Video Editing, Capturing, Compositing and Story Telling

[jkadg]

INTRO

How sad. I'm at a friend's house using his PC. Pretending that it's my own. Because for more than 6 months, .........

I miss the old times. Always in front of my computer. You see, my computer had been broken for more than

6 months. So right now, I'm at a friend's house using his computer, pretending that it's my own. He also

has a fast internet access, as for me, I only use Dial-up so I'm happy when I'm at his house.

Almost everyday beginning last week, I'm at his house.

So right now, I have no idea about those new things happening in the net specially softwares, video

editing, etc... Can you please update me?

VIDEO EDITING

I need some tips in Video Editing including Capturing Videos. Before, I am using Ulead Media Studio 7. I

then upgraded to Ulead Media Studio 8. And I am so confused. Please help me.

By the way in Media Studio 8, how can I edit multiple camera angles? And does it support smooth slow

motion?

I researched in the net, and checked out the forum of a TV Station and I asked them what editor they use.

They told me they use AVID. AVID Adrenaline. Another friend of mine uses Canopus Edius, which he always

recommends it to me.


Which of the 2 Editors are the best to use? AVID or Edius?

AVID, I think I liked Avid Liquid Pro, Avid Xpress Pro, and Avid Media Composer. What do you think is the

best to use and why some of their products have integraded hardware in it?

How about Edius? What do you think about it? Do you think it's more advanced, easy to use, and more

powerful than AVID?

Also, I am going to edit school projects, home videos, short films, and probably almost anything and

everything.

COMPOSITING

Adobe After Effects, they always tell me that it's a wonderful application. But what version to use? And

is it easy to use with the current and future Video Editor(s) that I or I will use?

I know all Adobe products are hard to use. Is there a way to learn it faster and easier?

I am going to use the compositing softwares in Blue Screening, Smooth Slow Motion and Visual Effects.

Another plan, to make the project unique, I'm planning to use 3D. 3D Objects or CG Objects. What program

to use? What program to use in Motion Tracking the CG Objects? I would like my short film to look so

modern and expensive even though it's not that expensive.

CAPTURING

In Capturing, what kind of Codec to use? What kind of Video Capture Software to use? What kind of Capture

Card?

STORY TELLING AND VIDEO CAMERA SHOOTING

Finally, can you please give me Video Camera shooting/recording tips/tutorials? Capturing the moments

like Birthdays, Weddings, Outings, Short Films (to make it look professional), etc... Camera Angles,

proper Video Camera to use, Making documentary, narrating, making MTVs and making a good concept/story of

the movie(or plot)/video/outing/wedding/birthday/live video specially in Editing.

HARDWARE AND SOME COMPOSITING ISSUES

What kind of proper computer hardware to use? Memory, Speed, Hard Drive, etc... I'm currently using

Windows XP Pro SP2.

I've tried Combustion. Difficult to use but it's OK.

I would like to try any Boris Products. What to use and is it worth it?

I know everything is not easy to use. Can you please give me easy to understand tutorials? (In summary

i'm just a beginner so I need easy to learn Tutorials in All Applications (Video Editor(s) that you'll

recommend, Compositing Softwares that you'll recommend and Capturing Videos).)

Thanks in Advance.

[Jerry Jones]

In my experience, only a handful of people really know how to use the programs you've mentioned because they can be so difficult and challenging to learn.

What most people do is buy them, fail to learn how to use them correctly, and then brag to others on the Internet that they bought them and that they know how to use them correctly.

Here we tend to use software that really is easy to learn and works.

If you're having difficulty learning Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8, then you can try a very inexpensive learning guide by Charlie Hills here:

http://tinyurl.com/gmdyb

If you think Ulead MediaStudio Pro -- the easiest of all of the pro NLEs -- is difficult to learn, then wait until you see the software packages you mentioned.

They're BEARS.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Dr Mordrid]

Yup.

I have to use Premiere Pro with my RT.X100 rigs and it is indeed a bear to learn. It's UI is so convoluted I have to keep a roadmap pinned to the wall, and this for someone who has betatested it THREE TIMES (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0). UI consistancy is not an Adobe hallmark

I think the appropriate overall term is cryptic, and that may be too kind

EDIUS has numerous weakness especially when it comes to handling overlays, which is quite entertaining because of my activities on the Canopus forum. Listening to them say "I wish it had (X)" is sometimes a scream when you consider a lot of those absent items MSPro has had since forever.

It also seems to have a problem with gamma and images sequences. I've seen the same image sequence look great in PPro, MSPro & Avid and look dark in EDIUS. Go figure and not fun for animators or 3D'ers.

As far as filetypes, overlays and image sequences go;

MSPro, regardlesss of version, doesn't give a rip what file format is included in your timeline as long as the codec is installed in the system. Overlays are also complete with types most people would never use. Even image sequences as exported by 3D programs are handled as if they were a DV or AVI file using its Ulead Image Sequence filetype. You can do keys or any other effect with them and not even think about it save for setting the files anti-flicker filter if you're using them in an interlaced project. Not so in most other editors.

Many editing systems integrate hardware for several reasons;

1. the integrated hardware locks you in because the cost is so high and effects so propriatory you have no choice but to upgrade to their system next time or lose your old work. Basically it's a freeway to your wallet.

2. they use hardware to perform effects that their programmers cannot pull off in software. Also an adjunct to #1.

3. to use a known and fixed hardware capture system so they don't have to bother coding their software to use generic hardware whose specs and drivers can vary in quality.