This sax solo is part of the show Bending Towards the Light, A Jazz Nativity. This production was produced in New York City using 5 cameras, each of which was iso-recorded for post-production. You will be provided with the 5 camera clips for this number (The First Noel). Each clip has identical time code.

This is an exercise in using the multiclip editing feature in Final Cut Pro. To begin the project, follow the instructions below exactly, or you will have problems and the various shots you edit into the timeline will not be in sync with the audio

In editing the piece, keep the following in mind:

b. dissolve between shots when appropriate

c. you should use dissolves of more than 1 second (slow dissolves and superimpositions work well with this piece)

d. let the music dictate the length of the dissolve

e. the best place to change a shot/make an edit is at a break in the phrasing of the music or to the beat of the music

f. be careful not to dissolve to matching shots

Once you have opened and saved the project in your home directory as described above, do the following:

1. Create Multi-Clip

-click on Camera 1 in Browser
-Shift click on Camera 5 in Browser (all 5 cameras should now be highlighted)
-Right click on selection box and choose "Make Multiclip"
-"Make Multiclip" dialogue box will appear asking you how you want to sync your clips
-from the "Synchronize using" drop down menu, select Timecode , click OK

2. Working w/Multiclips in the Viewer

-you can identify a multiclip by its italicized name
-multiclips behave like any other clip. You open them in the viewer by double clicking.
-the angle with the blue/green box around it is called the "active angle"
-once the clip has been edited into the sequence, the active angle is the angle that appears in the Canvas window by default. If you click on a different angle, then edit the multiclip into the sequence, that angle will appear in the Canvas.

3. Adding Multiclips to the Timeline

-before you can start a mulitcam edit, you have to add the multiclip to the timeline
-be sure the play head is at the beginning of the timeline
-double click the multiclip to open it in the viewer
-drag the entire clip into the timeline

4. Using Playhead Sync

-the Canvas window only display one angle at a time – the active angle
-multicam editing is simply changing the active angle on the fly while the project is playing back in real time
-in order to choose what angle to cut to, you need to enable Playhead Sync
-click on the Playhead Sync icon in the Canvas or Viewer window (the icon to the right of the one with the % in it)
-choose Open
-since you only want to change camera shot and not edit audio, click on the Playhead Sync icon again and choose Video
-by choosing Video, you are telling FCP that you want to switch video angles but not edit the audio

5. Displaying the Different Camera Angles

-to change how many angles are displayed, click on the image drop down button at the top of the viewer
-choose Multiclip 9-Up

6. Optimizing Multiclip Playback

-since it's possible to play back as many as 128 angles, it can be taxing on the computer's CPU
-FCP will play back the angles at the quality you set in the RT (real time) menu
-optimize the playback performance by selecting Unlimited RT and Dynamic from the list in the RT Popup window in the left corner of the timeline window
-also make sure Multiclip Playback is selected in this window
Do a File, Save to save this setup to your documents folder

7. Editing

-to begin editing, move your playhead to the beginning of the multiclip
-in the Viewer, click on the angle you want to start with, and press the spacebar to begin playback
-as the multiclip plays in the Timeline, click a new angle in the viewer whenever you want to make a cut
-as you click the various angles, temporary blue markers appear in the ruler area of the timeline
-when you're done editing, press the spacebar, and the blue markers will become edit points
Be sure to save early, save often as you edit!

8. Cleaning Up Your Edits/Fixing Mistakes

-if you make any mistakes or want to change any shots in the timeline, park the playhead in the timeline over the angle you want to change and then click a different angle in the viewer and the angle will be swapped out for that edit in the timeline
-you can use standard editing tools to make changes to the edits (ex., use the rolling tool to move the edit point earlier/later if your timing was off)
-you can also add other transitions at the edit points in the timeline if you wish now (such as dissolves, etc.)

Once the project is completed to your satisfaction, burn it to a DVD using Toast (see Creating DVD Release Prints of Student Projects handout). This release print is the only copy that will be graded. CHECK it after you burn it to make sure audio and video recorded correctly. There is a Sony DVD player and Panasonic monitor in G-31 which will be considered the reference playback system for DVD technical quality. No matter how good your project file may be, your grade is totally dependent on the quality of the DVD copy! It represents what would go to a dub house or TV station, or directly to the viewer.

The finished project must conform to the menu standards dictated in the Toast handout and must begin and end with approximately 1 second of black, with the program fading in and out.

This project is due on the last viewing day of the semester. Grading will be based on the following:

        DVD format & function                     10%
        technical quality of video                20%
        technical quality of audio                20%
        aesthetic quality of project              40%
        knowledge of non-linear editing observed  10%

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