Video Editing Using Pinnacle

Capture - transferring video from the recorder to the computer

• Plug in camcorder, rewind tape, and double check that audio and video.
• Plug in "square black wire plug" to 2nd plug on side of camcorder marked "DV"
• Turn on camcorder (push in green button - to VCR)
• Open Pinnacle Studio and click on "Capture"
• If recording from the camcorder, click start capture and type in a name to save the file as. Once this is done the computer will automatically begin to pull the video from the camcorder.
• If recording from a VCR, click start capture and give it a name. Then press play on the VCR.

Edit - creating beginning and end points and adding text and transitions

This is the beginning of the editing options, which can be accessed by selecting the Edit tab. The viewing options are timeline view, clip view, and title view. Timeline view is the best because it shows how long the actual movie and it's clips are. To switch between these different views click on the buttons on the right hand side of the screen just above the yellow timeline.  Drag the desired clip from the top left, indicated by the blue rectangle, down to the line next to the camcorder icon.

Now the video is ready to be edited. The available options are indicated by the buttons on the top left side of the screen. They are as follows from top to bottom:

• Place and trim clips on the video track. Only clips placed on the video track will be seen in the final video.
• Add Transitions
• Add Titles and Text called TitleDeko
• Grab Frame
• Show Menu
• Add sound effects
• Add music.

Adding Text to Video

8. Click on the TitleDeko button under the edit tab to access the text options.
9. Place one of the default titles into the movie.
10. Double click on the inserted title and the screen shown in the above figure will come up.
11. Highlight the text to begin changing it.  There are many different fonts and text types to choose from.

For most movies a title similar to one found in a movie theater will be used to introduce the movie. It is recommended that a solid background is used and the text is run for three seconds before the first clip.

Transitions

Transitions go between two video clips and make the video look more professional by allowing the video to flow smoothly from scene to scene instead of abruptly jumping from one scene to the next.

• Click on the transition button on the upper right of the screen to access the transition menu.
• Drag the desired transition down to the space between the two clips, shown by the blue rectangle, and it should lock into place.

The green portion of the transition icon shows how the second clip will cover up the first one, and the arrows show the direction it will move in.

Be aware that the transition will affect the last seconds and first seconds of the clips it is placed between. The volume level from the first clip will gradually lower while the second clip's volume level increases. The screen will also be changing during the last few seconds of the first clip and the first few seconds of the second clip. So if there is important information in the first or last portions of the clips, about a second will need to be added to the beginning or end of the clips so the information is presented clearly.

Make Movie - choosing the correct format for your audience

At this point the audience must be defined. If the movie is for a web page that will be available to the public, then the output format should be one of the Streaming formats, for example, RealVideo. If the movie is going to be put into a PowerPoint file for a presentation, then it needs to be MPEG format. The only other format that should be used is DVD.

AVI is by far the best quality video that the computer can make, but it creates an extremely big file.

1. Click on the button in upper left part of the screen for the file type that is appropriate for the target audience.
2. Click on the settings button to provide title and author to Real Media files.  This title is what scrolls across the screen when the movie is playing.

Real Video Movie and Streams

1. Select the target audience(s) for the file.
   
1. Dial-up is for people who have modems at home; this should be selected if people on campus will be viewing the video since the connection type will vary from person to person.
2. Either the 256K or 384K options should also be selected for on campus and cable modem users.
2. Fill out the title and author boxes. This information will scroll across the top of the movie while it plays.
3. Select the required video quality for the file. There are several options under video quality; below is a brief description of each:
• No Video - No video will be output.
• Normal Motion Video - This setting is used when there is little motion such as someone speaking at a podium.
• Smoothest Motion Video - This setting will keep the video from being jerky when there is a lot of movement.
• Sharpest Image Video - This is the highest quality available and will give the best picture, but also makes the largest file.
4. Select 0K.

MPEG Movie

This type of format should be selected if the video is going to be placed into a PowerPoint slide show.

1. Select the video compression setting. The settings can be changed depending on the desired quality of the video.
1. MPEG2 allows for larger sizes, but is more compressed than MPEG1, so the quality is a little worse.
2. MPEG1 is less compressed than MPEG2, so the quality is better.
3. MPEG4 is the most commonly used MPEG because it is viewable on Ipod's. 
2. Select the appropriate data rate.
   1. Data rate is the amount of data that will be stored per second of video (Pinnacle Systems, Inc. ).
   2. Increasing the data rate will increase the quality and size of the video.

The MPEG option is the only option that can be used if the movie is going to be put into a power point slide show. It is recommended that MPEG2 compression is used and the size is medium. The data rate will depend on the quality desired. For movies with alot of movement, a higher data rate will be needed for good quality, while clips with small amounts of movement will not need a large data rate.

DVD

1. Upload video and capture to computer using Pinnacle
2. Edit as necessary
3. Make movie using the Make Disc option. Be sure to have it on DVD (in the pull down menu) and choose Make Disc but do not burn option under "Settings."
4. A folder will be created called "Video_TS"
5. Open Sonic and choose Create Data Disc. Be sure that the drop down menu on "Video Editor computer" is selected for Drive F. Burn FOLDER (not just files) - it needs entire folder.

For further assistance, call (979)845-1111.