SMPTE Timecode iPOD for Music Videos !

[Spinflight]

Here's a quick and easy way to lock your video to music when shooting music videos. This method is an easy and cheap way to have timecode without having an audio deck and a smart slate. This eliviates all the extra equipment.

This is where the Video iPod can really shine. What I did was this. I set up my timeline in FCP with the audio of the song already in a sequence that I'd be using for my edit. In this case it was DVCPro720 at 24fps. I started the song at 1 hour. My timeline starts 15 seconds before the 1 hour mark. 00:59:45:00. This allows me to have SMPTE and the name of the song before the audio starts.

You'll notice a slug on the video track. That's where you'll add the SMPTE timecode generator. On top of the slug you'll add the text of your song.

You'll end up getting this once you've adjusted your settings.

Because of the -360 frame offset, this is what your viewer should read when the scrubber is at the begining. Thisoff set will now put your time code at -01:00:15:00.
You'll have to play around with the offset for different framerates and settings.

Export using quicktime conversion as an ipod movie and you're done.

The reason for allowing 15 seconds is so that you have enough time to put the ipod in front of the lens to slate and recompose. You can take the ipod down after it has passed the -01:00:10:00 mark. You'll then have a good 8 or 9 seconds before the music starts playing to get the camera back on your shot.

-01:00:10:00 will be the mark you'll use to line up all your clips for multiclip editing in FCP. Mark all inpoints on all the clips you want multiclipped when you see -01:00:10:00 on the screen. Remember, timcode imbedded in the video is irrelavant. The audio is the master. Just put the scrubber at that mark when you drop the multiclip in the timeline and you're off and running in multiclip editing.

Because the HVX doesn't have SMPTE input this method should solve a lot of problems for many of you. You'll be playing back the music from the same source everytime which will then go back to FCP from whence it came. Can't beat that.

I had to come up with another alternative because I keep my crews small and simple.
I hope this helps many of you.

Have fun with it.

Dabling

You can see a sample of the how the SMPTE will playback here:

http://www.spinflightstudios.com/timecodesample/cantwaittimecode.mov

You can download the m4v itunes file here:

http://www.spinflightstudios.com/timecodesample

 

[Spinflight]

I do need to mention that I initially tested this at 30 fps(29.97) in a native 29.97 tiimeline since the ipod is going to play back the video in NTSC. This framerate matches the timecode perfectly.

I was working on trying to make the timecode match in a 24fps timeline when I made this post. It'll work perfectly if you slate off your laptop screen playing back the quicktime file since it's playing the file at 24fps. The ipod won't match the 24fps timecode so we just need to use a visual reference instead of timecode. Use visual cues such as as a frame of the number 10, ten seconds before the song starts or perhaps a frame of color bars. Anything will work other than timecode. This actually makes it easier to set up now. Forget I even said anything about timecode and make life a little easier for yourself.

You can also use a frame of text throughout the song as markers so you don't always have to start the song at the beginning.

 

[mark.burton]

Very, very cool. This is a fantastic tip, I wouldn't be surprised if this gets written up on Apple's Pro site soon Thanks for sharing.

 

[Spinflight]

Here's an example of a new slate that's much easier to set up. 5 seconds of bar tone followed by a text pop. After the tone stops you can remove the slate(ipod). Then you'll hear 5 quick beeps to countdown the song intro.

You don't need tone for the slate but I included it so you'll have an audible reference as well when to take the slate down. That'll make a nice audible cue to the ipod slater to walk away. Then the artist then can hear the 5 beeps for his or her performance cue.

http://www.spinflightstudios.com/timecodesample/new_slate.mov

 

[MarcMalkowski]

Will the iPod play 25frames?!?