Copyright 1995

Video Editing using the Sony Hi8 VCRs in the GRASP lab

1. Filming
2. Setting up the editing system
3. Preparing raw footage for editing
4. Editing
5. Special effects
6. Adding sound
7. Making VHS copies

The editing system consists of two high quality Sony Hi8 VCRs and an editing console. This document describes how to create and edit video tapes using this equipment.

1

Filming

Record your scenes using the lab's Hi8 camcorder. For best quality make sure you use proper Hi8 tapes (the symbol Hi8 should appear in the LCD window when you insert the tape).

To record stuff off the computer screen there are two options currently available within the lab:

The first is to use one of the SGI machines and simply record the screen using the camcorder. If you notice a fat black band then set the camcorder to auto (by closing the sliding door) and adjust the monitor refresh rate with the setmon command (60Hz seems to work well).

The second method is to use one of the macintosh computers which can provide a direct NTSC output - this avoids the need to video off the monitor but offers less freedom since you can't zoom in on just one portion of the screen.

To make titles for your video you could use the editing console but the result is pretty poor - best results are obtained by drawing your titles on the computer and then recording off the screen as described above.

Handy tip - don't record anything important on the first 15 seconds of any tape.

2

Setting up the editing system

Unfortunately, while the editing console has battery backup, the editing VCRs do not. So, its necessary to reset their settings each time they've been left unplugged for a while. Here's what to do:

On the "Player" VCR

  1. Using the slide-out panel controls, press [menu] to pull up the on-screen menu
    Use the arrows to select "SETUP MENU" and hit [execute]
    Use the up and down arrows to select "LANC MODE"
    Use the left and right arrows to select "S" and hit [execute]
  2. Hit [counter select] until "TIME CODE" appears in the panel display
  3. Hit [edit] so that "EDIT" appears in the panel display
On the "Recorder" VCR
  1. Press [menu] to pull up the on-screen menu
    Use the arrows to select "SETUP MENU" and hit [execute]
    Use the up and down arrows to select "LANC MODE"
    Use the left and right arrows to select "S"
    Press the down arrow until "L1 IN VIDEO" is selected
    Use the left and right arrows to select "S"
    Hit [execute]
  2. Hit [counter select] until "TIME CODE" appears in the panel display
  3. Hit [input select] until "L1" appears in the panel display
  4. Hit [edit] so that "EDIT" appears in the panel display

3

Preparing raw footage for editing

The editing VCRs make use of a facility called RC-time code to improve performance. The idea is to write a unique number onto each recorded frame of video - then, when you're editing you can specify exact positions (accurate to a single frame) by referring to those time codes.

Since the camcorder doesn't write RC time code, you need to add those codes to your recorded tapes before trying to edit with them. This does not alter the video or sound already on the tape.

To do this, place the tape in either of the editing VCRs. Then using the controls on the slide-out panel:

  1. Rewind the tape
  2. Hit [play] and then [pause]
  3. Press [time code write]
  4. Hit [pause] again. The tape should begin playing with the words "time code write" on-screen.
  5. When you get past the end of where you recorded footage, hit [stop].

4

Editing

The mechanism for editing is fundamentally different from that which you might use with two home VCRs. The idea is to write a simple program, telling the editing controller how you want the final tape to look. Then you execute that program to create the final tape. If you're not satisfied with the result you can go back, edit the program, and then re-run it to produce an improved result.

So, to create an edited tape, pop the tape of raw footage (to which you have added time code as described above) into the player VCR and place a blank tape into the recorder VCR.

Now, create and run the program using the editing controller:

  1. Clear any existing program by pressing [PGM] and then [AC]
  2. Use the regular VCR controls (on either the editing controller or the VCR) to get the tape in the "player" paused at the exact frame where you would like the first scene to start. Press [ENTRY] to enter that "cut-in" point.
  3. Use the controls again to position the same tape at the frame where the first scene should end. Press [ENTRY] to enter that "cut-out" point.
  4. Repeat the above two steps to enter the start and end points for any other scenes. Remember that any scene can come from any point on the tape - they need not be sequential. You don't need to specify every scene now. If you wish you can enter a couple, see what that looks like, then append more later.
  5. Now use the VCR controls (on either the editing controller or the VCR) to get the tape in the "recorder" paused while playing back the exact frame where you would like to start recording.
  6. Now hit [PGM EDIT] and sit back to watch as the editing controller executes your program to create the resulting tape.

When the editing process is complete the "player" VCR will be paused at a point a few seconds after the end of the last scene while the "recorder" will be paused at a point such that, if pause were released, it would begin recording immediately after the end of the last scene. At this point you will probably want to [STOP] both VCRs and play back your resulting tape. If everything looks good then you're done. If not, you can modify the program (see the manual for details of this) and then re-run to generate a different result.

If you have several source tapes then just use the above procedure several times - use a new program whenever you need to switch tapes.

Once satisfied you can add narration and then make multiple copies of the resulting master tape (see later).

5

Special Effects

One particularly useful technique is to slow down or speed up raw footage. Here's how:
  1. First play back the tape in the "recorder" and get it paused at the point where you wish to start recording. Now press [rec] (it should back the tape up a second or so and then remain paused).
  2. Now start the "player" tape playing at the desired speed (the 2x and slow buttons on the editing controller are particularly convenient for this).
  3. A second or so before you want the recording to start, hit the [pause] button on the "recorder". It will roll the tape forward for a second or so and then begin recording at the exact point you chose in step 1.
  4. Then just stop or pause the "recorder" once the desired segment is complete.
6

Adding sound

The editing VCRs can play-back and record two different types of sound signals. AFM stereo audio is stored with the video signal. It is recorded by the camcorder and copied along with the video when you edit between tapes. In addition there is a separate digital stereo sound track called PCM. This sound track may be edited independently of the video and AFM audio.

So, when you have finished editing your video, the AFM sound track will still contain whatever sound the camcorder picked up while you were filming. You can then add voice-over and/or music by using the "audio dub" option (see manual) to write a new PCM track. When playing back the resulting tape you can choose whether to have one or both sound tracks audible, thus it is possible to make copies which have just narration (the PCM track) or just background noise (the AFM track) or both.

7

Making VHS copies

You can make multiple copies of your master tape using the following procedure:
  1. Connect the output of the "recorder" Hi8 VCR to the input of the AIWA VCR in the conference room (the AIWA doesn't have stereo sound so only connect video and the left sound channel).
  2. Press both the [NTSC] buttons on the AIWA front panel
  3. Press the [input] button on the AIWA remote control until the picture on the TV connected to the AIWA matches the output from the Hi8 unit (try playing your Hi8 tape to make sure)
  4. Start your tape playing on the Hi8 unit and hit [rec] on the front panel of the AIWA.
  5. When its done hit [stop] on both VCRs and play back the resulting tape to check everything worked OK.
Craig Sayers (sayers@grip.cis.upenn.edu) 23 June 1995