As your successful Christmas production draws to a close you suddenly realize you have still one more major task in front of you. The production videotape has to be edited and the edited master taken to a tape duplication site for replication. I believe churches should videotape all of their major events, whether it be with a single camcorder or a multi-camera video production facility, and make these videotapes available as both a tool of evangelism and a source of income for the Technical Ministry Team. However, putting the event on videotape is only the first part of the process in producing a quality video that is worthy of the church and the God we serve. Editing, the heart of video production, is what makes the video worth watching. It adds a professional look to the final tape by adding transitions between scenes, as well as titles and credits.
But video editing requires equipment, people, and time. The equipment, churches often believe, is to too expensive and too complex. Or is it? The people needed to run the equipment will require too much training. Or will they? And video editing simply takes too much time. Or does it?
I recently had the opportunity to review a product called the Casablanca Avio DV Pro from MacroSystem US. This device is a standalone non-linear editor that is neither expensive nor complex. It is very easy to learn and use, and can produce productionquality videos in minimal time
Having reviewed many PC-based non-linear editing products, both hardware and software, I admit I was somewhat skeptical of the Casablanca Avio DV Pro when I first unpacked it. It seemed odd to me that a “standalone” device could perform as well as a PC-based product. Then it occurred to me that video editing platforms were standalone devices long before the PC added the video editing capability to its long list of options. It is like the fax-machine option on my PC. It works, but it is not as simple or easy to use as my standalone fax-machine.
First, I was impressed with the ease in setting up the Avio. The shipping box included the editor (about the size of a VCR), a trackball (mouse device), the editor’s software (contained on two flash memory cards), a package of cables and connectors (including two “smart” adapters, more on that later), an owner’s manual, and training videotape.
I also received the optional “Power Key” keyboard, which is not needed for video editing, however, it makes some of the processes easier, especially when working with titles. I added a record/play back device and TV monitor to made the system a fully functional editing platform. Cabling of the system was simple and straightforward with the exception of a device called a “smart” adapter. This adapter converts the output signals to the video recording device and the TV monitor from a European connector to the American composite video (RCA connector) and/or Y/C video (S-video connector). The problem I see with this adapter is it can fall off the back of the editor, as there is no way to lock it into place. It may not be a big problem though. Just be aware of it if your TV monitor stops working or you cannot record anything. The total amount of time it took to get the system up and running was less then 30 minutes. This does not include the initial program load time, as the system’s software was preloaded on the editor I received for evaluation.
After verifying everything would power up, I decided to view the training videotape. This tape is a must for viewing prior to doing anything else. It first gives you some testimonials about the Avio’s ease of use, and then a step-by-step demonstration of how to use all of Avio’s basic features. This tape was edited on an Avio, so you can see first hand the end result of the product. I would recommend that if you have any interest at all in the system, you request a copy of the tape from Teresa Norris with the Ministry Technology Division of MacroSystem US (303-801-1009 or teresa@casablanca.tv)
Next, I looked over the documentation that came with the Avio. The good news is a little booklet called “Joy of Editing.” It is one of the best documents I have ever seen on editing tips and techniques. It is only twenty-two pages long, but packed full of good information. The bad news is the Avio’s owner manual is a little hard to read. Even though it does contain all of the necessary information needed to operate the Avio, I found its format to be awkward. However, once I started using the editor, I discovered the manual was really needed only for reference.
Powering up the system was a simple button push, which almost immediately brought up the Avio’s main screen. From this screen you can set the system, project, and video settings, as well as go to the record (import video), edit, and finish (export video) screens. This screen also has command bars to transitions, image processing, titling, and audio record (import), edit, and mix. The owner’s manual does a good job of explaining each screen command.
While on this screen, I was able to check out the hardware of the machine and found it to have an Intel Pentium 233 Mhz processor with 64 megabytes of memory, and a 38- gigabyte hard drive installed. This was perplexing to me as I know of no PC-based video editing system that would run on such a configuration. Then I discovered only 200 Meg of the hard drive space was used by Avio’s operating system and software. This is in contrast to PC-based editors that require a high amount of overhead with today operating systems and video editing software. This is truly a standalone system designed specifically for video editing, and as such is highly efficient.
What impressed me the most about the Avio was the way it was designed for ease of operation. The screens logically flowed from one to another with the simple click of the trackball mouse button. When entering text, an on-screen keyboard pops up that could be used with the trackball mouse. If ordered, an optional keyboard could be used. A person sitting down at this system for the first time would not have to be a PC expert to get it up and running, nor a software guru to make it perform. It is simple, logical, easy, and fun to use. A volunteer would not be afraid of this system.
But this does not mean the Avio is not a powerful video editor. It has a full suite of transitions and special effects that can be used to enhance your video. It has titling options that include credit rolls. Finally, the Casablanca Avio DV Pro has Firewire capability that includes digital video device control and Direct-DV mode that allows you to import digital video without recompressing. And the best part of all, you can get all of this capability for less than $2000. Or you may get the Avio for around $1,000, if you go for the “basic” model now, and add the Digital Video and Pro Pack at a later time.
Video is an important medium in the church today. It is as revolutionary as the printing press was to the church two centuries ago. Just as the printed Bible spread God’s Word to the world, so can the videotape. Let me close with personal example of the impact of video.
The Christmas production at my church was complete and the videotape editing was underway. It was our objective to have the production videotapes available the Sunday following our last performance, allowing church members and visitors to take the tape with them on their holiday travels. This meant we had two days to edit and three days for duplication (including shipping). On the second day, a woman came to the church requesting a video of our Christmas production, “if at all possible.” Her husband was leaving for Bosnia the very next day and he wanted a tape to take with him. We were finished with the editing and were able to made a copy before sending it off for mass duplication. Her husband did take the video with him to Bosnia, and this single tape was literally viewed by thousands.
Don Brooks operates a no-fee consulting service called TechMissionS with its goal: “To help today’s church with the issues of technology in much the same manner Paul helped the first church with issues of theology.” He can be reached through his web site www.techmissions.com.
