Hack 49. Add Bookmarks to Your Movie

Both QuickTime and Windows Media have a feature to allow viewers to jump to specific points in a video. Using this feature, you can create a casting reel for your movie.

When casting for a movie, you have to audition a lot of people. Even after narrowing down your list of candidates, you still want to view their auditions easily. You might even want to distribute video to your colleagues for their input. You can either pass along one videotape or DVD per candidate, or you can create a single digital video file and allow people to jump from one candidate to another easily.

To enable people to move from one section of video to another, you need to create locators in the video. In QuickTime these locators are called chapters, and in Windows Media they are called markers. For the sake of consistency, I will refer to them as bookmarks when referring to their use in both systems.

Although both QuickTime and Windows Media provide functionality for bookmarks, the way you create them is completely different in each platform. For QuickTime, you use QuickTime Pro (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/upgrade/; $29.99) and a text editor. For Windows Media, you use the Windows Media File Editor, which is a part of the Windows Media Encoder 9 Series of tools available from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx; free). If you plan on distributing both types of video, you can use Discreet's cleaner (http://www.discreet.com/products/cleaner; $549) to create bookmarks and have both types of video created from it.

If you are using Final Cut Pro or Premiere to edit, you can easily create chapters using markers within your editing system. After adding the appropriate markers, your bookmarks will automatically be included when exporting your sequence to a compatible media format.

Within Final Cut, you can to edit a marker by choosing Mark Markers Edit… Then, you can type <CHAPTER> in the Comment text box or click the Add Chapter Marker button.

Within Premiere, you can edit a marker by selecting Marker Edit Sequence Marker… Then, you simply enter the chapters title in the Chapter text field.

4.12.1. Creating Chapters Using QuickTime Pro

If you have QuickTime and a text editor installed on your computer, you have the tools to create a chapter track. However, you will need to upgrade QuickTime Pro to unlock the features necessary to create chapter tracks. Upgrading also unlocks the ability to perform minor editing, apply filters and effects [Hack #89], export movies for use on a cell phone , and a slew of other features.

4.12.1.1. Creating a chapter list

To create the chapter track, you need to create a list of chapters you would like people to be able to access. Using a text editor, such as Text Edit, simply create a list of chapters, each separated by a line break.

For example, on a casting reel, you would create a chapter for each actor, most likely by name:

Oxford Wells

Tony Clark

Rich Gable

Joey Harper

After creating your list, save it as a text file.

After you have created your initial chapter list, launch QuickTime Player, choose File Import…, and then select the text file containing your chapters. This action will import the text file and create a QuickTime movie from it. Figure 4-21 shows a text file, as imported by QuickTime Player.

Figure 4-21. An imported text file for use as a chapter track

Oddly enough, immediately after importing the chapter list, you need to export it. Selecting File Export opens an export window with a few options. The configuration of these options is important, because they will affect the chapter track.

Select Export Text to Text, and then choose Use Text with Descriptors from the available pop-up menus to create an appropriate text file. Additionally, you should click the Options… button and select to Show Text, Descriptors, and Time. Also select "Show time relative to start of:" Movie and "Show fractions of seconds as:" 1/30 from the Options window, as shown in Figure 4-22.

4.12.1.2. Editing a text descriptor file

After exporting the QuickTime descriptors file, you need to open the file in a text editor. You also need to open the movie you want to add the chapter track to in QuickTime Player. Once the movie is opened in QuickTime Player, choose Movie Get Movie Properties and then select Movie from the first pop-up menu and Time from the second pop-up menu.

Figure 4-22. Text Export Settings as configured for chapter track use

When you open the text file, as exported from QuickTime Player, you will notice a bunch of words and numbers enclosed in braces and brackets, as well as a particular format to the text. Do not alter any of the information except for the time-code inside the brackets ([]) and the respective chapter title, unless you feel comfortable experimenting. For example, the following is for a chapter at 00:11:10.08 and titled Tony Clark:

[00:11:10.08]

{textBox: 0, 0, 50, 160}Tony Clark

Take note that the timecode is formatted as [HH:MM:SS.FF] and the title of the chapter appears on the line below the time-code, just after some QuickTime required formatting.

The Properties window displays the Current Time (where you are in the movie's timeline), the Duration of the movie, and the Selection Start and Duration times, which is basically representative of In and Out points. As you change your location in the timeline of the movie, the Current Time will change accordingly.

When you have found a position where you would like a viewer to jump to, such as the beginning of a person's audition, type the Current Time into the appropriate location in your text file. You should continue the process of locating the time and typing it, until you have entered information for all of the chapters in your movie. Figure 4-23 shows a movie, its Properties window, and a text file being edited for use as a chapter track.

Figure 4-23. Creating a chapter track as a text file

You cannot have times in your chapter track run out of order. Therefore, if your initial list is not in the same order as your video, you need to rearrange the list as necessary. For example, if you initially had Joey Harper listed first, but discover he appears fourth in the video, you need to move his name to fourth in the list.

The last timecode in your text file should be the duration of the movie. So, if your movie's Duration is 00:39:35.00, enter your final timecode as [00:39:35. 00]. When you're finished, save your text file and then import it into QuickTime Player by choosing File Import… and selecting that file from the dialog box.

4.12.1.3. Creating a chapter track from a descriptors file

After importing your descriptor file into QuickTime Player, choose Edit Select All and then Edit Copy.

Then, paste the copied movie into the movie you would like to add the chapter track. Selecting the movie and then choosing Edit Add Scaled enables your movie to use the imported text as a chapter track.

In the Properties window of your movie, choose your newly added Text Track from the first pop-up menu and Make Chapter from the second pop-up menu. Then, click the Set Chapter Owner Track button and select either the audio or video track as the Owner. Figure 4-24 shows the Properties window with a newly created chapter track.

Figure 4-24. A newly created chapter track with a Video Track owner

A feature called Preloading makes sure your chapter track loads before your movie does. Although QuickTime Player might automatically enable Preloading on your chapter track, you should make sure it is enabled. From the second pop-up menu in the Properties window, select Preload and make sure the Preload checkbox is checked.

4.12.1.4. Finalizing a movie with a chapter track

After creating the chapter track, you will notice a small pop-up menu inside your movie's window. As shown in Figure 4-25, this pop-up contains the chapter titles and will allow a viewer to easily jump from one section of your movie to another. You will also notice that there is a small black box in the corner of your movie with the title of each chapter.

You most likely don't want the side effect of the black box, so you can turn it off by choosing Edit Enable Tracks and turning off the Text Track. Then, use the chapter track pop-up to jump from one place in your movie to another, to make sure it works as you expect. If it does not, you will need to repeat the process until it does and pay careful attention to the timecodes you enter as well as their respective chapter titles.

Figure 4-25. A chapter track with an annoying black box in the corner

When you are satisfied with your movie, choose File Save As… and select the "Make movie self-contained radio button. Whew! That was fun.

4.12.2. Creating Markers Using the Windows Media File Editor

The Windows Media File Editor is installed, along with a suite of other applications, when you download and install the Windows Media Encoder 9 Series of tools. Using the File Editor is straightforward, but it does require your video to be in the correct format, either WMV or ASF. Within the application, you can also add commands to display text, open applications, open URLs, or perform other scripting events.

4.12.2.1. Opening a video

After launching Windows Media File Editor, you need to open a video file to edit. To do so, choose File Open… and locate your movie. The application opens Windows Media Files (.wma extensions) or ASF files only. If your video is in another format, you'll need to transcode it [Hack #29] You can also transcode between various Windows Media formats using Microsoft's Windows Media Encoder 9 Series. Figure 4-26 shows a Windows Media Video named Audition being opened using Windows Media File Editor.

Figure 4-26. Opening a video using Windows Media File Editor

After opening your video, you can play it just as you would in a media player. However, this is more than a media player, so you will notice that you can add markers, add script commands, and enter information for various attributes like the Title, Author, and Copyright information.

4.12.2.2. Adding the markers

To add markers, scan the video and stop at a point where you would like to add a marker. Then, click the Markers… button to open the Markers window. If you know the times for each marker you would like to add, you will be able to add your markers a lot faster.

The Markers window provides a list of all the markers associated with the video file. Clicking on the Add button brings up a dialog box to enter the Marker Properties for both the Name and Time. The current time (where you are in your movie) will be entered in the Time field, so the only thing you need to do is enter the Name for the specific marker, such as an actor's name. Figure 4-27 shows a marker with the Name of Joey Harper and the Time of 00:36:26.1 being entered.

When you have entered the Name and Time, click the OK button to close the Marker Properties window. If you do not know the time for any additional markers, click the OK button to close the Markers window and locate the next point in your movie. You will need to repeat the process for each marker you would like to add.

Figure 4-27. Editing the properties for a marker

4.12.2.3. Saving a marked movie

After entering all of your markers, you need to save your video file. To save the markers inside the current file, choose File Save and Index. This will save your markers to the video file you are currently working on.

After you've saved and indexed your movie, you will be able to jump from one marker to another by choosing View File Markers and choosing a marker. Figure 4-28 shows the markers for the actors in the Audition video.

If you would like to save your movie in a different format, choose File Save As and Index. Performing the Save As function enables you to export your video as either a Windows Media file or an ASF file. Although not a big deal, and limited, it is a nice feature to know about when its needed.

4.12.3. Using cleaner to Create Bookmarks

If you own Discreet's cleaner, and you want an easier-to-understand solution, or you plan on distributing both QuickTime and Windows Media files, using cleaner to create bookmarks is the perfect solution. cleaner refers to the feature as a chapter event.

Figure 4-28. File markers available through Windows Media Player

To begin, launch cleaner and simply drag the movie you would like to work with to the Batch window. Then, choose Windows Project or double-click on the movies icon to activate the Project window.

From the Project window, click the EventStream tab and then click the Edit button, which brings up the EventStream window, allowing you to add the Chapter information. Figure 4-29 shows chapters being added to a movie using EventStream.

To create a new chapter, locate the position on the movie's timeline (in the Project window) where you would like the Chapter to start. Then, in the EventStream window, click the Add button and select Chapter (QT, WM) from the pop-up menu. cleaner will automatically enter the Start time for you, so you just need to type the Text entry as you would like it to appear in your movie's chapter list.

Merely continue the process of locating the start time, clicking the Add button, and adding Text until you have added all of the chapters you want. When you have finished, click the Save button and close the EventStream window.

Figure 4-29. Adding a chapter using cleaner

To create your final movie, choose Batch Encode or click the Start button in the Batch window.

That's all you need to do with cleaner straightforward and easy.

4.12.4. Hacking the Hack

Just because I've presented this for use as a casting-reel solution doesn't mean it's limited to such use. You can create a video catalog, where people can jump to various products. Or, you can create a how-to video, where viewers can jump from one step to the next.

If you want to get creative, you can combine the bookmark feature along with the ability to open a URL [Hack #84] and open a web page related to the scene in the movie. For example, if you have created a video catalog, when a user is presented with an item on screen, a web page could open with details about the item, such as the current price or ordering information. You can also take your approach one step further by creating an interactive video catalog [Hack #47].