HDVideoPro by Neil Matsumoto

Although the results are worth it, working with HD DSLRs is nothing but a series of workarounds. Perhaps the biggest workaround is sound because the cameras do not provide professional XLR inputs and on most HD DSLRs, you cannot kill the AGC (auto gain control), which enables you to manually control sound levels. Because of this, a large number of filmmakers have been forced to go “old school” in shooting dual system sound, in which sound is recorded on a separate audio recorder and then synced in post-production just like with film. (Yes, you may remember that ancient medium.)

Back in ‘09, Singular Software Inc. released an amazing new software program, PluralEyes, which automatically synchronized audio and video clips without the need for timecode. At the time, it was originally targeted towards independent producers working on multi-camera productions, but it really exploded after the arrival of HD DSLRs. Since its release, PluralEyes has revolutionized workflow, especially in post, where assistant editors had to previously merge both audio and video clips by lining up the clap of a slate one shot at a time. PluralEyes drastically reduced their workload, and it also simplified and sped up on set production if you chose not to slate each shot.

The way PluralEyes works is that it analyzes the scratch audio recorded in your camera and then matches the similar audio waveforms to your separate professionally recorded sound clips. In your NLE’s timeline, you simply lay out your audio and video tracks, press a sync button, and after a few moments, voilà, your tracks are now synced. The first time you perform PluralEyes, it really feels like magic. read more...