Creative Media Room – ‘Quick Tips’ Guide

This document contains hints and tips on the key software contained on the Mac inside the Creative Media Room. The official, comprehensive user manuals are located inside the User Manuals folder on the desktop.

Contents

Audacity – The Basics ...... 1 – The Basics ...... 4 – The Basics ...... 7 GarageBand – The Basics ...... 12 iMovie – The Basics ...... 15 Soundtrack Pro – The Basics ...... 18

Audacity – The Basics

Introduction to the Workspace Zoom Fit to Selection In/Out Editing Tools Trim Fit to Project

Playback Controls Audio Tracks

Project Audio Waveforms Playback Head Space

1 Hints and Tips

Importing

• You can use the Mic inside the Creative Media Room to speech for use in your projects. Firstly, make sure that the audio mixer has the cable labelled ‘Audio to iMac’ inserted into the ‘Aux Send’ output. Next, press the record button, and speak directly into the microphone. Audacity will automatically create a new track and start recording. Every time you press the record button, a new track is created so you can easily edit the audio. All of the Recording levels have been set up, so do not adjust anything on the sound mixer. • Audacity will let you edit pre-recorded audio, such as an MP3 file by using File>Import.

Editing

• The Selection Tool is the main tool that allows you to select areas of audio for editing. • The Time Shift Tool is used for dragging tracks backwards and forwards along the project space; this is useful if you want to change the order of audio in your project. • The Envelope Tool allows you to adjust the audio levels in your project. You can select the blue line at the top of the track and raise or lower it to change the sound levels of the whole track. Alternatively, you can just edit the audio level of a particular point on your track. Click on the blue line along the track and this will insert a white control point, you can then adjust the levels between control points on the track. This could be used to create a fade on a track. To delete a control point, drag it above the track until it disappears. • Fades can quickly be created by selecting the area of audio which is to be faded (in or out) using the selection tool. Select Effects>Fade In or Fade Out and Audacity will create the fade for you. • The audio waves are displayed visually, which allows for precise editing. Zooming in on the project space (Zoom Tool or cmd+1) allows you to see the individual waveforms, which can be very useful when trying to edit out unwanted sounds, like a cough or sneeze. When using the zoom tool, right clicking (or cmd+3) allows you to zoom back out. • Zooming in and out can get very repetitive; using the Fit to Selection in Window Tool (i.e. an area of audio that has been highlighted with the selection tool) and Fit to Project in Window Tool (whole audio track) can help speed things up.

2 • The cut, copy and paste tools are in the Edit Menu Bar, and they work the exact same way that you would expect them too. The split new, trim and silence tools which are also in the Edit menu can be useful. The Silence tool removes the selected audio, and inserts silence in the selected area. This maintains the original duration of the track. The Trim tool deletes everything but the selected area; use the Trim icon as a shortcut. The Split New command (as shown on the screenshot) moves the selected audio on to a new track, and deletes the audio from the original track.

Exporting

• To make your audio playable outside of Audacity, it has to be exported using File>Export. Files can be exported as an uncompressed lossless format, such as a WAV file, or a compressed lossy format such as an MP3 file. MP3 files usually give a good mix between file size, compatibility and quality. The MP3 format is required if you are producing audio for a podcast. If you only want to export part of your project, you can select an area of audio and use the File>Export Selection menu. • When exporting as an MP3, you will be given the option to input metadata about your track. This is for Album and Artist data for programs like iTunes and Windows Media Player to use, but can just skip this step if you want.

3 Compressor – The Basics

Introduction to the Workspace Add File Icon

Original Video Transcoded Quality

Placeholder

Destinations Tab Summary Pane Encoder Pane

Geometry Pane

Preview Window

Settings Tab

Settings Options

Inspector

4 Hints and Tips

Importing

• When opening Compressor, you are presented with a screen which shows the Batch Template window and the main interface. Choose a suitable preset template for your project; if none of the presets are suitable then you can cancel the Batch Template, and provide the settings manually. The next step is to load your source media into Compressor. You can add a video by selecting the Add File icon. • If you have sent your sequence to Compressor from Final Cut Pro, Compressor will open up automatically and load your sequence (source video) into the Placeholder.

Converting / Transcoding

• If you are using a Batch Template, Compressor will assign the transcoding settings for you, so nothing needs to be adjusted in the settings tab. • If none of the Batch Templates are suitable, then you will need to choose the transcoding settings manually. Settings are selected from the settings tab. Drag on to the Placeholder to apply them. Some of the settings are optimised for small file size, whilst some offer better quality. Using the Quicktime H.264 setting gives a good mix between file size and quality. However, if you wanted the finished video to be played back on a mobile phone, then the mobile presets will be more suitable. • Compressor allows you to preview the difference between your source footage and the converted (transcoded) video. The Preview window shows the original video on the left, and the transcoded version on the right. This is very useful to see how experimenting with different settings can change the quality of the video, and allows you to make sure the quality doesn’t fall unacceptably low. • Compressor will also assign a default output location (Destination) for you; this will need to be changed to make sure your work is being saved in your user projects folder. To change the Destination select the Destination tab and select the ‘add’ button on the top right of the tab. To choose the (local) destination, select your User Project folder from the pop up window. Your folder will then appear as a Custom Destination, which you need to drag on to the placeholder. • All of the elements ( Source Media, Settings, Destination) are in place to create the transcoded video. These 3 elements combined are known as a Batch, and to create the video the Batch needs to be ‘submitted’ for transcoding. Select the

5 Submit button to begin the transcoding sequence. Before the transcoding starts, you are given the option to rename the outputted file, by default this is the name of the source media. Noting else needs to be changed in this dialogue box. • The Inspector is a useful tool which allows you to change and monitor some transcoding settings. The Summary Pane allows you to see the estimated output file size, and other information about the finished video (Compressor cannot estimate the file size for all video settings). The Encoder Pane allows you to change options within the transcoding settings, such as quality and frame rate. To change the resolution of the video, use the Geometry Pane. Selecting a ‘Custom’ setting allows you to specify the resolution of the transcoded video. Most changes you make can be viewed in the Preview window. • Compressor allows you to submit multiple Batches at once, so you could have various source files and settings being transcoded at the same time. To add another Batch, select the + icon in the Placeholder. • Be patient! Transcoding operations can take a long time; there is an indication of how long the transcoding will take but this is not always 100% accurate. As a rule of thumb, the transcoding will take around twice the duration of your source video. This will be longer if transcoding multiple Batches.

6 Final Cut Pro – The Basics

Introduction to the Workspace

Browser Viewer Canvas

Bins

In Point Marker Out Point Marker Playback Controls

Video & Audio Tracks Playback Head Timeline

Padlock Zoom Control Tool Palette 7 Hints and Tips

Importing

• Final Cut Pro (FCP) has a few different ways of importing video for your project. If your footage is from a tape based camcorder, you should use File>Log and Capture. This method should also be used when using the Creative Media Room camera. • If you are using a tapeless camcorder (i.e. which records onto memory cards or a HDD), or a multimedia card (such as an SD card) you should use File>Log and Transfer. If you have a lot of on your camera, it may take a while for the log and transfer tool to discover and index them. • If you have already removed the video files from the camcorder, use the File>Import menu. • When using the in room camera, ensure the DV deck is switched on and ‘camera’ is selected on the AV switcher. Once you have opened the Log and Capture tool inside FCP, select the Capture Settings tab, and make sure the Device Control is set to ‘Non-Controllable Device’, and the Sequence Preset is showing ‘DV PAL 48 kHz’.

Overview of Workspace

• FCP is a very powerful video editor, and this guide can only begin to scrape the surface of what FCP can do. The interface can look bewildering at first, but each of the windows performs a specific function. The Browser is where all of your assets (videos, pictures, clips) are stored. It can be useful to make different Bins (folders) to help with organisation of your assets. To make a new Bin, right click in the Browser and select ‘New Bin’. • The Viewer is where you select shots from the source footage to use in your finished video (sequence). You can simply drag clips from the browser straight onto the timeline, but normally you will need to trim the clip first. When you double click a clip, it will open in the Viewer for playback. Choosing which part of a clip you want to use in your project is done by marking an In Point (I for shortcut) and an Out Point (O for shortcut). This then selects the video between the two points, and it can be placed on to the timeline by dragging the image of the video from the Viewer and dropping it on to the timeline. • The Timeline is where all of your selected clips are built up into a sequence. The sequence can be made up of many video and audio tracks, and you can lay different audio and videos on top of each other. • The Canvas is always used for previewing your sequence. When you are playing footage from the Timeline, it will be displayed in the Canvas. • The Tool Palette is where various tools required for editing your sequence are kept, such as the Razor Blade, Selection, and Pen tools. 8 Editing

• Use the Selection tool (A for shortcut) to manipulate clips in the timeline; it will allow you to lengthen and shorten a clip, and reposition clips within the sequence. • Use the Razor Blade tool (B for shortcut) to split a clip once it is in the timeline. This is very useful if you feel that a clip is running too long, and would work better in smaller chunks. • Use the Pen tool (P for shortcut) to create keyframes in the sequence. Keyframes allow you to define parameters within your clip, such as opacity and audio levels. A simple use of keyframes would be to create a fade to black at the end of a clip. This would be achieved by having one keyframe at 100% level, and one at 0% level (as demonstrated in the screenshot on the right). FCP will automatically create a smooth transition between the two values. This technique is also very good for adjusting audio levels. Keyframes can be deleted by right clicking them, and selecting ‘Clear’. • The easiest way to add clips to your sequence is to drag them on to an empty space in the timeline from the Viewer or Browser. • When dragging a clip on to an existing clip in the timeline, there are two important types of ‘edit’ to be aware of. When you drag a clip to the bottom two thirds (see red dashed line) of a video clip in the Timeline, an Overwrite edit is performed. An Overwrite edit will replace the clip that is already in the timeline, and the sequence will have the same duration. Note that the cursor changes into 2 downward pointing arrows. An Insert edit is performed by dragging the clip into the top third (see red dashed line) of another clip. An Insert edit will not replace the clip in the timeline; it will push everything else forward to fit in the new clip, lengthening the duration of your sequence. Note that the cursor changes into 2 right facing arrows.

The red dashed line indicates where the clips need placing to perform the different types of edit.

Overwrite Edit Insert Edit

9 • Another useful set of tools within the Tool Palette are the Ripple and Roll tools. The Roll tool is displayed as standard, click and hold the Roll icon to reveal the Ripple tool. Use the Ripple tool (ctrl+rr for shortcut) to fine tune a clip in the timeline without leaving a gap. If using the tool to shorten a clip, every subsequent clip in the timeline will ripple back in time to close the gap. Use the Roll tool (ctrl+r for shortcut) to change the edit point between two clips. The tool lets you extend the out point of one clip, whilst simultaneously shorting the duration of the adjacent clip, or vice versa. This tool will not adjust the duration of your sequence, just the clip you are working on and the adjacent clip. • To detach the audio from a clip, click the Link Selection Icon . This allows you to select the audio from a clip, and move it freely around the timeline, or just delete it. Remember to reselect the Link Selection icon when you want to keep the audio synchronised to the corresponding video clip. If you do not need audio in your project, you can press the mute button to the left of the audio track. • To Zoom in to your sequence, you can use the Zoom Control (cmd + shortcut to zoom in, cmd – shortcut to zoom out). • The default Transition is a 1 second cross dissolve. This can be added by right clicking between two clips in the timeline, and selecting ‘Add Transition’. A choice of different transitions can be added from the Effects>Video Transitions menu. • When doing fine edits, such as trimming the edge of a clip, you may find that the cursor moves too quickly. To slow down the movement of the cursor, press the cmd key after you have started dragging. This reduces the speed of the cursor, and allows for more precision. This shortcut can be useful in many situations, such as fine tuning keyframes and adjusting audio levels. • You can experiment with Filters in your project to get different visual effects, like a blur or film grain effect. To apply a filter, double click the clip in the timeline. Select Effects>Video Filters and choose your desired filter. The filter will appear in the Viewer, under the Filters tab, and this allows you to change the parameters of the filter. . • One really useful Filter is the Colour Correction Filter, this can help if your footage was slightly underexposed or overexposed, or if the colours in your clips seem a bit unnatural. This can be useful when using the in-room camera. Double click a clip from the timeline and select Effects>Video Filters> Correction>Color Corrector. This will appear on a new tab in the Viewer; select the Color Corrector tab to access the filter, as displayed in the Eyedropper screenshot. The first tool to use is the Auto Contrast Button, this will adjust

10 Auto Contrast Button the black and the white levels. Next, select the eyedropper to the left of the Balance wheel. This will turn the mouse into an eyedropper when it’s over your video in the Canvas. Next, select a white area in the Canvas, and the filter will apply itself. This could be a white shirt or white paint on a wall, but shouldn’t be an overexposed area like a light bulb. • The Padlock on each track allows you to lock that particular track, so that you can’t make any changes to it.

Exporting

• To make your Video playable outside of FCP, it has to be exported. Use the File>Share menu to access some pre-defined export options. These allow you to export a movie suitable for uploading to YouTube, or playing within iTunes. The Share window allows you to specify where you want the exported movie to be stored; this should be inside your folder within the User Projects folder. • To access more advanced exporting options, use File>Send to Compressor. This will open up the Compressor application, which is a specialised tool for converting video files. Please refer to the separate Compressor guide for assistance with this application.

11 GarageBand – The Basics

Introduction to the Workspace

Track drop Loop Browser Track Mute down menu Loops

Track Timeline Volume Control

Playback Head

Playback Record Controls Button

Master Volume 12 Control Media Browser Hints and Tips

Importing

• It is important to select the correct type of Project when starting to create media in Garageband. If you are creating a podcast, choose a Podcast Project. If you want to create a piece of music, choose a Loops Project. When creating sound for your Video, you should choose a Movie Project. • Garageband is designed for creating music rather than importing and editing existing music, although it is possible to import music from iTunes using the Media Browser Menu. You can import Videos in to Garageband; this allows you to match sound effects and loops precisely to the action, without having to go back to your video editing software. This option is only available in a Movie Project.

Editing / Creating

• Garageband contains a wide selection of music loops and samples to use in your projects. These range from a few seconds long to over a minute; you can use the Loop Browser to find the required style of music and then just drag it on to the timeline. To extend the loop, move the mouse to the top right hand edge of the clip. When the loop symbol appears you can drag the loop and extend it. • To add speech into your project, you can use the mic inside the creative media room. Firstly, make sure that the audio mixer has the cable labelled ‘Audio to iMac’ inserted into the ‘Aux Send’ output. Next, create a New Track by selecting Track>New Track>Real Instrument Track. Select the new track to make sure Garageband is recording on to the correct track, then press the record button and speak directly into the microphone. You may need to mute existing tracks in the timeline; otherwise they will be picked up by the microphone when recording. • You can also create music from scratch by selecting Track>New Track>Software Instrument. Opening the keyboard (Window>On Screen Keyboard or Window>Musical Typing) allows you to play a variety of . The audio will only be recorded on the timeline after the record button has been selected. • The Master Volume Control at the bottom of the timeline allows you to change the volume of the whole project. You can adjust the properties of each track separately by selecting the drop down menu to the right of the track volume control. If you select Track Volume, a line appears across the top of the selected track.

13 You can drag the line up or down to change the volume of the selected track. For more flexible control you can create Control Points by clicking on the line, and adjusting the volume between the points.

• When working with a Movie Project, you can watch a preview of your video by double clicking the thumbnail of your video in the left hand pane.

Exporting

• To export a Movie Project as a finished video and audio file, choose Share>Export as Quicktime Movie. This will export an MOV file using the default compression settings. • To make your Loops Project playable outside of Garageband, it has to be exported using Share>Export to Disk. As default, files are exported as an uncompressed lossless format, such as a WAV of AIFF file. Compressed MP3 files (Share>Export to Disk>Compress check box and select MP3) usually give a good mix between file size, compatibility and quality. MP3 files are suitable for use as .

14 iMovie – The Basics

Introduction to the Workspace Source Video Viewer

Transitions Tool iMovie Toolbar Voiceover tool Title Tool Playhead Import from camera Crop tool

Timeline

Full Screen Select and drag clip Show / Hide Timeline Playback selection to timeline audio levels scale

15 Hints and Tips

Importing

• Apple has published a database of cameras and camcorders which are supported by iMovie, and includes some model specific instructions. The link for the database is inside the User Guides folder on the desktop, under iMovie. • To transfer footage from your camcorder, click the Import from camera icon. If iMovie does not detect the camera, make sure that the camera is turned on and in playback / transfer mode. • To import from the camera inside the Creative Media Room, make sure the DV deck is turned on (green light) and the switcher is set to ‘camera’. If there is still no image, check in iMovie the input is selected to ‘Manual’ and the DV-VCR (DV) option is selected in the import from camera screen. • Some video formats may not be recognised by the import from camera mode. If your camera records on to a hard drive or memory card, you can click File>Import>Movies and navigate to the mounted drive of your camera on the desktop. Then select the video files and choose import.

Editing • Unlike Final Cut Pro, iMovie does not explicitly use ‘tracks’ for video. There is a workaround for this. When you drag a clip from the source video window on to another clip in your timeline, a popup menu appears. If you select ‘Cutaway’, the clip is placed on a new track above the original, allowing for more advanced editing. This works for still images and video, but only when importing to the timeline.

• Select the cog to the left of a clip to access more features, such as colour correction, brightness adjustment and increasing the speed of the clip. • You can crop clips and images to hide or emphasise parts of the image. When using the camera inside the Creative Media room, you will notice there are black bars on the left and right edges of the imported video. These can be removed using the crop tool, (c for shortcut) and adjusting the green grid in the viewer window. • You can also adjust the length of clips in the timeline by using the Clip Trimmer tool, which is accessed from the cog icon on the left side of every clip. This also allows you

16 to extend the length of the clip, as well as shorten it .The Precision Editor tool gives you accurate control over where you want the cut point between two clips to be. • If you want to remove the audio from your clips, right click on the video clip and select detach audio. You can now delete the audio using the backspace key, or use it on another clip. • You can record voiceovers for your video inside iMovie. To record audio, select the voiceover button. iMovie will prompt you to select the clip you want to start the recording on. After you press the record button, iMovie will count down from 3 and start recording. The mic will keep recording until you click stop, or you reach the end of the film. • The Transitions tool offers a powerful array of cuts and fades for you to use in your film. You can just drag the transition to the edit point in your film. Double clicking the transition opens up Inspector which allows you to adjust the duration; however a transition can never have a duration that’s greater than half of the length of the shortest clip either side of it. You can also access a live preview of all of the available transitions from the Transition drop down menu inside Inspector.

Exporting

• When you have finished editing, you will need to ‘export’ your video. This makes it playable outside of iMovie. Use the Share>Export menu, and select the desired export quality depending on your playback method (phone, DVD etc.). Exporting usually takes around two times the length of your completed project, so leave plenty of time for this! • If you feel that iMovie is limiting your creativity, you can export your project to Final Cut Pro to take advantage of the more powerful software (Share>Export To Final Cut XML). Please note; this will only export your edited clips. Transitions, titles and any colour correction will not be exported. • If you want to create music or add sound effects to your video, you can import your project into Garageband. To do this, select Share>Media Browser. When you have opened Garageband, you should create a Movie project and add the appropriate project from the Media Browser.

17 Soundtrack Pro– The Basics

Introduction to the Workspace

Envelope Project Space Video Preview Disclosure Triangle

Effects Tab Browser Timeline

File Editor

Zoom Bar Playback Controls 18 Hints and Tips

Importing

• The easiest way to import a raw audio file into Soundtrack Pro is to drag it in from . You can also use the Browser inside Soundtrack Pro to locate files on the hard drive. • The Browser also contains a variety of sound effects, loops and ‘music beds’ which can be added into your project. You can use the different criteria within the Browser to find the desired sound effect; they can be previewed by selecting the clip. • You can use the Mic inside the Creative Media Room to record speech for use in your project. Firstly, make sure that the audio mixer has the cable labelled ‘Audio to iMac’ inserted into the ‘Aux Send’ output. Next, select the Arm Track for Recording icon on the audio track you want to record on. Then select the Record button from the playback controls area. Speak directly into the microphone. • One major advantage of Soundtrack Pro is the ability to send the audio tracks from Final Cut Pro to be fine tuned. To do this, open up Final Cut Pro and your project. Choose File>Send To>Soundtrack Pro Multi Track Project and tick the ‘Open Soundtrack Pro’, ‘Base Layer Video’ and ‘Save project with’ checkboxes. When you select the Save button, Soundtrack Pro will automatically open with your video sequence in the Preview window, and your audio tracks in the Project Pane.

Editing

• Soundtrack Pro has two main ways of editing audio. The File Editor allows for very precise editing, down to wavelength level. To view a file in the File Editor, select an audio clip in the Timeline. To zoom into the File Editor, you can drag the Zoom Bar to the right (cmd + & cmd – for shortcut). • The second way of editing audio is within the Timeline. The Timeline allows you to edit audio in much the same way as a video editing timeline would. You can move audio to different tracks, and change the order of audio clips within those tracks. • You can use the Timeline to change the audio levels, in much the same way that keyframes work in Final Cut Pro. Soundtrack Pro uses Envelopes, which work in a similar way to keyframes. Each track has an Envelope beneath it; to display the Envelope click the Envelope Disclosure Triangle. This will appear as a straight line, representing the track volume. To manipulate the volume, double click on the line to create an Envelope Point. You can keep adding Envelope Points to

19 create a fade in the audio, or ‘dip’ the audio at certain points. To remove an Envelope Point, select it and press the delete key. • When zoomed into the File Editor, use the Waveform Editing tools to manipulate the audio. Cut, Copy and Paste work within this view, as well as more advanced tools such as the Audio Stretching Tool . The Audio Stretching Tool allows you to stretch (or shorten) audio in time, without distorting the pitch. This can be very useful if you are trying to match up your audio to the visuals. • When editing audio from a Final Cut Pro project, there is a preview of the video available in the Video window. This video will be synchronised to your audio, to allow for precise audio editing. The standard playback controls at the bottom of Soundtrack Pro will control the video playback, as well as the audio playback. • Soundtrack Pro has a variety of effects built in to the application. Simple effects (Reverse etc) can be added from the Process menu bar. These are applied to the selected clip. • More advanced effects are accessed from the Effects Tab, and can be easily applied when in the File Editor window. To add an effect, double click it and it will be applied to the audio clip. Effects can be easily turned on or off from the checkbox next to the effect in the Effects Tab, so experimenting is very easy. Effects have parameters which can be controlled from the drop down arrow next to the effect name. These parameters can be adjusted whilst the audio is playing to allow for fine tuning. Many effects have envelopes attached to them, so you can change the effect over time in the timeline view.

Exporting

• The finished Audio file will have to be exported from Soundtrack Pro to be playable in other applications. Use the File>Export menu to open the exporting dialogue box. The export dialogue box will ask you to name the exported file; you also need to ensure that the file is being saved in the correct User Projects folder. The dialogue box also allows you to specify whether the whole sequence is being exported, or just a selection. • Files can be exported as an uncompressed lossless format, such as an AIFF file, or a compressed lossy format such as an MP3 file. MP3 files usually give a good mix between file size, compatibility and quality, but to get the very best quality you should export as a lossless format.

20 • If exporting back to Final Cut Pro the following workflow should be used. Use the File>Export menu with Soundtrack Pro, and select an AIFF file as the output format. Make sure the ‘Master Mix’ option is selected. In the After Export field, make sure ‘Send Files to Final Cut Pro Sequence’ is selected. When you press the ‘Export’ button, Final Cut Pro will open and the ‘Import XML’ dialogue box appears. Choose the project that the audio was originally from; everything else can remain ticked in this box. In the Final Cut Pro Browser of the original project, a new sequence will appear which will contain the new audio mix. The original audio clips will still be in the sequence, but they will be muted and placed on different audio tracks.

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