Avid Media Composer 101 Certification Exam Study Cards

Front 1

Where does Media composer store the project files for private projects??

Back 1

In the OS Documents folder

Front 2

Which button in the Select Project Dialogue box is used to navigate to the location of an external project ?

Back 2

The Folder Browse button

Front 3

Name the four principle windows of the AVID interface

Back 3

Composer Window
Bin Window
Timeline Window
Composer Window

Front 4

The Bin can be displayed in three layouts: name them

Back 4

Text, Frame, Script

Front 5

What is the difference between AMA linking and importing?

Back 5

AMA links to clips from a specified location (desktop, harddrive etc)
Importing will rewrap / encode footage to the specified format - it will store this new media in the Avid Media Files project folder in the root drive.

Front 6

Name the default keys for setting IN and OUT

Back 6

E and R or I and O

Front 7

How can you save a bin? How can you save the entire project

Back 7

CTRL + S for the Bin
Closing the project window saves the project - auto save is another option.... can you think of another?

Front 8

What is the short cut key for Jumping to the first frame in the timeline?

Back 8

Home Key

Front 9

What modifier do you use to drag AMA footage into the bin from an external folder? (Importing)

Back 9

Alt-drag

Front 10

What are two ways to create a sequence?

Back 10

Right click in the timeline > New Sequence
Clip > New Sequence
.... any more??

Front 11

What type of edit does a Splice -In perform

Back 11

Inserts the new clip into the timeline at specified point - pushing other clips down the timeline.

Front 12

Which modifier key allow you to snap to edit points on the timeline?

Back 12

CTRL

Front 13

How can you add audio or video tracks to a sequence?

Back 13

CTRL + Y
CTRL + U
Right click add new Video or Audio track

Front 14

Why are Audio waveforms useful to see while editing?

Back 14

So you can edit along to the music - see the obvious peaks and troughs. So you can adjust timing etc
Anymore reasons??...

Front 15

How do you solo an audio track? what is the result?

Back 15

Click the small S icon next to the track - result is other tracks are muted

Front 16

What is Digital Audio scrub? How is it enabled?

Back 16

Realtime audio playback on the timeline while scrubbing. Use the Caps Lock key to enable it.

Front 17

True or False - Splice In never affects track (sequence) duration?

Back 17

False

Front 18

What is this button?

Back 18

Add Edit

Front 19

What is this button?

Back 19

Match Frame

Front 20

What are sync locks? How can you enable or disable them? (where is the button located?)

Back 20

Lock the Audio and Video of segments, prevents segments going out of sync during edit operations (splice in or ripple trim)

Use the Sync Lock button on the appropriate tracks.
Next to the Track selector button.

Front 21

What are the shortcuts for Undo and Redo?

Back 21

Ctrl Z - undo
Ctrl R - redo

Front 22

How can you remove a segment using Lift / Overwrite? What is the result

Back 22

Mark the Clip - set IN and OUT marks around the segment.
Use the Lift command to remove the segment.
The result is filler left in its place.

Front 23

What does Lasso left to right in segment mode do?

Back 23

Selects segments

Front 24

What is the shortcut key to enter and exit rim mode?

Back 24

U

Front 25

What does the forward slash (/) key do in trim mode?

Back 25

Trim right eight or ten frames

Front 26

What do the M, Comma, Period, Forward slash keys do in segment mode?

Back 26

Nudge left or right one frame & eight or ten frames.

Front 27

True of False - it is necessary to render a dissolve before you can see it ?

Back 27

False.
You can apply a dissolve and then watch it in the timeline before rendering.

Front 28

How do you open the Avid title tool ? two ways.

Back 28

Right click > create new title (Bin)
Tools > Title tool

Front 29

What is the value of adding a drop shadow to text or titles?

Back 29

Adds to the style of title - as well as improving readability over varying exposure in footage.

Front 30

What is the keyboard shortcut to Duplicate?

Back 30

ctrl D

Front 31

How do you display the start timecode of your clips ?

Back 31

Add the Timecode column to the current bin.

Front 32

How do you add a custom column to a bin in text view?

Back 32

Click to the right of the last column, and start typing the name of the new column.

Front 33

What is the shortcut to view a pop-up menu containing previously entered values in a custom column?

Back 33

Alt click on empty cell

Front 34

What is the difference between duplicating a clip and cloning a clip?

Back 34

Duplicating - creates a new master clip that is a copy of the original
Cloning creates a new clip that is still linked to the original master clip.

Front 35

You need to track rights releases for some of the actors on your set - how could you do this in the bin?

Back 35

Add a custom column with a Yes / No option for rights release - then sort or sift the clips looking for the No option.

Front 36

Why might you need to sync audio and video clips?

Back 36

Clean audio recorded on a separate source to the video clip.
Original audio is of too low a quality to use.

Front 37

You have audio and video clips that do not share a common timecode - is it still possible to sync these clips? how do you do it?

Back 37

Yes - you can use the IN or OUT method.
Load the clip in the source monitor, set an IN or OUT point for both the video and audio source.
Then sync based on either IN or OUT in the Auto sync window.

Front 38

What is a group clip? What is the advantage of using them?

Back 38

For a multicam edit - is more efficient to use a group clip as it allows multiple camera sources to be sync'd with a single audio source.

Front 39

What is the shortcut key to move the active text entry field down one row in a column?

Back 39

Return or Enter

Front 40

What is the shortcut for creating a new sequence?

Back 40

CTRL SHIFT N (Windows) CMD SHIFT N (Mac)

Front 41

Shortcut key to Duplicate?

Back 41

CTRL D

Front 42

Shortcut to clone a clip from one bin to the other?

Back 42

Alt + drag the clip to the new bin

Front 43

What is the shortcut to add a new mono audio track? What is the shortcut to add a new stereo track?

Back 43

CTRL U Mono
CTRL SHIFT U Stereo

Front 44

What editing functions are more likely to break sync? Yellow or Red

Back 44

Yellow - functions as the insert or Extract into / from the timeline and push other segments along - which could mismatch the clip audio.

Front 45

When navigating by timecode, what is the difference between typing +30:00 and 30:00 ?

Back 45

+30:00 will move the position indicator 30 seconds from the current time
30:00 will move the indicator to the 30 second point in the sequence timeline.

Front 46

Describe the process of backtiming an edit

Back 46

Set IN and OUT marks in the Source window, and then set an OUT point in the sequence - then Overwrite the clip into the sequence.

Front 47

What do FF and RW do?

Back 47

Jump the position indicator to the next or previous edit point in source / record mode.

Front 48

What is the principle goal of the rough cut?

Back 48

To lay out the story edit as quickly as possible for review and to see if it works. You can use an EDL (edit decision list)
to help generate your rough cut.

Front 49

What function can be used to create a series of jump cuts in your edit?

Back 49

Extract

Front 50

How can you view the audio waveforms of your source material?

Back 50

load the clip into your source monitor, then use the Toggle Source/Record button at the bottom of the timeline.

Front 51

What are the shortcut keys to increase or decrease the height of tracks

Back 51

Highlight tracks and use Ctrl L to increase and Ctrl K to decrease.

Front 52

What is the default shortcut key to perform a Lift operation?

Back 52

Z

Front 53

What is the default shortcut to perform an Extract operation?

Back 53

X

Front 54

Name two ways to enter Trim mode without using the Smart Tool

Back 54

U on the keyboard
Drag a box around edit points (right to left)
- Anymore?....

Front 55

Name the keys on the keyboard used to select the A side or B side or dual-roller trim...

Back 55

P - A side
[ - Dual roller
] - B side

Front 56

Which keys are used to trim eight or ten frames to the left and right?

Back 56

M - left
/ - Right

Front 57

What function is associated with the Play button when in Trim mode?

Back 57

Play Loop

Front 58

What is a split edit ? what are the benefits of using split edit techniques?

Back 58

Common split edits are also known as J or L cuts.
The benefits are being able to compress time in the edit and control pacing. Create a more dynamic dialogue scene, and smooth out edits between angles by running the audio of one clip under the video of another. Help to solve problems in the edit also..

Front 59

Describe what a radio edit is and why it is useful?

Back 59

A radio edit is building up a quick edit, using only the audio from your video sources. This can be a great way to build a dialogue scene quickly based on timing and performance without being distracted by the video.

Front 60

What key do you use to play the A side only when in Trim loop?

Back 60

Q

Front 61

What keys are used to jump to the next or previous edit while in trim mode?

Back 61

A and S

Front 62

What keys can be used to Play and trim simultaneously while in Trim mode?

Back 62

J K L - in Trim mode

Front 63

What is the default key to copy material from a sequence?

Back 63

C

Front 64

How can you define the material you want to copy from a sequence?

Back 64

Mark I and Out

Front 65

What is the default type of edit for a Copy / Paste operation?

Back 65

Splice in / Insert

Front 66

How do you open the Clipboard monitor?

Back 66

Tools > Clipboard monitor

Front 67

What are two ways to create a sub-sequence?

Back 67

Click and drag the clip icon at the top of the source or record monitor
or
Alt Click the picture from either monitor to the bin.

Front 68

What function is most like Top or Tail?
a. Splice In
b. Overwrite
c. Lift
d. Extract

e. Extend

Back 68

D - Extract

Front 69

How is Extend similar to Trim? What kind of Trim?

Back 69

Allows you to perform edits or split edits without entering Trim mode. Most like the dual roller trim.

Front 70

From where do you open the Audio EQ window?

Back 70

Tools > Audio EQ

Front 71

The Audio EQ tool is which of the following,

a. A midrange band EQ
b. A four-band EQ
c. A three-band EQ

Back 71

C - A Three Band EQ

Front 72

True or False - Audio Suite plugins are real-time plugins that do not require rendering?

Back 72

False - Audio Suite plugins do need to be rendered in the timeline.

Front 73

True or False - Audio Suite Plugins can only be applied to segments in a sequence?

Back 73

False - Audio suite plugins can be applied in the Bin to master clips too.

Front 74

Name the difference between RTAS and Audio suite plugins

Back 74

RTAS plugins are real time and can also be applied to entire tracks in a sequence.
Audio suite are not real time and must be rendered to be heard in the timeline

Front 75

What modifier key do you use to reset any of the knobs in audio tools?

Back 75

Alt Click on the knob to reset to the default value

Front 76

Name two ways to select multiple keyframes in one of the audio timelines (panning or volume etc)

Back 76

Lasso around the keyframes
shift click multiple keyframes

Front 77

Name two tools that can be helpful for live review sessions

Back 77

Audio Tool
Full Screen playback
Time code burn in

Front 78

What are two things you might look for while critically reviewing a sequence?

Back 78

Pacing
Emotion
Performance
Continuity
+ more....

Front 79

True or false - A video mix down flattens the sequence but does not create new media

Back 79

False - Video mix down creates a new clip of the designated portion of the timeline