Advice on Markers please - Movie Studio 18 (Platinum)

SteveCo wrote on 7/23/2021, 8:51 PM

I've just upgraded from version 17 to Movie Studio 18 (Platinum), and need some advice.
A typical project for me has 10-20 GoPro video files each 20 minutes long, including multi-cam. My workflow under version 17 was to open the source videos in the trimmer, and annotate them using the Marker feature, highlighting key events or footage to keep/delete, before moving on to the detailed editing.
I can't find an equivalent feature for annotating the source files in Movie Studio 18 - Snap Markers can't be labelled, and Project Markers aren't locked to the source file so move around as the project is edited.
Any suggestions on how to solve this?
Thanks

Comments

browj2 wrote on 7/23/2021, 10:37 PM

@SteveCo

Hi,

Good question that will require long answers and likely some discussion. I'll use MEP for MMS as they are the same, VPX for Video Pro X.

To start, no, there is no way to do what you suggest in MEP. Next, to keep the jargon straight, in MEP/VPX, the source is not in the project. MEP's Preview Window doubles as the Source Window, VPX has a separate window. In VPX, there is a Project Folder, like a bin, and you can import to this without going to the timeline. This has some advantages.

This is important. How are you importing? Are you using Windows Explorer drag and drop or the explorer in the Media Pool?

If you use the Media Pool method, then you can preview the source file and select a range to import, import it, select another range to import, import, etc. This is what I do and I demonstrate various ways to import in my tutorial on Basic Editing in MEP, Part 1 (I hope).

Thus, I do not need to mark anything that I want to delete as it's not imported in the first place. No need for markers.

If you use WE and import the entire clip, then that is another problem with possible solutions discussed below.

To keep it simple, review on the timeline and delete the parts you don't want right away. There are other ways.

For multi-cam, that is a different problem because you basically have to import the entire clips and align them. Do not do any trimming first.

Remember that during creation of the multi-track track, you are watching the monitors and switching, not the timeline where there might be a marker saying to not use this part of a track. Here is a suggestion that I have not tried. Rather than putting in markers on any parts that you don't want, review (solo) the track before going into multi-cam but after aligning the objects, and put a cut at each piece that you don't want to use the material. Then lower the transparency handle to the bottom ( I don't know if this will show up as black or show through to another track in multi-cam - for tomorrow) or use an effect to make the unwanted object a solid colour. Then you will see this in the monitor and know to avoid it.

Alternatives: colour the unwanted object red or; Ctrl+E (properties) and change the name from ....mp4 or whatever to "Do not use" or something - no need for a marker as it's in the object name and shows on the object. This only affects that trimmed part, not the other parts and does not affect the actual file name. You can also put in a comment.

I usually colour code objects that I want to apply certain effects to.

Off to bed, till tomorrow.

John CB

SteveCo wrote on 7/24/2021, 7:56 PM

Thanks @browj2 for suggestions. To answer your question, I have been importing via the media pool. Probably a bit ambitious, but the first project after upgrading to MMS18 was a large-ish multi cam project with lots of cutting required to reduce 300 minutes of footage back to say 10 or 15 minutes. Unfortunately I have minimal access to the cameras during recording, so I rely on recording everything and dealing with it at edit time.

Note that deleting is less of a problem for me - it's more about identitying at a high-level the key events that should be included and sequencing them to build the story. The detail of exactly where to cut and which camera to use is secondary at this stage. I have wondered whether the chapter or scene marking features might work for me. Any thoughts on this?

I'll be out this week, and will get back to editing in a week's time, and I'll try your suggestions such as colour coding then.

Thanks

Steve

browj2 wrote on 7/24/2021, 8:29 PM

@SteveCo

Hi Steve,

Prior cutting up of Multicam files can quickly cause major problems when running multicam due to having to sync a lot of clips. Having a blank space on one or more of the tracks can also cause problems if you're not careful. However, there are ways to do it to make it simpler. We can discuss these when you're back.

John CB