Knowing this relationship permits for one to determine exactly where to snip out video from a track to match any specific timeline location based upon the track’s internal timecode (as defined in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames). In this sample video, the choir kicks off with “Fear Not! Good news…” so my sync is the start of the “fff” sound in the word “Fear.” Essentially, the synchronized video would look something like this diagram:Įach track is related to each other and thus to the main timeline. Once this could be accomplished, every other point in the videos can be calculated. I could then line up each of the other video clips one by one on that same spot by (a) finding the exact timecode in the clip when that moment occurred, (b) discovering the timecode for the beginning of the clip itself, then (c) doing some simple math to position the clip on the timeline so the synchronized time was exact or as close as possible. This could be done easily by picking a point in the video (in my case, the first words sung by the choir), and marking that exact moment on the soundtrack on the master timeline. The approach I chose (since I happen to have soundtrack on all my video) was to find a suitable synchronization point for all the components. This added even more confusion to the already frustrating process. One of the real problems I discovered that I had relative to some of the posts out there is that the soundtrack did not originate from a timecode-stamping system. Google-ing around the subject did not provide much useful information. On the other hand, throwing video willy-nilly at the soundtrack would look really strange since the lips of the choir would not match the audio! Things would get far worse whenever I need to cut to close up video of any soloists and the narrators. My audio tracks (especially from the Panasonic’s 5.1 Dolby sound) are acceptable but lack the punch of the mixing-board’s track which was fed directly by the array of microphones and soundtrack. Unless I deal with the synchronization issue, I will be painted into a corner. Here, you can see that there are at least three video tracks with views of the choir and a single master audio track. Here is a sample image of one of the projects loaded into Adobe Premiere Elements:
It definitely will remain a part of my editing stable for a while. I merely want to point out that it has this limitation for this project. Now, don’t get me wrong…I am not kicking AVS to the curb. Unlike AVS, the Premiere eases use of timecode-based editing.
It was then that I discovered Adobe Premiere Elements and purchased a license for it. I also realized that, as spiffy as AVS might be for straight editing, I needed something that would make life very easy for working with timecodes. It was only then that I realized that this is a serious challenge to many levels of video editor, especially a novice one like myself! On December 19th, our choir presented a Christmas Cantata entitled “One of Us.” I set up cameras in different spots and recorded the presentation and fully intended on retrieving the sound recorded from the soundboard and using it for the sound source while mixing video from the various visual captures.
As part of this initially-frustrating project, I determined to write a program to simplify the process of extracting and lining up clips to preserve the synchronization of a soundtrack with the movements in the video. This new project has certainly pushed me into a new realm of video editing because I have to consider the importance of maintaining perfect (or near-perfect) synchronization between lip movements and a separate soundtrack. The use of timecodes is absolutely critical in a project that I recently embarked upon. I subsequently also invested in Adobe’s Premiere Elements 9 principally because it makes use of timecodes easier. I started using a pretty nice entry-level editing suite called AVS which I blogged about in “AVS Video Editor – A really good starting point!” earlier this month. I am a relative newcomer to the world of video so editing is somewhat challenging.