Two cameras/two angels, one subject

[daddog]

Well, not sure if I can explain my question, but will give it a shot.

If I have two cameras pointing toward one subject (say someone being interviewed) what would be the best way to place the two video tracks in X3?
One I would be the main video track, but would the other have to be the over lay track? Is there an option to create a 2nd main video track that I could switch between? So when I am editing an interview clip I could pick between video track 1 or 2 and choose the angle I want?

Make sense?

[Black Lab]

Make sense?

Not really.

That's what multi-camera shooting and overlay tracks are all about. You put whatever you consider the main video onto the main track, and you put your cut-away clips onto your overlay track(s).

If you are still unsure check the Tutorial section for some multi-cam tutorials.

[daddog]

Thanks. I will look for those tutorials.
Multi-camera shooting is exactly what I am talking about. Just not sure how to use the overlay for it, (because I don't want to do an overlay) but will check out the tutorials and see if they can answer my question.

[Black Lab]

But what is an overlay? A track laying over, or on top of, another track. So you put your main video (call this clip A) on the main track. This is what will be seen if there is nothing on the overlay track. You then put your cut-aways (clip B) onto the overlay track. Making these full screen they will overlay, or be on top of, the main video.

So it will look like this on the timeline:

Main track: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Overlay: BBBB BB BBBBBBBB BBBB BBBBBBB BB BBBB

[daddog]

Right. <slaps head> So you would just do exactly that? Over lay the Main track? Seems to me the best way would be to remove the main section of track and replace it with the track that I want.

Maybe I am making it harder than I should. My thinking was to cut and paste in the clips into one track (the main track). Your saying just to over lay it and not bother with cutting and pasting? Sorry, I had not thought of doing that. I always pictured the over lay track something to use like they did in the old 'Road Shows' with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Don't know if you ever saw any of those. The over lay was used to put in a smaller video in the corner of the main video. I just had not thought about overlaying the whole shot.

If I did that would it not still render or play the track below and slow the process down or does it just ignore the track below?

Thanks Black Lab. I appreciate your help.

[BrianCee]

If you were to cut the second camera clips into the top track you would now have problems with the sound track - by putting one of the videos in the top track and keeping it complete then your sound track will be continuous and complete. then you put sections of the second camera videos in the first overlay track - you may need to slide them very slghtly left/right to sync the sound track with the mouth movements - set the overlay track to fill the screen and MUTE or delete the overlay sound.

When you render out your final video VS takes account of both tracks - showing only the top track when there is nothing in the overlay track - and showing only the overlay track when there is a clip in the overlay track - but always playing the sound track from the top track video.

I have a feeling your over thinking this a bit - do a bit of experimentation and you'll see how it works - you do not need to render out a test file - you can see the effect in the preview window when you play "Project"

You can use the overlay track for all sorts of purposes - for instance recently I made a video of a school concert - at one point one of the children mis-behaved on stage while the rest kept singing - but a simple shot of the audience taken at a totally different time in the overlay track covered the misdemeanour and the singing continued seamlessly.

[daddog]

Thanks Brian. You gents have always been a big help over the years.

I will play with it.

[daddog]

How do you guys sync the audio? Is there an easy 1, 2, 3, step for this?
I am having a hard time. I can get close, but not quite right on.

[BrianCee]

No secret method I'm afraid - it's just a matter of physically moving the video in the overlay track, it is important that you expand the timeline to it's very maximum so that every single frame is showing in the timeline, then you should be able to move videos one frame at a time , that is around 1/30th of a second (for your NTSC) - it should then be possible to sync sound and picture