1. Make sure the VCR or camcorder is connected to the computer (Video Out of VCR/camera to Video In of computer). In 26-139, make sure the amplifier is turned on (lowest item in rack next to instructor's machine). In N42-013, look at the Sound and Monitors Control Panel to be sure the Mute box is not checked. Also, be sure your sound cables are plugged in.
2. Launch Adobe Premiere. When asked for a project settings, use the defaults unless you know you require a particular setting (for instance, if you know you will be copying your project back to videotape, use a size of 640x480 in 26-139, and a size of 160x120 in N42-013). Always use the Media100 NTSC codec in N42-013, as this system has a Media100 board. Choose Capture---> Movie Capture from the File menu. The Movie Capture menu will appear, plus the capture window.
3. Hit play on the VCR/camcorder and click in the Movie Capture window. If all is well, you will see your video appear in the window. When you want to record, click the Record button.
Your cursor will disappear when recording. Click the mouse again to stop. Note that in N42-013 you won't hear the audio while recording, but you will hear it when you playback the recorded clip. You will hear it at all times in 26-139 (this is due to differences in capture boards). You can currently only do about a minute at time on these machines due to storage and memory capacities. You can save directly to a JAZ disk if you like. You will want to experiment with different audio and video settings (particularly the frame rate) to get your clip the way you want it.
Once you have digitized a video segment (it will appear in a separate window labelled Clip), you can save individual frames of it as PICT or GIF documents (File --> Export --> Frame...), or you can drag the clip into the Timeline window to edit it or combine it with other clips. If the Clip window appears white, close the Movie Capture window and your video should reappear.
To save the movie as a Quicktime movie (what we recommend for Web-based movies as it runs on Macs, PCs, and Unix), choose Export--> Movie from the File menu and Click on the Settings button. Export it as File Type: Quicktime, and choose a Compression option under Video Settings (Cinepak is good for regular video, Media100 on the Media100 station). When you click OK, your Premiere file will be exported as a compressed Quicktime movie: this can take a long time, so be patient. Name your file something.MOV to remember that it is in Quicktime format.
Once your Quicktime movie is ready, you may want to open it inside Media Cleaner Pro to compress it even further if it is to stay in electronic form for the Web or a CD-ROM. The Media Wizard window inside that application will step you through the process.
If you are printing the movie back to videotape, quit Premiere and make sure there are cables going from the Video Out of the computer to the Video In of the VCR (they should automatically be like that unless someone has changed them). Open MoviePlayer, open the .MOV file you created above, and choose Present Movie. Give yourself a 5 second delay, and hit Record on the VCR. The movie should now be recorded to videotape. (Note: the Print-to-Video feature in Premiere isn't compatible with the Media100 system, but you can try it in 26-139).
The good people at Terran Interactive (makers of Media Cleaner Pro) have produced a very informative site on Making Multimedia Movies. If you plan to do many such projects, it is well worth your time to read it.