Have RTFFX Edit and/or Title Your Video For You
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Editing is a process where scenes of a video (or movie), with or without sound (audio) are arranged to produce a pleasing or otherwise effective presentation. Just about anything recorded that you can watch has been edited. The audio probably has also been edited.
"Transitions" are used to connect scenes together. The simplest and most common type of transition is the "cut" where a scene appears to change instantly to the next scene. Other commonly used types of transitions include "wipes" and "dissolves" More sophisticated ("fancier") transitions also exist. An example would be an "exploding" transition where a scene appears to shatter like window glass to reveal the next scene beneath it. There are a number of example transitions that can be viewed on our animated demo page.
RTFFX uses digital Non-Linear Editing (NLE) tools. The tools require that the video (and audio if present) must be converted into a digital format so it can be stored and manipulated on a computer. The digital format used is directly compatible with consumer digital camcorders currently available. The great advantage of extracting a recording from a digital source is that no loss of picture and sound quality occurs - the copy is an exact reproduction of the original. Recordings from other sources, such as from VHS tape, can be converted, though some one-time loss of picture and sound quality is likely to occur.
Want to be the director?
Your level of involvement with the editing is up to you. If you want the most control, and, as it turns out, the least expense, ask about getting a VHS tape or DVD with time-code superimposed over your video. A DVD is recommended since there is no wear on the disc if it is stopped ("freeze framed") or slowed down, but VHS can be used. (If you would like the video on VHS, please supply a blank tape, if possible).
Time code is a sequence of four (4) numbers (hours, minutes, seconds, and frame number) separated by colons (so called "non-drop frame time-code") [example: 00:23:03:10]. The last field, the frame number, may be preceded by a semicolon (this is "drop-frame time-code", because it intentionally drops a count [not a frame] periodically)[example: 00:23:03;10]. Either type of timecode can be used. The time code actually refers to a particular frame of the video. When you see the video "played" you are seeing the frames shown in rapid succession (for video the rate is about 30 frames per second). As you watch, the time-code will therefore appear to be changing rapidly.
Using the time-code, you can accurately do the following:
- Define the scenes (a scene being a section of video between two time-code values)
- Supply names for the scenes (the names can be used as the scene name for the "scene index" for a menu on a DVD, for example)
- Specify which scenes are kept
- Specify the order they should occur
- Provide any other special instructions involving the sound or any other aspect of the video
.Mail or email your instructions (email would be faster) and it will be the same as being there.
It is not required to use the time-code. You can use the dialogue or some other reference points.
Video Formats :
Acceptable sources of video (with or without audio) which could be edited by RTFFX include:
- Digital tape compatible with a typical consumer digital camcorder, either "Digital 8" or "Mini-DV". These formats can be directly uploaded to a computer to be edited. A digital format is preferred because of the ability to transfer. Video created by RTFFX is in this category (Usually "Mini-DV" is used by RTFFX).
- An "analog" type of tape, such as "Hi-8", "Standard 8 mm", "Super VHS", or "standard VHS". Note that a "Hi 8" tape may, in reality, actually be a "Digital 8" tape, since the digital format can use the same tapes. Your camcorder may tell you on its display which type it is when the tape is loaded.
- Quicktime movie files. (note that movies which are smaller than a standard television screen size will end up appearing "letterboxed" on a television screen).
Once edited, the results can be written to one or more of the following:
- Digital tape compatible with a consumer digital camcorder ("Digital 8", or "Mini-DV").
- An "analog" type of tape, such as "Hi-8", "standard 8 mm", "Super VHS", or "standard VHS". There are limitations that a particular format may impose. For example, there is a loss of clarity with standard VHS since it has approximately half the resolution of a standard television broadcast image (approx. 240 lines vs. approx 500 lines in broadcast television)
- Quicktime movie files.
- DVD ("Digital Versatile Disc"). This is the best. See the DVD page.
- Video CD. A simple form of "disc" storage, intended to play a movie when inserted into a player. A CD is used. This type of disc can be played on many computers and most DVD players.
Sorry, but RTFFX does not handle the high end formats (such as Betacam) nor eight (8) mm. film at this time.
Titling and Captioning :
You can request that your video be titled or captioned. Titling simply means displaying text over a white, black, or colored background (a slide) or superimposed over your video. The word comes from the word "title" and certainly one use it has is to provide a title for the work at the beginning of a video show. It also can be used at the beginning of scenes to describe the scene itself or to give a time reference. ("10 Years Later" is an example of a title describing the passage of time)
Captioning usually refers to the display of what someone is saying. This could be done not only in English, but also in another language. Often captioning performs a language translation function. One language is spoken, while the translation into another appears in the caption (often these types of captions are referred to as "subtitles"). Using captions in the same language can be appropriate if there is a lot of noise in the background or for any other reason the speaker is difficult to understand or simply for emphasis. Captions or subtitles usually appear at the bottom of the screen, while titles can appear anywhere. On a DVD, captioning is actually a feature built into the design of the DVD, so the DVD player can be made to display captions (if the disc was authored to display captions). Captioning can also be done on the video itself, and of course, it would have to be done on the video itself if the video were not on a DVD.
There are several ways that titles can be displayed, in terms of how they appear or move. They can be made to fade in and out gradually or quickly. A white, black, or colored background can also be made to fade in and/or out. The lettering can be made to "crawl" in from the left or right onto the screen, or even be typed one character at a time, as if someone were typing the text one letter at a time with a typewriter. Whole pages of text can be made to "scroll" up the screen, such as usually done with "end credits" at the end of a show. Also fairly sophisticated drawing or character movements can be created. An example would be the characters appearing as if they fall of an imaginary "cliff" and even bouncing when they hit an imaginary "ground". At the same time, the characters can be drawn in like they were being painted with a paintbrush. Motions and drawing methods can therefore be combined at the same time.
Subtitles vs. Closed Captioning
"Closed Captioning" is another method of text display. The text information is actually hidden in the video signal itself. Unlike subtitles, closed captions usually also describe sounds present in the soundtrack. (Examples: "[music playing]", "[dog barking]"). A DVD can be programmed to do closed captioning in addition to subtitles. However, the display of the closed captions require the presence of a special decoder, either attached to or built into the television receiver. Closed captioning cannot be viewed on a television not so equipped. Also most computers do not have the decoder. Therefore, closed captions will most likely not be able to be seen seen on a DVD played on a computer.