Video frustrations

[RichardT]

I’m writing music for a ballet (on spec!) and I’m thinking how best to communicate the ballet storyline to potential choreographers.

I was planning to keep it really basic and use a PowerPoint presentation. I don’t have or know how to use a video design app.

PowerPoint has the ability to import an audio file of the music and also to have timed transitions between slides so that they can be made to sync with the music.

It also has the ability to export the slide show as an .mp4 or .mov video using the H264 codec.

This sounded perfect, but unfortunately while it can import .wav files and play them back live at full quality, when I export to .mp4 the sound quality is so poor as to be unusable. I can’t change that in settings.

So I thought, OK, I’ll import the video into Cubase and render music and video from there. However Cubase won’t import the video. It can import H264 so I’m not sure what the problem is, but I’m guessing it might be incompatible frame rates, which again can’t be controlled in PowerPoint.

When I inspect the video in Finder or QuickTime it does not display a frame-rate.

I’m not sure how best to go forward from here. I’m wondering if any of our video experts have any suggestions?

[Drew Stephenson]

As I understand it there are several versions of h.264.
Have you got VLC player on your computer? If not, it might be worth downloading that and that should bring all the different versions of the codec with it.

Alternatively, if you're just looking to add an audio file to a video file, it's trivially easy in Reaper (even if you've not used it before) and that will handle anything that I've thrown at it (including powerpoint animations).

[Mike Stranks]

I've not tried it recently, but I gave up on timed transitions in PPoint as they were never accurate enough and would vary between slide shows...

... and then, of course, .mp4 is not a one-size fits all... just like .mp3, so many variables...

I've done a lot of work like this since the arrival of COVID...

I ended up keeping the slides and music completely separate until I got to video editor stage.

The slides were individually exported as .jpgs from PPoint - no attempt at timing in PPoint - just the various slides

Lay the music track (.wav) down in your editor. Then sync the individual slides/.jpgs to the music in the editor. Produce the video file to the resolution you need...

[RichardT]

Thanks guys - very helpful advice.

[sonics]

Surely an hour with a simple, free video editor is the answer here? DaVinci Resolve is free, and titling and image tutorials abound. You then have a useful new tool and new knowledge.

[RichardT]

I've decided to get to grips with the basics of Davinci Resolve - and in the meantime I've put a post up on the Steinberg forums trying to find out if I can get the Cubase route to work.

thanks all!

Edit: Well that wasn't too hard! Just import the audio and video and drag to the timeline.

[sonics]

FWIW when I used to use Cubase (v8) I had to convert video to a Cubase-friendly format to do serious work with it, otherwise it would glitch and skip when playing back. Resolve is simply streets ahead, and can use modern plugins now, too.

Would that Cubase information be of any use?

[RichardT]

FWIW when I used to use Cubase (v8) I had to convert video to a Cubase-friendly format to do serious work with it, otherwise it would glitch and skip when playing back. Resolve is simply streets ahead, and can use modern plugins now, too.

Would that Cubase information be of any use?

Well it gives me the ability to import a video and adjust the music to fit it - I can see that being useful in the future, and on this project too if I want to use moving images, which is quite likely.

[ManFromGlass]

Best of luck with the gig RichardT!
I find writing for ballet or modern dance some of the most terrifying and satisfying of any project, usually in the same project.

[RichardT]

Best of luck with the gig RichardT!
I find writing for ballet or modern dance some of the most terrifying and satisfying of any project, usually in the same project.

Thanks - it’s about Kaiser Wilhelm II - specifically how his childhood and youth shaped his psychology towards aggression and militarism, which had significant consequences for the world. The working title is ‘Wilhelm - Genesis of a Warmaker’. It’s a really compelling and shocking story. I’m struggling to find elements of relief in it to be honest!

[James Perrett]

As an audio person I find that Reaper's video editing makes far more sense than Resolve's. I think Vegas also shares a similar working method. However our lad got on well with Resolve and Shotcut when he first started editing video although he seems to have switched to Reaper now that his soundtracks have become more ambitious.

[Martin Walker]

I really must try some video editing in Reaper after all these recommendations from people I trust.