Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
a digital neophyte and you need a portfolio soon, your energies would be better spent
learning the ins and outs of digital video and the above-mentioned software, while
you pay to have your tapes digitized for you. Then all the clips you work with will be
digital when you create your DVD.
Video digitizing hints
Some of the same issues in scanning flat art arise in bringing analog video to
the computer. Alas, because of the added complexity of dealing with sound, larger
files, and better frame rates, they can be easy to miss until it's too late. Like scanning
errors, the only way to remedy them is to redigitize.
•
Start with a good tape.
If your material has been processed twice—once
when you edited pieces onto a demo tape and again when you made copies
of the demo tape—you won't get a good quality digital result.
•
Transfer to DVD.
Moving from interlaced video at 30 frames per second (fps)
to non-interlaced digital display can result in dropped frames and sound and
video that don't always sync. Always make a DVD copy of your video, no
matter how you intend to use it later. You'll need that quality. Unlike flat
image files, you can't clean up your video by simply showing it in a smaller
window.
•
Use the right tool.
Although you can use either consumer software such as
iMovie or professional software like Premiere or Final Cut Pro to digitize tape,
there is a crucial difference between them. Professional tools can edit
uncompressed video; consumer tools can't. A consumer tool will compress
your video every time you edit and save it. Compression throws out visual
information to save space. (See Chapter 7 for more about compression.)
That's not a serious issue if you have shot digital video. But with analog, the
quality will suffer, sometimes tragically.
Even when you scan and photograph under optimal conditions, the result can
be disappointing. The problem may be in the artwork itself. Pieces that have been
damaged will be captured warts and all. Or perhaps the art is so large or complicated
that you've scanned it in pieces and need to put the pieces together. When you can't
start over or substitute other work, it's time to pull out your software tools.
As anyone who edits digital files daily can tell you, a compendium of all the
editing techniques you could use to perfect your files already fills hundreds—perhaps
thousands—of computer topics. To stay focused on portfolios, this chapter highlights
only the most frequently needed remedies. For more details or problems that this
chapter doesn't cover, I suggest almost any book by Katrin Eismann, but particularly
Adobe Photoshop Restoration & Retouching
.
