Preview snagging, running slower than time line

[Guest]

Hi, I am working on my first MM2 movie. It happened out of curisity for what
the program was for. My first experience had been a bit difficult. The
program kept freezing on me when dragging transisions or pics to the timeline
(usually after I switched from timeline view to the other). This was very
frustrating as I'd have to shutdown the program, restart MM2 and wait for to
reload my file. I thought maybe I was too trigger happy and slowed my mouse
clicking down considerably but, I would still freeze. A real time sucker.
This issue some how had seemed to resolve itself (I think). Now I make sure
that it completes something I clicked on before clicking on something else as
a precaution. What was causing this problem.

I'm also having a problem with previewing my movie. I have still pictures
and concert video footage of a band and have been placing the pictures so
that they change to the beat etc. instead of just a boring steady
transitioning of pictures. This CD audio of the band I added becuase the
recording sound on the video footage is very distored. The problem is in
playing back/previewing the timeline to make sure the still picture changes
are timed correctly with the music beats. Some times the video hangs up or
falls behind and sometimes pauses and then skips to catch up. The timeline
marker keeps moving and hits the picture changes when it's supposed to but
the video preview hangs up and makes it nearly impossible to check my timing
especially for trying to synch up the live footage with the music. What's
causing this and how do I fix it?
Thanks,
pinkBEAT

 

[PapaJohn \(MVP\)]

on the first one, check the Problem Solving > Crashes and Hangs page of my
website.
--
PapaJohn

Movie Maker 2 and Photo Story 3 website - http://www.papajohn.org
MM2 Tips and Tricks: http://www.simplydv.co.uk/simplyBB/viewtopic.php?t=4693
Online Newsletters: http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/PapaJohn/Index.aspx

 

[Guest]

Okay, I've split this project into 5 different projects to be later combined
back into one, hoping it would help with the snagging and make it easier for
trying to sync the live concert footage with the CD audio of the band. It
still snags. I also updated to the latest Direct X driver and tried the
acceleration adjustment. They didn't resolve it.

I also read about your synching problems and am not sure if they apply to my
situation exactly. I gathered that you were duplicating the video audio and
then trying to enhance it with EQ. I am taking live show footage and muting
the distorted audio of it (it was only filmed with a digital still camera
with video capabilities and I was right up front near the speakers). Then I'm
adding the tracks they are singing from the studio CD and trying to synch up
the video with the CD audio. It drifts as you mentioned and the wave patterns
are different. I don't know how to change the video files to WMV as you
suggested or the audio files to WMA If they aren't already) files and how do
I check to see what kind of files they are exactly? If I do the converting of
files will they match since one is from a CD studio recording and the other
is from live video footage? Will I ever be able to get the video to match
perfectly or almost perfectly with the CD audio with what I'm dealing with?
Or is this something that can only be done with pro equipment? I several
other projects like this I want to do but, don't know if should if I can't
get it synched.
Thanks,
pinkBEAT

 

[Guest]

Okay, I went to the collections and hovered over the audio. It was a wma file
and hovered over the video and it was an mpg file, so I figured that part
out. I saw a previous post about dragging the video clip to the audio portion
and saving it is a WMV file, which I will try right now. So those paricular
questions I guess I answered myself I guess. ;o)

 

[Guest]

Disregard the latter half of the previous post. I'm confusing myself now.

 

[Wojo]

Well if the video clip is MPG your right that is the problem.
But I am not so sure about your fix for the problem.
If you were to drag the file to the audio portion of the timeline and save
it the result would be a WMA file but isn't the MPG file the one you want
the video from?
If so then you need to convert the MPG to an AVI then use the AVI in Movie
Maker.
I use AVS Converter to do this: www.avsmedia.com
or check out this site for more information and programs:
http://www.videohelp.com/convert

 

[Wojo]

I thought so

Disregard the latter half of the previous post. I'm confusing myself now.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, I want the video but I don't want to use the audio from the video
(except for using the visual wave patterns for synching with the CD track).
Just the audio from the CD added to the audio/music section. But, now that I
think about it, the wave lengths would never match no matter what conversions
I do because one is live and the other studio so, I don't think that would
work for synching. Tell me if I'm wrong. This is all new to me and I'm just
stumbling along this learning curve.

There has gotta to be some way. They do it all the time in movies and such.
Of course they have more sophisticated equipment too. I won't give up without
a fight though. ;o)

What would the AVI conversion do?
Thanks,
pinkBEAT

 

[decoder]

Disregard the latter half of the previous post. I'm confusing myself now.

Me too!

 

[PapaJohn \(MVP\)]

I agree that different productions will have different overall durations....
unless the CD was produced from the same live presentation.

different file types will have different wave patterns so it's not always
easy or possible to do by visual syncing of the patterns.

I've found there are few critical spots in a music video that really need
exact syncing... if you're lucky enough to get by with doing just the
critical spots by listening and looking at the project, and padding/cutting
as needed.... it'll work good enough.
--
PapaJohn

Movie Maker 2 and Photo Story 3 website - http://www.papajohn.org
MM2 Tips and Tricks: http://www.simplydv.co.uk/simplyBB/viewtopic.php?t=4693
Online Newsletters: http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/PapaJohn/Index.aspx

 

[Wojo]

Exactly
And again I say it isn't a job I would want to do.

 

[Guest]

Well, I guess I gotta do what I gotta do. Thanks for the advise and help to
you both.
pinkBEAT

 

[Wojo]

Your welcome and good luck. I am thinking that the more you use still images
and control the length the easier it will be to sync the audio with the
video portions of the show.
-Wojo