Using Two cameras - Lip Sync when edting

[wywso0]

All,

Grateful for what advice you can give me. In a few weeks time, I'll be videoing a show of comedey sketches written by my son and his friends who are at college. The show lasts about an hour. I was planning to use two cameras. One will be more or less still and video a general view. The other will zoom in more on performers faces etc to give some shots to cut into the full video. The cameras won't be 'tied together' (hope I have got that right).

My question is how best to maintain lip sync when editing. I see two options:

1. Use the sound from only one camera throughout and mute the sound from the other. I'd then have to place the cut in shots very carefully indeed to ensure they were in lip sync. Is the preview screen in VS10+ good enough for this? or,

2. When I use the cut in shot to mute the main soundtrack for the duration of the cut in. This avoids problems with lip sync, but will there be a noticeable change in the underlying sounds (eg laughter - assuming there is any) that will be annoying and distracting?

Also, if I can raise a second question:

Would it be easier to place the two video tracks in their entireties onto the main track and an overlay track and to edit from there, or would it be easier (and lighter on memory use) to make the cut ins first and then just place those onto an overlay track?

Thanks for any help you can give,

Bill S

[Black Lab]

What I have done in the past is put one video in the main track and put the cut-ins in the overlay track. The syncing of the lips will be trial and error. There is no easy way to do it.

I find it easier to leave the audio on for both clips until you get them synced. I find it much easier to sync by ear rather than by sight. (The wave-forms may help, though. Click on Audio View to view those.) Once you have them synced you can mute the overlay clips.

As for you second question, you can't cut in an overlay track, although you can mark in and mark out. So, if the video in your overlay track is already split you can leave it in it's entirety and simply mark in and out. However, if it is one big clip and you will need to cut, you will have to do that before putting it (them) in the overlay track.

[sjj1805]

When I use either a Picture in Picture Effect or mix two camera angles, I use the sound from one camera only.

If you get close ups which reveal obvious out of synch issues due to using the sound from the other camera - cheat!! replace that bit of sound with something else such as music.

[maddrummer3301]

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