Immediately, I’ll share a fast take a look at my easy resolution to a generally convoluted course of.
Timecode is completely important to filmmaking. Lots of you could discover that assertion shocking, as you could have by no means truly heard of timecode. However, as you progress in your filmmaking journey, it can develop into a kind of discoveries that you would be able to’t fathom the way you ever lived with out.
What Is Timecode?
In a easy sense, timecode is a crystal-synced strategy of assigning a numerical worth to each body of video you shoot and each body of audio you file. When you consider movie/video as a collection of particular person images, then, to ensure that sound/dialogue to seem in sync, the proper body of movie must line up with the proper body of audio. To do that, we assign an identical timecode to every body that corresponds between the video captured and the audio captured. Then, we deliver each video and audio components into our NLE, sync them up based mostly on the timecode, and—bingo—the 2 are in excellent synchronization. I might go additional down a tech-speak rabbit gap, however all you really want to know is that timecode is a technique to preserve two separate however associated components in mathematical sync when making a movie.
Why Is This Vital?
Chances are you’ll ask your self, “Why do I care?” In spite of everything, you’ve been making movies for years and have by no means even heard of timecode, so why trouble with it now? Effectively, to make sure, in case your filmmaking wants boil down merely to having one digital camera with audio being recorded instantly into it by means of the mic jack and that’s all there’s to it, then, no, you most likely don’t want to fret about timecode.
However what if you wish to shoot with two cameras concurrently? What occurs once you begin—as you must most often—to file audio individually to a sound mixer as an alternative of feeding it instantly into your digital camera? What for those who abruptly end up capturing a multicam challenge with 25 completely different cameras working concurrently and a mixture of growth and lav mics unfold throughout the set, and you must hand all of that over to your editor in a approach they will make sense of? Effectively, that is the place having a extremely correct technique to hyperlink footage isn’t solely a profit however downright important.
How Does It Work?
In case you are repeatedly working with giant crews, there’s a very good probability that you have already got a member of your staff coping with timecode so that you don’t must. You may additionally be working with higher-end cameras that every one have timecode options inbuilt, anticipating the routine wants of manufacturing. However, within the age of hybrid cameras, the place each the cameras and crews have reduced in size, it’s equally seemingly that you will see that your self working both as a one-man band or with a restricted staff and can be accountable for recording correct timecode as you go. Right here’s how I am going about it.
Most often, the place I’m directing and/or DP’ing a challenge, I’m not the one who has to fret about organising timecode. However there are sometimes smaller initiatives or private initiatives the place I’ve loads of creativeness however a dearth of assets. I discover myself cobbling collectively a squadron of mismatched components that every one have to sing the identical tune ultimately.
As an example, I personal two Nikon Z9s, which function my main nonetheless cameras and sometimes video cameras on low-budget fare. I additionally personal a Canon R5C. I additionally personal a Canon R5C. As well as, I usually lease further cameras, both as main cameras or further cameras, and people have to sync up with the opposite three to finish the scene. I at all times file my audio individually, so I have to get matching timecode onto my audio recordings as effectively to make sense of all of it in submit. So how do I get all these programs to work collectively?
First issues first, there are lots of methods to go about this. What I’m about to explain is what works for me. However you could have completely different elements and can provide you with a distinct recipe. With that out of the best way, listed here are the steps I take.
UltraSync One and UltraSync Blue
Timecode has to start out someplace. You want to decide who’s going to be the grasp to determine the timecode and what would be the shopper. I discussed earlier that my Nikon Z9s are sometimes used for my video initiatives. Just one downside: not like the Canon R5C (or most true cinema cameras), the Z9 lacks a devoted timecode port. It might probably generate timecode internally, nevertheless it doesn’t have a port devoted to with the ability to “jam” sync timecode into it from one other machine. That is the conventional state of affairs for the overwhelming majority of hybrid mirrorless cameras, so the Z9 isn’t distinctive on this deficiency.
Fortunately, Nikon addressed this challenge with the Z9 (and in a while the Z8 and Z6 III) by permitting you to sync timecode over Bluetooth. I truly don’t hate this in any respect, because it implies that’s one much less wire that I want to fret about connecting that may by chance get disconnected. To obtain timecode over Bluetooth, you must buy the UltraSync Blue. It’s not tremendous costly at $149. And it might work because the grasp to as much as six purchasers. So, I let the UltraSync Blue generate timecode, join by way of Bluetooth to my two Z9s, and growth, the timecode is now in sync.
In fact, I need to now add one other component to proceed the method as I’ve but to say sound. My primary sound recorder is a Zoom F6. That system has the choice so as to add an optionally available Bluetooth receiver, which simply so occurs to additionally work with the UltraSync Blue. So, I join that by way of Bluetooth as effectively, and now I’ve two video sources (the Z9s) and my primary audio recordings (the Zoom F6) all recording the identical timecode being generated by the UltraSync Blue. And it’s a reasonably excellent resolution. Besides…
This resolution works completely once I’m solely capturing with my Nikons. However UltraSync Blue’s can’t connect with all manufacturers by way of Bluetooth. My Canon R5C, for example, can’t connect with the UltraSync Blue by way of Bluetooth. So, how do I get matching timecode on each the Nikons and the Canon? Effectively, that’s the place the UltraSync Blue’s massive brother, the UltraSync One, comes into play. Whereas the Canon R5C doesn’t have timecode by way of Bluetooth, it does have one thing most mirrorless cameras don’t, a devoted timecode port.
There are methods to get timecode right into a mirrorless digital camera with out a port or Bluetooth. Particularly, you may sacrifice the digital camera’s built-in audio by feeding the timecode sign instantly into the mic jack, then syncing based mostly on the audio waveform in submit. The Tentacle Sync system is ideal for this setup. The issue with this strategy is that if one thing goes incorrect, you now not have scratch audio. If there’s an issue with the audio sync for some motive, you possibly can end up with none audio in any respect. The R5C’s timecode port permits you to do it the precise approach and file timecode straight to the file while not having to sacrifice the digital camera’s built-in microphone or no matter different microphone you want to plug into the mic jack.
So how can we get the timecode from the UltraSync Blue to match that of the UltraSync One? Effectively, like most members of the family, these two gadgets communicate the identical language. All you must do is about one to RF (radio frequency) Server and one to RF Shopper, and the second will choose up the timecode from the primary. So, if I put the UltraSync One because the shopper, it can obtain from the Blue, and now each Nikons, the Zoom F6, and the Canon R5C (related bodily between the UltraSync One and the digital camera’s timecode port) can be in sync.
Including Rode Wi-fi Professional
Now, let’s make our lives a bit extra sophisticated. I lately bought the Rode Wireless Pro 32-bit float lavalier system. I’ve different lavs, however I just like the compact nature of the Rode’s, and, most significantly versus different audio programs of the identical measurement, they will generate timecode. As a result of I knew I’d need that audio to have the ability to work along with different microphones and mixers on set, timecode was important.
Just one factor: not less than so far as I’ve been capable of finding to this point, I haven’t discovered a technique to jam sync timecode into the Rode Wi-fi Execs (appropriate me within the feedback if there’s a approach). They will generate timecode, however they will’t appear to obtain it from one thing just like the UltraSync One or Blue. However I nonetheless want all of them to work collectively. So, that meant I wanted to make the Rode Wi-fi Professional the grasp after which discover a technique to get its timecode into the opposite two.
Fortunately, after a good quantity of Googling, I discovered tips on how to ship timecode out of the Rode Wi-fi Professional by way of the headphone jack. Then, I related that wire bodily between the Rode Wi-fi Professional and the UltraSync One and jam synced timecode into the UltraSync One. So, now now we have our UltraSync One and Rode Wi-fi Professional in sync. Then, I related the UltraSync One to the R5C. This meant the Rode Wi-fi Professional’s timecode synced with the R5C.
However now I needed to make a change. I flipped the newly jam-synced UltraSync One from RF Shopper to RF Server. Then I modified the UltraSync Blue from RF Server to RF Shopper. So, as an alternative of sending timecode from the Blue to the One, I used to be now sending the timecode that the One was receiving from the Rode Wi-fi Professional forward into the UltraSync Blue. Timecode began within the Rode, was despatched to the One (by way of cable), then despatched to the Blue (over Bluetooth) and the R5C (over a bodily cable). The One then forwarded that timecode to a few Nikons (if we embrace a Z6 III I at the moment have on mortgage), the Zoom F6 sound recorder, and a separate Zoom F2 BT lavalier sound recorder system I’ve as effectively—throughout Bluetooth.
The Finish Outcome
I notice that sounds sophisticated, however I went by means of the headache so that you don’t must. The tip result’s that I’ve completely synchronized timecode from 13 audio sources working concurrently. Every of the 4 cameras is recording inner scratch audio or onboard mics. The Zoom F6 has six audio inputs, which could be any mixture of booms or lavs, all getting their timecode from the recorder itself. The Zoom F2 is recording its personal audio with timecode over Bluetooth. The 2 Rode Wi-fi Professional transmitters file inner audio (along with sending to the transmitter) with matching timecode. The system can be scalable, as I’d solely want so as to add extra cameras and/or further UltraSync Blue/One gadgets to proceed constructing out the system.
Now, do you want this stage of synchronization? Possibly, perhaps not, relying on the kind of work you do. However when the footage and audio begin including up and the initiatives develop into extra advanced, with the ability to completely sync timecode, even when working with mirrorless cameras, is vital to an organized workflow.
