Maintain Quality In Saving Sections of Video Clips

[broo0591]

I'm sure this question has been asked before, but here goes again.

I have several clips that have been captured from a Canon XL1 camera (very good quality). I would like to take portions of each clip, edit the audio track (using a separate sound editing package) and create several more, smaller clips for incorporation into a "large" promotional video.

Is there a way to create each of the smaller clips with the "new" audio track in such a way as to keep the same video quality as the original AVI file? Essentially, I want to make individual edited clips, add them to my project video folder and be able to move them around in my overall video without having to move the audio tracks as well.

I know I can create video files of the smaller clips with the "new/edited" audio track, but I'm afraid that I will loose video quality in the process (WMV or MPEG formats).

Can anyone give me another option?

[Black Lab]

I think what I would do in your situation is this. Edit your video clip first. Edit it down to it's final length. Once you have done that then use Split Audio to create an audio file of that clip that you can export to your sound editor. After you edit the audio, import it back to VS and put it in the audio track, corresponding with the video (that is why you edit it first, so the length of the video and audio are the same. With Ripple Editing enabled any further adding/deleting of clips will not affect the placement of clips already on the timeline.

[broo0591]

Thanks for the help, Jeff. Since I am unsure of exactly where my video clips are going to end up in the final version, I am looking for a way to be able to move them around without having to move a separate audio track (realignment of audio & video, etc). Can I "pick up" the video and audio together and reinsert them into a new position in the overall video in Ripple Editing, or will I have to handle them separately?

- Mike

[Black Lab]

No, video and audio clips can only be moved independently. You can move a group of video clips (shift+click first clip, shift+click last clip), or a group of audio clips, but not a combination of the two.

The way the Editing tabs are arranged in VS is very intuitive. Capture>Edit>Effects>Overlays>Titles>Audio>Share. If you can follow that order I think it makes editing much easier. As you see audio editing is the last step before finishing. Of course that's not always possible...

[broo0591]

I agree. It just dawned on me to get the piece like I want it first. Final location of videos, photos, transitions, etc. and then do the final audio edit. Since all audio will require about the same amount of editing, I could likely create an sound file as the next-to-last step, and edit all audio at once and put the final edited audio back into the finished project.

Thanks for confirming this idea.

-Mike

[Black Lab]

Sounds like a plan.