Just for a change I though I'd post a bit of praise for PowerDirector 12
I've just finished editing a short video I recorded at one of my local clubs art demonstrations.
A local artist stepped into help out as the booked demonstrator became ill and couldn't attend. True to form, I arrived to set up the video lights and equipment only to be asked by the demonstrator if she could face the audience while drawing! Not a problem but it meant that everyone had to wait an extra 10 mins. Then the fun started. With very limited space available I had try and place 2 video lights so that they would not shine into the audience, it just about worked but took a lot longer than I allowed.
Then of course there was the main supporting wall which was now in the way! The lights had to be positioned so that the video projector could project my camera output onto a fixed screen which pushed me into a very tight spot!
Never mind it worked..... so far!
The artist, a very talented, lovely lady, started to use her pastels to paint a local landscape. As soon as she applied the first few marks she moved the right hand side of her very thing board so that she obstructed the right hand light I didn't want to hold up the demonstration as it was now getting on a bit and may stop her "flow"! I soon realised that with all the resetting, I hadn't plugged in my off-camera mic to record her dialogue and I didn't have time to set up my other camera ..... too late for that now!

Enough of my problems

This is where PD 12 came to my help.

I had just downloaded the last PD12 update and found to my surprise that it actually worked smoothly (ish!) on my setup!
I set too with the edit. My first priority was to sub down the dialogue to produce a shorter video.
This was carried out fairly easily, you just have to listen again and again and again to make sure you don't change any meanings so that the artist still says what she said .... if you follow what I mean ?

With all the jump cuts I next had to overlay some meaningful shots.

First surprise ....... I had some nice cutaways but some a bit too short this is where I found out that PD12 Slo mo works exceptionally well, I just couldn't believe how well it now works!

Some of the audio being off camera, was a tad quiet. I uses Audio Director to boost the sound level, it worked! My only gripe with using this software is that I want to be able to edit ALL the audio tracks in one sitting rather than having to pop backwards and forwards between PD12 and Audio Director. ( IS there a way to do this instead of starting a new project within Audio Director? )

Second surprise ....... I'm now happy about audio content and the pictures work so now to tweak the NEW shadows
With the video clip highlighted I just used the Fix/Enhance tools available within PD 12 and found that the Shadow adjustment slider does what it says it does quite brilliantly!

Title sequence worked OK but I wanted to put a few more bells and whistles in it ( I did it because I could, I suppose! )


Last surprise ....... I found that by added my own Paint animation, I could achieve a "pastel" like effect for wipes. this time I just used the keying that comes with the Paint Animation rather than using Chroma Key.

I fell quite happy that I now have a 10 min video from a 1 hr demonstration, shot on one camera with back to the wall!



Heres the video: http://directorzone.cyberlink.com/video/13325324

Thanks watching

http://directorzone.cyberlink.com/video/13325324 I just want to edit and make pictures, walk my dog and go fishing.