Mark In and Mark Out

[annie+mite]

I am very new to VideoStudio x9 and I am teaching myself to become familiar with its content and by the way, I am old girl learning new things.

I have watched a lot of the tutorials on various bits and pieces and I am comfortable with what I know to date. Now I don't know everything, I've gone through the process of importing my pictures and videos on a small scale. I like to work with a piece of information and then write about it (I forget things quickly {old girl} until I have used them for a while). Unfortunately I have to understand EVERYTHING and when something doesn't gel, it just doesn't gel. The tutorials are great, and thanks to everyone that makes them. I don't seem to get a lot of tutorials for version 9, but I can watch a version 5 or 10 and bring back the info and try out what works in 9.

So my question is about Mark In/Out. I understand what it does... I think. What I can't understand, and it maybe my knowledge is not there yet, why you would use the option when perhaps there is an easier way to do things. Remember, I am only new to VideoStudio, I learn quick, but slow, as I need to know how it works and I need to be comfortable with my knowledge at the time.

My project I have created involves a simple instant project template, I've inserted my 2 photos and played with the free music and it's nodes, now I am going through the various elements within VideoStudio and I come to Mark In/Out. It seems so long winded. So I suppose an advance user wouldn't use this option to view part of his project, or to trim a clip. I can see that it will have its uses in what I would call the "advanced" section but I am not there yet. So if someone can explain what I would use this option for, as a complete beginner, it would be appreciated. As I like to write notes on it once I have the knowledge, I just can't write about this and its not a hard thing to work out. I know how it works, and it works fine, I suppose I would have to say I don't know how to write about it. So other than the simple things it does, view, edit and trim it must be used an advanced tool... maybe.

I am sorry if I waffled, I am sorry if this sound ridiculous (which I think it does). I have watched tutorials on mark in/out, and it's kept simple and I understand it, so what's my problem, it works. Why in the world am I asking such a ridiculous thing. I think I am making a mole hill into a mountain. Thanks to anyone that takes the time to answer this old girl appreciates it.

[lata]

Hi Annie

And welcome to the forums

No silly questions here, what’s more you are probably talking to some old guy/gal

Mark In Mark out, I use quite a lot.
Generally for trimming the ends of my clips.
Removing a few frames from the beginning of the clip is easy

Position the curser (in clip Mode) hit the mark-in (F3) job done
Or
Position the curser – cut using scissors - select first clip – delete clip job done

I know which option I prefer.

But take care as the Mark-In Mark-Out is active in Clip and project mode.

To the right of the Mark-In Mark-Out brackets shows a small timeline, usually displays a line having trim handles.
Read this web page regarding those markers.
http://lata.me.uk/corel/trimbar/trim_bar.htm

Annie can you say what you are working on when using the Mark-In Mark-Out options.

[annie+mite]

Thank you for your response I wasn't sure I would get one.

My project is just a project about my garden, it's a project of knowledge and how I build up to know the program inside out. I'm trying out what I have learnt from the tutorials and where they would come into play within my project, I suppose you would say it's an experimental project and a build up to maybe the real thing.

You say, you use it quite a lot in trimming the ends of your clips, would you not use the orange handles at the end, doesn't this shorten the clip?

What I have in my project, 1st track a .wmv file from instant project;
2nd track is a JPG file - my imported garden picture
3rd track is another JPG file - also imported garden picture
4th track is the Title
5th track is music - both title and music come from within program. I keep it simple to learn.

What I was trying to do, is to get the orange line to appear in the first place then view the entire project at certain points by moving the trim markers then Mark-in and then move the other trim marker and Mark-Out... then view... this process I thought was long winded. Normally I would move scrubber into position, Play project then pause when I have seen enough. Please let me know if I am wrong.

Then to practice a bit more, I decided to stop and start the music track at different spots (now remember I am only familiarizing myself with this tool) - this time move Scrubber into position at beginning - Mark in - and ditto for the other end. Really can't see this as a thing I would do in real time, what I may do (without that extra knowledge) in the future would be trim the audio track and or fit it to the project.

I have read the link you sent to me many a time before this, but this time I read it in a different way... my project is toooooo simple. Looking at the link there are many frames (not sure if this is the correct word) or are there more than the one clip involved on this project. What I think I learnt, get over it for now, move on and get a bit more adventurous and I will see the benefit of this option further along my learning. I think also that prior to learning about mark in/out I was trimming clips, learning about pause duration, trim markers, trim bar and preview range and split clip and somewhere in all this I lost it.

Before I sign off on this reply, can you let me know what name is given to the Scrubber within the timeline, I call it Scrubber2! Don't laugh.
Thanks again for your help, Annie

[Terfyn]

Then to practice a bit more, I decided to stop and start the music track at different spots (now remember I am only familiarizing myself with this tool) - this time move Scrubber into position at beginning - Mark in - and ditto for the other end. Really can't see this as a thing I would do in real time, what I may do (without that extra knowledge) in the future would be trim the audio track and or fit it to the project.

There are a number of ways to match audio to video in VideoStudio. This method stretches or compresses tracks.
My process (for what it's worth) is to put the video clips together to make the final film. I normally do this on the main time line and insert photos etc. as I go along. I only use the overlay tracks for special effects, for example chroma key (greenscreen). I run the video in project mode to see if it flows and is not too long (a big mistake for beginners) or boring. I then shorten or lengthen clips to suit the overall effect.
I often split the live audio away from the video (Right click on the clip in the main timeline and then click on Split Audio in the drop down menu) It will drop on to an audio line. I will add music and, possibly, a voiceover (very useful to replace live audio) These will lie on the different audio tracks or can be dragged to a free audio track if required. Volumes can be adjusted at this stage.
Now alignment. Voiceovers will align to the relevant clip as you record them while watching the video. For music, I often choose a suitable piece of music that is close to the length of the final video. I then use the process Hold Shift Key, Click on the end of the relevant Clip and stretch or compress the clip to match the video. Because the audio is digital, the move will not affect the music pitch but alter the speed. This can be carried out over a short timespan to match the audio to the video. This means you do not have to cut the audio and lose the final bars of the music.
Clip stretching will also work on video clips, just slowing or speeding up the action a little.

[lata]

Hi



As for the timeline position, I guess the most common used description would be Scrubber.
Curser, Timeline curser, Project position indicator. Scrubber covers all.

The Mark-In Mark-Out affects our project in different ways depending on whether we have selected a Clip or in Project Playback.

You seem to indicate using Mark-In to set the Project Range to play the selected range, no problem in doing that, but like you I simply position the scrubber and press play, the selected range can also be rendered via Share which can be useful.

In clip playback the Mark-in trims the ends of the clip, yes we can simply drag the orange timeline trim handles, but there is no correct way, just personal preference in the way we use the tools.

Some of my video recordings have large zoom applied, the camcorder has to be set on a tripod, even so pressing the record button causes a slight shake at the start, over 4 frames, those frames need removing, I set the digital clock to position my curser / scrubber, then press F3 or F4 (keyboard shortcut for Mark-in) to remove the frames, yes I can cut and delete, but dragging the trim bars to remove 4 frames I find difficult.

Ask here on the forum and you will get different ideas, some you may like.
Its just a learning curve, there is no right or wrong way to edit, just personal preference.

[annie+mite]

Thanks again Trevor.

I was just about to ask, or leave another reply that when I viewed that link again, I noticed that your track was different to mine, now I know why, because you are creating everything on the main track, so I could see Mark-in/out coming to good use.

What I noticed and what I was about to question was that you had no wording on your pictures and I wanted to ask you how and why you didn't. So, even though I looked at that site several times, I did not pick that up. I have attached a screen shot of what I mean, just in case I didn't explain it well.

Okay... where to from here? Interesting! Can you recommend a tutorial that perhaps starts off simple, and that over a period time, expands on it, like a continuation of the tutorial only on another tutorial.

I will re-read and print your last reply and see if I can replicate it in a new project. I will let you know how I go, it may be a few days as the weekend is over here and now it's back to the real world.

This has been very interesting, gawd there is so much to learn.

Cheers and thanks again, Annie

[annie+mite]

... forgot to mention, the attachment was a new project, and I was trying to replicate the video to look similar to your link... of course it didn't work, as I know why. Also was testing mark in. Cheers

[Terfyn]

Perhaps this area will help :- http://www.videostudiopro.com/en/learn/ Go to the video tutorials in the Discovery Centre and aim for the basic ones. X10 is just an update from X7 so the basics are exactly the same.
There are a number of tutorials available. Most of us older users come from a background of film where, to edit, we cut, inserted and pasted bits of film stock. This is why we have a preference for using the main timeline. Its just like a strip of film. Personally I have never used Mark In and Mark Out, I just trim the clips on the Timeline.

My suggestion is Keep It Simple. When you have mastered the basics then you can experiment with the different tools in VS. Always bear in mind that the editing process in VS only creates a text file of instructions which only modify the clips in the rendering (Share) process). Your original files are never changed by the edit process.

[lata]

Hi Annie

Go to Settings - Preferences (F6)

Choose the option for “Clip Display Mode” to be Thumbnail only, that will remove the clip names.

Your timelines may take a little longer to refresh as the whole thumbnail has to be displayed.

Then check out the other settings in F6 General and Edit tabs, maybe others you wish to change?

[annie+mite]

Thanks, Thanks and more Thanks, I appreciate the help, it's just great to talk to someone and get answers. I will keep prodding along, watch more tutorials, and learn it all.