User manual ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO 4

Version 4.0 User Guide Ulead Systems, Inc. October 1999 Seocnd English edition for Ulead VideoStudio version 4.0, October 1999. © 1992-1999 Ulead Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or storing in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form without the express written permission of Ulead Systems, Inc. Software license The software described in this document is furnished under a License Agreement which is included with the product. This Agreement specifies the permitted and prohibited uses of the product. Licenses and trademarks ICI Library © 1991­1992 C-Cube Microsystems. Ulead Systems, Inc., Ulead, the Ulead logo, and Ulead VideoStudio are trademarks of Ulead Systems, Inc. PhotoDisc images copyright 1999, PhotoDisc. PhotoDisc is a trademark of PhotoDisc, Inc. All other product names and any registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned in this manual are used for identification purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners. GoMotion (c) 1999 Ligos Corporation. All rights reserved. Ligos, the Ligos Logo, GoMotion and GoMotion logo are trademarks of Ligos Corporation. Sample files Files provided as samples on the program CD can be used for personal demonstrations, productions and presentations. No rights are granted for commercial reproduction or redistribution of any sample files. Ulead Systems, Inc. United States: 970 West 190th Street, Suite 520 Torrance, CA 90502 Tel: 1-(310) 523-9393 Fax: 1-(310) 523-9399 URL: www.ulead.com E-mail: info@ulead.com International: 10F, 45 Tung Hsing Rd. Taipei, Taiwan 110 Tel: +886 (2) 2764-8599 Fax: +886 (2) 2764-9599 URL: www.ulead.com E-mail: info@ulead.com.tw Europe: Wolfenbütteler Str. 33 38102 Braunschweig Germany Tel: +49-531-220-7920 Fax: +49-531-220-7999 URL: www.ulead.de E-mail: info@ulead.de Japan: No. 202, TE Building 4-5-16 Yohga, Setagaya-ku Tokyo 158-0097 Japan Tel: +81-3-5491-5661 Fax: +81-3-5491-5663 URL: www.ulead.co.jp E-mail: info@ulead.co.jp Contents 22 Step by step 24 28 38 40 44 50 Start & Capture Getting video onto your PC. Special info on DV and MPEG! 2 4 8 10 18 Important stuff Licenses, trademarks, and title page. Step by step The big picture Storyboard Basic cutting, pasting, and arranging your movie. An overview of the world of digital video and Ulead VideoStudio. Check out What's New? on p. 7. Installation Getting the software onto your computer. Effects Adding that professional touch between scenes with transition effects. The Video Wizard An introduction to the Video Wizard and how it can make your life easier. Title Beginning and ending titles, credits, and captions. Map of Ulead VideoStudio A map of the program and how to get around. Voice & Music Sound, background music, and voiceovers. Finish Finishing your movie and outputting a final cut. Special sections on DV and MPEG movies. 58 60 Glossary Words you can use to sound like an expert at cocktail parties. Index The big picture Just a few years ago, digital video was something that was out of reach for the average consumer. Powerful computers were too expensive and difficult to use. Recently, PC prices have plummeted while processing speeds have skyrocketed. Now, just about any new computer can do a decent job with home movies. And with software programs like Ulead VideoStudio 4.0, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure it all out. An introduction to digital video Tens of millions of camcorders have been sold around the world and computers have become standard fare in the home. It hasn't taken long for video capture cards to make the connection between the two. So what's the big deal with digital video? Besides being really fun, digital video on a PC is also quite revolutionary. Editing your video on your computer offers you the ease of mouse clicks, drag and drop operations, and cut and paste editing. What's more, with VideoStudio, you have access to nearly a hundred transition effects, professional titling capabilities and simple soundtrack creation tools. Learn in seconds, create in minutes. How it works The software follows a step-by-step paradigm. By working on one step at a time, editing tasks remain uncomplicated throughout the entire process, from start to finish. The two distinct program modules, Video Wizard and the main program, Ulead VideoStudio, both utilize this concept. The Video Wizard Video Wizard is a complete digital video editing program. It is primarily a quick start application that simplifies the creation of movies. Ulead VideoStudio itself is also amazingly easy to use and offers advanced editing controls and a fantastic array of tools and effects. Ulead VideoStudio 4 Getting video off of your camera and onto your PC's hard drive is the first step in creating digital video. This process is known as capturing video. You will also need a capture card so your computer can receive and interpret the video data from your camera. To make sure that everything works properly, follow your capture card's installation instructions. A short section of video captured to your computer is known as a video clip. You can scroll through your movie as easily as you do a Web page in a browser. With little effort, you can edit frame by frame, as well as change the order of scenes using the drag and drop method. Putting a transition effect in between clips is as easy as select and apply. Adding titles and credits is just like using a word processor. Type in your text and choose a style. And with a few more clicks, you can animate your titles to scroll or fade. 5 Ulead VideoStudio breaks your movie up into separate tracks, which gives you broad creative freedom. While your video probably already has a sound track, adding a voiceover narration brings clarity to your personal videos. Better still, add background music off of your favorite music CDs to set the mood in your movie. These tracks are independent, so changes to one track don't affect the other. All of the tracks in your movie are organized into a video project file. This project contains all of the information about how your movie is put together, but it is not your actual movie. All of the edits you make in your project do not affect the original clips themselves. This means that you can trim and edit without fear of making permanent changes to your original clips. When it is all ready to go, your computer collects all of the information together to create your final video file. This process is called rendering. So follow along in Ulead VideoStudio's step-by-step path and you'll find that your friends are amazed at the professional quality of your home movies. The only question you'll hear more often than "How'd you do that?" is "When's the sequel?" 6 What's New? New! Improved! Ulead VideoStudio 4.0 is a revolution in video. Smashing the 2GB file limit, automatic music recording from your CDs, support for MP3 audio files, a flexible titling engine, and automatic configuration are only a few of the many improvements. DV Computer video technology has changed faster than anyone could have predicted. Digital Video (DV) has taken the world by storm, becoming the format of choice for enthusiasts. It is easy to configure your computer to capture DV data from your camcorder, and the quality is superior to S-VHS. Most DV camcorders allow you to transfer footage from your computer back to tape, using the IEEE-1394 interface, with no loss of quality. Ulead VideoStudio has always supported DV editing, but the 4.0 version fully supports all aspects of DV. Setting up (see page 9) your computer to work with DV is extremely easy. You can even control your camcorder (see page 9) with Ulead VideoStudio and your mouse! And the best part is, Ulead VideoStudio also lets you record your final video back to your camcorder (see page 58) so that you can play the movie on big screen television. MPEG The other Big Story in recent developments is MPEG. Ulead VideoStudio gives you the power to edit MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 movies with amazing frame-accurate technology. The wide availability of CD writing hardware, or CD-R, allows anyone to create their own Video CD (VCD). Ulead VideoStudio 4.0 lets you create WhiteBook standard MPEG-1 movies (see page 56) that are ready to be written to a VCD. Ulead VideoStudio 4.0 also allows you to create amazing DVD quality movies using the MPEG-2 format, which is also used in direct digital satellite television. Start by capturing MPEG video straight from your camcorder, if your hardware supports it (see page 25), then trim and edit your movie with frame accuracy. Finally, take advantage of DVD quality (see page 57) to create your final MPEG-2 movie. This flexible technology allows you to create MPEG-2 movies from any source for a truly professional solution. Possibly the best method is to capture and edit using the lossless quality of DV and then output a highly compressed MPEG-2 movie. 7 Installation To install Ulead VideoStudio: 1. Place the Ulead VideoStudio CD into your CD-ROM drive. 2. When the Setup screen appears, follow the instructions to install Ulead VideoStudio onto your computer. Note: If the Setup screen doesn't appear after loading the CD, then you can manually start it by double-clicking the My Computer icon on your desktop, then double-clicking the icon for the CDROM drive. When the CD-ROM window opens, double-click the Setup icon. Ulead VideoStudio installation screen. The following applications are important in making digital video work well on your computer. The installation program will walk you through installing: · QuickTime 3 · NetShow Tools Ulead VideoStudio Web site. To run Ulead VideoStudio: · Double-click the Ulead VideoStudio (or Video Wizard) icon on your Windows desktop. · Or select the Ulead VideoStudio (or Video Wizard) icon from the Ulead VideoStudio program group on the Windows Start menu. Running Ulead VideoStudio from Windows Start menu. 8 Setting up DV support With the advent of Digital Video (DV), it has never been easier to capture, edit, and record video on your PC. Follow the installation instructions of your IEEE-1394 (AKA: FireWire, iLink) capture card, and consult your camcorder's manual for the proper hardware installation procedures. Setting up Ulead VideoStudio for DV 1. Connect your camcorder to your IEEE-1394 capture card. 2. Turn on your camcorder and set it to Play mode (or VTR mode). See your camcorder's manual for specific instructions. 3. Run Ulead VideoStudio. 4. Click the Global Options button and select Change Capture Plug-in. 5. Select the appropriate DV Capture Plug-in (this will vary depending on your hardware): Ulead DirectShow Capture Plug-in or Adaptec Capture Plug-in. If you have changed to a new plug-in, please restart VideoStudio. 6. Go to the Capture step and test the new settings. You also need to set up how Ulead VideoStudio will control your camcorder. The appropriate settings depend on your particular capture card. You may have to try a few settings to discover the one that works. Setting up DV device control 1. Click the Global Options button and click Select Device Control. 2. In the Device Control dialog box, click the Current device list. 3. Select your device. This will vary depending on your hardware: MS 1394 Device Control, TI 1394 Device Control, or Adaptec 1394 Device Control. 9 The Video Wizard The Video Wizard is the fastest and easiest way to get video onto your PC, arrange the various scenes, and create a finished movie. It is a great tool for setting up projects for editing in Ulead VideoStudio. Starting Ulead Video Wizard. In the Start step, you'll be able to quickly check your computer's setup and get your first project going. Begin by creating a Project. Just like a professional production, a movie is composed of many separate elements. In Ulead VideoStudio, these elements are conveniently organized into a single project file, or *.VSP. Getting started 1. Enter a Project name. 2. Click the Browse button to specifically select a location for your project file (optional). 3. Click the Get Video button to go to the next step and start capturing new scenes for your project. Note: Depending on the video source device (digital camera, camcorder, VCR, etc.) that is currently connected to your computer, the output is displayed in the Preview Window. To check your video source device's settings, click the Video Source button. 10 Ulead Video Wizard ready to capture video. In the Get Video step, you will be able to capture, or record, all the scenes that you want to use in your movie. When capturing, watch the capture information below the Preview window. Capturing video 1. Turn on your video source device and check all the connections to your computer. 2. Watch the Preview window for the output of your video source device (e.g. For recorded tapes, start playing the tape. For cameras, adjust the focus and point to the desired location.). When you see the part that you want to start capturing, click the Begin button. 3. To pause or end the capturing process, click the Stop button. 4. Repeat steps 2-3 to capture several video clips. Note: Right-click on the Preview window to select your capture card. See pages 7 and 9 for more information. Note: Don't worry about recording too much video. You can always go back to the clips later to trim them. For more on trimming clips, see page 11. You can remove any unwanted clips from the project in the next step, Arrange. 11 In the Arrange step, a thumbnail representation of each video clip in your project is visible in the main window. They are placed in the order in which each clip is going to be played in your movie. Arranging your movie 1. Click on the clip that you want to move from the sequence of clips. Selected clips are highlighted in blue. 2. Drag the clip to a new location. This will automatically change the order of the other clips. 3. Click the Add Effect button to define how the transition from one clip to another takes place. In that section, you can also add music and titles to your movie. Arranging video clips. Selected clips are highlighted in blue. Now that you have arranged your clips in the correct sequence, you may want to cut (trim or edit) unnecessary portions out of a clip. See the next page to learn more about trimming clips. Notes: · To delete a clip from a project, simply click the thumbnail representing that clip to select it and then click the Remove button. · To add movie files that are already saved on your computer into your project, click the Add Video button. 12 Capturing video to your computer with frame by frame accuracy is not easy. Fortunately, precise editing is really not a problem with Video Wizard. Trimming a clip 1. Select a clip and click the Trim button. 2. In the Trim Video dialog box, slide the Handle to the right until you see the exact point that you want to use as the starting point of the clip. 3. Click the Start Trim button to mark it as the first frame of the trimmed clip. 4. Slide the Handle further to the right until you find the point where you want the clip to end. 5. Click the Stop Trim button to mark it as the last frame of the trimmed clip. 6. Click the Play trimmed clip button to see your edits. 7. Click the Return button to go back to Video Wizard. Trim handle Click and drag to trim a clip. Return Click to return to the main Video Wizard interface. Play trimmed clip Plays the trimmed portion of your clip. The Trim Video dialog box. Note: There are other helpful buttons in the Trim Video dialog box that you can use to scroll through the frames of a clip. Watch the Status bar at the bottom of the window for information about the Mark in and Mark out points, which you can use for more accurate trimming. 13 Adding effects to your movie in step four. This step really completes three major parts of your project. Transitions between scenes, background music, and opening credits are all taken care of here. The interface is simple and gives you a chance to quickly spice up your production. The most useful tool for your home movies is the Transition effect. A transition is what occurs when one scene ends and another starts. By adding effects, you can take separate clips and smoothly blend them into a complete movie. Just below the Transition effect item is the Audio file entry box. Adding music to your movie makes it more interesting to watch and helps to set the mood. You can use any Windows audio file (e.g. *.WAV) or try the samples that are included on your Ulead VideoStudio CD. The final section allows you to add a Title to your movie. As with the other two parts, the Wizard's incredibly simple method gets a quick working title into your movie. You can enhance these effects later in the main program, Ulead VideoStudio. Notes: · The Video Wizard applies the same transition between all of the clips at this point ( unless you select Random). · Ulead VideoStudio uses animated samples and instant previews to help you choose the perfect effect. 14 Adding a transition effect 1. Click the Transition effect drop down menu. 2. From the drop down list, select the method of transition to use between your clips. Selecting a transition effect. Browsing for a music file. Adding an audio file In the Audio file entry box, specify the path and name of the audio file (*.WAV) that you want to use in your movie. You can click the Browse button to find the file yourself. Creating opening credits 1. Click in the Text entry box. 2. Enter your title. 3. Click the Text color box to select the colors for your message. 4. Click the Background color box to set that color. Adding an opening credit. 15 Ulead Video Wizard ready to render a movie. In the Create step, you will be able to make the actual movie file. How long it will take depends on the number of clips included in the project, the duration of each clip, any effects you have added, and your hardware's capabilities. So far, you have only been collecting the parts of your movie. The information about these parts has been stored in a Project file (*.VSP). The project file contains all of the information necessary to make your movie, but it is not the movie itself. Creating a movie file Click the Create Video File button. Video Wizard will start rendering, or creating, the actual movie file. Watch the progress clock to estimate the length of time it will take to make the movie. When it's done, the program will automatically switch to the Play step where you can watch your newly created movie. Note: If you want to use more powerful editing tools at this point, you can open your project in the main program, Ulead VideoStudio. When you click the Open In VideoStudio button, the Video Wizard closes and your project file opens in the Ulead VideoStudio workspace. 16 Playing a movie file with Video Wizard. Now that you have a finished movie, the Play step is where you can watch the entire picture. The movie you have created is now a video file and is a completely finished product. So, sit back and relax while you play back your movie. Playing back a video file Click the Play button to run the movie you have just created in the Preview window. While in the Play step, you can also play back other movies (e.g. *.AVI), which are saved in your computer. Simply click the Load Video button and locate the file you want to watch. Play Reverse / Forward Loop Stop Home End Go ahead and play it again. By using Video Wizard, you have an excellent first draft of your movie. The completed project is ready for further creative editing in Ulead VideoStudio. While Video Wizard is not a required part of making a video project or creating a movie, you may find it convenient to use in setting up all of your new projects. Later, you can use the main program to fine tune and perfect your movie. That's what the rest of this manual is about. 17 Map of Ulead VideoStudio The Ulead VideoStudio interface has been designed to make the sometimes complicated task of editing movies on your PC intuitive and enjoyable. The illustration on this page shows an overview of the entire program, while the next few pages detail more specific features. Note especially the Options panel, which is highly context sensitive (meaning that it changes depending on the program's mode) and contains a ton of information. Options panel Contains controls, buttons, and other information. Preview window Shows the current clip, title, or effect. Load media button Click to add media files to the Library. Track buttons Each activates a track to edit. Clicking a button changes the Preview window and available options accordingly. Library Stores and organizes all of your media clips. Ulead VideoStudio 4.0 interface. Timeline Represents the period of time that a clip appears in your movie. Clip navigation buttons Controls for moving around and playing your movie. Project scroll bar The fastest way to move around your entire project. Trim bar Used for trimming, editing, and cropping video clips. 18 The Workspace Tool Tips By holding your mouse cursor over a button or object, a balloon pops up with the name of the item. Clip navigator Click and drag these controls to scroll through a clip. The position is shown in the Preview window's contents. Trim handle Click and drag to trim a clip. Selected range These color bars represent the trimmed or selected part of a clip or project. Time units Represents the timing of clips in hours : minutes ` seconds " milliseconds Switch mode Changes the view from Storyboard to Timeline view. (see page 28) Zoom controls Change the view to zoom in/out or fit the entire project on the screen. Project scroll controls Use the left and right buttons or grab the scroll bar to move around your project. Add media Displays a menu allowing you to place video, audio or image clips directly on the Timeline. Continued... 19 Volume control Controls loudness of the music output. Drag the slider to adjust the volume of your speakers. Clip navigation buttons These can be used to move around a selected clip. The button highlighted in yellow plays the clip while the green one means playing continuously. Context sensitive help This button activates the Context sensitive help feature. After you click on it, your cursor changes to look like the cursor pictured at left. Move your cursor over an object in the program and click it. Play project Click this button to render (create) your project. This can take some time, but is an important feature: see page 31. Undo and Redo Any changes you make that you don't like can be instantly fixed or undone by clicking the left button. And if you change your mind, just click Redo. Trash can Drag and drop clips here to delete them. You can also select a clip and press Delete on your keyboard. Global commands button This button accesses a menu that contains many useful tools to give you a hand when using Ulead VideoStudio. One example is the item, Ulead VideoStudio 4.0 Help. Important program attributes can be found under the Preferences item and you can create and organize your templates by clicking the Templates item. 20 The Library The library is a storage depot for everything you need to create a movie: video clips, audio clips, still images, transition effects, music files, titles and color clips. These are collectively known as media clips. You can think of the Library as a general manager for all of the pieces of your project. Adding media clips to the Library 1. Click the Load clip button to open a dialog box for locating the media clip to insert in the Library. 2. Select the desired file. 3. Click Open when you are finished. Load clip buttons These allow you to locate the clip you want to add to the Library. A media clip can be a video, color, image, or audio clip. The type of clip that can be inserted depends on which step you are working on (e.g. Title or Music). The most convenient way of working with clips is using your mouse. If you want to add clips to, or use clips from the Library, first select the desired clip, then drag and drop it to its destination. You can even drag and drop files right from Windows Explorer into the Library panel. Deleting media clips from the Library 1. Select the clip that you want to remove from the Library. Trash can. 2. Drag the selected clip to the Trash can or press the Delete key. 3. When prompted, verify whether you also want to delete the source file from your hard disk. Note: Deleting source files from your hard disk permanently removes them from your computer. You may not be able to recover them again. Please make sure that those source files you are about to delete are unnecessary. 21 Step by step Step by step The Video Wizard quickly creates finished movies and is an excellent way to start any project. Ulead VideoStudio itself is similarly laid out in a step-by-step format, following the items in the menu bar at the top of the program, from left to right. It's not necessary to work through every step every time, but the steps can serve as a guide to creating a complete movie. The steps don't necessarily need to be followed in the order that they are presented, either. Your work is saved in a small project file (*.UPV) that organizes all of your media files together. A project file is NOT the same as a movie and changes made to it do not affect your media clips. It is possible to have a number of different projects using the same clips. Start & Capture The Start step is for creating new project files or opening existing ones. Once a project is opened in the program, new video can be recorded onto your computer's hard drive in the Capture step. See page 24. Storyboard The Storyboard step and the Storyboard section of the program under the Preview window are the heart of Ulead VideoStudio. This is where you arrange, edit, and trim your masterpiece. See page 28. Effects Transition effects between scenes are fun and easy. Thumbnail animations and drag-and-drop operations put dozens of cool effects at your fingertips. See page 38. 22 Step by step Title No movie would be complete without opening and closing titles. Ulead VideoStudio lets you use any Windows True Type font on your computer, of any color and size, and gives you the power to animate them just like the pros. See page 40. Voice & Music Background music is probably one of the most important factors determining the mood or feel of your movie. Add ambiance with tunes off of your favorite CDs or record a voiceover narration to effectively clarify important parts of your video. See page 44. Finish The final cuts have been made and the music has been synchronized with care. Now it's time to put it all together and make a master copy of your newest movie. See page 50. 23 Step by step Start & Capture Start The Start step is where you create a new project file (*.VSP) or open an existing project. A project file is a small file used by Ulead VideoStudio to store all of the information about your movie: clips used, trimming information, duration of movie, size of frames, and type of movie to make. A project file is not the finished movie and can only be opened in Ulead VideoStudio. The actual process of creating a movie from a project file is called rendering. Creating a new project 1. Click the New project button. 2. In the dialog box that opens, enter a Project name. 3. Select a Template that most closely matches the type of movie you want to create. 4. Click OK. New project Open project Templates save many complicated settings for capturing video and for creating your movie in the Finish step. They are an extremely important part of your project and should not be overlooked. More information about template options can be found starting on page 54. Detail from the Options panel. Creating a new template 1. Click the Global commands button. 2. Select Template from the menu. Global Commands button. 3. Click New and enter a name for your template, then click OK. 4. Set up the details of the template and click OK. Notes: · Use the Open project button and the Recent file list to open previously created projects. · 24 Press Ctrl+ S to quickly save your project. Step by step Capture The process of recording video to your computer is called capturing. When everything is ready to go, the video feed from your source device should be visible in the Preview window. If your card supports a television monitor, you should also be able to watch your video there. Capturing video 1. Hook up your video source device to your capture card. On some cards, you also have to connect the audio cables to your sound card. 2. Use your device's controls to move around and find what you want to capture. 3. Click the Capture video button to begin recording. 4. When you have recorded what you want, click the Capture video button again or press the Esc key to stop capturing. Duration Sets the length of time for the capture. Capture video Records video from your source to your hard disk. Capture frame Note: If the Capture menu item is grayed out or unavailable, your video capture hardware may not be correctly installed. Please follow your hardware manual's instructions carefully. Captures a single frame from your source to your hard disk. Capture to library Keep this option selected to automatically take advantage of the organizational features of the video library. Video menu Displays a menu allowing you to modify your capture settings. Switch mode Switches between Capture mode and Playback mode for instant previews. 25 Step by step 26 The keys to a successful capture Capturing video is one of the hardest things you will ever ask of your computer. Video takes up a huge amount of disk space and, because of the high data rate, is difficult for your hard disk to handle. Here are a few things you can do to ensure success: * Shut down ALL other programs that are running. Use CTRL+ALT+DEL, select an item, and click End Task to make sure nothing is running except Explorer and Ulead VideoStudio. * Best results can be achieved by using a dedicated video hard drive. This doesn't have to be an expensive AV hard disk anymore, but the advantages of using a separate, dedicated, video-only hard drive cannot be stressed enough. * Defragmenting (or better yet, formatting) your hard drive between projects can dramatically improve performace. Capturing Digital Video (DV) Digital Video (DV) is a video format that is fundamentally different from traditional analog formats like VHS, Hi-8, and S-VHS. It is much easier for your computer to capture DV video than it is to capture other formats because DV is widely supported and the data rate is lower. In addition, the quality of the video is exceptional because it is retained in a purely digital form, from capturing to editing, and finally back to your camcorder. Basically, the procedure for capturing DV is the same as presented on the previous page. Make sure you have configured your hardware and software (see page 9 for details), and follow this procedure: Capturing DV video 1. Turn on your camcorder and set it to Play mode (or VTR mode). See you camcorder's manual for specific instructions. 2. Run Ulead VideoStudio, open a project, and go to the Capture step. 3. Click the Play button in Ulead VideoStudio. 4. When you get to the part of the video you want to record, click the Record button in Ulead VideoStudio. 5. Click the Record button again (or press ESC) to stop recording. Step by step Capturing MPEG video* Capturing video directly from your camcorder straight to MPEG is one of the most exciting developments in computer video since DV was introduced. Ulead VideoStudio gives you the flexibility to choose MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, depending on your needs. MPEG-1 is recommended for older computers and for people who want to create VCDs, while MPEG-2 is more suitable for those with faster computers who demand excellent quality in a highly compressed format. Setting up MPEG capture 1. Connect your camcorder to your capture card. 2. Turn on your camcorder and set it to Play mode (or VTR mode). See your camcorder's manual for specific instructions. 3. Run Ulead VideoStudio. 4. Click the Global Options button and select Change Capture Plug-in. 5. Select Ulead MPEG DirectShow Capture Plug-in (or Ulead MPEG VFW Capture Plug-in). Please restart Ulead VideoStudio. 6. Click the Video Menu button and select Video Properties. Choose the type of MPEG you would like to capture. 7. Capture your video as you normally would. The Video Menu. * Note: This feature is only available if your video capture card supports RGB or YUV capture (please see the manual for your capture card). Once you have configured your hardware and software (as detailed above), you can capture video using the standard procedures described on the preceding pages. 27 Step by step Storyboard A storyboard is an outline for a movie. It contains sketches and drawings, in chronological order, of the events that occur in your story. The bottom half of the Ulead VideoStudio interface is simply an electronic storyboard. Storyboard mode presents an overview of the entire project's video track. Timeline mode allows frame accurate editing of individual clips. Click the Switch mode button to change between the two display modes. The Storyboard can be viewed in two distinct modes by clicking the Switch mode button. Which mode you use depends entirely on personal preference, but most people find both modes to be useful at different times. For example, the Storyboard mode is the fastest and simplest way to add clips to your movie. Clips can be moved around by simply dragging them. After arranging your scenes in Storyboard mode, some people prefer to switch to Timeline mode to fine tune their effects and perform frame accurate trimming and editing of individual clips. Switching to the Timeline mode, Ulead VideoStudio show exactly when and where events in your story occur and you can see at a glance the contents of various media clips. A clip can be a video file, an audio file, a transition, a colored background or a title. If you've used the Video Wizard to create your project, a rough storyboard was automatically created. If you're starting from scratch, you can drag clips from the Library and simply drop them on the Timeline. 28 Step by step Storyboard mode You may find that starting out in Storyboard mode is the easiest way to get your project rolling. After starting a new project, switch to the Storyboard step and take a look at your project. Each picture represents an event in your movie, an event being a video clip or a transition. The thumbnails reveal at a glance the chronological order of events in your project, but do not tell you much about the clips themselves. You can drag and drop clips to arrange them, and transition effects can be inserted between clips. Selected clips can be trimmed in the preview window. See page 32 for more information on trimming. Selected clip. Transition effect. Storyboard mode. Timeline mode When Ulead VideoStudio is in Timeline mode, clips are placed on the workspace as short sequences. The length of these clips accurately represents the duration of the clip in your project. The ruler units can be adjusted for your convenience. Setting the ruler units to fractions of a second gives you precise control over trimming and editing, while longer ruler units allow you to view more of your project. You can control ruler units by using the Zoom control buttons. Click the Fit project in window button if you want to see the entire project displayed on one screen. If you have a mouse with a scroll button, the scroll button can be used to zoom. Timeline mode. Zoom control buttons Fit project in window button. 29 Step by step The Tracks The Timeline is divided horizontally into four different tracks. The Video and Transition Effects, Title, Voice, and Music tracks all correspond to the Ulead VideoStudio steps of the same name. Switching to different tracks There are three ways to do this: · Click on the Step menu item corresponding to the track. Video and Effects Title Voiceover Music · Double-click on the track or clip you want to work on. · Click on the icon located left of each track you want to work on. The Options panel The four tracks, each with a clip inserted. The Video track is active. Ulead VideoStudio offers different controls in the Options panel depending on the step or track you are working on. This way the workspace is kept simple and uncluttered. Just remember that if you can't find a control that you are sure you have seen before, try switching to the type of editing you want to do first. Mark in/out Displays the exact time of trimming. Duration Sets the length of time of the clip. Volume controls Use to adjust amplification and fade in and out. Capture image Saves the selected frame to an image file. Trim to video file Applies any trimming modifications to a clip and saves it to a new video file. Apply Reset Sets all values back to defaults. Applies changes made in the Options panel to the selected clip. Export plug-ins Special features used to share your movie with others. Clip properties Click to examine specific information about a clip. 30 Step by step Any changes that you have made in the Options panel are applied to the clip when you click the Apply button. All of the settings can be restored to their original values by clicking the Reset button. As with any changes you make in Ulead VideoStudio, you can always undo them by clicking the Undo button or by pressing Ctrl+Z. The Play project button While you are editing, there are many times that you will want to preview your work to see how your project is progressing. The row of buttons below the Preview window are used to navigate around your project, play clips, and create previews of your entire project. A Ulead VideoStudio project (*.VSP), cannot be played until it has been rendered, or created. Click the Play project button to begin the process of rendering your project for previewing. Clip navigation buttons, with the Play project button circled in yellow. Rendering is easy, but it can take some time. Fortunately, Ulead SmartRender technology optimizes the rendering process by not re-rendering the parts of the project that have not changed. Ulead VideoStudio performs this magic with heavy use of temporary files. These files are stored in a location that you can set in the Preferences: Preview tab, found on the Global commands button menu. By efficiently allocating disk space for temporary files, you don't need to worry about "Out of Memory" error messages. The Preview Files Manager, also on the Global commands button menu, can be used for specific manipulation of individual project preview files. So the best advice we can offer is that you edit for a while and then when you need a break, hit the Play project button and let Ulead VideoStudio render your project. By doing this fairly often, render times should be very reasonable. Rendering a portion of your project, instead of the whole thing, can save you time and give you a quick preview of an important section. This is especially useful for rendering across transitions, title sequences, or to check the timing of audio clips in relation to the associated video. If you only want to render the part of your project, hold the Shift key on your keyboard while clicking the Play project button. For more information about partial rendering, see page 47. 31 Step by step Working with clips The best part of editing your movie on your computer is the ease with which you can snip and trim with frame by frame accuracy. Trimming a clip using the Trim bar 1. Select a clip by clicking on it in the Library. 2. Click and drag a Trim handle to set the trim position. 3. When you have selected the area you want to trim, click the Apply button. 4. You can selectively play only the trimmed portion of the clip by holding the Shift key and clicking the Play button. Trim handles Apply button. Video clip selected in the Library, ready to be trimmed using the green Trim bar. Notes: · The green bar beneath the Preview window represents the selected portion of the clip. If the clip has not been trimmed, the green bar extends for the entire length. · Watch the Mark in/out displays on the Options panel to monitor your trimming. The Mark in/out points can also be set by pressing F3 and F4, respectively. · For precise control, click on a Trim handle, hold it, and use the Arrow keys on your keyboard to trim one frame at a time. Inserting a video clip onto the Timeline · From the Library, drag and drop the clip to the Timeline. Insert media files button. · To insert a clip directly to the Timeline, clip the Insert media files button, located to the left of the Timeline. 32 Step by step The key to making highly accurate cuts and edits is controlling the ruler scale in the Timeline. When each unit represents one second, you can get pretty close in estimating your edits. Zoom buttons Trimming a video clip that has been inserted onto the Timeline. Scroll bar Trim handles Trimming a clip from the Timeline 1. Select a clip by clicking it on the Timeline. 2. The yellow Trim handles on either side of the clip can be dragged to change the length of a clip. 3. The Preview window reflects the position of the Trim handle in the clip. 4. Watch the Mark in/out displays on the Options panel to numerically monitor your trimming. 5. Other clips in your project automatically reposition themselves according to your edits. While trimming and editing, you may sometimes need to adjust the view of the clips on the Timeline. Use the Zoom controls to control the view. The Scroll bar makes navigating through your project quicker and easier. The wheel on a scrolling mouse (e.g. Microsoft Intellimouse) can be used to scroll, and you can zoom by holding the Ctrl key while using the wheel. Don't forget that you can always undo just about any changes you've made in your project by pressing Ctrl+Z. You can set up to 99 levels of undo by pressing F6 to open the Preferences dialog box. 33 Step by step Duration Sets the length of time of the clip. Spin buttons Use these to fine tune your trimming. Mark in/out Displays the points in the original clip where the trimming takes place. Trimming a clip with the Options panel 1. Select a clip on the Timeline or in the Library. 2. Click the time in the Duration box. For example, click on the seconds ("). The numbers begin blinking. 3. Enter a length of time for the clip. The Mark in shows where the clip begins and the Mark out point displays the end of the trimmed clip. 4. Click the Apply button. Apply button Click to apply changes made in the Options panel to the selected clip. The Library can store multiple versions or copies of a single video clip. This means that you can break large clips up into a number of smaller clips using the trim tools and save these clips to the Library as separate entries. The source video file itself is not physically altered, nor are actual copies made of the original file. This is very useful since it allows you to manage your production very creatively but does not take up any more disk space since you still only have one video file saved on your hard disk. Creating multiple versions of a single clip 1. Select a clip from the Library. 2. Grab and drag a Trim handle to set the trim position. 3. Click the Apply button. 4. Re-insert the original clip into the Library by clicking the Load video button. Load video button. 34 The method of trimming illustrated here allows you to use your original video file as the source for a number of different clips in the Library. This type of editing does not affect the source file anyway. Step by step This clip is a trimmed version of the original video file saved on the hard disk. You can see at a glance that it has indeed been trimmed by selecting the clip and looking at the Options panel or the Trim bar. You should definitely rename the clip in the Library because the thumbnail will not change. This Library contains four versions of the same clip. Selected clips are highlighted in blue. When the original clip is reinserted into the Library, the Mark in point is zero and the Mark out point is the last frame. The duration is the entire clip. The Trim bar clearly shows that the clip has not been trimmed. Many times, when you make an edit, you may wish to make a permanent change to the clip and save the edited file. Again, Ulead VideoStudio gives you a margin of safety in that it saves the trimmed video to a new file and does not alter the original. You can go ahead and delete the original to recover disk space when you are sure of your changes (press the Delete key or drag the clip to the Trash can). Breaking a clip into multiple files Trash can. 1. Select a clip from the Library or Timeline. 2. Grab and drag a Trim handle to set the trim position. 3. Click the Trim to video file button. 4. You now have two different physical video files on your hard disk, the original file (SOURCE.AVI), and a trimmed copy (SOURCE-1.AVI) . Trim to video file button. 35 Step by step Using image clips While Ulead VideoStudio by definition is primarily used to put together motion pictures, you shouldn't underestimate the value of still pictures in your video productions. You can use images or pictures from any source, and even use individual frames from a video file. Load image button. This button changes depending on the Library folder. Inserting an image clip 1. Switch to the Image Library by clicking the drop down list and selecting Image. 2. Click the Load image button and browse for the picture you want to store in the Library. 3. Drag and drop the image onto the Timeline just like any other clip. Trim handles Library selection menu. Once an image is on the Timeline, you can set it to any time span you like by dragging its Trim handles or by directly entering a Duration in the Options panel. Still images provide excellent backgrounds for title sequences. Since you can precisely control the duration, images provide an easy way to control the total length of your project. You can even create very effective "slide show" movies composed entirely of still image clips. Images that are the same size as your video frames work best. You can resize your pictures in an image editor or have Ulead VideoStudio do it for you when your movie is created. Information about an image clip. 36 Step by step Using color clips Color clips are simply solid colored backgrounds that are useful for titles and transitions. For example, black clips can be used for an effective fade to black transition. They are added to a project by selecting the Color Library, inserting a specific color clip into the Library and dragging and dropping the clip into your project. The duration of a color clip can be controlled just like an image clip. Load color button. Inserting a color clip 1. Switch to the Color Library by clicking the drop down list and selecting Color. 2. Click the Load color button. 3. Choose a color. Click the color box and select Ulead Color Picker to visually select a color. 4. Set a Duration and click OK. Titles set against solid backgrounds are often easier to see than if set against an image, especially a moving one. You can enter the red, green, and blue values for your clip, or click the color box to pick the color visually. Once a clip has been inserted into the Library, you can drag it to the Timeline to put it into your movie project. Color clips are great for beginning a movie. Place your opening credits over the top of the color clip and then use a cross fade effect to create smooth transition into your movie. 37 Step by step Effects Transitions give your home movies a truly professional touch. Fortunately, they are also the easiest part of Ulead VideoStudio. For your first few videos, feel free to go a little crazy and try out every transition in the Library. Once you've gotten used to using transition, you can express your artistic side by modifying the preset transitions to your own liking. In any case, you're guaranteed to have fun in this section. Simple jump cuts used to be all you could do with your home videos. This is when one scene stops and the next scene starts immediately. Ulead VideoStudio, on the other hand, has tons of styles of transitions you can use, from cross fades to explosions. We'll deal with the details of these effects later, but for now you just need a project with two video clips in it. Adding a transition 1. From the Effects step, use the drop down list in the Library to select a category of effects. 2. Scroll through the effects thumbnails in the Library panel and find one that you like to use. 3. Click and drag the effect to the Timeline, roughly between two video clips. 4. Drop your effect and it will snap into place. Note: You may find it easier to work on transition effects when you're in the Storyboard mode. Drag and drop transition effects right onto the Storyboard. 38 Step by step Your clips appear adjacent to each other on the Storyboard. You'll recall that the Storyboard has two different modes, Storyboard and Timeline, but transitions work the same way in both modes. The illustrations on the previous page shows VideoStudio in Storyboard mode. The mode can be switched by clicking the Switch mode button. Switch mode button. Transition magic If you've tried a few simple transitions as outlined on the previous page, you really have mastered all you need to know. Ulead VideoStudio pretty much takes care of all the details to make your transitions smooth and professional. That doesn't mean the program has taken control of your movie for you, however. After you have added a transition to your project, take a look at the Options panel. Below is an example of one of the transitions, from the Slide effects, specifically the Barn door. In this effect's settings, displayed in the Options panel, you can change many parameters that will allow you to control exactly how the effect is going to be used in your movie. Border Duration Sets the length of time for the transition. You can also modify the duration by using the yellow Trim handles on the Timeline. Select a size for the border (in pixels) on the left and choose a color by clicking on the color box. Soft edge The soft edge applies to the border of the effect. This blends the two clips together more smoothly. If you don't have a border set on the clip, these buttons are unavailable. Title motion buttons These buttons control the direction of motion in the transition effect. In this transition, the two doors can move in eight different ways. Add/Apply Click to add the new transition to the Timeline. When you are modifying a transition that has already been inserted, this button has a check mark on it. Click to apply your changes to the selected clip. 39 Step by step Title While a picture may be worth a thousand words, there is no doubt that clarifying text here and there throughout your movie adds to its comprehensibility. And what movie would be complete without opening and closing credits? If you can type, even with just two fingers, you can create professional credits in minutes. Adding text 1. From the Title step, use the Clip navigation button on the Trim bar to scroll through your movie. Title track button. 2. When you see the frame where you would like your title to appear, click the Title button or click on the Preview window. Remember that you cannot create a new title over an existing title clip. 3. Type in your title in the Preview window. 4. When you are finished, simply move on to the next step or move to a different location to enter a new title. Title button on the Options panel. When entering a title, a faint rectangle is visible in the Preview window. This represents the Title safe area, and it is the recommended maximum size for your text. Along with the rectangle, you should see a blinking cursor. The yellow triangle represents the position of the title clip in the Timeline. The titler works like a very simple word processor. Type your text, press Backspace to correct your mistakes and press Enter to start a new line. You can move around the text with the arrow keys. If you want to change the attributes of text that has already been entered, you need to highlight the text by selecting it with your mouse. A centered title being edited. Note the Title safe area around the center of the window. 40 Step by step The Options panel, as with the other features, allows you to modify the settings of the tool that you are currently using. Use this to design the look and feel of your text with just about any style that is available in a standard word processing program. Font Select any True Type font installed on your computer. Font size Set the size of the text in points. Font style Bold, italic and underline. Title motion button Select a type of animation for your credits. Click to display animation styles. Reset Reverts to original settings. Edit title clip button Click to begin editing. Line spacing Sets the spacing, or leading, between lines of text. Color Sets the color of the selected text. Alignment Left, center or right justification. Duration Sets the length of time for the title clip. You can also modify the duration by using the yellow Trim handles on the Timeline. Apply Modifying a title 1. Click on a title on the Timeline. The selected clip will be surrounded by a broken line and two yellow handles. 2. With the pre-existing text in the Preview window, use the Style buttons to change your text. 3. Again, you can simply move to another step to finish, or click the Apply button. You can also use the Reset button make your text go back to its original state. Applies changes to Title clip. Once the title clip has been inserted onto the Storyboard, you can adjust its duration by clicking and dragging on the handles, and you can see what your title looks like in the Preview window using the Preview bar handles. The Library can also be used to store your title clips. To add a title clip to the Library, just drag and drop from the Timeline. As with other Ulead VideoStudio features, if you've already tried out this function, you know all you need to know. But of course there's more... 41 Step by step Rolling & scrolling One of the most common and effective techniques for presenting closing credits is the rolling or scrolling credits. With Ulead VideoStudio, this is simply a matter of specifying a direction and a duration for your text. After you have entered some text and inserted it onto the Timeline, click the title clip you have created and look at the Options panel. Title motion button Animating titles 1. Select a title on the Timeline or create a new one. 2. Click on the yellow Title motion button. 3. Select an Animation style from one of the preset choices. 4. Click the Apply button on the Options panel. Animation styles Possible title animation effects available on the Options panel. Apply button. Most of the Animation style buttons, the last twelve in fact, represent scrolling animations. It is a little difficult to explain in words, but not hard to understand. For example, the button at left (A.) has a box with three arrows pointing down. This represents a title that starts off of the top of the screen, scrolls downward across the screen, and scrolls off the bottom. The other button at left (B.) has two arrows, symbolizing motion that starts off screen on top, scrolls down, and ends in the middle of the screen. If you hold your mouse over a Title motion icon, a short pop up message briefly describing the motion appears. But the best way to figure out what these really do is to select the effect and use the Preview window to see the results. As usual, you can see the results of your changes by grabbing and dragging the Preview handle beneath the Preview window. The speed of scrolling is directly determined by the length of the clip: very slow title animations take longer to play. So if you need a scrolling title that lasts for less than a second, the speed of scrolling is going to necessarily be quite rapid. A. B. 42 Step by step Fading in & out Another incredibly useful, easy, and effective method of displaying your titles is to fade your text in from invisible to crisp and clear and then back to invisible again. This works especially well for opening credits with a slow fade, or as captions with a quicker fade. Fading titles 1. Start by creating a new Title or click on an existing one. 2. Click on the yellow Title motion button. Cross fade title animation options. 3. Select the last button, the Cross fade button. The default duration of a title clip is about three seconds, but you can adjust this to make it longer or shorter by dragging the handles on the title clip on the Timeline, or by entering a value in the Options panel. Putting it all together To create a long list of credits in a production, it is necessary to insert a series of title clips into the Timeline. Extended credits 1. Start by creating one clip with multiple lines of text. 2. Drag a copy of the Title clip from the Timeline to the Library. This is the easiest way to maintain consistency on each title's attributes. 3. Drag title copies from the Library back to the Timeline to create new titles. 4. Modify the text in the copied title. 5. Now repeat this procedure until you have credited the whole gang. You'll end up with a number of separate, sequential title clips on the Timeline. Try adding a small space between clips for a brief pause. Anyway you do it, test your titles to insure that they are readable in the final version of your movie (see page 51 for information about previewing parts of a movie). 43 Step by step Voice & Music The importance of music in a video production cannot be overstated, and a running narration can be just as critical. Ulead VideoStudio has the tools to make sure your audio is top notch. Like the other parts of VideoStudio, the audio tracks are activated by clicking on their respective Step on the menu at the top of the program interface, by clicking on the icons to the left of the track, or by double-clicking on the track itself. The upper audio track is the Voice track. This can be used to create a running narration of your movie. The lower audio track is the Music track, and can be used for background music. You can even use music from your favorites CDs. Voice track Music track Detail of the Timeline showing the two audio tracks with WAV file clips. Add media button. If you already have some audio files (including MP3 files) ready to be used in your movie, it is just a matter of clicking the Add media button and inserting the clip onto the Timeline. The Library can also be used to store your audio clips and dragging and dropping to and from the Timeline is effortless. Click the Load audio button at the top right of the Library panel to add audio clips. Load audio button. Incidentally, the Ulead VideoStudio CD also comes with nearly one thousand audio clips ready for you to use. These clips are mostly short sound effects clips and can be very humorous when used in your movies, or can be used to create additional ambience. 44 Step by step Voiceover narration Explaining exactly what is going on in your movie can really help your viewers understand and enjoy it better. This technique is often used in television documentaries and news stories. Narrating a movie 1. Use the Preview bar to move to the section of the video you want to narrate. Remember that you cannot record over an existing clip, so make sure none is selected by clicking on a blank section of the Voice track. 2. Select the Record with preview option and then click the Record button. A small lever meter appears. 3. When you speak into your microphone, the meter should light up. Use the Windows audio mixer to adjust the level of the microphone. 4. Click the Start button and begin speaking. Watch your video play in the Preview window to synchronize the narration with the action. 5. Click the Stop button (or press Esc) when you are finished recording. Adjust Volume level meter. Detail of Voiceover Options panel. Stop button. Note: Windows audio mixer can take any number of forms depending on your sound card. In general, it can be found by going to the Start menu in Windows 95, clicking the Program menu item, Accessories: Multimedia: Volume control. In Windows 98, substitute "Entertainment" for "Multimedia". If a speaker icon is visible on your Windows taskbar, you can right-click on it and select Open audio controls. The easiest method of recording a narration for a video is to record in short ten or fifteen second sessions. This allows you to prepare what you are going to say more easily and to quickly fix mistakes. When you have mispoken and recorded a bad clip, just select the clip on the Timeline and delete it. Some people are comfortable doing impromptu narrations, some people prefer just an outline, and others like to have the complete text of what they want to say written out beforehand. Don't worry, this is still only the project and not the actual movie, so you still have a lot of room to experiment. 45 Step by step Background music The mood of your movie is determined as much by your video as it is by the background music you use. Whether you choose Classical, Country, or Chinese folk music, the decision is entirely up to you. The source of this music can be any CD in your collection. To use the audio from a CD in your movie, you first have to record the music you want with your computer. This creates a WAV file, which is the digital audio data from your CD. Ulead VideoStudio now supports a number of addtional file formats, including MP3. MP3s are an exciting new way to share music over the Internet and there are thousands of songs availible for you to download. Recording music from a CD 1. Insert the CD in your CD-ROM. 2. On the Options panel, select a Music track. 3. Select the track (song number) on the CD that you want to play. Important: Many computers automatically play CDs when they are inserted. You must close all other CD players for this step to work properly. 4. Click the Play button to listen to the CD to find the section of the song that you want to record. Remember that you cannot record over a WAV file on the Music track, so click on a blank portion of the track if the CD controls are unavailable. 5. Click the Record button when you are ready. 6. Click the Stop button (or press Esc) to insert the recorded clip onto the Timeline. Detail from Options panel showing CD track information, the Record button and the Play button. The Play button changes to the Stop button when playing a CD. The Record button turns red when recording. After you have recorded a clip, the controls on the Options panel have changed somewhat. The top numbers now represent the total Duration of the inserted clip. As with other types of media clips, you can now trim the inserted music file to better fit your movie. WAV file trim information. 46 Step by step Working with background music You can drag and drop audio clips to move them or add them to the Library. From the Timeline, a selected audio clip has two yellow handles that can be used for trimming. Again, just grab a handle and drag it to shorten a clip, either from the beginning or end. Selected WAV file with Trim handles. Duration Displays and lets you change the duration of the WAV file. Mark in/out Shows trimming information about the clip. Fade in/out Volume control Sets the volume for the entire clip. Gradually fades the beginning and/or ending volume of a clip.