THL Toolbox > Audio-Video > Technical Processing of Audio-Video - Log, Edit and Compress > Editing

The Audio-Video Editing Manual

Contributor(s): James Graves, Chelsea Hall, Eric Woelfel.

Once the digital footage from your source tape has been captured to your hard drive, you can begin editing the titles to produce a refined product suitable for presentation to the public in the AVDB. The present document is a detailed Manual, but we also provide a short Editing AV Checklist for print out and quick reference.

The basic order detailed below is:

1. Edit the footage to create your final sequence. (Don't forget to check and possibly manipulate audio levels.)
2. Add necessary fades in and out and the beginning and end of the sequence, and possibly points in-between.
3. Duplicate this finalized sequence to create separate sequences for medium, high, and "LAN" compressions.
4. Add title slates to the head of your finalized sequences; add credits slates to the end of your sequences. Note the different specifications for these slates for medium, high, and LAN compressions. Hence the need for separate sequences for various compression levels.
5. Compress your sequences using the "batch export" function.

1. Helpful shortcuts for editing in Final Cut Pro

• “up arrow” and “down arrow”: To navigate with the play bar quickly through a sequence in the timeline use the up arrow key to jump to the beginning of a segment and the down arrow key to jump to the end of a segment.
• “a”: Change the cursor in the Timeline window back to the default “Selection Tool”.
• “p”: Change the cursor in the Timeline window to the pen tool used to mark the beginning and end of audio and video transitions.
• “b”: Change the cursor in the Timeline window to the Razor Blade Tool used for making cuts in the footage.
• control+click: like right-clicking a mouse on a PC, control+clicking the mouse/trackpad in different areas of the final cut pro screen will bring up different useful menus. In particular, control+clicking over any gap in your sequence (open in the timeline) will give you the quick and useful option of "close gap" to remove it. Control+clicking at any edit point gives you the quick option of generating a cross-fade edit at that point.
• Apple key+"Z": Undo previous action. Many are the times you will accidentally do something you wish you hadn't. Using this shortcut can quickly bring you back to a "happier" place.

1. Evaluate the Audio Level

The audio level is very important for THL audio-video titles. In most cases, they will be used as language instructional units and the clarity of the speech is crucial to aid non-native listeners to comprehend the dialog. The audio level of the footage can be raised and lowered in Final Cut Pro.

1. To avoid audio distortion in the final compression, monitor the audio level by keeping an eye on the Audio Meter. To enable the Audio Meter in Final Cut Pro by hitting “Option + 4” or selecting the “Audio Meter” option from the “Window” menu.
2. While the clip is playing in the timeline monitor the Audio Meter level. If the audio level reaches the top of the scale or consistently stays in the red area above the ”-6” mark, the audio level is too high and will sound distorted in the final compression. On the other hand, if the audio level rarely rises above the “-12” mark, the audio level is likely too low.
3. To raise or lower the audio level, move the audio clip overlay up or down. Move the audio level line by grabbing by left clicking and dragging up or down. Please note the numerical level display that appears when the line is moved.
4. Adjust both the right and left audio channels to equal level using the numerical display in “dB” as a guide.

TIP: You can make fine adjustments to the audio level to certain points using the pen tool if you do not want to change the global audio level. This technique is effective in reducing the level of harsh sound such as coughing or to raise the level when the sound is too low. Isolate the section in which you would like to raise or lower the sound level by using the pen tool to make a mark in both the left and right audio track at the beginning and end of the segment where you would like to adjust the audio. Then place another set of marks within those points with the pen tool for a total of 4 points on each track. Hit the "A" hotkey to switch to the general tool and manually raise or lower the sound level within the points as desired. Notice the global audio levels outside these points remains unchanged.

TIP: It is better to raise or lower the audio level before undertaking other editing tasks. If there are breaks in the footage, you will need to adjust the audio level for each segment separately.

2. Edit the Footage

Editing a THL title should focus on eliminating the pre-production (testing microphones, setting up equipment, etc.), mistakes that result in repeated takes or coughs and other interruptions. There are no clear rules for what should be included and what should be edited; the most important goal is maintain the cohesiveness and flow of the video and narrative. Because these decisions are quite subjective, the editor will have to rely on his/her judgment to effectively edit the footage.

TIP: For most videos, biographical information (name, where & when born, etc.) should be noted and added to the credit tab of the title’s metadata in the AVDB. This footage should be edited out of the final compression. However, for some videos, such as oral histories, such biographical information is integral to the content of the video and should definitely be kept in the video. In general, biographical information should be kept in the video ONLY when such information is a significantly importantant part of the content. When not relevant, it should be edited out, and recorded only in the metadata.

After selecting a section of footage to be edited out of the final video, select natural breaks in the speech or footage which would allow for smooth transitions.

TIP: Although Final Cut Pro allows for many different transition styles, in general, THL editors aim for a transition that does not call attention to the break in the footage. Transitions are often simply cuts in the footage without any fancy effects. This general policy does not exclude more advanced transition effects, but it does caution against the overuse or misuse of transitions that draw attention to the break in footage and breaks the flow of the video.

TIP: If you are having trouble working with the footage, zoom in or zoom out by shortening or lengthening the bar at the bottom of the Timeline window. There is also a magnifying glass tool (often on a toolbar to the right of the timeline) which can quickly be placed at a desired location (for example, a group of slates that appear too tiny to be worked with); then click, and that area will be blown up to a size easy to work with.

• Save the project to complete the editing process.

3. Add a fade-in to the footage

NOTE: You do NOT need to add a fade-out to the last title slate before the actual footage. The fade-in to the actual footage (discussed presently) is sufficient.

1. Make sure your edited sequence begins at the very left (beginning) of the timeline. IF there is any space between the beginning of your edited sequence and the far left of the timeline, remove this space by control+clicking on it, and choosing "close gap".
2. Make sure that the audio and video levels are showing (and therefore can be manipulated by the pen tool) by clicking on the icon with a zig-zag line in the lower-left corner of the timeline.
3. Use the pen tool to create a 1.5 second fade-in as follows.
4. With the pen tool (shortcut="P"), make marks on the video and BOTH audio tracks at two points: 00:00:00;00 (that is, the very beginning), and 00:00:01;15 (00:00:01;12 for PAL editing).
5. Still using the pen tool, hover over the marks made at the zero point until the pen tool turns into a plus sign. With the plus sign showing, click and drag the video level down to zero. Repeat this for each audio track. You should then see lines for each of your audio and video tracks sloping up from zero (at the zero point of your timeline) to the full/desired level at 1 1/2 seconds in.
6. Move the playhead to the very beginning and play to test and make sure you have a nice, smooth fade.

4. Add a fade-out to the footage

1. Fade out the left and right audio levels and video level to the lowest level at the end of the footage using the same technique. The fade out should begin 1.5 seconds (1 second, 15 frames) before the end of the footage. No valuable footage or audio should fall within this time span; therefore begin the fade-out after important speech or footage. TIP: You won’t always be able to make a fade-in or fade-out exactly 1.5 seconds long. Important footage and speech is more important than this effect, so feel free to shorten or even eliminate the fade-in or fade-out to save important material.

5. Duplicate your sequence, such that you have three separate versions of your sequence, for each of three compression levels.

1. Double-check that you're happy with your edit, your fades, your audio levels, etc. The edit must be completely final before duplicating it.
2. Zoom out in the timeline such that you can see your entire sequence at one glance.
3. Select the entire sequence (shortcut: Apple+"A") and move it a bit to the right, to allow space for the initial title slates that will precede the actual footage. Save your project.
4. In your project bin, rename your sequence, adding the suffix "_med" to the end, signifying that this will be the "Broadband-Medium" compression. You may need to further abbreviate the sequence name, such that, including the "_med", the entire sequence name doesn't exceed 21 characters. For example: "2616_ong_skor_med"
5. Control+click on this sequence in your project bin, and choose "duplicate" from the pop-up menu.
6. Rename this new sequence, replacing "_med" with "_high", signifying a "Broadband-High" level compression.
7. Duplicate the sequence again, and name the third sequence "…_lan", signifying an "LAN/Intranet" level compression.
8. You should now have 3 copies of a given sequence showing in your project bin; for example: "2616_ong_skor_med", "2616_ong_skor_high", "2616_ong_skor_lan".

6. Add title slates to the beginning of the video sequence

IMPORTANT NOTE: The best way to quickly achieve THL standard title and credit slates is to copy them from an existing Final Cut Pro project file. A Final Cut Pro project file containing samples of THL standard title and credit slates may be found under the Audio/Video section of Collab, under "Resources", in a folder named "Final Cut Pro". [https://collab.itc.virginia.edu/portal/site/f383c4fa-4979-45a0-808c-d9a3fe34c1a8/page/77045c94-efe9-47e9-8054-2e68e38056f5] Utilizing these title and credit slate samples will be a great help. However, you will still need to make minor adjustments to your slates. For example, spatial layout such as horizontal or vertical centering/spacing will vary according to the length of one's title phrases. Therefore, you will still need to know how to make such changes in Final Cut Pro. In particular, the following controls will be crucial: (double-click on any text slate in the timeline. This will launch it in the viewer. Click the "controls" tab to access the following settings.)

Using these controls upon the above-mentioned prefabricated title and credit slate samples should suffice for your needs. If you are unable to locate such samples, please contact THL staff for assistance. If you are STILL unable to access them for some reason, the following instructions should guide you through re-creating them. Please read on regardless, as there are important general instructions to follow.

Create title slates

The first step in editing a new title is to create trilingual (Tibetan, English, Chinese, in that order) title slates at the beginning of the video sequence. Each title slate integrates the title into THL by providing the title and video ID# recorded in the AV database.

• For normal-length videos (greater than 60 seconds), the three title slates together should last 5 seconds. (For NTSC, this means each language's slate should be 1 second, 20 frames. For PAL, this means that each slate should be approximately 1 second, 16 frames). Double check that the last frame of your last title slate is evenly at 5 seconds, that is: 00:00:05;00.

• If the video is extremely short (10 seconds and less), then a special, SINGLE condensed title slate with all three languages together will play for only one second. (And, there will be no credit slates. See below, under credit slates.)

• If the video is relatively short (between 11 and 60 seconds in duration), then such an integrated title slate will be used but will display for 2 seconds. The integrated title slate is streamlined and just shows the title in three languages together with THL#XXXX. (Credit slates are shown as three separate slates, each displayed for just one second.)

Normally, each language's title slate consists of the following two pieces of information:

• The title’s title from the Audio-Video Database, centered on the screen. (For example: "An Oral History of Chongyé")
• The AVDB information: "Video #1234 (use the 4-5 digit THL ID number) at www.thdl.org" at the bottom-center of the screen.

NOTE: Do NOT place a zero before 4-digit numbers. WRONG: "#01234"; RIGHT: "#1234"

TIP: Make sure the play bar in the timeline window is set to the beginning of the timeline before dragging a text bar into the timeline. You can jump the play bar to the beginning by hitting the up arrow key.

Making title slates from scratch:

1. Double click on a sequence and it will appear in the “Timeline” window at the bottom of the screen.
2. In your browser window select “Effects” then navigate to “Video Generators” > “Text”. Under the “Text” heading click and drag the “Text” icon into the first video track (V1).
3. Right-click on the grey area above the “V1” label in the “Timeline” window and select “Add Track”. Repeat this step and you will have three video tracks, V1, V2, and V3.
4. Repeat step 2 twice by dragging the “Text” icon into track V2 and V3. TIP: You can save time by copying and pasting a title slate from another title and using it as a template. Make sure to change the title, THL ID number and make sure the copyright date is correct.
5. For videos greater than 60 seconds long, your trilingual title slates should last 5 seconds altogether. The text in the video track is 10 seconds long by default so you will have to reduce each of the three text bars down to 1.66 seconds (5 seconds divided by 3), or 1 second and 20 frames for NTSC, and 1 second and 16 frames for PAL. You can alter the duration of any slate by left clicking on the end of the text footage and dragging left to shorten it, or drag right to lengthen it. (Again, having once set these slates up, you can save time by copying and pasting previous slates into new projects, while being careful to change all relevant information: Title, ID number, and so forth.)

TIP: If you are having trouble working with the footage, zoom in or zoom out by shortening or lengthening the bar at the bottom of the Timeline window.

An Example: Making Tibetan Title Slates

Add the title

1. Double click on the third layer (V3) of footage and select the “Control” window in the “Viewer” window.
2. Delete the “Sample Text” text and enter the video’s title exactly as it appears in the AVDB. TIP: The title will often have to be broken up so it does not run off the screen. Use the “return” key to break long phrases into separate lines, thereby balancing the title in the title board frame.
3. In the Control window, change the Font to “Xenotype Tibetan New”. (LINK HERE to AV "Resources" page w/font uploaded.)
4. Change the Size to “42”.
5. Style should remain “plain”.
6. In the Control window, change the Alignment to “Center”.
7. In the Control window, change the Origin to “0”, “-30”.

NOTE: These are settings for the medium compression only. See below for different font sizes, etc., for high and LAN compressions.

Add the Tibetan-language AVDB information.

1. Double click on the second layer (V2) of footage and select the “Control” window in the “Viewer” window.
2. Delete the “Sample Text” text and enter "glog brnyan ang grangs (use Tibetan numerals for four-digit number) de (insert 13 spaces to leave room for "www.thdl.org" to be input as separate layer) nang bsdus yod|".
3. In the Control window, change the Font to “Xenotype Tibetan New”.
4. Change the Size to “32”.
5. Style remains “plain”.
6. In the Control window, change the Alignment to “Center”.
7. In the Control window, change the Origin to “0”, 250”.

Add the English-language AVDB information.

1. Double click on the first layer (V1) of footage and select the “Control” window in the “Viewer” window.
2. Delete the “Sample Text” text and enter "www.thdl.org”.
3. In the Control window, change the Font to “Al Bayan”.
4. Change the Size to “20”.
5. Style is “plain”.
6. In the Control window, change the Alignment to “Center”.
7. In the Control window, change the Origin to “85”, 240”. (You may need to tweak these numbers depending on which Tibetan numerals are displayed in the V2 layer above.)

Repeat the steps above for English and Chinese title slates, according to "Broadband-Medium" specifications below. Then do likewise for all three language's slates, for "Broadband-High" and "LAN/Intranet" specifications. See the tables below for specifications for all three languages' slates, at three levels of compression.

Specifications for Trilingual Title Slates

For "Broadband-Medium" - Title Slates

Tibetan slate - Medium

English slate - Medium

Chinese slate - Medium

For "Broadband-High" - Title Slates

Tibetan title slate - High

English title slate - High

Chinese title slate - High

For "LAN/Intranet" - Title Slates

Tibetan title slate - LAN

English title slate - LAN

Chinese title slate - LAN

TIP: The origin of the title will often need to be adjusted to center the text in the title board. For vertical adjustment of the text, use the text field on the RIGHT under "Origin" to enter number values. Use positive numbers in increments of 10 to adjust the title downwards. Conversely, use negative numbers to raise the title. Use increments of 5 for finer adjustment.

7. Add credit slates to the end of the sequence.

In addition to title slates at the beginning, every video should include standardized ending credit slates. In other words, the video will be concluded by short credit slates that give credit to the people and institutions behind the production of the video. Each of these is given in three languages –Tibetan, English, and Chinese (in that order) – delivered in sequence as three separate slates.

• For concluding credits, the duration should be 6 seconds for all three slates together (2 seconds per slate). (Again, for title slates at the start of each video, the standard duration should be 5 seconds for all three titles together.)
• If the video is extremely short (10 seconds and less), then there will be no credit slates.
• If the video is relatively short (between 11 and 60 seconds in duration), then credit slates are shown as three separate slates, each displayed for just one second.
• For videos that are 61 seconds or longer, they will have the standard three-part credit slates displayed for two seconds each.

Ending Credits Slate #1

This credits slate covers principally the following: performance(s), direction, videography, and editing. Each of these categories is generally broadly conceived in order to keep the credits short, since often videos are quite short and extensive credit pages are cumbersome. In addition, we have minimal funds for processing, and extensive and precise credits will further delay what is already a slow process. Thus, for example, videography includes anyone involved with the technical process of shooting the video – the eyes behind the camera, the hands and ears behind sound, and so forth. Editing includes both logging and editing. Direction includes anyone involved with the overall set up of the recording. Performers are anyone who actually appears in the video recording.

• Please note that all personal names should be translated phonetically into the other two languages following standard guidelines. Thus a Western name of a person should be put into Tibetan script and Chinese characters for the corresponding credit slates.
• Performance(s): For performers, their role should be specified parenthetically from the controlled vocabulary, and when relevant further detail (such as the name of a character an actress plays) indicated parenthetically. Roles for performers: interviewer, interviewee, actor, actress, lecturer, reader, music and dance performer.
• Direction:
• Videography:
• Editing:

Specifications for Trilingual Credit Slate #1, at Three Levels of Compression

NOTE: The specifications below are just a sample, assuming one has performers in one's video. Depending on your content you may have more or less video tracks, and will have to adjust spatial arrangments accordingly. However, please try to utilize these standards for font types and sizes.

For "Broadband-Medium" Compressions

Tibetan Credit Slate #1 - Medium

• You will have to play around with the "origin" of each of these tracks, depending on whether you have to credit performers or not, how many performers or directors you credit, etc.

English Credit Slate #1 - Medium

• I was able to put all of the English language credit information on one video track, with each sub-section of credits divided by a carriage-return.

Chinese Credit Slate #1 - Medium

For "Broadband-High" Compressions

Tibetan Credit Slate #1 - High

English Credit Slate #1 - High

Chinese Credit Slate #1 - High

For "LAN/Intranet" Compressions

Tibetan Credit Slate #1 - LAN

English Credit Slate #1 - LAN

Chinese Credit Slate #1 - LAN

Ending Credits Slate #2

In addition, after the three credit slates above, there is a final set of three credit slates for crediting the collaborating institutions behind the video’s production. The text for these slates should all be centered horizontally, in the "Al Bayan" font, (plain, not bold or italicized). The text for the slate is comprised of the following phrases, each created as a separate video track (i.e., V1, V2, V3, etc. To add a video track, either control-click in the header space above the video tracks to bring up the option of adding a track; or, in the "sequence" drop-down menu, choose add track.) Please note the font size and orientation for each phrase.

NOTE: Please note that the font sizes are different for different compression levels. The reason for this is: the lower resolution of lower quality compressions makes for a relatively smaller viewable frame (without distorting the image in trying to blow it up). Such compressions therefore require relatively larger font sizes to ensure legibility. However, using these same font sizes for the "LAN" compressions would result in the text being too large in frame. Therefore the higher quality compressions require relatively smaller font sizes. See below.

NOTE: When layering video track layers (V1-V4) as discussed below, according to the final cut pro manual, lower-numbered layers may end up not as crisp as higher-numbered layers. To guard against any degradation in the producers' names, make this layer the highest number (i.e., V4, as below), and make copyright info the lowest number.

• The list of co-producing institutions should be in alphabetical order, (according to the English alphabet).
• Use the ampersand ("&") rather than “and” for the final partner listed.
• Do not use the definite article "the" before institution names. CORRECT: University of Virginia. INCORRECT: The University of Virginia.
• This information is given in each of three separate slates: in Tibetan, English and Chinese, in that order.
• Each slate is displayed for one second a piece.
• At the bottom of each, there is an optional section that says “Special Thanks to….” which lists any individual or agency that we want to give special thanks to.
• This institutional credit page is only necessary if there are institutional partners behind the video’s production – which is generally the case, but not always.

NOTE: Add an additional 1.5 seconds to your final ending credit slate, to allow space for a 1.5 second fade-out.

Specifications for Trilingual Credit Slate #2, at Three Levels of Compression

NOTE: Credit slate #2 involves the THL logo: the endless knot with "thl" written across. This exists as a photoshop document ".psd" and can be downloaded from the "final cut pro" folder of the "Resources" section of the Audio-Video Collab site. [https://collab.itc.virginia.edu/portal/site/f383c4fa-4979-45a0-808c-d9a3fe34c1a8/page/77045c94-efe9-47e9-8054-2e68e38056f5] Download "thdl_logo_for_credits.psd" from this site, and import it into your open project. It should appear in your project bin. Drag it down into your open time line, and you can adjust its length and position from there. It might be easiest to place the playhead at the very end of your sequence and drag the logo there. Then you can drag it up atop other video track layers (1-4), making it track #5, and then trim its length as you need.

For "Broadband-Medium" Compressions

Tibetan Credit Slate #2 - Medium

English Credit Slate #2 - Medium

Chinese Credit Slate #2 - Medium

For "Broadband-High" Compressions

Tibetan Credit Slate #2 - High

English Credit Slate #2 - High

Chinese Credit Slate #2 - High

For "LAN/Intranet" Compressions

Tibetan Credit Slate #2 - LAN

English Credit Slate #2 - LAN

Chinese Credit Slate #2 - LAN

8. Add a fade-out to the final credits slate

1. Fade out the video level to the lowest level at the end of the final credits slate using the same technique discussed above. The fade out should begin 1.5 seconds (1 second, 15 frames for NTSC; 1 second, 12 frames for PAL) before the end of the final credits slate. Extend the final credit slate an additional 1.5 seconds to ensure that the final slate receives a bona fide 1-2 seconds of "air time" before the fade-out begins.

Provided for unrestricted use by the Tibetan and Himalayan Library