Writing Sample: Software User Guide
Excerpt from Avid Media Composer® User's Guide ©, Avid Technology 1993. Written by Karleen S. McAllester.
These instructions explain how to start editing video on an Avid digital editing system.
Understanding Basic Editing
After source clips, or dailies, are digitized and stored in bins on the editing system, you're ready to start editing a video sequence. A wide range of non-linear editing options are available, but the simplest process, as shown next, flows from left to right:
Work Flow for Basic Editing
The first step is to drag source clips from an open bin (far left) to the Source monitor (center), which is used to play the clips.
After marking the start and end of a shot in the Source monitor, click an editing button to add the selected material to a sequence loaded in the Record monitor (far right). Check the Timeline (bottom right) for a visual representation of the sequence.
Continue working from left to right. The Source and Record monitors function much like the source and record decks in a video editing suite, but offer greater speed and flexibility, since the system's digital format and non-linear editing tools let you add or delete shots anywhere in your sequence at anytime.
Viewing Clips in the Source Monitor
Use the Source monitor to view and select clips:
- With an open source bin in Text or Frame view, press the icon for a clip, then drag it to the Source monitor.
- To go to the start of the clip, click the start of the position bar under the monitor. Or press the Home key on the keyboard.
- To play the clip, click the Play button under the Source monitor. Then press the Space bar on the keyboard to stop. Or use the Jog buttons under the Source monitor to play the clip one frame at a time. Or press the position indicator and drag it to the right or left to move quickly through the clip.
- Click the monitor buttons, if necessary, to play different tracks. The system plays only the tracks that are currently monitored (e.g., only V1 or V1 with two tracks of audio).
Starting a New Sequence
To start a new sequence:
- Click the Record monitor (located at top right of the editing system) to activate it.
- Choose New Sequence from the Clip menu, or type Command-N.
If there is more than one bin open, the system asks you to select the bin where you would like to store the new sequence.
- Double-click the name of the open bin where you want to store the sequence.
An untitled sequence appears in the bin.
The Record monitor contains the empty, untitled sequence.
- Choose Clip Info from the Record monitor menu to open the Info dialog box.
- Drag a cursor across the sequence name, then type a name for your sequence. Drag a cursor across the start timecode, then type a start timecode and click OK.
Making the First Edit
With a source clip loaded into the Source monitor and a new sequence created in the Record monitor, you're ready to make the first edit:
- Play a clip in the Source monitor. Click the Mark IN button under the Source monitor to mark the start of the material to be added to the sequence.
- Continue playing the clip and click the Mark OUT button under the Source monitor to mark the end of the material to be added to the sequence.
- Click the source track selectors to select the tracks you want to use for the edit.
The selected tracks are highlighted.
For example, select V1, A1, and A2 as the source tracks to edit the picture and two tracks of audio from the source clip into the sequence. Or select only V1 to edit the picture without sound, or only A1 and A2 to edit the sound without the picture. - Click the Splice button to edit the shot into the sequence in the Record monitor.
The Record monitor displays the last frame in the new cut. The cut also appears in the Timeline.
Playing the New Sequence
To review each new edit:
- In the Record monitor, click the start of the position bar to go to the start of your sequence. Or with the Record monitor active, press the Home key on the keyboard.
- To play the sequence, click the Play button under the Record monitor. Click the Play button again or press the Space bar on the keyboard to stop. Or use the Jog buttons under the Source monitor to play the sequence one frame at a time. Or press the position indicator and drag it to the right or left to move quickly through the sequence.
- Click the monitor buttons, if necessary, to play different tracks. The system plays only the tracks that are currently monitored (e.g., only V1 or V1 with two tracks of audio).