H O W D O I M A K E ( G O O D ) S T R E A M I N G M E D I A ?
Pre processing tasks may be performed at different points in the workfl ow:
As you mourn the loss of your
As part of the capture process For live Webcasting, you'll need to set up
automatic pre processing functions between capture and encoding. Some
effects, remember what streaming
sophisticated capture cards provide built in features for handling and auto
your content is all about. Your
mating pre processing tasks, whether for live Webcasting or for preparing
goal is to communicate a mes
captured video for editing.
sage. Effects cause unnecessary
As part of the editing process If you are capturing media specifi cally for use
in a VOD (video on demand) project that you are going to edit, you'll probably
change in your streaming video.
do most, if not all, of your pre processing at the beginning of or during the
They force the video stream to
editing process.
put more resources into some
As part of the encoding process If you are putting together a single production
thing other than what the true
for multiple uses, you are likely to do your Web specifi c pre processing after
subject is of your video. Your
editing, but before encoding your media for streaming. Similarly, if you are going
to repurpose a previously edited project for streaming delivery, you may need to
subject is what communicates
do some pre processing before encoding, to make the production more suitable
that message. Lose the effects.
for Web delivery. But even if you do pre process a multi purpose production prior
Focus on the goal.
to encoding, it may still not stream well. Beware of trying to stream productions
with too much action, lots of detail that will disappear within a small image, fancy
Is there hope for the editor/artist
transitions, motion laden effects, or complex audio tracks. You are likely to have
much better results if you capture and pre process suitable raw footage and re cut
who thinks special effects actually
a short version of your production, specifi cally designed for Web delivery.
add to their message? Maybe.
Adobe Premiere 6.0 provides a variety of fl exible tools for pre processing your video
Increasingly, streaming players
and your audio that can be conveniently used at whichever point in your workfl ow
are beginning to incorporate
you choose. Additionally, Adobe Premiere includes a special, built in version of Media
built in effects. Rather than
Cleaner EZ 5, Terran Interactive's popular software for pre processing and encoding
media for the Web. Typical pre processing tasks fall into three broad categories:
rendering the effect into video
1) getting the proper image parameters, 2) adjusting color and brightness, and
pixels and encoding the digital
3) audio pre processing. The box below provides some details.
mash for streaming, a player
might take two streaming clips
Editing video for streaming
Editing activities include cutting and pasting clips together to tell your story, inserting
and render the effect directly
transitions between clips, incorporating visual effects, mixing and synchronizing audio
on the viewer's machine. The
with your video, and adding titles. The Adobe Digital Video Primer
42
provides a general
result is a smooth dissolve or
introduction to the editing process.
motion wipe. The catch is the
viewer's machine might not be up
Non linear editing (NLE) makes editing and assembling your production
to the task of fi guring out all that
as easy and as fl exible as word processing.
effects math. As connection and
Adobe Digital Video Primer
computer speeds grow faster,
you will see more and more
Assembling a video production for streaming is, essentially, the same process as for
options to use effects. Until
any other medium. Adobe Premiere software, with its robust DV in, Web out features,
then, stick to cuts.
is an excellent choice for editing your video for streaming or for any medium. Adobe
Tim Kennedy
After Effects software adds the industry standard compositing toolset to your capa
namic Medianamic Media
Streaming Media World
43
yy
bilities. And these two powerful, professional products deliver tight integration that
streamlines your workfl ow.
But, bear in mind as you edit and develop your production, as you did when shooting for streaming,
obe Dobe D
that you need to be cognizant of the limitations of the Web, avoiding unnecessary motion or change
dd
that will bog down streaming fi les.
AA
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42 Adobe Digital Video Primer, PDF available for download at http://www.adobe.com/motion/main.html
43 Streaming Basics: Editing Video for Streaming, by Tim Kennedy, Streaming Media World, March 8, 2001, http://smw.internet.com/video/tutor/streambasics2/index.html
