Pro Tools Pointers #2
Procedural Tips
by Dave Whittaker
1.
With FX and DIA do all mod-matching and track work in two or three dedicated "working tracks" (analogous to open gangs in a sync block or Moviola) then move completed work into final tracks below (place W.T. at the very top). This way you've always got plenty of room to work and no danger of accidentally shifting or damaging completed work.
2.
With BG's that will need splitting for perspective, cut all that you're going to cut, full-length first, then copy them all as a group to the tracks where they will play o.s. Group each set of tracks and then go through the scene and checkerboard the required deletions using "start" and "end" boxes at the top of the screen.
3.
With B.G's I suggest not doing any fade ins or outs until the reel is done. Then it's easy to do a fade on all regions that play together:
- Group tracks together
- Place insertion point with Select tool ahead (or behind) regions needing a fade
- Shift -(Opt)- Tab to select up to or back to regions
- Add (or subtract) one frame using Start (or End) boxes at top
Execute the desired Fade. Use QuickKeys to write F.I. and F.O. sequences and all you have to do is group the tracks and place the insertion point. Then this task goes really fast.
4.
Unless you're conforming, make a habit of never using Shuffle mode in a track of completed work - only use it in a "working track". Then you'll never shift a region down the Timeline by accident and you can avoid the time-consuming hassle of Locking and Unlocking.
5.
If you lose relative sync between two halves of a stereo pair, but no trimming or editing has been done, Select one of the regions, then click with the Grabber on the other while holding Control down. The clicked region will line up with the first one like magic.
Dave Whittaker is currently at Weddington Productions which is now an all-Pro-Tools facility.
He has been working on Pro-Tools for 3 years, ever since mothballing his Moviola.
Reprinted from
The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter
Vol. 16, No. 5 - Sept/Oct 1995.