The following "tricks" may solve some edit problems when using Sony BVW-75’s You should practice these "tricks" at your own time so at least you get the feel of it and the idea behind it.
Split Audio without the Hassle
A handy trick that saves you time playing around with buttons.
You can use it on the whole edit; it makes the transition of the cut smoother, as the video is not cut at the same time as the audio.
- Mark your INs as normal.
- On your edit mode buttons on the recorder select only Video (Insert, Audio1, Audio2 and Time code should have no lights)
- Press Auto Edit.
- After the edit happens, press the appropriate Audio Edit Mode Button (either Audio1 or Audio2, or both) where you want the sound to be inserted.
The recording of the sound only begins after you press the audio button whereas the video is recorded on the IN points. A Split-Audio edit.
Make sure that you record more of the shot that you need so that you have some space to play with.
This trick only works when the sound does not need to be accurately cut (mainly background sound). But if you get good at it you can even use it for interviews, though you should be very careful with that.
You can also use it to record video later than the sound, by deselecting the video button and pressing it when you want to see the picture.
PROGRAMMED FREEZE
A normal freeze is easy, mark your IN points, set the DMC on the player on zero and Bob’s your uncle.
But what if you edit a shot and a few seconds in the shot you want to freeze it?
- First of all make sure that the Recorder’s synchronize function is ON.
- Make your IN points and perform the edit as always (do not use OUT points).
- Make sure that the shot has past the frame you want to freeze.
- Press Stop.
- Select the player (by using the remote) and move the tape back to the frame you want to freeze and mark it with an OUT point.
- Select the recorder (by using the remote again) and press the OUT point (the light will not come on) and the Pre-roll button together. When the tape has stopped pre-rolling mark an IN point. Make sure you did not move the tape after it stopped.
- On the recorder press the player remote function by pressing the remote button (no lights should be on).
- Press Auto Edit and watch it happen.
INVISIBLE EDITING
This is not used very often, but it is still useful to know how to do it.
Let's say that you have done your edit but the shot you added is not long enough and you want to add more to it. But you have no time, as the shot you have just added is a few minutes long. This is what to do after you have done your first edit:
- First of all make sure that the Recorder’s synchronize function is ON.
- On the Player move the tape back to a good point to do an invisible cut. (Try and avoid camera movement or somebody moving fast in the shot). Mark an OUT point.
- Go to the recorder and press the OUT button (the light should not come on) and the Pre-roll button together. When the tape has stopped moving mark an IN point.
- If you are using two monitors, one for the player and one for the recorder, then you must see that both monitors have the same frame.
- On the player also mark an IN point and then delete the OUT point you entered before. (Make sure the tape did not move at all).
- Go back to the recorder and press Auto Edit.
That’s it, you have done an invisible edit.
EDITING WITH NO PLAYER PREROLL
We have all been there. The player needs pre-roll time to synchronize with the recorder. But what happens when the shot is right at the beginning of the tape (another reason to record at least 30 seconds of bars at the beginning of a tape) or when the cameraman did not perform a back spaced edit on the camera and there is a "hole" with no time-code on it?
Well, with this small trick we can save the day for the cameraman.
- Make your IN points on the player and the recorder as you always do.
- On the player set the DMC (Dynamic Motion Control) at the speed of zero (freeze frame).
- Press AUTO EDIT but when the recorder starts its pre-roll, press and hold down the PLAY button on the player for as long as you need the shot recorded.
- You may see the first frame of being recorded as a freeze frame but do not worry, it will not be there on the edit. If you release the Play button during recording the image will be frozen.
You can also do this manually even though it will not be 100% accurate. Queue up your shot (a few frames before) on the player and switch the remote off.
- Mark IN your recorder, press Auto Edit and just before the edit press Play on the player.
- After you are done, press Stop on both machines.
This is a bit tricky but it gets better with practice. Make sure you know what the setting is for preroll time.
TAPE SPEED OVERRIDE (TSO)
When you want to disguise an interviewee’s voice you can do the following:
Set up you IN points as normal.
Press Auto Edit and on the run to the edit point, press Play and Trim together on the player. The player will move at normal speed during the pre-roll and on the edit point it will go a bit faster disguising the voice.
You can also use the same system but by pressing Play and Search together on the player. This will give you a 16% faster speed .
The TSO is also useful if you have to insert a shot in an existing edit and you need to stretch the shot by a few frames because it’s not long enough.
If you need to use a shot with movement in it, like a zoom or tilt then let the edit go as normal and when the movement has stopped engage the TSO.
