are displayed in the order in which they were captured. This order cannot be changed in the Album, but scenes can be assembled in the movie in any order.

After you have opened your captured video, you may want to review the scenes and make adjustments before placing them on the Video track. You can decide to combine, split or detect new scenes within specific scenes. However, the sequence of scenes within the Album always remains in the order in which you digitized your video clips.

Immediately after selecting the captured video, the Preview window displays the first frame of the first scene. When you select a scene, the Preview window displays the first frame of that scene. To play back the contents of the Album from the current position, click the Play/Pause button.

To review the captured tape starting from a selected scene:

1. Click on the first scene to select it. The Preview window displays the first frame of the selected scene.

2. Click the Play button in the Preview window. The Preview window now plays the scenes in the Album. Progress is

indicated in three ways.

Studio highlights the scenes successively as the are played.

The Player scrubber in the Preview window shows the current point of play relative to the entire movie.

Each Scene window contains a Progress indicator that shows the point of play relative to that scene. As the movie continues to play, the Progress indicator travels from scene to scene.

Progress indicator

Displaying Scene Start and Length

As you move the pointer over scenes, the pointer changes to a grabber symbol. If you pause momentarily on the scene, the start time and length is displayed. If you leave the grabber on the scene, the display persists for several seconds. Note that the start time is the time on the original tape.

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Selecting Scenes

Studio offers a variety of ways to select scenes in the Album and in the Movie window. Selection techniques follow standard Windows conventions. Selected scenes are indicated by a highlighted border. You can use combinations of these techniques.

• Choose Edit > Select All from the menu bar, or press Ctrl+A to select all

• Shift-click to select a range of continuous scenes.

• Ctrl-click to select discontinuous selections.

• Click-hold-drag to marquee to an area.

• Press the arrow keys to navigate through the Album grid.

RIMMING SCENES

Video scenes and other clips that are too long can be trimmed to remove the excess. Unlike traditional trimming processes, no data is lost: Studio sets new start and end points for the clip in the Movie window, but does not alter the original Album scene. This means you can always reset scenes to their original state, or select different trim points.

the scenes in the Album, including subsequent Album pages not visible.

Studio offers two ways to trim.

Directly on the Timeline

With the Trim tool.

The basic process involves selecting a point near the beginning of the scene to which you want to trim (the ”in” point). Once this point is selected, the Trim command trims the excess from the beginning of the scene to this new point. Trimming from the end (the ”out” point) works the same way.

Trimming on the Timeline using Handles

The quickest way to trim is by dragging the edges of scenes directly on the Timeline, without accessing any menus. Watch the Preview window as you trim, so you can find the frame on which you want to end or begin.

It takes a little practice to become accurate with this technique, but once you do, it is very fast. The easiest way to learn is with only one scene on the Timeline, as in the following example.

Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes

To trim a single scene on the Timeline:

The following exercise shows how to trim scenes directly on the Timeline by trimming the end of the first scene.

1. Delete all but one scene from the Timeline. If no scenes are on the Timeline, drag one to it from the Album.

2. Fine adjustments are easier when the time scale is expanded. Expand the time scale so the scene resembles the following illustration.

Position the pointer anywhere on the Timeline except directly over the Edit line. The pointer becomes a clock symbol; move it to the right to expand the Timescale.

The illustration above shows maximum expansion. Each tick mark represents a single frame.

3. Position your mouse pointer over the right edge until it becomes a leftright arrow.

4. Click-drag to the left. The Preview window shows the current frame. As you trim, the frame displayed in the Preview window becomes the last frame.

Release the mouse button. The scene is now trimmed.

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To trim with more scenes on the Timeline:

When more than one scene is on the Timeline, you first need to select the scene to be trimmed.

1. Select File > New Project to open a new file, or simply delete all the scenes from the Timeline (press Ctrl+A, then Delete).

2. Drag the first two scenes from the Album onto the Timeline. (If you are using A Day in the Park, note that the Timescale is relatively short.)

3. To expand the Timescale, right-click in the time ruler. Choose 30 seconds from the pop-up menu.

4. Select the left scene. Your Video track should now look like the following.

5. Move your pointer over the dividing line between the two scenes until it becomes a left-right arrow.

6. Click and drag the edge to the left. Note how the Preview window changes.

7. The scene is now trimmed and should appear as follows.

Note that the last frame of the first scene is displayed in the Preview window. As long as the left scene remains selected, you can continue to trim more video by dragging the edge to the left again, or restore some of the trimmed video by dragging the edge to the right.

Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes

8. Select the second scene. Move your cursor over the left edge of the second scene until it become a right arrow.

9. Drag the left edge of the second scene to the right.

10.Release the mouse button. The left edge of the second scene snaps back against the right edge of the first scene.

The beginning of the second scene is now trimmed. The first frame of the second scene is displayed in the Preview monitor.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are having difficulty manipulating the edges of scenes, try the following.

• Verify that the scene you wish to trim is selected, and that it is the only

scene selected.

• Expand the Timescale until it is easier to make fine adjustments.

• Be careful not to expand the Timescale too far. If that does happen,

scenes will appear very long. Undo enough times until the scale is restored, or use the scale tool to reduce the Timescale.

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Orientation to

the Change Clip

Properties Tool

Trimming Video Scenes with the Change Clip Properties Tool

The Change Clip Properties tool provides a convenient place to perform trimming functions for any type of clip, including video scenes. It includes the benefits of the prior two methods in that you can perform precise and fast trimming. As you work, you receive visual feedback. Once you have completed a trim, you can preview the scene to make sure you like it, and reset it if you don’t.

Click the button at the left of the Movie window menu bar to open and close the Toolbox, or double-click on the clip in the Movie window.

Open Close

When trimming video scenes, the Change Clip Properties tool is configured as shown in the following illustration. On the left and right are two Preview windows, showing the beginning and ending frames. In between these are a set of Transport controls that play the scene as you are working. A set of Trim Calipers is found at the bottom. At the top are a naming box in the center, and Duration fields on the right.

Name field Duration field

Trim calipers

Start frame

preview

Transport

controls

End frame

preview

Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes

Start/End Trim

Scene Preview

Windows

The Trim Scene Preview windows show the first and last frames of the scene. Before you trim, they display the first and last frames of the original scene in the Album. As you trim, they display frames of the new start and end.

First frame Last frame

Trim to current

position

Amount trimmed

At the bottom of the Preview windows are several controls for setting trim

from start

Changes counter

by frames

Scene

duration

Trim to current

position

points. The left and right Trim To buttons with bracket symbols trim the start and end to the current frame shown on the Player. The Counter displays the current start/end time. You can also manually type in values on the Counter to set new trim points. The Up/Down arrow buttons increment/decrement the current position by single frames.

The Player Window During Trimming

During trimming, playback is controlled from the Toolbox, and the Preview Player controls are not displayed.

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Using the Movie Window Scrub Slider

A convenient way to rapidly move to the general area you want to trim is to use the Timeline scrubber in the Movie window. As you move it, the Trim scrubber and Player scrubber track its movements.

... the Trimm and Pla yer As you move the Timeline scrubber...

Transport Controls

Between the Start/End Preview windows, are a set of Transport controls.

To original start time To trimmed start time Play/Pause Loop

scrubber track is in

moveme n t

From left to right their functions are as follows.

• Click the left-most button to go to the untrimmed start of the scene.

• Click the second button to go to the new trimmed start time.

• The third button plays the scene, and changes to a Pause button during

play. The Player stops when you click it a second time.

As you play, the Trim scrubber moves from one segment to the next so you can accurately review the trimmed and untrimmed portions.

• Click the right-most button to loop the scene continuously, at which point

its function changes to Pause.

Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes

Trim Calipers

The Calipers provide a fast way to make accurate trims, and provide instant graphical feedback on how much you have trimmed. Slide the left and right markers to the point at which you want the scene trimmed. Move the Trim scrubber to scrub the trimmed scene.

Trim start caliper

Amount trimmed from start

Duration Counter

This Counter shows the length of the scene, and operates in the same way as

Trim srubber

Trim end caliper

Amount trimmed from end

other counters in Studio. However, changing its value manually increases or decreases the scene length by adding or subtracting from the end of the scene.

Duration in H:MM:SS:F (H=hours, MM=minutes, SS=seconds, FF=frames)

Scene Name

Up/Down by frames

You can give your scene names that are more meaningful to you by typing them in this box. These names are visible only when the Movie window is in Text view.

Tool Tip: to see the new name, move the cursor over the thumbnail.

Resetting Trimmed Scenes

You can Undo if you don’t like the results of a trim, or you can manually reset the trimmed scene.

Use one of the following ways to reset a trimmed scene.

• Drag the scene edge directly on the Timeline until it stretches no further,

or drag the Trim tool to the end.

• Use the Trim tool to drag the Caliper to the end.

• Use the Trim tool, but click to go to the clip start; then click

under the first frame preview window to set the start frame.

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PLITTING CLIPS

If you want to insert another scene or a still image into the middle of a clip, you can split any type of clip on the Video track in the Movie window into two parts and then insert the new item. This includes video scenes and still images.

To split a clip in the Movie window:

1. Place the clip in the appropriate track in the Movie window.

2. Choose the split point.

You may use any method that adjusts the current position, such as moving the Timeline scrubber, clicking Play and then Pause, or changing the Counter.

3. Right-click within the Movie window Video track, but not on the scene

itself.

4. Select Split Clip from the drop-down menu. The clip is split at the point of the current position.

Restoring a Split Clip

To restore a split clip you can Undo, replace it, or use the Trim tool.

To restore a split clip:

• First try to Undo. Even if you performed other actions after you split the

scene, the multilevel Undo allows you to restore the split scene.

• If you elect not to Undo other actions as well, you can replace both halves

of the split clip with an original from the Album, or…

• Delete one half of the split clip, and trim out the other.

Combining and Subdividing Scenes

SmartCapture automatic scene detection is very fast and a great labor-saving tool; however, you might not want a particular scene to begin or end at the points Studio has chosen for you.

After previewing your scenes, you might want to combine or subdivide some into larger or smaller units. Both techniques are easy, and are similar to each other. These operations are accomplished on the scenes in the Album, not in the Movie window.

To combine scenes in the Album:

1. Select the scenes to be combined.

2. Right-click on one of the scenes.

3. Choose Combine from the pop-up menu, or select Album > Combine

Scenes from the main menu bar.

Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes

The selected scenes are combined into one. Only selected adjacent scenes are combined. Furthermore, they are joined in the order in which they appear in the album, regardless of the order in which they were selected. Album order proceeds across rows and then down the page. To revert, press Ctrl+Z, or click the Undo button.

If you marquee two or more discontinuous sets of scenes using the shiftdrag technique, each set of adjacent scenes is combined, but the two sets are not combined with each other.

To subdivide scenes in the Album:

1. Select the scenes to be subdivided.

2. Right-click on one of the scenes.

3. Choose Subdivide from the pop-up menu, or select Album > Subdivide Scenes from the main menu bar.

The Subdivide Selected Scenes dialog box appears.

4. Choose the length of the subdivided scenes by typing in a value. The smallest increment of subdivision is one second. Any video

remaining after subdivision is added to the last scene.

5. Click OK. A progress bar appears, the scene is subdivided, and new scenes are

added to the Album. To revert, press Ctrl+Z, or click Undo. You can subdivide these scenes still further, provided they retain a

duration of at least one second.

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Re-Detecting Scenes

If you combine or subdivide scenes and later decide that you’d prefer to revert to their original state, you may re-detect any scene or selection of scenes. The detection results are identical to those that resulted from opening the captured video.

To re-detect scenes:

If you have subdivided scenes, you must first recombine them. Even if you cannot remember exactly what you did and recombine more than is necessary, the detection process will restore the original scene sequence.

1. Select any scenes you have subdivided, right-click on one of the selected scenes, and chose Combine from the pop-up menu.

2. Select the resulting scenes that you wish to re-detect.

3. Right-click on any of the selected scenes and choose Detect Scenes from the pop-up menu.

The following window appears as Studio redetects the scenes and repopulates the Album with the original scenes.

To change thumbnails in the Album:

1. Select the scene to be changed.

2. Use the Player control to find the frame you wish to be the thumbnail.

3. Right-click on the scene and choose Reset Thumbnail from the pop-up menu.

Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes

Grabbing and Using Still Images

Studio offers a variety of capabilities for creating and using still images. You can import images, such as photographs or drawings in most standard formats, and video frames, which can be grabbed with the Studio Frame Grabber. Titles are also a type of still image, and may themselves contain imported images and grabbed frames. This chapter explains how to place still images, such as photographs, into your movie, and how to use the Frame Grabber to make a still image from a single frame. Chapter 13 explains how to create titles.

Still images can be placed on the Video track or the Title Overlay track. Still images on the Title Overlay track are superimposed on top of the video.

Full Screen Images

A full screen image is one that is placed on the Video track, and fills the entire screen, replacing the video. When the preceding video clip ends, Studio plays the still image clip. The visual effect is that the video ends, and is replaced by the graphic until the next video clip or still image begins.

A Full screen Title Replaces the Video

" "

Overlay Images

An overlay image is placed on the Title Overlay track and is superimposed on top of the moving video, without replacing the video. The video continues playing in the background, while the overlay image appears stationary in the foreground. The visual effect is that a still image, such as title words or a graphic, appears on top of the video.

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An Overlay Appears on Top of the Video

" "

To add a full screen still image:

Still images such as photographs, clip art and so on are added from the Graphics section of the Album.

1. Select File > New from the main menu bar to clear the Movie window.

2. Click the Show Captured Tape tab on the Album, and drag two video scenes onto the Timeline.

3. Click the Show Graphics tab on the Album. The Album Graphics section is displayed, along with a set of default

images (if you chose to install them). You can use your own images by clicking the File Cabinet button and navigating to the folder

containing your images.

4. Drag a still image in between the two video scenes.

5. Click the Play button in the Player to preview the movie. Don’t clear the Movie window yet, because we will be adding an overlay

image later.

About the Overlay Process

Overlays are created in two ways. The primary method is through the title editor TitleDeko; however, you can also import a still image file. TitleDeko is covered in Chapter 13. This chapter explains importing graphics as overlays.

An overlay still image appears to have a solid background, yet—when you place it on the Title Overlay track— the background disappears, allowing the video to show through. How does Studio do this?

Grabbing and Using Still Images

Controlling

Transparency

for Still Images

For still images placed on the overlay track, Studio uses the color of the topleft pixel of the image to determine the transparent color. All pixels that match this color are assigned Opacity of 0% (fully transparent or clear). Because these pixels become transparent, the pixels of video behind them show though.

This function works well for still images that have consistent solid background colors. However, if you find that your particular overlay image background color does not work well for this, change the color Studio uses for the background. You can use an image editing program to change the top-left pixel to the desired color.

Please note that graphics (e.g. photos) imported into TitleDeko are not given transparent backgrounds.

TitleDeko images automatically handle transparency, and give you easy control using the Opacity slider.

To add an overlay still image:

The Graphics section of the Album should still be open. If not, click its tab.

1. Drag a still image from the Album to the Title Overlay track under the first video clip on the Timeline.

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2. Play the movie to see the overlay effect.

The top-left pixel of the overlay image is black. Studio makes all the black pixels in the overlay image transparent, allowing the video to become visible in the background.

HE FRAME GRABBER

The Frame Grabber can capture a still image from any video source, and save them in many standard graphic formats. You can use the grabbed frames in other software applications, or reinsert them back into your movies as still images. You can also import them into title images with the title editor, TitleDeko. For more details on using TitleDeko to insert grabbed frames as video images, refer to Chapter 13.

Here are some examples of using the Frame Grabber:

• Edit grabbed images back into a video production using overlay or full

screen effects. For example, you can point your camcorder at your old family photos, grab images of them, and insert them into your movie.

• Grab still pictures from any video source, including any videotape,

TV/Cable, video games, etc.

About Grabbing

Images

• Turn your camcorder into a scanner by pointing it at photos or documents

and grabbing a picture. You can place documents on a copy stand or just tape them to a wall.

• Save grabbed images for use in desktop publishing programs, including

page-layout software, paint programs, word processors, e-mail, Web pages, and so on.

You can choose a frame to grab from one of three sources:

• Video file

• Video source.

After you grabbed the frame, the Frame Grabber offers two options for using it:

• Adding it to the Video track

• Saving it to your hard drive as a graphic file

Saving it to the Video track places the grabbed frame before the video clip that is currently selected. When you save to your hard drive, a full-resolution image is stored. You can save the file in most standard graphic formats.

Grabbing and Using Still Images

Using the Frame Grabber Tool

Open the Toolbox and click the Frame Grabber button. Use the Frame Grabber tool in conjunction with the Player. Feed your video until you see the frame you want, and grab the frame, which is displayed in the Preview window. Once the frame is grabbed, you can add it to the movie or save it to disk.

Reduce Flicker

If the source video of the frame grab contains a large amount of motion, the grabbed frame may show flickering, which can be reduced or eliminated by clicking the Reduce Flicker checkbox. Because Reduce Flicker reduces resolution, you are given the option of turning it on or off.

To grab a frame from a movie and add to a movie:

1. Select File > New from the main menu bar to clear the Movie window.

2. Drag a few video scenes from the Album onto the Video track and select the one in front of which Studio is to place the grabbed frame.

3. Click the Open Toolbox button and then the Frame Grabber button . The Frame Grabber tool is displayed in the Toolbox.

4. Verify you are feeding your source video to Studio.

5. Select From Video Source.

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6. Play the source video to the frame you wish to capture.

7. Click the Grab Frame button.

8. Click the Add to Movie button Studio places the grabbed frame on the Video track of your movie in front

of the video clip you selected. Continue on to the next example without making any changes to Studio .

To grab a frame from a movie and save it:

Saving a grabbed frame is a nearly identical process, except you click the Save to Disk button instead of the Add to Movie button.

1. Select the Grab From Movie button.

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2. Use the Player control to locate the frame you wish to grab.

3. Click Grab Frame

4. Click the Save to Disk button. A Save File dialog box appears.

5. Choose the file folder in which to save the image. Give the file a name you’ll recognize later by typing in a name in the file name box. Save the file.

6. The default file type is BMP. To choose another file type, click the pulldown arrow to drop down the file type list. Scroll down to select a file format.

7. Choose the resolution for the image.

8. Click the Save button.

RIMMING STILL IMAGES

Still images are trimmed in one of two ways:

• Directly on the Timeline

• With the Change Clip Properties tool

Trimming still images directly on the Timeline works in a similar fashion as

Trimming on

the Timeline

Using Handles

trimming scenes on the Timeline: grab the left or right edge and drag.

Trimming w i th the Change Clip Properties Tool

Double-click on the image while in Timeline view to display the Change Clip Properties tool. Because there is little about a still image that can be changed, the Change Clip Properties tool offers only two options for still images.

• To set the length the still image is displayed, change the fields in the

Duration counter.

• To give the image a custom name, type the name in the Name field.

Grabbing and Using Still Images

Adding and Using Transitions

Studio offers sophisticated video effects called transitions that give your movie a professionally produced look. Once you begin to use transitions, you’ll recognize many of these effects in professionally produced videos. This chapter explains transitions, and shows you how to add them to your movie. It also explains how to use them with still images--explained in the previous chapter--and with titles, which are created with TitleDeko, the built-in Studio title editor. The detailed explanation of TitleDeko is found in the next chapter.

Transitions are placed on the Video track between two video clips, between full screen graphics, or between a combination of these clip types. Transitions can also be placed on the Title Overlay track, to bring titles on and off the screen. Transition types include Fade, Dissolve, Wipe and Slide. Studio offers numerous variations of Wipe and Slide transitions. For all transitions, except Fade, you can set the duration and direction to suit each movie’s specific requirements. The only Fade variable is duration.

To select the Transitions section of the Album, click the Transitions tab.

The

following example illustrates

a Slide Right

transition

" "

Transition Types and their Uses

Transitions are used based on the content of the video and what you are trying to do with your movie. Properly used, transitions let you subtly reinforce the meaning of the movie and how it plays without the audience becoming aware that a transition is employed. If you watch professionally produced video on television, you’ll see many ways to improve your own tapes. Generally, it is advisable to refrain from overusing transitions that tend to cause abrupt changes or otherwise draw attention to themselves. There’s a big difference between a subtle Dissolve from one clip to the next, and employing a heart-shaped Wipe.

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Open and play the file "Transitions.smp" to see an assortment of transitions that were selected to complement the type of video in each scene. Note how different a Wipe feels compared to a Dissolve.

Cuts

A cut is the absence of a transition, and produces an abrupt shift from one scene to the next. Depending on the content you have, this can be very useful.

Fade

This transition fades the first portion of the video clip up from a black screen, or fades the last of the clip down to a black screen. If Fade is used between clips, the video clip that is playing fades down. The incoming video clip then fades up. The Fade transition is the first transition in the Transition section of the Album.

Fade is typically used when there is a large break in the continuity. Examples include fading up from black at the beginning of your movie, or down to black at the end. It also can be used to indicate a new section has started. For example, a movie of a play might benefit from fading down to black an the end of one act, and then fading up from black as the next act opens.

Dissolve

A Dissolve is a gradual change between one video clip and another. The Dissolve is a widely used transition that avoids abrupt cuts from one clip to the next. Unless you intentionally want a cut, which can also be considered a type of transition, consider a Dissolve. While a short Dissolve can take the edge off a cut, a long Dissolve is useful to suggest the passage of time.

Wipes

A Wipe appears as if the incoming video clip is wiping over and into the video clip that is playing, replacing the playing video with the incoming one using one of many directions or patterns. Studio offers many types of Wipe transitions, along with numerous variations of each. Some Wipes draw a lot of attention to themselves, so consider their use carefully.

Slides

A Slide appears as if one video clip is sliding over the previous clip, and pushing it off the screen. Studio offers eight types of Slide transitions. Again, the content of the video and your intention as the producer dictate what type of Slide you use and how you use it. For example, you might use a Slide Right to begin a scene of a car entering the screen from the left.

Adding and Using Transitions

HE TRANSITIONS ALBUM

Displaying Transition Type

As you move the cursor over the transition icons in the Album, the cursor changes to a grabber symbol. If you pause momentarily on the icon, the transition type is displayed. If you leave the cursor on the transition, the display persists for several seconds.

Apart from the transitions of the Studio application numerous Alpha Magic cross transitions are available.

Previewing Transition Effects

Select a transition icon and watch the Player Preview window. The Player demonstrates the effects of the transition using the conventions of ”A” and ”B” where A represents the first clip and B the second.

To see a detailed view, stop the Player and use the Frame Reverse/Forward buttons to step through the effect one frame at a time.

DDING TRANSITIONS TO YOUR MOVIE

Transitions are placed on the Video track by dragging them from the Album as you would add any other item. You can do this in any view. To quickly add transitions, the Storyboard view can be useful.

Transitions are also trimmed like any other clip. See chapter 10 for details on trimming clips.

To add a transition:

The following example shows how to select and place transitions, and how they look in your movie.

1. Select File > New to clear the Movie window.

2. Click the Storyboard View button in the Movie window menu bar. (You can also use Timeline View.)

3. Click the video scene Album if it is not already selected.

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4. Drag at least six scenes onto the Storyboard.

5. Click the Album Transitions tab.

6. Click-hold on the Fade To/From Black transition and drag it in front of the first scene on the Storyboard.

Release the mouse button. The transition and the first clip are selected. Play the movie to see the Fade effect.

7. Next, add the remaining transitions as indicated.

RIMMING TRANSITIONS

Transitions are trimmed in one of two ways:

• Directly on the Timeline

• With the Transitions Trim tool.

Trimming On The Timeline Using Handles

Trimming transitions directly on the Timeline works in a similar fashion as trimming Scenes on the Timeline: grab the left or right edge and drag.

Using the Trim Transitions Tool

The Trim Transitions tool works in a similar fashion as the Trim Scenes tool described in the previous chapter, with a few minor exceptions.

Because they are so similar, this section covers only the differences. Select at least two scenes from A Day in the Park and drag them to the

Timeline or Storyboard. Then, drag a transition in between two of them. The example below illustrates the Trim Transitions tool applied to a Slide Left transition.

To display the Trim Transitions tool, double-click on the transition or select the transition and click the Toolbox button.

Adding and Using Transitions

Name field

Transport controls

Duration field

Start frame Transition type Click to reverse effect

End frame

Time scrubber

The Start Frame, End Frame, and Transport controls, as well as the Name and Duration fields, work identically to their counterparts for the Trim Scenes tool.

Next, click-drag the Trim scrubber to the center. As you move the Trim scrubber, notice that the incoming video appears to slide left from the right edge of the Preview window.

Reverse Direction Checkbox

You can change the direction of some transitions by checking the Reverse Direction checkbox.

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Adding Sound Effects / Music

You can add a great deal of polish to your video by adding background music, recording voice-overs, and inserting audio effects such as applause. Studio accesses and plays common digital audio file types. For example, you can add audio files stored on your hard disk in WAV format, or import audio directly from an audio CD. In addition, the audio track of your camcorder tape is captured along with the video, and is always available.

Studio also provides some exciting new features. You can record voiceovers and other audio into your movie directly from your computer, and automatically create any length and type of background music.

Audio clips are selected and placed on their tracks in the same way as video clips. Once an audio clip is placed on its track, you edit it the same way as you would a video clip. You can move its location on the Timeline, adjust the volume, and trim from the beginning or end.

Overview of the Timeline Audio Section

The Movie window contains two tracks on which you may place audio. In addition, the Video track also contains the audio portion of video scenes.

Audio portion of video scen

Sound effects and voice-overs tracks

Background music track

Audio clips

Video Scene Audio Track

In addition to the video scene, the Video track also contains the audio captured with your video. It is part of the scene itself and cannot be split from it. When you move or trim a scene, the audio is correspondingly moved or trimmed.

Sound Effects and Voice-overs Track

The most common uses for this track are voice-overs and sound effects; however you can place any WAV file on this track, containing any type of content. Examples include sound effects such as applause, or music saved in WAV format.

Adding Sound Effects / Music

Background Music Track

Use this track to include music from audio compact disks (CDs) and SmartSound background music. Although SmartSound will always be background music, the CD audio can be any type of audio. You can also place WAV files on this track.

ELECTING AND PREVIEWING AUDIO CLIPS IN THE ALBUM

Selecting Audio Clips in the Album

Studio offers a variety of ways to select audio clips in the Album. You can Shift-click to select contiguous clips, Ctrl-click for noncontiguous selections, area select with the marquee, and use combinations of these techniques. In addition, you can use the arrow keys to navigate through the Album grid. Selection techniques follow standard Windows conventions.

Selected audio clips are highlighted.

Previewing Audio Clips

You will probably want to preview the audio effects before placing the clips on the Timeline to get a better feel for their length and how they fit in with your movie. Any audio clip in the Album can be previewed. After you select a clip (or clips), they play automatically.

LACING AUDIO CLIPS ON THE TIMELINE

WAV files are placed from the Album whereas CD music, voice-overs and SmartSound background music are added via their Toolbox tools. The following two sections explain both techniques.

Placing WAV File from the Album

Place WAV audio clips on their tracks the same way you would drag a scene from the Album.

To place a WAV file on the Voice-over and Sound Effect track:

1. Click the Sound Effects Album tab

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2. The Album displays the section for Sound Effects. The page is populated with sound files (if you chose to install them).

3. Place your pointer on the CarHorn sound icon. After one second, a popup displays a small window letting you know that CarHorn is a WAV file

0.12 seconds long.

4. Click on the CarHorn sound to preview it.

5. Drag the clip to the Voice-over and Sound Effect track. The clip remains selected.

6. To hear the sound again, click the Play button. Leave the Timeline as it is now, and proceed to the next section.

Placing other Types of Audio Using the Toolbox

To Place a CD sound track on the Background Music track:

1. Select File > New to open a new file so the Movie window is empty.

2. Click the Toolbox button , then the Background Music button in the Tool Selector area.

The Name and CD Title drop-down lists contain Untitled until you insert a CD, type in the CD name and select a track. Subsequently, Studio remembers the CD name and track number.

3. Type in a name for the CD, or click the down arrow button in the CD Title drop-down list and choose a CD you have previously named.

4. Click the down arrow button in the track drop-down list and select the track you wish to place in your movie. You can select a portion of the track by trimming it using the Trim Calipers. For more information on trimming audio clips, see Trimming Audio Clips at the end of this chapter.

5. Click the Add to Movie button. The CD track is placed on the Timeline. Note that you can place the

audio CD music clip at any point on the Timeline by first positioning the Timeline scrubber at that point. If no clip is selected, the CD music is placed at the beginning. In the following example, the second scene was

Adding Sound Effects / Music

selected before clicking the Add to Movie button, and the clip was placed at that point on the Timeline.

6. To hear the sound clip when it is on the Timeline, click the Play button on the Player, or double-click the sound clip and click the Play button in the CD Music Tool.

REATING BACKGROUND MUSIC

Without Studio , background music can be difficult to add to a movie. You need to decide on the right kind of music, and select an exact duration that matches your video without causing the beginning and end to have abrupt transitions.

The Studio SmartSound feature easily avoids this. SmartSound creates music, automatically and precisely tailored to your specifications. Need exactly 10 seconds and 24 frames of a piano solo for your introduction? You can have it with SmartSound.

SmartSound combines a style of music along with a specific type to produce an appropriate background sound track.

SmartSound consists of two main software components: the program built into Studio for choosing and controlling music creation, and the sound files themselves. Because the sound files are large (around 250 Megabytes), the default install does not include them. If you didn’t install them, and you find yourself using this feature a lot, you can install these files any time for more convenient access, or continue to use them directly from the CD to conserve drive space.

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To create background music with SmartSound:

1. Select the clips to which you which you want the SmartSound added.

2. Click the Toolbox button button

The SmartSound window appears.

in the Tool Selector area.

, then the Create Background Music

3. Choose a style, song and version from the lists. To try this out, pick the default style Classical, song Four Seasons and

version Fresh Air. The number of versions that appears depends on the duration of the selected clips. By increasing duration, more versions may appear in the window.

4. Choose the length of the music in seconds, if you want it to be longer or shorter than the clips you selected.

The SmartSound clip is placed on the CD Audio track.

REATING A VOICE-OVER

Studio makes voice-overs as easy as a telephone call. Just turn on the Voiceover Recorder and speak into the microphone. You can narrate as you watch the movie play so your words are in sync with the action on the screen. You can also use the recorder to record other sounds with your microphone.

Before you can record audio into Studio , you need to connect a microphone to the input jack of your PC sound board.

To record a

voice-over:

Before you begin recording, review the video scenes in your movie and decide when you want the voice-over to begin (the cue) and end. To see how recording operates, you can practice the following example without using the microphone.

1. Select Tools > Enable Voice-over Recorder from the main menu bar or click the Voice-over button in the Toolbox.

Adding Sound Effects / Music

The Voice-over Recording window appears. Note that the Recording lamp is not lit.

2. Select the point on the Timeline at which the voice-over is to begin. You may do this by selecting a clip, playing the movie and stopping it at

the desired point, or moving the Timeline scrubber.

3. Pick up the microphone, click the Record button . The unlit Recording lamp changes to Standby, then a 3-2-1 countdown so

you are prepared. (Even if you don’t start speaking exactly on cue, you can always reposition the beginning of the voice-over clip on the Timeline.)

" " "

4. When the Recording lamp lights and the movie begins playing, begin speaking. As you speak, watch the movie so you can stay in sync.

5. When you are finished, click the Stop button . The lamp goes out, and the voice-over clip is automatically placed on the

Voice-over track of the Timeline.

6. Review your voice-over by rewinding and clicking the Play button.

Voice-over Volume

The recording volume for a voice-over is set when you record the voiceover, and cannot be changed; however, you can adjust the playback volume any time. Recording volume is set with the Recording Volume slider on the right of the Voice-over window. Generally, you will leave the slider set at zero gain. To the right of the slider is a volume meter. Watch this meter to make sure your recording levels don’t get too high or low.

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Editing Voice-overs

Edit the voice-over in the same way as any other audio file. You can reposition the voice-over clip on the Timeline, adjust the volume, and trim the beginning or end.

Recording Quality Options

You can adjust factory-preset values for recording quality. This section provides a brief summary. See Appendix A for detailed information.

To access these options select Setup > Options from the main menu bar, and then choose the Edit tab.

Voice-over Recording Options include Channels and Sample Rate adjustments. These options control the quality of voice-overs or other recorded audio. Set them at the highest quality level you anticipate needing, but keep in mind that increasing quality requires more disk space.

Adding Sound Effects / Music

DJUSTING AUDIO VOLUME

Anatomy of an Audio Clip

An audio clip icon on the Timeline has several parts. Clip length is denoted by the vertical bars. The actual content of the audio is indicated by the waveform. A continuous type of sound, such as a car engine, would have many pulses packed closely together. A staccato sound has sets of pulses spaced apart.

Two other lines indicate the normal and adjusted audio levels. The normal, or unadjusted, audio level of 0 db is the grey line; adjusted audio is the red line.

Clip length

Adjustment handle

Unadjusted 0 db audio level

Adjusted audio level

Cursors

The following cursors indicate the operations you can perform.

Trim one direction

DJUSTING AUDIO LEVELS

Audio levels of individual clips can be adjusted directly on the Timeline, or in the Volume window. Each technique offers its own advantages. Adjusting on the Timeline gives you a good sense of time versus volume, whereas the Volume window facilitates adjusting the relative volumes of the tracks with respect to each other.

Trim either

direction

Move

Clip

Adjust

volume

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Adjusting Audio Clip Volume on the Timeline

The audio level can be adjusted directly within the clip. Use the pointer to move the dark line that represents the audio level.

To raise or lower volume:

1. If you do not have an audio clip on the Voice-over and Sound Effect tracks, place one there now.

2. Select the clip. Note that the unadjusted (0 db) Volume Level line is displayed.

3. Position the pointer over the Volume line until it becomes a speaker.

4. Click-drag the line up to increase the volume.

5. When you release the mouse button, Studio places a volume adjustment handle at the point where you release the button.

6. Play the sound to hear the effect of your adjustment. You can adjust existing points using the same method.

To reset volume level:

Right-click within the audio clip you adjusted. Choose Remove Volume Changes from the menu. All adjustment points are removed.

Adjusting Audio Levels with the Volume Tool

The Volume tool offers a greater degree of adjustment functionality organized into one convenient location. The Volume tool operates in a similar way to a traditional audio mixer. You can control the volume of the individual tracks with respect to each other, on the fly or with playback stopped. In addition, you can fade the audio in or out at any point. The Volume tool also displays the volume with meters similar to those on stereo equipment.

Adding Sound Effects / Music

Fade up/down

Volume adjustment

Volume meter

Track identifier

See How It

Works

Scene /

audio

Tracks are indicated by the symbol in the upper left corner of each section.

Effects and

voiceovers

Background

music

Volume is controlled by clicking on the Volume sliders and adjusting them up or down. The buttons with the ramp symbol fade the volume up or down.

For example, if you’re adding a voice-over, reduce the video clip volume so the voice-over predominates.

First, populate the Timeline by dragging several video scenes and WAV sound effects onto their tracks. Add a section of background music or a CD audio track to its track. Your Movie window should be similar to the following example.

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Click the Player Play button . There is a jumble of sound as the three Audio tracks play over each other. The meters indicate the volume of each track. To unclutter the sound, experiment with adjusting the volume levels.

As you make adjustments, you can hear the results, and see the effect in the Audio Level Adjustment line within the clip that is on the track you are adjusting.

Static Volume

Adjustment

Next, try static adjustment. Click the Timescale in the Movie window to activate the Timeline scrubber. Experiment by moving the scrubber

On-the-Fly

Volume

Adjustment

Fade In and

Fade Out

Buttons

left and right. Notice how the various displays in the Volume tool

and Player Preview windows change. Stop at a point on the Timeline. The displays freeze. Now make volume

adjustments using the Volume sliders. Note the effect in the Audio Level Adjustment line within the clip itself. An adjustment point is added and the line level is changed.

First try making adjustments on the fly. Click the Play button , and—as the Movie plays—click on the Scene Volume slider and pull it down to the bottom. The background music predominates. When you come to a point in the movie where you want to hear the scene audio, raise the slider.

Note that adjustment points are added and the line level is changed to match the way you moved the Volume slider.

Above each Volume slider is a set of Fade buttons that contain ramp symbols

. Clicking these produces a Fade In or Out at the current position of the movie. To see this effect, scrub to a location within the movie, click one of the buttons, and note the result in the corresponding Audio Level Adjustment line.

You may notice that sometimes the Fader buttons are grayed out, which means a Fade is not possible at this point because the scrubber is at the beginning or end of a clip.

Adding Sound Effects / Music

RIMMING AUDIO CLIPS

Audio clips are trimmed in one of two ways:

• Directly on the Timeline

• With the Audio Trim tool

Trimming on the Timeline Using Handles

Trimming audio clips directly on the Timeline works in a similar fashion as trimming scenes on the Timeline: grab the left or right edge and drag.

If you are having difficulty manipulating these edges, refer to Chapter 10 for a detailed explanation of trimming clips on the Timeline.

Trimming w ith the Audio Tools

The Trim Audio tool works the same way as the Trim Video Scenes tool described in Chapter 10, with the following exceptions.

To display the Trim tools for audio, double-click on the audio clip, or select the transition and click the Trim button in Toolbox tool selection area.

Whereas the Trim Scenes tool shows the start/end video frames, the Trim Audio tool shows the audio clip. In the case of a WAV file audio clip, a waveform that represents the sound is displayed.

The controls for the WAV Trim tool operate in exactly the same way as those for the Video Scenes Trim tool. The only difference is that a waveform of the WAV file is displayed instead of the Start/End video frames.

For CD music, the CD and track names are displayed instead. As with the WAV Trim tool, the controls operate the same way as in the Video Scenes Trim tool.

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The Trim tool display for background music is a slight variation: The Background Music tool is displayed, except that the Trim Tool button is selected. As with the Transition Trim tool, the only adjustments you can make are the duration and name. Duration is changed by entering new values in the Duration fields, or by clicking the Up/Down arrow buttons. Trimming does not remove music. Rather, it generates a new song of the desired length that has a proper beginning and end.

You can also type in a custom name for the music. This name appears in the Text view of the Movie window.

Adding Sound Effects / Music

Creating Titles

TitleDeko is an integrated title editor program that allows you to quickly and easily create professional quality titles and graphics. Titles can contain words, shapes, background colors, and photos or graphics imported from other programs. TitleDeko offers preset, professionally developed styles for quickly making titles, along with virtually endless custom styling. You can modify titles by adding transitions for a wide variety of effects, such as titles that fade in or slide, and adjust the duration the title appears in your movie.

This chapter begins with a brief explanation of how titles are created, then guides you through several examples of making and modifying titles. Following these examples are details on more advanced features.

How Titles Are Created

TitleDeko appears in a separate window with its own user interface. It creates titles that are inserted in your Studio movie. You can also save titles separately to use in other Studio movies.

You create the title in the Preview window. You type in text, apply a style, and complete it by resizing, repositioning, or rotating, or by adding shapes or pictures. When you’re done, click the Accept button and the title is automatically inserted into the Studio Movie window.

Launching TitleDeko

You can launch TitleDeko in three ways. The way in which you launch TitleDeko determines if the title is an overlay or full screen. (You can change this later.) A full-screen title is placed on the Video track, and fills the entire screen, replacing the video. An overlay title is placed on the Title Overlay track, and is superimposed on the video. Chapter 11, Creating and Using Still Images, explains these differences.

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Launching from the Movie Window

For an overlay title, double-click on the Title Overlay track where you want the title to appear. For full-screen titles, right-click on the Video track.

For an overlay title For a full-screen title

Double-click in the title overlay track where you want to insert the title

Launching from the Toolbox

Click the Toolbox button to open it, then click the Title button. This displays the Title tool. Click either the Title Overlay or Full Screen Title button.

Launching from the Main Menu Bar

Choose Toolbox > Create Title, then click either the Title Overlay

or Full Screen Title button to launch

TitleDeko.

HE TITLEDEKO USER INTERFACE

Right click in the video track and select TitleDeko

TitleDeko is a separate application with its own user interface that offers menus, windows and toolbars.

TitleDeko Window s

TitleDeko windows follow standard Windows conventions—you can open, close, move and resize them.

The Menu Bar provides menus of commands and other choices (not shown in illustration). Frequently used commands have Toolbar buttons.

Toolbars containing Tool Groups that can be ”torn off” or rearranged.

A Preview window that shows a what-you-see-is-what-you-get

(WYSIWYG)

area always visible in final movie.

view of your work along with lines denoting a ”video safe”

Creating Titles

A Preset Styles window that shows the style presets that can be applied to text and other objects. You can modify the presets and create new ones.

A Status line that provides information about the tool in use, text cursor coordinates, if movement is set to coarse or fine, and so forth.

New file

Open file

Save file

Cut

Copy

Paste

Justificatio n grid

Horizontal justify

Vertical jus tify

Move/Resize

Rotate/Sk e w

Kerning/Leading

Draw rectangle

Draw elipse

Insert picture

Background

Typeface

Type size

Type browser

Look browser

Edit tools

Bold

Italic

Underlin e

Undo

Redo

Status line

Text

cursor

Preview

window

Video-safe

area

Preset Styles

window

Tool Functions

At the top and sides of TitleDeko are two Toolbars that offer fast access to frequently used TitleDeko functions. In addition, all functions can be selected via the menus. Frequently used functions also have keyboard shortcuts.

New, Open and Save Files; Cut, Copy and Paste

, These are standard Windows functions.

Typographical Characteristics

Before you can change typographical characteristics, select the text you want to change. Click the drop-down list arrows to chose a typeface and its size

. To preview the typeface before you select it,

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click the Typeface Browser button , then choose the face you want from the browser window. To make text bold, italic and/or underline, click the

respective button .

Look Browser / Edit Looks

Click the Look Browser button to display a window that contains all the preset looks. Clicking on a specific look applies a set of appearance attributes to the selected object.

Click the Edit Look button to modify the currently selected look. There are numerous fine adjustments that are explained in greater detail later.

Grid / Horizontal / Vertical Alignment Browsers

Alignment browser tools are active depending on whether the selected object is text or a non-text object (such a circle). For example, you can right align a circle, but you can’t justify it like text by spreading out the words and letters.

Click the Grid button for a browser that gives you a fast way to align objects.

To change the horizontal or vertical alignment and/or justification of text characters, click the respective button and choose the type of alignment you wish. Note that some alignments also work on objects.

Undo / Redo

Click Undo to undo the last action. Undo will undo multiple levels of action, limited only by available memory. Redo undoes the last Undo.

Accept / Reject Title

Accepts or rejects the title or overlay and returns you to Studio .

Move / Scale, Rotate / Skew

Depending on the object handle selected, these controls have different functions. Move the cursor over the object. The cursor shows the active function.

Text Kerning / Leading

Spreads text lines vertically (leading), or words and letters horizontally (tracking), or adds/removes space between individual letters and words (kerning).

Add Rectangle, Ellipse

Click to add these shapes. Hold the Shift key down to constrain the shape to a 45 degree angle.

Insert Picture

Click to insert an image from your hard disk or other media. Pictures are treated like other objects in that you can scale, skew, rotate, and size them. Please note that pictures do not get a transparent background.

Creating Titles

Replace Background

Allows you to make adjustments to the color, opacity and other details

of the background.

Additional Menu Commands

Coarse / Fine

From the main menu bar, select Transform > Coarse or Fine to change the increments used in cursor movement.

Make Full Screen

From the main menu bar, select Layer > Make Full Screen to convert an overlay title to a full-screen title.

Find, Find Next and Replace

From the main menu bar, select Edit > Find, Find Next or Replace to perform text search and replace functions analogous to those of a word processor.

LET’S M

AKE A TITLE

Example 1 is nearly identical to the one in Chapter 8, A Tour Through Studio . If you’ve already completed this example, just open the sample file "Sample1.smp" and continue with Example 2. The subsequent examples build on this basic title to show more advanced TitleDeko features.

Example 2 enhances the text in a number of ways including resizing, rotating and skewing. In addition, this example adds a shape behind the text to which a style is applied.

Example 3 demonstrates inserting a picture and changing the background color.

Example 1: Creating a Basic Title

1. Drag the first video scene from the Album onto the Video track.

2. Double-click on the Title Overlay track below the first video clip. When you finish the title, Studio places the title at the point on the

Timeline where you double-clicked.

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3. TitleDeko launches and a text I-Beam cursor awaits text entry. Type the words: A Day in the Park

Next, you will change the type size and apply a new style to it, but you must first select the text.

4. Press Ctrl+A to select the text. The text is now surrounded by a selection box with handles on its sides.

5. A sampling of styles is displayed in the window to the right of the textentry window. (If the Style window is not visible, select View > Preset Styles.) Scroll down to number 5 and click it.

6. The style characteristics are applied to the text.

Creating Titles

7. Click the Move/Resize tool button . To resize the text, press Ctrl+A to select it, then position the cursor on the lower right handle while pressing the Shift key to proportionally shrink the text.

8. To center the text, click the Horizontal Justify button to display its pop-up choices. Click the Center button .

9. Your title is centered, and appears as follows.

10.Finally, select the Accept button . You return to Studio from TitleDeko. Studio places the title under the

first Video Scene where you double-clicked on the Title Overlay track to launch TitleDeko. You can add transitions to bring your title on and off the screen. Click the Player buttons to preview your work.

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Title appears where you originally clicked in the Title Overlay track

Example 2: Modifying the Text

In this example, you enhance the title created in Example 1 by rotating and skewing the text. You don’t need to follow this example exactly. Feel free to use your own.

1. Double-click the title on the Timeline, or open Sample1.st4 and doubleclick it.

2. Click the Move/Resize button anywhere within the text or on the border (except on the handles) so the cursor is a Move symbol that looks like a cross. Experiment with moving the text.

3. Next, click the Rotate/Skew button . Rotate the text.

4. In the following illustration, the text was rotated , Style 1 applied , made bold , resized , and finally skewed by grabbing the upper right handle with the Rotate/Skew tool .

. Select the text and position the cursor

5. Next, click the Rectangle button. A white rectangle appears. Click the

Move/Resize button and resize the rectangle like this: Rotate/Skew button, grab the upper right handle and skew the rectangle

until it looks like this . Position the Rotate/Skew cursor over the shape and rotate it to match the text angle. Click the Style 8 icon. Move the shape over the text and select Layer > Send to Back from the menu bar.

Creating Titles

. Click the

Example 3: Inserting a Picture and Replacing the Background

This example shows how to insert a picture and change the background color. A picture can be a photograph, a frame of grabbed video or a drawing.

1. While in TitleDeko, select File > New to clear the Preview window and start a new title.

2. Click the Insert Picture button

. A standard Windows file dialog box

appears. Navigate to a picture, and double-click it.

3. The picture appears in the Preview window. In the following illustration, the picture has also been rotated.

4. To change the background color, click the Replace Background button

. Click the Background is a Color Gradient button. To change the gradient, click in each of the boxes. The Color Picker window appears. Choose the desired color. In this case, the top two and bottom two boxes were made the same color to create a ”ramp” effect that goes from light at the top to dark at the bottom.

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Click these boxes and make them a lighter color Click these boxes and make them a darker color

5. Finally, add text that complements the picture.

You are now finished with the examples. The remainder of this chapter discusses the fine points of TitleDeko.

ELECTING TEXT AND OBJECTS

TitleDeko is character-oriented. Consequently, text selection feels a little different than in other software, particularly word processors. The unique ways TitleDeko selects text are expressly tuned for editing titles, and offer a great deal of graphical flexibility, unlike a word processor. For example, you can select a single character and resize it, skew it or even rotate it.

To select all text characters or objects:

Type several lines of text, then try the following selection methods until text selection seems comfortable

• Choose Select All from the Edit menu, or press <Ctrl> + <A>. A selection

box with handles appears around the text.

Note that if you click on the red dashed line that indicates the video-safe area, a similar looking box appears. However, this box is larger and surrounds the entire image. You have selected the image area, not the text.

Creating Titles

To select a single word or object:

• Double-click the word or object. Or, use the arrow keys to move the

cursor to the beginning or end of the word, then hold Shift and press the right or left arrow.

A selection border with handles appears around the word or object.

To select a random section of text spanning more than one line:

• Drag across, then down or up the text, or diagonally.

• Or, position the cursor at the beginning or end of the desired selection

area, and press arrow keys while holding the Shift key. Also, the Tab key moves the cursor from one word to the next.

Selected text within blocks is denoted by a series of fine parallel black lines as shown in the following illustration. The entire block is surrounded by a selection border with handles.

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To deselect text or objects, click anywhere outside the selected area.

Pinnacle Systems Studio Online User's Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

About the Users's Guide

Overview

What is Studio Online?

Easy Video Capture on the PC

Interactive Editing with Instant Preview

Titles

Special Effects

Audio

Make Movie

On-Line Help

Computer

Operating System

Video Devices

Audio Devices

Studio Online installation

Administrator rights

Driver certification

Checking the Software

DirectX-Installation

DirectDraw Suppor t

Overlay-Test

Studio Online Resource Test

Exit Studio Online Assistant

If you have problems...

Connect video source

The Studio interface

The Album

The Player

What is the Player?

The Preview Window

The Playback Controls

Jog Buttons

Player Scrubber

The Counter

Current Position Feedback

Current Position, Edit Li ne and Scrubbers

Clip Placement Feedback

The Toolbox

Diskometer

The Player during Capture Mode

Start/Stop Capture Button

The Settings Button

Making Digital Movies (MPEG or AVI Files)

A Tour through Studio

About Capturing Tapes

Take a Peek

Using the Video Scenes Album

Adding Transitions

Using the Timeline View

Trimming Scenes and Transitions on the Timel ine

Adding an Overlay Title

Trimming the Title

Adding a Title Transition

About Studio Audio Capabilities

Creating Background Music

An example: MPEG Movie

Capturing Video

The Diskometer

About SmartCapture Automatic Scene Detection

Troubleshooting Tip: avoiding too many scene changes

Troubleshooting Tip: avoiding too few scene changes

Video Options

Audio Options

Quality Options

Adding/Adjusting Video Scenes

Displaying Scene Start and Length

Selecting Scenes

Trimming on the Timeline using Handles

Trimming Video Scenes with the Change Clip Properties Tool

Resetting Trimmed Scenes

Combining and Subdividing Scenes

Re-Detecting Scenes

Grabbing and Using Still Images

Full Screen Images

Overlay Images