multi cam edit

[Guest]

does FCP have a multi cam option for editing like avid's express pro? I am wondering what the best way to edit a multi cam shoot....whether its a 3 cam studio show to a 2 camera wedding. What is the best way to sync these cames and their footage for ease of editing?
thanks for the info in advance

shm

[Guest]

With FCP4 you can easily resize 2,3,4 or more cameras if necessary into a single sequence. Depending on the machine you are working on, the number of video tracks can be resized into a quad split or more in real time.

I first choose either a video or audio sync point that appears on all source footage and place a marker on each piece of video. This should be simple enough if all footage has at least part of the same action at some point on the tape. (note: if the cameras start and stop taping at different points in time you will need to sync each segment sparately)

I then place these tracks side by side in a sequence and slip & slide them until they all Sync up.

For higher end proffessional application you can "jam sync" the time code on all cameras or record tape decks during recording which will make this process easier and more accurate as you can sync using the time code as reference.

Once, you find a sync point just resize your tracks in the sequence so that you can see all of them at the same time (render if necessary).

Now you are off to the races editing multi-camera on FCP4.

It is really easy. I believe the boys in lab will be adding a multicam function in further builds that will make it even easier and more native to the application but for now this works great.

I use it all the time..

[Guest]

:) thanks..i was familiar with the timecode and/or slate part of the sync process but did not know the best way to edit them on the fly with FCP....i'll give your work flow a try....thanks for the response!!!!

[magicdavek]

I have have not upgraded to FCP4 yet because my computer doesn't have AGP graphics (I have a blue & white G3 with the processor replaced by a 500MHz G4 - a set up compatible with EVERYTHING in the Macintosh world except FCP4!). Anyway, When you are talking about "resizing," are you talking about in the timeline, or browser windows? I've used Final Cut for three years, and *I had difficulty following what you were saying.

I use Final Cut (Pro AND Express - one on my desktop, one on my iBook) for multicamera shoots (3 to 5 cameras) all the time. In fact, in the rare cases I do something with a single camera, I use iMovie! Anyway, I sync very quickly using various methods I've figured out on my own over time (I'll share them if anyone is interested). Once in sync, I actually preview each track, take the best one, and cut it up to the highest level of the timeline (the track actually viewed when you hit the space bar). I put the main camera highest in the timeline (one below my edit track I just referred to) so I don't do any cutting there, anything taken from the other cameras placed in my higher "edit" track superceeds my main camera. Now in FCP4, can you resize the browser windows to see a video preview of all tracks playing at the same time and choose the best (i.e., three browser windows playing three camera angles)? I am constantly turning off tracks as I preview ones below them in the timeline. I've gotten pretty efficient, but would love to be able to see all the tracks playing in sync in separate windows and choose the best. Is this possible in FCP4?