Quick Start

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Table Of Contents

1 Media Composer | First Quick Start

The following topics provide a quick start for installing and using Media Composer | First. This

document is meant to get you running quickly with Media Composer | First. This document is not

meant to provide descriptions of all the features in the editing application. For more detailed

information, see the Media Composer | First User’s Guide.

• Downloading and Installing Media Composer | First

• Launching Media Composer | First

• Creating a Project

• Accessing Your Footage

• Creating a Sequence

• Publishing Your Story

Downloading and Installing Media Composer | First

Use the following procedure to access and install Media Composer | First.

To access the download for Media Composer | First:

1. Go to http://www.avid.com/media-composer-first

2. You must have an Avid Master Account. Follow the on screen instructions to either Login in (if

you already have an account) or create an Avid Master Account. The on screen instructions will

step you through creating an Avid Master Account, verifying your email address, and

downloading Media Composer | First. Once the download is complete, continue with installing

the application.

(Windows) To install the Avid software:

1. Access the file you downloaded.

2. Click to launch the Media Composer | First installer. A window will open with instructions as

well as options for choosing file locations and other custom settings.

3. Follow the on screen instructions.

4. When prompted, choose to restart the computer.

The installation process adds a Media Composer | First icon to the Desktop icon and a pointer to

your Avid editing application in the Start menu. The installation process also adds an

Application Manager icon to the Toolbar menu. The Application Manager allows you to view the

installed Avid applications and try new offerings.

5. Once you restart your system, the Application Manager launches.

Summary of content (18 pages)

PAGE 1
Media Composer | First Quick Start The following topics provide a quick start for installing and using Media Composer | First. This document is meant to get you running quickly with Media Composer | First. This document is not meant to provide descriptions of all the features in the editing application. For more detailed information, see the Media Composer | First User’s Guide.
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Downloading and Installing Media Composer | First 6. Sign In to your Avid Master Account. NOTE: You cannot launch Media Composer | First if you are not signed into your Avid Master Account. Continue with Launching Media Composer | First. (Macintosh) To install Media Composer | First: 1. Access the file you downloaded. 2. Double-click the .pkg file with the editing application name. 3. Follow the on screen instructions. 4. When prompted, choose to restart the computer.
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Launching Media Composer | First 6. Sign In to your Avid Master Account. NOTE: You cannot launch Media Composer | First if you are not signed into your Avid Master Account. Continue with Launching Media Composer | First. Launching Media Composer | First Perform the following to launch Media Composer | First: (Windows) To start your Avid editing application, do one of the following: t Click Start > All Programs > Avid > Media Composer | First. t Double-click the Media Composer | First desktop icon.
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Creating a Project Top row: Project Window, Sequence Bin and Clip Bin, Source and Record monitors Bottom row: Source Browser, Timeline The following describes the windows that initially open when you create a project: Window Description Project Window The Project window is a central location for important information and tools that you need as you work on your project. The Project window has tabs that allow you to choose from the following: • Bins - lets you create and open bins.
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Accessing Your Footage Window Description Timeline Media Composer | First represents each edit and effect on the Timeline to help you track and manipulate the elements of your sequence. The Timeline continuously updates as you work, displaying icons and information that you can customize in various ways. The Timeline also has its own set of editing tools for creating and revising edits and transitions across multiple tracks. The audio and video tracks in the Timeline play in the Record monitor.
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Accessing Your Footage 2. Press Ctrl + L (Windows) or Command + L (Mac) to enlarge the thumbnails. 3. Place your cursor so it hovers over the thumbnail of the clip. While hovering, move the cursor to the edges of the thumbnail to preview the footage. You can also use the JKL keys to shuttle through the thumbnail. (Use L to move forward, K to pause, and J to move backward.) 4. (Optional) You can drag a clip from the Source Browser to the Source monitor to review the clip.
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Creating a Sequence If you chose to Import, a Project Properties dialog box appears showing the image size and edit rate of the first clip you are importing to the bin. You can click OK to accept the selected clip size and edit rate, or select another raster size and edit rate from the menus. If you chose to Link rather than import, the Project Properties dialog box will appear when you drag the first linked clip to the Timeline. The clips appear in the bin.
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Creating a Sequence Marking IN and OUT Points You can mark IN and OUT points in your footage to indicate selected material, for example, the portion of a clip that you want to edit into a sequence. You can also easily clear or move these marks. Even if your marks are not accurate now, your Avid editing application lets you trim the edit points and fine-tune the sequence later without reediting the material. To mark IN and OUT points: 1. Double click a clip in the bin to load it into the Source monitor. 2.
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Creating a Sequence Sawtooth icon in the frame, and marked IN point, in the monitor 4. Continue moving through the material. 5. Mark an OUT point by doing the following: t Click the Mark OUT button under the monitor to mark an OUT point and stop playback. In the monitor, a Sawtooth icon appears on the right to indicate the mark OUT frame. If you need to move a mark icon, simply press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while dragging the icon to a new location. 6.
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Editing the Sequence 3. The dialog box shows the image size and edit rate of the first clip you are dragging to the Timeline. You can click OK to accept the selected clip size and edit rate, or select another raster size and edit rate from the menus. The selected clip appears in the Record Monitor and a graphical representation appears in the Timeline. 4.
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Editing the Sequence Trimming Basic editing of a sequence initially produces a rough cut, which is loosely defined as a series of straight-cut edits with many rough edges and few effects. After creating a rough cut, you can use trim edits to fine-tune the transitions between each clip or between whole segments. To perform a trim: 1. Click the Trim mode button to enter Trim mode. 2. Once you enter Trim mode, the Composer monitor changes to display Trim mode for trimming transitions.
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Editing the Sequence 4. Continue trimming transitions if necessary. Once you are finished cleaning transitions, you can add effects to your sequence. 5. Exit Trim mode. There are multiple ways to exit Trim mode: click on another mode button, for example, the Source/Record mode button directly above the Trim mode button, or simply click in the TC 1 ruler at the bottom of the Timeline. For more details on using Trim mode, see “Working with Trim Edits” in the Help.
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Editing the Sequence 3. Select the Dialog and Music track(s) that you want to adjust. 4. (Optional) Select Use Marks if you want to set IN and OUT points to determine the starting and ending frames for applying audio ducking. 5. Click Duck. Keyframes are applied to the respective target tracks and you will visually see the ducking in the track(s). 6. Play the sequence. The audio will playback with Audio Ducking applied. 7.
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Publishing Your Story Option Meaning Music track parameters Attenuation: Sets how much the volume will be reduced in the Music track(s). Ramp time: Sets how many frames it takes to ramp the Music track(s) down from or back to full volume. Media Composer | First also provides several unique features that facilitate audio editing, such as audio scrub, waveform displays, and tools for adjusting and mixing audio levels and pan between speakers as well as the frequency ranges of segments.
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Publishing Your Story Option Description Qualtiy Set the quality for the compression. The options for Quality change depending upon the output Type you selected. • Video and Audio: Choose from Faster, Best, and Better • Video only: Choose from Faster, Best, and Better • Still Image: Choose from Best, Media, Least Size Set the image dimension for the Video and Audio or Video Only movie. Audio Format Choose the Audio Format.
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Publishing Your Story 4. Choose to allow access to post your movie. You will be returned to the Publish dialog. 5. Choose from the following options to publish your story. Option Description Publish to.. Choose to either publish to social media. Set Choose the Set button to select the location where you want to place the finished movie. Type Choose what type of output you want to publish.
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Publishing Your Story Option Description Quality Set the quality for the compression. The options for Quality change depending upon the output Type you selected. • Video and Audio: Choose from Faster, Best, and Better • Video only: Choose from Faster, Best, and Better • Still Image: Choose from Best, Media, Least Size Set the image dimension for the Video and Audio or Video Only movie. Audio Format Choose the Audio Format.
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Publishing Your Story To create a Profile: 1. Right click a sequence and select Publish To > local drive or YouTube. 2. Select the desired settings for the Type of movie you want to Publish. 3. In the Profile name text field, enter a name for your profile. 4. Click Save profile. The saved profile appears in the Profile pull down menu. You can create multiple profiles to fit the different kinds of movies or audio files you create. To rename a Profile: 1.