Combining videos

[larryn58205743]

Hi,

I wonder if I might be leaving out a step when I try to combine 2 parts of a video into 1 screen. From what I’ve read, I align them 1 on top of the other. I then highlight the top one, and choose the “crop” function from the Effects menu on the bottom (close to the right) border (I have Elements 14.) I am then, thru the controls and the motion tool, able to arrange how I want each part to appear. I don’t hit any button, such as “OK” or “accept” at this point.

However, when I look at the video, there are often a lot of frozen frames on 1 or both parts, esp the one that I had carried the Crop tool to. I have seen the “render” tool right there on the screen, and have tried this—since it says it smooths things out. This usually helps, though I still  get some freezing. Am I missing something?

1. Thanks.

LNovik

[Steve Grisetti]

I'm not sure what effect you're trying to create, L. Can you explain what you want your results to look like? We'll be glad to show you the easiest way to do it.

It sounds a bit like you're trying to create a video collage. If so, there is a simple tool in the program that makes the process very easy.

[larryn58205743]

What I'm' trying to do at this part of the song is simply to combine 2 relatively small (about 10-15 second) clips together. Specifically, I'm trying to have 1 clip appear on the right of the screen, and the other on the left. When I drag the "crop" tool onto the top video, I am able to arrange the screen to have the appearance of what I'm describing.  It's just that when I then play it back, there's the freezing I mentioned in the other note. Hope that's clear; if not, I can be more specific.

LNOvik

[Steve Grisetti]

It sounds like you're trying to create a split screen/video collage. And there's a tool for doing that under the Create tab in the upper right of the program.

But that said, what model of camcorder is your video coming from and what is the video's resolution and format? Are both video's that you're using to create your composite identical in format, resolution and frame rate?

Do you render your timeline (press Enter) before you play back your composite?

[larryn58205743]

Good and interesting questions. My "camcorder" is simply a Canon SLR (regular SLR camera) used in video mode. It takes .mov files. I could try to get all that other info if you still need it after I answer the next question.

So this first part is of me playing music as taken by my camera on a tripod. The other is footage from the Woodstock concert in 1969. Interestingly, to get this video, I simply used my Canon in video mode to take a picture of the YOuTube video on the screen of my computer. So, while the video itself obviously has very different attributes, I am recording it with the same device as I record myself playing.

Last reply: did I render my timeline (press Enter) before I played back my composite. No I didn't, and I don't even know what you mean.

However, it sounds like perhaps that is the missing thing that I'm omitting. I assume you're saying that after I put the crop tool onto one of the clips, and then I arrange everything on the screen, I should then press Enter--which will Render it and remove all the "creases" or freezing.

Thanks for your patience.

LNovik

[Steve Grisetti]

You're mixing a couple of very different formats, larry. In fact, I'm not sure how you ripped Woodstock footage or what format and codec it is in, but that makes a huge difference.

Open the Woodstock video in the free download MediaInfo. In MediaInfo, set View to Text and copy and paste the report it generates to this forum. Once we know the specs of this video, we'll better be able to advise you.

Although we'll likely need to explore your DSLR footage also, since the MOV file format can be comprised of so many possible formats, resolutions and frame rates.

It's only when you've got formats that compatible with the program and, even better, match the project settings that you can be sure the tools will work correctly.

[larryn58205743]

Hi,

Thanks for your detailed replies. Before I do all this, I just want to comment on one of your last points. You say you don't know how I "ripped" the Woodstock footage. I realize you go thru many of these questions, so I'll remind you. But first, I'm not into the lingo of video editing, so I'm assuming that when you said "ripped," you mean how I was able to pull off video from a Youtube site. If indeed that is what you mean, I'll just repeat it from my previous note. I simply opened up the video and started playing it on my computer with its approx 21" screen. I then, from about a foot away, simply pointed my Canon at the screen and started to take a video of the screen contents. I don't need it to be very realistic, since I'm just pairing a video of myself doing the song "Soul Sacrifice," by Santana, with old footage of Santana's famous performance of the same song at Woodstock.

So, if I'm just shooting a short sequence on my Canon DSLR, do the settings of the Youtube video really matter. I'll believe you if you say they do, and then I'll go to that site you had suggested to get you the info you asked for.

Thanks very much.

I'm happy to send you a copy of the unfinished video, though I realize you're busy with the hundreds of other questions you must get.

LNovik

[Steve Grisetti]

When you first add a clip from your video to your timeline, is there a yellow orange "render" line above it? This render line indicates a mismatch between your project settings and your video specs, which can result in greatly decreased performance.

Since both of your videos came from the same source and are the same specs, we need only ensure that your project settings are matched to one of your videos.

[williebegoode]

Hi Larry, I may have missed something, but it sounds like you're combining two videos originating from YouTube. Is that correct? If that's the case, I believe they may already have been matched to the YouTube format. Also, if the top one (higher on the timeline stack) is not transparent, the one underneath won't show up. If it's just music, can't you disconnect the audio from the YouTube video and delete audio, and then put in the new audio?

[larryn58205743]

Regarding Grisettit's response: that was at first difficult to understand, but the picture made it much easier. I'll add that same part to another area of the project, and see if I get an orange line--and let you  know.

Re Williebegoode's reply, No: each of the two video's that I am  combining are NOT from Youtube. One was taken in my basement with me playing an instrument--actually 2 sequentially--and recording myself from a tripod with my Canon digital SLR set to video mode. The other one was also from the same camera, except that I was taking a video of the screen of my computer, trying to zoom in or at least get close enough that the border of the monitor was not easily seen. Thus, I was taking a video of the screen as it was displaying a Youtube video. As I had said in a previous post, I was not interested in it looking very realistic, but more like vintage video.

LNovik

[larryn58205743]

I have now tried to insert a short digital video clip taken by my Canon DSLR of the screen of my computer as it showed a Youtube video. After I dragged that to a  new track, I did not see an orange line. I only saw a green line on a few measures of the timeline AFTER the short clip I pasted. Of course, I then undid this process.

I must say that in looking and reviewing my video. I did notice the following, though first I have to say that I have shut off the audio from all tracks except my audio track done separately from my music software program (Sonar.). This means I have also shut off the audio from my videoing of myself playing in my basement, since the audio from my Sonar audio DAW (digital audio workstation) was able to be edited much more than I could do in this program.

However, the important thing is that I just saw that there is, for some reason, a tiny space near the end of this audio recording. That must be the reason I am still getting a sudden loss in the whole audio/visual playback. Now I must say that prior to hitting the "render" button, I had been getting major freezing thruout this small segment of combined video. Thus, I think for now, I'm OK. I plan to put an updated [audio track only] to replace my original audio track, being that i have since edited it further. I'll let you know if that doesn't work. I'm still not sure why there was some much freezing shown originally, but if I can just hit the render button and most of it can resolve, I'm OK with that.

Thanks again very much.

LNovik

[Bill Sprague]

I don't think it was mentioned, but keep in mind that the "rendering" during the project editing is creating real time previews to help smooth the work in progress.  At output, everything is "rendered" again from scratch to achieve the output goal settings you choose.