Specifications

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A Digital Video Primer
Good housekeeping
In professional production environments, aer a video project has been completed, it is typically
cleared from the editing system to make room for new work. Because the multigigabyte storage
media that would be needed is costly, and the process of uploading can be very time-consuming,
projects and source les are not usually saved in their entirety. If you do want to save your entire
project, you can trim unused frames from some or all of your source clips and remove unused
clips in their entirety from Project Bins.
Typically, however, a digital master le is exported and archived, the original raw footage is
stored on tapes, and an EDL is saved. If the project needs to be revised later, the master le can
oen be edited. For more extensive repurposing, the EDL can be used to recapture the necessary
clips from the original tapes. Files used to develop titles, graphics, and animations, as well as
portions of the project that have undergone extreme manipulation to achieve special eects can
also be archived.
Today, more and more production professionals are exporting AAF les, rather than EDLs, to
archive or exchange projects. AAF is a widely supported industry standard for high-end
exchange of data, such as the information necessary to transfer a video project from one platform
to another. An AAF le helps you preserve as much of the project’s integrity as possible when
you transfer it to another system. However, not all elements of a project can be successfully
transferred using AAF. Also, the application you use to open the AAF le may not support all
features. In general, an AAF le dependably translates editing data and commonly used transi-
tions, such as cross-dissolves and wipes, but does not support eects (lters) or audio fade and
pan information, including audio transitions.
Exporting to videotape
You can record your edited program onto videotape directly from your computer. is process
can be as simple as playing the timeline and recording on a connected device. When you record
standard DV video back to standard DV tape, all that is required is an IEEE 1394 connection.
However, if you plan to record DV audio and video to an analog format, such as VHS tape, you’ll
need a device that can convert DV to analog using the connectors supported by your analog
video recorder. Most DV cameras and all DV video tape recorders are capable of this conver-
sion; some DV cameras require you to record the video to DV tape, then copy the DV tape to the
analog video recorder.
Exporting to digital files
You can prepare variations of a program or clip for a variety of dierent uses. For example, you
can create separate versions for DVD distribution and web viewing. Adobe Premiere Pro and
Aer Eects both oer built-in support for exporting the following digital video le formats:
Microso AVI, Animated GIF, QuickTime, MPEG-1 and -2, as well RealMedia and Windows
Media les for the web. Aer Eects also exports Adobe Flash (SWF) les. Several audio-only
formats and a variety of still-image and sequence formats are also supported by both applica-
tions. Additional le formats may be available if provided with your video capture card or if you
add third-party plug-in soware.
To start the export process, you enter settings that determine the properties of the nal le.
ese settings may include the data rate for playback, the color depth, the frame size and frame
rate, the quality, and what type of compression method, or codec, to use. Choosing compression
settings is a balancing act that varies depending on the type of video material, the target deliv-
ery format, and the intended audience. Oen, you discover the optimal compression settings
through trial and error. Prior to distribution, you should always test the les you export on the
type of platform or equipment you expect your audience to use.
Web video
e web is rapidly gaining importance as a vehicle for distributing video content. From training
programs, to sharing the experience of personal events such as weddings, to full-length feature
lms, video delivered via the Internet or a corporate intranet is big business.
DVD
Adobe Encore DVD adds creative authoring for professional DVD production to the Adobe
Production Studio solution set. To learn more about DVD production and Adobe Encore DVD,
take a look at the Adobe DVD Primer on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/motion/
primers.html.