Link to Avid training videos: Avid Exercise files
Basics of setting up a project in Avid: Avid Workflow
Basics of exporting a final video movie file from Avid: Avid Exporting
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General:
– .avp = Avid project file
– .avb = Avid bin
Project window:
– holds all media bins and folders related to a specific project
Bin window:
– holds specific media clips and/or sequences
Interface:
– map button commands and/or menu commands via the Command Palette and the Keyboard settings
Composer window:
– source window and record window
– forward or back 10 frames = 1 or 2 key
– forward or back 1 frame = 3 or 4 key (also left or right arrow key)
– mark in or out point = I or O key
– go to in or out point = Q or W key
– play in to out point = 6 key
– clear in and out points = G key
– mark entire clip = T key (works in source window but also for a clip in sequence to see how long it is or to mark it from beginning to end)
Timeline window:
– cmd click near edit points to snap to them —- cmd drag also snaps to edit points and audio waveforms
– splice in edit (insert shot into sequence) = V key —- necessary to first select which track(s) the content will be inserted into (audio/video or both)
– overwrite edit = B key
– extract edit = X key (takes out shot or portion of shot and causes content to ripple) –
– lift edit = Z key (takes out shot or portion of shot and leaves gap in timeline)
– cmd A = select all tracks
– segment mode edits = extract/splice and lift/overwrite —- used to rearrange shots on the timeline — (delete key removes content from timeline but extract/splice mode causes a ripple and deleting in lift/overwrite mode leaves a gap (Avid calls this “filler”))
– nudging content on timeline = forward or back 1 frame = comma or period keys; forward or back 10 frames = m or / key
General editing:
– sub clips allow you to make a portion of a longer clip into its own stand alone clip — requires first setting in/out points in source window
– sub sequences (same deal but with sequences; allows you to isolate or save out a specific portion of a sequence) — requires first setting in/out points in sequence window
– when editing with more than one video track you’ve got to make sure the “patch” is on the video track you want your content on
– the “monitor” function allows you to see the content on a specific video track
– add new video track = cmd Y
– add new audio track = cmd U
– increase size of selected tracks = cmd L; decrease = cmd K
Trimming clips on timeline:
– enter trim mode by either parking play head near an edit point and hit U key or by lassoing an edit point or choosing the trim mode button
– smart tool trim buttons: ripple trim and overwrite trim —- ripple trim causes the timeline to ripple; overwrite trim leaves a gap
– single-roller trim vs. dual-roller trim —- single-roller allows you to trim to the left or right of an edit point independently; dual roller let’s you trim both points at the same time
– in trim mode the M, comma, period, / keys trim left or right by 10 or 1 frames respectively
– also when in trim mode, you can use the JKL keys to dynamically trim the left, right or both sides of an edit point (multiple presses of J or L speeds up playback; holding down K with J or L slows down playback)
– slip edit —- adjusts the in and out point of a clip but leaves it the same length and in the same location on the sequence timeline and also leaves the adjacent clips (to the left and right of selected clip) alone
– slide edit —- shifts the selected clip forward/backward in time; in doing so, slide edits adjust the length of the adjacent clips (to the left and right of selected clip)
– to choose slip edit (first make sure you’re in trim mode) — shift drag around a clip on the timeline; choose slide edit by option-shift dragging around a clip on timeline
– slip and slide edits can be done with interface buttons, M, comma, period, / keys and with JKL keys
– replace edit allows you to replace an existing shot on timeline with a new shot and will match playhead point of existing shot with playhead point of new shot
Importing/Capturing footage:
– All Avid content–raw files, imported footage, projects, exported movies, etc.–need to be saved at the root (top) level of the hard drive
– Raw footage should be saved into Avid Raw Media folder
– Imported footage files live in the Avid Media Files folder (audio, video, graphics, rendered files, etc.)
– Project files, including saved bins, live in the Avid Projects folder
– MXF — native media format for imported footage
– Need to import files into a specific bin (open or create a bin and then right click and choose import)