DV tapes workflow advice

I would welcome some guidance please on my work procedure. I film music gigs, and documentaries onto two cameras using DV tapes. The cameras are not time linked /coded. My procedure is to capture the complete DV tapes, then go through each using Markers to split into say the individual tunes.
Then if it is possible I multiclip each music clip and choose which camera angle to end up with a movie for exporting. I only select one sound source or import a separate audio recording.

My main problems encountered are:
1. the colours of the two cameras often contrast greatly and require 'matching'.
2. I'm uncertain how to 'clean up' a subclip ie get rid of the chatter before and applauds after the music.
3. I end up with not only the original clip but several subclass to archive.

With 1 & 2 I seem to have to repeat the work as if the first attempt's work hasn't been saved.
The procedure used is once the markers have been placed in the original clip, I select these in the browser and make subclass. With each subclip I then move this to the canvas and work on it - filter and in and out points. However I think there is another step I'm missing when I finish this, as if I then move another subclip into the canvas and later go back to the previous one - by dragging it into the canvas or the timeline, my edits haven't been saved.
Q: Should I after editing in the Canvas move the clip back into the browser window - renaming it, and delete (or move to an unwanted bin), the original subclip?
Thank you

MBP 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 8MB Ram - Snow Leopard 10.6.8 - FCP 7.0.3 (Studio)

1. Colour balance your cameras. Normally, you would make sure to use two of the same brand and model of camera, but at the very least, you would make sure they match as closely as possible before you shoot.

2. You mean how to cut? I don't even really understand this question. You remove the parts of the video you don't want to see or hear with the blade tool if it's already on the timeline, or with the in/out marks in the views before adding them to the timeline.

3. What does 'subclass' mean?

"With 1 & 2 I seem to have to repeat the work as if the first attempt's work hasn't been saved. " You mean, you do colour correction and then have to redo it because it's somehow not saved? Are you sure you're loading and changing the correct clips from the timeline to the viewer? If you're not seeing the changes you make to the clip you have selected on the timeline in the canvas, with your playhead over the clip in the timeline, you're doing it wrong. Make sure to double click the clip on the timeline to load it into the viewer, then make changes to that clip.

Why are you using sub clips? If you shot multi cam, then cut it as multi cam. It seems to me that you're making this way more complicated that you need it to be. Do some research on cutting multi cam in FCP and I think you'll be in a lot less trouble, as will your clients.

It looks like you haven't been taught the principles of editing software. You can probably benefit from having an in-person class. The kinds of workarounds you come up with when you don't have the basics down will cost you a lot of wasted effort and time. There are easier and more sound ways to do things.


www.derekmok.com

Thank you both for your comments. Knowing now to search for 'multi cam' has opened up a wealth of material for me to read. I agree I do need to understand the basics, and being self taught does have its limitations, especially when the software manuals assume you have this basic foundation.
May I suggest that you could use your expertise and put together a list of sources of information for the self taught novices to work through. Unfortunately my area is very rural and therefore the internet is a blessing, even with its patchy coverage. I appreciate that with time, a word or a phrase will mean so much, but the initial steps required to gain this knowledge appear immense.

Jude, thank you for your help. I apologise for having asked what appears to have been a stupid question. Regarding the cutting with the blade - yes I can do this but I am still left with the original media clip (a copy of the entire DV tape) plus an edited timeline version.
What I would like to do is to split the original tape copy into sections and then edit each section, cutting out any 'bad' or unwanted parts and keep the result in its entirety, even replacing the original media clip. I considered exporting the 'edited section' as its own movie but was advised against this. Can you advise how I can save the edited timeline section so that I can reuse this in one or more projects/videos later?
Thank you

Do a search for 'Media management' and find some tutorials. There are workflows specifically designed for this. Also, there are tons of classes you can take online - some free, but the better ones cost a nominal amount. Worth a look because when your work starts getting more complicated or something goes wrong, it helps to have a solid base to stand on.

As the others have mentioned you need a look at some of the fundamentals. Most editing consists of taking individual clips and building a story on the timeline.

Your works seems to be more along the lines of cleaning up single clips. Sometimes referred to as "tops and tails" for the process of cleaning up only the beginning and end of the clips. As you have seen if you work on a clip on the timeline, the changes you make to it are unique to that timeline, they do not effect the source clip in your bin. If you want to keep the changes in the bin you must drag the clip back.

Here are a couple of great resources to get you headed in the right direction.

[www.amazon.com]

Diana Weynand's book is an official Apple resource for beginning editors. It is clearly aimed at folks just starting with the software.

[www.lynda.com]

Lynda.com has thousands of tutorial videos on all aspects of audio and visual communications. There are several courses there for people starting out with Final Cut, as well as others that you will find useful as you gain more experience.

There are many other resources from a large group of training folks available as well. At one time they were available here in the "store" tab, however the state of California put the kibosh on that a few months ago.

Good luck.

Hey, what happen to Shane Ross and that great media management series for FCP? Maybe he will give you a copy. Its pretty good.

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"

Editing: selection, arrangement, pacing. Learn each.

- Loren

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