Vegas Video discussions from 2004 (Q1Q2)

[Martin Garrison]

Why blend and not interpolate?

[Rob Lohman]

I doubt this is a Vegas issue. Either Vegas is using a shell control
which is handling the whole explorer interface [probably] or is
building it themselves asking the Windows Shell for information
on the files like which Icon to use. Windows has had a history
of sometimes messing up icons. This tend to happen more
frequently if you leave the machine long running or use things
like standby a lot on laptops for example.

Anyway, it should still load the footage correctly, only display an
"incorrect" icon.

[Rob Lohman]

But before you do that save the current project and make a copy
of the project file to some other location. Then change the settings
and save the new project under a DIFFERENT name (save as) so
that you can always go back if something goes wrong.

It is as easy as Edward says. Just go down to File -> Properties
and change it to 24p. Also right-click on a few events and check
their properties to make sure Vegas is seeing it as 24p footage
(it should automatically).

[Rob Lohman]

If you insert a 2-3 pulldown the result should be 60i footage and
thus playable on all systems.

I'm not sure what you mean by "prerenders". But if you use
a 24p project I would try to get all the footage in 24p.

There is also an official 24p White Paper out for Vegas / DVD
Architect. If you haven't seen it, please do get it here and
read it.

[Rob Lohman]

I think the "problem" is with the added SMPTE bars and blacks.
If I understand correctly you render your project (without those
bars & blacks) to an AVI first, then start a new project, insert
the just created AVI and then add the bars + blacks. Ofcourse
those bars + blacks will required rendering although this should,
obviously, not take an hour.

Perhaps it is somehow rendering out another whole AVI file at
that point for some reason (perhaps because it wants to make
sure it doesn't interrupt the recording process when switching
from one file [SMPTE bars for example] to the pre-rendered
footage of your movie?

Would you have, by any chance "Options -> Preferences -> Video
Device tab -> Recompress edited frames" turned on?

[Edward Troxel]

This simply sounds like confusion as to what File - Render As actually does.

File - Render As: Create a completely new file from all events on the timeline with the specified transitions and effects. This in no way affects the timeline or current project. This simply creates a fully render version of this project.

In order to USE ths newly created file, it has to be brought back onto a timeline - either in this existing project or in an entirely new project.

Tools - Render to New Track: Nearly identical to File - Render As but will automatically add the newly created file to the timeline. You MUST be careful you your audio will be doubled.

Tools - Print to DV Tape: Will render ONLY the sections that need rendering and then print the project to tape.

[Marcia Janine Galles]

I'm just delving into DVD Architect for the first time today, to lay off a wedding video I cut (want to give it to them by Valentine's Day) and IMO the themes that come with it are pretty lame. OTOH, iDVD comes with a very classy wedding theme which I've used before. So what to do? If I set up markers in Vegas so they can jump to "Best Man's Toast," etc. will those export to iDVD? Or if that doesn't work, can I import that iDVD theme into DVD Architect so the markers will "take" going from Vegas to DVD A?

Any alternative options to the above welcomed as well!

[Edward Troxel]

I'm sure you can't import the themes. However, you should be able to import the pieces that make up the them and/or create your own theme. There is a theme editor program available by Brian Barnes that will let you create your own themes. Or you could just simply add the proper pieces to the menu backgrounds (etc...).

[Edward Troxel]

I am also sure that IDVD will not read the chapter markers made by Vegas. You would have to manually set the chapter points in IDVD.

[Joe Mosquera]

Thanks Rob, Yeah I have read the Sony paper. I know that it is best to work with all 24pA footage, which I will be doing for my own purposes. However I know for a fact that some of the companies that I may be selling footage to have to work using a 29.97 time line. I just wanted to make sure that I could for sure shoot in 24pA and still be able to cater to those companies needs at the same time, which apparently I can.

Thanks again for the help,

Joe

[Donie Kelly]

Hi all

I'm trying to achieve a shot where my camera is on a long zoom and I pull it back slowly and focus on the person being interviewed.

What I now want to do in vegas is to pull the zoom back at high speed and move the shot to the person's face before returning to normal speed.

This would be impossible with a camera because it or me won't be able to react properly.

Now, my problem is that Vegas will only let me do a 300% increase in speed which doesn't look fast enough to get the effect I want. Is there any way I can speed up the footage more than 300%?

Thanks for any help
Donie

[Tor Salomonsen]

You get 300% on the velocity envelope, right? Then you have 400% available on the event options menu. That makes 12 times the normal speed. If you need more than that you can render the event to avi, dump the avi on your timeline and add another 12 times increase. You could go on.

[Edward Troxel]

Two ways:

1) Render at 300% and then apply another velocity envelope to the rendered clip.

2) Also apply a CTRL-Drag to resize the clip smaller. CTRL-Drag will give you up to 4x. Combined with the velocity envelope you can get up to 12x. However, the CTRL-Drag method will only to a constant speed.

For more details, look at my Newsletters

[Marcia Janine Galles]

Okay, I confess to being an audio imbecile. What I'm trying to do is reduce the horrible traffic noise that peaked in the background during a few key clips (while something was read by a soft-spoken bride) at an outdoor wedding. I realize that while it isn't going away completely, if I had Sound Forge 7.0 with Noise Reduction I could probably bring it down to an acceptable level. However, I don't have the bucks at the moment and I can't for the life of me figure out what steps to take, not to mention which filters that come with Vegas 4.0, I should even be playing around with. (sigh) Can someone post a list of which I should try and suggested settings to start from? And any steps for the audio challenged you care to add (at the most basic "for dummies" level possible) would also be appreciated.

[Edward Troxel]

Noise Reduction is a totally separate product from Sound Forge. In fact, you can purchase Noise Reduction and use it in Vegas without having Sound Forge. Also, it has a 30day demo so you may want to "test" it on this footage.

Beyond that, you're going to have to try eq'ing out the troublesome frequencies. If you look at the Track EQ, there's a preset for "60Hz hum notch using 4 stacked filters". Take a look at how that works and adjust the frequencies as needed.