creating single video from two video sources at the same time

[AndyF]

I'm trying to figure out how to edit a video so that I have two videos playing side-by-side at the same time on the screen.

There's probably a magic box that takes two analog video feeds and can combine them. And there's probably a way to do it with digital video files.

I just don't know the technical term for what I'm trying to do; so, I'm having a hard time with google searches trying to find solutions.

Any clues anyone?


I know if I take two 4:3 video images and play them side-by-side, I'll have black space above and below the two videos so that they fit in a regluar 4:3 screen (it wouldn't be quite as noticeable on a 16:9 screen, but that'd be a bonus.).

I'd like to have two cameras shooting the same thing from two different vantage points and play them back at the same time; so, I can see what's going on at the same time from two different angles.

Thanks,
Andy

[mclear6]

split screen?

Sounds like you want to split the screen. I think you can do it with final cut pro for the mac...... but the program is a little pricey. I don't know if you can do it with Adobe Premier.

[plarval]

I'm looking for a simliar process. Imagine a wedding. I have a camera on the left side of the church and one on the right side. Then When i go to create the video, I want it to transition back and forth from the left and right (bride and groom). I could just put each video in it's own timeline and crop it, but I imagine that being a real pain if I want the sound to sync. Is there an easy way?

[jussi]

I'm trying to figure out how to edit a video so that I have two videos playing side-by-side at the same time on the screen.

There's probably a magic box that takes two analog video feeds and can combine them. And there's probably a way to do it with digital video files.

I just don't know the technical term for what I'm trying to do; so, I'm having a hard time with google searches trying to find solutions.

Any clues anyone?


I know if I take two 4:3 video images and play them side-by-side, I'll have black space above and below the two videos so that they fit in a regluar 4:3 screen (it wouldn't be quite as noticeable on a 16:9 screen, but that'd be a bonus.).

I'd like to have two cameras shooting the same thing from two different vantage points and play them back at the same time; so, I can see what's going on at the same time from two different angles.

Thanks,
Andy

Premiere Elements. It's a more stripped down version but should still work for something as simple as that. Currently $140.

[jussi]

I'm looking for a simliar process. Imagine a wedding. I have a camera on the left side of the church and one on the right side. Then When i go to create the video, I want it to transition back and forth from the left and right (bride and groom). I could just put each video in it's own timeline and crop it, but I imagine that being a real pain if I want the sound to sync. Is there an easy way?

I think so. Put each video in it's own timeline as you said and delete the audio of one of them (or just mute it out). Then move the video, who's audio you just deleted, until it syncs up with the remaining audio.

[drumpriest]

I have done quite a lot of multi-cam shooting, and usually go with a separate audio source when I do it. Often for recording band performances, but I've also done weddings and the like. To sync up the sources, use a clap board, or a ghetto clapboard, which is anything that can be seen from all cameras at the same time, and quickly generates a sound spike. Your audio track and video track will be out of sync by the difference in time it takes for light to get to the cameras vs sound to get to your recording device, ie not enough to worry about...

Then in your favorite video editor, scrub the tracks (move the start point to where the clap board hit occurs), and scrub the audio (same thing, but to the sound spike)

I use an actual clap board, but you can use a set of drumsticks to do the same trick.

Now that sync is good, the main question is doing something like picture in picture. Or you could have the option of multiple camera sources on your DVD if your authoring software supports that. Adobe After effects can also be used to have the videos really be side by side and the same size.

One more point about sync, I've had to change DV tapes mid shoot as well, and you can often take a queue from the footage to resync those sources, in weddings look for flash photography, it's a good way to sync the videos again. So long as you don't stop all of the cams at the same time, you can resync the video and it'll be in sync with the audio.

[AndyF]

Thanks everyone!

"Split screen" and "picture-in-picture" are what I was looking for!

Most of my previous searches produced video surveillanace software. A possible solution for what I want to do since I want to arrange the video in a 1x2 or 2x2 matrix. Just don't know how to sync the videos with those systems.


I like the idea of a clap-board or a flash of light to sync the videos. Thanks Drumpriest!


Trying to search for solutions to use with what I have (Microsoft Movie Maker for Vista) has produced:
http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Main_Page
http://www.papajohn.org/
http://www.rehanfx.org/pipplus.htm
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=129385
http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/Pa...h_Project.aspx

Now to find time to play with these...



Thanks again,

[drumpriest]

Woo hoo, I helped! Always a great feeling, good luck Andy!