Overlapping Video Clips in the Timeline


Before you move any objects in the Timeline, it's a good idea to know what you are trying to accomplish. Your overall goal in this exercise is to dissolve (fade) from the first surf clip to the second. At the moment, the two video clips are aligned one after the other in the Timeline. That means that you'll see the first clip and then the second. To dissolve or fade from one clip to the next, they'll need to overlap. First, let's play the current project.

The Timeline includes a full-size playhead that extends vertically to play all tracks simultaneously. Previously, you've worked with the playhead in the mini-Timeline. The playhead in the Timeline works exactly the same way; it's just a larger version.

The Timeline also includes a Current Frame field that displays the current playhead position and can be used for playhead navigation. A handy timecode ruler displays the project timecode from the first frame to the last frame.

Let's play the project in the Timeline; then we'll overlap the second video clip.

1.

Press the spacebar to play the project in the Timeline and see it in the Canvas.

Notice that the playhead in the Timeline scrubs along the tracks as it plays.

2.

Press the spacebar to stop playback.

Objects in the Timeline are also referred to as clips, as in video clips. When you move a clip in the Timeline, all selected items move with it. When a clip is selected, it becomes a darker color. For example, both surf movie clips are currently selected in the Timeline, and both are a darker shade of blue. To deselect a clip, click the empty space below it in the Timeline.

3.

Click the empty space below the clips in the Timeline or press Shift-Cmd-A to deslect all elements in the project.

In the Timeline, let's check the timecode where the first clip ends and the second begins. To drag (scrub) the playhead, you need to drag the colored triangle on the timecode ruler. The point in the Timeline where one element ends and another begins is called the edit point.

4.

Drag the playhead to the beginning of the surf_2_SD_jpg movie clip (05;26).

If you have trouble moving the playhead to the beginning of the clip, you can always snap it into position. Snap? If you hold down the Shift key while you drag the playhead, the playhead will snap to the beginning or end of the elements in the Timeline. Let's try again.

5.

Click anywhere on the timecode ruler to jump the playhead to that position in the Timeline.

6.

Press and hold down Shift; then drag the playhead to the beginning of the surf_2_SD_jpg clip.

Snap.

A 1-second (30 frame) dissolve would look very nice as a transition from one video clip to the next. To create a 30-frame dissolve, you first need to make sure that the two clips overlap by at least 30 frames. Let's move the playhead 30 frames earlier in the Timeline and then drag the second surf clip to the new playhead position. Remember: To move the playhead 10 frames at a time, you hold down the Shift key and then press the right or left arrow key.

7.

Press Shift-left arrow three times to move the playhead left (reverse) a total of 30 frames, or 1 second. The new timecode position will be 4;26.

You can not only snap the playhead to elements in the Timeline, but also snap elements such as clips to the playhead. The playhead darkens when you snap something to it, to show that you've reached the playhead position. All you need to do is hold down the Shift key while you drag.

Before you drag the second surf clip, it's important to know exactly what you are supposed to drag. You want to drag the surf_2_SD_jpg clip that is in the surf_2_SD_jpg track. How do you know if you're on the right track (so to speak)? Just look at the name on the Layer list to the left of each track.

8.

Select the surf_2_SD_jpg clip in the Timeline; then Shift-drag it to the left until the clip snaps to the playhead.

The playhead darkens to show that you've snapped to the right position, and a tooltip window appears to show you that the new In point is 4;26, the new Out point is 9;25, and the amount of change is 1;00 (1 second earlier).



    Apple Pro Training Series Getting Started with Motion
    Apple Pro Training Series: Getting Started With Motion
    ISBN: 0321305337
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2005
    Pages: 283
    Authors: Mary Plummer

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