The Avid Media Composer ®

“Cheat Sheet”

Amber Video & Audio Post Unit B, 5 Skyline Place Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
Ph: +61 2 89774800 Fx: +61 2 99751430 http://www.avap.com.au
VIDEO & AUDIO POST
Project Window Bins - Text View
Shortcut Result Shortcut Result
VIDEO & AUDIO POST

+A Selects all bins in project Moves cursor to next column

+W Closes project + Moves cursor to previous column

Moves cursor to next row

Bins - General
Shortcut Result + Moves cursor to previous row

+N Creates a new bin

+E Sorts items by selected heading

+A Selects all items in bin

+ +E Reverse sorts items by heading

+ +A Deselects all items in bin + click Allows editing of custom bin

bin heading heading
+W Closes active bin Produces menu of previous en-
+ click cell
tries for that cell
+P Prints active bin
Capturing
+D Duplicates selected object/s
Shortcut Result
+ +G Groups selected objects
Starts subclip

+I Opens bin info in Console

Ends subclip

+ Changes Relink to Unlink in

Bin menu Add locator

+ drag Copies selected object/s from

one bin to another Start capturing

Bins - Frame and Script modes

Shortcut Result Did you know...?

+L Enlarges frames You can also use the J, K and L keys as well
as the left and right
+K Reduces frames arrow keys to control
the deck while in
+T Snaps frames to grid capture mode.

The owl has often been used as a

Avid Training.... its a hoot!! symbol of wisdom and learning. So
nothing epitomises the value of Avid
Certified training better than our
“I learned more with Dave in three nocturnal feathered friend here. No
days than I learned in three years matter how long you have been using
teaching myself” the Avid system, there is ALWAYS
G.J. (Avid MC101 student)
something you can learn in an Avid
training course that will help you work
smarter; instead of harder.
Check out our website for all our training offerings... http://www.avap.com.au
Tools J-K-L (Three-button) Play
Shortcut Result Shortcut Result

+1 Audio Tool x1 Play normal speed

+2 Avid Calculator x2 Play 2x normal speed

+3 Command Palette x3 Play 3x normal speed

+4 Composer Window x4 Play 5x normal speed

+5 Media Creation Tool x5 Play 8x normal speed

+6 Console Window x1 Reverse play normal speed

+7 Capture Tool x2 Reverse play 2x normal speed

+8 Effect Palette x3 Reverse play 3x normal speed

+9 Project Window x4 Reverse play 5x normal speed

+0 Timeline Window x5 Reverse play 8x normal speed

Audio Pause

Shortcut Result + Play 1/4 speed (6fps PAL)

+click Set pan to MID (centre pan) + Reverse Play 1/4 speed (6fps PAL)
pan slider
+click Set gain to 0.0dB tap Step back one frame
gain slider
+click Solo selected timeline track tap Step forward one frame
speaker icon
+drag Moves keyframe in time but not
keyframe gain

Anyone can drive a VW Beetle to its maximum potential.

So, you’ve got one of And driving the Australian GP at 65km/h might get you to
these in the garage? the finish (eventually) but where’s the fun in that?

Imagine driving the F1 car instead.

Nice one! Very exciting. But to even get on the track, the team boss
has to be satisfied you can do the job. You have to be prop-
erly trained. It is the same with your Avid system. Knowing
the basics is OK, but to get the best performance out of it,
you have to be trained the right way. That’s our job. Avid
certified training conducted by Avid Certified Instructors is
the only way to ensure you really know everything you need
to know to take advantage of all the powerful features and
productivity tools your Avid system has to offer.

(But wouldn’t it be a Think about it and remember you can’t win a F1 drivers’
shame to drive it like one championship driving a Ferrari like a VW Beetle.
of these?)
(Just ask Michael Schumacher)

Check out our full range of Avid training courses at http://www.avap.com.au

or phone us on +61 2 89774800
VIDEO & AUDIO POST
Playing and Marking Footage Effect Mode
Shortcut Result Shortcut Result
VIDEO & AUDIO POST

+ Step 10 frames forward Moves from one active slider to

the next

+ Step 10 frames backward + Increase parameter value by

ten units

+ Step one field forward + Decrease parameter value by

ten units

+ Step one field backward +drag Updates image while dragging

wireframe

+ Mark In +drag Repositions keyframe in time

keyframe

+ Mark Out + +click Selects all keyframes

+ Go to In Removes selected effect

+ Go to Out +double Autonests effect from palette-

click effect onto selected segment/s

+ Loop play between marks +click in Turns cursor into eyedropper for
monitor Paint effect brush colour
+click in Changes cursor to magnifying
Trim Mode monitor glass

Shortcut Result + +click Changes cursor to hand for mov-

ing zoomed image in monitor

+ Go to trim mode at previous edit +click control Changes corner point to smooth
regardless of track selection point point and vice versa

+ Go to trim mode at next edit +click Bezier Toggles bar length and direction
regardless of track selection handle from linked to unlinked to linked
+Trim forward In single-roller trim, Filler is in- +drag Bezier Toggles bar length and direction
or backward serted to maintain sync handle from linked to unlinked to linked
+double click Segment is placed in Slide mode +drag object Rescales object from its centre
a segment handle
+double click Segment is placed in Slip mode + (click) Brings selected object to front
a segment
Exit Trim mode and return to + (click) Sends selected object to back
Source/Record mode

+ Renders to last drive used

bypassing dialogue box
While Shows render timer
Did you know...? rendering
While Shows render percentage com-
Real-time dissolves were not part of the Media Com- rendering plete
poser feature set until about 1996 when v5.5 was
Exit Effect mode and return to
released? Before then, dissolves had to be rendered
Source/Record mode
and on a NuBus Macintosh with a 100MHz processor,
a twenty-five frame dissolve took about one second
per frame to render which meant you could not see
your dissolve playing back in real-time for about half
a minute! Then, if you wanted to change its length or Ooops!!
position, you had to render the dissolve all over again!
(What a pain) If you make a mistake, you can undo it. You probably
knew that already. But in the Undo/Redo list found in
the Edit menu, you can undo up to thirty-two opera-
Aren’t you glad Avid kept (and keeps on) developing? tions. If you undo too far, that list will also allow you to
re-do up to thirty-two operations
Editing Timeline
Shortcut Result Shortcut Result
VIDEO & AUDIO POST

+Z Undo previous action +click in Snaps position indicator to

Timeline nearest head-frame

+R Redo previous action +

+click in Snaps position indicator to
Timeline nearest tail-frame

+ Copies extracted material to the +click in Allows lassoing of edits and seg-
Clipboard Timeline ments buried in timeline tracks

+ Copies lifted material to the +L Enlarges selected track/s

Clipboard
Copies marked material to the +K Reduces selected track/s
Clipboard

+ Places extracted material in +] Show more detail (zoom in)

Source Monitor

+ Places lifted material in Source +[ Show less detail (zoom out)

Monitor

+ Places copied material in Source +F Open Find dialogue to search

Monitor clip, locator and Timeline text

+V Pastes clipboard contents at +Y Create new video track

marked position

+I Shows Info window for object in +U Create new audio track

selected monitor
+click in Allows dragging of subclip from + +Y Opens dialogue box to choose
monitor monitor to bin new video track number

+ Opens the Select a Bin dialogue + +U Opens dialogue box to choose

box new audio track number
+double Opens selected clip or sequence +click track Solos the selected track/s
click in pop-up window monitor icon/s
+drag to Splices clip dragged from bin +drag clip Snaps clip to In/Out boundaries
rec monitor into sequence from bin in Timeline
+drag to Overwrites clip dragged from bin + Restrict segment motion to verti-
rec monitor into sequence cal only

+D Duplicates selected bin objects +A Selects all tracks

+L Enlarges frame in Source or + +A Deselects all tracks

Record monitor

+K Reduces frame in Source or

Record monitor

+ Splices clip to timeline ignoring

record-side marks
Guess who forgot
+ Overwrites clip to timeline ignor-
ing record-side marks to back up?
+ Marks clip regardless of track
selection
Marks between locators or entire
Backing up your work at the end of every day
+ is a most under-rated discipline. Make sure you
sequence if there are no locators
always back-up;
Toggles between Source and
Record monitors Your Project
Your User Profile
Your project’s Attic folder
“Editing is about the only thing you can do in
life where the ends truly justify the means.” And remember; “The day you don’t back-up is
Dave Forsyth going to be the day immediately before the day
you wish you had!”
 Avid Media Composer Default Keyboard
Toggle Multicam Multicam Multicam Multicam
Src/Rec camera #1 camera #2 camera #3 camera #4

Play Jog 10fr Jog 10fr Jog 1fr Jog 1fr Play Play Video Video Audio Audio Audio Audio (you work it out)
backward forward backward forward In to Out track #2 track #1 track #1 track #2 track #3 track #4

Play Go to Go to Mark In Mark Out Mark Src/Rec Trim Mark In Mark Out Trim Trim Trim Quick
In mark Out mark Clip mode mode A-side both sides B-side Transition

Mouse Shuttle
Go to Go to Clear Clear Clear Focus Play Pause Play (pre-Adrenaline only) Add
prev edit next edit In mark Out mark both marks reverse forward Keyframe

Mouse Jog
Lift Extract Copy to Splice-in Overwrite (pre-Adrenaline only) Trim left Trim left Trim right Trim right
Clipboard 10 frames one frame one frame 10 frames

Amber Video & Audio Post Unit B, 5 Skyline Place Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
Ph: +61 2 89774800 Fx: +61 2 99751430 http://www.avap.com.au
VIDEO & AUDIO POST