Part II

any folks want 'multi-layering'... others miss things they used to be able to do on the Toaster... and everyone wants to lose that 'not enough loading time' message. Rather then thinking of this as a limit, consider it as a challenge. After all, we have the Toaster as well as the Flyer. We can create most anything.

In an 'ideal world' we would control all layering from within a Flyer Project. (By layering I refer to CG titles, transition effects, overlays and more.) In the Project view, the editor has the most 'flexibility', as he or she has all the individual elements at their fingertips.

But many times...

• I simply can't wait 2 seconds for a CG to load,
• I want the CG to stay on the screen during a video fade
• I like to incorporate overlays and 'Fly-In' keyed CG effects.
• I prefer to fade out of a CG Scroll before it leaves the screen.
• I like to use ChromaFX too, especially to 'rub' blue skies into outside location shots. (Boy, I wish ChromaFX had an ARexx interface!!!)

I usually 'rough cut' the project and, when I see (feel) where new elements are needed or cannot be performed by the Flyer in time, I re-digitize the shot while adding most any layer manually. This is my favorite and first choice whenever possible. First, because it works in 'real-time', and second because I can often give a 'human feel' to the moment, instead of having to work with timecode numbers.

I end up with a new clip that has a second layer already mixed in. Place this back in your project, and the Flyer is now free to sequence, or even add one more layer itself. The drawback here is that once you have embedded the layer, you are stuck with it in your clip. If you change your mind, then you need to re-digitize again.

(Some folks use a second Toaster system 'upstream' and add further layers while digitizing. To go beyond these layers, you switch to the 'unlimited' potential of rendering, subject of some future article.)

To digitize a layer into a click we follow the following procedure...

1. Place the CG, Framestores or Effects you desire into the project screen
2. Start the Disk Recorder, leave it in 'pause'
3. Go to Project/Switcher view and set 'main' input to your video source
4. Roll tape and practice your manual 'layering' moves
5. Re-start tape, start Disk Recorder rolling
6. Perform manual moves and then stop Disk Recorder

Let's see what we can do...

Start with an empty project screen in the Projects/Files view

First we want to bring any elements we need onto the project screen. This will give us access to the effects or CG we desire later, when we are working in the Project/Switcher view.

Open the NewTek tab and then the CG folder. Bring into the 'project':

• 1 typical Scroll page
• 3 typical Key pages

Next open up the Effects folder (tab) Bring into the project:

• 2 Overlay effects from the Overlay drawer - I suggest the 'Next' and 'OldFilm' effects
• 3 ChromaFX effect - Takes a while to show the files, 'don't it'. I suggest using: Charcoal, Crazy Nuke and Fog, ChromaFX

Note: Co-Pilot Video includes a routine called Disk Recorder. This program prepares the hard drives for digitizing and then waits for a simple hotkey press to pause and unpause the recording. It also leaves the user with full access to the Switcher and project while recording.

If you wish to record the following, set up Co-Pilot Video's Disk Recorder now. Leave it in 'Pause' until you have practiced each effect. Then, when you have a 'feel' for cueing the CG, start your tape rolling and 'toggle' the Disk Recorder to 'un-pause'. Do your manual moves, and at the end of the clip 'toggle' the pause key again. You can then start work on the next spot or close the Disk Recorder clip.

Both Control Tower and Navigator include some disk recording capabilities. If you do not have any of these programs then try the following... when in the project/switcher view, try pressing the tilde (~) key when you are actually ready to record, then set the input to 'main'. This will work for a few of the examples.

Go to your Project/Switcher view.

Select Input 1 on the main switcher buss.

Feed a video source in, just as if you were digitizing. You should see your video input. (If you normally digitize from Input 2, use that instead.) The video source could be a camera, or a videotape. I often just freeze a frame on my TBC and use that for testing. This lets me relax the tapes until I'm really ready.

Note: In some of the following examples, you could also use a Framestore for a background (not a Flyer Still) instead of selecting incoming video. Many of the 'tricks' would still work.

Challenge: I can't fade-in a CG key quick enough (a video effect was close)

1. With your main video source visible... Click once on the CG key crouton. This loads it into the preview buss.

2 . Press the spacebar to trigger a fade in, and again to fade it out.

3. To re-load the CG, click on the CG key crouton 'once' again. Your main buss should still have your source video selected.

So now you could roll your source tape, then start the hard drive recording, and manually, with a 'human feel', add and remove the CG key at the appropriate times. Once it is recorded there, you no longer have to worry about the Flyer trying to load it in time as it is now a part of the clip.

You have two methods of controlling the speed of the fade. Open a CG 's control panel and set the speed (S M F) or, after you click once on the CG crouton (so it is in the Preview buss,) you can also change the fade speed manually on the Switcher screen (S M F).

We could also trigger a 'take' instead of a fade by either 'double-clicking' on the CG key, or pre-loading it and then selecting the clapboard image on the superimpose buss. To 'cut' out, you pretty much have to select the OFF button on the superimpose buss, or fade out with the spacebar.

Challenge: I need to fade (or fly-in) to a clip with the CG already visible

If you want the clip to start with CG already on the screen, simply bring it up onto the program screen first before digitizing the clip. Start rolling the tape and your hard drive. Then press the spacebar to take it out when needed.

Challenge: I wish to keep a CG key on while the background clips dissolve

Just re-digitize the two video shots. Add the CG towards the end of the first clip, and leave it on the screen. Next digitize the second clip with the CG already on, and manually take it out. When you place these two clips back in your project, you can put in most any video effect (no fly-offs), yet the CG will appear to stay 'planted' on the screen.

Challenge: I have a bunch of sub-titles to cue in a long clip.

You might try... placing the titles on the project screen, start your video source and hard drive rolling, and just 'double clicking' on each title just before you need it. This will cut in & out each title with a small blank time inbetween. Not perfect... but fast. And it leaves the Flyer free to do more.

Challenge: I need my Client's phone number on the screen all the time

Sometimes a client wants their 1-800 number on the screen throughout the edit. Try adding the CG into every clip as you digitize and then your entire edit will have it, yet the Flyer is still free to add transitions or more CG.

Note that occasionally, I use my second Toaster 'downstream' and superimpose another CG over a project that is playing back from the Flyer. This second method allows me even more flexibility in my project (such as using fly-off effects without disturbing the 1-800 number.)

Challenge: CG Scrolls

CG Scrolls are well worth digitizing. It can be a real pain to have a flawless playback of your project, and then have it stumble on the CG scroll at the end. Recording these into a clip, pretty much guarantees good playback.

Once you have recorded the scroll into a video clip, you can place the new clip in your project, and easily fade in and out of it while the CG scroll is still on the screen. (This also works with CG crawls.)

Your video source should be visible on the 'main program' buss (Input 1).

Set your 'preview' buss to the same input as the 'main program' buss (Input 1 also).

Simply feed in your video, (or bring up a framestore background), and start your hard drive recording.

When ready, double click on the CG scroll crouton. This will start it running - to abort the scroll, press the right mouse button

Once you have recorded the scroll into a video clip, you can easily fade in and out of it while the CG scroll is still on the screen. This also works with CG crawls.

In fact, this is the one spot where I may build a video edit on the Flyer, lay it off to tape, and then re-digitize the tape while adding the CG scroll. This gives me total freedom for the background, while not losing any generation on the titles themselves.

Challenge: I need a video clip with an 'Overlay' effect already embedded.

Double click on your 'overlay effect' crouton. This will probable overlay your video source for a 5 second length, and then switch off. To set a longer length, open its control panel, and set a longer duration.

Start your video source. Double click on the overlay effect when needed. It will return control after the duration is up.

Once you record this, you can place the new clip with the overlay layer back into your project. Add a Fly-in effect, or do page turn effect.

Challenge: I need an overlay AND a CG at the same time

Same method again. Embed the overlay into the clip, place the new clip into your project, and then you should be able to add a CG overlay with the Flyer.

Challenge: I want to use a Transition effect as an Overlay instead

Say you want the Flag effect 'burned in', but you want the background to remain the same. Simply set the 'Main' and 'Preview' busses to the same video input. Click the effect once to pre-load it, and the spacebar to trigger it. It will still transition, but since it is using identical inputs, it will appear as an overlay.

Challenge: I want to use ChromaFX in my project

It is much the same for using the ChromaFX crouton, except you do not need to worry about setting a duration now. Once you start a ChromaFX, it will stay on till you clear the DV buffers (e.g. by pressing 'Live' button).

Set your source video on the main buss

Set the same input on the preview buss.

Click once on the 'Charcoal' ChromaFX crouton. This loads it to the preview buss.

Press the 'Return' key (or click on the TAKE button). This swaps the Preview and Main inputs without touching the TBar.

Move the TBar manually to adjust the effect.

When you like what you see, simply cue the tape, and roll the Disk Recorder.

Now let's try one with color cycling. Click once on the 'Crazy Nuke' ChromaFX crouton. Then press the 'Return' key or 'Take' button. See how it color cycles. You adjust the speed (weirdly) by clicking on the S-M-F buttons at the bottom of the Switcher screen. If you start to move the TBar the cycling will stop, and can be manually aligned. To restart the cycling, click on the 'Live' button, then select the ChromaFX crouton, and the 'Take' button again.

Let's try a third type of ChromaFX. Click once on the 'Fog' one, and then press the 'Return' key to 'Take' the preview buss. I have used this in a Sci-Fi smokey bar room once. If you adjust the TBar you'll see that you have a full screen filter. Usually these type of ChromaFX are left with the TBar at the top.

One other note, you can combine ChromaFX and Overlays at the same time. With the Fog still visible, click once on the 'Old Film' effect. Another layer with no additional charges.

There are 100 preset ChromaFX. Try them all. Make more. Amaze your friends.

One last tip: Sometimes, when first digitizing a shot, I enter the tape number and rough time location into the comment field of the clip. Then if I ever wish to re-digitize the clip, I don't need paper notes to re-locate the source footage. I open up the clip's control panel and look at the comment.

We will look at performing 'fly-in' CG key effects next.

Later, Aussie

Michael Holten is an Emmy award winning video editor, a theatrical Sound Designer, and a third party Flyer programmer. His Seattle based company, OZware, has released three programs for use with NewTek's Video Flyer: Co-Pilot Audio, Co-Pilot Video, and Aussie's Fast Frames. Watch for more.