Syncing Picture and Audio

Picture and sound recorded separately (double system) must be synchronized prior to editing. This can be easily accomplished in either Avid or Final Cut.

1.) For both programs, import you audio and picture into separate bins. This will make it easier to keep things organized once you have synced everything up.

2.) Also for both programs, if you need to separate the takes out from a single long clip (such as if you have gotten a whole roll of film transferred to digital), you should do this first. Remember, you will be syncing audio to each take separately - so unless your picture is already split up after import, you will need to do this manually.

To separate takes from a single long clip:

Go through the clip, place In and Out points around each take (include the slate!), and make a 'subclip' (Avid: hold Option, and drag the image out of the Source window into your bin. OR click Subclip button:

; Final Cut Pro: Choose Modify-->Make Subclip, OR key Command-U.) A new clip is created, the content of which is only between the marks you made. There is no new media being made, only new clips. It is these subclips that you will sync audio to.

To sync:

AVID

At the bottom of the timeline, you will find the monitor toggle button ( ). Click this so it is highlighted green. Now the timeline will display the contents of the Source window, instead of the Record/Canvas window. This will be handy. Also, next to this button, there is a 'sandwich' menu button (

); use this to select Audio-->Sample Plot. This will show the waveform of your audio, and will also be handy.

2.) Load the audio into the Source window. If you followed the instructions for opening the Sample Plot above, you will see the waveform in the timeline. Find the audio peak that coincides with the clapper sound (or snap, or clap). Place your playhead exactly on that peak, and make an IN point (OUT if it's a tail slate).

3.) With your IN points now created on the picture and sound clips, Shift-select both clips in your bin. They should both be highlighted. Go to Bin-->Autosync . A menu will pop up asking you what point you wish to use for the sync mark - choose IN POINTS if you have been using head slates, OUT POINTS for tail slates. Click OK. A new clip will be created in your bin which contains your picture and audio combined in the sync relationship you established. It is THESE clips you will edit with. I suggest placing them in their own bin, labeled something like 'SYNC'.

FINAL CUT PRO

Almost exactly the same process as Avid.

1.) Load your picture in the Source window. Navigate to the frame where the clapper has just come together. Mark an IN point.

2.) Load your audio in the Source window. The waveform will display, making it simple to navigate to the frame which contains the audio peak of the clapper. Mark an IN point on the loudest peak of the clap.

3.) In the bin, Command-select the picture and sound clips you wish to sync (both should have IN points marked). Choose Modify-->Merge Clips. A menu will pop up asking what you wish to use to establish sync - select IN POINTS (as above, you can use OUT points for tail slates). When you click OK, a new 'merged' clip will be created in your bin, which contains picture and sound locked in the relationship you established. These will be the clips you edit with.

No new media is created in this process.