Digital Video Production: The Making of “Marriage With a Twist”

A Midterm Exhibit for ENTC 565 Technologies of Publishing presented by Nicole Huffman on March 19, 2001

The history of the production of video is full of inventions and ever-changing technological standards. The images one sees published on television, film, movies, and now on the internet have undergone dramatic makeovers since television first appeared at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. The publishing capability and power of video has increased almost beyond imagination. The full history is too broad to discuss in this brief essay, but an introduction to the most recent advance in video technology, digital video, will be presented as well as a discussion of the significance and use of digital video in our world.

In order to discuss digital video, it is necessary to first consider its predecessor, analog, which is the representation of video by frames using fluctuating voltage signals. The first analog videotape recorder (VTR) was unveiled in 1956 by Ampex. Portable recorders followed and in 1968 the first color VTRs were made available. Technology manufacturers then scrambled to capture the new market created by these portables machines, leading to smaller videocassettes ( ½” to ¾” to 8mm to S-VHS) and the introduction of VCRs (VHS beating out Beta). However, it was not until 1991 that Panasonic presented the first digital video recorder. Five years later, digital videocassette (DV) format camcorders were accepted by the FCC. Yet, we did not see digital television until Disney’s 1998 transmission of 101 Dalmations (Compesi 5-7).

Why the change from analog to digital? The first is limited in the ability to retain quality from generation to generation. Analog cameras use electrical signals to record images onto tape. Television then converts these signals into frames that are projected at a rate that we perceive as motion. In contrast, digital video suffers no generational loss. Images are stored using binary digits, or ones and zeros. Advances in personal computers have made desktop digital video editing possible. The Pentium processor in 1993 began the revolution and we are still in the midst of continuing advances in hardware, software, and applications of PC digital video.

To begin producing a digital video, one must first capture images using a digital video recorder. For “Marriage with a Twist” I used a Sony DCR-TRV103 Digital 8 Camcorder that records digital video onto standard 8mm and Hi8 tapes. This particular camera has several built-in digital effects that one can accomplish without the aid of a PC. These include fade-in and fade-out, negative art, night shot, still picture, solarize, stretch, mosaic, and old movie.

Once all the footage was captured, to add further editing and extras such as titles and credits, a PC was needed. Using a FireWire, or IEEE 1394 connection, the images from the video recorder are transferred to the PC. Using a video editing software program, such as Apple’s Final Cut Pro, one can capture the desired frames, and then move them from the viewer to the timeline in a chosen sequence. In opposition to analog editing, digital video editing is non-linear, or processed using a “cut and paste” method. Frames can be inserted or moved in any order and several different transitions can be added between them. It is also possible to add music or voice-over narration by simply importing a CD music track, or using voice recording from CD, the digital camera, or the PC. Text titles can also be readily inserted before and after the main image frames.

After the editing phase of the digital video production is completed, some choices concerning its publication must be made. First is in what format to export the video. One option is to record the movie back onto a digital tape, where it will remain in its nondestructive digital video format and can be viewed using a digital camera. Another option is to convert the digital video back into an analog signal by exporting the movie to a VCR. This process has drawbacks, including generational loss due to the regression back to analog and an obvious degradation of image quality. However, it is capable of reaching a greater audience than a single digital camera for the video can be re-recorded and distributed for playback on any TV/VCR.

The third option is to compress the movie in order to store and display the finished product on a PC. The technology is this area is advancing rapidly, but is currently facing some problems. Compressing moving images takes up tremendous amounts of file space that even Pentium processors cannot easily handle at this moment. Thus, through the compression process the digital image loses color and spatial resolution, in addition to reduced image quality. Yet, having the video available for downloading on the web may increase the viewing audience--that is, if they are patient enough to wait for the download.

The question may be, however, if you are patient enough to experiment with placing the digital video on the web. For my video I used Final Cut Pro to compress and export the video into the Quicktime format. This process that eliminates repeated frames, reduces the frame rate, and compresses the audio also takes several mintues to execute. Then comes the task of embedding the movie inside a web page and troubleshooting when the video does not appear. My particular problem was that the extension .mov was missing from the file. After the correction of this error, however, my video is now available online to anyone wishing to plug-in.

Since the 1990s there has been an explosion of digital video technology. In the past, digital technology was reserved for specialists with pockets deep enough for the expensive and complex digital video systems. Falling prices and increases in technology have eliminated this situation. Now almost anyone can purchase and learn how to use a digital camera. Desktop digital video editing systems are also increasing in technology and availability. There are still numerous advances that need to be made and future innovation will only enhance the technology of digital editing.

The impact of analog television and recording has been many faceted. Digital video can be used for the same purposes and will only be more easily accessed and distributed. Digital video can be used for education in public schools, universities, institutions, and organizations as well as important teaching tools and aides in virtual classrooms. Medical, legal, and corporate organizations can use digital video for education, therapy, and court proceedings. Digital government and public access channels can be highly effective and useful to local communities and the nation.

Now that the technology is available, practically anyone can produce, star, publish, and distribute her own digital video masterpiece. Just as Blake created and produced his Marriage plates and Dickens was both author and printer and Shelley Jackson patched together a hypertext from classic texts, I too can create, assemble, publish, and distribute my own digital video production. Be sure to view "Marriage With a Twist" at http://www.people.virginia.edu/~nh9f/Productions/marriage.html"

Compesi, Ronald J. Video Field Production and Editing. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

Interactive Video and Multimedia: Digital Video. http://www.ividea.com/dvmpeg.htm..

PC Technology Guide: Digital Video. http://www.pctechguide.com/24digvid.htm