Managing clips

[mitchell65]

I've been watching this thread with a lot of interest. Ken, when you say "get an easy answer to the time spent looking through all the scenes", I only have very limited experience with Video Editing but one thing I think I have learnt is that there is very rarely an easy and/or quick way to do things. Video editing is very time consuming and I can't remember which one of our Sages said it but I recently saw this comment on one of the threads:

Life and Video Editing were never meant to be easy!

That pretty well sums it up for me!

[Clevo]

OCD = Obsessive Compolsive Disorder

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Ken

Thanks for the info, I now understand.

My concern was the way VS names its files especially when using ¡¥split by scene¡¦

The way you do it, capturing individual segments is ok. The file numbering makes sense.

If you do try Capture Split by Scene in the future and intend to re-name, then be aware.

Split By Scene
Your understanding of this seems to be correct.
But.....
You can ¡¥split by scene¡¦ after capturing. This automatically cuts the video into separate virtual clips, just like using the scissors.
The captured file is not affected.

As a test..........
So you don¡¦t affect your existing project , start a new project, add a video file.
Select the file in the timeline, Clip-Split by Scene. Scanning takes some time.
You don¡¦t have to use it, but give it a go.

There¡¦s no correct way to edit your video, there are many options, the right way is the one we feel comfortable using.

I don¡¦t think there is a quick way.

If your two cameras ran for the same periods without stopping then editing may be faster.
But as they appear to be ¡¥out of sync¡¦ for want of a better description, makes it harder to find the bits you want.

Some thoughts on Re-Naming
Is usually used to batch rename several files, all will have the same name with a different ¡¥suffix¡¦ or ¡¥prefix¡¦
I don¡¦t think this is what you want, you want a different name for each file. At least that¡¦s what I assume you want, and batch re-name won¡¦t do that. You may be best to manually re-name, maybe immediately after capture.

Maybe we are getting of subject and you may be best to get on with editing.

[Ken Veal]

Trevor,
Can you clarify what you meant when you said
"If you do try Capture Split by Scene in the future and intend to re-name, then be aware"What probs will I come up against?
...................Ken

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Ken

When you do a normal capture VS names the clips like this



All in order, windows likes this.

When you capture Split by Scene, a ¡¥suffix¡¦ is placed on the end like this.



(I've missed out some clips 6 to 9 and up to 54)
Windows will most likely list the files like this.


Notice that the first clip has positioned itself at the end of the list.
If you do a batch re-name then the last clip will be out of order, and if you are not aware of this then it will cause you some headache.
It may get more complicated when you have more clips, over a 100.

When you insert clips to the library you can ¡¥sort¡¦ the order, but use sort by date.
Using ¡¥sort by name¡¦ will place the clips as third image above, out of order.

Operating System, different versions may treat the folder listing differently and can really shuffle them around.
Don¡¦t take it for granted, nothings perfect


Win DV
Consider using this program to capture your Dv-Avi¡¦s.
You can specify a capture file name, using a time format, down to the last second.

[sjj1805]

To put things simply.

You can do one of two things when capturing. The "Best Method" will vary from one project to another. The method that may be "best" for 'project A" might not be the "Best" method for 'Project B'
You have to decide what it is you intend to do with the clips before deciding which method to use.

Method 1. Split During Capture.
This detects every time you turned the camcorder on/off (termed a scene) and creates a new video file on your hard drive for every scene.
Depending upon the length of the video and how many times you turned the camcorder on/off during filming - you could have a dozen clips or several hundred. With this method you can rename the clips using a mass rename program as mentioned above. I have never had a problem keeping those clips "in sequence" when renaming.
How you rename those clips is a matter of personal taste.

Method 2. Split After Capture.
No matter how many times you turned the camcorder on/off during filming you will have just one large video file on your hard drive.
A thumbnail representation of that large video file is placed in your VideoStudio Video Library. You can now use the "Split by Scene" function. What this will do is create thumbnail representations in your video library of where these scenes occur. You still have only one large video file on your hard drive. You cannot "Mass rename" the thumbnails in your video library - you have to do each scene one at a time.

I hope this clears up any confusion you may have.

[Ken Berry]

Just to expand a little on the reference to WinDV -- if you don't already use it, I would agree with Trevor that you should consider doing so. It splits by scene. As Trevor indicated, you can name the file so on capture, you have all split files starting with the name you assigned them. But then you have a further choice. As Trevor indicated, you can choose to have the file name include precise time/date information. Some may like this and fairly obviously Trevor does. Be aware, though, that the resulting file, although starting with the name you assigned, looks rather frightening with the information tacked on to it!

I personally prefer the other option, for the captured files to have my chosen name but then be followed by a simple sequential numerical count of the file. I have just done a couple of major captures of my recent trip to Moscow using WinDV and thus have files named, for example, Kremlin-0001, Kremlin-0002 and so on up to Kremlin-0123; Arbat-0001, Arbat-0002... and so on. I find this visually easier to deal with.

But experiment and find which of the two meets your needs...

[sjj1805]

You might also like to view this link:
Part 3. The Capture Stage
Then scroll down to the sub-heading Split by scene

[Black Lab]

This detects every time you turned the camcorder on/off (termed a scene) and creates a new video file on your hard drive for every scene.

And just to clarify a little more, Split by Scene actually detects when you start and stop recording, not just when you turn the camcorder on or off.

[Ken Veal]

I would just like to say thank you all you wise men for the above advice, this forum
Is great.
There now follows what appears to me to be my options in this case (subject to cross examination by any expert witness)

1 Capture using VS11+ and having control of each scene content by stopping capture via
the cam controls on screen then resume capture of the next scene.This is what I have always done up to now and is my preference.

OR 1A
Capture using Win DV 8 to be able specicfy a cap. file name using a time format…
This will mean having to learn how to use Win DV8 and how to get the files into VS

2 Rename this files in the working folder via The Rename software.

2A This will mean learning how to use The Rename
I presume this renaming cannot be done with VS?

3 Create libraries via the library manager for each subject

4 Import the renamed files into each appropriate library

5 Relax because everything so far has gone to plan but not get complacent…….Ken

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Ken

Stick with what you know best.
Its just a learning curve and it will all come together eventually.

Capture as you know how, select not to capture to library (options cogwheel).
You could re-name each captured file immediately after capture.
This will produce the re-link option from the timeline.
Then import the files to your library.

And yes Relax because everything so far has gone to plan.

[Ken Veal]

Hi Trevor,
Can you explain the advantage of not imorting clips into the library initially.I normally like to do this then put each clip in the timeline
to edit that one at at time.Think I am missing the reason for youe advice here................................Ken

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Trevor,
Can you explain the advantage of not imorting clips into the library initially.I normally like to do this then put each clip in the timeline
to edit that one at at time.Think I am missing the reason for youe advice here................................Ken

Hi Ken

You are intending to re-name the captured files.

If you import to the library during capture, then rename the files -- you would have to re-link all the clips in the library.

I thought it would be best to import to library after re-naming.