Add Markers to Live Video Capture
 

Hi Everyone,

I record a lot of live hockey games and I'm looking for gear and solutions to improve my "1 man" production workflow without breaking the bank.

Currently I'll record a game, take it home and render it down to an upload/download friendly MP4 version. I'm getting more requests for highlights and game summaries which means a lot of scrubbing through game footage. Naturally, this can be very time consuming.

So ... I would like to capture my camcorder to a laptop and mark plays on the fly. Even a simple basic marker in the video file would be helpful. That way I can quickly find the highlights in post editing and save me all that scrubbing.

There are many HDMI capture devices out there to get my signal into the laptop. There are also some solutions that will mark video on the fly and are geared towards sports, but they are pretty pricey. I'm really looking for a basic marker, added on the fly to a captured HDMI input or video stream.

Thanks in advance,
Randall Smith
Hockey Video - Record Your Team - www.hockeyvideo.ca

Re: Add Markers to Live Video Capture
 

Does your camera record 1 file per scene?
For example, every time you press record, does the footage go to a new file?

(Please note: This method is better suited to Football where there is a stoppage of play every down)

After a goal, or other fantastical play, stop recording, aim your camera directly at an overhead light, record 3 seconds of the bright light. Similarly, if you have an entire scene of boring action, stop recording, place your hand over the front lens, record 3 seconds of Black.

When you import your footage, and use scene mode, you can instantly find/concentrate on the highlights, as well as find and delete the low-lights

Re: Add Markers to Live Video Capture
 

I shoot football (soccer). I tried capturing direct to laptop but it was very cumbersome and a bit "fragile" at times but you may have more luck - I was using firewire onto a HDD through FCP7. I now use a datavideo DN60 to capture to Compact Flash which I can transfer pretty rapidly via a firewire card reader.

As far as marking for highlights goes, I switch to colour bars for a second or two after a goal etc, which is pretty easy to find when scrubbing through the footage later on.

Dave

Re: Add Markers to Live Video Capture
 

Thanks for your replies Vince and David,

I use an HFG30 and I stop and start on the whistles. Over the years I've used some of these home grown solutions that you mention.

I start recording at the faceoff circle or at the scoreboard. I record 4 seconds of black in between each period. So when I look at the thumbnails I do get a birds eye view of the game. For example, If I see the scoreboard then I know something happened the clip before. Typically a goal or a penalty. If a faceoff at centre then it was a goal or period start. Faceoff in neutral zone ... likely an offside. Faceoff in defensive zone then likely the goalie stopped the play etc.

The colour bars is a neat idea. If I can do it quickly. I've also thought of using different colour cards to quickly throw in front of the lens. Bright fluorescent green and orange for example.

Ideally I would prefer to see a marker in the video. There are applications like Steva that can tag on the fly to a stream saved to a laptop. ie, hit "G" and you've tagged a goal and it will tag 15 sec before 5 secs after. (definable). "H" for a hit, "P" for a penalty etc. But it's $1000 per year to license.

I use Adobe products and the have an iPad app called Prelude Live Logger which is pretty good for creating a list of tags. You can then load this XML file into Prelude with the clips and it will add the markers. Sounds good in principle but it adds another step to the process.

Vince, what do you mean import with scene mode? Is that using something like Canon's importer? I actually never use that. I just put the SD card in a USB 3 adapter so it'll copy over faster.

David, you might like this. The other thing I do use is a Hauppauge Rocket for backup. I feed the HFG30 into it via HDMI. The Hauppauge Rocket is designed for games to record XBox and PS3 etc but it caught my eye because it has a standalone mode. So I let it run continuously and it captures my main camera even when it isn't recording. It's saved my bacon a few times. Its the poor man's Atomos Ninja :) It has no AC adapter so I have to run it off a 2 amp external cell phone battery. If the coach has a burning desire to have the game right away then I can just give him the USB stick.

Regards,
Randall Smith
Hockey Video - Record Your Team - www.hockeyvideo.ca

Re: Add Markers to Live Video Capture
 

It's called different things in different NLE's
It might be the Storyboard view, where above your timeline you see a thumbnail of each clip in your timeline. This way you can instantly find the Scoreboard (In your case), click on it, and then your cursor is moved to that point in the timeline

I use the "Black Frame" method, where you record Blackness immediately following a throw-away scene.
Then I use Windows Explorer (Or Mac Finder), in Thumbnail mode.
I can immediately see a Black Thumbnail, and then Delete It and its predecessor before I even begin editing

Re: Add Markers to Live Video Capture
 

Thanks - I'll look into that!