Blackmagic Forum

Please refer to video at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eZhILq ... sp=sharing


Four cameras, two on stage mounted firmly.

Two on a tower ~70 feet away. Windy day, stabilization was used. Worked VERY well.

Transcoded all angles to ProRes422LT now . (Also did this before, using .m2ts files FWIW)

Source material put in Media Pool.

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Workflow in the editor:

Select desired source material from media pool.

Make multicam timeline with Audio track.

Edit multicam track selecting angles.

Go through selected angles, (clips), first stabilizing where needed.

Then pan/zoom/crop edits to get the framing and motion.

Then finally add transition (cross fade) between clips.

Then on to color....


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Please note the transitions between the stage cams and field cam source material.

:03 goes from field to stage. Note the slight wiggle/zoom at the end of the transition.

:11 Stage to field. When the field cam start to fade in, you can see a shake and zoom change.

:28 F>S. You can see a 'zoom lurch' as the transition begins

:58 S>F 'zoom lurch'

And so on. Clip is under 2 min - excerpt from a song.

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I think I can see how the problem occurs. The crossfade is 'reaching' beyond the end of the clip.

BUT...... My edits (stabilization/pan/zoom) end at the end of the clip.

So.... when the crossfade is forming, it is using material beyond the edited area. We now see the shaking stabilization took out, and/or the zoom change that is within the boundaries of the clip.

It is showing me video beyond where I edited.


JUST A GUESS. But it makes sense.


But... What to do about it?

Is my workflow faulty? Am I using the 'wrong' transition?

Pretty sure its NOT the software. It is likely me.


THANKS!!!!

Randy Poppe wrote:What to do about it?

Just use cuts between camera angles. It looks better.

Jim Simon wrote:

Randy Poppe wrote:What to do about it?

Just use cuts between camera angles. It looks better.

Ah... some think art subjective. Apparently not. That was easy! Thanks Jim!

But just for the education, I may still try using transitions. For some reason the folks who made this program sure put a lot of options for them, so perhaps there is a fringe crowd that I may appeal to by using them. One never knows. Might be a skill worth having.


I am hoping there is an easy solution, maybe a setting I was unaware of.

I did a super quick look earlier, time for a deep dig into that VERY HELPFUL 4000+ page help manual.

I love that they include it, and not a link.

I do NOT connect my video computers to the internet as a rule, and seems most software does not include a copy of 'help' , just a link.

I think you need to stabilize/crop/color more footage than you actually use. Say, 2 second ‘handles’ on both sides of a selected clip that will allow for cross fade or other transitions to stay clean, not seeing shaky camera moves or color changes.

I’m not sure how to achieve this in Resolve, but surely there is a way to modify your workflow to include this. Gonna take more time, but the results should be worth it.

Thanks Larry!

I had come to a similar conclusion. Most of my field cameras are a stationary mount. They keep the same frame throughout the performance.

I am going to have to run those source clips through 'stabilization', and have the entire thing pre-stabilized.

However, I have the 'solo cam' out in the field. 200mm 2.8 lens, it gives a GREAT bokeh and look, especially for being 40-80 feet away. BUT... it shakes. So stabilization is a MUST.


The issue: it moves all over. I have a handheld control, and try to catch the 'solo' shots. So... I have not been able to stabilize it as a single clip.

I tried, using 'camera lock'. Took a LONG time, 90 min set. When it was done, it had zoomed in to one little piece of the backdrop.

I may have to experiment with different settings in stabilization to see if it can stabilize a long clip with a lot of panning. This program is magnificent, I just have to learn what it can do.

Even the field cams get the frame moved by concert goers. My outside stand is a modified deer stand, and is pretty stable. But there are always people leaning on it, contacting it, etc. That gets some shake in all the cams.

Likewise indoor/under cover. Concert goers hit the base of the stands, use it as a handhold while walking through, etc. Its a crowded environment, a music festival, and not 'video centric'. I cant establish a perimeter and guard against anyone coming close. Thumps and bumps come with the territory. So stabilizing clips is a MUST.

Again, I have to get intimate with 'stabilization' settings and learn more. Like SO many other things, I did not begin using DR properly - I just jumped in and started editing. Study and solve roadblocks as I go.


But yeah, it is looking like its a possible limitation in the software. You are allowed to use tools that call in media that you cant edit (outside of source material editing). It would be nice if you DO call a function that uses source material outside of what you can edit at that time, that the program extends changes that have been applied to the clip on to the handles that it needs.

Or VERY POSSIBLY I just have to learn the proper workflow. Like... I would bet on that first.


I noticed this transition issue because the 'jittery' movement is easy to see during the transition.

I wonder if the color correction applied to the clip also doesnt extend into the fade. Might have to experiment. That might be an issue. With my present workflow, it would be VERY difficult to apply a color correction that applies to an entire set. Maybe impossible. (at my present level of knowledge, especially! ) With the constantly changing colors, often even the same angle requires different color correction depending on what the light guy does. A very dynamic lighting environment.

Or possibly Jim was right, and I just have to come slowly to the same conclusion. No transitions. Thats OK for active acts, but for mellow duos and trios, I really like the visual flow the crossfade transition gives.


I hope to get some 'seat time' and edit tonight. SO busy doing outside property work in this heat, my free time in the evenings is scarce.

But THANKS to all for the help. Will report back with any developments.

Hi Folks!
Rainy Saturday morning, so I get to do some editing.

LUpton wrote:I think you need to stabilize/crop/color more footage than you actually use. Say, 2 second ‘handles’ on both sides of a selected clip that will allow for cross fade or other transitions to stay clean, not seeing shaky camera moves or color changes.

I’m not sure how to achieve this in Resolve, but surely there is a way to modify your workflow to include this. Gonna take more time, but the results should be worth it.

Well, Larry was right. Workflow modification was in order.

RTFM didn't help much, as far as this specific problem. But had to look.

I did some experimenting to see if ALL effects didnt affect the clip 'outside its boundaries', under the transition.

I know now that stabilization does NOT go beyond the boundaries of the clip in the timeline selected, so it shows the 'jiggle' in the transition, where the un-stabilized part is.

So what about Transform? Well.... it does, partially.

To see, I took two clips and put a crossfade transition between. Then on the second clip, I drastically zoomed in and rotated.

So, if it has the same 'issues' as Stabilize, I should see that 'jump' during the duration. Tried it... and nope!

Even after the fade is applied, and the clip then got the 'Transform' instructions, the zoom and rotate information is extended beyond the clip boundaries on the timeline.

NOT SO if you have made a pan movement with Transform. I can add the transition, then apply the pan movement on the clip. Or perform the pan, then add the transition. Either way, a similar effect to the stabilization issue during transition occurs. One can see a period of stationary frame during the transition, and the pan starts right after the transition.

So, it is in the software, as they say. Not a fault, but a characteristic. Time to alter MY workflow.

So... What to do?

Found two working options so far. One fail also, might be me.

FAIL: Hoped to be able to apply 'Stabilization' to the entire source clip in the media pool. Seems that if its NOT a timeline, stabilization is greyed out. So using the existing clip in the media pool, and stabilizing after import but BEFORE timeline use seems a fail. Open for correction!

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Workaround 1: For when the entire source clip needs stabilizing. (#2 below is a 'spot repair' in an already existing timeline)

Import entire clip to media pool. Insert to timeline, and stabilize. NOTE: with short clips, I always liked the results of 'camera lock' and 'zoom'. Impressive results, and I could apply 'Transform' effects after to correct framing.

HOWEVER... doing a 90 min+ 422ProRes clip this way the program seemed to lock up after stabilization.

It would take about 20 min of stabilizing to get to 100% done. CPU/GPU activity went from near 100% to near zero. But... it would never close the task window. When clicked upon, the screen whites-out, and you get the 'close or wait' message. First time I selected 'close the program' to see if it would save the stabilization... nope.

Next time I just 'let it set' after it reached 100%, to see if it just needed time to sort out temporary files or something. Nope. I left it while I was out working for 4 hrs plus, and it never unfroze.

BUT.... de-select Camera Lock and Zoom. Now it reliably stabilizes a 90 min set in less than 20 min, and most importantly does NOT lock up!

Then export the timeline with the suffix of '-s' so I know its the new source clip, and Its done. The stabilization is throughout the timeline, and transitions will reflect it. No jumpy transitions.

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Workaround #2 - when you have a jittery transition in an already existing timeline, and replacing the entire source clip is NOT desired.


The transition is applied between the clips already, as the jittery transition is the complaint. Lets say its from a pan.

First, reset 'Transform' and 'Stabilization' (and other inspector mods) already applied to the clip we are modifying. Back to source clip qualities.

Next, Go into the timeline, and extend the boundaries of the clip on the timeline 4-5 seconds into the clip on either side of the clip we are working on.

NOW do the pan effect, stabilization, etc that is desired.

When using markers, make sure they are at the new outer edges of our stretched clip.

When done, move the boundaries of the modified clip back to where they originally were. Now the marker for your pan movement beginning is BEFORE the start of the transition, on that 'handle' outside the clip boundaries on the timeline.

NO MORE JUMPY TRANSITIONS! At least so far....


Method #2 is good for a few spot repairs on a project that is well established, and a bigger PITA to rework.

Method one for when you KNOW in advance it might be an issue, or you have little work into editing a timeline, so better to care of it at the source clip level.

Jim was right also...

Jim Simon wrote:You NEED training.
You NEED a desktop.
You NEED a calibrated (non-computer) display.

Got the last two, the first is ongoing.

Hope this helps any who follow, if its not clear, feel FREE to ask questions! Help however I can.

There is a special timeline display mode on the Color Page specifically for this situation. It displays the extra frames so you can extend the tracking/stabilising. I'm not at my workstation so can't remember the name & which menu it's in.

Peter Cave wrote:There is a special timeline display mode on the Color Page specifically for this situation. It displays the extra frames so you can extend the tracking/stabilising. I'm not at my workstation so can't remember the name & which menu it's in.

YES! Thanks. No hurries.

"Show current clip with handles" will allow you to extend the tracking for transitions. It's worth reading the user manual about this feature for more details.