1. A practical process for how to edit images and sound to tell a story.
2. Hands-on practice in using editing software to make a movie.

We will not spend a lot of time on theory, and several books and articles are suggested as supplements for the philosophy of editing:

1. Sergei Eisenstein, The Film Form and The Film Sense. Link to site seeking to restore one of his films: http://www.quevivamexico.com.
2. V. I. Pudovkin, Film Technique and Film Acting.
3. Reed, Kim. Walter Murch and the Art of Editing. Digital Video, February, 2004 (Accessed on 4/4/2007 at )http://www.dv.com/features/features_item.jhtml?category=Archive&LookupId=/xml/feature/2004/reed0204. You may need to register to access the articles at the DV web site. If so, it is free and has no unforseen consequences.

What are your expectations for today?

1. Creating files of digital pictures and audio.
2. Storyboarding to arrange images and sounds in a desired order.
3. Trimming and adjusting individual visual and audio segments.
4. Fine tuning the movie with transitions, titles, still images, and music.
5. Producing a distributable product.

1. Editing Examples - Six movies used to illustrate various approaches.
2. Lighthouse Clips - Thirty clips for you to use to create your own “visit to a lighthouse“ movie. These are compressed and resized .wmv files. These will play directly from the CD.
3. Fish Clips - Seventeen clips in anamorphic 16x9 DV format (.avi) for you to create your "visit to a fish market" movie. These play back better if first copied to a hard drive.
4. Audio Clips - Add music and sounds to your movie.

1. Fish Trailer - A teaser for a training workshop for students.
2. Interview with Lari Benetiz - A narrative film with dialog.
3. Point Reyes Lighthouse - A travelogue that tells a story.
4. Kuwait Profile - Another travelogue without an obvious story unless you know the context. Go to this web site to see the context for this movie - Sunita Sen
5. Book Signing - An event.
6. In and Out of Focus - A music video

Step 1: Creating Digital Files


1. Connecting a DV camera via a firewire interface to a laptop running Windows XP.
2. Looking at the live video in Windows Explorer.
3. Opening Windows Movie Maker (MM).
4. Go to Tools/Options to set video format.
5. Importing video from DV tape to the hard drive:
   1. Using Windows Movie Maker (MM).
   2. Using Scenalyzer

Step 2: Storyboard


1. Open sample project in MM, if it's not already open from the step above. The example project file is on the CD (editing examples\workshop sample.MSWMM). When you open the project, you may need to re-link the source files.
2. Introduction to the idea of a storyboard (using MM).
3. Import five or six lighthouse clips to sample project from the CD.
4. Spend some time dragging clips around; from Collections to Storyboard and on the Storyboard.

Step 3: Trimming and Adjusting


1. How to switch from the storyboard mode to the timeline mode.
2. Dragging clips to the timeline.
3. Trim each clip to the desired length.
4. Transitions - cut, dissolve (crossfade, fade in MM, push clips so they overlap for fade in MM), fade-in & fade-out (right click on clip for these in MM).
5. Adjusting audio (Right click on audio track of clip) and color balance (Right click on clip and choose Video Effects. See example file on CD in Editing Examples folder: color_bal_examp.wmv).

Step 4: Fine Tuning


1. We did initial transitions above, but we can adjust as we go along.
2. Titles (use the default “fade-in, pause, fade-out” option).
3. Still images.
4. Music.
5. Sound effects (Only one additional audio track available in MM, but we can get around that limitation).

Step 5: Distribution


1. MM only makes .wmv and .avi files. Small .wmv files are good for the web and .avi files in DV format are good to input into a program that makes DVDs.
2. Use higher end editing programs (See below) to:
   1. Record back to tape.
   2. Convert to MPEG2 and make a DVD to show on a TV. Either DVD+R or -R works well, however I have had more experience with +R and that format has always worked in DVD players I have used. However, in general, I don't think it matters. Test first.
   3. Convert to AVI, WMV, MOV, MPEG1 and making a CD to show on a computer.
   4. Convert to streaming formats, e.g., Real RM files for web viewing. Also, SMIL files - http://libvid.utmb.edu/smi.

Questions?



Issues?

• Movie Maker - A simple editing program that is standard on Windows XP and there is a free downloadable version for Windows ME. This web site has a number of resources for editing, as well as, updates to the program: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/default.mspx. Windows Movie Maker and Movie Maker HD (for HDV files) are included in the new OS from MS, Windows Vista. A brief summary is at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/moviemaker.mspx. Vista also includes Windows DVD Maker and integrates Movie Maker with Windows Photo Gallery for movie clip management.
  
  
• Ulead VideoStudio and MediaStudio Pro - VideoStudio is a low end editing program ($100). It works quite well and has a number of limitations when you want to do more. Within its tool set however, it works very well - http://www.ulead.com/vs. MediaStudio Pro is a higher level application with a number of video tools included ($400). I use it currently and it is a bit clunky, but really works fine. http://www.ulead.com/msp.
  
  
• New Tek SpeedEDIT - New, very flexible editing software ($500). New Tek is one of the pioneers in computer-based editing. I currently have a review copy and am learning how it works. http://newtek.com/speededit
  
  
• Adobe Premiere Pro - Middle of the road editing software ($500). Used by hobbyists and professionals - http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere. I don’t like premiere as I find it is has too many options and features.
  
  
• Avid Free DV - A free, limited feature version of Avid’s editing software. I have had very limited experience. Other versions from $700 for Xpress. http://www.avid.com/freedv.
  
  
• Scenalyzer - DV input and organizing tool. Does scene detection, lets you rename files, edits In and Out points, does basic file management. I use this all the time. http://scenalyzer.com.
  
  
• Making DVDs. Roxio/Sonic MyDVD (http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/mydvd/mydvd.html) is a basic, easy to use program to convert DV .avi files to MPEG2 and to "author" a DVD with menus and other features. Roxio/Sonic DVDit Pro is a higher end program but with awkward limitations (http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/dvdit/dvdit.html).
  
  
• Canopus ADVC-100 - Converts analog-to-digital and vice versa in real time. Firewire input and output. Very good DV codec and very flexible ($225). Can drive an analog TV for real-time preview. I recommend converting everything to DV. Windows XP computers can handle DV just fine and it’s very good quality. Use any Firewire card for input. They also make editing software; Edius Pro: http://www.canopus.com/products/EDIUSPro/index.php.
  
  
• External hard drives - These can be either or both USB2 and Firewire I/O - Capacity keeps growing and cost keeps coming down. If you use it for backup, then rotation speed does not matter. For editing directly from the external drive use Firewire and 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM drives. Currently a 160GB Maxtor 5000DV drive costs about $225 and holds around 12 hours of DV formatted files. You can also make your own external drives with an ATA drive and a USB interface cable, for example see: http://www.newegg.com. Search for: USB TO IDE ADAPTER CABLE
  
• In general, you can edit video quite well with almost any new computer. For example, here's a sample desktop system: Dell Dimension E520 (Date: 4/23/2007 Price: $958.00 w/o tax or shipping. From: Dell USA Small Business).
  
  • Processor: Pentium® D Processor 820 with Dual Core Technology (2.80GHz, 800FSB)
  • Operating System: Genuine Windows® XP Professional
  • Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMs
  • Hard Drive: 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache
  • DVD Drive: 16x DVD+/-RW Drive
  • Monitor: 19 inch Ultrasharp 1908FP Digital Flat Panel
  • Video Card: 256MB nVidia Geforce 7300LE TurboCache
  • Sound Card: Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
  • Optional Port: IEEE 1394 Adapter
  • Warranty & Service: 1 Year On-site Economy Plan
  • Network Interface: Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
  
  
• A camera recommendation: Sony High Definition Handycam® Camcorder HDR-HC7. Records HDV and DV on mini-DV cartridge. DV is still an excellent format and all of the above editing programs can edit HDV. Cost: About $1,300. A similar option is from Canon, the HV20 at about $1,050.