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Avid Media Composer 6.x Cookbook

Chapter 1. Getting Assets into Your Media Composer Project

In this chapter we will cover:

A strategy for project organization at the desktop level
Understanding Media Creation settings
Mixing frame rates
Tape capture tip: Adding Markers while Capturing
Tape capture tip: Making Subclips while Capturing
Logging clips tip: Logging from the keyboard
Logging clips tip: Keeping the Capture Tool active after logging a clip
Quickly calculating total duration of clips (or any items in a bin)
Combining available drive space and/or controlling where media is stored
Making sure your Batch Capture continues without you
Modifying clips before capture
Modifying clips after capture: Adding tracks
Modifying clips after capture: Deleting tracks
Capturing and editing at the same time
Preparing to use AMA (Avid Media Access): Getting the plug-ins
AMA (Avid Media Access) linking
Getting the AMA file's image to display as desired
Consolidating (copying) AMA Master Clips
Transcoding AMA linked clips before beginning to edit
Transcoding AMA Master Clips after editing has begun
Consolidating an AMA sequence or subclips
Transcoding an AMA sequence
Importing stills and video files such as QuickTime
Importing audio
Adjusting audio levels before editing
Adjusting audio pan settings before editing
Setting stereo-audio tracks

Understanding Media Creation settings

It's important to spend some time setting up your Media Creation settings. Essentially Media Creation settings allow you to set defaults, which will help ensure that the media files you create (for example, render files, imports, and so on) are stored where you want them and are of the resolution you need. Plus, it will save you time making selections in various dialog boxes and tools throughout the workday.

Getting ready

In your Project Window select the Format tab. Select the format of the media that you will be capturing, importing, and/or rendering. Media Composer will remember your Media Creation settings for each format that you configure. So, for example, if you're mixing SD and HD footage, you'll configure your Media Creation settings for each. Once your preferences are set in the Media Creation tool for each format, Media Composer will automatically switch to your customized settings whenever the format itself is switched.

How to do it...

The following steps will guide you through using the Media Creation Tool:

Go to the Tools menu at the top of your screen.
Select Media Creation.
Proceed section by section to set defaults for the resolution of the media that you create, as well as for the destination for that media. See the following How it works... section for details.

How it works...

The settings are separated by tabs, described as follows:

Drive filtering and indexing

Filter Network Drives Based on Resolution: Selecting this will not allow media files to be placed on any network drives that Media Composer feels will not be able to reliably capture or playback files of a particular resolution. For example, you open your Capture Tool and set the resolution to 1:1. Then when you go to select a drive to store your media files on, you may see that one is grayed out and not selectable. If you then change your resolution to 3:1, you may find that it is now selectable as a storage drive.
Filter Out System Drive: Selecting this will not allow the media files to be stored on the same drive that your operating system is installed on.
Filter Out Launch Drive: Selecting this will not allow the media files to be stored on the same drive that your Media Composer software is installed on.

Video resolution

Under each tab you can select a default resolution. You are not locked into this resolution. Tools and dialog windows will still allow you to override this default whenever you want.

Apply to All: If you'd like to set a specific resolution and have it applied to all the different media type tabs, rather than having to do it one by one, simply click on the Apply to All button.

The benefit of breaking the media types into categories, such as Capture, Render, and Import, is that you can then set different defaults for each. For example, on a project with many hours of taped footage, you might elect to capture all of your footage at a low resolution in order to increase how much media will fit onto your drive(s). This will mean that when the project is creatively finished, you will go through a second process to recapture just the video portions that are being used at a much higher resolution, a process frequently called the Up-Res, so that the image quality will be higher. You may prefer to not have to go through a similar process for all of the titles, still images, and motion graphics, so you could elect to set the default for these media types at the level where you need them to be for the final master (for example, 1:1).

Video drive/Audio drive

Under each tab, you can select a default location for the media types to be stored. You are not locked into this. Various tools and dialog windows will still allow you to override this default when desired.

This selection is helpful for ensuring files go where required, and it allows you to send render files (known in Avid terminology as Precompute files) to a specific drive if required by your facility.

Apply to All: If you want the storage drive to be the same for all the different media type tabs, rather than having to do it one by one, simply click on the Apply to All button.

Media type

Changing this is only possible for SD video, as HD will always be in the MXF format. Media Creation settings will default to the file format called Material Exchange Format (MXF). You should not change this unless you are in the unique situation where you are generating media on one workstation that will have to be used on a much older workstation that can only play the Open Media Framework (OMF) file format.

Mixing frame rates

Yes, it's possible to mix footage with different frame rates. However, at the time of writing, the Media Composer only allows each Project to be at one frame rate. So, here's one method to make the mixing of frames rates possible.

Getting ready

You will create two separate projects, each at the required frame rate. Be sure to label them accordingly to avoid confusion. For example, one project would be named [Project Title]29-97 (project names cannot contain a period) and the other would be named [Project Title] 24p.

How to do it...

The following are the steps to mix footage with different frame rates:

Capture and/or import your video into the corresponding projects based on the frame rates.
Decide which project will be the main/primary project that you will actually work within to edit and craft your movie. Most likely, this will be the project that contains the majority of your footage or matches the final delivery format that is required.
In your main project, ensure that no bins are currently selected in the Project Window.
Go to the File menu and select Open Bin…. (Alternatively, you will find the Open Bin... selection under the Project Window's Fast Menu as well as in the menu that will appear when you right-click in the Project Window.)
In the dialog window, navigate to the project that's at the other frame rate and contains the bin file that you want to open.
Select the bin and either double-click on it or click on the Open button in the dialog window.
The bin will open in your Project and you can access the contents.
Once the bin is open, it will be inside a folder created by Media Composer labeled Other Bins. This is short for other projects' bins. It means that the bin file does not reside inside the same folder as your Project's bin files.

At this point you can elect to begin editing right from those bins, or you may elect to copy the clips into a bin that does reside in your Project folder. See the next There's more... section for two methods of copying clips, called Duplicating and Cloning.

There's more...

There are two methods you can use to copy the clips (making a Duplicate or a Clone), each with a unique behavior. Whether you Duplicate or Clone a clip, you will never create any new media files, but will simply create an additional clip that refers (or you could say points) to the media file(s). Media Composer calls this reference a link and would say that the clip is linked to the media file(s).

Duplicating a clip: Each clip acts independently of the other. For example, one clip could be named Horse and contain several Markers while the Duplicated clip could be named White Horse Runs and have no Markers. Making changes to the name, adding/removing I/O marks, and adding/removing Markers to one Duplicated clip does not have any affect on the other. Further, the creation date of a Duplicated clip will reflect the new date and time it was created.
Cloning a clip: Cloned clips are able to communicate to their cloned brethren. For example, if you change the name of one Cloned clip, the other's name will also change. The same is true for adding and removing Markers as well as In and Out points. The creation date for all Cloned clips will be the same (the original date).

Duplicating clips

The following are the steps for duplicating clips:

Select the clips you want to Duplicate.
Go to the Edit menu.
Select Duplicate. Alternatively, you could right-click on one of the selected clips and choose Duplicate from the Contextual menu, or use the keyboard shortcut cmd + D (Mac) or Ctrl + D (PC).
New clips will be created and will have .copy added to the end of their names.
Create a new bin by clicking on the New Bin button in your Project Window, or go to the File menu and select New Bin.
Move the clips that you just created to the new bin.
If you no longer want to have the borrowed bin appear in the Other Bins folder, select the borrowed bin and either press the Delete key or right-click and select Delete Selected Bins from the Contextual menu. It's helpful to note that you are not actually permanently deleting the bin file, but rather just telling Media Composer that you no longer want to use it. The bin is still intact inside the other project's folder. For emphasis, this only applies to bins that are inside the Other Bins folder. Deleting a bin created within the currently open Project will place it into the Trash.

Cloning clips

The steps for Cloning the clips are as follows:

Create a new bin by clicking on the New Bin button in your Project Window, or go to the File menu and select New Bin.
Select the clips you want to Clone.
Press and hold the Alt/option key while you drag the selected clips to the new bin.
New clips will be created in the desired bin when you release the mouse button. These clips will not have .copy added to them.
If you no longer want to have the borrowed bin appear in the Other Bins folder, select it and either press the Delete key or right-click and select Delete Selected Bins from the Contextual menu. It's helpful to note that you are not actually deleting the bin file, but rather just telling Media Composer that you no longer want to use it. The bin is still intact inside the other Project's folder.

Sequences will never be Cloned

On a related topic, you can use either of the methods mentioned previously on a sequence. Both of the methods will produce a Duplicate of the sequence. In other words, both of the methods will make a sequence with the word .Copy added to it, and no matter which method you used to create that sequence, it will never, ever, communicate with another sequence in any way. They will always be totally independent. The changes made to one sequence will never be replicated in another.

Motion Adapters

Note that when you edit mixed frame rate clips into your Sequence, they are automatically adjusted. You'll see a small green dot on the clip that indicates that it contains what Avid calls a Motion Adaptor. The method used to adjust the image (for example, Blended Interpolated or Both Fields) can be changed by promoting the clip to a Timewarp effect. The Motion Adaptor is applied only to the video and preserves the original duration of the clip; further, the audio is not altered in any way.

Key benefits

Hands-on recipes in a step-by-step logical approach to quickly get started with Avid Media Composer and gain deeper understanding

Learn Avid Media Composer in a completely new wayó gain intensive exposure with various editing options to develop your abilities, become even more creative, and acquaint yourself with various methods that you never thought were possible

Understand not only why it works, but also how it works and browse through lots of tips and techniques to perform professional quality editing

Description

Avid Media Composer has become the tool of choice by editing professionals worldwide. Whether your project involves editing television programming, independent films, corporate industrials or commercials, this cookbook shows you exactly how to do so in a step-by-step and practical manner, and get the most out of Avid Media Composer editing. "Avid Media Composer 6.x Cookbook" is an expert, clear and logically-sequenced resource with highly effective recipes for learning Avid Media Composer essentials and beyond. It's task-based approach will help users at all experience levels gain a deeper, more thorough understanding of the software. It will help you master the essential, core editing features as well as reveal numerous tips and tricks that editors can benefit from immediately. Just some of the topics include understanding Import settings, mixing frame rates and understanding AMA (Avid Media Access), along with thorough explanations of Trim Mode, Segment Mode, and the Smart Tool. You will learn to customize your work environment with Workspaces, Bin Layouts, Timeline Views, Bin Views, Keyboard Mapping, and much more. The recipes inside are packed with practical examples, time-saving tools and methods to get you working faster and more confidently so that you can spend less time dealing with technical and operational issues and instead focusing on being creative.

Who is this book for?

If you are new to editing with Avid, this book will help you get the most out of Avid Media Composer right from the start. Even if you are intermediately experienced with Avid, you will discover new methods and gain a deeper understanding to take your Avid experience to the next level, with greater confidence.

What you will learn

Hands-on recipes with cutting edge methods and techniques to effectively learn Avid Media Composer 6

Understand Import settings and how to mix frame rates

Extensive coverage of trimming

Detailed recipes on staying in sync with complicated sequences and multiple tracks

Master the essentials to develop your media management skills and projects at your own pace

Customize your work environment with Workspaces, Bin Layouts, Timeline views, Keyboard Mapping, and more

Get the most out of Replace Edit, Sync Point Edit, the Clipboard, and much more

Get to the grips with different methods of mixing audio

Learn how to use group clips and perform multi cam editing like never before

What do you get with Print?

Instant access to your digital copy whilst your Print order is Shipped

Paperback book shipped to your preferred address

Redeem a companion digital copy on all Print orders

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Alex Nov 25, 2015

Great book for those looking to learn or improve their skills on Avid Media Composer. Clear walkthroughs and examples of real world usage. Love this book and I give it out as a gift on a regular basis.

Amazon Verified review

Dave Jul 02, 2015

Keeping the 5 star rating going here because I read this book from cover to cover and it 100% helped me prepare to be an assistant editor in the film and tv business

Andi Apr 02, 2013

Having had a chance to get through this I found it to be excellently written with a good emphasis on basics but also, through the "There's more..." sections, a good amount of in depth tips that many seasoned users will find useful. It is indeed a cookbook, with well laid out recipes for how to complete specific tasks and good emphasis on what to do in preparation for these tasks. A great guide to have around for beginners and a useful reference for the more advanced. Thanks Ben!!

Pasquale Moscatello Jun 16, 2013

An easy read an aid to understanding and learning MC 6.x. a step by step how to accessible to all. A real MUST READ

bravesfanjd Jan 09, 2021

Fantastic book, a friend got this for me as a gift as I am starting out on an avid. The information in this book is absolutely amazing i appreciate my friend’s thoughtfulness in getting me this book, as well as the author for putting together an amazing book in such a usable and understandable way

Avid Media Composer 6.x Cookbook: What better way to learn the professional editing possibilities of Avid Media Composer than by trying out practical, real-world examples? This book has over 160 hands-on recipes and guidance covering both basic and advanced techniques.

What do you get with Print?

Avid Media Composer 6.x Cookbook

Chapter 1. Getting Assets into Your Media Composer Project

Introduction

A strategy for project organization at the desktop level

How to do it...

How it works...

Understanding Media Creation settings

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Drive filtering and indexing

Video resolution

Video drive/Audio drive

Media type

Mixing frame rates

Getting ready

How to do it...

There's more...

Duplicating clips

Cloning clips

Sequences will never be Cloned

Motion Adapters

Page 1 of 29

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Avid Media Composer 6.x Cookbook: What better way to learn the professional editing possibilities of Avid Media Composer than by trying out practical, real-world examples? This book has over 160 hands-on recipes and guidance covering both basic and advanced techniques.

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