For this blog post, I will be looking into refreshing my basic knowledge on AVID, organising my workspace, and importing transcoding, and syncing footage. I've found this to be beneficial as I’ve not done this in a while, and I do not have access to my written Avid notes due to reasons surrounding Covid.
NOTES:
Format: 1080p/25
Colour space: 709
Press create.
Set workspace to single.
ORGANISATION LAYOUT IN BINS/FOLDERS:
1_RUSHES
1_VIDEO
Organise by date or shoot (in reverse, year-month-date)
For a documentary, consider going by location.
Have ‘RAW’ at the end.
2_AUDIO
2_TRANSCODES
Converting footage to a workable format.
1_VIDEO TRANSCODES
Have ‘TRANSCODED’ at the end.
2_AUDIO TRANSCODES
3_SYNC
1_SYNCING
2_SYNCED
3_SYNC DUMP
4_ASSEMBLE
All the footage arranged in story order or chronological
5_SEQUENCES
6_ARCHIVES
IMPORTING & TRANSCODING FOOTAGE
The whole point of this transcoding process is to make smaller, more manageable files.
Input > Source Browser
This is what we use to select the files.
Allows you to pick a resolution and a target drive.
Link or import.
When you drag something over, it’s going to link to that file.
‘link’ reads the file & where it is — it does not change it.
It is not recommended to edit with these as it slows down your computer.
Select clips > Right-click > Consolidate/Transcode
Here we are working to convert the footage into a file AVID can work more smoothly with.
Keep to project resolutions — 1080p.
Option for source dimensions, for instances, when the footage you’re transcoding has a different aspect ratio (as you wouldn’t want to squash or elongate it)
Target Video Resolution (working with Napier): DNxHD SQ
Convert Audio Sample Rate
Target Audio Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Convert Audio Bit Depth
Target Audio Bit Depth: 24 Bit
NOTE: ‘Background process’ makes the transcode run in the background, you can track the transcoding process at the top via the green arrows which will direct you to an online ‘background queue’ window — This will let you continue to use AVID for other things, but will take longer.
Application will run on AVID.
RESOLUTION FOR ‘MEDIA OFFLINE’ WHEN EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE CORRECTLY: DELETE THE FOLLOWING DATABASE FILES.
msmFMID.pmr — msmMMOB.mdb
TRANSCODING AND SYNCING AUDIO
Attaching sound to video.
Ensure that the frame rate matches that of the video — sound doesn’t technically have a frame rate but it needs to be interpreted in the editing suite as if it did.
There are video settings on the transcode menu, but it doesn’t make any difference to the file as it is audio-only.
Set an in-point for the audio you’re syncing, and for the footage - on the click of the clapperboard > Highlight both > Right-click > AutoSync > Select In-points OR Waveform Analysis (which matches the two based on the similarities in the waveform)
This is a good stage to rename long file names before you start editing around with them. Go by the slate/take names. But if you would rather (which is something I prefer) add columns that address what take/scene etc. it is.
NOTES FOR SOUND:
Make sure to name all the files according to what take they are — refer to clapperboard. Take notes on which ones are the best.
Comments