Video Editing
Pinnacle Studio
Basic Techniques
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Overview
This Pinnacle 15 manual will describe how to navigate through Pinnacle studio and will teach users how to:
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Import video from different sources such as; camcorders, digital cameras, files, VHSs, DVDs.
Edit video. Learn how to add titles, voiceovers, trim video clips, and more.
Create movies. For example; create a DVD, upload to the internet, and make a compatible file format.
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Table of Contents
Movie Maker ............................................................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................. 2
The Album, Video Preview and Timeline ................................................................................................................................ 5
The Album #1 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5
The Video Player #2 ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
The Timeline #3 ................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Timeline Features................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Move: .............................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Lock ................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Mute ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Hide ................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Importing Video ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Import From ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Import To ............................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Importing to Real Media Server ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Mode ............................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Scene Detection .............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Filename .......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Importing from a Camcorder .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Importing From a VHS/DVD Player ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Importing From a DVD on Computer ................................................................................................................................ 10
Importing Media from Files on your Computer ................................................................................................................ 11
Importing from a Digital Camera ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Editing Imported Video ......................................................................................................................................................... 11
The Video Toolbox ............................................................................................................................................................ 12
To Open the Video Toolbox .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Add Titles/Credits ............................................................................................................................................................. 12
Add Title: ....................................................................................................................................................................... 13
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Add Photos ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15
To Add a Photo .............................................................................................................................................................. 15
To Delete a Photo.......................................................................................................................................................... 15
Add/Remove Transitions................................................................................................................................................... 16
To Add a Transition ....................................................................................................................................................... 16
Add Audio tracks ............................................................................................................................................................... 17
To Add an Audio Track .................................................................................................................................................. 17
To Record an Audio Track ............................................................................................................................................. 17
Add a Disc Menu ............................................................................................................................................................... 18
To add a Disc Menu ....................................................................................................................................................... 18
Make Movie .......................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Create a DVD ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20
To Create: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Create a Digital Copy ......................................................................................................................................................... 22
Click save to start the save file process. Upload to the web ........................................................................................... 22
Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................... 23
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The Album, Video Preview and Timeline
Let’s start with the essentials of Pinnacle Studio 15.
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The Album #1
The Album provides intuitive browsing through different sections of Pinnacle Studio. It lets you quickly locate
and preview any desired item. That desired item could be a photo, video file, video effect, etc. The album
basically is your library. Clicking any item in the album will generate a preview in the video player to the right
of the album.
The Video Player #2
The Player displays a preview of your edited movie, or of the item currently selected in the Album. If you
would like to see what a certain video effect does, or preview a clip before adding it to your project, the video
player will display it. The standard playback controls are located under the video (play/pause; skip
forward/back, loop, master volume). The full screen playback button is located in the top right corner.
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The Timeline #3
The Timeline is where you create your edited movie by arranging video and sound clips, and by applying
transitions and effects. To start editing your movie, take items in the Album window and drag them to the
timeline. The timeline automatically arranges items dragged into your timeline into five horizontal
categories. From top to bottom; the first is video, video audio, titles and transitions, audio tracks (voice overs
for example) and background audio. The picture below can better illustrate this concept:
Media Categories (from top to bottom)
Video, Video Audio, Titles and
Transitions, Audio, Background Audio
track
Timeline Features
After media and content has been placed in the timeline, it can be manipulated with the use of the move tool.
Move:
1. Click and drag the selected clip/track/content to freely place it wherever you want. Two green bars will
appear in the timeline to indicate where exactly the location of the content will be placed.
Move destination
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Lock
To lock items to the timeline so further editing won’t alter
the position of the item, select the clip with one click and
then click the lock button at the end of the timeline. To
unlock it, simply click lock button again.
Mute
It could be necessary to mute the audio of a video clip for a
music video for example. To mute, simply click the volume
button at the end of the timeline. To unmute it, click it again.
Hide
To hide a clip from playing in the final video but still keep it in
the timeline, click the eye logo at the end of timeline. To
unhide, click it again.
Importing Video
Pinnacle studio lets users use many different types of media in their video projects. In order to start your
video creation you will need to specify the source of the media you would like to use. Technology allows us to
import media using a variety of devices and Pinnacle studio supports almost all of them.
Import From
The first step in Importing is to click the Import tab; this will start the Studio
Import Wizard. Next direct your attention to the “Import From” box. This is
where you will specify the “source” of the import. The source can be from a(n):
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DV or HDV video camera. Any device that you would plug a fire wire
cable into to import.
DVD/Blu-Ray: A type of compact disc able to store large amounts of
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data, esp. high-resolution audio-visual material
Other Devices: All types of auxiliary file-based storage media, including optical drives, memory cards
and USB sticks
Import To
The second step to an import is to choose where these video files are going to be stored. The “Import To” box
is located directly underneath the “Import From” box. By default, Pinnacle stores your media files into the
“Videos” folder in your computer. To specify a different location to store your media files:
1. Click the folder icon located next to “video” in the Import To box
2. Specify the folder that you would like Pinnacle to store the import files. You could create a new folder
as well by clicking “New Folder.”
Importing to Real Media Server
We recommend that you upload your videos to the campus real media server. Video uploaded to this server
can be streamed or embedded from your SacCT or faculty website. The server supports three types of video
including: Real Media Video/Real Audio, QuickTime and Window Media Video/Audio. Complete the online
Media Server Request Form to set up your account today. Once your account is set up you will need to map
the media server on the computer to import directly to your directory/folder on the server:
1. Right click on the My Computer icon on the desktop and select “Map Network Drive”.
2. The Map Network Drive window appears. Select any drive letter that is not currently in use from the
Drive drop down option.
3. In the folder field type: //sacfiles2/media1
4. Click the Finish Button. The server folders will appear.
5. Click on the “usr” folder and locate your directory/folder name. Your directory will be mainly labeled as
your saclink id.
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6. Back in Pinnacle in the Import To area, specify the user folder on the media server to be the area
where Pinnacle should store files.
Mode
The mode box is meant for the user to choose whether they want the video imported to be saved in a DV
format or a MPEG format. By Default, Pinnacle chooses to leave them as DV files. It is suggested to leave this
default on. If you like to change to MPEG, the files could more compatible with Macintosh computers.
Scene Detection
Pinnacle has built in scene detection software, which measures the time from when you press record to when
you press stop. It will make clip organization easier but isn’t essential. By default, Pinnacle has this feature on.
Filename
The file name box is self-explanatory; you can name the files in which you
import. Pinnacle won’t let you name two different files the same name
without asking you. If you don’t name the file, the file(s) will be named
caputure1, capture2, capture3, etc.
Importing from a Camcorder
1. Turn on your DV or HDV device and put it in play mode
2. Make sure your destination folder, compression and other options are set up before the import.
3. Press Start Capture then play to capture the entire tape. If scene detection is enabled, Pinnacle will
sort out clips recorded. This allows you to check and uncheck clips that you want to capture.
Importing From a VHS/DVD Player
1. Click the Import tab
2. You will need to connect the component cables to the from the DVD
player to the Pinnacle video converter box. For the DVD/VHS player, plug
in the component cables to the LINE OUT section. Plug in the other end
of the component cable to the INPUT of the converter box. On the
converter box, one side is clearly labeled Output; the opposite end, which
is not labeled, is the INPUT.
3. Select Pinnacle 710 USB (this is longer way of saying “Pinnacle Converter
Box”) in the Import From box.
4. Make sure your destination folder, compression and other options are set up before the import
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5. Press play on the VHS/DVD player just before the point at which you would like the capture to begin.
The video preview will be active. The VHS/DVD player can only be controlled manually. Pinnacle
studio can only capture from the device, not control it.
6. Click the Start Capture button to start recording. After clicked the button will say “Stop Capture”
7. At the end of each segment click Stop capture and halt the VHS player or let the entire VHS run from
start to finish. Then Halt the VHS player.
Importing From a DVD on Computer
NOTE: Copy-protected media cannot be imported!
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Insert the disc into one of the disc drives on your computer.
Click the Import tab
Make sure your destination folder, compression and other options are set up before the import
Go to the Import from box and select the drive that you put the disc in
(DVD Drive or DVD drive RW)
5. The Album area will display thumbnails of your DVD movie. In order to
preview parts of the DVD that you inserted, click the thumbnails in the
Album and press play.
6. Click Start Capture to begin the Import. “Start Capture” will turn into
“Stop Capture” after being clicked.
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7. Click Stop Capture to stop the Import.
Importing Media from Files on your Computer
You may want to import files located on your computer. To import them
1. Click the Import tab
2. Select “Other Devices” in the Import From box
3. This will open your computer’s hierarchical folder tree. Click the folders to open them and locate the
media file. The items that are compatible to import will show up in the album view. Simply check and
uncheck thumbnail items in the album area to select which files to import. After you’re done selecting
your files click “Start Capture”
Importing from a Digital Camera
Like optical disc drives, the media on digital cameras is accessed through the computer’s file system. The
camera may appear on the source list as a removable disk drive. The previewing, selecting and importing
process is the same as for ordinary file-based media (See Importing Media from Files on your Computer
section)
Editing Imported Video
Once you have imported video from your video device or computer into Pinnacle, the next step is to edit
content as needed. Pinnacle offers several tools to help you in the editing process.
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The Video Toolbox
The Video Toolbox is where you can:
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Trim selected clips
Create Montages
Add Titles or credits
Add an disc menu
Add video effects
To Open the Video Toolbox
1. Click the Edit Tab
2. Click the camcorder icon above the timeline or double-click the clip in the timeline you would like to
edit.
Double Click the selected clip
To Close Video Toolbox
1. Click the X located in the top right corner of the Video Toolbox or click the camcorder again in the
timeline.
Add Titles/Credits
You will most likely want to add a title screen and/or credits to your video project. Pinnacle studio gives the
creator two different options for titles.
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Classic Titles are simple text animations. Use these for creating credits or subtitles.
Motion titles provide animation for text and are more complex than the classic titles.
Add Title:
1. Go to the Edit Tab
2. Click the “Show Titles” button in the drop down which is represented with an upper case T.
3. Next, choose whether you want to work with “Classic Titles” or “Motion Titles” in the drop
menu underneath the “Edit” tab.
4. You can now browse through all the available titles. Clicking any title will generate a preview in
the screen on the right. A double click will place the title in the timeline. Please double click a
title to place in the timeline.
5. Now the title is in the timeline, you’re going to want to put your own text in the title. Double click the
title in the timeline to edit the text.
6. This is the title editor. In this section you can change the font; size, orientation, style, duration and
add motion to your title.
7. First, click “Your text here” and change it to the appropriate title you want. To further edit the style,
click the menu on the right to scroll through available text styles. Above the title screen there is also
standard text editing tools such as; bold, italic, underline, font styles and font size.
To add a title to a specific clip or photo
1. Click the Edit tab
2. Double click the clip you like to add a title, this will open the video toolbox
3. Click the
in the drop down menu
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4. Choose to create either a:
 Motion Title Overlay: Animated titles over video
 Classic Title Overlay: Standard titles over video
5. This will take you to the title editor screen. From here you can create text to go over (overlay) the
video, set the duration of how long the text stays on the screen, choose from a variety of fonts, add
shapes and more.
To edit text
1. Click the text box where it says “Text.” Delete “Text” and type your own text.
2. To position the text box somewhere else in the clip, mouse over the outline of the text box until the
cursor turns into
then click and drag the text box to the desired location.
3. To change the font format, go to the menu on the left of the screen.
4. To bold, change the font size, underline and change text style, go to the bar on the top of the
screen. Similar to Microsoft word.
5. To change the duration of the text, go to the top left corner of the screen.
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6. The current duration of the text is displayed. Use the up and down
arrows to change the duration. You can also simply click the
seconds and type in the numbers.
Add Photos
Adding photos to your project is simple and can be done in a couple steps
To Add a Photo
1. Go to the Edit Tab
2. Click the Camera icon in the drop down menu
3. In the source drop down menu below the edit tab, select where you would like to grab images from
eg, desktop, pictures folder, etc.
4. Once in the folder, the images that could be added to the timeline will appear above the timeline.
Simply drag and drop the photos into the timeline to add them.
5. To change the duration of the clip the photo and effects, double click the image to open the video
editing toolbox.
To Delete a Photo
1. Select the clip the in the timeline and hit the delete button. You can also right click the image in the
timeline and select cut to delete the photo.
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Add/Remove Transitions
Transitions are video effects placed in between clips to transition from one to the next. Transitions look
stylish and add a little more character to your presentation but they’re not essential.
To Add a Transition
1. Go to the Edit tab
2. Select the
in the drop down menu
3. By default, all of the standard transitions will appear. By selecting the drop down menu below the edit
tab there are different categories of transitions. It’s highly suggested that you look through all of
them because pinnacle supplied many unique transitions.
4. To preview a transition, click the transition. The video player will preview the transition. The “A”
represents the end of the first clip; the “B” represents the beginning of the next clip, therefore making
a transition.
5. Click and drag your selected transition and place it between the desired two clips in the timeline.
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Add Audio tracks
Pinnacle allows audio tracks such as mp3’s to be added to the timeline. You can also record from a device
directly into pinnacle.
To Add an Audio Track
1. Go to the Edit tab
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Click the
keynote? music button in the drop down menu.
Click the folder icon in the album view
The next screen will allow you browse your computer files for the audio track
Once the track is added to the album, click and drag the audio track to bottom of the timeline
To Record an Audio Track
1. Connect your audio recording device to the computer. Some examples include, USB audio mics, or a
headset mic.
2. Double-click the audio section in the timeline. The section is represented with the volume logo.
3. This will take you directly to the record voice over narration box.
4. The volume bar located on the right will control how loud your volume will be when recording. It is
suggested to leave it on high or the default setting.
5. Simply click Record to start the recording.
6. Click Stop Recording when finished
7. The audio track can be trimmed and moved around similar to a movie or photo clip.
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Add a Disc Menu
When it comes time to complete your project, it is highly recommended that you add a disc menu to your
project for better navigation.
To add a Disc Menu
1. Go to the edit tab
2. Open the Video Toolbox (Click the camcorder icon in the timeline)
3. Select the Create a disc menu button in the drop down menu. The button has a disc and square object
pictured in it.
4. There are over 50 disc menus to choose from. Double-click the layout you would like in your movie.
Chapter menus are also available. The next section will discuss the process of editing and linking up
your disc menu.
5. Pinnacle will then ask you if it should create automatic chapters or let you manually create them.
Creating chapters isn’t entirely necessary. If you would like automatic chapters generated specify how
long the chapters should be by entering how many seconds they should be. Then press OK
Editing the Disc Menu
6. The disc menu is now in the timeline. If it isn’t already, drag the disc menu to the beginning of the
timeline because so the disc menu appears first thing once the movie has been loaded. Unless you
want clips in before reaching the disc menu, in that case arrange them in a logical order before the disc
menu.
7. Double-click the disc menu in the timeline to open the menu editor.
8. To edit the text of the menu click the “Edit Menu” button. Editing disc menus is the same as editing
titles. See section “Edit titles” in the “Add Titles/Credits” section.
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9. Next you need to link the buttons in the menu to your movie. Notice in the album view of the disc
menu that if you mouse over the “Play Movie” or “Scene Selection” the buttons light up. Place your
mouse cursor over “Play Movie.” Click and drag “Play Movie” to the beginning of the first scene of the
movie in the timeline. Release the mouse once you’re in the right location. Repeat this process to link
to scene selection menu. Then repeat in again to link up scenes with the scene selection menu.
10. To make sure you have linked up your DVD menu correctly, go to the video player. Click the “DVD
Preview”
button to launch the DVD preview. Click the “Play Movie” and/or “Scene Selection”
buttons to test if you linked them correctly.
Make Movie
There are several options once all editing is complete and you’re ready to share your movie:
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Create a DVD
Create a digital copy
Create a Tape
Upload to the web
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Create a DVD
When exporting a movie to a disc it’s important to know what type of disc will give you the desired quality you
want. Quality and disc space go hand and hand. If you want great quality you sacrifice disc space. When
you’re trying to save disc space you’re sacrificing quality. The following list names disc types and what kind of
quality you will get with them.
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SVCD: 2/3 the quality of a DVD 20 minutes
VCD: 60 minutes of video. Half the quality of a DVD. Good for exporting to a CD.
AVCHD: 40 minutes of quality on a normal DVD
DVD: 60 min of full quality on a single layer DVD
HD DVD: 30 minutes of HD quality
BLU-Ray: 40 minutes of HD quality
To Create:
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4.
Click the “Make Movie” tab
Select disc type in the drop down menu.
Insert a blank DVD into the DVD-RW drive.
Next choose the disc type in the drop down menu. The options will be the ones listed in the previous
section. The pie graph on the top lets the user know how much room on the hard drive it will use. By
default pinnacle will export your video to your hard drive but you could choose to export the movie to
the desktop or a specific folder, etc.
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Click the folder icon to
choose the destination. The pie graph on the bottom represents how much room the movie will take
on the disc. Click the folder icon to change the DVD drive location.
How much room on
your hard drive
Space on the DVD
5. Click the drop labeled “Video Quality/Disc Usage” to alter the quality of the DVD. If set to automatic,
Pinnacle will make the best decision based off the allocation of quality and size. Remember, if you
want to save room to fit a movie on a disc then lower the quality.
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6. Once you’re happy with your file size and quality, Click the
button. Depending on
how long your movie is, this could take a LONG time. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to
burn the disc. For example, a five minute video could take up to 20 minutes to burn. Try to avoid
rushing this process.
Create a Digital Copy
Pinnacle can create movie files in the following formats:
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Audio Only
AVI, DiVX, Flash Video, iPod compatible
Mov, MPEG, Real Media, Sony PSP compatible, Windows Media
1. Click the “Make Movie” tab
2. Click File in the drop down menu
3. Choose which video format is best for distribution to your audience. The size of the output file
depends on both the file format and type. Choose the File type in the Fill type drop down menu. Then
choose how large the playback size will be in the Present drop down menu. The larger the playback
size the bigger the file will be.
4. Once you have set your settings, click the create file button.
5. This will open the file browser. This lets you specify a name and location for the video file you are
creating. If you plan on streaming the video from the media server, select your user folder on the
media server as you r destination location.
Click save to start the save file process. Upload to the web
Ever wanted to put your video directly onto YouTube or Yahoo Video? Pinnacle Studio 15 lets users do just
that!
NOTE: Video Files can be up to 100MB (Approximately 5 minutes of video)
NOTE: You must be registered (have a username and password) to the site you’re uploading to. For more
information follow these links. ‘
 YouTube
 Yahoo! Video
1. Click the Make Movie tab
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2. Click Web in the drop down Menu
3. Click the Upload to this Web site drop down menu. Choose whether to upload to YouTube or Yahoo
Video
4. Click the Present Drop down menu. There are only two options; Best Quality or Fast Upload. Best
quality will configure settings to give you the best video quality. Fast Upload will lower the video
quality in order to get your file on the website faster.
5. Click Create
6. The dialog launcher will ask you to type in your log on information for the website you’re uploading
to. Click Sign In.
7. Next you will enter the title of the movie as it will appear on the website. Also you can choose which
tags should be associated with your video. Click Continue once Finished.
8. The video will start to upload. The upload process can take a while depending on file size, be patient.
Summary
Techniques described and outlined in this manual include
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Navigating through the Pinnacle interface using the album, timeline and video preview
Importing video. Always specify where you’re importing to, set the scene detection, create file names.
Import using a camcorder, digital cameras, file based devices, VHS or DVD
Using the Video Toolbox
Adding Titles and credits full screen or with overlay
Adding Photos
Creating a DVD menu
Exporting your project to DVD, digital file, YouTube
For more questions or concerns, please contact the Faculty & Staff Resource Center (AIRC 3012).
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