In Avid Media Composer I have a top ten list of keyboard shortcuts.  The replace edit function ranks towards to the top.

Once you learn how to use the replace edit function, it will dramatically speed up your editing workflow.

The basic science behind using the replace edit function is that you only need press ONE button to make an edit into your sequence! You DO NOT need in-out points. It’s Just ONE click.

It’s based on a sync point to fill the area of a segment in your timeline. Done! However, there are some caveats to learn.

Also, there is a feature called ‘Phantom Marks’ that will let you preview the area of a segment that needs to be replaced.

Let us know if this video tutorial is helpful! If so, please favorite the YouTube Video.

And as always, we provide customized one-on-one Media Composer certified training courses (remotely) if you are looking to upgrade your skills or becoming an Avid Certified Specialist.

You can also assess your current knowledge by taking our FREE Avid Media Composer Practice Exam.

Here’s a short tutorial on how to create super slow motion effects in Media Composer.

This may save you a lengthy process of having to process the frames in a different software package such as Adobe After Effects.

A couple of short notes that were not mentioned in this tutorial.

For this to work, you need to a video clip that exceeds your project’s frame rate. If you want to follow this tutorial on your own, here is a copy of the media used.

Slow Motion Clip 240 fps.

*If you are linking to clips directly as shown in the video, you will need to transcode the clip(s) to managed media in order to export a video.

If you need assistance on how why it’s important to transcode linked clips to managed media, you can watch the tutorial below.

The Source Browser Window allows you to preview video content before bringing it into a Bin.

This Tutorial will show you how to:
– Create Favorites to access commonly used Directory paths
– Preview Media before linking to it
– Transcode Linked files for better system performance
– Linking to media from Multiple Folders

Check out this video tutorial!

A relatively new feature in Media Composer is the ability to create Bin Layouts with the ability to save them to a shortcut key.

Mastering Bin Layouts can speed up your workflow. A Bin Layout gives you the ability for the following:

• Save the location of all your Bin Containers (including across multiple screens)
• It remembers the number of Bin Tabs within each Bin Container
• The arrangement of Bins with a Bin Container (see screenshot below)
• You can create shortcut buttons that can be mapped to a toolbar
• You can map your Bin Layouts to a shortcut key on your keyboard.

To Map a Bin Layout to a keyboard shortcut, or a button to a toolbar:

– Navigate to the Command Palette.
– Click on the Workspace Tab.
– Change W1 to your first saved Bin Layout (BL1)

Now you can press a single button, or a keyboard shortcut to automatically map all your Bin Containers to a specific area within Avid Media Composer’s background panel.

For other great tips like this, and/or if you are interested in becoming an Certified Avid Media Composer Specialist , visit GeniusDV.com.

It’s easy to clone areas of a video image by creating a Matte Key within Avid Media Composer.

Watch this Media Composer tutorial on how to create a Matte Key.

To start, select a clip segment in the timeline and then hold down the option/alt key and press the Up Arrow Twice.

This will duplicate the clip segment on top of itself two times.

Next, make sure the V3 track is turned on, and the Monitor Icon is placed onto the V3 Track.

Navigate to Effects Palette and find the Paint Effect with the Image Category.

Place the Paint Effect onto the V3 Segment within your sequence.

Then enter into Effects Mode. This will bring forward the Effects Editor Window.

Navigate to the Effect Editor Window and click on the Poly Tool.

Change the Color of the Poly Tool Mask from Red to Black

Draw a black mask around area to be cloned.

Then, click on the reduce button in the right corner (or CMD/CTRL K) so you can see outside to visible picture area within the Composer Window.

Navigate back to the Effect Editor Window and click on the Rectangle Tool. Change the color of the Rectangle Tool to White. Draw a white square around the entire visible picture area.

After you Draw the Mask, it will cover over the Black Shape that you made earlier. Click on the Send Backward button within the Effect Editor Window

The end result with be a Black and White Matte.

Navigate back to the Effect Palette, and find the AniMatte Effect within the Key Category.

Hold down the ALT/OPTION key and drag the AniMatte effect onto the clip segment that’s on V3.

The last step is to resize your Matte within the Composer Window. That’s it!

If you enjoyed this tutorial, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

One of the great features of Avid Media Composer is the ability to create animated masks.

Click on this link for a YouTube Tutorial on how to create a quick mask by duplicating a clip segment within Media Composer.

Or, read the text/image based tutorial below.

Start by duplicating a clip segment layer by holding down the option/alt key and pressing the UP ARROW key. That will duplicate the clip segment on V1 onto V2.

Then, command click on the V2 Monitor Icon to Solo the Layer.

Drag the Animate Effect from the Effect Palette onto the V2 Clip Segment

Then enter into Effects Mode.

Next, click on the Reduce Icon to zoom out of the visible area within the Record Side of the Composer Window.

Click on the Rectangle Tool within the Effect Editor Window.

Draw a Rectangle Mask around the water area and adjust the vertical feathering to hid the hard edge of the masked area.

Double click on the Animate Effect located on the Clip Segment within the timeline. The Timeline will expand with 2 additional tracks. This is called expanded nesting.

Within the Effect Palette, navigate to the Image Category and look for the Color Effect.

Drag the Color Effect onto the V1.2 track which is nested within the V1 track.

Then, adjust the blue parameter within the Color Gain category.

You can now umute the V2 track and place the monitor icon icon the V1 track.

That’s it!, now you have an isolated matte (mask) where you can adjust the color of the shape independently from the rest of the video segment.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, or consider taking an Avid Certified Media Composer Course.

With Media Composer Ultimate, is easy to isolate colors and/or change color hues without having to export to DaVinci Resolve, After Effects, or another third party software product.

Here’s is the YouTube Video for this Media Composer Color Correction Tutorial. If you enjoy this tutorial, please subscribe to our Media Composer YouTube Channel.

Edit a clip to a new sequence that has an area of Color that you would like to protect or change.

Then, start by click off to the right side of the screen by clicking on the Pre-Built Color Correction Workspace.

Then, click on the Secondary Color Correction Tab (Sec).

Next, click on the Input Vector Color Icon

Then, use the ‘Vector Icon Stabber’ to select an initial color of a hue area that you would like to change.

You may notice, it selects only a small range of color. Don’t worry. This next step is to click on the Add Color to Input Vector Icon.

Click on nearby areas using the Add Input Vector Dropper until you’re happy with the selection.

If you need to remove Color Ranges, use the Subract Color from Input Vector

By default Avid Media Composer will isolate the selected color range, which means the rest of the image will be black/white.

Uncheck the Isolate Color Check Box

Now you can adjust the Output Vector to a different Hue, while persevering the rest of the video image.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, or consider taking an Avid Certified Media Composer Course.

Avid Releases Media Composer 2020.6 on June 24th.

For all the brave souls using Avid’s new optimized Media Composer software, you may want to check out the latest update! Make sure you read the latest Avid MC Readme file before installing.

The latest version mostly consists of fixes and patches. You can read all the new features in Avid Media Composer 2020.6 by visiting Avid’s website.

There are a couple of new features that seasoned Avid Editor’s will enjoy which include:

• The ability to Dock the ‘settings’ window to other interface windows. Hurray! another time saver! For those of you new to Avid’s new 2020 interface, the old ‘project’ window is called the ‘settings window’.

• It’s now much easier lasso multiple clips when you are in frame view. The bin will automatically scroll down if you have additional clips that don’t fit within the window size.

For upgrades like this, I recommend that you download updates directly from Avid’s Download Center instead of using Avid Link. Avid’s download center provides access to previous versions in case you need to uninstall and go back to a previous version.

If you’re interested in learning the new Avid Media Composer 2020.6 Interface, and/or becoming a certified Media Composer user, please give me a call directly at 866-566-1881. -John (Certified Avid Trainer for 25 years)