How to perform a multi-camera (two camera) edit in Pinnacle Studio 12

by Fred Ginsburg, www.VideoEditSystems.com

Even though we normally build editing systems to utilize Avid Liquid or Avid Media Composer, we have been more than impressed by the capabilities of Pinnacle Studio 12 Ultimate.

For an inexpensive little program, the folks at Pinnacle (a division of Avid) really pack a lot of features into this video editing package.

However, one of the features not covered in the Studio manual is multi-camera editing. If you covered an event with more than one camcorder shooting simultaneously, then how do you go about lining up the footage in sync and cutting between them?

Higher end programs, such as Avid Liquid, Media Composer, FCP, and others are able to deal with multiple cameras no problem; but that is why those programs are considered the favorites of professional editors. Also, those programs cost a lot more, require a good deal of training, and require very powerful computers.

Pinnacle Studio 12, on the other hand, is good for the less experienced video editor whose projects do not require the sophistication of those advanced programs. We like the program so much that, at VideoEditSystems.com, we include it as basic software on all of our professional laptop computer systems. It is ideal for smaller scale projects including event videography, industrial/corporate, DVD's, slide shows, and web media. Yes, it will handle HDV.

Which brings us back to the two camera live shoot. Can it be successfully edited in Pinnacle Studio 12? That is what we set out to discover....

Step One. Make sure that the Video Overlay track is enabled. Do that by going to the Toolbox and selecting: Add Video Overlay.

Step Two. Select your Master Shot (camera A) and drag it down to the timeline.

Note: if your two-camera edit is going to be part of a much larger show, I would recommend that you open up a NEW PROJECT and build your sequence on its own. When you are finished, export the (two camera)edited sequence (Studio calls it Make A Movie) and save it as an AVI video file. Import that file into your original project. By doing it this way, you also have the option to trim or split the clip (your two-camera sequence) as much as you want, without fear of losing sync.

Scroll through the Master Shot until you locate what will serve as a common sync point for both cameras. This could be an official clapstick slate, or just a specific frame of an action visible to both cameras, such as a kiss, flashbulb, handslap, etc.

Add a Marker at that frame and label it as Sync Point (or whatever).

To make it even easier to align on that frame, since the Marker symbol appears at the top of the timeline, you will use the RAZOR tool to make a slice at that frame. The slice does not remove any frames (no loss of sync) but it does leave a very visible vertical line in the timeline.

Drag the Insert Footage (camera B) down to the Overlay track just underneath the Master shot. When you play through the timeline, the video will automatically default to the footage on the Overlay track rather than show the Master track.

Locate the common sync point of the Insert track (camera B) and place a Marker at that point, and give it a label. You do not need to add a Razor slice to the Overlay track, since the Marker symbol is at the top of the timeline and will be easy to align with the vertical line (slice) in the track above it (the Master track). Slide the video clip on the Overlay track until the two sync marks are opposite each other.

If you wish, you can trim the beginning of either video track as much as you want by grabbing the left edge of the clip and pulling it to the right. Note that the sync markers should remain aligned. If the track slides by mistake, just hit the UNDO symbol.

If you are afraid of accidently messing up the two tracks, then do a SAVE PROJECT AS and name the newly saved file with a new version number. For example, save "JG_wedding_v01" as "JG_wedding_v02". That way, you can always go back to the other saved version. Saving your project as different versions every time you make a major change is a good way to protect yourself against big-time blunders that the UNDO button might not rescue.

There are a couple ways we can view both cameras in order to select the cut points. One simple technique is just to click on the "eye" symbol (oval with a circle in it) located at the right border of the Overlay timeline. When you click on the eye, it will disable the overlay function and reveal only the main video track (the Master track). Clicking on the eye again will re-enable the Overlay, and reveal whatever video is on the lower timeline track.

Now for the cool part. Let's enable Pinnacle Studio to show us both camera feeds at the same time on the source monitor. Highlight the video clip on the Overlay track (camera B). Select the Picture Tools icon (the camera icon next to the speaker icon, located near the left of your monitor screen just above the timelines).

Once in the Picture Tools menu, select the Picture-In-Picture tool. You should see the Overlay track (camera B) inserted into the corner of the PIP editor frame. Click the small box to ENABLE Picture in Picture. Now you should see the Overlay track AND the main video track. You can use the mouse grabber to move the inserted picture to wherever in the frame you desire, so that it does not block important content. You can also drag the corners to adjust size.

Scroll or play through the timeline until you come to the first place you want to change cameras. Place a Marker on the main track (camera A) and label it. Highlight the Overlay track, and place a Marker on it at the same spot, and label it to match. Then use the Razor tool to slice the Overlay track at that frame.

Scroll or play to the next edit point, and repeat the procedure described above: Place a Marker on the main track (camera A). Highlight the Overlay track, and place a Marker on it at the same spot. Then use the Razor tool to slice the Overlay track at that frame.

Continue this process of marking and razor slicing at all of the cut or transition points along the timeline.

Highlight and DELETE those sections of the Overlay track (camera B) that you do NOT want to appear in the sequence. The remaining clips will remain in their relative positions on the Overlay track, which you can quickly verify by checking to see that the left edges of the Overlay clips line up with the markers above them on the Master track.

Now, to remove the Picture-in-Picture feature. Just highlight ALL of the clips on the Overlay track (control+click on each clip), and then just uncheck the box that enables Picture-In-Picture in the editor window.

When you play the timeline, the picture will cut between the Master track and the Overlay track.

You can drag transitions down to the Overlay track if you want dissolves or whatever at the in or out points of those clips.

If you do not want the audio to switch between the Master video track and the Overlay track, you can delete the audio portions of the Overlay clips. To do that, first LOCK the Overlay video by clicking on the lock icon (next to the eye). Then, highlight just the audio track underneath the Overlay video and delete it.

As an alternative way of adjusting the audio levels, you can use the standard audio mixer tool; or just drag the audio level bar down, inside the timeline down using your mouse.

Thanks Fred, this is good stuff.

I'm thinking that this needs to be pinned.

Look forward to trying this out......thanks much!

Agreed, this post needs to be pinned. With all the requests about more video tracks, this will certainly help until that day comes.

It seems I have already seen it somewhere.

Hummmm... let me think it over... may be at Declic Video website but earlier and with an associated tutorial with lots of pictures.

For once, Frenchies were faster than US people.

That could be possible, but it must have been a long while ago. I did not see it. Anyway, it wasn't on THIS site when I looked, so I wrote one on my own for the benefit of our own clients. I never assumed that I was the first person to do this; just that I could not find anything already written down explaining the process.

Nether mind Fred, I was just kidding.

Our news and tutorial were published on November 07, 2008. You probably had a look earlier.

 

I don't this thread hasn't crossed my path. Moved to edit and Pinned.

I use 10.8 and have used a modification of this approach for 2 camera editing.  I am having a problem with a popping noise whenever I transition between tracks with a fade.  I found that with both tracts A and B aligned and sync'ed, you do not need to cut and remove the B tract when you don't want it to show.   You can do Picture in Picture and use the transparency slide to go between tracts.  I usually put a razor cut at the point in A or B that I want to use as my beginning point and then set the PinP slide after that point and put a desolve in.  You do not need to remove the B track part.   In order to see the other track when editing, just click on it and it will show in the window.   This saved me a ton of time when I found out I didn't have to cut and remove the B track.  It also helps reduce the de-sync problem that occurs when modifying one track.  Everybody else probably already knows this and thinks it juvenile but I found it to be better for me anyway.  Oh, the popping isn't noticeable when I use this approach as it was with the deletion of the unused B tract.   It allows you not to have to sit there and think which one needs deleting and undoing when you have an OOps.

H_Brindley

Good suggestion on using PIP on the overlay and making those segments you don't wish to see transparent. I don't remember seeing that suggestion before.

Don

Hey, it works! What else can I say.  I found it out by accident trying to correct a screw-up on my part.  I was filming a wedding with 2 cameras and had one set on 4:3 and another on 16:9.  When I tried to do the usual B track cut editing, there was tract A showing around the outside, not good.  So...... I did Picture in Picture to effectively zoom the picture to cover the A tract.  This deminished clarity and the aspect ratio was trial-and-error but it worked OK.  It was during this that I found the transparency slide could be used in this fashion.  It certainly is easier than the B cut method and saves a lot of time. 

Hey Frank, think you could make some tutorials on using the Knol Light Factory, SHINE, Particular, 3D Stroke and Tune It plugins in PS14? Not the spasific effects, but just "using" Them in general? Maybe a beginner intermediate and advanced too? Or are those features so new that the programers and stuff are afraid to try it themselves? (Hehe just teasing bro :D )

I just started messing with this feature about a week ago and it it really is kind of fun!!! but i was wondering if i could get some constructive critisism? i noticed that even with some sort of proper lighting that i can kind of tell were the split is from the master and the overlay tracks. anyone know any quick fixes?

 

im not looking for comments or subs or advertising or anything, just looking for some critisism.  THNX!!!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5DDWQGAZno

WOW!!!  Just as I was about to throw in the towel on a two camera edit you come up with something for Studio 12 and there is a response from another user, like me, of 10.8.  What I would really like to do is cut back and forth between the two cameras selecting the scenes that are best for the situation.  The big problem is that the sound on camera B is distorted by echos and a nolisy air conditioner vent.  (I tried using a high frequency cut-off to block the low frequency hum but it doesn't work)  The sound on camera A is excellent.  What I would really love to do is cut the scenes from Camera B into the Camera A video.  I've already started a cut and paste operation by creating another project but the bad sound comes with the scenes from camera B.  Is it possible to lift off a sound track and edit it with good programs?  Any ideas would be appreciated.

SabaRaba

That is pretty fun!!!

I am trying hard to do that with PS14U, using PiP, but there's just don't seem to be a way the fit two videotracks correctly. Pictures are strecthing strangely, instead of cropping nicely.

Is there a tutorial available for this?

Thanks!

 

K

Hi

Does anyone know how to nudge a track sideways in relation to the other? I'm trying to synchronise two guitar players and want to get them absolutely in sync.

I plan eventually to write a longer tutorial on restoring sync in Studio -- but for now, here's the simple version of the procedure:

 

start by making sure the video you're modifying is a single unbroken clip  (alt-A, right click: combine)

find a distinctive sound and picture event -- something that you can recognize independently both on the audio track and the picture track.

Lock the audio track

find the instant where the picture event occurs -- identify it w/the chapter marker

Lock the Video track

Do the same on the audio track:  find the instant where the picture event occurs -- identify it w/the chapter marker

Now depending on which marker is most to the right, lock that track (could be either video or audio) -- and unlock the other.

Here comes the tricky part:

You now must grab the track with left most marker, and pull it to the right until the two markers are aligned. 

After you have confirmed that things are now in sync, go to the head and tail, and precisely cut the overhanging frames.

I then suggest making the highest quality copy possible of this in sync video, and subsequently work with that synced copy.  

 

In your case you need to use PIP to have the two video tracks play simultaneously -- and instead of moving and marking the audio and video as I outlined, you would instead just mark the distinctive sound & picture event on one video, and then the other video track 

The rest of the procedure is the same 

 

 

 

 

Hi

I gather there is no reliable way to actually nudge a track sideways in relation to another, (say with the **** keys) a single or a few frames.

 

I zoom in to the "individual frame" level and click-drag, here. 

My quick&dirty workflow:  I turn off background rendering, set transparency to about 50% (or use a picture-in-picture, depending on the shot), find a good frame on the master track, then drag the overlay track back&forth until I'm happy with the results.

BittMann

If you are using two cameras, you can always get close by looking at the waveforms on the audio tracks. You would still need to find some sort of similar beginning reference point.

Richard Rudd:

Hi

I gather there is no reliable way to actually nudge a track sideways in relation to another, (say with the **** keys) a single or a few frames.

 

auto conforming sync would be a VERY easy feature to add -- but its not in Studio now.

In my experience, its best to be zoomed in at about "10 seconds" (zooming to "1 second" is too twitchy) -- then go to the head of the clip and drag the moving track the number of frames needed, to the right of the fixed track

Test/listen each time you do it -- you may get lucky on an unintended move

If its wrong, control/z  is a quick undo