Multi-Camera Edits Using Sony Vegas
Presented by Chip Gallo
cgallo@citlink.net

Pick the right tools for your project (talking head, sports, music, industrial or cyberwar)
I currently use Vegas 8.b and VASST Ultimate S2 (Quad Cam Script), mostly due to Vegas’ legacy as an audio application
Instruct the camera operators NOT to pause tape
Excalibur 6 (script) and Vegas 8 itself and others can also manage multiple cameras

Plan for Usable Audio & Picture

You need good audio to synchronize the cameras … or else picture is even more important!
Use tripods or other stabilizing devices (monopods, etc.)
Get a feed from the house mixer if available – test this before the event. (I use a digital recorder.)

One Hour of “Travis Cam” = 12.5GB
I used several Seagate 500GB SATA/300 drives (Circuit City $99 specials)
Get an adequate monitor for 4x cameras. I use an external 13” monitor (Panasonic CT-1381) connected via S-VHS to a small D8 deck in turn getting a 1394 feed from Vegas

Transfer the camera tapes to computer via 1394/Firewire
Import into the Vegas project and give clear but short names to the tracks
Sync the cameras by choosing a point in the audio waveforms and lining up the 2nd camera and any others
Note that mixing HD and SD cams can be risky. Test this ahead of time!

Note the sync’d audio

Clear track names

are important!

Tally Track Appears

Selected Camera

Has White Box

Sony Vegas allows you to send a 1394/Firewire feed to an External Monitor (Options/Preferences/Preview Device)
Some cameras and decks can translate a 1394 input to an S-VHS or composite output. I use a Sony Digital 8 deck for this but some cameras also do it.

When all the camera markers are placed, you must process them into a “Master Video” track. The script inserts this above the Tally track and this assembly of various cameras is used during the render.
You can allow the audio tracks from each camera to play as modified by volume or mute envelopes. Often I use the best sounding camera as a “master” audio track and only bring up other cameras for ice sounds or audience applause.

Master Video Track Added

Like that isn’t enough, I also “sweeten” the sound by selectively adding mixer audio, CD tracks, ice sounds from camera audio, and audience applause
File management is important. On “CATS” there were nearly 300 files and over 70GB of disk storage used for prep of the 1 hour 10 minute subtitled DVD mpeg. This was a multi-camera 2-show shoot with extras including photo gallery, gag reel, etc.
A last step before DVD authoring is to attempt color correction using Vegas. This lengthens the render time so try to do it last.