Basic workflow - Encore/PREL/PPRO

[Spot]

Hi guys,
I have just gotten a couple of hours of standard & super 8mm cine film converted to dv-avi. I now want to make a couple of quick DVD's with a simple menu system (and a play-all option) so my parents can review it all.
The idea being that I will then video them watching the footage, capture it all and then do a documentary style movie cutting in and out of video and narrative.
Anyway I would like some advice on the best way to do this. Should I go direct to Encore with the avi's or put them on a timeline within PPRO or PREL and then import into Encore?
Cheers
JohnB

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Hello JohnB,

It really depends on whether you want to do any additional editing. If not, then after capture, import the AVIs as timelines directly into Encore.

[Chuck Engels]

I would go directly to Encore with the AVI files if you just want to create a quick DVD with a simple menu.

[Bill Hunt]

I agree with Chuck. Even for simple Projects, I like the flexibility of Encore, over doing the job in Premiere Pro2 (offered a turn-key DVD solution, rather like PE does).

One thing that you might want to do, when you are doing the new video footage of your parents actually watching the old films (converted), is to shoot some images of the TV set, that they are watching. I'd add a segment of Black Video (on its own Sequence in PPro and on its own Timeline in Encore. Navigate to this, to get a black image on the TV, while you shoot these cut-aways of the set. Then, when you edit your documentary, you can insert footage from the old films, using Track Matte, to get a good, sharp picture "displaying" on the TV screen. This also allows you to drop in any bit of footage from the old films, to match up with any audio of them viewing. For instance, if they are watching and commenting on your 10th birthday, you can use the cut-away of the TV and just drop in some of that particular footage. The image on the TV screen (or appearing to be on the TV screen) will be better than shooting the TV with the DVD material showing. It'll also keep you from having to re-cue the DVD, to get exactly what you want to sync with their conversation - this can be easily done in post.

Maybe do several angles of the TV, say your mother's POV, your father's POV and then some general angles for the cut-aways.

Sounds like a great project - have fun,

Hunt

[Spot]

Thanks gurus! I will now just go straight to Encore. Especially now that I have just spent some time reading about Playlists (which look like a very powerful feature) so that I can do a "play-all".

Bill, thanks heaps for the tips on taking some shots of the TV screen! That's a brilliant idea and I'm already thinking of the possibilities!

I'm really looking forward to this project as some of the cine is late 1950s & early 1960s vintage. My parents have not seen this for many years and I'm sure the screening will be quite emotional for them. I'm planning to do some video biography type stuff with them also which will fit in with this nicely.

cheers
JohnB

[Chuck Engels]

Be sure to catch this write up from Hunt
viewtopic.php?p=31575#p31575

If you think Playlists are cool, just wait until you learn about Chapter Playlists