By: Bobby Abtahi

Cameras:

There are two ways to go when deciding on a camcorder. The best would be a DV Camera, or Digital Video Camera, these may be a little harder to get a hold of but you will see a big difference in the quality of your video. Your other option would be to use a VHS or 8mm camcorder, with these cameras you will have to go into the UT Multimedia Lab and convert it to digital before editing.

The easiest and most economical way to get your hands on a camera would be to ask friends and family of your group members if you can borrow one. Another cheap way is to rent a camera from the University, there are many places to go in order to accomplish this but I would suggest you contact The UT Media Services' Support Division. The Support Division in GSB 3.132 is run by Doug LaValliere with help from Conrad Solis and a host of teaching assistants. For video related questions contact Conrad Solis at 512-471-2609.

A last resort would be to find an Austin area camera store that rents camcorders and other video equipment. The only one I have been able to find is Precision Camera & Video, keep in mind that their deposit rates will be put on a credit card and then refunded when you return the camera in one piece. They have very high quality Digital cameras at pretty affordable rates, it runs around $50 a day. If you click on their link it will take you directly to the camcorder rental page.

Click here for a breakdown of the differences between Analog and Digital Camcorders

Computers:

Your Home Computer

You also have a couple of options in the area of which computers to use. There is really not too much of a difference between using a Mac and a PC, I recommend using whichever you are most comfortable with. If you would like to do the editing on your home computer make sure you have a IEEE 1394 port on your computer and on the camera you will be using. IEEE 1394 is also known as Firewire or iLink (Sony Machines). The two best machines for home video editing are those that come with a Firewire port built in. These systems have been built with video editing in mind. I do not recommend doing video editing on your home computer unless you have done so before. You will quickly find that there are many little things that will and can go wrong to ruin your video.

Student Microcomputer Facility

If you make your video on a Digital or Hi8 camera that has a Firewire port than you can do all of the editing on an iMac in the computer lab of the Flawn Academic Center. The Student Microcomputer Facility is located on the Second Floor of The Undergraduate Library right next to the writing center. They are usually open 24 hours a day, but it is always a good idea to check first. To see their hours of operation click here. If your schedule does not permit you to visit the Multimedia Lab then this would be a very suitable second choice, however the assistants there are much less knowledgeable with video editing. In this facility you will be most likely be using iMovie so it would be a good idea to browse through the links below, most of them are about iMacs and iMovie.

UT Multimedia Lab

The best computers to use can be found in the UT Multimedia Lab, which is run by Kyle Rosenblad. For more information contact Kyle Rosenblad at 471-2612. The Multimedia Lab is located in GSB 5.176C and their hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM. Reservation time slots for the video editing system will be filling up fast.  To get your reservation contact Conrad Solis at 471-2896. There is usually someone in the lab to assist you with any problems you're having. Below you will find a list of the hardware the lab says they have available.

• Power Macintosh 7600 with 48 megabytes RAM, speed is 132 megahertz, running Mac Operating System 7.6.1
• Power Macintosh 7100 (24 megs RAM, 80 mhz, Mac OS 7.6.1)
• Two of these: Dell Optiplex Pro (48 megs RAM, 180 mhz Pentium processor, one with Windows 95, one with Windows NT)
• Five workstations running Windows NT (32 megs RAM, 133 mhz)

Each workstation has an A/V card, ethernet/Internet capabilities, speakers, and a full gamut of multimedia software. We also have:

• two Connectix color QuickCams
• Iomega JAZ drives (1 gb)
• Iomega ZIP drives (100 mb)
• Syquest EZ drives (135 mb)
• Syquest EZFlyer drives (230 mb)
• an Epson ES-1200C color tabletop scanner
• a Kodak DC-40 digital camera
• a Nikon Coolscan slide scanner
• a Yamaha CDR-100 CD-ROM burner
• and a Folsom Research 9400JR autosync video converter

I have also been told that they have DVD writing capabilities which can store up to 7 gb of data. Most likely you will not need that much space.

Software:

The software aspect of video editing can be either very simple by using Apple's iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. Another simplistic application that is less widely known is Sony's Movie Shaker. There are also most complex software applications such as Adobe Premiere which goes beyond what most people need to accomplish. If you are familiar with other Adobe programs then I would suggest that you use Adobe Premiere, because it will allow to do much more than the other programs. You can obtain a full functioning 30 Day Trial Version of any Adobe program at their website. If you have little computer experience and this entire page seems a bit overwhelming then I would suggest you use Apple's iMovie in the CBA Multimedia Lab. It will create a movie in Quicktime format which is by far the best compression method available currently. You will then be able to put your movie onto a CD-ROM and play it on virtually any computer. Below you will find some very useful links on editing video:

Sound is another very important issue to keep in mind when recording your video. You may have a great idea and great editing but if the audience can't hear it then it is useless. If you rent your camera from Precision Camera and Video you will be able to also get a microphone from them that will do a better job of filtering background noise. Every camcorder has different tendencies when it comes to picking up background noises. It is very important that before you begin shooting you take your camcorder to all of the different locations you plan to shoot and do a sound test. Indoors you will have to speak extremely loud, and if you are recording outside you will have to yell the entire time. After you take a sound test from every location take your camcorder and hook it up to a TV. If it is hard to hear the audio when the volume on the television is 3/4 way up then you will have to speak louder during filming. The more you turn the volume up the more distortion you will hear in the speakers, and that will drown out any sound you have in the video. Ideally you would like to take your sound test shots to where ever you will be viewing the project so you can see how loud you will have to keep the volume and how much distortion you will get.

Other than that here is some great information from the Media Lab on the process of shooting your video:

1. Make a plan for your video.

Ideally, you should make a plan before you start shooting. Think about how the final project will look and sound, then plan the shots you need on that basis. After shooting, you'll sign up for editing time. Conrad and Kyle, the Media Specialists in the Lab, both have backgrounds in film and video; they can help you plan your shoots and answer questions about lighting, etc.

The more you can tell us about the project and how it should look, the better. Use your logbook (see #4 below) to write out a list of the shots you'll use in the order they should be seen. Draw a picture of all of your graphics and write down what your titles will say. If you want to have graphics, titles, transitions, narration, voice-overs, pictures, sound files, music (from CD), special effects, or anything else that's not video that you recorded, we need to know early. Then we can budget your time wisely and help you do all these things. Some are easy and quick, others take more time (and you will be doing the work with our assistance).

Talk to us early and please ask questions; we're here to help! We can help you realize anything you can imagine given enough time and energy. TIME ESTIMATE: With a logbook and a simple plan, you can edit a 30-second video in about 2-3 hours (that's without other non-video media like those mentioned above).

2. Use the proper videotape.

• - - - Mode. Most VCRs and cameras can record in 2-hour SP, 4 hour LP, or 6-hour SLP / EP mode. Our editing systems work best with tapes in SP mode, which also offer the highest-quality recording. Some modes (or "tape speeds") can't even be used in our machines unless we transfer them to SP mode. So just play it safe and shoot in SP. If you transfer footage tape-to-tape, set the record deck to SP mode.
• - - - Format.  The Media Lab's editing decks can only accept VHS or S-VHS (also called "Super-VHS") cassettes. VHS is the same kind that goes in your home VCR. If you would like to use 8-mm or Hi-8 cameras you have to bring the camera, tapes, and any necessary editing wires to the editing session unless you transfer the video to VHS (which you can do in the Media Lab).
• - - - Remember to bring a blank VHS or S-VHS tape to the editing session so we can record your finished project. You should know what VCR your video will be presented on, and we recommend a test before your actual presentation.

3. Test a recording before your video shoot.

You can save yourself a lot of headaches by doing a test shoot: record from the camera (and any microphones used), pop the tape out and into a VCR, and play the tape back to make sure you are recording properly and getting good video and sound. During the shoot, let the camera start recording at least 10 seconds before your actors speak or move, and let it record 5 seconds after the action is over. This will help during editing.

4. Log your footage.

As in, "write a logbook of the video footage you recorded". No one will be able to use our editing equipment unless they have their footage logged. Here's how you do it:

• - - - 1) Put your tape into a VCR that has a timecode display. Those are the hours/minutes/seconds that are shown on the face of most home VCRs. If it says "01:26:15" then it translates to "1 hour, 26 minutes, and 15 seconds".
• - - - 2) Rewind to the very beginning of your tape.
• - - - 3) Set the VCR timecode counter to zero, or 00:00:00 (zero hours, zero minutes, zero seconds). The Reset button may be on the VCR or a remote control.
• - - - 4) Now watch your tape, fast-forwarding where necessary, and write down the timecode for the beginning of each shot you want to use. Write down where the shot ends too. Label each shot so the editor can understand what it is. You can write down notes and the timecode of unusable shots as well if you'd like. Now you have a logbook, which is a time-saving reference when editing.

You are welcome to use the VCRs in the Media Lab to do your logging, but your actual editing session is not the time to do it. You may want to call ahead (471-2896) to reserve a VCR to log footage.

5. We can record narration and voice-overs...

... in the Media Lab. We recommend you set aside extra time to do this after you log your footage but before your actual editing session. Call us (471-2896) to reserve time. Write a narrator's script if appropriate.

6. Understand our hard drive storage limits.

If you are using the Media 100 digital non-linear system, we can only store a few short pieces of video footage in our hard drives per project. Remember, we just want to digitize the footage that will actually be used. If you're making a 30-second commercial, you shouldn't need to digitize more than a minute's worth of footage because you have a logbook and a plan, right? Right.

All of the unusable stuff should be discussed and rooted out during your logging time. Keep in mind that the non-linear system allows flexibility, but your group should have agreed on the structure of the video beforehand; the editing room is not the place for lengthy discussions and arguments. It's essential to bring your video plan (a script or list of shots in the finished order). There is additional space in our drives for other media like music, narration, pictures, graphics, etc. but we must set a limit to recorded video footage.

8. Ask us for more information.

Please contact Kyle Rosenblad if you have questions, would like to reserve our facilities, or would like more information. You don't have to make a reservation (you can just walk in and sit down at an empty workstation), but a reservation ensures that you'll have use of the resources you want and that we'll be available to help you.