[robodweeb]

Hi!

I'm a long-time Mac user but only now have a use for digital video editing and I need some guidance.

I'm working on a PhD in computer science and part of my research involves observing and recording groups of people participating in collaborative interactions. Standard research methodology is to video record from at least two cameras, then play the tapes into two separate, side-by-side TV+VCR combinations to be able to encode the interactions by watching the same event from multiple perspectives simultaneously. However, it's annoying and tedious to try to sync up two different VCRs so that we're watching the same actions at the same time.

It occurs to me that I should be able to import multiple (probably two, but more are definitely desirable) video streams into a digital video editing application, sync them digitally, and be able to view them simultaneously (hopefully with some sort of timestamping created during import) on one computer display (or television). It would also be great, and seems likely to be possible, to import multiple audio streams from the interactions anbd sync them up to the video. Finally, I'd like to print it out to a DVD set.

So, what I'm looking ofr are some recommendations for specific applications to do this (I already have a G4 with Superdrive and OS X 10.1.3). I've done some iMove stuff and have looking into Final Cut Pro, but I don't see how to merge thte two video streams into two side-by-side views. Any help?


thanks!

[Chuck_star]

FCP is very much your tool to do the job. You could do more than two windows playing in the same Quicktime movie.
The way it works is:
You make one movie. One video track could have a stream, shrunk and pushed into one corner of the screen. A second track could have another placed beside, under or diagnol to the first. With the remaining space you could add a third or forth track with either video, photos, or text. All of this sync'd to one or more audio tracks. FCP is not a toy. It takes some learning, but it will definately do what you want. And it's an excellent app.

[robodweeb]

Originally posted by Chuck_star:
<STRONG>FCP is very much your tool to do the job.</STRONG>

Excellent! This is exactly what I needed ... a pointer in the right direction and some idea of the appropriate terminology. Thanks!