Only have AVI files captured using Edius - can I work with this?

[nazx]

Hello

This is my first post (newbie) so pardon my lack of Edius knowledge, I am trialing latest version of Edius Pro.

I have obtained a couple of raw AVI files captured using Edius by the company who did my wedding video and I would like to play around with these.

I only have the avi files which which were captured directly from the camera using the Edius capture hardware I believe and they are encoded in the Canopus HQ Codec.

I was wondering if I import these avi files into my bin, will it detect scenes automatically? Or am I missing some scene files that Edius creates when you capture raw footage?

Please advise.

Many thanks.

[dpalomaki]

You should be able to use the files as is. As I understand it, normally each AVI file corresponds to a scene as detected during capture based on the capture settings. Typically this is based on a new scene starting each time the camcorder starts from the pause state during the shoot. With tape-less camcorder you get a new file at each resumption of recording. With tape-based camcorder you get a notation in the metadata section of the tape. However, if you received or capture AVI files created from an edited video they might not correspond to individual scenes within the video.

As far as I know Edius does not do automatic scene detection based on image content only, and I've not hard anyone rave about the capability in the few NLEs that did claim to do it.

[nazx]

Thanks for the reply... I received two AVI files each about an hour long of footage.. these are captured straight from tape...

How can I easily create scenes from these files then? Would I have to view the entire video and create "set in" and "set out" points? I wonder if that's what they did when editing the footage...

[Geoff_C]

Put a 'tape' into the preview window
Mark your first IN and OUT points
Click last button on right in preview window.

This will put a new clip in the bin and preserve the origonal tape

Continue working through your 'tape', breaking it up into scences in the bin.

Otherwise place 'tape' on the timeline, play it and break it into scenes by spliting.

Throw out the rubbish and re arrange what's left to your liking.

Either way you will get to know your tapes. Enjoy reliving your wedding.

[GrassValley_BH]

As far as I know Edius does not do automatic scene detection based on image content only, and I've not hard anyone rave about the capability in the few NLEs that did claim to do it.

Rex/Raptor/Storm/Ez Edit used to have this, but yeah, nobody really asked for it much except for me (but I now use VideoReDo for my application).

[dpalomaki]

I wonder if that's what they did when editing the footage...

If it was originally shot on tape they likely set to capture the entire tape, and the capture software was configured to make a separae clip (scene) at each pause of the recorder. Thus there may have been many short clips amounting to some 5 or 50 or so seconds each and perhaps several long ccontinuous clips of the service. The edited video was likely a compilation on the time line of selected clips, trimmed in length to eliminate unwanted material, and ordered (or reordered) to best tell the story in the eyes of the editor along with such filters, transitions, and effects as needed to sweeten the final product. Sounds like this final edited timeline was dumped to a single AVI file that you have.

[nazx]

If it was originally shot on tape they likely set to capture the entire tape, and the capture software was configured to make a separae clip (scene) at each pause of the recorder. Thus there may have been many short clips amounting to some 5 or 50 or so seconds each and perhaps several long ccontinuous clips of the service. The edited video was likely a compilation on the time line of selected clips, trimmed in length to eliminate unwanted material, and ordered (or reordered) to best tell the story in the eyes of the editor along with such filters, transitions, and effects as needed to sweeten the final product. Sounds like this final edited timeline was dumped to a single AVI file that you have.

I wish they did have many short clips with individual scenes however, the raw camera footage they supplied me was 2 single AVI files.. one for each camera... i know they are straight from the camera as the footage is unedited and of very good quality - it also has all the retakes...

I saw the two raw camera capture files on the editors bin also.. Im just surprised they didnt configure edius capture settings to create a separate clip for each pause on the film... :S

They also did give me a third AVI which was the final 1hr 25min edited movie exported straight from the timeline...
Another thing, i wish they gave me that as an uncompressed avi as the timelne export avi file is encoded in Canopus HQ standard.. (mind you the raw camera footage avi that was given to me was also encoded in Canapos HQ -may be in the fine setting tho) but I really wanted to have my special day in the best quality to future proof the file... The footage is SD..

I didnt have the nerve to ask the film editor to give me his whole project folder for my wedding.... wish i did... :-S doubt someone would want to give their work to their client...although i did pay for their services..hmmm

[antonsvideo]

there is no visible difference (to the eye) between Canopus HQ and uncompressed

I always work with HQ

EDIUS capture can enable scene splitting during capture if the device is DV or HDV camera or deck

it can't be done from other formats like VHS etc

[Jerry]

I actually prefer to have one big file. I then go and make my subclips. Once you get going it is quite easy.

[dpalomaki]

I didnt have the nerve to ask the film editor to give me his whole project folder for my wedding.... wish i did... :-S doubt someone would want to give their work to their client...although i did pay for their services..hmmm

That depends on the deal/agreement/contract you made with the videographer. Some will even provide you with the tapes (or raw files) if you negotiate that. Just as some photographers will provide you with the negatives/files. Depending on where you are, you may want to get a rights release too, to be sure you are not running afoul of copyright laws.

It is worth asking for the files, or even better, the original tapes. If the current owener of the tapes does no see any prospect for other additional sales to you they may give or sell them to you for a reasonable fee.

Was the oriiginal footage SD, or was it downconverted to SD for purposes of DVD authoring? Over the last several years some have shot in HDV and then downconverted in the camera to SD for capture and editing (in the interest of reducing demand on their NLE system). You might be lucky.