Video—log and capture
Your first family history edit
decisions will be designating in (beginning) and out (end) points
for the video clips you want the computer to capture (copy on the hard drive). You
will then give these clips names. Use your storyboard to plan your clips.
Logging your video
tapes
Set
up a text document with a 7-column table. Label the columns
1. Event (for
interviews, title this Story Title)
2. People (in
the video or mentioned in the story)
3. When (did
the event take place)
4. Description (detailed
with key phrases. Include audio and video conditions—good,
static, etc.)
5. TC In (timecode
at beginning of sequence)
6. TC Out (timecode
at end of sequence)
7. Reel (tape label)
Play
the videotape and fill in the table cells. Write the name of the storyteller (if
an interview), location, and date of taping session at the top of the page.
Timecode is the numbering of each video frame expressed as 01:20:40:15. Read this as 1 hour: 20 minutes: 40 seconds: 15 frames. There are 30 frames per second (NTSC) and 25 frames per second (PAL and SECAM).
A
copy of the log sheet can be cut into sections, glued to index cards, and used
to update your storyboard. Paste thumbnail photos from a contact sheet on these cards as well. If you
storyboard this way, be sure the timecode and reel are on each section. Now you
can lay out the cards and shuffle around until you have a logical order.
Capturing digital video
Defragment your computer and turn off
all other programs before you begin to capture. Hook up your camcorder to the
computer via firewire (best) or USB. Use regular house current to power your
camera. Capturing takes a while and weak batteries will cause dropouts.
Open your video editing program and
create a new program. Save it and set the preferences where you want the raw
footage stored. Turn on the camera and put it in VCR mode. Follow the capture
instructions for your editing program.
• Set the In Point 5 seconds (handle) before the action starts in
the clip.
• Set the Out Point 5 seconds (handle) after the action ends in the
clip.
• Clips should be 4-10 seconds long of action time for a total of 9-15 seconds with before and after handles.
• Label the clips so they are identifiable and can be easily
grouped into a segment. (example: LucyWed1)
• Divide interviews up into story segments. Don’t capture sections
you know you won’t use in the video, even if it’s in the middle of a story. Divide
that section into 2 clips.
• Watch the audio monitor during capture. It should be between 9
& 12. If it goes above this consistently or is in the red zone, stop capturing
and adjust the audio level. In some editing programs this is an after-capture
adjustment.
Digitizing analog tape
To edit analog tape on your computer,
you will first need to digitize the tape (convert analog information into
digital information). To do this, you need to either install a capture card or
use an external converter. Either way, you’re looking at $300 or more for a
decent devise plus cables. There’s some quality degradation and compatibility issues
as well.
Better solution: buy a new digital
camcorder. Cable the old analog and new digital camcorders together. Play the
old tapes in vcr mode on the analog camera while recording to a fresh digital
tape on the digital camera. Less degradation and you have a digital copy of raw
footage for other uses.
Tip: A 60-minute digital tape holds about 40 minutes of transferred analog footage
More video
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Copyright September 2009 Family History Coach All rights reserved Last update April 27, 2010
