What Is The Best Way To Edit Together Trek Battle Scenes?

[Dayton3]

One thing I've been trying off and on to do is to edit Trek battles scenes from all the series and movies together. Along with battle scenes from other science fiction series and movies.

Working with videotape seems to be rather flawed.

Does anyone know the best way to do this and what equipment is required.

For example, I wanted to edit it so that the Klingon cruiser attacking the Enterprise in "Elaan of Troyius" to make a series of firing runs (making it appear that more than one Klingon ship is attacking) then cutting to the scene from the third season episode where Enterprise fires on Kangs disabled Klingon cruiser and vaporizes it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

For someone so focused on science fiction battle scenes, what do you ever see in Star Trek? Surely other SF shows offer you more excitement.

 

[Dayton3]

For someone so focused on science fiction battle scenes, what do you ever see in Star Trek? Surely other SF shows offer you more excitement.

I hate to be blunt but what business of it is yours or anyone here as to why I like Star Trek?

I get tired of this endless line of inquiry.

 

[QuasarVM]

"What Is The Best Way To Edit Together Trek Battle Scenes?"

Deep Space Nine is the answer to your question. I can't think of better choreographed and edited Trek battle scenes.

I suggest you revisit those on DVD...

 

[Dayton3]

"What Is The Best Way To Edit Together Trek Battle Scenes?"

Deep Space Nine is the answer to your question. I can't think of better choreographed and edited Trek battle scenes.

I suggest you revisit those on DVD...

I'm still annoyed with Deep Space Nine for their very poor usage of stock footage in "What You Leave Behind".

 

[QuasarVM]

"What Is The Best Way To Edit Together Trek Battle Scenes?"

Deep Space Nine is the answer to your question. I can't think of better choreographed and edited Trek battle scenes.

I suggest you revisit those on DVD...

I'm still annoyed with Deep Space Nine for their very poor usage of stock footage in "What You Leave Behind".

I agree...that was a letdown...

But those that they reused were some of the best visual effects I think I've seen on TV...

 

[Lord Garth]

I'll quote myself from a thread you started last year.

It doesn't work with VCR's because you're going from first generation (the original) to second generation (the copy) and each copy looks progressively worse.

I assume you hit pause on the VCR you were recording on while you were either switching tapes or rewinding/fast-forwarding on the other VCR.

The trick is that you have to unpause three seconds before the moment you want to start recording. If you're starting a tape from the beginning you want to hit record, wait three seconds, and then that's when it starts.

If you're doing VCR-to-VCR.

If you don't want to do VCR-to-VCR then what you want to do is buy Pinnacle Studio which is a non-linear editing software that you hook up to your computer and then you hook up your VCR or DVD player so that Pinnacle captures what you play, it becomes a file, and then you can drag the file onto a timeline (you'll know what I'm talking about if you purchase the software and see it) then you can do editing down to a single frame, which represents 1/30 of a second.

Or you can purchase a DVD-R (DVD Recorder) to record what you play from a VCR but make sure you capture what you recorded to the hard-drive and then you can edit the footage on the DVD-R before burning it onto a disc and finalizing it.

The advantage of copying onto DVD instead of VCR is that you don't lose as much visual quality but you will still lose some no matter what because it's like taking a paper, crumpling it up, and then opening up the paper again. This is why it's good to only make copies from a master.

My advice hasn't changed from what it was back then. Except I'll say if you have a Mac then use Final Cut editing software not Pinnacle or Avid.

Either way, if you're serious about editing, you're going to have to do some spending.

 

[Dayton3]

I'll quote myself from a thread you started last year.

It doesn't work with VCR's because you're going from first generation (the original) to second generation (the copy) and each copy looks progressively worse.

I assume you hit pause on the VCR you were recording on while you were either switching tapes or rewinding/fast-forwarding on the other VCR.

The trick is that you have to unpause three seconds before the moment you want to start recording. If you're starting a tape from the beginning you want to hit record, wait three seconds, and then that's when it starts.

If you're doing VCR-to-VCR.

If you don't want to do VCR-to-VCR then what you want to do is buy Pinnacle Studio which is a non-linear editing software that you hook up to your computer and then you hook up your VCR or DVD player so that Pinnacle captures what you play, it becomes a file, and then you can drag the file onto a timeline (you'll know what I'm talking about if you purchase the software and see it) then you can do editing down to a single frame, which represents 1/30 of a second.

Or you can purchase a DVD-R (DVD Recorder) to record what you play from a VCR but make sure you capture what you recorded to the hard-drive and then you can edit the footage on the DVD-R before burning it onto a disc and finalizing it.

The advantage of copying onto DVD instead of VCR is that you don't lose as much visual quality but you will still lose some no matter what because it's like taking a paper, crumpling it up, and then opening up the paper again. This is why it's good to only make copies from a master.

My advice hasn't changed from what it was back then. Except I'll say if you have a Mac then use Final Cut editing software not Pinnacle or Avid.

Are DVRs and DVD-Rs different?

We recieved two DVRs with out Direct TV contract.

And what editing functions do the DVD-Rs have?

 

[Lord Garth]

A DVR is a Digital Video Recorder. It's a DVD player that records. I called it a DVD-R. We'll just call it DVR for the rest of this thread.

A DVD-R is a DVD that you can record on. You can call it a DVD-Rewritable.

Just put the DVD-R into the DVR and you can record like you would if you put a VHS tape into a VCR.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I get tired of this endless line of inquiry.

Endless? I believe I've asked once. If others ask you endlessly, there must be a continuing thread in your posts that lead others to ask similar questions.

Over in Treklit you have mentioned that you prefer action ST novels to character and exploration novels, and few seem to satisfy you. But, yeah, it's none of my business, so why do I read any of your posts on a public bbs?

 

[Dayton3]

I get tired of this endless line of inquiry.

Endless? I believe I've asked once. If others ask you endlessly, there must be a continuing thread in your posts that lead others to ask similar questions.

Over in Treklit you have mentioned that you prefer action ST novels to character and exploration novels, and few seem to satisfy you. But, yeah, it's none of my business, so why do I read any of your posts on a public bbs?

If I offended you I apologize.

But I don't hear people who like Star Trek for other reasons questioned like this.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

The Council and Countdown (from Enterprise) have some really amazing looking ship combat scenes. Not a battle as much as a slaughter, but Azati Prime would be another one. DS9's battles are usually top notch (even if there is reused stock footage). TNG is a bit light on battle scenes (although the battle in Nemesis is probably the coolest-looking thing in the movie, even if it doesn't redeem it).

 

[Haytil]

I get tired of this endless line of inquiry.

Endless? I believe I've asked once. If others ask you endlessly, there must be a continuing thread in your posts that lead others to ask similar questions.

Over in Treklit you have mentioned that you prefer action ST novels to character and exploration novels, and few seem to satisfy you. But, yeah, it's none of my business, so why do I read any of your posts on a public bbs?

He's probably annoyed with the attitude that is common among message boards: When you ask a question, inevitably people seem not to answer that question - instead, they respond by asking something along the lines of "Why would you ask that question in the first place?"

Usually people have a good reason to ask the question they're asking - they just don't want to get into the details or specifics of WHY they're handicapped or limited by the options presented in their question. So inevitably, the "answering a question with a question about the nature of the original question" response is unhelpful and distracting.

It's not just Trek BBS - it's all over the internet message boards.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Usually people have a good reason to ask the question they're asking - they just don't want to get into the details or specifics of WHY they're handicapped or limited by the options presented in their question.

As a trained librarian, it's force of habit to ask more questions before answering, because if people are holding back on why they're seeking something it's often hard to answer with any satisfaction.

The opposite also happens. People ask a question and the thread sits empty for days. Eventually the original poster comes back and is disillusioned that no one is helping them.

But humans are naturally curious. Sometimes a bit of context (see emphasis above) with one's question can make the day more interesting for everyone. With Dayton3, he has very strong opinions on why he does and doesn't like aspects of ST, and I was genuinely curious as to why he persists with a franchise of shows that don't seem to match his preferences.

If I offended you I apologize.

Thanks.

But I don't hear people who like Star Trek for other reasons questioned like this.

You're not reading those threads, obviously. Welcome to the Internet.