Crossfade and keeping audio in sync

[daddog]

In an interview I am doing I have pictures I want to insert during the interview. When I do this I want to use the 'crossfade' so it will fade from the interviewee to the picture and after a few moments back to the interviewee. When I do this the audio does not stay in sync with the video, (I have the audio on a different track because I had two cameras and used the best audio track). You can see from the picture when I have ripple editing active it tells me I can't apply the crossfade transition because I don't have a 'gap'.



When I turn off ripple editing it allows me to put in the crossfade transition, but then the audio is out of sync with the video. This is confusing me because I thought a crossfade would fade from one clip to another and not cut anything out, but I gather that is not true because it does not stay in sync with the audio.

What would you use to apply a transition between a video clip and a photograph that would allow me to keep the audio in sync?

I suppose another solution would be if I could somehow 'merge' the audio track I am using with the finished video track, then it would be a non-issue.

As always thanks in advance.

[DVDDoug]

Someone else will have to help you with the details...

If the normal audio continues during the photo, you can probably leave the audio intact. But, it might be easier to sync the two video segments separately, and splice-in a sound segment during the still image. (Or, maybe the normal audio from the 1st video, during the still image, etc.)

I thought a crossfade would fade from one clip to another and not cut anything out, but I gather that is not true because it does not stay in sync with the audio.

If you crossfade/transition the audio and video together, they should stay in sync. Think about it... A crossfade (or transition) requires overlap. If you overlap the end of one audio track with the beginning of another, the result is shorter than hard-splicing the tracks together. (If you put tie two ropes together with a knot, the result is shorter than putting them end-to-end.)

[mitchell65]

I've just done this or very close to it.
Here's what I did.
Put my main video clip with the audio I wanted to play non stop all through in the Video Track
Put a green color block in the overlay track and stretched it to 10 seconds, then I put my jpeg image and set that to 5 seconds in the overlay track and overlapped it to the color block. Then I put another green color block after the jpeg and stretched that to ten seconds and overlapped that on the jpeg. My preferences are set to put a crossfade transition by default. I then set the two color blocks and the jpeg to "Fit to screen". Then to finish I gave the two color blocks a 99% transparency setting.
Result: The main video clip keeps playing with the video and audio in sync. The color blocks suddenly come in but you can't see them as they have the 99% transparency setting. The first color block then crossfades to the jpeg then the jpeg crossfades out to the second color block.
Afterwards I realised that I could have applied the Fit to screen and 99% transparency to the first cblock and then copied and pasted to the second but i forgot to do that. Perhaps if you have a number of jpegs to insert you will use that.

[tinybeetle]

There is actually an easier way. Put your pictures on a separate track below the video and select the fade in and fade out property in the options box. The photos will fade in over the running video and then fade out. It has the exact same effect as using cross-fade.

I used that technique with the following video. The still photos are all on a lower track than the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEXXY3tMOwk

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

What happened to the two video clips, one in the overlay track and one in the top track as this post?
You managed to sync' these.

http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php ... 28#p218576

[daddog]

If you crossfade/transition the audio and video together, they should stay in sync. Think about it... A crossfade (or transition) requires overlap. If you overlap the end of one audio track with the beginning of another, the result is shorter than hard-splicing the tracks together. (If you put tie two ropes together with a knot, the result is shorter than putting them end-to-end.)

Your right. Had not thought about it that way. Thanks Doug!

Thanks Mitchell, I will try what you suggested if other attempts don't work.

Nice Tinybeetle, I will give that a try! I think that will do the trick sir.

What happened to the two video clips, one in the overlay track and one in the top track as this post?
You managed to sync' these.

I was able to sync those with your help, but I just cut out parts of the top video track and replaced them with some of the bottom overlay track. When I was done I had just one video track that switched every few minutes from a left to right and back again view of the person being interviewed. I never used the over lay or any transition because it was not needed. Although I think a very brief crossfade would be nice.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi daddog
I didn’t understand where your second “video” had gone, and became a sound file??????
There is no reason to cut the top track, unless you wish to switch audio from top to second track…………

I would have tried this different method.............

With the two “video files” in the timeline.
The top track has the good audio.
The overlay track is in sync’ with the top track.

Cut the overlay track removing the unwanted parts.
The required clips will stay in position
Set these to “Fit to Screen”
Use Fade In and Fade Out, maybe over 1 second for the clips in the overlay track.
Mute the clips in the overlay track.

Play in project mode.

[daddog]

Hi Trevor,

Sorry for not being clear.
I am interviewing. I use two camera's. One of the camera's have a wireless mic. That is the track I use for the sound.
The second track (overlay) I cut portions of that and move it to the top video track. When I am done I have an interview in the video track that switches back and forth between the two angles each of the cameras had.

With the two “video files” in the timeline.
The top track has the good audio.
The overlay track is in sync’ with the top track.

Cut the overlay track removing the unwanted parts.
The required clips will stay in position
Set these to “Fit to Screen”
Use Fade In and Fade Out, maybe over 1 second for the clips in the overlay track.
Mute the clips in the overlay track.

Humm. I like that idea. I had not considered doing it that way. I will try that way next time. Excellent idea sir!

[mitchell65]

HI daddog
Trevors method certainly works well but going back to your original post I thought you said it was jpeg still images that you were looking to insert. Now it seems that it is video clips. Slightly different workflow required for those two.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

That depends on how you define Picture, in this instance its a movie, as in Moving Picture, if your old enough to remember those.
We always referred to it as "going to the pictures". (flee pit)

[mitchell65]

Hi Trevor
Indeed I am old enough to remember "the movies". I can remember the last of the silent films and the old flee pit where I lived still had a resident pianist who used to play in the interval!
Back to the "Pictures". I assumed a still image as in the first post of this thread the OP referred to a "Photograph"!

[daddog]

Hi Mitchell,

It is both actually. As I am interviewing someone and say they are talking about their mother I would cross-fade to a picture of their mother while they continue talking about her. A few minutes later I might do the same for someone else they are talking about. A few minutes after that I might swtich from camera 1 to camera 2 for a slightly different angle.

I sure appreciate everyone’s feedback. It has been a huge help.