Avid Site EQs
I'm a big believer in EQing nearly everything; Speakers (goodbye everything under 80hz, as well as a rolloff above 3k), Music (reverse that - take out where speakers ranges are in the music), etc.
And in Avid, the EQs are real time.
I tend to use the same ones over and over and over again. Sure, I could save them in a bin. But why not save them in Avid's own EQ bin - making future reuse faster/easier.
Open the following "bin" called Site_Effects (from the location below) and drag your EQ into it - for access as a preset built into the Avid tool.
Add to the site Eqs:
(Windows) drive:\Program Files\Avid\Avid editing application\ SupportingFiles\Site_Effects
(Macintosh) Macintosh HD/Applications/Avid editing application/ SupportingFiles/Site_Effects
Avid tips like this will be in sessions at NAB/Post Production World
An Optional/Alternative way to add a track in Avid.
Ever have titles on V2 or V3 and be forced to move them up because you need to add another element?
If you hold down the Option/Alt key before you add a track...your system will ask you where you want that track, rather than just adding it above where you are.
Here are the supercool things this means:
- Create a V15. Put all your titles there. Now any newer tracks come in underneath your titles
- Create a track where you want to push everything upwards (such as the titles on V2). When you add a track where there already is one? You get asked if you want to Insert your new track (pushing everything upwards)
- One warning - don't add a track at V25/A25; the system will think you've run out of tracks!
Avid tips like this will be in sessions at NAB/Post Production World
Smart keyboard mapping. (Avid)
I'm a big believer in mapping your keyboard on an Avid. (Nothing new in this) But I believe in 'smart' mapping - the idea that the key you bind a function should have meaning (to you.)
This tip is not about mapping your keyboard...nor that you can map elements with the shift key held down.
Rather, this tip is based on the idea that you should only bind keys that make sense. I've taught bunches of people how to use Media Composer. When I walk into a facility I chuckle if someone has a sticker above the F Keys. Why? Because they had to write down what the key does, because it doesn't make sense.
Anything mapped should have a logical connection to it's function, another key's function or the way you work.
Right now, go look at your keyboard. Where is the Remove Effect button? Don't tell me it's on an F key.
My Remove Effect is underneath the Quick Transition button. Why? Because it's the only button on the keyboard that creates an effect. The Shifted version of it removes an effect.
The tip is really this: map your keyboard in a purposeful way.
Some other quick suggestions: Set Expert Render to Shift-R - because, frankly, we still think of it as rendering. Put the Segment modes (yellow/red arrows) underneath the Splice in/Overwrite because they share similar colors.
Avid tips like this will be in sessions at NAB/Post Production World
Automatically lower Music (Avid)
There's nothing worse in an Avid than importing music, forgetting to adjust it's gain downward...and hitting play, only to be deafened by the music.
Unless you know this trick:
Import Dialog box
The Import Dialog box has a TAB marked audio. Adjust the "Apply attenuation" gain during import.
All your imported audio will now be gained downwards by -20db - meaning, no more music pain!
Avid tips like this will be in sessions at NAB/Post Production World! Come join us!
Any color you want (Avid Tracks)
One of the unique/cool things about Media Composer is that you can colorize tracks.
This trick might be at one of the Avid sessions at Post Production World @ NAB
During the offline Edit, I want (need) my tracks to have a variety of colors - this makes it visually clear what a track is for. For example, all my main audio tracks (Interviews/key characters) bright, room tone tracks in pink, Video effect tracks in Green (greenscreen, get it?)
Not useful during an online edit (I prefer neutrals while I color correct.) but killer in the 'story' mode of editing.
Which timeline is easier to read? The one on the Left or the Right?
So much easier!
Who can visually read this?
The problem is this: the Avid Palette for the last five years only shows pastel colors.
Unless you know the following trick:
Holding down the opt/alt key before you to go to the track palette opens up the full system colors - giving you every color you might want/need.
Avid tips like this will be in sessions at NAB/Post Production World
Moviola Webinar - Fix it in Post - Avid & BCC
I find that many Avid editors have great tools under their fingertips - they just don't know they exist - and far more likely, they're confused about some of the capabilities.
In this case it's the BCC Plugins. They're fantastic- and solve quite a number of limitations of the Avid compositing model, especially with titles, mattes and multilayer effects.
So here's a webinar I did for Moviola/Boris. And it's Free. There's zero sales going on. No 'demo' either. Compressed teaching.
Here's the link from Moviola's site. Moviola wants you to know about their other webinars.
Here's the link from BorisFX site. Boris wants you to have non-demo training (and then upgrade your plugins! And you should!)
Last, here's the link to the presentation - I think both groups have it as part of their downloads, but just in case, I'm putting it here as well.
And me? Yes, if you want to hire me to come out and teach you and your group BCC directly (or anything else, let me know here.
Advanced Color Correction in Media Composer
Color correction is a deep art at the end of the Post Production Chain. In this class, we focused on getting everyone capable of reading scopes, using the auto corrects, but most important, understanding the order of control use and the why behind it.
This is the Symphony Color Correction window.
Script Sync and Phrase Find
These two technologies from Avid have ruined me as an editor. Once you use them, you'll never want to try editorial any other way.
Scriptsync
Scriptsync syncs takes to a script (fantastic for narrative/script based editorial) or to a transcript (fantastic for documentary based.)
Phrasefind indexes spoken words.