Change Media Training Toolkit: 8 – Computer Basics
Here are some basic steps to get started with the edit, creating music and special effects.
Change Media Training Toolkit: 8. Computer Basics – Apple Desktop
How to set up your Apple desktop and easily find your media.
OVERVIEW:
• Introduction to Apple’s operating software
• How to use Apple’s desktop
• Apple’s folder structure and navigation tips
Printable PDF worksheets
Coming soon!
Watch video demos by clicking on the links below:
Jen explains basic set up and navigation for the Apple desktop – coming soon.
LINKS
Find other useful web resources here soon.
Training Tips: Apple Desktop
Jen demonstrates Apple’s desktop set up – coming soon.
Introduction to Apple’s operating software
Here are some essentials for using Apple’s OS X, version 10.6.8
Apple is upgrading their software roughly every second year, so keep yourself up to date.
Having worked with both Apple and PC soft and hardware, we found the Apple operating software to be more intuitive – it’s design often gives you multiple easy-access options to locate files or make changes and customize the look and feel.
How to use Apple’s desktop
You can create short cuts on your menu bar to make it even faster to get to your most used folders and files.
It is best not to store your files on the desktop – the desktop is just an interface representing your files, which – in keeping with the furniture metapher – sit in different drawers or even in different office spaces down the road, when accessing online server drives…
You can change the size and placement of your menu bar – under the Apple logo in the left hand upper corner, select Dock and follow the submenus to set the location, size or any other preferences.
The Finder menu, which manages the desktop space, is also full of useful tricks – you can increase the size of your icons or clean up the chaos of your desktop by clicking ‘View’ in your Finder top menu bar, to arrange your desktop files.
Apple’s folder structure and navigation tips
We recommend to create a dedicated folder system in you Documents folder for each project and then drag the folder over to your left hand menu bar under ‘Places’ in your folder window.
Carl tutors Jeremy and Daryl during Camp Coorong Bushwalk edit.
Change Media Training Toolkit: 8. Computer Basics – Final Cut Editing
Basic steps for Final Cut editing workflow.
OVERVIEW:
• Setting up your Final Cut project – file structure and sequences
• Creating an assembly
• From assembly edit to rough cut
• From rough cut edit to fine cut
Printable PDF worksheets
Coming soon!
Watch video demos by clicking on the links below:
Johanis explains basic editing in Final Cut.
In this Change Media Training Demo, Directing the Hero Within – Editing Basics, our host and peer mentor, Johanis, demonstrates editing basics for community and youth film making.
Jen explains editing workflow – coming soon.
Jen demonstrates the basic workflow the team used to edit Ngarrindjeri Ruwe – Working On Country.
LINKS
Find other useful web resources here soon.
Training Tips: Final Cut Editing
Jen demonstrates editing workflow – coming soon.
Editing is your second chance to make the film – you now have all the ingredients and can use your editing software to tell the story again. It is all about being selective by choosing only the best parts.
Setting up your Final Cut project – file structure and sequences
Make sure your footage is labeled well – if you are working on longer projects or want to access your footage a few years later, it is very hard to make sense of names like clip12 or untitled26.
It also helps to set up your editing window so that you have different folders for your separate events or shooting days / scenes. Jen explains in her demo how she sets up all our Change Media edits in Final Cut Pro 7, but as all editing systems are slightly different, make sure you adopt a system management that works for you.
The most important thing is to name your footage well when you import it the first time and create folder system that is easy to access on your computer hard drive. We recommend to work with external drives, so you can easier swap computers and don’t use up your internal drive for video editing.
Creating an assembly
Take notes during the first review of your footage, your first impression is likely to be closer to the audience first reaction. If you notice a strong emotional response or have an idea where this couild fit in your final film, make a quick note – otherwise it may be next to impossible to remember all these feelings and ideas later.
Assembly edits can be very rough, grouping similar shots next to each other to see what works best.
In the assembly stage we also assemble all our interviews, by inserting title cards with the relevant topic or question answered, so we can access the good bits later much faster.
Use your storyboards and your 5-point planner to map out the different parts of your film’s progression. It often helps to insert simple text title card in the timeline to get an idea what may go where.
Don’t over-edit your assembly cut. When working in Final Cut, it is much easier to declare the assembly done, copy the sequence and now name it the new Rough Cut. This way you can keep a copy of your process and can easily go back to grab the alternative shot for a scene later.
Victor, Arthur, Junior and Jeremy working on Ngarrindjeri Ruwe – Working On Country.
Change Media Training Toolkit: 8. Computer Basics – Soundtracks
How to use Soundtrack Pro and Garageband to create unique soundtracks and podcasts for your video project.
OVERVIEW:
This tutorial covers the basic steps you should follow to ensure you get the best soundtrack possible.
• Working with Soundtrack Pro
• Mixing split-channel audio
• Setting and changing audio levels
Printable PDF worksheets
Coming soon!
Watch video demos by clicking on the links below:
Johanis explains basic soundtrack workflow – coming soon.
Carl explains mixing in Final Cut Pro – coming soon
LINKS
Find other useful web resources here soon.
Training Tips: Soundtracks
Johanis explains basic soundtrack workflow – coming soon.
Working with Soundtrack Pro
Apple’s Soundtrack Pro is a great software to create your own sound tracks – it offers a lot of sample loops, pre-arranged music beds and a whole suite of pre-recorded instrument you can arrange to your liking.
Once you have your film edit at fine cut stage, you can export the raw, unmixed fine cut and import it into Soundtrack Pro. This way you can arrange your own music exactly to the film, use visual edits as beat point and create the right emotional feel for each scene.
One the tricks is to open up each individual track so you can ramp levels up and down for each instrument or music bed.
Mixing split-channel audio
In Final Cut Pro, for each video clip you usually get 2 sound channels. If you have recorded your footage with 2 mics, one for radio mic, the other for on-camera mic, you now need to decide which channel you want to use. Turn off Linked Audio in the menu bar, so you can access either channel separately.
You may have to listen to each audio clip in the timeline to make sure no unexpected noise, like wind or handling noises interfere with your desired sound.
Once you made sure you know which channel is best, turn the one you don’t want off by right-clicking and choosing menu option ‘disable clip’. This is a nifty trick, as you may want to use this audio channel later, in case you overlook problems or need a different feel.
Setting and changing audio levels
We usually set our audio to peak at -10db. If you are producing for TV broadcast, make sure you get specification from their technicians as to what audio levels they prefer. Usually broadcasters want lower level mixes, peaking around -20db, to avoid ‘hot’ [distorted] sound.
Final Cut Pro screen grab during Murundi River Spirit edit.
Change Media Training Toolkit: 8. Computer Basics – Editing Effects
How to make cool title designs, create on-screen graphics and funky effects.
OVERVIEW:
This tutorial covers the basic tricks for editing visual effects and on-screen graphics.
• Transitions
• Transforming footage
• Title design
• Colour changes
• Creating credit rolls
Printable PDF worksheets
Coming soon!
Watch video demos by clicking on the links below:
Johanis explains basic editing effects in Final Cut Pro.
This Change Media Training Demo, Directing the Hero Within – Effects Basics, demonstrates basic effects for video editing in community and youth film making.
Jen explains basic title creation – coming soon
Jen works with the team to set up film titles and name plates in Final Cut Pro.
Jen explains basic credit roll set up – coming soon
Jen demonstrates how to create a credit roll template using Motion.
LINKS
Find other useful web resources here soon.
Training Tips: Title + Credits Design
This tutorial demonstrates editing effects.
Most video editing software now comes with in-built title and effects generators.
The basic rule is not to overdo effects and designs. Let your film speak for itself – sometime too many funky effects can distract viewers and make it look like your film needs them to work.
Having said this, most films benefit from a good title. For documentary it helps to think during shooting about what footage could be used as backdrop for your title and end credits. You can always use a still photo and design your title template later, but often live footage looks much nicer and helps to establish your film in the first seconds.
For a credit roll it helps to record at least 90 seconds of lock-off footage, using a stable tripod. Frame your shot so that there is space for the credits to roll either down from top to bottom of screen – or scroll sideways at bottom of screen left to right.
We found it helpful to play with all the effects in the editing software until we had a good idea of what was possible. Sometimes a quick smash zoom can solve a tricky edit problem.