PowerDirector - How to perform multicam editing - many cameras, one scene

[@vidmaster7]

Great job. Thank you for not playing music while teaching. This was easy to follow.

[@SharperTurtle]

Allen, When I first started I thought music would add. But I've come to the conclusion that if it's more than a few seconds long it's distracting. Thanks for confirming this assumption. --Jim

[@fish-bama]

This is really cool, thanks! I wish I had watched this a month ago, but I am glad I watched it now as I am about to start a project with multi-cam.

[@SharperTurtle]

The multi-cam features are very useful. I'm glad you can now take advantage of them. --Jim

[@inalchemy]

This was great and easy information thank-you, and yes it is nice that there was no music while you were giving the tutorial.

[@SharperTurtle]

Thanks. I try to offer training that is clear, brief, and focused. I'm always pleased when it proves useful to the growing community of video editors like yourself. --Jim

[@jimlytle]

Great tutorial. Just enough detail at just the right pace. Thanks.

[@SharperTurtle]

Thanks Jim. I appreciate your feedback and hope these tutorials can help you in many ways. --Jim

[@DonJoyce]

An incredible feature...I just stumbled on this yesterday and figured you must have a video explaining it! I do a LOT of multi camera videos, plus always record my audio separately... Oh so much manual synching!!! Hopefully this will make it easier!

[@SharperTurtle]

Don, This feature saves a lot of time when it comes to synchronization. Glad you found it! --Jim

[@RobertSchoenert]

Thank you for your channel. It is very helpful in my editing using 2 cameras. I refer back to yours lessons many times when I edit, which is the case today on jogging my memory on Multi Cam editing. Thanks again. Robert

[@SharperTurtle]

Robert, I sometimes jog my memory with my own videos. So I am with you on that. Thanks! --Jim

[@chrispetrick9054]

Thanks Jim, really like your teaching style, clarity and mannerisms. Rare for me to subscribe to a KZbin channel, but this is one that I have gladly enlisted. I have my whole family slowly engaging in Cyberlink PD, all wearing "L" plates for "Learners". I hope this is one that we can grow in together.

[@SharperTurtle]

Chris, I resonate with your spirit of wanting to learn. I'm right there with you, desiring to enhance my understanding and application of PD incrementally day by day. Video editing is a great way to express creativity and tell stories. Thanks for making this channel an exception. --Jim

[@videocreationsbyjohnrenzi]

Another big thumbs up, Jim!

[@SharperTurtle]

Thanks for checking out this older tutorial, John. --Jim

[@chrispetrick9054]

Good simple intro to multi camera editing. Could really add that if you want to have special effects, such as transition between videos cannot be done in multi-cam (correct me if I am wrong), but will need to remain working on tracks using Keyframes and opaque, zoom and/or crop to switch between screens. Should link to another video showing how to do multicam with transitions from one camera to another. A video like that could assist my understanding above on what is and is not possible. I like the content, bold but genuine faith portrayed, GBU.

[@SharperTurtle]

Chris, Great idea about combining the transition and multi-cam. I'll put that on my list of future videos. As the site grows you will see more videos combining techniques. I'll attempt to stack some of the 'building blocks' together for users. Regarding content, I do projects in a church environment often, as it gives me the chance to expand my skills. Besides, understanding the New Testament texts about Jesus changed my life and worldview. --Jim

[@JonMorlow]

thank you for this. saved my life, almost.

[@SharperTurtle]

Jon, Delighted that this proved useful to you. Thanks for checking this channel out. --Jim

[@dadlifepod]

Great video. That was very easy to follow. I’m excited to do this. Thanks

[@SharperTurtle]

Glad you found the video easy to follow. That's one of my goals. I think you will enjoy this process. Let me know if you face a challenge that I haven't addressed in any videos. --Jim

[@williampalenikjr8433]

Another great tutorial there on multi cam editing

[@SharperTurtle]

Nice feature. --Jim

[@chrislauterbach8856]

I just had to sync large separated scenes of a 2 camera exterior video manually because the wind noise was strong enough to make audio syncing impossible. I had to rely on visual clues only to match up both cameras.

[@SharperTurtle]

Wow! How did that go? Did it take a lot of time? I like the audio sync software because it makes it easy. I know that Media Composer First has no automatic audio sync. So what you are doing is not uncommon. Studios used to use a clapboard to make a loud noise that provided the sync point. I wonder if that would work even in windy conditions. (Even clapping your hands together loudly when both cameras are running.)

[@chrislauterbach8856]

It required sharp eyesight, moving scenes initially by judgement, then moving individual tracks frame by-by-frame (with frame counting) to achieve the exact alignment. Where there was a lull in the wind noise and the voices could be heard it meant jogging the track until the audio no longer echoed.

[@SharperTurtle]

Chris, Sounds tedious. But that's what a committed editor like you does. Sometimes it's the frame-by-frame tweaking that makes the difference between an ok video and a good one. --Jim

[@binilatv]

thank you so much Sir its really helpful i have been searching for this long time thanks

[@SharperTurtle]

So glad this was useful to you. --Jim

[@gizmo1515]

This tutorial has helped me so much! Thank you. I do have 1 question though: I have a 2 hour video and I'm adding short multicam clips into the long video. The recording of the multicam doesn't go into the right "place" on the timeline. There's a stutter. When I'm going from the long video in the timeline into the recorded clip that I just made, they're off. Do I need to add a transition, or is there a way to put the recorded multicam into the exact spot on the timeline?

[@SharperTurtle]

I'm trying to visualize your challenge. Do you have a segment when you switch from camera A to camera B and then put that multi-cam footage into the timeline with your longer video clip? Or is there some kind of latency when you switch from your longer video on track A to your shorter clips on track B? It's a bit unclear to me what is happening. Thanks! --Jim

[@Fritzystuff]

wow, thanks for an awesome tutorial!

[@SharperTurtle]

It really is a nice feature. I've used it several times with good results. --Jim

[@easyflowing]

You made it so easy, thank you!!!

[@SharperTurtle]

When it is easy for you the training is what we want it to be. Thanks. -- Jim

[@Theosis78]

Thank you, just what I needed!

[@SharperTurtle]

Glad you found this useful. Thanks for viewing it. --Jim

[@jollyroad18750]

If you get the full version could you do this on a android phone ?

[@SharperTurtle]

Theoretically I believe you could. I don't think the source of the video footage is an issue. But you might have difficulties with varying aspect ratios in the editing process. --Jim

[@f1pitpass]

thank you!

[@SharperTurtle]

You are very welcome! --Jim

[@TheatricalServices]

I prefer using the Numeric Keypad on my computer, but the multicam designer doesn't seem to recognize it, only the numbers at the top of the Qwerty section. Is there a setting hidden somewhere to enable the Numeric keypad for this use?

[@SharperTurtle]

You can customize the keys for Multicam. (1) click on the gear at the top to go to settings; (2) Selecting "Editing"; (3) Click on the "customize" button at the bottom; (4) Choose "workspace" on the left panel; (5) Scroll down until you see "Multicam 1st Camera" etc. (6) Click the hotkey area in the right column; (7) Press the key you want to use. [On your numeric keypad it the number 1 will show as 'Num 1'. When you click OK it will prompt you for a name for your hot key configuration. --Jim

Can I make pause, or make some changes in multicam record ? I have video 90 minutes, two cameras.

[@SharperTurtle]

Help me understand your goal a bit better. What kind of changes do you want to make? Is this something you want to do after you mix the cameras into one track? Are you looking at adding other elements to the project or modifying the look of the video clip? --Jim

For example - modify time of cut (change) from camera 1 to camera 2 after mix it into one track. Or make this changes (forward, backward on line) when I finished record in Multicam designer.

[@mrmaat]

Thanks for the tutorial.

[@SharperTurtle]

You are welcome. Hope you find many of the others helpful as well. --Jim

[@goranhaegermark4037]

Hi, I like your video very much. it is excellent! But how does it work if I use 4 video cameras. I experience that the different tracks consist of 4 - 6 separated clips. After the audio analysis each track will get one or more "holes" in it. I have learnt that Windows 10 automatically split a long take into 4 GB pieces. Is it possible to get rid of this problem to get full length tracks on the timeline? The original recording time was 1h20minutes in Full HD. Thank you in advance!

[@SharperTurtle]

Glad that you have found these tutorials helpful. If the 4GB file size is a limitation of Windows 10, I don't know how a developer could get around that. But I wonder if the same happens for those editing with Adobe Premier or Avid's Media Composer. If they don't face this issue, it may be something CyberLink could address. It's a technical issue that you might want to post on the CyberLink User Form for a response. Sorry I don't have the knowledge to understand the dynamics of that issue. --Jim

[@goranhaegermark4037]

@@SharperTurtle Hi again. I'm so Happy. A big problem for me is solved! I have also learnt that I can find many tips and tricks in your site. Thanks a lot!

[@phillwainewright4221]

I've used multi-cam a lot on music videos, but one thing I've noticed is that the clips don't appear to be in sync when I'm editing, but are perfectly lined up in the finished piece. It makes it difficult to know exactly when to switch cameras. Any idea how to fix this?

[@SharperTurtle]

Wow. I am not sure why that is happening with you. It could be a latency issue, but there are a lot of factors that play into that. Do you have the latest version of your sound card driver? Beyond that, I don't know how to pinpoint what might be causing that sync issue. In cases like this I often recommend putting your question out in the Cyberlink Forum. The people who respond there have a bigger handle on some of the technical stuff than most. --Jim

[@phillwainewright4221]

@@SharperTurtle Thanks for the reply. It's not the sound sync that's the problem - the sound lines up with whichever track I'm using for audio and I always apply audio analysis ... the actual videos in the four preview screens don't sync.

[@SharperTurtle]

Thanks for clarifying my misunderstanding. It sounds like the frames of the videos don't match from how you describe the issue. I'm not sure why that is the case. Wish I could be of more help. --Jim

[@htorres1stk]

Great tutorial...

[@SharperTurtle]

Henry, Thanks. Love to make the complex easy to understand. --Jim

[@okatin2422]

It seems clips were automatically switched in seconds. Can we select it manually ?

[@SharperTurtle]

I don't know what you mean by "manually". In this case the switching was manual, achieved by pressing the "1" or "2" key on the keyboard. --Jim

[@graphguy]

In PD 15 I select 4 media room clips and send them to multicam editor, select audio analysis and click 'Apply'. All good up to this point. ...Once the audio analysis is done, it automatically removed clip #2 and leaves just 3 clips. I can't figure out why. Clip #1 and Clip #2 are very similar taken from the basically same camera position, but with different zoom levels and slightly different elevations. Both are 10GB clips. But I can't figure out why clip #2 is automatically deleted. Is it because it is so similar as #1? Is it because of some size limitation? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[@SharperTurtle]

I haven't run into your issue but have been thinking about isolating what is going on. Can you try a project with only clip #2 and clip #1 and see if with just two options clip #2 is removed? Likewise, if you pair clip #2 with clip #3 will it cause #2 to disappear as is happening now? I don't know if the size of the clips are a factor or not. Wish I could be of more help. --Jim

[@graphguy]

Thanks for the reply Yes, this AM I did exactly that I tried multi-cam with Clip #1 and Clip #2 only and again it removes clip #2. The C1 and C2 were filmed on separate days of my daughter's solo at our church's Christmas choir performance. Both days I sat in relatively the same spot and filmed about 10GB worth of video. - Not that I think that has anything to do with this :) as c3 and c4 were the same thing but at different locations. Ok... just fishing as it seems very odd. I will try to edit the clips and then bring them back into multicam to see it it changes anything.

[@SharperTurtle]

Unexpected complications like that can be frustrating. Hopefully it will be ok with an edited version of clip #2 at some point. --Jim

[@FotoHysteria]

Thanks!

[@SharperTurtle]

You are welcome! --Jim

[@SharperTurtle]

You're welcome!

[@ianhinrichsendrummer2113]

Pity mobile can't do this