As the trend to abandon video tape in favor of file-based camera recording systems continues, the need to back up your files becomes that much more pressing. Allowing camera original footage to reside on a single hard disc without backup is inviting disaster. And typically the question isn't if the drive will fail, rather the question is "When?".Fortunately, the price of big hard drives continues to plummet and there are software solutions that are cheap, reliable and easy to use. For instance, a Seagate 1.5 TB USB 2.0 drive goes for under $230. (If you're used to using a firewire drive for editing, this isn't necessary for a backup drive. USB 2.0 is plenty fast and the addition of a firewire port can boost the price.)
For software, you can check out memeo's autosync. I use it to maintain a duplicate of any project I'm working on. Once the initial sync has run, the program only backs up changes you've made which is usually a quick process. Also since it's syncing the drive, there is no file compression introduced. Backup compression isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if I need to restore a file it only entail a simple copy procedure.
At $30 it's also cheap and offers peace of mind and huge labor savings when the hard drive catastrophes occur.
Here's an informative tour of Premiere Pro CS4 by Adobe's Senior Business Development Manager for Video and Imaging Products, Dave Helmly. You can check out his blog, DAV’s Tech Table here.
The video demonstrates Premiere Pro CS4's support for AVCHD as well as the application's tight integration with After Effects and Adobe Encore.
Here's the lowdown on the latest iteration of Adobe Premiere Pro CS4. You can review Adobe's PDF on the subject here. Now that Premiere Pro supports AVCHD, I expect that Premiere Elements won't be far behind.
If you're in the market, the knowledgeable Videoguys are running a great upgrade special on the Matrox RTX.2 LE bundled with Premiere CS3. You get CS4 when it's released at no extra charge. (No I don't get any kickbacks from Videoguys. I just like working with vendors who know their stuff and treat customers as humans.)
- Tapeless camera support
Edit video natively in the latest tapeless formats, including AVCHD, P2, XDCAM EX, and XDCAM HD, without transcoding or rewrapping. Browse your drives and removable media from inside Adobe Premiere Pro to find, log, and import footage.
- Batch encoding in the background
Save time with Adobe Media Encoder, a separate included software application that automates the process of creating multiple encoded versions of your source files and sequences. Manage priorities and control advanced settings for individual files.
- Dynamic workflow with other Adobe tools
Achieve a high level of productivity from production to delivery with the tightly integrated toolset in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4. Eliminate intermediate rendering when moving sequences into Adobe Encore CS4 software, and take advantage of new support for Adobe Photoshop files with video and blend modes.
- Direct-to-disk recording with cross-platform, redesigned Adobe OnLocation CS4
Get critical monitoring information while you record directly to disk with Adobe OnLocation CS4 software, now cross-platform with a new Adobe-standard interface. Save time and take the tedium out of logging with shot lists and metadata-based project intelligence.
- End-to-end metadata workflow
Easily add metadata to clips both on set with Adobe OnLocation and while editing using Adobe Premiere Pro, for greater project intelligence. Use speech recognition technology to create text-based metadata that helps you organize and find your assets more efficiently during editing. Finally, pass the metadata through export for publishing to the web, enabling searchable video and helping to unlock new revenue streams.
- Editing efficiency
Take advantage of more than 50 of the most requested editing enhancements to make your workflow more efficient. Apply effects to multiple selections, get timecode information faster, speed work in the timeline with new keyboard shortcuts, and more.
- Speech Search
Turn spoken dialogue into text-based, timecode-accurate, searchable metadata. Jump to a specific area of a shot by searching for keywords within the dialogue, and then use keywords to quickly locate and display what you’re looking for—or even cut video based on the script.
- Faster, customizable SWF output
Create SWF file versions of your DVD and Blu-ray projects for the web, complete with DVD interactivity, menus, URL links, and customizable HTML templates, without opening another application. Export for streaming or progressive download, and reduce encode time by using optimized encode settings in Adobe Media Encoder.
- Resource Central
Access product-related news and tutorials online by using the Resource Central panel in Adobe Premiere Pro and Encore.
Here's a link to the BBC's video training site, Good Shooting Guide: The Basic Principles.
In the U.S., we may only associate the BBC with PBS import programs and public radio news, but media training is an important part of the BBC's mission.
Be sure to take the time to review the entire offerings of the BBC's Training and Development web site. There's plenty of great information on journalism and storytelling techniques for TV, radio and the Internet.
