Music Videos (sync multiple camera clips)

[Stargrrl]

Hi,

I'm very new to Premiere and I'd like to start creating music videos.

I feel pretty good about what I can do so far, but synchronizing different camera clips with the audio is evading me. My monitor window is so small I really can't see the lips well enough to even get close.

I need some pointers, instructions or directions to where I can learn how to do this. I'm not even sure if this is called synchronizing.

Thanks for any help,
Amelia

 

[Akribie]

Syncing up multiple cameras in Premiere is not the simplest of tasks. The best way is to keep the cameras running all the time so you only have to do it all once per camera.

There is a Premiere plug-in at not inconsiderable cost called Multicam which, I hear, makes the task much easier. Google for it. I haven't used it, but I think it allows you to play several tracks at once and view them in parallel, thus easing the sync task. But you can investigate yourself if the budget allows.

The basic technique which I use in Premiere goes something like this:

Place parallel clips on the timeline stacked up with the widest, static camera (if you have one) at the bottom to act as the basis for the edit to come.

Work on the base track and one other track at a time. Turn off the audio for the other tracks.

Double click the base track and identify an event in the clip window (using either visual or audio cues to identify the point - whichever is the most precise). If using audio, change to the waveform display and magnify as required to find the precise point you want. Set a clip marker at that point.

Repeat with the second track to set a clip marker at the same point.

Line up the upper track marker with the lower track marker on the timeline. You might want to use numbered markers that relate to the sync track for the base clip.

Play back with both audio tracks active and listen for sync. If out of sync, move the upper clip until echo disappears. Delete the first clip marker of the upper track and replace with another that exactly lines up with the marker on the base track. This allows for recovery from editing mistakes later.

Turn off the upper track that is now in sync and repeat for the rest of the camera tracks, maybe using different events for each.

When all have been done, decide which is the best audio track (maybe it is an audio-only track separately recorded, and turn off all the other unwanted audios from other sources.

There are several ways then to use this setup to complete the edit after the sync has been completed.

One way is to go through the cameras in turn and identify segments that you might want to use using clip markers at start and finish. Older versions of Premiere had only numbered markers 0-9, but Pro increases this to 99. So you might want to make the layout clearer by using a numbered track marker for the start of a wanted section and an unnumbered marker at the end. Otherwise you will find it hard to know which end is on and which is off.

On the timeline, use the opacity rubber bands to reduce all visuals above the base to zero opacity.

Then, using the markers as a guide, set rubber-band control points to fade/cut in and out upper tracks as required. For mixes, use less than 100% opacity.

I try to avoid razoring clips because it is then too easy to inadvertently move clips out of sync. Hence the use of opacity for transitions. However, by razoring but not deleting the intermediate sections, you can use single-clip transitions instead of fades, and turn off the unwanted sections by disabling them one by one in the clip menu.

There are probably many other ways, but this should get you started on deciding your own technique.