How to Avoid Timeline Chaos in Avid and Premiere With Sync Locks

Sync Locks are coaching wheels. You have to grasp your timeline

Anonymous Avid Editor

The Situation

I’m chopping a movie and we’re near having the director’s lower accomplished. It’s 105 minutes lengthy and pretty complicated: I’m utilizing Avid Media Composer due to its unmatched energy in relation to collaborative initiatives. I’ve 26 tracks of audio and 5 tracks of video in my timeline. The first and final scenes have each particularly bought plenty of audio and video tracks, as do a number of the scenes in the course of the movie.

The director desires to vary a scene in the course of the movie, one of many complicated ones. This scene has dialog, SFX, buzzes and a few music tracks that correspond to particular hit factors within the movie. The director desires so as to add in just a few photographs and lengthen the montage a part of this scene.

There are numerous methods to do that, however in fact, the primary factor it is advisable to do is hold every part else in the correct place. You can’t afford to begin trimming in the course of your lower willy-nilly if you happen to’re not 100% positive that every part else in your timeline goes to be the place you need it to be. That’s the place “Sync Lock” is available in.

What precisely is a sync lock?

In the early days of non-linear modifying, the programs have been designed to emulate a flatbed for movie modifying. The tracks have been all ‘unlocked’. In different phrases, if you happen to have been including or eradicating time, you needed to be sure to have been doing it throughout all of the tracks you wished to regulate. If you solely had your video observe chosen and also you deleted a while, it could solely have an effect on your video layer, bumping every part else out of sync.

Sync locks help you lock sure tracks collectively in an effort to hold them in sync with one another. Some NLE programs do that routinely, like the magnetic timeline in FCP X, however there are many events the place you don’t need them locked collectively.

In Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro, you can too LOCK your precise tracks which prevents them from transferring whenever you’re trimming. This primarily is the other of a sync lock: sync lock will lock tracks to one another so they’ll transfer with one another. Locking tracks will stop them from transferring when you transfer every part else.

The first NLE I used was a Lightworks with 4 (sure, 4) audio tracks and one (1) video observe. We used to like doing three-way dissolves by doing a dissolve within the NLE, taking part in that dissolve to U-matic tape and digitizing it once more so we might dissolve from that digitized ‘thing’ to a brand new shot. One editor I assisted used to really identify his clips ‘thing’, on the NLE, making my life as an assistant fairly tough. (I feel there was one thing mistaken with me as a result of I beloved working with him!)

I then began utilizing Avid on commercials with much more audio and video tracks, however I didn’t use the sync lock performance in any respect. Not as a result of business cuts are easy—removed from it—however as a result of they’re brief sufficient which you could see what you want at a look.

Also, plenty of TV commercials are music-driven, and the size is strictly adhered to. So usually you place down parts that you just wish to hold in place: music, VO and titles are some examples. Unlike most types of modifying, I want these parts to remain in place whereas I trim the others, and I by no means need them to maneuver.

A business timeline would possibly seem like this:

As you’ll be able to see, a number of the gadgets want to remain the place they’re. The music have to be 60 sec lengthy (usually it’s a pilot observe that’s already been composed to the proper length), the top title must be 3 seconds lengthy, and the packshot and title has to come back over that. But the sound results and dialogue are particular to the photographs that I’ve positioned them with. I need these to remain in sync with their clips. So on this instance, I’d work with a Media Composer timeline that appears like this:

In the early days of Avid, I don’t suppose there even have been sync locks, however, if there have been, the default was for them to be switched off (this has now modified).

If you wished to make use of Trim Mode to trim a lower level, you needed to be sure to chosen all the proper trim factors to maintain every part the place you wished it. Here’s a trim with Sync Locks OFF.

In the above screenshot, I needed to manually choose all of the tracks that I wished to maneuver and ensure I had a trim curler on each in order that they keep in sync with the precise photographs I used to be trimming.

In Media Composer, if I do the identical trim with Sync Locks ON, the NLE will give me ghost rollers on the tracks with Sync Lock, like this:

Trimming like this includes rather a lot much less clicking and rather a lot much less decision-making. You simply trim the place you wish to and every part stays in sync that you really want to remain in sync whereas every part else stays in place precisely the place you need it.

What all editors would argue for, when defending their very own selection of NLE (and their very own choice of utilizing sync locks), is the necessity to have the ability to make adjustments to the lower, rapidly and intuitively, with out having to suppose an excessive amount of about which button to press or find out how to go about attaining the specified consequence.

This actually quantities to muscle reminiscence and a familiarity with the content material, however when your initiatives get large and sophisticated, you actually should be grasp of your total timeline.

Staying in Sync: Sync Locks on

This is my default manner of working for the time being, and doubtless a really acquainted one for many editors.

I’m working in Premiere on a mockumentary with episodes of roughly 25 minutes. Not the longest factor I’ve ever labored on, however lengthy sufficient and sophisticated sufficient that I’ll have some scenes down the road the place I need all of the video to remain in time with the music and sound results that I’ve rigorously positioned. Also, actually not 24+ audio tracks, however it’s sufficient to must hold observe of what’s being affected downstream whereas I tweak someplace within the center.

My Premiere timeline would possibly seem like this:

Close up, I could have a scene like this, someplace in the course of the episode:

The director desires so as to add just a few photographs to the center of the scene. I’ll in all probability add the photographs first, then come again and tighten.

If I merely insert the brand new shot, what occurs to my music? Obviously, it will get a gap in it, which makes a fast playback of those new photographs inconceivable. Dealing with that is simple:

I merely transfer the music tracks right down to the bottom observe (19) which I at all times hold empty (In Premiere that is easy- Alt+down arrow).

I lock this observe in order that my music is unaffected, then work on the lower, including and trimming till the director is glad. Before I transfer on, I could have to repair the music edit as a result of it’s in all probability not ending in the correct place. In this case I merely take the prevailing finish and transfer it later, then backtime that lower level. You can see that there’s a a part of the music which goes to repeat, however for now I at the least have steady music. The alternate is to lock every part else besides the music and work on the music edit then put it again in place, increased up within the tracks. I’ve shortcuts for locking all video tracks or locking all audio tracks to save lots of clicking, however you can too SHIFT+click on one of many lock icons to lock/unlock all tracks.

So far, so good. There are just a few variations on this, however I discover that’s the most typical manner I do it.

In Premiere I’ve one other related possibility: I can swap off sync locks on observe 18 as a substitute of locking the observe. The sync lock icon is subsequent to the observe mild indicator). This will enable me to work on the remainder of the lower with out affecting the music. Mostly I exploit insert edits to get the photographs into place, then Ripple Trim on a shortcut to rapidly begin or finish a shot on the precise body I’m parked on, adopted by trim mode the place I’ll loop the lower level to optimize it.

The drawback with utilizing this technique in Premiere is that after I trim the sequence of photographs, I have to use TRIM MODE however can’t use Top and Tail, in any other case some music can also be deleted. And after I come again to repair the music, all the opposite tracks are affected when I attempt to use trim mode or insert/ delete. Not very elegant.

On Media Composer this can be a little simpler for me in some methods. Here’s a timeline of a brief movie I labored on.

I at all times work with some unlocked tracks on the backside of the timeline and use dummy timecode tracks to visually separate the sections. They’re a mixture of mono and stereo as a result of in MC, you’ll be able to’t put mono audio onto a stereo observe or vice-versa.

When I have to make adjustments to a scene, I drop the music/sfx down to those tracks to maintain the clips from transferring out of sync. Cutting and trimming is similar, however in relation to fixing the music, I can merely deselect all the opposite tracks and lower the music with out affecting anything. I actually like with the ability to do music utilizing trim mode, so this works nicely for me.

(Note that the most recent model of Media Composer now has a keyboard shortcut to maneuver clips up or down one observe, however in previous variations you needed to maintain SHIFT +Cmd as you dragged the clip down or up).

Here’s how I do it in Media Composer

How to modify them off

You can swap sync lock on for one observe at a time or swap them off unexpectedly, as follows.

Avid: Click the sync lock icon to the left of the Solo/Mute buttons. To choose/deselect all, simply click on within the sync lock column on any timecode observe.
Premiere: Click the sync lock icon to the left of the mute button. To choose/ deselect all of them, Shift+click on the icon on any observe.

Sticking with an instance from Media Composer, let’s say I’ve a scene that appears like this:

If I wish to make changes on the playhead, I need sure parts to maneuver to the correct and sure parts to maneuver to the left. I can’t simply delete or add as a result of all of my sound will find yourself needing to be mounted.

With sync locks on, if I’m going into Trim Mode I’ll get this:

If I drag or use a shortcut so as to add frames, all of these factors will transfer to the correct and mess up my sync. Media Composer may even attempt to hold issues in sync so I’ll find yourself with gaps in a number of the tracks.

A number of methods you’ll be able to trim on one facet in MC (that is much like the way in which you would possibly trim in different NLEs):

Asymmetrical trimming (Media Composer solely)

With sync locks off, nonetheless, I’ve the pliability to decide on which facet of each edit level I’d prefer to trim. Combined with Avid’s Asymmetrical trimming, I can’t solely manually choose the trim factors for every observe, however I can select a unique facet of every level to trim. For instance, I wish to trim the clip on v1 shorter, i.e. to the left.

Here’s what my trim would possibly seem like:

When I make changes, the trim will at all times use the primary level I created because the trim. So to create this trim I began by clicking to the left of V1, then to the correct of A1-5, to the left of the out level of A7-12, to the correct of the lower in A13-14, within the black on A15-A16 and to the left of varied factors on A17-A20.

When I press the important thing to trim again 10 frames, every part with a curler on the LEFT will shorten the END of the shot by 10 frames, however every part with a curler on the on the RIGHT will shorten the FRONT of the shot by 10 frames.

As with all trim modes, you should use the spacebar to loop and evaluation. Just keep in mind that Media Composer will use the primary level you selected as the purpose to loop from and the purpose to delete from or add to. (This has modified from earlier variations of Avid the place it was the final level that you just clicked).

Note that this Asymmetrical Trimming is exclusive to Avid. Other NLE’s have a Trim Mode the place you’ll be able to choose a bunch of edit factors and trim to the left or the correct of them however I’ve come throughout nothing even near this capability in an NLE. (Not since that 4-track Lightworks I utilized in 1996!)

Also notice that this Asymmetrical Trimming doesn’t solely work with sync locks off. You can use it with them on, however plenty of computerized decisions are made for you, all on one facet of the lower, so typically it takes just a few further clicks to override the default placement of the rollers and select precisely the place you need the rollers to go. Some editors appear to want sync locks off, referring to them as coaching wheels however others really feel they provide far better confidence.

Redoing a Trim

So I’m trimming like a boss, however the playback/evaluation loop is simply 2 seconds lengthy and I have to verify that this trim works elsewhere within the timeline. I exit trim mode and play the scene. Wait a minute, one thing’s mistaken at one of many different factors and I have to redo that trim. I suppose I simply must undergo that course of once more: click-click-click the totally different sides of the lower factors to trim. Wrong!

This little tip might be one of the highly effective and least-known shortcuts in the entire of Media Composer world: you’ll be able to at all times get again your actual final trim by urgent Alt+Trim Mode.

When I found this, my life modified for the higher: my work days bought shorter, summer season arrived, I met a pleasant lady and I bought wealthy. Well possibly not, however it did change the way in which I began utilizing trim mode. It made me simpler within the edit room and gave me confidence to essentially grasp my timelines.

Other helpful methods

I’ve come throughout just a few different methods of protecting these tough timelines in sync. These can be utilized with sync locks on or off, in Avid or in Premiere. There are variations in every NLE, however the precept is similar. I’ll cowl the most straightforward of keystrokes however studying the handbook or watching on-line tutorials particular to your NLE will actually assist.

Extend

In the instance I used earlier, proven right here once more, you might additionally do the next:

Insert new photographs and clearly add gaps
Use the Extend perform to repair the gaps. In Media Composer that is finished by marking an OUT level the place you need your clips prolonged to, choosing the tracks you wish to have an effect on and urgent the Extend Symbol.
In Premiere Pro that is known as Extend Selected Edit to Playhead and works by parking the playhead on the newly desired edit level, (i.e. the place you want the clip to increase to), choosing the top of the clip you wish to lengthen and urgent E.

With a little bit of observe, you’ll be able to create very quick seamless cuts for preview. These won’t be excellent however within the case of sfx, buzz tracks and music, they’re fairly efficient. This can be utilized to increase forwards or backward so it’s fairly helpful.

Select Right, or Add Filler as keyboard command

FCP7 and Premiere customers will little question be aware of the Select Right command. You can choose all clips to the correct or left of the cursor on that particular observe or on all tracks, relying in your keystroke. I by no means actually use the Select Left command however that’s presumably simply me. But I do use the Select Right command (A) to seize all clips to the correct of my playhead, presumably manually Shift+clicking a pair extra, transferring them down by 30 sec after which engaged on the offending part of the lower. When I’m glad I do an identical factor to tug them again into place.

In this instance, I used slightly little bit of asymmetrical trimming to get issues again so as however solely as a result of that struck me because the quickest manner in that state of affairs. In Premiere I’d have needed to perform a little extra dragging.

A fast notice that in Media Composer it is advisable to be sure to swap off the checkbox for Select Filler with Segment Tools in your timeline settings. Long-time Avid customers will keep in mind all too nicely how the phase instruments used to additionally choose all of the empty filler between tracks.

Add Edits (Media Composer solely)

In Media Composer you’ll be able to add edits (aka through-edits) within the black slugs, so you might discover a part of your lower that’s comparatively clear and Add Edits throughout all tracks (in a single keystroke). You’ll then have the ability to just be sure you discover when one thing goes out of sync.

Add Markers as sync factors (Media Composer solely)

Similarly, you can too add markers to the filler between clips in addition to to clips themselves within the timeline (these bits of filler do have their makes use of!), thus giving a dependable strategy to verify every part is in sync. The draw back to that is that you need to add all of the markers one-by-one so if in case you have plenty of tracks this can take some time (even with a macro this may be cumbersome).

Add Tail Leader

Furthermore, it’s not very generally used, however you’ll be able to truly add tail chief in Media Composer. I’ve seen some editors use this as a manner of double-checking sync, I suppose by making certain that every one the clips finish the place they need to.

You have to have filler (i.e. no clip) in your uppermost video observe on the finish of your sequence. Then activate the uppermost video observe and switch your sync locks off. Park on the finish of the sequence and press the Add Edit button, then go into Trim Mode.

Deselecting Linked Selection (Premiere)

Quite a lot of video is imported into the NLE with the connected audio, whether or not that audio was recorded straight to digicam or as separate WAV information on set and synced up later. So whenever you lower these into the timeline, they’ll in all probability have audio with them which you will or might not wish to use. Mostly if it’s dialogue it would be best to hold it with the clip, however it’s very simple to separate the video from the audio by deselecting the Linked Selection button in Premiere. This is helpful if you wish to seize and transfer clips round with out their corresponding audio. There’s a pleasant little sync indicator to point out you whenever you exit of sync and it’s very simple to maneuver, or slip, the video or audio again into place by right-clicking on the pink numbers that you just get.

In Media Composer there’s a button for Linked Selection Toggle above the Red Segment Mode device. This additionally reveals you ways far you’re out of sync, however it doesn’t provide the possibility restore the sync at a keystroke.

Also, this technique doesn’t actually assist with the audio you’ve laid your self like sfx and music however possibly that’s what you want typically.

Conclusion

The strategies above are all pretty simple and also you in all probability have used some or all of them at one level or one other. I not often lower with out sync locks as of late as I discover it offers me one of the best mixture of pace and reliability. I not often must cease the session so I can determine why one observe is out of sync and why. And I haven’t heard the phrases “Why is this taking so long?” in a few years.

What are a number of the methods and suggestions you’ve picked up through the years to maintain your sophisticated timelines in sync?